PGA Tour: The "PGA" - Best Major, or an Afterthought?: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Strange, isn't it, that the lightly regarded "Fourth Major" invariably has the best field and often the most interesting finish?
The ambition to produce the Top 100 in the owgr has clearly been punctured with Dustin Johnson absent, Tiger Woods a doubt, and others (Crane, Day, DeLaet, Toms) who were sufficiently infirm last week to withdraw from their respective tournaments, but the Top 130 in this week's field won't be matched this year anywhere in the World.

2).You don't need Mark Knopfler to tell you that half the Tour is coming down with Industrial Disease.
No word as to who's got smoker's cough from smoking, brewer's droop from drinking beer, and if Jesus is on hunger strike, dying by degrees, a dozen or two of the field will undoubtedly give up the ghost on the first tees. Not sure about "Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three"! Have to speak to Poulter about that.

Whatever, we certainly have more than our fair share of casualties, most of whom will play, but whether just going through the motions or not remains to be seen.

3).Another wonderful win from Rory last week - reckon he won it on Saturday with birdies on #17 and #18 rather than on Sunday. Those two threes crept him closer to the lead and deeper inside Sergio's head, and early Sunday birdies clinched the deal.
Just a thought as one reflected upon the summer form of Rory, followed albeit at a distance, of Kaymer, Scott, Rose and Garcia:
Are we entering a brand new post-Tiger era of golfing excellence, or has it always been there, just a level below the Woods of a decade ago? I'm inclined to feel we're seeing some separation with Rory at one level, the next five or six consistently just behind, and some distance to those below the top seven or eight players.

4).As at Tuesday afternoon Valhalla time, all we know is that Woods has not yet been to the course and it's anyone's guess as to whether he'll be teeing it up on Thursday. But he won't be a force just because he's playing, he'll only be a force again, if ever, when he sets his ego aside, gets himself properly fit, and ratchets down his swing and resultant effect on his aging physique. Odds against in my book, but he's surprised before.

5).The PGA will be played, for the third time in 20 years, at Valhalla GC a Jack Nicklaus design outside Louisville, Kentucky. The Par-71 was also the venue for Azinger's Ryder Cup Team victory in 2008.
Several of the Team members from 2008 played well, Mickelson among them to go with Top Ten finishes in the 1996 (T8) and 2000 (T9) PGA Championships. Robert Karlsson was entering the best run of form of his life, Messrs Mahan, Rose and McDowell made promising Ryder Cup debuts, and Poulter excelled in a losing cause.

6).Others in the field with PGA Championship / Ryder Cup form who might be expected to contend (so not you Mark Brooks, nor even Kenny Perry who will doubtless perform well following his Langer-beating effort last week) include:
1996 PGA:
T17: Furyk
T24: Jimenez
T61: Els

2000 PGA:
3rd: Thomas Bjorn
T16: Westwood
T19: Cabrera (Nantz looked at Faldo as if he had two heads when sirnick suggested El Pato as a contender this week)
T34: Els, Garcia (who's on recent record as saying he doesn't like the course, certainly played as if he didn't in the Ryder Cup)
T64: Jimenez
T72: Furyk

2008 Ryder Cup:
0.5 pt: Jimenez, Stricker
1.0 pt: Casey, Garcia, Westwood
1.5 pts: Stenson
2.0 pts: Karlsson, Mickelson (playing mostly with a young hotshot called Kim)
2.5 pts: Furyk, Holmes, McDowell
3.0 pts: Rose
3.5 pts: Mahan
4.0 pts: Poulter

7).European chances:
Got to include McIlroy of course and I like the chances of Bjorn, Karlsson, Rose and Stenson.
Can't see Sergio contending while there's chat about Kaymer having back/neck issues.
Hopefully McDowell will play well but is this course a little too long for him? He'll be off on paternity leave shortly.
Big week for Donald (nah) and Donaldson. And will Lowry bring his links form to the Blue Grass?

