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

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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.

How well is Stenson playing, flawless

sirbenson wrote:How well is Stenson playing, flawless

you put the mockers on him benson, dunks one in the water!

...great recovery though

What a bounce-back from McIlroy!

Rory train back fully on track after a derailment on 10 & 11. Has he gone odds on yet?!


Bubba about to Blubba.

Snap Hook wrote:Rory train back fully on track after a derailment on 10 & 11. Has he gone odds on yet?!

one of the twitter comments on the pga.com site said he's 2/1 at the moment.

2/1?
That's a ridiculously short price. Presumably an American book.

Snap Hook wrote:Rory train back fully on track after a derailment on 10 & 11. Has he gone odds on yet?!


Bubba about to Blubba.

3.35

2.35/1

7/3

Ewen Murray makes me vomit

Five Americans in the Top 19 - darned homefield advantage in the Majors . . . . . . . .

Not impressed with Luke Donald's round - running the tables on the greens but some bonehead course management c0ck-ups.

Still the strong likelihood of bad weather Friday, especially in the p.m.

Miclroy doing well isn't good for laying bets off.

Donald has lost the plot, almost holed the par and bogey putt. But no cigar . 3 shots dropped in 2

Seemingly effortless 66 from Stenson - is it his time? Under the radar and, today at least, on top of his game.

If Rory birdies the last odds on is a shoe in. Never seen driving off the tee like it - better than the last two tournaments.

Edit - a little over optimistic -2/1 now, but still impressive.

Valhalla looks seriously hilly

Seven Senior Citizens playing the PGA.  All but one of them beat Woods today.

Jimenez, Monty, DL III, VJ, Perry, Watson all beat Tiger.

Tiger did beat Mark Brooks, though.  So there is that.

GPB wrote:Seven Senior Citizens playing the PGA.  All but one of them beat Woods today.

Jimenez, Monty, DL III, VJ, Perry, Watson all beat Tiger.

Tiger did beat Mark Brooks, though.  So there is that.

Bet he wished he'd kept up his injury ruse.

Woods really just seemed to lash at the ball most of the time. It's hard to understand how a top professional doesn't realise their tempo is so bad or can't do anything about it.

I was really interested to see how Rory dealt with adversity (that must be his first double in a while?). I think a less confident Rory might have limped in two or maybe even only one under.

Bob you play golf rright?

You realise how hard it is to change your golf swing , and how a seemingly major chance to your swing doesn't show up as major on the camera.

Its very hard to get out of a natural tempo.

very hard.

Westy also made a double at the turn and came in after that in 5 under.. good times. He gained 3 strokes on putting. If he does that every day- we could see westy crowned even if Rors is close to his A game.....

I just hope we get a decent major- I turned the open of after 2 days- it really was game over. This could be very different though.

Must say, it's looking an interesting major so far. Certainly more so than any of the others this year. Hopefully a couple of dozen players within a shot or two by the end of the day leading to an exciting weekend.
Nothing worse than someone steamrolling the field.

Also a reasonable entertaining course. Many doglegs, water, creeks, hills etc. Not a boring straight and flat parkland course like Firestone.

watch alan Poopie piece on golf.com. Hes an embarrasment to american journalism

for win only markets betfair is best. for E/W you are way better off going for PP though.

Betfair exchange is fine but there is no e/w option. You can back top 5 or top 10 though and you normally get a better price than elsewhere. Betfair sportsbook may not be as good as paddies.

Good golf course this. Rewards good play but punishes errors: I think only Chappell (at least of the top few) was bogey-free, and Rory and Lee dropped three shots in all, but still scored low, because their good shots were rewarded.

Rory's response to two bad holes was superb .

Not the greatest of forecasts for today; raining at the minute, "heavy rain in the area", and thunderstorms forecast this morning.
Rain won't stop them but they'll blow the horn at the first sign of lightning.

Very sorry to see Dufner pack it in; he seems to be in bad shape, must be a doubt for Gleneagles even if he qualifies. He won so well last year, a great Major-winning performance.

Weekend will be good without 9C in there. Get to focus on the actual leaders.

mystiroakey wrote:Bob you play golf rright?

You realise how hard it is to change your golf swing , and how a seemingly major chance to your swing doesn't show up as major on the camera.

Its very hard to get out of a natural tempo.

very hard.

Westy also made a double at the turn and came in after that in 5 under.. good times. He gained 3 strokes on putting. If he does that every day- we could see westy crowned even if Rors is close to his A game.....

I just  hope we get a decent major- I turned the open of after 2 days- it really was game over. This could be very different though.

