PGA Tour: Welcome to the BIG Time Shane!: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

Possibly entering a Wi-Fi-Shy territory for a few days so let's kick the PGA Tour Notes off with a few ideas just to get a thread up and running:



1).Wonderful golf from Shane Lowry, even if he did have to out-luck Bubba Watson on the 18th. Love Lowry's swing and love his short game. The first Irishman to win a WGC and can there be any real doubt that he's capable of emulating Padraig Harrington and winning a Major or three?
As it is, he collects, among other things, a 3-year PGA Tour exemption; now for the hard part, planning a schedule and figuring out what he wants of the next three years, not what everyone else wants of him.
And Lowry's win should allow Martin Laird to enter the PGA as first "alternate".

2).Lee Westwood was among a handful of golfers who finally earned a place in the FedEx Play-Offs, alongside Lowry apparently. (EDIT! Apparently GPB's Golf Channel link suggests this is erroneous and he still requires high finishes at the PGA and/or Greensboro - doubt Shane will be too bothered about that.)
Donaldson was one of a handful of Bridgestone golfers who missed an opportunity to join them. Disappointing finish from Justin Rose - lots of focus from the CBS crew on Justin's putting, striking the short putts on the heel and pulling them. May not have cost him the tournament but almost certainly cost him second place.

3).JJ Henry won the Barracuda Championship in a very exciting finish with eagle on the second play-off hole - not often that golfers lose after birdieing both play-off holes, but that's what Kyle Reifers did, after eagling three of his final six holes. Wonder if that's a Tour first?
One talking point next time the Rules Committee get together will be Andres Romero's decision, with a nod from Tour Officials, to tee off on his last four holes of Round 3 with a putter and pick up claiming a maximum double bogey Stableford score of -3, having earlier damaged his right hand by planting a right cross firmly into the 15th tee sign. The hand swelled up like Rory's ankle and he withdrew after his round, but should that have been allowed?

4).This week's PGA Championship will be at Whistling Straits, about an hour north of Milwaukee overlooking Lake Michigan, for the 3rd time in 12 years. Apart from the actual Championship, the week will go a long way towards finalising Presidents Cup teams and determining the last few qualifiers for the FedEx Play-Offs. Next week's action at Greensboro will represent the final event of the regular season, do or die for famous names and journeymen alike.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Dustin's bunker has been replaced with spectator seating so he'll get a free drop next time instead of a devastating penalty.

5).Although Vijay and Martin Kaymer won the two previous PGA's played here, and Dustin, Rory and Bubba were narrowly defeated last time, other top five positions have been filled by some of the Tour's shorter hitters: Justin Leonard, DiMarco, Zach Johnson, Chris Riley and Elkington. These players "go again" after earning top 20 placings in 2004 and 2010:
2004: Singh, Els, Mickelson, Scott, Clarke, Toms.
2010: Kaymer, Watson, McIlroy, Dustin & Zach, Dufner, Villegas, Day, Kuchar, Mickelson, Casey, Schwartzel, Gallacher, Els, Watney.

Both previous trips to Whistling Straits have ended in play-offs. The next time Europe's best golfers get to see the course will be in 2020. Not sure who'll win this week ( for Stenson), but have no doubt that the 2020 winners will be Europe's Ryder Cup Team!

Is he referring to same Bastain Schweinsteiger who can now barely hobble around the pitch?


Corrigan seems to also ignore that prognosis's being offered were based McIlroy's own stated diagnosis of "Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage". Given that he has returned so quickly it would be more honest to ask whether or not there actually was a total rupture (grade 3) and joint capsule damage. To try and make those offering expert opinion of recovery times look stupid when all they did was offer up the expected recovery time for the stated injury seems very sneaky.

All the doctors I have hear comment on this basically said "IF the injury is as stated then around 12 weeks would be normal".

