PGA Tour: Rising from the Ashes in Phoenix?: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Sound familiar? Turns up at his press conference in Phoenix just a week or so from appearing in mug shots looking, shall we say, not his normal self, back after his face has undergone, as Shawn Colvin might sing, "A few small repairs", out of contention for more than a year and no Majors since 2008, and moaning at the press for making too much of a slight rearrangement:
Press: "So many people are not believing your story."
Golfer: "Dude, you guys, it's just the way the media is. It is what it is."
Press: "It's not just the media."
Golfer: "It is just what it is."

2).But enough about Tiger Woods, I'm more interested in Robert Allenby. And the script is pretty much the same. Who knows what to believe, but Aussie Allenby has been a pretty good player, a sometimes entertaining pro to follow, friend, mentor and benefactor to Jarrod Lyle, and author of one of the finest shots ever to win a PGA Tour Play Off, this time in pouring rain at Riviera. Six golfers set out from the 18th tee, a motley crew including Tway, Sluman, Chamblee, Izawa and Paulson. (No coincidence that two of them are broadcasters now.) And Allenby, in a downpour, laced a 2-iron to within tap-in distance to win the tournament.

Four shots off the winning score was the son of a professional footballer who is in the Stockport County Hall Of Fame! (And it's a curiosity that four of the Football League teams that Dad played for are now in the Conference, or worse!!)

3).But one shouldn't digress. Very happy to see Bill Haas win the final "Humana"-sponsored tournament in the California desert, and won't be surprised if he goes on to have a terrific year, which he'll probably wrap up as a member of his Dad's winning Presidents Cup Team.

4).Also at "Humana", Phil Mickelson tied for the tournament lead in birdies, perhaps a sign that the nearly-45-year-old might be fit and ready to go for 2015? Phil will be playing Phoenix and the "Farmers" at Torrey Pines, skip Pebble Beach and Riviera, and be back in the saddle by the WGC:Cadillac.

5).He also announced his intention to play the WGC:MatchPlay at Harding Park, in May. So far then, Mickelson will be competing in the MatchPlay but Donald will be taking the week off, so we're talking the Top 65 in the owgr rankings, at least, to tee it up in San Francisco.

6).Also notable from "Humana" is the performance of three "anchorers": Brendan Steele finished T2, Webb Simpson was T7 (leading the field in putting), and Carl Pettersson was cruising well inside the cut-line until closing with a 3-hole, four-over par flourish to miss the cut by one. All with short putters.
Keegan Bradley is flip-flopping between a regular stroke and anchoring, while Tim Clark and Kevin Stadler are among the few anchoring hold-outs. When they're healthy.

7).They all want to play in Phoenix, probably the most over-subscribed tournament of this year's Tour. Wheatcroft tied for 2nd last week and is an alternate as his Top Ten exemption is gazumped, as is Colt Knost's.
Mansfield's Greg Owen is 34th alternate, Richard Sterne about 40th. No-one said it was going to be easy Richard.

8).The second biggest cheque won by a European golfer last week was the $300+K banked by Miguel-Angel Jimenez as he won the season-opening Champions Tour event in Hawaii. Bernhard Langer, anchoring as usual, finished five shots back despite taking a TEN on a Par-5, duffing one shot after another in the lava, getting himself into a lather. One-time "Humana" and Phoenix winner, Jesper Parnevik, turns 50 in a few weeks and it'll be interesting to see how he does. (Talking about golfers remodelling their bodies; not you Greg Norman.)

9).The LPGA Tour kicks off its season this week in Florida, with lots of eyes focussing on Lydia Ko who is still just 17. Amazing talent, 5 career wins already, and physically transformed from the 14-y-o who burst onto the scene three years ago. Jodi Ewart Shadoff is the leading GB golfer competing.

