PGA Tour: Patrick Reed's Top Five: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Superb golf from Patrick Reed last week, sadly not pushed enough on Sunday to test his true competitive fortitude but he seldom made a mistake either.
And that cements his place alongside Woods, Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and McDowell in the Patrick Reed pantheon of the World's top five golfers.
Lots is also being made of Reed's excellent MatchPlay record but George Coetzee squeaked by him a couple of weeks ago and he's not even in Portly Patrick's World top five!

2).Reed attended unfashionable Augusta State University, so never received the accolades dished out annually by the US Golfing Press as the next great young thing, but he helped steer them to two Championships (alongside Henrik Norlander) and immediately made an impact of sorts as a pro by "Monday qualifying" for six out of eight tournaments in 2012. That's pretty hot stuff for a 21-year-old and his good play enabled him to bank $300K and then get through Q-School without a web.com apprenticeship - Tim Finchem please note.
The rest is recent history. Who knows how his career will progress? But what a start!

3).So: What did you make of the Drumpf Doral? My take is that I hated it for Rounds 1 & 2, but liked it more when the winds died down. The yellow-haired blowhard himself loved the windblown nature of Thursday and Friday play but that sort of penal set-up is not my cup of tea - whether the pin-placements were his idea or the Tour's one doesn't know, but he wants more water, especially on #17, so one can only speculate . . . . . .

Anyway, it made for a better spectacle on the weekend and there can't be too many complaints about the result.

4).Great credit then to Jamie Donaldson who led the parade of 8 x Europeans in the Top 24 - though not necessarily the ones we might have expected. A key to Donaldson's fine result was being just one of a handful of golfers to keep double bogeys or worse off his card - a shame, then, that his only Sunday bogey was on #18.
Jamie joins Dubuisson in the Special Temporary Membership club on the PGA Tour, but it remains to be seen whether he'll take advantage (if that's the right word).

5).Among golfers who might sneer at the nonsense from some PGA Tourists who are glad that, for instance, the Tiger Tournament has moved from California to Florida because it's more convenient, was George Coetzee who played the WGC-MatchPlay (where he beat the aforesaid Mr. Top Five), returned to play the next week in South Africa, jetted back to a T16 at Doral and is playing this week in Morocco.
And George finished alongside one-time Tour member Scott Hend who'd played in the previous week's New Zealand Open and, according to NBC, spent 38 hours reaching Miami. No TWA for him.
Two things about Scott Hend:
~He was respectively second (behind Kuenhe, just ahead of Daly) and first (ahead of Woods) in driving distance on the PGA Tour before we'd ever heard of Dustin Johnson or Bubba Watson.
~His caddie is apparently Tony Carolan, which made me wonder who the best golfing caddie is on Tour: Carolan perhaps? Jimmy Johnson (Stricker)? Damon Green (Zach)? Pete Jordan (sometimes on JJ Henry's bag)? Dunno, but there are some good'uns out there.

6).I mentioned last weekend that Chesson Hadley sounded like a Hertforshire village. He won the Puerto Rico Open and promptly thanked some guy called Jesus. He's very tall for a pro golfer, George Archer-like but without the facial gargoyles that the Gilroy Cowboy acquired later in life. Can't see Hadley winning a Masters as Archer did, but if he putts like George used to, maybe he has a chance.

7).Doral was the 5th of the 6 limited-field-no-cut events on the PGA Tour this year, so playing poorly means  no FedEx points and no pay-day from hereon in - Bridgestone excepted - at least until the Play-Offs.

With so many top-ranked Europeans having looked WGC gift-horses in the mouth, the real business of the PGA Tour season could be said to start this week, at the highly-regarded (9th by the Tour players - in a poll that ranked the old Doral 32nd, perhaps now 30th?) Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, in the Tampa area.
Course architect Larry Packard died recently at the age of 101, but the "Copperhead" is a worthy legacy.

