PGA Tour: "AT&T Byron Nelson Championship": Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).The Dallas/Fort Worth area has endured an untimely monsoon season these past few weeks; the Tour did a great job in getting Colonial playable and completing the tournament on time, despite using "lift, clean and place through the green" for the first time since Turning Stone in 2009 - I was at Turning Stone for that dismal experience, and can only imagine how dire conditions must have been off the fairways and greens at Colonial. TPC Las Colinas, outside Dallas, is apparently saturated and a couple of dryish days won't help much before a recurrence of scattered storms later this week.

2).Well done to Chris Kirk, my one-and-done for the week, at Colonial; it's not the idea I know, but seeing Colonial green and lush reminds one what a beautiful course it can be, a contrast to the brownish hue that normal May conditions can leave it in. Green and lush this week will reportedly be code for sodden conditions meaning that short-hitters like Brendon Todd and Mike Weir, first and second last year, will be at a serious disadvantage if there is no roll. Exceptional fairway woods players of previous generations, guys like Larry Nelson and David Toms, would relish the prospect of par-fours that are only reachable with long irons or hybrids boasting that they can hit 3- and 5-woods straighter than most can hit their long irons. We'll see but the suggestion this week is that the bombers will have an advantage.

3).Good to see Rickie Fowler taking a busman's holiday at RCD this week, but strange that he avoided Quail Hollow, home of his only win before The Players, and Colonial, sponsored by his long-time Crowne Plaza sponsor.
As tagged on to last week's thread, Poulter is resting this week nursing a twinge suffered in the gym, and has added that he'll only play Majors, WGC's and FedEx Play-offs for the rest of the Tour season. For those, including sometimes Poulter himself, that say he's more interested in dosh and bling, this is a curious decision given that he's playing so well; it also hampers his chances of finishing high up in the season-end FedEx cash bonus pool and is a reminder that he's never reached the Tour Championship.
(Freddie Jac, who's having a terrible year, has also withdrawn - he needs to get his act together or it's off to the WTF Finals for him.)

4).Well done also to Colin Montgomerie as he wins the Senior PGA Championship for the second consecutive year; as anticipated two years ago, he does much better at the four-round Champions Tour events than he does in the three-round sprints. Newly popular, presumably because he's such an articulate, egocentric motormouth with the press, he's busy remaking his image and raking in the cash. And he seldom gets heckled by the US crowds either. All looking good for Monty.

5).Lastly, with all the "stuff" that's going down at FIFA, the USGA is having its own series of Sepp Blatter moments.
There is every indication that promises made to the USGA when Chambers Bay was awarded the US Open are not being adhered to, transportation commitments in getting spectators to the course have never materialized.
Now the USGA is advising ticket-holders for next month's tournament, in GolfWorld's words, "to strongly suggest spectators remain in grandstands rather than walk the rugged terrain that will offer some poor viewing from ground level". Don't know about you but, although it's fun to watch groups come through a particular hole, enjoyment of golf tournaments to many of us is following specific groups and enjoying the ups and downs of their rounds. I certainly don't want to park at a par-3 watching an hour's worth of no-names come through on the off-chance I'll get a glimpse of Rory, and nothing more. Bl00dy ridiculous.
And then there's USGA Executive Director Mike Davis's admonition that no-one will walk in, play a couple of practice rounds, "that person's done. Will not win the US Open."
To which Webb Simpson, hardly the cockney rebel of the PGA Tour, sarc'd: "We'll play for second."
And Rory offered: "With the way the Tour is, no-one's going to go out there and play ten practice rounds."    
I love going to Majors, but this is a trip I'm glad never to have fancied taking.
Of all the great venues the Tour could have taken its great Championship to, it's looking more and more as if this is Mke Davis's one-man crusade. The egg on his face that started when Tour pros got their first look at the allegedly eccentric greens and waxed apoplectically about them, is becoming a full-blown Western Omelette with virtually every tournament ingredient being questioned.

PS: Grumpy's game is at RCD this week, but the Byron Nelson looks to be a bit of a lottery. I'd go with bombers who have a history of course success, guys like Bradley, Jason Day (EDIT: Another withdrawal), Dustin Johnson, Leishman and Palmer. But luck of the draw will be such a factor that, just as some of football's best transfers are the ones you don't make, so it may be that all bets should be off until the Tour gets to Muirfield Village next week.

