PGA Tour: Amateur Hour at Pebble Beach: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Peter Jacobsen waxes lyrical about what this week's AT&T National Pro-Am means to the PGA Tour.
As quoted by Doug Ferguson this week, but oft-repeated by Jacobsen:
"This combines all the elements we're looking for when it comes to the PGA Tour - corporate involvement, amateur involvement, celebrity and fan interaction, it's a combination of good fun and good golf."
 
2).The annual Bing Crosby "clambake" has morphed in to a TV extravaganza, publicity gushing on to a handful of household names among the "celebrities" and more than a hundred titans of corporate America (plus some Irish gamblers).
Not so good for golf fans watching the coverage on CBS TV though. Brandel Chamblee tweeted last Sunday that the worst thing about the Super Bowl coverage was the Super Bowl. Those watching CBS's broadcasts last weekend of the Phoenix Open must have felt pretty much the same, the only thing wrong with the golf coverage was the golf coverage; plenty about "Our Military", Waste Management (understandable), the circus surrounding the 16th hole, and Weiskopf's plans to blow up his golf course creation and design a new version for next year, all in Jim Nantz's nauseatingly smarmy tones.
But very little focus on a fascinating golf tournament with half a dozen possible winners until it was almost too late.
They'll be at it again, "Friends", at the "Most felicitous meeting of land and sea in creation." (Robert Louis Stevenson must have been homesick when he said that.)
 
3).As we said following Jimmy Walker's recent win in Hawaii, another journeyman-turned-mid-thirties-breakout-star has revealed himself, with long-time Tour player Kevin Stadler, known apparently as the Smalrus, winning "Phoenix" by one shot over Bubba Watson. Three interesting things about that:
~Stads won his first web.com event, in 2004, beating Bubba Watson in a play-off.
~The Walrus and the Smalrus will become the first father/son duo to play in the same Masters - added benny of that is that Father Craig promises it will be his last one.
~Don't believe everything you read on pgatour.com - which lists Kevin Stadler at 250 lbs - about 18 stone. That must be a serious understatement, plus his caddie is even bigger! Golfers as athletes? Hmmmm.
 
4).Poor efforts by Harrington (3-putted his 36th hole to miss the cut) and Westwood (his ineptitude on the greens included a 4-putt from inside 9 feet).
Westwood only missed 6 greens (two fewer than Stadler, for instance) out of the 36 he aimed at, and was rated to have lost 3.6 "strokes putting" per round. I love what Westwood has achieved over the past twenty years, but this is utterly pathetic, his PGA Tour career at risk if this continues.
 
5).Nicolas Colsaerts disintegrated as the weekend wore on and he's even worse off than Westwood as Nicky misses out on the WGC's, The Masters, Open Championship, Players, and possibly even the PGA unless he pulls his socks up.
 
6).They say to "beware the injured golfer" and Golf Digest included an allegation from an anonymous "Undercover Tour Pro" that some Tour pros exaggerate injuries when going through a poor run of form to the extent that they manipulate the "medical extension" consideration to give themselves a better chance of cherry-picking events they play in so giving themselves a better chance of resurrecting their career.
 
Clearly wounded Tour warriors pick and choose which events they contest whilst in the Major Medical Extension category, but I've never heard of anyone being accused of feigning injury to secure a medical extension.
Perhaps sour grapes (if this undercover pro is who I think it is, one wouldn't be surprised!), or he just doesn't understand how the Medical Extensions work.
 
7).Regardless, golfers who have recently played their way back to the top of the injured category to the extent that they can be reconsidered as exempt players again include Kevin Na and Briny Baird. Others who should get there soon include Goosen, Spencer Levin, and hopefully John Mallinger (good record at Pebble Beach), JB Holmes and Jonathan Byrd (tho' Byrd is really struggling).
Those reasonably active Pros who are probably goners include Kris (why can't I bring my gun thru airport security?) Blanks whilst among others just returning are Blake Adams, Harrison Frazar, Jhonny Vegas and Lumpy Herron.
Dudley Hart got injured whilst in the form of his life seemingly a lifetime ago and is struggling back, and Fatty Marino seems to have disappeared again after cameos last autumn.
And then there's the Anthony Kim category.
 