8).For reasons not entirely clear this stop has a tough time holding on to a sponsor - this year Finchem has the painters in, for the "Valspar Championship". Good luck to them, hope you keep supporting a great event on a most attractive, fair!, golfcourse.

9).There's a decent field including three golfers who haven't played much recently but who looked like coming in to some form last week: Dufner, Kuchar and Rose. Probably worth doubling up on each way bets on them until they pay off, as each looks like a win-in-waiting.
Recent winners have had games as diverse as Woodland and Donald, while the resurgent KJ Choi has two wins and a close shave (in more ways than one as Furyk almost beaned him in closing out HIS win!).
There's a strong European contingent, and a chance for Messrs Donald and Pettersson to contend again at a track where they've won in the past.

10).Miguel-Angel Jimenez looked as distraught as I've ever seen him as he drowned his approach to #18 on Sunday and lapsed to a double-bogey finish and a T13 pay-day. But he'll be teeing it up in his first Champions Tour event in April.
The old pharts are in California this week, at the "Toshiba Classic", with Chapman, Langer, Lyle and Montgomerie the only Europeans in the field.
They'll be in Newport Beach, a couple of hours north of San Diego, and it was confirmed this week that San Diego/Torrey Pines has been invited to bid for the 2021 US Open. After his 2008 exploits, Tiger can have no health excuses not to win again.

Jamie Donaldson has "accepted" Special Temporary Membership of the PGA Tour, along with Victor Dubuisson.
Apart from tournaments immediately preceding Majors I can't see either using that Membership too much, but should be a passport for both to the PGA Tour next year.

Kwini...    

Will MAJ play the old boys majors? Must be best player around if he does...

robo,
It's tough to get the "Garlic Capital of the World" in my Notes once a year! Talking of caddies, he did very well on the Champo Tour with his daughter "on the bag" as they say. Carefully.

ben,
No idea what Miguel's plans might be, but would imagine he still harbours aspirations to a Ryder Cup playing role. He'd be stretching things (more than usual) to think he can contend in Champo Majors AND secure RC points.

I think MAJ will evaluate his position in the RC standings after BMW PGA before he commits to any Geezer Majors. I can see him playing the Sr Open Champ as there is no big Euro event that week.

Kwini.... interesting situation on Donaldson accepting special temporary membership.   If he's always had a desire to join the PGAT then I understand.... but otherwise, why the rush?

Donaldson had basically 60 days before he was required to make the decision, and I'm betting he would get the same amount of SE's either way... and there is no real benefit to being a special temporary member as it does NOT get you into the FedEx Cup playoffs or unless he wants to play more than the 12 events.  Now if he WINS an event... that's different as it's full membership and gets him into the playoffs (ala Jordan Spieth)

But otherwise... Donaldson gets into the API, Heritage, Colonial automatically via OWGR top-50... and he'd probably get Houston as they get extra exemptions...  and I bet San Antonio would love to add a top-50 player.

AND... not accepting special temporary now does NOT affect his automatic membership for next season.  The deadline to accept that is 10 days after the start of the new season.  So he could have gone all the way through the Wells Fargo without making a decision on STM without any ramifications whatsoever.

robo,
Completely agree about Donaldson, especially as, in this estimation anyway, he's still not a dead cert for Ryder Cup qualification.

 kwini

It may be the no-names are piling up in the US Ryder Cup team, but so are they on the European: Dubious-son and Donald-son. Plus Dubious-bjorn and (I fear) Dubious-Sten-son.

kwinigolfer wrote:
6).I mentioned last weekend that Chesson Hadley sounded like a Hertforshire village. He won the Puerto Rico Open and promptly thanked some guy called Jesus.

In Puerto Rico all taxi drivers are called Jesus...  

taxi driver? It wasn't his caddie then??

