PGA Tour: Career Defining Week in Greensboro: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).January saw the "CareerBuilder Challenge", the old Bob Hope event in California's desert - this week's "Wyndham Championship" in Greensboro, North Carolina, could be described as the Career Definer, as there is so much to play for in the final event of the PGA Tour's "regular season".

2).Let's tick 'em off:
Ryder Cup points (qualifying actually runs thru next week, for both teams).
Top 125 in FedEx points earn a Barclays tee-time for next week, plus fully exempt status for 2016/17 for those who aren't already exempt.
Top 126 - 150 - FedEx pts will take conditional status, usually 15 - 20 starts, into next year.
Top 126 - 200 will be eligible to compete in the four-tournament web.com Finals which start at the end of August.

3).GPB is explained the various wrinkles and possibilities for Ryder Cup qualification on last week's thread, so let's look at the Top 125.
Last week, Ben Martin, second at the John Deere Classic and already exempt for next year, led those assuring themselves of a trip to the Barclays and FedEx Play-Off action with Johnson Wagner securing his full card for another year.
Among those who need a strong finish this week are: Aussie Open winner Matt Jones, S-Y Noh, Stallings, Kyle Stanley, Hoffmann, Stroud, Appleby, Michael Thompson.
For an extrapolation of FedEx possibilities, reference this chart:
http://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/2016/08/16/wyndham-scenarios-bubble.html

4).Conditional status for the 126 - 150 crew is still important, and this lot are among those who are in contention:
Sam Saunders, Willie Mac, Camilo, de Jonge, Greg Owen, Thomas Aiken and Cabrera.
I'll add the pgatour.com's real-time "Projected Standings" when the page is restored to their site Thursday morning.

5).126 - 200 qualify for web.com Finals and the chance to retrieve their card. But some "faces" are still to reach that Top 200:
John Rollins, Brendon Todd (just two years removed from being 12th on the 2014 US RC Team qualifying list), Carl Pettersson, Brian Davis (presumably injured, Tim Clark and Van Pelt too), Immelman, Two-Gloves Gainey and The Prisoner, Robert Allenby (what is it with golfers getting in to trouble at the JDC? Matt Every a few years ago and now Ryan Lochte is rumoured to have accepted an invitation to their Pro-Am next year.)

6).I watched very little of last week's Olympic Golf, but Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were a formidable (played 3 together, won 3) Team at the 2014 Ryder Cup and great to see them battle for gold/silver. Hope Henrik's back recovers over the next month. Lots on other threads about golf-in-the-Olympics so I'll pass that by, except to hope:
~The organizers devise some sort of Team format to go with individual play for 2020.
~The Tours plan their schedules better - the way the JDC was made the sacrificial lamb for 2016, and gerry-mandering of the ET schedules were both unseemly. You've got three years chaps, get it sorted.

7).Miguel-Angel Jimenez has experienced uncharacteristic twitches in trying to close out important Senior Championships recently, and so it was that he bogeyed his final two holes to lose by one to Gene Sauers in the US Senior Open at a lovely looking Scioto CC, in the Columbus, Ohio suburbs.
Scioto was designed originally by Donald Ross and his Salem CC, in the Boston area, will host next year's Senior Open. Fleisher won the last time it was held there with an even par score and I'd say it's the hardest course for the average mid-handicap amateur I've seen, largely due to incredibly difficult green complexes. Brutal, but I'll go and have another look next June.

8).Three of this year's Senior Majors were won by Europeans (2 x Langer, plus Broadhurst) and Montgomerie and Jimenez runnered up in the other two. Woosnam played well again last week and the top tier of European Seniors is now looking pretty strong: Langer, Jimenez, Broadhurst, Montgomerie, Parnevik, Woosie and hopefully one day Olazabal.
I see Steven Richardson is in this year's Scottish Seniors field (representing Hayling - are the Lee On Solent members happy with that, Turnip?) joining David Gilford, among other ex-Ryder Cuppers.

9).This year's US Amateur is underway this week at another Donald Ross design, Oakland Hills, and GB is represented in Match Play by Messrs Gregory, Horsfield, Syme, Boote and Moore, plus Irishman Jack Hume. Boy Wonder Maverick McNeely failed to make it through a huge play-off for the final placings and last year's runner-up Derek Bard missed out altogether. Sorry to see that and he must be wondering whether to turn pro or return to College.  