8).I wonder how the three courses on the magnificent Monterey Peninsula will be playing this week?
Torrey Pines was playing harder and firmer than usual as California struggles with its drought so perhaps there'll be more of a mid-summer feel to the set-ups for the "AT&T".
Most of the single Tour Europeans are playing and there's even a sponsor's invite for Alex Cjeka. Harrington and McDowell are there, plus Dubuisson, Cabrera Bello and McGinley.
I fancy course specialists this week, a fit Phil for instance, or a distraction-free (unlikely as he's playing with father-in-law to be, the Great Gretzky) Dustin Johnson.
As last week Hunter Mahan will be motivated to continue his belated but promising start to the season and form guys like Jommy Walker and Jason Day have good records here. And one day Aussie Matt Jones will break through.
 
9).A nice story doing the rounds following Pete Seeger's death a few days ago:
He toured a lot with Arlo (son of Woody) Guthrie, but one year Seeger said, "Look, my voice is not so good as it used to be, I don't think I should be doing this any more."
Arlo told him, "Pete, Look at our audiences, they don't hear as well as they used to, yet they enjoy our show."
And they carried on touring and continued to prosper.
 
Kind of reminded me of the Champions Tour and we've said before that a number of well known pros turn 50 this year. Woody (no word if he has a son called Arlo) Austin, Ames, Goydos, Verplank and Lee Janzen among them. Perhaps we'll see The Mechanic too?
This week's tournament sees the coming of age of Billy Andrade; Chapman and Montgomerie also competing.
 
10).Among the best rounds played this year has to be Bernhard Langer's final round to win the Champions Tour event in Hawaii - absolutely brilliant, in a surgical, OK Germanic, sort of way.
And that's his 19th win on the Champo Tour, tied with Larry Nelson, Gary Player and the Gilroy Cowboy (OK, George Archer) at 10th on the all-time list.
But remember, there are far fewer events these days, than in the 90's for instance.
Those ahead of Bernhard are:
45: Hale Irwin
29: Trevino
25: Gil Morgan
24: Miller Barber
23: Bob Charles
22: Don January and Chi Chi
20: Colbert and Crampton.
But none of them enjoyed a year like Peter Thomson's 1985:
Played: 22
Top 25: 22
Top 10: 20
Won: 9

Jimmy Walker now has a $1M lead at the head of US Ryder Cup Team qualifying, equivalent to one Tour win, and more than double the 10th place man.
(Current automatic places would go to:
Dustin, Mickelson, Dufner, Zach, English, Moore, Simpson, Kirk.)
14th: Spieth
17th: Mahan
19th: Kuchar
20th: Furyk
22nd: Bubba
27th: Sneds
31st: Woods
32nd: Bradley
34th: Haas
49th: Stricker

And those avoiding Riviera and the MatchPlay will be falling even further adrift.

kwinigolfer wrote:(Current automatic places would go to:
Dustin, Mickelson, Dufner, Zach, English, Moore, Simpson, Kirk.)

Current wildcards would go to: Spieth, Mahan and Woods?

kouchi wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:(Current automatic places would go to:
Dustin, Mickelson, Dufner, Zach, English, Moore, Simpson, Kirk.)

Current wildcards would go to: Spieth, Mahan and Woods?

Kuchar over Mahan I would think

Woods is a given unless he gets hurt. (This surely makes most everyone in Europe happy given his record in that event ... but I would still pick him for his match play prowess alone, RC notwithstanding.)

Not so sure I would pick Kuchar over Mahan. I would play the hot hand, which we won't know until the days get a lot longer.

Welcome kouchi!
 