8).Americans, also playing to earn a spot on Watson's Ryder Cup Team:
Bradley and Fowler are in great form right now.
Dufner's got his bulging discs and wonder if Valhalla is just too long for Furyk and Zach Johnson (who needs a good result for Ryder Cup ambitions)?
No doubt Kuchar will be there or thereabouts, perhaps Mahan will rediscover his form of 2008, while Snedeker and Holmes are local-ish.
And I wouldn't rule out Mickelson, somewhat (and rightly so) overlooked all year, but he found something last Sunday - can he keep it going?

9)."Internationals":
Great to see Ogilvy pick up his win last week and like him and Scott best of the Aussies, especially given Day's fitness issues.
No South African has won in the US for three years and can't see that changing.
But I love Cabrera's recent form and expect him to make some noise, while Matsuyama has already won on one Nicklaus course this year.

10).It won't be the stiflingly hot August week that you'd expect in Louisville, but there'll be enough humidity to make it feel warm and precipitate random thundershowers.
Hopefully the cream will rise to the top as it has for most big events this year.
The PGA won't have the glamour of The Masters, the history of the US Open or the tradition of The Open Championship, but it will host the best field and will surely provide a deserving winner.
Hope ailing stars get healthy and we enjoy a great Championship.

Ooh, Good call bluestone.

Bet 9C's back is getting a bit sore again. +3

It looks like the KLM Open leaderboard.

Good international field assembling for next week's Wyndham Championship including:
Gonzo
Matteo
Gallacher
Franny Molinari
Matsuyama
Ishikawa
Clark
Goose

Will Woods join them?
If Eddie keeps this up perhaps he'll be invited to join them??!!

Decent start from Karlsson, v.disappointing from Knox, Cabrera won't break 80.

Great round from Westwood (havent said that for a while)

Shhh! Besides, there's one hole left, plenty of time for it to fall apart!

Got my man at 120/1...

Come on Lee

Pity Westwood can't stitch his Round 4 63 at Bridgestone together with this effort - 65 is still very tasty.
McGinley should be impressed, I am!

Looks like Freddie Jac also got back (9) spasms.

I only put 50 quid on two golfers this event.(30 on lee, 20 on poults)

I already have cash out option of 300. Day 1 hasn't even finished yet!!

That would be a nice double Oakey.

Hope you continue to cash mysti - they've been in shocking form but would love to see them rebound. Hoping Donald & Casey can emulate them this afternoon.

A bit of a stitch-up having Ryder Cup Capt Watson and VC Stricker ganging up on Sergio; hope Sergio dusts them.

I have to ride it out. I can't cash out yet!!


Although it would probably be the sensible play.

Sadly I have to hope rors doesn't do well. If he comes out of the equation everyone else's odds will halve and my cash out could almost double without them doing anything.

Take one and ride the other?

I laid 4 off westy ( 16/1 )and put it on Donald at 170..

No point laying anything of poults as it's at 60/1

Oh my days . I am on it. Luke birdies the first.

Johan Kok starts with an eagle   

incontinentia wrote:Johan Kok starts with an eagle   

Hopefully he won't kok it up.

Lowry birdies 3 in a row to go to -2 after 10, GO ON SHANE!!!

The big boy on the charge. Nice.....


Looooookes odds are dropping rapidly as well.

Sadly East Enders has just appeared on my screen 

Bubba getting a lot of stick from the sky chaps! Did he take a 3 iron for the charity long drive contest?? what a douche

Much ado about nothing - he could've just not shown up like, for instance, Tiger Woods.
Plenty other guys didn't participate, he's just the one who made it so obvious.

Maybe he wanted to try and win with the iron and had been practising long raking low running draws with the 3 iron..

I can't think of any other reason, if he wanted to really make a statement why didn't he hit a PW

Finally found my password again, after months of lurking!

Valhalla looks a nightmare for an 18 handicapper like me, tricks everywhere, split fairways, big carrys and island greens!

Good to see Westie go well, Woods 74 is not a bad result. Poulter good memories of 2008 - will be interesting if it sticks. Monty - excellent round but now have him reminding me for the next 4 hours. Still can't see pass Rory - 3 in a row.

kwinigolfer wrote:Much ado about nothing - he could've just not shown up like, for instance, Tiger Woods.
Plenty other guys didn't participate, he's just the one who made it so obvious.

Was it the 10th tee of their practice round? sky have said Bubba and his caddy are refusing to tell them what clubs he's hitting for approaches etc.