I'm never wrong wrote:Interesting counter argument to all those who stated that McIlroy wouldn't be fit for the PGA or any more tournaments this year in the Daily Telegraph. LINK HERE

The writer James Corrigan mentions that Bastian Schweinsteiger came back from a similar injury in less time - and he plays a more aggressive type of sport. (Whether you regard football as a more aggressive type of sport is for another argument   )

What an incredible hypocrite and total bell end this Corrigan is. Has a go at all the journalists and doctors who are giving an uninformed view on the McIlroy injury, and then gives his own uninformed view. Then he has a go at Tiger Woods for having an opinion... wouldn't surprise me if he was the journalist who asked Tiger for the opinion in the first place.

Particularly, as someone in the comments states, it's the journalists who solicit the opinions, and use them for clickbait headlines.

'Woods says McIlroy is playing with his career!' gets clicks. Especially when no doubt it was a hugely leading question for Tiger and a headline with no relevance to his quotes.

McLaren wrote:Is he referring to same Bastain Schweinsteiger who can now barely hobble around the pitch?


Corrigan seems to also ignore that prognosis's being offered were based McIlroy's own stated diagnosis of "Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage".  Given that he has returned so quickly it would be more honest to ask whether or not there actually was a total rupture (grade 3) and joint capsule damage.  To try and make those offering expert opinion of recovery times look stupid when all they did was offer up the expected recovery time for the stated injury seems very sneaky.

All the doctors I have hear comment on this basically said "IF the injury is as stated then around 12 weeks would be normal".  

Spot on with this I reckon.

sirbenson wrote:Why the hell is Matsuyama not in a higher profile pairing?

I don't understand this either.

Everyone needs to get on Tiger tracker.

https://twitter.com/GCTigerTracker


You are welcome. :OK:

That's actually quite funny Mac.

AlciG wrote:

sirbenson wrote:Why the hell is Matsuyama not in a higher profile pairing?

I don't understand this either.

Because he's not American and they didn't want to confuse the commentators by constantly showing him so they'd get his name and country wrong.

McLaren wrote:Everyone needs to get on Tiger tracker.

https://twitter.com/GCTigerTracker


You are welcome.  

You don't need it if you have the red button this week!

It would be interesting to see the coverage of 9C were he to have taken his mothers nationality to begin with.

Westwood following Rose round the course and down the leaderboard.

super_realist wrote:It would be interesting to see the coverage of 9C were he to have taken his mothers nationality to begin with.

I imagine somebody from any country winning 14 majors would get coverage.

Doubt America would give it much notice. Imagine if Federer, Nadal or Djokovic were American.

Federer is loved in America!

They don't show every arse scratching moment or fill coverage of him when he's not in, or knocked out of the tournament and they don't ask fellow players about him in the same way.

That's arguable but I suppose they would prioritise other matches at times depending on the players!

Monty and Daly both doubled the 18th, that's going to be a beast of a finishing hole at the weekend!

Anyone else finding the red button commentators mildly amusing?

The scores seem pretty low so far, will they fall away throughout the day or is a soft course allowing the players to go for the pins and stop balls scuttling off the fairway into bunkers and the thicker rough?

A low scoring soft major would have been perfect McIlroy territory if he were not coming back from over a month out.

Not that low? Lowest 9 at 4 under by one player. 24 players over par, 29 over.

Tiger tracker reporting "abysmal" putting so far from Tiger and he goes to +1 for the day.

Perhaps he needs "more reps" Mac.

sirbenson wrote:Monty and Daly both doubled the 18th, that's going to be a beast of a finishing hole at the weekend!

Damn right! That hole was a brute the last time

There a funky par 3 or two aswell here if I remenber right

Christ. More reps and he'll be 5 or 6 putting! Fewer reps required on the green...

DJ into a tie for the lead already!

Nice wedge from Tiger!

The PGA Tour are a disgrace. Twice I've logged in this afternoon to have a peek at the website and twice I've been confronted by the lemon sucking 9C on separate splash screens.

I could understand were he leading the tournament, but he's 5 shots back and is ranked two hundred and something in the world.

Yet, you keep logging in Super? Just what they want!

Tiger may be lucky to make the cut at this tournament. I have never played there, but reports from friends who have is that it's extremely difficult when the wind comes up (as are ALL courses for me).

Shotrock wrote:Yet, you keep logging in Super? Just what they want!

