PGA Tour: It'll be Windy in the Windy City: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).For those who like to play their golf in the wind, the so-called "Windy City" of Chicago will be the place to be this week as the Top 70 in FedEx Points contest the BMW Championship at Conway Farms, Chicago.
A spell of perfect autumn weather will disintegrate tomorrow (Thursday) into a transitional day of hot air and high wind (no, Trump's not scheduled); thunderstorms forecast for Friday, cool and windy for Saturday. Could be nice by Sunday!

2).All the Top 70 are expected to come under starters orders for Round 1, points for everyone and a minimum of $15K for all who complete four rounds, not to mention at least $110K from the FedEx bouns pool, whether you play or not. Is it time for Louis Oosthuizen to finally win in the US?

3).Before looking ahead to the "Beemer", let's glance back at an entertaining first tournament of the web.com Tour Finals, WTF's for the uninitiated.
Sweden's Henrik Norlander won with a terrific final flourish of 62, flushing his irons in a way reminiscent of his namesake Stenson. Henrik played his College Golf in Augusta, with Patrick Reed a sometime teammate. He took home $180K and assured himself of a return to the PGA Tour where he was a fixture in 2013. Definitely one to watch for next year.

4).Others to earn enough (I'm guessing $36K across the 4 x WTF events will do it) to guarantee a PGA Tour card for '15/'16 were Michael Thompson, Japan's Iwata and born-with-a-silver-spoon-(or niblick)-in-his-mouth Sam Saunders.
Lahiri contended thru'out, but will have to go again this week while his Presidents Cup opponents play the BMW. Lahiri probably just needs to make the cut to earn his card.

5).Other international golfers who got off to a good start included Grillo, Fritsch and Brian Davis. Europeans, Gonzo and Siem, plus Greg Eason & Seamus Power, still have it all to do, as the second event gets underway Thursday in North Carolina.

6).And so to Conway Farms, a bitter sweet visit for Luke Donald who was instrumental in bringing the Beemer to his home course in 2013.  Luke is heavily involved in clinics etc during the pre-tournament festivities, but failed to qualify to play. He finished strong with a fine weekend and T4 two years ago; others in this week's field who finished well included:
1st: Zach Johnson
2nd: Watney
3rd: Furyk after shooting 59 in Round 2.
T4: Day, Mahan
T8: Matt Jones, Snedeker
T11: Moore, Sabbatini, Walker
T16: Spieth, Bradley.

7).There's sure to be a Hunter Mahan watch as he strives to finish high enough to qualify for next week's Tour Championship, so extending his run of 35 consecutive Play-Off events. This is pgatour.com's arithmetic calculation of what position players need to finish to assure qualification for next week:

http://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/2015/09/08/bmw-championship-scenarios.html

8).The Ulsterman getting most press this week is not Rory McIlroy but David Feherty as his departure from CBS TV and recruitment by NBC TV is confirmed. NBC doesn't seem to much care for non-American commentators so Feherty looks to have become an American citizen in the nick of time. All US TV Golf commentary teams are ageing and 57-y-o Feherty is no spring chicken. Does he see himself as taking Johnny Miller's seat as "lead analyst"; can't see Miller continuing after his ceremonial return to Birkdale in 2017?

9).The 2013 Solheim Cup was one of the highlights of that golfing year, so hopefully this week's edition will live up to that example.

10).Congrats to the GB&I Walker Cup Team and their record-breaking win at Lytham last weekend.
Some team members are already signed up with agents and will be taking sponsor exemptions into upcoming tournaments before they, presumably, shift their act to Q-School.
And there they might well meet some veterans of past Walker Cup Teams whose game fell upon hard times - I see a couple of those vets are playing Round 1 of European Tour Q-School in Kelso this week.
Their American counterparts will be teeing it up at web.com Q-School early next month after preliminary contests in early September.
Good luck to all in their transition to the Pro game.

Nice commentary... as usual Kwini...

Allenby will be a no-show at this week's WTF so assume he's taking that one remaining career earnings exemption. Wonder if he'l play Hawaii?
Lots of could've been's, should've beens in Allenby's past losses, and now exiting by stages with loss of dignity too. Too bad.

Great read as usual kwini. Will you be following the new Golf digest model of golf reporting by providing 24 hour Paige Spiranac coverage? I am pretty sure she had a few weak farts that they missed yesterday.



Do you know why the amount of players lost each week in the fedex isn't more spread out. In the current system we loose 25 in week one then 30 and finally 40. I assume it is to keep the field sizes for the first 3 events respectable.

