PGA Tour: Memphis Slim: Notes from the Ballwasher

Just a few notes as the Ballwasher will be on the road for eight days, but here's a thread to start off next week's tournament:
 
1).Early days obviously, but what a start for Paul Casey at The Memorial.
Casey needs something like a 4th place finish to earn full Tour privileges for the 2014/2015 season. But a win or (depending upon other results) a solo 2nd would earn him a tee-time at Pinehurst. Otherwise, he'll be playing next Monday's Sectional Qualifier.
 
2).The final event before a Major is notoriously difficult to evaluate - do you expect a golfer who's hoping to be competitive at the following week's Major to take the spoils (as Mickelson has done a few times and Tiger once or twice)? Or do you invest in a guy for whom the win is victory enough, anything the following week a bonus?? Which, to be fair, the Memphis winners have been recently.
 
3).There have been a couple of English winners in the past four years, Westwood and Harris, and no reason not to expect an overseas win again. The European commitments include McDowell, Poulter and Westwood, plus other ET regulars like Casey, Clarke, Dubuisson, Gonzo, Harrington and Olesen.
Davis and Freddie Jac have good records here, and might be worth a flutter, but my each way investment this week would be on an American, Kevin Kisner, a Carolina boy who played junior golf with Dustin Johnson and has yo-yoed (West Brommed?) betwen the web.com and the "show" for years now. But it looks like he'll stick on the PGA Tour and will earn a top finish soon. This week hopefully. (John Peterson will get his sh1t together one day soon, probably at a tournament like this - always keep an eye on him!)
 
4).Messrs McDowell, Reed and Simpson are returning from nocturnal nappy niceties; Reed should arguably have won here last year, but stumbled thru the final nine holes. Imagine he'll be playing a lot now as Top Five has resembled Bottom Five the past few months and he won't be proud of that. No idea about Simpson, but his golf has been no better than so-so since his Las Vegas win six months ago. Both, and McDowell for that matter, need a good finish to kick-start their Ryder Cup qualification efforts.
 
5).No idea how Memorial will turn out as I write this, but it looks like Dufner, Phil, Chris Kirk, Todd and Ryan Moore could all earn big Ryder Cup points this week - and that could push guys like Zach, English, Reed, Simpson, Bradley, Snedeker, Mahan and others further and further back in the qualifying pecking order. More grey hairs for Tom Watson. Hopefully!
 
There will likely be a boatload of abdications from this Friday's commitments, so bettor beware: today's commitment may well be tomorrow's withdrawal. More notes to follow during the next few days. Maybe!
 
6).#6 came sooner than expected. Hadn't seen these WTF changes until just now.
It might seem arcane in the extreme, but it's a very big deal for those affected:
 
http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/major-webcom-tour-finals-changes-midway-through-season/
 
Daft changing rules halfway through a season, but it corrects a boneheaded flaw in the original process, and which we ridiculed at the time last September.

Yep, nice to see Casey in the mix again.  

Finally got a good look at Keegan Bradley's anchorless putting stroke.   I can understand his reasons for doing it this way but if you're not anchoring, I just don't see how it's going to work even if it is just being used as a transitional method.  He's running the risk of doing some serious mental damage (from tic to twitch springs to mind!  ).  I also can't understand why he'd deploy any non-anchoring method right in middle of the season. 

Gael

If Bradley cant sort out a non anchored stroke in the next 18 months he is in serious trouble. He was putting like a 10 handicap golfer (or worse) when I watched him on Friday. I guess I should check is putting stats out before passing judgement but it looked awful.

Indeed Mac.  He seemed to be mostly pulling his putts.  I've seen 36 h'cappers with better putting strokes .  

Provided his nerves are still ok, I really don't think it'll be nearly as difficult as he thinks  to adapt to a conventional putting stroke.

... and just to try and drive home that point, I switched to left-handed putting because of the yips.  Although very weird to begin with, I was amazed at how quickly I adapted.  Have been 'in remission' for 15 years now and just love the added bonus of having a left-handed club to get me out of situations when a right-handed club wouldn't.

I use a bulls eye putter which can be used right or left handed.

Ah, the old bullseye putter.  Yep, that would do the job.

What ... a breath of fresh air Bubba is to the professional game.  All the excitement minus the testosterone!

a breath of mulleted, moronic, bible thumping air.

There's lots of testosterone free golf to watch - it's called the LPGA Tour.

But Bubba is certainly different and in that regard interesting. Seems not only is there "Bubba Long" now, but there's also "Bubba Wide" - but I don't see Ping using that in their ads.

Bubba hits his driver all the time, and plays big crazy shots. Its pure testosterone golf!

Think a few more posters on here could do with more think and less ink.

Bubba Watson hits the ball as far as he does not because he's muscle-bound but because he possesses an innate ability to time his swing in such away as allows him to do so.

Who said it had to do with strength?
It's gung ho golf, it's zero course management golf, it's brainless, simpleton, white van man golf.
I can see why it appeals to your average hacker because it's exactly how they play. Hit the ball, don't care where it goes.

