PGA Tour: Greensboro - Prelude to Play-Offs: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).That's the Majors out the way then - Thanks for the memories Rory - and on to the season's epilogue. And perhaps this week's "Wyndham Championship" at Donald Ross's Sedgefield design in Greensboro, NC, is effectively the prologue to the epilogue.
"Greensboro" has been around since 1938 and is most closely associated with the great Sam Snead, who won here eight times, from 1938 to 1965.

2).Let's itemize some of the reasons why this week's tournament has ramifications, not at the highest echelons of the Tour, but to determine:
a).The top 125 players in FedEx points who will contest The Barclays, Round 1 of the FedEx Play-Offs and earn Tour membership for 2014/15.
b).The Top 125 golfers on the official money list. Anyone in this list (Mike Weir for instance, perhaps Paul Casey) but not in list a). retains Tour membership but is ineligible for The Barclays.
c).Places 126 - 200 in FedEx points who will qualify for the web.com finals (the wtf's) with the Top 75 on the web.com money list.

There are some other, more arcane, details to be determined but we'll deal with them if they come in to play as the tournament progresses.

3).One golfer, in self-confessed need of more tournament "reps", who won't be around is Tiger Woods who exited the Valhalla stage in pretty ignominious fashion. Woods is telling Ryder Cup Capt Watson that he'll be truthful about his fitness when Tom makes his "picks", but surely his form last week and absence from Greensboro makes it unfathomable that he'll make the Team.
Unless, of course, there's pressure from PGA President Bishop (unfortunate name, all things considered) to include Woods.

4).There's increasing speculation that Woods is about to dump swing-coach Sean Foley and may turn to original guru Butch Harmon. Not a happening thing according to Lord Butch. Interesting though.
One thing we do know is that all parties have apparently confirmed that Woods and Kuchar (not a healthy back between the two of them) will represent the US in the America's Cup in Buenos Aires, Oct 20th - 26th.

5).The FedEx Play-Offs will enter their eighth year at The Barclays and 35 Pros qualified for every one of the first seven series.
pgatour.com reminds us that five of those golfers enter play at Greensboro knowing that only a high finish will allow them to extend their streak: Brian Gay, JJ Henry, Merrick, Rollins and Charlie Wi.
Only Hunter Mahan has played all 28 FedEx PlayOff tournaments, while Mickelson and Stricker have competed in each Tour Championship finale.
All these streaks in grave jeopardy of being terminated in 2014!
Europeans who have reached the PlayOffs every year are Brian Davis, Luke Donald, Garcia, Jacobson, Poulter and Justin Rose.

6).The past couple of weeks has seen some stars of the game finally secure their place in The Barclays field, Stricker, Westwood, Watney & Oosthuizen for instance.
Others who might just be safe but could certainly make sure by finishing at least Top 60 at Greensboro include Romero, Morgan Hoffmann, Allenby and Toms while still more are in definite jeopardy:
Jhnonny Vegas, Casey, Lingmerth, Charlie Beljan, Byrd, Snakey Chalmers, O'Hair, Bud Cauley, Laird, Immelman, Castro (who reached the 2013 Tour Championship), Two-Gloves Gainey, Stanley, Wagner, Peter Hanson, Lovemark etc. Lots to play for!

7).There's an interesting European presence this week, including Cabrera-Bello, Gallacher, Harrington, FMolinari, Manassero and Karlsson, plus Richard Sterne making a surprising cameo. Olesen seems to have given up on his card and plays in Denmark.

8).Good news for Tim Finchem this week as he adds a new tournament to his schedule, the Barbasol Championship in Alabama which will be sweltered as an "opposite field" event to the Open Championship.
By my count that means two additional stops for the 2014/2015 season which, remember, starts in October. The first seven events are:
Frys.com
Las Vegas
McGladrey
CIMB (Malayasia)
WGC-HSBC Champions in China / Sanderson Farms in Mississippi (not played during 2013/2014 season)
Mayakoba, Mexico

9).I always look forward to "Greensboro", a challenging par-70 Sedgefield course and an event with so much on the line.
We've also had quality winners these past few years: Snedeker (2007), Moore (2009), Simpson (2011) and Reed last year all enjoyed their first win while Sergio scored his only Tour win of recent years here on a Monday morning two years ago.
Wouldn't be surprised to see an older golfer win this week with three South Africans flashing decent form, Clark, Els, Goosen and the US's Carolina/Georgia crew here in force. Snedeker, Haas and Simpson will want to impress Watson for sure.