Mac, I'm simply interested in why you think it is so great when it clearly is outrageously over-rated and that the greens complex are for the most part, nothing short of bland. Is your game not good so you find the greens such a challenge?
My mention of history was because I think the sycophants who fawn over TOC like it was some sort of utopia, can't see past the dewey eyed history of the place or are unwilling to criticise it for fear of rebuke of challenging "a golfing sweetheart"

I've given my view and reasons of what makes it so ordinary, as someone who has played it more than anyone on this board, and probably more than most pro's, certainly modern pro's, yet you seem to think that my assessment doesn't matter at all and can't possibly carry any weight, because you think that because you visit a library once in a while to read a Doak book you're too tight to buy, that that gives you better knowledge of the place than I have.

I'm not a course architect, nor are you. You don't have the final word on what makes a good course, and nor do I, so stop acting like you are some sort of course architecture expert/guru, because you aren't. You're just a golfer, and an occasional one at that, like the rest of us.

As I said earlier, you've done nothing but appeal to authority and say "yes it is".
I'll happily read a concise hole by hole description if you actually knew enough about the place to write one, and then I'll say, well done, you have your opinion on the course, because that's all it is. opinion.

My opinion, for what it's worth is that only 6 of TOC's greens are in any way interesting.  The rest have nothing to distinguish themselves. You might have a different opinion.

Your opinion has no more chance of changing my opinion than my opinion has of changing yours, but my opinion is formed from playing it not from what a book says or what I'm expected to think of it, i've never said it's a bad course, I've said it's over-rated and by and large, not worthy of a major so often and that I don't find the greens interesting or challenging.
How could anything you write as an infrequent and lesser player change my extensive playing experience of it? That would be like you telling me about a review of my car, and expecting me to change my opinion of it based on the review. That's absurd.

If I ever get the time to type up a hole by hole summary you will be the first person I send it to.


I detect your ego has been harmed, but I stand by my assertion that you are ignorant when it comes to golf course architecture and your opinion holds no weight. Your level of sophistication on this subject is non existent, as you have clearly demonstrated over the years. For this reason I am unwilling to continue this discussion with you. If after 100's of plays you don't understand why TOC is valued for its architecture - separate from history and sentiment - then what could I possible say to educate you on the matter. As I said above, if I ever do write about why TOC is great I will send you it, but there really are many better sources out there if you are genuinely willing to learn.

You mention conceding to authority, yet you seem to want me to concede to your authority on whether or not TOC is any good?

Here is a furhter thought to help you understand where your opinion on TOC sits in the world of golf course architecture.


The TOC being a great course and setting the standard to which other courses should aspire is as close to a theory - by the scientific definition - as you will get in golf course architecture.  

Over many years of analysis of TOC itself and looking at the results of replicating its features/holes on other courses a consensus has been reached on how well the principles of design underlying TOC work.

So for you to say this theory is incorrect is like someone questioning evolution, it is possible you are correct but your evidence is going to have to be strong enough to overturn a very large body of evidence.  Worse than that, given you have not studied golf course architecture to any degree it is like you have come along as someone who has never studied biology and claimed evolution can't have happened as the eye (and you have two, so have got lots of experience of eyes) seems a bit too complicated just to have happened by natural selection.


If you are correct about TOC, the whole discipline of golf course architecture would need to reconsider what it thinks is true about the game and course design.  Are you willing to adopt that position?

My ego hasn't been harmed at all Mac, it is simply annoying that you think you are some sort of authority on A) TOC and B) Course architecture and that your word on both carries more weight than anyone else here, and that your word is final when it isn't.

Again, simply disagreeing with you does not make me ignorant. If you disagree with my opinion on the lack of "interest" in TOC greens, then please refute the points I've made rather than simply asserting I'm ignorant.

I don't want you to concede to my authority because I don't have any, I've simply got a stack of experience of playing the course and don't expect to be called ignorant on the matter of a course that I know FAR better than you do, and I don't expect to be accused of being ignorant about something which you have limited experience and are certainly not an expert on.

as for your ridiculous Course Architecture as Evolution, you do have to be an idiot don't you. I explained FULLY why I thought each hole was ordinary. It's in the description and definition.

What has all this got to do with the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship?

golfermartin wrote:What has all this got to do with the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship?

Well said  My thoughts exactly! I'm getting fed up with all this

I'd say it's a valid topic of discussion even though Mac isn't really stating his case very well - it just doesn't belong here.

Perhaps a friendly admin should split their posts off into a new discussion?