10).And so to Phoenix. It's fashionable to say that the season proper doesn't get underway until the boys reach Florida. Don't you believe it. The 2014/15 season will be more than 25% complete by the time the circus returns to California next week. Those who've played poorly (Casey, Donald, Gonzo, Harrington, etc) or not at all, will find they have a lot of catching up to do.    
The TPC Scottsdale has undergone some restoration/redesign work since we last saw it, Tom Weiskopf happily vacating the TV booth to enhance his design. So, it will be familiar to the pros, but slightly different.
The European contingent on hand is small but hopefully Molinari can continue last week's good work. Davis, Knox and Laird lead the GB&I competition and can build on recent good results, whilst Harrington makes another cameo.
But all eyes will be on the guy with the recently disfigured appearance, almost like watching a NASCAR race these days, the audience compelled to watch in case of a "wreck". Not you Allenby, the self-described "brown dude".

C'mon guys! You don't expect him to shoot the lights out after being out for so long surely!

Aaron Oberholser was pretty quick to diagnose 9C with the yips. Hey Aaron, put your gun back in its oberholster! Remember how cack he was in 2010?? Made a reasonable return to form after that.

incontinentia wrote:C'mon guys! You don't expect him to shoot the lights out after being out for so long surely!

Aaron Oberholser was pretty quick to diagnose 9C with the yips. Hey Aaron, put your gun back in its oberholster! Remember how cack he was in 2010?? Made a reasonable return to form after that.

Why not? Why would someone as competitive and egotistical as 9C come back if he didn't feel he was competitively ready? He doesn't need the money, not that he'll earn much.

Hope you'll be reporting in from the piste s_r, and keeping an eye on Tigre DuBois.

As GPB will no doubt point out, unless Woods can stitch together decent finishes here, unlikely now but you never know, next week and, presumably Honda, he'll miss Doral which will surely p1ss him off.

GPB wrote:Arizona State Sun Devil Golf Team

Seriously, what the hell is that? Sounds like a camp wrestling club

Amazing stadium around the 16th. When they showed tigers hole in one I got to see how much bigger the stands have got down the years. Unique in golf, and hugely intimidating. Would be interesting to do the same at the Open. With those steep high sided stands, I'm imagining Loftus Road wrapped around the postage stamp.

Last night's golf was not a good advert for the US. Thousands of bell ends in the crowds acting like idiots. Like the guy who picked up Tiger's ball on 15, it looked like he only dropped it because people shouted and waved at him.

Speaking of Doral - is the revamp finished? Anyone from across the pond seen or heard of it yet?

kwinigolfer wrote:Hope you'll be reporting in from the piste s_r, and keeping an eye on Tigre DuBois.

As GPB will no doubt point out, unless Woods can stitch together decent finishes here, unlikely now but you never know, next week and, presumably Honda, he'll miss Doral which will surely p1ss him off.

Looking at the snow Kwini, I'll be ball deep in powder all week. Hopefully not too much piste.

Phoenix is famous for it isn't it?

Why, oh knowledgeable golf folk, why?

See Mr McIlroy had a decent day at the office, quick call to his Nike stable mate before he goes out, pina colada in hand. (Pube not Tigre).

Hi Lairdy,
They had most of the re-done Doral in play for last year's "Cadillac". Mixed reviews, especially as there were strong winds and water comes into play on most holes.
Don't much care for something so gratuitously penal myself, but most people raved about it because they didn't want to get on Trump's sh1tlist.
Anyway, didn't much care for what Doral had become either so just another Florida track without much character to me.

Cracking leaderboard in Dubai - Seve plus loads of Top 60 guys!

The old Doral was pretty dull until the 18th really. Even the sometimes driveable par 4 on the back 9 was boring. You would have hoped they could have turned it into something decent given it's a WGC host every year.

Decent by Laird last night but has he ever had a quick start to the year before? Still, another decent round and he'll hopefully be in position for a good finish. What's his status like?

Odds on a Laird, Warren and Murray treble this weekend? 930/1! Odds on Tiger fluffing a chip on 16 today? ....

Laird is exempt thru this season, but needs a win or a FedEx Top 125 to earn his card for 2015/16.
But, a Top 20 this weekend and he'll be halfway to achieving that, with 3/4 of the season yet to play. He's been pretty consistent so far this season so he should be in good shape, Russell Knox too.

raycastleunited wrote:

GPB wrote:Arizona State Sun Devil Golf Team

Seriously, what the hell is that? Sounds like a camp wrestling club

Arizona State University

http://www.asu.edu/

75,000 Enrollment.  