To be fair Super I think he does bring something a bit different and more refreshing to the table than the standard uber-coached robotic clones that fill up fields nowadays. Admittedly I find the whole god-bothering bit irritating as well but each to their own and to me that doesn't detract from the untouched flair that he brings to the game. Also get the impression that he flies a bit close to the wind emotionally as well so there's the excitement of watching and not quite knowing whether or not he's going to hold it together or meltdown :-/

Super - Best strategy is, of course, a "made shot". Bubba is not a brainless course manager (and I guarantee he cares where the ball ends up), but he -- like my buddy FIGJAM Phil -- take risks that don't always make sense.

He might care where it ends up, but does nothing to mitigate against it.
I don't buy his "never had a lesson" rot either.

super_realist wrote:He might care where it ends up, but does nothing to mitigate against it.
I don't buy his "never had a lesson" rot either.

I also don't buy it. He was a college golfer and would have received a lot of coaching during those years.

Exactly Mac.

I think guys whose drives are arrow straight appeal to the average hacker more than gung-ho golfers. And I should know.

Did Bubba say he "never had a lesson"? Total BS if he did.

http://www.bubbawatsongolf.com/about/

"Known for incredible shot-making, mammoth drives, a hot pink shafted driver and an electric personality, Bubba Watson is a true all American superstar. Bubba grew up the small town of Bagdad Florida where he began the game of golf at age 6. He was given a cut down 9-iron from his father and learned to play the game by hitting wiffle-balls around the house. More interestingly, the only golf lesson Bubba received was from his father at a very young age and he has not had a lesson since. He is truly a self-taught golfer."

Now i do not know if this is the official Bubba Watson page, but it looks it. The above is from the about section. I thought it was just a myth or rumour. But he seems pleased with the statement. Its clearly rubbish.

some people may like this statement ---Loves Jesus and loves sharing his faith---

I bet he had a lesson (on something related to his golf stroke) in the past 30 days!

Still, like Furyk, not a "normal" swing.

People are happy to accept the Seve self taught on a beach story....even though all his family played golf.
Kind of think he might have had a few tips off his golf pro relatives.

Diggers - that's a very good point.

Bubba may be a gung ho redneck. But he's been the world's best (or at least 2nd best) golfer for the past 6 months. And he holds two majors. That would work for me.

Shotrock wrote:Diggers - that's a very good point.

Don't think it's that good a point. I don't recall Seve ever saying he never had a lesson. Yes we all know he started on a beach with a rusty 3 iron - it's even gone into Hollywood legend now and we all know about that! But I don't recall him ever saying he never had a lesson - pretty sure he had a couple of quite high profile coaches in his time

When Hollywood finally get to grips with the Bubba story in years to come he will probably have been coached by some kind of Obi-Was-Zombie-Jesus type character

Davie - All conjecture, so I certainly do think it's a good point Diggers made. Question Bubba, but accept the Seve "legend" without question? Nonsense.

But one thing both have is the ability to finish the job. Tons of fundamentally sound swings, not a lot of multi major winners.

Do you have trouble reading Shotrock? I certainly don't accept the Seve "legend" and I don't know anyone who does - and that's what I said in my post. Which part didn't you understand?

Davie - Wow, I'll type this slowly ... just because YOU don't question the Seve legend certainly doesn't mean there isn't a significant group that buys into it hook, line and sinker.

(Digger's point - reread the post.)

Dude, could you be more pompous?   

"Dude" could you be more ignorant? Read MY post again - nowhere do I say I buy into the Seve legend either - I can just about imagine the first time he picked up a club was smacking pebbles around on a beach with a 3 iron but I did state that I don't think he ever said he had a lesson - and I also said that I believe he had a couple of quite high profile coached in his prime. Now that may or may not be correct - I'm not THAT bothered to be honest, but I was quite the opposite of saying I "bought into the legend"

Davie - Defensive much? It's not all about YOU.

Where did anyone say YOU "bought into the legend"?

Do you argue with billboards?

we all know Wikipedia isn't definitive by any means, but look at his biography at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seve_Ballesteros .. no mention of any preposterous claims like Bubba's .. it says he first learned the game as an 8 year old, on a beach, with a 3 iron given to him by his brother. If you can find a *credible* link that says he graduated from a rusty 3 iron on a beach to a multi major winner without any other intervention, then I'm prepared to eat my words .. not holding my breath though

Your words .. "Question Bubba, but accept the Seve "legend" without question? Nonsense." ... find me someone that accepts the Seve legend please

I can't say I've ever heard it said of Seve that he didn't have tuition, the only 'legend' I'm aware of is the cobbling together a 3 iron and hitting stones on the beach.

IMO, there is a subtle difference between Coaching and Lessons.

Lessons are more formal and involve instruction. I can believe that Bubba has never taken a lesson

Coaching is more advice orientated. Strategy etc.