This has little or nothing to do with the Byron Nelson either, but confirmation that Seamus Power slept (presumably) on the 18-hole lead at the web.com tournament in North Carolina. His Thursday 61 led by 2 strokes, and by 5 strokes from England's Kelvin Day who lies T9.
Big opportunities for both this week in their PGA Tour card ambitions.

Round 2 of the Byron Nelson will be delayed for at least three hours due to flooding rains.

Super

I really thought you would deny any link between your though process and that of a creationist?

Golf Channel reporting four inches of rain overnight in the Dallas area. Even allowing for the customary exaggerations, just half that amount would be significant given how saturated the TPC course is. More thunderstorms expected tonight and tomorrow.

Mac, stop being a moron.

We were talking about how "interesting" the greens complex at TOC was, that's not remotely scientific or verifiable by science.

It is my opinion based on experience and a tidy short game that the majority of the greens are not "interesting" to me, it's not verifiable by science. So stop bringing up a "creationist" analogy as if it's some sort of argument winning zinger, because it does nothing but show you to be the contrary pap you evidently are.

kwinigolfer wrote:Golf Channel reporting four inches of rain overnight in the Dallas area. Even allowing for the customary exaggerations, just half that amount would be significant given how saturated the TPC course is. More thunderstorms expected tonight and tomorrow.

kwini can you please keep OT comments like this of TOC discussion section. Thanks.

Ironic twist in Dallas as the first player to waddle out of the tournament this morning is the Goose.
Expect one or two more to follow.

LadyPutt wrote:
Well said  My thoughts exactly! I'm getting fed up with all this

I'm not fed up with this at all. Seems to me that Super and Mac are discussing golf on a golf discussion forum, can't see any harm in that.

I've not read the details of the argument, I've chosen not to. LP it's not compulsory to read everything on this forum.

Interestingly, for all her Ladyship's angst (her second FFS on these notes in the past few weeks) LP seldom if ever comments on these threads.

Regardless, she and we will be pleased to know that the seas have parted sufficiently at TPC Las Colinas to allow Round 2 to begin, three hours on the dot after the scheduled start time. Top job from those Texans - or more likely Mexicans.

And I am pretty sure discussing great complexes is highly relevant to TPC Las Colinas?

Not sure about the greens but TPC Las Colinas has something exceptional today: a 100-yard par-4 14th with the approach unplayable due to the pond guarding the green having flooded the fairway.
Hope we don't see any bogeys.

100 yard par 4. Wow. Almost drivable for Davie.

kwinigolfer wrote:Ironic twist in Dallas as the first player to waddle out of the tournament this morning is the Goose.
Expect one or two more to follow.

You wonder when Zach Johnson starts building an ark.

McLaren wrote:100 yard par 4. Wow.  Almost drivable for Davie.  

Two solid 5 irons for me Mac - if I could get by with only a 3 putt it could be a bogey for me!

Do you think you can hit a 5 iron from the rough Davie?

At least a few groups will complete Round 2 at the Byron Nelson this evening - no-one going ridiculously low this evening, Ryan Palmer the leader from the afternoon "wave", but still a long way to go.

Tommy Fleetwood and Andy Sullivan have tickets to Memorial tee-times next week, with Molinari, Rose and Gonzo rounding out the European double-dippers. Good field for Jack's place, but not the high quality you'd necessarily expect. Great course, always great viewing, looking forward to it.

Round 2 due to resume for 11 groups at 8.00 a.m. but an incoming storm makes it probable that play will be delayed, at least until mid-morning I would think.
The Goose and El Pato the first withdrawals during play this week . . . . .

Greg Owen will play the weekend, but Gonzo needs a couple of birdies in his remaining four holes and Brian Davis is definitely gonzo - not in the Memorial field next week, Davis's Tour status is getting more precarious by the week.

Phil taking the warning that many practice rounds will be needed to succeed at this years US open. He was spotted out on chambers bay with short game coach dave peltz, and reportedly spent 3 hours on the front nine.

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/mickelson-spotted-preparing-chambers-bay/?cid=twitter-gc-v-mickelson-spotted-preparing-chambers-bay-052915

Mac,
I would think that Phil might be a good bet (isn't he always at the US Open?) at 22/1 if he has the discipline to play the course instead of whatever the USGA says par is on any given day.

Looks a bit of a funny old book right now. Paddy Power prices:
4/1: Rory
8/1: Spieth
18/1: Dustin
18/1: Scott
20/1: Fowler
20/1: Jason Day
22/1: Woods
22/1: Bubba
22/1: Phil
25/1: Stenson
25/1: Justin Rose
28/1: Sergio
33/1 and up: Bar those.