The thing with Hadley that will surely p1ss people off is this silly flip he does with his hand after he thinks he's done something good, holed a decent putt. Is it celebratory or contemptuous of his opposition - a little bit of both I'd say and some guys are going to find it pretty offensive?
Hope he does it to Poulter - his Twitter account will light up.

kwinigolfer wrote:taxi driver? It wasn't his caddie then??

The thing with Hadley that will surely p1ss people off is this silly flip he does with his hand after he thinks he's done something good, holed a decent putt. Is it celebratory or contemptuous of his opposition - a little bit of both I'd say and some guys are going to find it pretty offensive?
Hope he does it to Poulter - his Twitter account will light up.

not sure if it will p1ss people off or not... but its about as lame as it can be IMO

Very lame.
Hadley is playing with Harris English and Jordan Spieth so is sure to get plenty of airtime.
Can't think that Maltbie and Miller would let it go without comment.

Action underway in Morocco, George Coetzee back at work!
I see Scott Hend was an alternate for the web.commer in Brasil.

The early starters are having a tough time out there this morning, two hours of golf and no-one better than Casey, Olesen etc at one under par.

Good to see Connor Arendell post at least one good round for the year.  Of the new Americans to get their Euro cards this year, I thought he and Brinson Paolini would be the most likely to succeed... but so far... ZIPPO in 4 starts for Arendell and despite a promising start for Paolini in his first outting... pretty much NADA from him thereafter as well...

And yeah... Innisbrook seems to be playing a lot tougher than i thought it would. I just looked and 11 scores under-par and 40+ over par... sheesh.

Unfortunately kwini is under twenty four inches of snow right now; can't wait 'til 3.00 p.m. and see pictures of some sun.
Don't think shovelling is good for the golf swing.

Casey with thre birdies and no bogeys. Pity about the doubles. Paul!!!!
My one-and-done Tringale struggling - thought he was a good idea this week!

Don't know anything about Arendell, but see he's a UCF guy - it'll be interesting to see if anyone follows successfully in the footsteps of Koepka and Uihlein.
Not many finger snaps so far.

Just looked up the snap thing. I remember doing the same thing while I was at school thinking it was cool..... He needs to be wary of changing it though as the golf head doctors say that you need to do something to associate something good as Tiger does with his club twirl. There is a story of a LPGA golfer who made her major breakthrough and dropped hers as she decided that it was not what proper golfers did and sank like a stone until remembering what got her there.

I also saw Arendell on Golf World last night. He was saying that he tried for the ET and Web but always favoured ET. He thinks that more and more Americans will go this route. I wonder whether this will be a good or bad thing for the ET? Could it just reinforce the idea that it is a feeder tour? He had and interesting swing that didn't look too brilliant but obviously done alright with it so proves what I know.

Hang in there Kwini ! Finally we can see grass here on LI and have our fingers crossed that we may find a golf course open this weekend. It will be the first time we've played since January.

Hi Plunks,
We got hammered!
Given the amount of ice we got at Xmas-time, that still hasn't melted, I'd say it'll be late April before most of the courses here are open. Brutal!
But make the most of your early spring . . . . . !

Good to see Russell Knox hanging in there in Florida - he's found something these past few weeks, taken his game to another level.


289,
I reckon Americans playing in Europe is terrific for the European Tour - most US Tour players treat the European Tour with contempt anyway, even otherwise moderately sensible blokes like Zach Johnson. Bring 'em on - some might even say they've enjoyed themselves and return from time to time if they make it on the PGA Tour. Win/Win for me.

Kwini: What is the prognosis for Sugar Season?

Hi Plunks,
We got hammered!
Given the amount of ice we got at Xmas-time, that still hasn't melted, I'd say it'll be late April before most of the courses here are open. Brutal!
But make the most of your early spring . . . . . !
 
Good to see Russell Knox hanging in there in Florida - he's found something these past few weeks, taken his game to another level.
 