Hi Mac,
Golf Digest is so dumbed down I never use their website unless there's a compelling-looking link from somewhere else. So dunno!

I think the Play-Off idea is to create a series of high quality tournaments with a kind of high stakes Oklahoma Shoot-Out element to it, giving lower-ranked guys the chance to break through, rather like the wildcards in MLB and NFL where "regular season" success means next to nothing. But they found they were rewarding guys like Martin Laird and Chez Reavie for out-of-the-blue success and have tried to moderate the weekly movement ever since!

I'm not a great fan of the format, but the tournaments, the first three anyway, have been undeniable successes. Would prefer a match-play or devil-take-the-hindmost element to the Tour Championship which invariably is a snoozer on a scenically forgettable course, East Lake.

Also enjoy the WTF series which have some real drama to them, careers on the line rather than loads of dosh for millionaires. Guys like Greg Eason and Seamus Power have real opportunities to crash the PGA Tour.

If Garcia were to win the playoffs after skipping the Barclays and Deutsche Bank....should there be a change of system?

Don't see why; but given his track record of playing well but winning seldom, I imagine it's academic.

Well isn't the whole point of the FedEx Cup is for players to play, I can understand being able to win after you skip an event during the playoffs but two does seem a stretch imo

But how do you then legislate for someone who's legitimately missing due to injury after having earned his place through good play?

No easy answer unless you mandate playing all events. Which I wouldn't agree with. Sure there'll be consideration of some sanction for not playing however.

sirbenson wrote:If Garcia were to win the playoffs after skipping the Barclays and Deutsche Bank....should there be a change of system?

It is hard to imagine sergio putting in two such dominant performances under high'ish pressure two weeks in a row. In fact has sergio ever won under pressure?


But hypothetically if he does manage it then no, the format should not be changed. As a one off you wouldn't use it as evidence that the system needs changed. If it were to become a regular occurrence then maybe you would start to think about changing the system.


I can't remember what the golf season post PGA champs was like pre fedex but I imagine from September onward the season was pretty much on the wind down, so if nothing else the fedex has extended "interesting" part of the golf season.

McLaren wrote:

sirbenson wrote:If Garcia were to win the playoffs after skipping the Barclays and Deutsche Bank....should there be a change of system?

It is hard to imagine sergio putting in two such dominant performances under high'ish pressure two weeks in a row.  In fact has sergio ever won under pressure?


But hypothetically if he does manage it then no, the format should not be changed.  As a one off you wouldn't use it as evidence that the system needs changed.  If it were to become a regular occurrence then maybe you would start to think about changing the system.


I can't remember what the golf season post PGA champs was like pre fedex but I imagine from September onward the season was pretty much on the wind down, so if nothing else the fedex has extended "interesting" part of the golf season.

He's been very anonymous lately.

sergio has been pretty anonymous since august 1999.

8 wins on PGA Tour. Bet a few golfers would love that, plus he's got a good line in jokes.

These playoffs have been an undeniable success for the big tour. Independent contractors almost all show up, sponsors and media all pony up. Wouldn't mind a bit more weight on the prior events, but it sure is working. (And we are already working on corporate sales for 2018 for our club.)

I'll be happy to take any action against Sergio winning this thing!

I hope Rory gets it going this weekend.

Jim Furyk has withdrawn with a wrist injury - haven't heard any prognosis but that could be him done for the season, Tour Championship, Presidents Cup, the lot.
My one-and-done game this week has two picks, Furyk was the first Zach's the second so he has a big job in front of him to compensate for me.

Incredible hour of golf!

Jay Day blitzing the field again 

How fat does Mahan look these days?!

Not sure I see much point in selecting a Championship course and then shortening it and moderating pin-placements just because the breeze may get up.
Makes a bit of a mockery of the occasion if the players come in with sh1t-eating grins saying the course was set up "perfect" for scoring.

Which is not to say Jason Day is not playing at an extraordinary level.

Done for the day (no pun intended) and the rain in the forecast will likely make the course play even easier Friday. No announcement yet about plans for completion of Round 1, tee times of Round 2.
EDIT: Resume Round 1 at 7.30 a.m. local time, bring forward Round 2 tee-times to approx 9.00 a.m. (3.00 p.m. at Sherringham).

Furyk says he's "very concerned" about being fit for next week's Tour Championship; if he misses that, it's difficult to imagine he'll be risked for the Presidents Cup. Who will Jay Haas put on standby? JB Holmes??