Notable Alumni  Phil Mickelson, Filmmaker John Hughes.

Plus a long list of athletes very known in USA, maybe not so well known in the UK.

I didn't like the New Doral because a marginal shot was penalized the same as a really bad shot.  The course was too firm too fast for a Florida course with multiple water hazards.

From what I have heard, they softened the course and are growing rough so marginal shots do not roll into water hazards.

It should be a better test of golf this year.

I played Doral in the mid 80's in a big amateur tournament that was organized by Postal employees.  I eagled #1 and I got a big skin worth about $400 which paid for my entry fee for the three day tournament.

Darn, that is almost 30 yrs ago.  I am getting old!

Pluvius in Phoenix, they should call them the Arizona State Rain Devils.

Imagine the weather will dampen the 16th hole enthusiasm, plus might reduce roll on many tee-shots.
Cut still at Even Par, but can't stay there, can it? Would think they'd get to -1 at least.

Top Five might be on the Top 5 of FBI's Most Wanted.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/reed-accused-cheating-stealing-book-excerpt/

I knew that he was estranged from his parents and there was some incidents and/or allegations at the Univ of Georgia that made him transfer to Augusta State University.  

I just never knew the details.

Reads like a lot of hearsay. Presume lawyers have checked re. libel but that's pretty low if they can't provide substantiated facts.

Hi GPB, I just saw that. Wonder who was on the Team at the same time as Reed?
Must be the Henley, English era wouldn't you think?

Meanwhile, how much more embarrassment will Woods subject himself to? Sounds like Tiger Tracker has just about had enough.

A snowman in the desert?

kwinigolfer wrote:Hi GPB, I just saw that. Wonder who was on the Team at the same time as Reed?
Must be the Henley, English era wouldn't you think?

Meanwhile, how much more embarrassment will Woods subject himself to - sounds like Tiger Tracker has just about had enough.

Is that right? +6 through his first 6 holes? Oh dear....taxi!

P. Reed born in 1990
R. Henley born in 1989
H. English born in 1989
B. Todd born in 1985 but turned pro in 2007

Good chance that Henley and English were both at Univ of Georgia when Reed was a freshman.

Reed's wiki bio said he was expelled from UGA "after some issues".  It takes a lot to be expelled from a University.

navyblueshorts wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Hi GPB, I just saw that. Wonder who was on the Team at the same time as Reed?
Must be the Henley, English era wouldn't you think?

Meanwhile, how much more embarrassment will Woods subject himself to - sounds like Tiger Tracker has just about had enough.

Is that right? +6 through his first 6 holes? Oh dear....taxi!

Ha ha ha. Could not get any better.

Plenty of train wrecks out there this morning, but none quite as bad as Eldrick's - bet he'd prefer to be in the Dolomites getting his teeth knocked out than this humiliating performance.
He's got to play his last ten holes in nine under par to have a prayer (sorry s_r) of cashing a cheque.

The only time I ever enjoy watching that creep is when he's hacking it about. Seems to be most tournaments these days.

There aren't enough "reps" in the world it would seem.

How is Bell End Watson permitted to wear Seahawks jersey?

super_realist wrote:
How is Bell End Watson permitted to wear Seahawks jersey?

is there a rule against it?

I was under the impression that after Poulter got pelters for wearing his Arsenal top during an event that they'd put a ban on football type tops on tour.

super_realist wrote:I was under the impression that after Poulter got pelters for wearing his Arsenal top during an event that they'd put a ban on football type tops on tour.

You got a citation for it?

No, hence why I said "I was under the impression"

JFGI

super_realist wrote:No, hence why I said "I was under the impression"

JFGI

Sorry, but you got your knickers in a knot about Bubba in a football jersey.  I think it is up to you to google it.