10).There's a good, not great, field for Greensboro's Wyndham Championship at yet another Donald Ross course, Sedgefield CC. Rafa C-B, Hatton and Lowry are among the European tourists; haven't seen anything but perhaps Rafa and Hatton are eyeing the PGA Tour for next season?
Davis Love won here last year but he's nursing a surgically repaired hip this week and he'll be left to cast his year over his Ryder Cuppers and RC wannabes - big weeks for past winners Patrick Reed and Snedeker, among others. And maybe for another past winner, Wyndham Simpson's Dad, Webb. He's been playing well recently; what do you think he'd call his next child if he won again?

Fun with Pairings

Jhared Hack
Adam Schenk
Ryan Yip

Paired together in the Web event at 10:40 am tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing what Rickie Fowler can do in 2017. While he's had a bit of a letdown in 2016, he's more than proven his talent and I think he's fully capable of winning a major. Would love to see him knock that off his bucket list next season.

'Morning/Afternoon Faldo,
Agree! Haven't see much of Luke's play this week, but he looked very relaxed finishing Saturday's round, unlike the tortured soul we saw a fortnight ago. When we saw him he also seemed to be experimenting with a left-hand-low putting grip (which wasn't doing him any good); none of that in evidence at G'boro.
Hope he keeps up the good work for another round, then into the Play-Offs.

But I reckon Si Woo Kim is the real thing and will be tough to catch - so many good very young players. (Your namesake was giving Kevin Na a hard time over his pace of play, especially around the greens - good!)

Hi hennie,
Whatever it is that gives you such confidence in Rickie Fowler has been absent these past six months. No doubt an in-form Rickie is good for the game, but he's really struggling these days.


A little surprising they haven't brought the tee-times forward a little today with a good chance of afternoon storms in Sunday's forecast.

Should either Furyk or Na win today, they will be the fly in the ointment for DLIII. Neither can crash the Top 8 with a win, but Furyk can nudge Rickie out of the Top 12 if Rickie finishes worse than solo 20th.

Na can get to 13th. Incidentally, he is not playing DBank because his wife's delivery date is that week.
Sneds and Reed look like they are going to pass JB Holmes this week. Reed only needs a top 50 finish and Sneds needs a top 20 finish.

Reed needs a Top 5 (lol) finish to pass Zach and Sneds needs a Tie 3rd to pass Zach.

I think the Top 5 of the USA RC standings have clinched a spot at Hazeltine.

GPB wrote:Should either Furyk or Na win today, they will be the fly in the ointment for DLIII.  Neither can crash the Top 8 with a win, but Furyk can nudge Rickie out of the Top 12 if Rickie finishes worse than solo 20th.  

Na can get to 13th.  Incidentally, he is not playing DBank because his wife's delivery date is that week.
Sneds and Reed look like they are going to pass JB Holmes this week.  Reed only needs a top 50 finish and Sneds needs a top 20 finish.

Reed needs a Top 5 (lol) finish to pass Zach and Sneds needs a Tie 3rd to pass Zach.

I think the Top 5 of the USA RC standings have clinched a spot at Hazeltine.

I'm going to say that I believe Reed is going to be on the team, along with Zach.

SiWoo Kim was the youngest Tour winner since Jordan Spieth four years ago and it's not stretching a point to suggest the young Mr.Kim may one day follow Spieth's road to win Majors, he's that good.

And a fine result for the rejuvenated Luke Donald, his second runner-up finish of the season and almost assured of playing at least the first three FedEx Play-Off events.
McDowell also scored a Top Ten finish in a belated message to Darren Clarke - I reckon he'll make DC's Team unless a compelling alternative presents himself at the Made In Denmark event, a Kjeldsen win for instance.

Greg Owen secured the crucially important 150th position on the FedEx points list to earn him "conditional status" at least for 2016/17 - and he did it the hard way, getting up and down from 100 yds for a tap-in par on the 72nd hole. All of which kicked Will MacKenzie from conditional status to Past Champion status. Fingers crossed now for Willie Mac to retrieve his Tour card via the web.com Finals.