Beautiful day in North Carolina and Emiliano Grillo, for one, took advantage, starting Round 2 in 2nd place.
Good rounds from Gonzo and Seamus Power, not bad for Davis, but Eason and Lahiri need improvement just to make the cut.
And Marcel Siem will need mid-60's just to get paid.

They're back on course in Chicago and Jason Day parred in for a ten-under-par 61. Spieth with a 65.
Tepid efforts from Team Europe so far.

Better in Germany at the Solheim Cup - honours pretty even during early fourball play. Come on Europe!

And Round 2 has begun in Chicago - before Round 1 is complete; that means lots of NBC's favourite TV feature - tape delay!

Carlotta Ciganda!

Golf Channel peg Angela Stanford as being on an eight match losing streak in Solheim Cup play. That's worse than Tiger . . . . .

Please let me to say this: Mel Reid is extremely hot. Go Team Euros (especially Ms.Reid.)

Nice to see Rory warming up. Lousy day putting on Thursday, but looking much more confident now. Long may it continue.

Scoring today was the lowest it's been all year on the PGA Tour.

And there's every likelihood that the Conway Farms course will get another drenching tonight after reports of 2 inches of rain Thursday night.
But Saturday will be cooler and windier, so perhaps par will be more meaningful. Almost certainly lift, clean and place . . . .

Otherwise, not much to say, it was a shoot-out, a 62, 4 x 63's and any number of 64's, 65's and 66's. Anything worse that that and those in the leading 40 were losing ground.

Action starts at 10.00 a.m. local time tomorrow, so Poults will be able to watch his Arsenal before heading to the practice range.

Jason Day's 36-hole aggregate of 124 equals a PGA Tour record - the other joint holders, Pat Perez and David Toms, went on to win their respective events.


Meanwhile, a medical bulletin reports that Tiger Woods has undergone a second microdiscectomy and will be out until 2016. Some people will do anything to get out of commitments to play the Fry's, America's Cup and Hero World Challenge. He could possibly be in the owgr 400's, at best, by the time he returns.

Technical meteorological update from golfchannel.com on current (evening) weather conditions at the BMW Championships:
"Absolutely dumping right now at Conway Farms".

Given how saturated the course already is, not sure whether Saturday's early starters can expect an on-time departure for Round 3.

kwinigolfer wrote:Jason Day's 36-hole aggregate of 124 equals a PGA Tour record - the other joint holders, Pat Perez and David Toms, went on to win their respective events.


Meanwhile, a medical bulletin reports that Tiger Woods has undergone a second microdiscectomy and will be out until 2016. Some people will do anything to get out of commitments to play the Fry's, America's Cup and Hero World Challenge. He could possibly be in the owgr 400's, at best, by the time he returns.

Surprised he just didn't do it himself in the car park and carry on, after all, he's got such a reputation for self diagnosis and cure, i'd have thought he could have taken care of this Martin Riggs style, then stepped on the first tee. This to$$er boy has got to be the biggest fraud and bell end of any sport. His retirement is surely imminent (and very welcome).

He is the emporer's new clothes and stone soup rolled into one. 2016 in his 40th year would be a prudent time to do the decent thing and retire from golf. He's a complete embarrassment, and even a lickspittle like Mac would agree to that.

kwinigolfer wrote: Meanwhile, a medical bulletin reports that Tiger Woods has undergone a second microdiscectomy and will be out until 2016. Some people will do anything to get out of commitments to play the Fry's, America's Cup and Hero World Challenge. He could possibly be in the owgr 400's, at best, by the time he returns.

I suppose it means that Tiger will never win another major.  It's amazing how quick his fall has been and it was all self-inflicted and personal.  I suppose he was the "best ever"  for a short period of time, winning everything ... and then it was all "gone" ... like falling off a cliff.

It wasn't all self inflicted, he's been beset by injuries for 6 years, but he did more in 13 years on tour than any other golfer could do in a career. Can't help think how stupid Foley's setup was when he was so rigid over the ball. 

Great play by Day again last night, he's very Tiger-esque in the way he's dominating fields at the moment. He deserves the No.1 spot.

I would say it was all self inflicted. You can't have a mad axeman swing like that and expect there to be no reaction.

Just like his absence of a brain on the golf course, it seems he doesn't have one off it either.

2016 will be another year of "reps" and "nearly there". Should be a cracking year with the real top players Spieth, Pubehead and Day around.

I'm not sure anyone can dominant Golf the way Tiger dominated Golf during his "golden period".  That indicates someone bringing to the game something that was lacking before.  I suppose that was something to do with his incredible fitness (?) and strength (distance) and focus on the greens.  I think nowadays the new generation have adapted and taken these developments on board.  