10).The forecast for the week is fabulous with sunny skies, pleasantly warm temps and nothing outrageous in the forecast so far.
I'd bet we won't be finishing with a four-ball stampede up #18 after Sunday sunset, and there'll be common sense employed in setting tee-times, allowing adequate warm-up in event of suspension in play, and course conditions will be agreed as playable.
PGA President Bishop certainly reaped his rewards at Valhalla, however, as his decisions to fly in the face of the forecasts and squeeze 18 Championship holes in daylight/dusk earned the best viewing ratings since 2009 when millions tuned in to see Woods win at Hazeltine only to be disappointed when the Wanamaker Trophy was YEYangked from his grasp.
Many speculated at the time (2009) that this represented unexpected vulnerability for Tiger, but none of us knew what was to come, driving misadventures, addictions, surgeries, swing changes, etc, etc.
Greensboro may not represent the first PGA Tournament of the Rory Era but it certainly is the end of the 1996 - 2008 Tiger Era.

I think a Tucson event will return in the next couple of years.  I think it is impatient and hypercritical to expect a Tucson tournament when the basically the schedule is FULL. 

Of course it is Finchem, so any opportunity to be critical is going to be an opportunity taken.

What's wrong with impatience?
Finchem knew the MatchPlay was going to move a year ago, perhaps not where it would land (San Fran) but he knew Tucson would lose their event.
Perhaps he'll conjure up an "opposite field" event the same week as Harding Park's WGC? The calendar is cluttered at that time, but I'm sure he'd take advantage of any chance to add another WTF-friendly date.

You're right, Finchem's efficiency puts George O'Grady to shame.

If you're msling a decent career on the euro tour on a consistent basis, and not far off getting in to big e ents is it worth trying to slog it through the wtf playoffs with no real guarantee if you do well? I saw about the new schedule. Will players knock the matchplay on the head? It has no real meaning to professional golf.

beninho wrote:If you're msling a decent career on the euro tour on a consistent basis, and not far off getting in to big e ents is it worth trying to slog it through the wtf playoffs with no real guarantee if you do well? I saw about the new schedule.  Will players knock the matchplay on the head? It has no real meaning to professional golf.

Its a month out of your life for your career.  The PGATour has 6-7 million dollar purses every week, 4 to 5 times what 80% of the ET Tournaments like Czech Masters and the Irish Open.

The Dual Tour Euros will play the match play because it counts as a tournament on both tours.  Yanks will play it because it is a guaranteed $50K payday

ben,
I think it's a huge decision for Europeans below the absolute top level - Westwood and Gonzo only just made it this year. I thought Gonzo would take time to adapt and so it proved. Would think he'd make a decent living now.
But Peter Hanson never seemed to get himself fit after last year's injuries and fell well and truly between two stools. Painful, and an uncomfortable decision for him to make now.

Colsaerts and Olesen never seemed to get to grips with the demands of the PGA Tour - it can be a grind, and imagine they'll play out the autumn in Europe (and beyond).

Plenty of fine Europeans have decided the PGA Tour was not for them; it's not all about money, even though a lot of it is!

The US Tour is the most lucrative and best run tour in the world. It's why it attracts and retains the top players. But -- of course -- the rub is you need to be a "top player" - which ain't easy!

The matchplay event was basically flawed from the start: 50% one round and done, a non-appealing golf course, and very iffy weather. Add to that that potential for a blowout match on Sunday with non-marquee players and it's often a snooze-fest of a final broadcast.

Sr,
It's not just about being a top player; in fact I'd say it's easier to come over as a "B" Level golfer with an outstanding team around you, home base, coach, sensibly managed schedule, etc, etc, than it is to be a top player and allow oneself to be thrown in at the deep end.

So many players sign up for dual tour tours and it goes haywire - usually injuries such as Hanson, Hansen and Karlsson. Or a stupid schedule like Ross Fisher, Colsaerts and Olesen.
Stenson had to regroup and recover his mojo when things were going awry for him - and no denying he's a "top player".

The PGA Tour is unrelenting and unforgiving until you've properly made it - as Casey has found out.