It's very likely that Snedeker's T3 finish at Greensboro will earn him a place on DLIII's Ryder Cup Team. Patrick Reed also crept into the Top Eight, leapfrogging JB Holmes who has slipped to 9th place.
With a mega first-place prize ($1,530K) for winning The Barclays, and $900K for finishing solo 2nd, there remain up to 14 Americans who could reach the Top Eight with a win, but only five (Holmes, Watson, Kuchar, Fowler and Piercy) with a solo second.

Top Eight today are DJ, Spieth, Phil, Walker, Koepka, Sneds, Zach & Reed and I reckon all those will be on Love's Team.

Last time they played at Bethpage, Snedeker was runner up behind Nick Watney - with McGirt and Bubba T10, Holmes T19, Fowler, T24, and Zach & Kuchar T38.
Furyk, Piercy, Haas & Chappell all missed the cut.

The Barclays is coming up on Thursday, Round 1 of the FedEx "Play-Offs".
122 golfers in the field, the 125 qualifiers less Garcia, Lowry and Willett.

Weather should be fine all week long, just a chance that breezes will influence play, especially on Thursday, but chances of rain look small and it won't be too, too hot. Not much rain in the New York area this month so Bethpage Black should play hard and fast.

The Top 125 Bubble burst for Matt Jones. Jones finished #126 in the FEX and #126 in the Money List

I wonder if he has any animosity towards Danny Willett. Willett accepted PGATour membership, has not played any regular PGATour events that he would ordinarily play. He is not playing the Barclays and if he doesn't play the D-Bank, Willett's PGATour 2015-16 season is over.

Willett would be in the same exact situation if he had not taken his PGATour card with fully exempt status for the 2016-17 season.

Jones should have played better...but if he had played better, there would just be a different #126 player.

GPB,
I think Jones should be aggrieved.
I'd like to see the Top 125 based upon golfers who began the Tour season as Tour Members, with Danny-come-latelys (or Jordan-come-latelys) added to the Barclays (Northern Trust) field.
Sport is always fairest when the goalposts don't move.

And, yes, Jones should have played better.

Yep, essentially all Willett did by accepting PGATour membership was to take a spot in the 125.

If Willett had actually taken advantage of the situation, it would not be as bad IMO.

FWIW, Willett is not playing the Denmark tournament.

Edit. and Willett is not playing D-Bank either, he is entered in the European Masters in Switzerland.

kwinigolfer wrote:GPB,
I think Jones should be aggrieved.
I'd like to see the Top 125 based upon golfers who began the Tour season as Tour Members, with Danny-come-latelys (or Jordan-come-latelys) added to the Barclays (Northern Trust) field.
Sport is always fairest when the goalposts don't move.

And, yes, Jones should have played better.

I'm generally one of those "just play better" kind of guys... but I see your point.

On one hand, I don't have an issue with Willett not playing more or adjusting his schedule mid-year to pick up additional PGAT events THIS year. The PGA Tour wants to get these better world players into the fold and putting up barriers to accepting "winners membership" is not the way to do it IMO. The objective is LONG TERM. Willett has plenty of time to adjust his 2016-17 schedule to accommodate PGAT membership, so next year is an entirely different story. it's 15 or bust (sans injury of course).

And I like the general idea of adding a guy in Willett's situation as an addition to the 125 members in the playoffs. Only question that begs, if you do that, what kind of starting out "non-members" do you apply it to? Should it apply to other guy's without full status as well? Like Vaughn Taylor and Greg Chalmers who were playing out of non-exempt past champion/veteran categories.

Just edited my above post.

Apparently, Willett is not playing D-Bank either. He has entered the European Masters in Switzerland for next week.

robo,
Perhaps I should have better defined "members", as golfers with exemption "status" however tenuous. They've paid their dues . . . . . especially Taylor and Snakey.

The Willett situation is probably one where he didn't even understand the import of what he was doing. Anyway, I don't like it!!

GPB wrote:Yep, essentially all Willett did by accepting PGATour membership was to take a spot in the 125.

If Willett had actually taken advantage of the situation, it would not be as bad IMO.

FWIW, Willett is not playing the Denmark tournament.

Edit. and Willett is not playing D-Bank either, he is entered in the European Masters in Switzerland.

Interesting... if he doesn't participate in the playoffs...  I guess the only reason he accepted membership early was to get the FE Bonus into his retirement account.  If that's the case... then IMO this situation calls for a rule change.  IMO players should be required to participate in the playoffs to earn the bonus (injury, family emergencies, etc... excepted of course)

EDIT: PS... I just sent an inquiry in on this...