Actually think it'll be fascinating, because some of the younger established team members of the recent past are at least a win and a top five away from the qualifying places, guys like Snedeker and Bradley. Not to mention Woods who won't effectively start his season until it's more than a third gone. (But let's assume he'll win a couple of times and make it a moot point.)
 
Snedeker's in terrible form right now but I'd never write Bradley off.
 
Anyway, would think GPB is spot on that they'd select Kuchar, even though he's 0-2 in singles. (Would expect it to be just a matter of time anyway before Kuchar overtakes Chris Kirk.)

PS: You got power Shotrock? Time to pay some taxes mate! More to come?
PPS: Erin Hamlin third at halfway.

I notice Westwood and R-mac could meet in round 2 of the matchplay.  Are they still on bad terms with each other after pube heads chubby split?

No idea Mac, but now I see Stricker is a doubt due to the MatchPlay possibly coinciding with liver transplant surgery for his older brother.
They ought to invite someone like Accenture to manage the MatchPlay.
Oh.

It does seem the main knockout rounds are the ones that happen before the event even kicks off.

McLaren wrote:It does seem the main knockout rounds are the ones that happen before the event even kicks off.

  

Power came on Kwin -- 4am Monday, but some weekend surges fried my dishwasher, how water heater ("Why heat hot water" -- George Carlin, never tire of that joke), and (worst of all) my coffee maker. Insurance claim filed.

I do pay all my taxes since I don't like the way I look in stripes!

Can't wait for golf season to start.

!!!!
I meant to bury those utility lines.
Miss Remsen hits the luge run again starting @ 9.25 . . . . .

Tom Watson due to name his second vice-captain for Ryder Cup adventure. Announcement scheduled today.
He's already exhumed the estimable Andy North, what about his even ancienter buddy Bob Murphy?

Don't really know who he's close to among the more current generation though perhaps David Feherty would jump at the chance??!!

Ha,
All Our Yesterdays from Tom Watson, perhaps it IS just Feherty that he's close to among the generation behind him as the late Ray Floyd is the second Ryder Cup Vice Captain, joining Andy North in securing a Ryder-Cup-logoed zimmer frame.

Kwini, elder statesmen!!!! Can that work!
Quote of the day in this house from Shirley Temple - I discovered Father Christmas didn't exist aged 6, when I sat on his knee and he asked me for an autograph! Have to say I mentioned it to my granddaughter first time I met her aged approx 1hr20mins. She'll thank me one day!

!!
Surprising to me that Azinger is never re-engaged. Not sure exactly what he's done to dis-affect the golfing gods.

Still waiting to hear about Stricker's MatchPlay decision - Mac was right about the pre-tournament knock-outs.

kwinigolfer wrote:Miss Remsen hits the luge run again starting @ 9.25 . . . . .

... and some shiny metalware became hers
BTW about games and names. 'Van' and 'Vonn': not only sharing surnames but also a couple of shaky knees.

BTW knees, what's the news on Boo's knee? Will he be back in time for the Matchplay after his WD at the Humana? If not, that could pave the way for Koepka. Leaving DeJonge to await further news from the North.

kouchi,
Don't know where you're from but Remsen is the tiniest place that just doesn't spawn sports people, in living memory anyway.

Not sure about Boo, but there are reports from Justin Rose that he plans to play the next four weeks if his injured shoulder holds up.

kwinigolfer wrote:kouchi,
Don't know where you're from but Remsen is the tiniest place that just doesn't spawn sports people, in living memory anyway..

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20140211/SPORTS/702119740

BTW. I'm from continental Europe

Remsen -- sort of the land that time forgot, a very sleepy hamlet in the foothills of the Western Adirondacks. Good for Erin!! I can only think of all those rides to/from Lake Placid on those icy and winding roads through the Adirondack Park. Some achievement.

Now, if only someone could jump start the American curlers. They look like frightened kittens out there.

 kuochi
 
Sr,
When we went up for the Olympics in 1980, we took the train, spent all night in the piano bar! All the heating froze on the way back!