Yes I play golf - but not for a living. By definition they are professionals and can earn a living because they can do the things you mention even if it is hard. It seems to me that the pundits who know agree that the mechanics of Woods swing are sound except for two areas - he loses his height too much and he's swinging too hard and too fast. A professional should have fixed that - especially one with an iffy back.

I agree Westwood's come back from the double was excellent, but my point was that in the past McIroy's come back might not have been that good.

s_r,
I'd imagine Woods will definitely be playing the weekend unless he withdraws. Can't see the late tee-times (such as his and Westwood's) completing their work today, may not even start.
The Golf Channel is tweeting that it's "raining pretty badly" at Valhalla right now. Not sure if that means it's raining heavily, you can never tell!

In many cases it can be harder for pros to change there natural tempo or swing.

Look at other golfers or cricketers for example. Finn is a bowler who had to change his style . It has taken him a year and he still isn't there. Joe root has been trying his hardest to get forward and it still isn't natural..

Faldo was able to change his swing. It still took time but he was fit at the time of doing it. Woods is battered

Shane Lowry and Ryan Palmer are out in this mess; Rory due out in an hour. Let's see if they bring them in before that.

Reminiscent of Oak Hill last year with Friday rains causing at least one well known golfer to lay up on four Par-4's.

Ermmm. If they bring players in just before rors... I will start getting a wee bit paranoid after the open situation day 3

http://www.givemesport.com/490716-tiger-woods-admits-its-a-nowin-fight-in-his-battle-with-baldness?autoplay=on&undertone=off&utm_source=outbrain-rss&utm_medium=outbrain-rss&utm_campaign=outbrain-rss

Play suspended.
Don't believe anyone completed a hole.

No announced withdrawals so far today.

Reports say play scheduled to resume at 8.35 local time.

Golf Channel made the point that they'll have to play the ball "down", as that's how the openers began play. Interesting, unless they cancel the opening shots and start again, 65 minutes late.

kwinigolfer wrote:Play suspended.
Don't believe anyone completed a hole.

No announced withdrawals so far today.

Didn't you see the post above? Woods hair is withdrawing!

Looks a bit of an oversight to me, not starting off the day with pick, wipe & cheat.

The Irishman will rule the day ... spotty round yesterday and still goes -5. Something to watch.
Evidently, his Nike equipment suiting him just fine.

Westwood is a decent player in unpleasant weather.

super_realist wrote:Westwood is a decent player in unpleasant weather.

Better than decent, and IMHO better than Rory and most of the US based player (excluding maybe Fowler?)

So is poultry

If it's wet McIlroy will look like he's got "Soul-Glo" in his hair.

I am sadly supporting against pube head today.

Gutted that not only the golf is suspended but but also the cricket.. Does that mean I should get some work done ?   

Play restarted at the PGA about 30 minutes ago

Nothing "spotty" about Rory yesterday, one bad shot and a careless putt, pretty much back-to-back; hey presto, 3 1/2 dropped shots but the rest was pretty much impeccable, could have nudged 60.

There goes Ben Crane - what a pillock, withdrawn for the second week running. Seemingly a thoroughly unpleasant man at the best of times.

You'd think Shane would be as good a foul-weather golfer but he's off to a rotten start.

kwinigolfer wrote:Nothing "spotty" about Rory yesterday, one bad shot and a careless putt, pretty much back-to-back; hey presto, 3 1/2 dropped shots but the rest was pretty much impeccable, could have nudged 60.

There goes Ben Crane - what a pillock, withdrawn for the second week running. Seemingly a thoroughly unpleasant man at the best of times.

You'd think Shane would be as good a foul-weather golfer but he's off to a rotten start.

Crane is a Golf Boy.. says it all.

Lowry won the Irish Open as an Am in horrendous conditions, so you'd think he could cope.

Sr,
Rory is only an Irishman when it suits him; kinda like America on St.Patricks Day.

Interesting quote by a true Irishman yesterday on playing with ETW:
"The man looks like he needs to play some golf. He looked kind of raw."

My money is clearly a heavy burden to a golfer. Manassero is evidently still struggling under the weight of it from my bet at the Open, whereas Westwood is suddenly playing well now that I've gone two majors without betting on him.

Traditional cut at Top 70 and ties - assume no secondary cut (after 54 holes) if more than 78 play Round 3.

Imagine it'll be very heavy going today, already some big numbers being registered - currently 77 golfers at Even Par or better, 90 at +1 or better. Would think it might go to +1.

Will Ben Crane's defection for the second week running inspire Woods to follow suit? Wouldn't be surprised, can't be much fun for him scoring like a mere mortal, plus he's never been much of a bad weather player.

Why did Crane bail?

(the PGA website makes no mention)

God told him to.