PGA Tour: Fourth of July Weekend at Greenbrier: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).Not many fireworks at Congressional last week where a US Open broke out in place of the "regular" Tour event scheduled. The course was among the longest of the year, the rough was up, the fairways fiery and the greens were baked. Fitting that a US Open Champion should take home the winner's spoils and kudos to Justin Rose who won his sixth Tour title in just over four years: Muirfield Village, Aronomink, Doral, Cog Hill, Merion and Congressional. Not a bad six-pack.

2).Apparently only Tiger has won more events (8) than Justin in that time.
And: What of Mr.Woods? Comeback or publicity stunt?? By his own admission he was only teeing it up to help benefit his Foundation. He missed his first cut since his half-hearted effort at Greenbrier two years ago and was long gone by the time Rose lifted the trophy.

3).It seems impossible to know how fit Tiger is, how ready he was to play. Instead of the "reps" he says he so badly needs, he's off on holiday for a week then he'll make his way to Hoylake. If the rough there is as high and lush as reports suggest, I'd think his real (and realistic) target is Bridgestone and his Major objective at Valhalla in August. Longer term, slightly, if he doesn't play well, very well, in these three tournaments he won't reach the FedEx Play-Offs, so there'll be another enforced month-long lay-off before the Ryder Cup. Unless he swallows deeply and contests a European Tour event.

4).Just a few weeks ago, at Memorial, we had a PGA Tour first: Two left-handers in the final pair on Sunday.
I wonder if last Sunday saw the first pair of girls' names, Rose and Stefani contesting a play-off?

5).Dateline San Francisco:
~Increased speculation that Harding Park will stage next year's WGC MatchPlay, in May. No idea what that does to the traditional Tour calendar, though perhaps there's an extra wek between Augusta and the US Open?
~Expect announcement tomorrow that the 2020 PGA Championship will be staged at Harding Park.
~Harding Park is also expected to be the venue for the 2015 BMW Championship and the 2025 Presidents Cup (as it was in 2009).
~Expectation that Olympic Club will be "awarded" the 2023 US Open. Watch this space on that.

6).A great course last week at Congressional, though I agree with Faldo that the set-up was unusually demanding, probably not quite what the players are looking for in 90-degree heat unless it's a Major.
And a classic this week, CB McDonald's Old White course at West Virginia's Greenbrier resort.
The top players have either left for Europe or are taking a break - last week's field was relatively poor and this week's is the same - a few top players but not much depth except for those struggling to make the Play-Offs and thereby retain their card. A shame the Tour ever left Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Westchester, even Broome County, you name it, if it was north of the Mason Dixon Line the PGA Tour shunned it. (What would Jeremiah Dixon and Charlie Mason have thought of it - perhaps Mark Knopfler and James Taylor can help?)

7).Apparently there will be more places available for Hoylake, but these are reportedly going to owgr "alternates" rather than Open "Qualifiers". A great shame this and the contortions by the R&A (etc?) to increasingly commercialise The Open are unsightly.

8).Bernhard Langer won last week's Senior Players Championship, bringing his earnings (not including his 8th place Masters cheque) to $1.8M for the year, $14.3M for his Champions Tour career.
It's his 21st Champions Tour win, good for 8th place behind Irwin, Trevino, Morgan, Barber, Charles, Chi-chi and January.
Life gets jump-started at fifty, for golfers anyway.
And these Europeans have booked their spots in big events:
Langer: TPC (and The Masters along with Jimenez). Will he be grouped with Kaymer for Rounds 1 and 2?
Montgomerie: PGA championship.

9).And there was an extraordinary win on the web.com Tour for Greg Owen; starting Round 4 in 14th place, he quickly triple-bogeyed his first hole but caught fire on the back with five birds and an eagle only to make a typical horlicks of the 18th. No matter, everyone ahead of him was also redefining "pig's ear" and Mansfield Man won.
And now Owen has a very real chance to join fellow journeyman extraordinaire Alex Cejka on the 2014/2015 PGA Tour. Messrs Gonzo, Olesen, Colsaerts and Hanson would like some of what Cejka and Owen are having.

10).No idea what to make of the Greenbrier field. The field is mixed, to say the least, with two Watsons and a Faldo playing because they have homes or commercial affiliations there, and a sprinkling of top players who have good records there, Webb Simpson and, especially Jimmy Walker included.
Jonas Blixt won last year, and Charlie Howell played 72 holes of bogey-free golf a year or so back, and just squeaked a Top Ten.
But I'd bet on one thing if Patrick Reed has a 54-hole lead: He'll brush off last Sunday's mess and take his record of converting 54-hole leads to 4 out of five.

Incredible stats for Cabrera's week:
Driving distance: 11th.
Driving accuracy: 4th
Greens in regulation: 1st.
Strokes gained Putting: 5th.

That sort of behaviour will earn you a lot of tournament wins.

Maybe his football compadres are making him in a good mood.

He DID wear Argentina Football colours on Saturday, not the striped shirt unfortunately but the light blue shirt and white trousers!
Hope he plays well at Hoylake, great to see the characters of the game playing so well.