You're the one asking for a citation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4668966.stm

I reckon any shirt goes at the 16th - they're just glad Bubba is actually wearing one. Pictures of his golfboys video efforts are really hideous.

Abu Dhabi is on the European Tour.

Not as many Judge Smails types on the PGATour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5u7yZiV3bI


Gambling is Illegal at Bushwood, Sir.

Much more compressed at the top of the "Leaderboard" than it is at the bottom.

But where will the cut be? Getting closer to +1 right now, but that won't help either of the facially-remodelled talking points as Allenby joins Woods in missing the 36-hole cut.

Good tournament so far for Geoff Ogilvy, and that's not something you can say everyday.

kwinigolfer wrote:Plenty of train wrecks out there this morning, but none quite as bad as Eldrick's - bet he'd prefer to be in the Dolomites getting his teeth knocked out than this humiliating performance.
He's got to play his last ten holes in nine under par to have a prayer (sorry s_r) of cashing a cheque.

Either his new swing coach is crap, or he had the same drink as Allenby.

incontinentia wrote:C'mon guys! You don't expect him to shoot the lights out after being out for so long surely!

Aaron Oberholser was pretty quick to diagnose 9C with the yips. Hey Aaron, put your gun back in its oberholster! Remember how cack he was in 2010?? Made a reasonable return to form after that.

Pretty hard to define the two rounds of chipping evidence as anything other than a yipped up short game. As bad as I can remember seeing in a pro tournament.

Lairdy wrote:A snowman in the desert?

He's trying to impress Lindsay.

kwinigolfer wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4668966.stm

I reckon any shirt goes at the 16th - they're just glad Bubba is actually wearing one. Pictures of his golfboys video efforts are really hideous.

The "golf boys" really is about the least funny thing this side of cancer.

Mickelson's beginning to play like Woods . . . . . . . .
Cut just about to go to +1

Not enough to save Harrington though as he signs off in grand style with an 8.
Anything you can do I can do better Tiger #"snowman in the desert"! He's probably trying to impress Lindsay too.

The retirement of Woods from the professional game can surely not be far away
I know these guys play on greens and approaches so different from the ones us weekend warriors play - but I can honestly say I've seen 28 handicappers chip/pitch better than that today

Woods has been telling for months that he wants to get his fast twitch muscles working again.

I didn't think he really wants them to work when he is chipping.

In the post round interview Tiger said he was 'caught between patterns'... Are those the 'MC' and 'WD' patterns?

I wouldn't write him off just yet Davie, though it isn't encouraging when one opens the BBC golf page to check the golf news and be greeted by a picture of him rummaging in a cactus looking for his ball. I didn't see his career worst round today, was it mostly due to poor chipping? How was the long game?

Interesting fact time: Tiger Woods has now played 1,109 career PGA Tour rounds. This was just the second one in which he failed to break 80.

His triple-bogey 8 on the 15th hole was just his second snowman on a par 5 since 2000. (The other was the infamous Masters shot that hit the pin and earned a retroactive penalty. So, really, this was his first actual triple bogey.)

The guy DOES humour. Before the post round interview he said:
"I’m just doing this so I don’t get fined..."

Martin Laird is just on his 11th hole. Think that if I were him I'd play as slow as reasonably possible and finish my last four-ish holes in the a.m.

Do you think they will get them all round tonight Kwini?

Hi Grumps,
They jacked it in at 5.45 p.m. last night, imagine it will be similar today.
Impressive from The Laird though.

Thanks Kwini.

Yep, you've got 12 Fantasy Leaguers looking pretty pleased with themselves.

I think Chappell is in with a 65, so smiles might be wiped off faces!
I was hoping it would stay at -4, would have earned triple pts I think. As it is I'll just have another drink. And curse Phil.

Strong looking field for next week's Farmers Insurance exploits in San Diego.
Europeans in action include:
Casey, Davis, Donald, Donaldson, Knox, Laird, Owen, Poulter, Rose
Blixt, Jacobson, Lingmerth, Pettersson
Cejka, Gonzo
Harrington, Lowry

I wrote that before he dropped the shot on the last. Sorry guys