Tiger may be lucky to make the cut at this tournament. I have never played there, but reports from friends who have is that it's extremely difficult when the wind comes up (as are ALL courses for me).

He hasn't hit any big misses yet and seems to be striking it ok tbh!

Kok is making a balls of it so far

Jamie Donaldson seems to be struggling quite a lot recently.

Pretty hard to check the leaderboard without logging in, wouldn't you think SR?

Another MC for 9C coming up.

You have to feel sorry for Kaymer and Bradley being out with such a hacker, the equivalent of the weekend medal when a 28 handicapper is drawn with you.

Fat Shane also stinking the place out.

AFAIK you don't need to log in to view the leaderboard. I don't

I don't "log in" either. I simply meant looking at the Leaderboard via the website.

Weather conditions not great for the afternoon players it seems.

Guy on sky said lingmerth had taken giant strides...which looks unlikely due to his weirdly short looking legs.

Super - Don't want to see coverage of Tiger? Don't check the scores. Really simple.

I don't think anyone here posts more about Tiger ... and yet you bemoan the ink he receives? Perhaps I don't fully appreciate the catharsis of complaint!

David Lingmerth red hot as I type this.

Some bunker shot there from Phil, genius..

beninho wrote:Weather conditions not great for the afternoon players it seems.

Guy on sky said lingmerth had taken giant strides...which looks unlikely due to his weirdly short looking legs.

Ha ha he has hasn't he? Looks like beavis or butthead.

Shotrock wrote:Super - Don't want to see coverage of Tiger? Don't check the scores. Really simple.

I don't think anyone here posts more about Tiger ... and yet you bemoan the ink he receives? Perhaps I don't fully appreciate the catharsis of complaint!

David Lingmerth red hot as I type this.

That's about the most stupid thing out of many stupid things I've seen you post SR.

Rory playing like Tiger at the moment.

Writing was on the wall as soon as he said "i'm 100% able to play", except he's not had a competitive round in 6 weeks.

Rory seems to be playing pretty well. Bar The midget swede it appears not many real good scores will be played this afternoon. I think rory is holding up well.

beninho

Rory is really hanging on and doesn't seem in total control of the ball. I bet it feels like a really tough round to him.

McLaren wrote:beninho

Rory is really hanging on and doesn't seem in total control of the ball.  I bet it feels like a really tough round to him.

And yet he's still beating the worlds new best player, Spieth

Yeh got to agree with Beninho on this; going along relatively nicely. Not showing any signs that he is finding it tough. He's playing scratchy at times but to be expected given lay off. If he can go in 1/2 under then he'll be feeling confident.

Spieth has struggled with his putting...who'd have thought it...the season catching up with him...or is he struggling with the whole 'head to head with Rory'?

Lingmerth has had a cracking round, was so close to putting him in my predictor game after he came up with the goods last 2 weeks...kicking myself now.

Mickelson - Does anyone have more ups and downs in a round than this man! Rollercoaster ride!

At -1 Rory is well in contention and should get the better conditions today but he clearly wasn't at his best and looked to be grinding it out rather in full control. He will have to improve if he wants to be in the thick of it come Sunday afternoon.

PS: Who do you think was to blame for the Simba/R-Mac/Zach group going on the clock?

Nicely poised after R1. Anyone up to around +1 in the mix I would think.

McLaren wrote:PS: Who do you think was to blame for the Simba/R-Mac/Zach group going on the clock?

Looked to me that it was sort of apportioned equally - just one of those rounds where someone got into a bit of bother on nearly ever hole, rather than it all happening on the same holes. ZJ noticeably slow on the par 5 when he needed the ruling, and on a couple of occasions, Rory was so far ahead off the tee he was actually in the way for JS and ZJ. Suspect they'll be fine time wise if they get calmer conditions this morning.

McLaren wrote:beninho

Rory is really hanging on and doesn't seem in total control of the ball.  I bet it feels like a really tough round to him.

Obviously you were watching a different Rory.

I thought he did well, if he'd gone off in the morning I reckon he would have been a couple of shots better off. Majestic driving, sometimes knocking it 50 yards past Spieth and ZJ.