Cabrera makes the game look so natural and easy - not at all technical. He's fun to watch.

On your usual rank and file events, can Big Angel be bothered half the time? He is obviously talented, so his lack of recent wins must be down to attitude. But he clearly enjoys his life!

Did GMac clinch a spot on the Ryder Cup team. PaddyPower thinks so. His odds to make the team are now 1/16.

http://www.paddypower.com/bet/golf/ryder-cup-qualification

Other players outside the top 9 bubble:

Poults 1/12
Westy 4/11
Luke 4/11
Joost 5/2
Gallacher 11/4
MAJ 10/3
Frankie 4/1
Casey 8/1

Ha!
That looks a very unbalanced book to me!! Tho' I'd think Poulter and McDool are cert's for Captain's picks.
Reckon the rest have to show some more convincing form than they've been dishing up recently; still a strong chance that an "outsider" will win a big event and put Donaldson and Bjorn in jeopardy unless they can improve their results, notwithstanding better stuff from Donaldson the past ten days.
Martin Kaymer the wildcard who may throw a cat among the pigeons.


ben, Bob, Completely agree about Cabrera - but I'm pretty sure he was just about to lose his PGA Tour exemption unless he reached the FedEx Top 125, so perhaps that imbued him with some Major-like urgency??!!?? 'Course, a win takes care of everything for a couple of seasons.

I kind of like that he's appears not totally driven and focused on money or ranking points - there are lots of those types around, and plenty of room for someone treating it more like a sport than a business. May not be the case with him, but it's how he comes across.

With the talent he has, it's amazing he hasn't won more.

In that way he reminds a bit of Poulter and D.Johnson: they don't seem to bother during the regular season, but are often in contention at Majors/WGC's.

IJP even admits that he has trouble focussing during "regular' Tour events.

Stricker also having trouble focussing - still humming and hahing about whether to take his place in the Hoylake field. Ishikawa awaiting the call, Ross Fisher next in line after Ryo.

IMO, Stricker should say something, one way or another, as soon as possible.  Ryo is currently in Japan and it is not like jumping on a plane from Tokyo to Osaka.  Its a long way to Liverpool and he doesn't have Air Deere awaiting takeoff in Western Illinois.

Certain that Stricker will be focussed this week however, at the John Deere Classic, his "local" tournament that he's supported for, well forever; Zach Johnson also playing his particular "Fifth Major" and Jordan Spieth defending the title he won in rather flukey style.

Europeans on hand include Gonzo and Brian Davis, Cejka and Chopra, and David Lingmerth who, like Gonzo, is fighting for his PGA Tour career.

Strangely, for golfers who aspire to PGA Tour Memberships, Greg Owen and Richard S.Johnson have both decided to spend the week on the beach rather than contest one of the few events either would get in to.

Stricker says No to Liverpool. Ryo is now in the field.

Not sure of any other questionable fitness issues - imagine Ross Fisher has all/any details available.
What about Oosthuizen given his withdrawal after Round 1 at Hartford, he's about the only dodgy one I know of?

Jason Day had an 11th hour WD at Greenbrier, because of his wrist.

pedro wrote:In that way he reminds a bit of Poulter and D.Johnson: they don't seem to bother during the regular season, but are often in contention at Majors/WGC's.

Would you say that about DJ.....He has won 8 times, which is no mean feat, doubt you will find many golfers on the PGA Tour at 30 with more victories, if any?

People who miss majors without any good reason like Stricker or as Lawrie did missing the US OPEN, should be penalised imo. A complete and utter disrespect!


Anyway good for Ryo to get into the field.

kwinigolfer wrote:Not sure of any other questionable fitness issues - imagine Ross Fisher has all/any details available.
What about Oosthuizen given his withdrawal after Round 1 at Hartford, he's about the only dodgy one I know of?

There is a possibility he gets in if the TOP 5 in the John Deere is made up of people who have qualified or if they don't have 3 non qualifiers in the top 12 of the Scottish?

Would that be right?

sirbenson wrote:

pedro wrote:In that way he reminds a bit of Poulter and D.Johnson: they don't seem to bother during the regular season, but are often in contention at Majors/WGC's.

Would you say that about DJ.....He has won 8 times, which is no mean feat, doubt you will find many golfers on the PGA Tour at 30 with more victories, if any?

I get you sirb, but he seems like a player who contend relatively more often in majors/WGC's than in regular events. (8 top 10's in his last 19 majors/the last 5 years.) And despite a few golden streaks here and there his stats in regular events are not quite so impressive.

Btw, similarly Poulter has 10+ ET wins at quite a young age, but unlike DJ, he completely seems to have written off regular events now.

True, regarding Poults!!!

And hey it's not a bad thing like when you look at the likes of Cabrera who last had regular tour win on a big tour back in 05!

Also being a fan of someone who's last three wins on the ET AND PGA Tour have been majors!

Re: Open doubts.
I see Oosthuizen has a Royal Aberdeen tee-time Thursday - let's see how his back holds up!
Some great threesomes to choose from on Thursday and Friday - is anyone going?