Seve IS a legend.

Evidently, this reporter thinks Seve was "self taught" ...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2007/oct/28/features.sport13

"A self taught son of the soil" is the only reference I can find in that article - hardly a tale of legends. 2/10 must try harder

Davie

I think shotrock was trying to say that in general people are more willing to accept the seve legend, not that you specifically were. So not sure why you keep refuting that you believe in it, we know that.


As for seve, given the era of spanish history he grew up in his family must have been somewhat wealthy for him to have access to any sort of golf facilities. I can imagine he played on the beach with an old iron as a youngster, but what kid who is into golf didn't do that?

Self taught means that one had no teacher other than, of course, themselves.

Darn it, let's correct that reporter once and for all!

But Mac - my point (which you seem to miss also) is that there IS no legend about Seve (in that respect at least) .. How many players' (pro or amateur) first experience were with a teacher or coach? Not many I suspect. We are ALL "self-taught" by that definition

Let's have a very unscientific straw poll .. how many here actually believe in that part of the Seve legend? Not that he didn't do it (I'm sure he did) .. but did he become a major winner fresh in his beack flip flops?

Not to say he isn't a legend in most other respects . but the 3 iron on the beach is just a little incidental in his life

I think there is a Seve legend personally, certainly from commentary when he played and when he's talked about. The legend being that it was all that time on the beach that made his game and shot making what it was, personally Id imagine in reality he was on the golf course a lot sooner and for longer than makes for a good story, and that his golf pro uncle helped with a few tips.
But hey, he deserves a bit of hyperbole for all the entertainment he provided.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?site=&source=hp&ei=r-6MU7GqJK-M7AacuIGQDQ&q=seve+ballesteros+self+taught&oq=seve+ballesteros+sel&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.0i22i30l2.1950.8992.0.10595.21.21.0.13.13.0.311.3849.2j11j7j1.21.0....0...1c.1.45.mobile-gws-hp..1.20.1874.3.hrUAEHTrSI8

A quick Google search of seve ballesteros self taught brings the first page on Google lots of hits. Some seem marketing ploys to drum up the legend others from people believing it. Whilst people on this board are pretty knowledge about golf many many more like to believe the romanticized stories they hear. A few of the Google hits link seve to bubba in the self taught stakes.

Does it really matter how self taught either Bubba or Seve were or if one was and one wasn't??...so what...they are both multiple Major winners with their unique style.

I certainly don't buy the brainless hits it anywhere theory about Bubba...you simply DONT win 2 Masters with that kind of approach.

btw Froch & Groves is sooo last weekend...we got Davie and Shotrock :-p

GPB wrote:IMO, there is a subtle difference between Coaching and Lessons.  

Lessons are more formal and involve instruction.  I can believe that Bubba has never taken a lesson

Coaching is more advice orientated.  Strategy etc.

Nail ... on ... head!  

Give that man a banana!

It seems people have a lot harder beleiving the Seve legend than the Jesus legend...

Regardless of how he got to be how he is, Bubba is certainly not a boring, stereotypical golfer.  And neither was Seve.  And neither is John Daly.  And neither was...blah blah blah.  Like any other group, golfers are a Bell curve of quirkiness and Bubba is in the upper section.


But that said, part of me doesn't like the thought that when I talk to non-golfers and say I play golf, they might say "What, like that Bubba guy?".

He's just not..<insert your own adjective>

*** There is no legend about Seve never having had a lesson ***

Seve never claimed this. In his autobiography he talks about working with a swing coach (i.e. having lessons), and of course he talks about practising on the beach with a 3 iron when he was a kid.

Nobody seems to have grasped the point that Davie was making.

Not been on here for a while but was delighted to read that Bradley's putting was being slated, not because I (overly) dislike the lad, but more because I can roll this one out...

Can we, from now on, refer to him as "Keekin' Badly"? Keekin' being a Scottish (or at least a UK) word for peeping - or to look out one eye...

There is a legend about him being a self taught superstar.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/severiano-ballesteros-golfer-whose-swashbuckling-style-thrilled-crowds-won-him-five-majors-and-transformed-the-ryder-cup-2281111.html

The above is one of the obituary's written. One paragraph states -

Ballesteros’s rise was rapid – with a mother who frowned on his chosen profession it had to be. He left school at 14 and turned pro two years after that in 1974. Despite having Ramon Sota in his corner he was stubbornly self-taught and never asked anyone, not even Uncle Ramon, for tips on technique. But just as valuable as any of his outrageous trick shots Severiano taught himself the fear of losing.

So while it may not state he has never had a lesson, it plays on him being a self taught player. Who made himself the golf superstar himself. People believe the legend because they want to. Not everyone has to believe it though.

Indeed Ben, I think everyone got Dave's point but they weren't claiming that Seve perpetuated the myth or legend, just that one existed.
Not everyone is going to read his autobiography. Like I said its done by the commentators half the time who clearly love to spin a nice romantic yarn.