Meanwhile, awaiting news from Monsoon Central as a storm just passed through DFW that looked as if it could obliterate the place, but it's moving quickly and should be almost outathere by now. They've delayed resumption of Round 2 until 11.00 a.m. local time, but the forecast for Sunday is fairly good. Hopefully forecasts of more thunderstorms later today are just meteorological versions of hedging your bets and they'll at least get Round 3 started; should be able to finish Sunday night.

I just think Phil really really wants to win the US Open. And he might give himself that extra edge if he familiarises himself with the course just a little bit better than the rest.

Luke Donald is not in the Memorial Field, and he is doing Sectional qualifying at his Home course in Jupiter Florida.

Not too many familiar names trying to qualify in Jupiter, but there are (at least) two other former Ryder Cuppers in the field to go along with Luke at the Bears Club.  (DiMarco and Wetterich)

Also in the field is chap named Jake Kevorkian.  Lets hope that is not symbolic of Luke's career.

https://www.fsga.org/Tournament/PairingInfo/12056


Edit:  Solo 4th  for Luke this week could be enough to get Luke in the top 60 at the 2nd deadline date.

Another hour's delay at the BN.

GPB: What do the initials FS2 mean after the player's name on the pgatour.com leaderboard? Is it something to do with their new fantasy game?

Round 2 complete and the PGA Tour have got just what they don't want when they're half day in arrears and the golf course is a morass: 87 golfers making the 36-hole cut.

I wonder if they'd consider one of two out-of-the-box options:
Either: Treat all those making the cut by one stroke MDF's and contesting Rounds 3 and 4 with 66 golfers. It's been done before.
Or: Playing Round 3 in foursomes - otherwise there will be interminable waits after nine holes. Not sure that's been done before, but they do play some foursomes during the final round at Pebble Beach.

Good finish by Gonzo - first cut made since Houston back at the beginning of April.

kwinigolfer: wrote:
GPB: What do the initials FS2 mean after the player's name on the pgatour.com leaderboard? Is it something to do with their new fantasy game?

Near as I can tell, Four Seasons [Course] 2.

Tks GPB,

Looks like most, if not all, of Round 3 will be complete today. Improbable though it seemed mid-morning!

Can't be bothered to watch this afternoon after a morning full of RCD and then two hours of Wembley, but a great effort by the Tour and TPC.

Ryan Palmer my one-and-done this week, so hoping he and/or Dustin get me back in the Top 100 of pgatour.com fantasy game!

Aussies first and second in Dallas, but still early in the third round.
Long-term, perhaps it's more significant that Cameron Smith will go over the $400K mark in non-members earnings this year. Too early to predict this week but a few more starts could see him earning himself a Tour card.

A fine day forecast for the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship. 15 x MDF'ers have left the premises and the remaining 72 will tee off in threes on both nines beginning just after 10.00 a.m., Dallas time. Not clear yet whether #14 will be played as a tricky Par-4 or a gap-wedge Par-3. Edit: Definitely the wedge for the 14th, playing as a Par-3.
Little or no European interest except for golfers trying to secure their Tour cards for next year; Pettersson could do with a good finish, and so too with progressively greater urgency could Blixt, Owen and Gonzo.

Watching ice melt at the Byron Nelson, but signs of life from Gonzo as he peppers six second nine birdies to close with a top twenty finish. About time.

Macabre appearance during the CBS broadcast by Dubya. Don't hate many people, but hate that man. Not as much as Cheney though.

kwinigolfer wrote:Interestingly, for all her Ladyship's angst (her second FFS on these notes in the past few weeks) LP seldom if ever comments on these threads.

Most of the time the comments seem to be "boys' banter" so I don't like to interrupt - or be shot down in flames for not knowing what I'm talking about. After all, I'm not a single figure golfer who has played all the top courses around the world so my opinions have no relevance. It's a pity we lost Gael, Mary and Plunky so I'm the only female on here but perhaps there's a pattern emerging here. I only came back because the Fantasy League moved over but I did hope things had improved - sadly not really. Other times the discussions are just not interesting enough to comment - although I do read most postings (including your excellent piece every week but I'm not going to post "well said" or "great piece as usual" each time) or skim the ones which not interesting or off subject - like this has become.

Lady

I don't disagree with you, although I imagine male and female alike are bored by super and I's back and forth. Maybe we need a special mac v super thread to move some of the junk to.