 
289,
I reckon Americans playing in Europe is terrific for the European Tour - most US Tour players treat the European Tour with contempt anyway, even otherwise moderately sensible blokes like Zach Johnson. Bring 'em on - some might even say they've enjoyed themselves and return from time to time if they make it on the PGA Tour. Win/Win for me.


GPB: Sugar?
I should think it's very good, sunny days and cold nights have been the order of the day most of the past month, though often bitterly cold. Just the job, though imagine they'll take a few days to recover from this storm - about 30 hours of blizzard!

Sounds like it was quite windy this morning and cool. Still breezy but warmer and "afternoon wave" seem to have an advantage.
Perhaps Clarke and Harrington and Rose can benefit?

Looks like DC got the message anyway.

Kwini,

Why Mickelson,DJ, & GMAC in "Reed's Top 5" ??

Come on Big (i mean small) D...............

Hi John,

He was asked at his press conference after winning Doral who the others were in the Top 5 - and that's who he chose.
Not sure he gave it much thought, but that's what he said!

Padraig struggling on a course where he once shot 61, the course record. DC just fired a couple of shots right at his foot - double bogey on a pretty short hole.

Cheers Kwini.

That's DC for you. He'll most likely turn this round into a 73 or 74.

Four tied for the Valspar lead.
69 within four shots of that lead.
143 within ten shots of the lead; one withdrawal who would also have been within ten shots.
Bunched.

Colsaerts and Matteo one shot back.
Knox and Freddie Jac two shots away.
Donald, Clarke, Rose, Pettersson at even par, three shots back.

Blixt, Harrington, Hanson, Olesen all at least seven shots adrift and needing a miracle to make the cut (probably at +1).

It should be a gorgeous Friday at Innisbrook, less windy than Thursday, but quite cool for the early starters.

Harrington due off about now (7.50) and, if he's going to make anything of his PGA Tour season, a second round 68 or better would be a good start and would probably get him in to the weekend. Anything less, and it's just another wasted week.

Two late birdies for Justin Rose, nice putts on 17 & 18, and he's right in this tournament - he'll be off early and DC will follow not far behind looking to build on an opening round which could and should have been so much better.

Matteo goes a little later and wouldn't one think his name gets lost in the conversation about the World's best young players? Still only 20 get with a pretty darned good CV already.

Harri & DC heading in the right direction, but, as ever with these 2, finishing rounds is a habitual problem.............would frankly be surprised if either of them made the cut, but hope im wrong.

+2 looks like it will be the number...............

When will Paddy throw in his obligitory 8 on a par 5?

incontinentia wrote:When will Paddy throw in his obligitory 8 on a par 5?

Not long now!!

Harrington is raising our hopes and DC is running on the spot.

Agree that cut will be at +2, but could conceivably reach +3.

Justin Rose has joined the leaders, I see.

PS: Don't drink and ride.
I see that one of the jockeys at Cheltenham failed his pre-race breathalyzer: how long before they test Tour players as they go off to the driving range before their round?!?!

kwinigolfer wrote:PS: Don't drink and ride.
I see that one of the jockeys at Cheltenham failed his pre-race breathalyzer: how long before they test Tour players as they go off to the driving range before their round?!?!

might be a good way to get rid of John Daly

Not that Daly needs much help - he could eagle his final three holes today and still be on his bike. Another insultingly poor exhibition - but still wish he'd do something to deserve all the sponsor support he receives.
Poor bike, by the way.

Still wide open among 30 or 40 golfers at Copperhead then... wonder when someone will take control of this tournament. No such problem at the Web.com event, dunno who Jon Curran is but -16 thru 30 holes is gonna have you a long way clear of the field. Not sure what's got into Cejka the past few weeks either...

Daly in with a swift 12 on the 16th hole. What a berk.

Jon Curran is Keegan Bradley's best mate - more here:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/06/20/jon-curran-trying-make-most-chances/BuhCFiZJboNPXGVOfNRQxI/story.html

Always thought Cejka was one of the most glaring under-achievers in golf. The US especially has never seen how good he can be, and once was. Unlike almost every other sport, Alex, it's not too late!