I am happy for Jason Day - he has been on the radar for sometime.  Spieth seemed to come out of the blue.  Rory needs to be careful when he is playing kickabout with a ball.

Let's knock this on the head right now. 9C was no more "fit" than a lot of other people in the game during that time.
He might have spent a lot of time building up his upper body to ridiculous and needless levels, whilst neglecting to put the right gymwork into a programme that would protect his fragile body from his destructive swing, but going to the gym and being musclebound, doesn't make you "fit"

He wasn't consistently the best driver, he wasn't the best iron player or even the best putter as the stats mostly attest, but what he did have was no part of his game that was really destructive.
Now we see just how bad his game is, once anyone of those elements fail.

From princedracula on twitter

Tigers Majors and 13 notable injuries plotted on the same graph.

Spoiler:

Interesting Mac, I'm not sure what conclusions to draw from it, but I think the interesting thing for me is that anyone in a sport like golf can have so many injuries that necessitate extended time off. Seems to me that for all the talk about the "superior fitness" of 9C is that it isn't the case at all. He seems very much to have virtually no fitness. Seems to be the Darren Anderton or Jack Wilshire of the golf world.

It's certainly strange that he commits to one tournament, the Fry's, last week, and has major surgery the next.
Wonder if there was something more to it than has been reported?

Angela Stanford runs her string of Solheim Cup defeats to NINE!

Haven't seen word yet as to whether the Beemer will begin on time - the place was underwater yesterday evening - at the very least it will be lift, clean and place.

NBC TV thinks so much of these Play-Offs that they're shifting coverage to (sh)amateur football Saturday afternoon. Don't know why they bother at all if they don't care.

All but certain that Anirban Lahiri will be plying his trade on the PGA Tour next season.

No word yet on any delay to the start of the BMW. Kinda surprised about that.

Off on time apparently. It'll be wet underfoot, Poulter wearing IJP wellies.

Wow is poulter still going. I presumed he had long ago departed this seasons fedex cup.

It's alright Mac, He won't be going any further.


Disappointing last hour for Europe, loads of short putts left and the US with a lifeline they probably shouldn't have had.

What's going on with Ben Curtis? What is he doing now? I know that he got 2 year exemption from winning at Texas 2 or 3 years ago but that exemption should have already expired. Does he have any sort of exemption left or even still playing nowadays?

py,
Curtis just has "Past Champion" status remaining on the PGA Tour; that'll get him into a few tournaments every year but no more than that unless he gets some good finishes. It's not clear that he cares too much any more - results have been terrible.

Russell Knox playing a bit better in Chicago and he has much to gain if he can somehow cling on to his FedEx points position (29th), Tour Championship plus a ticket to Augusta for starters.

Great write up as usual kwini, looks like Jason Day has this tournament all but wrapped up. Rory still coming back from injury. Jordan looking tired. Don't know if you have been watching the world cup with the NDN at all but it's certainly off to a good start. ..

If Day or Mcilroy don't win does Spieth become world number 1?

B_t_b, What's NDN?
Coverage here will be pretty spasmodic I think. My brother lives in Australia and is in GB for two months to watch as many matches as he can. Can't think of many sports that have changed so much since I've been awol than Rugby, different competitions, different rules and points; maybe vive la difference but a struggle for me to get fully engaged with. A long way from my brief career with IBM UK Rugby Internationals vs IBM France!
But Mr.Wexford next door will drag me in, I'm sure . . . . .


sirb,
Not really sure but would think Rory will be #1 if he and Spieth maintain their positions but Day doesn't win. Rory finally made a putt on #17 so hopefully that will energize him for Sunday.

Ndn = next door neighbour,
Incidentally my brother in law works for ibm, his and my wifes surnames is Day. He way instrumental in winning the school boys cup from Paul Dunnes' Graystones many moons ago they are from Bray Co Wicklow.

Will Spieth be POTY regardless of what Day does this week and next?

Would certainly think so.

kwinigolfer wrote:py,
Curtis just has "Past Champion" status remaining on the PGA Tour; that'll get him into a few tournaments every year but no more than that unless he gets some good finishes. It's not clear that he cares too much any more - results have been terrible.

Thanks. Just curious because he didn't even bother to play in the What The Frak WTF tournaments after failing to make play off in the last season he had a full status on tour and never heard anything from him anymore since then.

Shame, really. I'm probably one of his few remaining fans on earth lol. Would like to see him getting back on track. Still only 38 though, not an old pro in late 40s and waiting time before entering Champion Tour or anything.