Although, discussing the merits of this years open venue is a little more relevant than normal.

LP,
You and I share the fact that neither of us will ever have single-digit handicaps; I no longer even aspire to that. And you probably play a greater variety of fine courses than I ever will.
But I DO try and keep this thread somewhat on topic - I largely keep my comments to the US Tours as that's where I might have a slightly different perspective than GB&I-centric news and media outlets.
All comments are welcome, but if a thread gets way off track I try to correct it.
I hope gael returns from time to time, her comments are always interesting, whether or not one agrees with them all.
And Plunky doesn't often comment on this thread but certainly has posted consistently on others.

One of the PGA Tour's premier venues is coming up this week, Jack Nicklaus's Muirfield Village where sirNick is an honoree - should be plenty to talk about, especially with the two "Opens" also approaching, and hope you pop in from time to time.

Plus, would love your perspective of the Women's Tours, what with a succession of big events coming up and Solheim Cup action to follow. The last Solheim Cup was the highlight of two years ago, but precious little was written about it on here. Our loss.

Not sure whether this is a surprise or not, but Adam Scott and caddie Mike Kerr have gone their separate ways and Scott has persuaded Steve Williams to avoid the New Zealand winter to carry his bag at Chambers Bay, St.Andrews, Bridgestone and Whistling Straits.
No word yet as to Scott's plans for the FedEx Play Offs but, given his current ranking in FedEx points (106th), perhaps it would be a touch presumptuous to make too many commitments.
Mike Kerr is, by all accounts, a good guy and a fine caddie so wonder where he'll turn up next.
Meanwhile, Adam Scott has played well in the past at Muirfield Village so quite surprising that he's an absentee from this week's Memorial.

Didn’t even know Williams and Scott had parted ways - but I did notice Scott’s slump recently. So apparently there’s a connection.

Coincidentally Kjeldsen credits his resurrection to his new caddie. It’s funny how new caddies can spur a sudden improvement in player performance, contrary to working with new coaches. I guess that just underlines how much of this game is played between the ears.

Where have you been, Pedro? Williams and Adam parted company at the beginning of last November!

I agree about caddies in general, though. A major psychological influence and not just a bag carrier.

pedro,
Williams "retired".
Scott probably feels he needs a good sharp kick up the arse to get back to playing his best - they seem to have had that relationship in the past - lots of distractions in Scott's life just now I imagine, family (newish wife, new child) possibly, and the putting ultimatum hanging over his head for sure.
Adam Scott is good for golf so hope he's back to his best soon.

Tiger also heeding the chambers bay prep warnings.

https://twitter.com/stevesloboda/status/605240159638921216/photo/1

Tiger airways touches down in airport close to CB.

McLaren wrote:Tiger also heeding the chambers bay prep warnings.

https://twitter.com/stevesloboda/status/605240159638921216/photo/1

Tiger airways touches down in airport close to CB.

God twitter really is sad.

"Narrows Airport"? He must be practising then!

pedro wrote:Didn’t even know Williams and Scott had parted ways - but I did notice Scott’s slump recently. So apparently there’s a connection.

I hadn't realised this either! I watch the golfers not the caddies (Stevie Williams will hate me now - he's a multiple major winner you know)

ray,
Adam Scott has been so invisible recently no-one would really notice. Bad golf = no TV (unless your name is Woods).

kwinigolfer wrote:ray,
Adam Scott has been so invisible recently no-one would really notice. Bad golf = no TV (unless your name is Woods).

kwinigolfer wrote:ray,
Adam Scott has been so invisible recently no-one would really notice. Bad golf = no TV (unless your name is Woods).

Or, of course, Rory -- who was featured every possible minute on Thursday and Friday. Just pressing too hard? Time will tell.

Rory?
Still don't reckon he cares much for Wentworth and would have avoided except for ET loyalty. Don't think he'll ever grind out cuts like Tiger used to (on the few occasions he needed to).
And don't expect much of a return to form any time before St.Andrews. Perhaps he won't even play except Chambers Bay (which I'd think he'd treat as a bit of a lottery, until Saturday at least).
Can't imagine a course to suit him better than Muirfield Village, bet he'd love to have dropped one or two others and played there.

Kwini

A saw a stat recently about Tiger and Rory's cuts.

It went something like Tiger only has 13 missed cuts since he became world number 1 in 1997 and Rory has 13 missed cuts since he first became number 1.