Slip-up from Harrington - is Daly's influence bringing him down? And DC's sliding.

90 for Daly, which will surely garner more headlines than so many more deserving golfers, but a nice putt on the last for Harrington and he'll have to sit around waiting to see if the +3's play the weekend. Looks like John Cregan is right and DC will be in the same boat - if he's lucky.

John Daly stealing a sponsors invite again I see, there must be more deserving players out there. David Duvall seems to have lost all his invitations this year.

Watching the coverage last night they were talking about Daly being 48 now, so another 2 years and he can at least get over to the Seniors.

Five strokes cover all 76 golfers inside the cut-line.
Don't think I've ever seen that before as late (well in to the afternoon "wave' of Round 2) in a tournament.

3 times in the drink for Daly on 16. Time for rehab again?  

Pentouse (68) to outhouse (79) for Danny Lee; not much better for the European Tour's Peter Uihlein. Both toast.

And the cut-line drifts down/creeps up to +3, which won't help Casey at all unless he starts to substitute some of his bogeys with birdies.

Good news for Ireland though, but Brian Davis most likely on his way outahere.

Duval as it happens seems to have got a sponsors invite into the Bay Hill next week.

80-odd golfers made the Innisbrook cut so there'll be an MDF to look forward to on Saturday with the Round 3 Top 70 and ties advancing to Round 4 and the remainder of Saturday's contestants hitting the skids.

Among those making the cut "on the number" are:
Harrington
Clarke
Tim Clark
Snedeker
Dufner
Peter Hanson
Woo Beekley
Retief, etc

Big day for the Goose as he still has to make 100 grand to fulfil the requirements of his latest medical extension - a Sunday tee-time would help a lot. (Jonathan Byrd is in the same boat and basically needs a 38th place finish here - he's 35th right now - or in his next start.)

Casey, Davis, Lynn and Olesen on their way out.

Decent field for Bay Hilll next week and, as benson says, good to see a place for Duval.

Europeans in the field include:
Casey (poor round today)
Chopra (why?)
Clarke
Colsaerts
Davis
Donaldson
Fitzpatrick
Gonzo
Hanson
Harrington
Jacobson
Knox
Laird (there's a surprise)
Lynn
McDowell
Molinari
Owen
Poulter
Rose
Stenson
Westwood

Pettersson is way down the list of alternates and must roll his eyes at Chopra getting a free pass (among others). Not a great example of integrity for "invitationals". (And no blame attached to Chopra . . . . or Owen for that matter.)

Not for nothing, but:
Wonder if Steve Elkington has been suspended by the Champions Tour?
After his rat-a-tat-tat of incontinent twitterage, he's missing one of the longest-standing, most popular events on the Champions Tour - and last year he only missed perhaps a couple of events, had played all three in 2014.
I reckon he's had his collar felt. For how long?

Plenty of top players giving the "Arnie" a miss:
Els, Dufner, Dustin, Rory, Mickelson, Kuchar, Furyk, Stricker, Matsuyama, Oosthuizen, Simpson etc.

Wonderful round (-6 after 16 holes) in progress for past winner here, Retief. Three shots better than anything else on the course.
Edit: Birdie on #17 and an excellent par save on 18 (for a 64) and the Goose has proved the course can be had. Only the second round under 68.
 
Harrington and Clarke struggling.

Over and out for DC, but St.Padraig is showing some skill and grit, just three holes remaining to keep his nose clean.

Donald & Knox off to decent starts.

Incredible bogey, double bogey finish for Padraig puts him right on the edge. He'll probably make it to Sunday, but this doesn't look like a harbinger of better days to come.

Donald and Knox nudging in to the top ten.

Looks like DC got himself a reprieve and is on his way back to the hotel to prepare for an unexpected Sunday's work.

Form for Donald and Rose . . . and for Matteo!