On the other side of the Willett coin, and as aluded to by GPB, a handful of Pros earned their 16/17 Tour Membership by finishing Top 125 money; but not FedEx points so they won't be in The Barclays field. They are:
Ken Duke
Steve Marino
Bud Cauley
Retief Goosen
Chad Collins
Morgan Hoffmann.

I'm kinda in favour of the loophole, but thought it was being closed. Perhaps for next year?

Robo says the loophole is closed after this season, mainly because Webbies (w/ low priority) don't get into many of the events.

It looks as if someone else has taken a pass on The Barclays - just 121 declared runners according to pgatour.com, but nothing on the usual sites to suggest who's taking the week off.

Kwini: Lahiri WDed earlier today.

Ah, I just figured out who was missing. Bl00dy foreigners.

GPB... Was able to confirm two things on new members who gain membership via a current-season win like Willett. There is NO downside to the player accepting membership, as there is NO minimum event requirement for them. And yes, Willett will collect whatever FE Bonus he's earned via points regardless if he plays in the Playoffs or not.

The Tour is aware of Willett's entry in next weeks ET event, and I was told "one can assume he's not likely to play" [Deutsche Bank]. I can't see entries before the deadline, but the way that was worded indicates to me he's not got a dual entry into the DB in yet. But he could change his mind by Friday of course.

Only thing I can figure is Willett still has his eyes set on the Race to Dubai for this year. (he's in a very close race barely leading Stenson as of now) He was quite publicly miffed last year at what he thought was special treatment given Rory regarding R2D eligibility, so maybe he's just trying to make a point... I dunno.

robo

I think you are probably right about Willett being quite keen to have another crack at the R2D as Chubby mentioned on the GW podcast I mentioned last week that he though one of the decisions Pelley got wrong was allowing Rory to play less than the minimum number of events.

Anybody think Furyk's not gonna be a Ryder Cup captains pick? IMO here's why he will be (w/current RC ranks)...

US Ryder Cup pts since US Open

#15 Furyk - 2,201
#9 Holmes - 1,223
#11 Kooch - 811
#12 Fowler - 373
#10 Bubba - 346

McLaren wrote:robo

I think you are probably right about Willett being quite keen to have another crack at the R2D as Chubby mentioned on the GW podcast I mentioned last week that he though one of the decisions Pelley got wrong was allowing Rory to play less than the minimum number of events.

I was actually quite surprised at the controversy over the decision. IMO it was clearly a case of Rory would have easily met the minimum event threshold without the injury, so the waiver was justified. On the PGAT a player almost certainly would have been given the same kind of waiver, regardless if that player were a "big name" or not.  In fact Rory was give a waiver from his 15 PGAT minimum last year too.   Event minimums are not a factor for PGAT "Home Tour" players, as contrary to popular belief there is NO minimum event requirement for full time, non-dual touring PGAT members.

Agree about Rory.
Disagree about Furyk - but whatever he does DLIII has a very tough personal decision coming up. (And I think Rickie, Kooch and Bubba will receive "credit" for playing in Rio, whether that ultimately does them any good or not.)

robopz wrote:Anybody think Furyk's not gonna be a Ryder Cup captains pick?  IMO here's why he will be (w/current RC ranks)...

US Ryder Cup pts since US Open

#15 Furyk - 2,201
#9 Holmes  - 1,223
#11 Kooch - 811
#12 Fowler - 373
#10 Bubba - 346

If Furyk is a pick, which one of the players is NOT a pick? I would say Holmes but he has the 2nd most points in this time period so if it is important to DLIII for Furyk, then it has to be important for Holmes.

FWIW, I'd rather see some new blood like Kevin Na than Furyk. Kevin Na has 798 pts since US Open (and 1,456 pts earned in the Fall Season that don't count)

kwinigolfer wrote:...but whatever he does DLIII has a very tough personal decision coming up. (And I think Rickie, Kooch and Bubba will receive "credit" for playing in Rio, whether that ultimately does them any good or not.)