I'll be happy to tell everybody which of Adam Scott's clubs I'd like to stick up Bubba's @rse.

incontinentia wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Much ado about nothing - he could've just not shown up like, for instance, Tiger Woods.
Plenty other guys didn't participate, he's just the one who made it so obvious.

Was it the 10th tee of their practice round? sky have said Bubba and his caddy are refusing to tell them what clubs he's hitting for approaches etc.

At least 9C is just boring and thick and only mildly unpleasant. Gerry Watson just seems like a flat out dick. No redeeming qualities at all.

10th. Yup.
Sounds fair enough to me, the TNT guys seem to be picking it up - Bubba definitely remembers who he feels has slighted him. Running verbal rhetoric with Faldo for instance.
Nice eagle on 37 for him.

Looks like Dufner's doing himself no favours by playing thru' his neck problem.

It's rather pathetic just how many injuries these fuds are picking up.

Shane's injury-free!
And has a front-row seat for quite the round by Ryan Palmer.

McGinley has indicated that he may pick Lowry for the RC.

incontinentia wrote:McGinley has indicated that he may pick Lowry for the RC.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Shane isn't awful, he's from Offaly.

And yeah that was a bit silly from Bubba, long drive was a bit of fun.

Best thing about westwood having a great first round at a major is then watching him blow up at some point. Good to see rory call fore left when hoicking oob bubba did not call it I think. Im not sold on the course yet though.

super_realist wrote:

incontinentia wrote:McGinley has indicated that he may pick Lowry for the RC.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKE  

Dave. wrote:Shane isn't awful, he's from Offaly.

And yeah that was a bit silly from Bubba, long drive was a bit of fun.

Lowry looks like he's been eating Offal too.

beninho wrote:Best thing about westwood having a great first round at a major is then watching him blow up at some point. Good to see rory call fore left when hoicking oob bubba did not call it I think. Im not sold on the course yet though.

  

mystiroakey wrote:Got my man at 120/1...

Come on Lee

How /where did you get Westwood at 120?!!
I put money on him yesterday and the best on offer was 60-1

I know your a fan. I just can't take to him. He may be a nice guy. Its unlikely I will ever meet him to make the judgment though. So I can base it on not much.

MustPuttBetter wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:Got my man at 120/1...

Come on Lee

How /where did you get Westwood at 120?!!
I put money on him yesterday and the best on offer was 60-1

Betfair exchange

Only use betfair exchange for golf.

I got 170 on Donald and 120 on poults as well

Dufner W/D

Stenson flying.

Tom, How do you feel about your Ryder Cup Team?
"Well, Apart from Dustin going on sabbatical, Dufner w/d'ing, Kuchar out with a bad back and Woods stinking the house out, we're in great shape."
"Ooh, and I got that young buck Stricker out of his hunting stand to carry my bags, and now he tells me he's torn a muscle in his hip."

super_realist wrote:

Dave. wrote:Shane isn't awful, he's from Offaly.

And yeah that was a bit silly from Bubba, long drive was a bit of fun.

Lowry looks like he's been eating Offal too.

   I'm from Offaly too, hence the fanboyism   

super_realist wrote:Stenson flying.

Was he one of your Scandi picks?

I actually got 190 on poults.

But I think i made these bets before sunday Mustputt(he shot a 63 which would have lessened his odds). I stuck my winnings from the england v india test cricket on it. so i probally did it around friday

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=20b1qwz&s=8#.U-PpVvldVgw

incontinentia wrote:

super_realist wrote:Stenson flying.

Was he one of your Scandi picks?

Yup, Ilonen too, although he's not strictly a Scandi being from Finland.
with those two and Cabrero Bello I might be sitting healthily near the top tonight by not following the predictable picks.

That's incredible Mysti.
I might have to make a switch from Paddy

Paddys is good for horses(well from my limited knowledge)

but betfair best for golf

117 is actually 116/1 - 5% though

so its around 109/1 in reality and was probably- before his Sunday round.

I completely forgot what I bet on - I didn't even realise i already had a tenner on Luke..

I thought I only had 4 pounds pre his round when he shot to 170's . I must have had him at 110 before for it to consolidate to 128