I agree. IMO it'll be at least mostly about "form" for DL3, so it doesn't matter where players display that form. If Kuch was in doubt (which I don't think he is), I thought his inspired play in the Olympics helped him out a bunch... and both Rickie & Bubba showed signs of life, inconsistent though they might have been.

It wouldn't make sense to pick Furyk based on his record, but that doesn't seem to matter to America.
They are already doing their best to throw this away. They are the golf equivalent of the England football team, and Davis Love is Woy Hodgson.

GPB... I don't have a clue what I'd do with picks beyond probably Kuchar (or Sneds, Reed or Zach should they get bumped from top-8. Furyk's RC record sucks... but nobody's really jumping out to me as somebody I'd have to pick. At least he has one make up pick after the TC, so that helps a bunch IMO. He doesn't have to say outright NO to anybody just yet.

Robo

As I remember it Rory had the chance to add some events to his schedule after he returned for the PGA but didn't bother. I think he skipped a least one of the R2D finals events.

McLaren wrote:Robo

As I remember it Rory had the chance to add some events to his schedule after he returned for the PGA but didn't bother.  I think he skipped a least one of the R2D finals events.

Yeah he did have the opportunity to add more... but coming off the ankle thing I don't have a problem with him not playing any more than he did. He played 3 of the 4 PGAT playoff events, had the obligation to play the make-up event at the Fry's... then played 3 of 4 of the R2D finals. IMO playing 7 of 12 weeks from the start of the FE playoffs to the end of the R2D playoffs was more than reasonable.... actually I thought he was pushing it.

Who I think will get picked, based on current standings:
Furyk
Fowler
Bubba
Kooch

Both Furyk and Fowler are on the US RC 'Task Force' so I'd be surprised if they didn't get a pick?
I also think Kooch and Bubba will get picked, even if logic says Holmes  (positive record) should be preferred over Bubba (terrible record).

Who I would pick:
Holmes
Fowler
Haas
Na

Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker will be representing USA in this years World Cup.

Nov 24-27 (USA Thanksgiving Weekend) at Kingston Heath in Australia.

Credit to Rickie,
He certainly walks the walk as far as supporting his country, good for him. Now, will that persuade Walker to lobby for Rickie as an RC selection?

Here is a tentative field, apparently Bubba was the US Rep and he changed his mind and the field has not updated.

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/world-cup-of-golf/field.html

kwinigolfer wrote:Credit to Rickie,
He certainly walks the walk as far as supporting his country, good for him. Now, will that persuade Walker to lobby for Rickie as an RC selection?

why would somebody on the RC task force not be picked?

It's symptomatic of the PGA's disarray following Uncle Tom's unwitting role in the spreadeagled-at-Gleneagles fiasco that Rickie is chosen to the Task Force, no wins in two matches. Better than some I suppose, but not much.

Think Rickie was picked for the task force as he was seen as the future of US golf... he might still be, but the PGA'd lose face (what's left of it) big time if he wasn't picked.

Here's what another Young American's been up to:

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/patrick-reed-breaks-gavel-nyse/?cid=Email_WednesdayNL_20160824

You couldn't make it up!

How did Duncan Stewart get chosen for Scotland. And what kind of first name is Duncan?

Knox choose a friend apparently which is a tad disrespectful to others imo!

sirbenson wrote:Knox choose a friend apparently which is a tad disrespectful to others imo!

Knox had the choice of any Scot inside the OWGR 500

which were Laird, Ramsay, Warren, Gallacher, Stewart, Drysdale, Henry, Lawrie, and Lee

World Cup Eligibility wrote:The top ranked player may pick any player from the same country within the top 500 on the OWGR, or if there are less than five players to choose from within the top 500, may extend the range of possible choices to be at least 5 players (and any ties) even if ranked outside 500.

GPB wrote:How did Duncan Stewart get chosen for Scotland.  And what kind of first name is Duncan?

This is a wind up, right?

Just about the most Scottish name you could have without a Mc in it!

SmithersJones wrote:Just about the most Scottish name you could have without a Mc in it!

I guess cultural things count in Scotland but not in America. Whatever!

Isn't the most famous Duncan from Byker? As in PJ and.

Duncan was also the King in Shakespeare's Macbeth. So it's been around a while. Not quite the same as naming someone after a motel chain

McLaren wrote:Isn't the most famous Duncan from Byker? As in PJ and.

Not in America. There it's Duncan Donuts...