PGA Tour: FedEx St.Jude Classic, Memphis: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1). Wonderful performance last week by Steve Stricker to win the Memorial. Curiously, he played the front nine in 20 under, the back nine in plus 3. For the weekend, at least, we saw the definition of playing the back nine with both hands on the steering wheel, holding on tight.

2). I like almost everything that I know about Steve Stricker; he was one of the original players on the Nationwide Tour in 1990, enjoyed increasing success from a relatively humble start on Tour, Two early Tour wins including the prestigious Western Open, a WGC title, then a deep slump for three or four years. Much hard work beating balls from a trailer onto a frozen field in the Wisconsin tundra, a sponsor's invite gratefully accepted for the Shell Houston Open, a top finish there, seven more wins, and Comeback Player twice.

But even Steve is not immune from the occasional really dumb comment: "The Europeans are playing some great golf, and they're dominating the top spots, obviously, but we know who the top guys are. They're just not on their games right now, I guess." Bad guess, Steve. The top guys are on their games and you're one of them. But so are Donald and Westwood. Woods? He's injured. Get over it.

3). In fact, the Memorial gained stature (and owgr points) by the mere presence of the likes of Donald, McIlroy, Choi and Schwartzel in the field. The boot is on the other foot now and one hopes that US PGA Tour pros don't forget it.
Steve seldom does "abroad", his last three efforts where he used his passport yielded, respectively, 52nd, 58th, 45th, though great credit to him for a fine Ryder Cup.

4). Before leaving Memorial, some curious stats:
Rickie Fowler led the tournament in under-par holes with 26 birdies and an eagle, offset of course by 19 bogeys or worse, good for 22nd position. A classic example of great golf course architecture where a course can be had, so long as you don't get yourself out of position and try to hit the perfect recovery shot. Know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em.

5). And: Fine effort by Luke Donald (7th), and he led the tournament in driving accuracy. Would think that's a first.
But, in rounds 1, 2 and 3 he didn't make a single up-and-down from sand, plum last in that category until he woke up and made 'em all on Sunday!

6). Out of interest, perhaps it's worth recording the top ten links courses in GB&I as ranked by Golf Digest: Royal County Down, St.Andrews (Old), Muirfield, Royal Dornoch, Royal Portrush, Turnberry (Ailsa), Ballybunion (Old), Royal Porthcawl, Carnoustie, Royal Birkdale. One magazine's opoinion, obviously.
Royal St.George's is rated 11th, while 606(v2?) faves include Castle Sturat (13th), North Berwick (14th), Silloth (31st), Saunton (33rd - East, and 35th - West) and Gullane (48th).

7). On to hot and sweaty Memphis, where competitors are advised not to wear light brown or khaki coloured trousers. Garrigus, Karlsson and Westwood play together in Rounds 1 and 2 and, while the heat and humidity of Memphis may be good for acclimation to Congressional conditions, it surely won't be for San Francisco in 2012 and one hopes that Lee Westwood will choose his pre-US Open warm-up a little more judiciously next year. (Rory due to play practice rounds at Comngressional this week in 100F degree temps. Should be slightly milder next week.)

8). Sublime and ridiculous describes the venues this spring for the PGA Tour: Classic Colonial followed by TPC Las Colinas. Magnificent Muirfield Village followed by TPC Southwind, and a lack-lustre Memphis field is the result. But it IS event 3 in the R&A's mini-moneylist for Open Championship qualification and the list (non-exempt players only) is currently headed by Goydos (now injured), followed by Jobe, Holmes and Dufner.

9). And this week sees last gasp qualifying for Congressional, any owgr top fifty players as at close of play Sunday not already exempt will join the field. Gary Woodland will be one of them and others hoping for a high finish this week include Steve Marino, the highest ranked player (59th) of those players competing. Vijay's run of consecutive Majors grinds to a halt at 67, but Sergio's will extend to 47. Mike Weir is next but he too has failed to qualify.

10). In a bizarre piece of scheduling, both the Nationwide and Champions Tour events this week are in North Carolina. The usual GB suspects will be playing the Nationwide, Gary Christian and Greg Owen trying to build on top ten finishes last week.
And, a couple of hundred miles west, John Huston will be playing his second Champers Tour event - not notable for much, except Huston's prowess on Bermuda greens and the speed of his play, annually the fastest player on Tour.

A little googling suggests the alternates are coming from the sectional qualifiers, and are Brad Adamonis and Zack Byrd. Big names there...

Ned,
I read the golfchannel.com explanation and that was clear as mud. Except that it obviously places the European qualifier close to the back end of its process. Agree that Byrd was going to be first in, but the process is too arcane to be properly transparent.

And they complain about the world rankings . . . .

Weather forecast for Congressional:
After a wet spring and some recent oppressively hot weather, our heroes will catch a break this week, weather-wise at least.
Sunny and seasonably cool (high 70's, low 80's) for this week's practice rounds, progressively warming up as the tournament reaches Sunday's climax:
Thursday: High 78F, 30% chance of thundershowers.
Friday: High 81F, 40% chance t'showers.
Saturday: High 85F, Mostly sunny, 20% chance rain.
Sunday: High 88F, 30% chance t'showers.

Would think that a course playing relatively firm (less than an inch of rain mtd) but a healthy crop of rough would be the worst combination for all but the strongest (long and straight) drivers.

Further to Kwini's assertion that Karlsson will go forever unsung: there's an otherwise fairly interesting story on pgatour.com, where the author picks the top 5 or top 3 players yet to win a major, region by region - the regions being the US, the UK, Rest of Europe, Aus, South Africa, Korea, Japan, and ROW. All going quite well, and quite predictably, until will get to Europe: they go Garcia, Quiros, Jimenez, Manassero... Stenson. First four are fair enough, but Stenson, who can't make a cut to save his life this year, over the guy who should've won yesterday, won the Dubai WC last year, and the R2D three years ago? Ah, but he's won twice in the US....

NedB-H wrote:Further to Kwini's assertion that Karlsson will go forever unsung: there's an otherwise fairly interesting story on pgatour.com, where the author picks the top 5 or top 3 players yet to win a major, region by region - the regions being the US, the UK, Rest of Europe, Aus, South Africa, Korea, Japan, and ROW. All going quite well, and quite predictably, until will get to Europe: they go Garcia, Quiros, Jimenez, Manassero... Stenson. First four are fair enough, but Stenson, who can't make a cut to save his life this year, over the guy who should've won yesterday, won the Dubai WC last year, and the R2D three years ago? Ah, but he's won twice in the US....

You would rate Quiros over Stenson in that list? I wouldn't. Quiros is progressing well, but not overdue a major same as Manassero. You are right enough that Karlsson should have been in it, but Stenson has won a Players and a WGC, not to mention quite a few ET wins and very much fits the under-delivering category imo.

I think Quiros is actually a smart pick from them, the sort of big-potential guy they'd normally overlook. Featured on the leaderboards at the Masters and the Players this year, and he seems to be progressing very steadily, from winning obscure tour events to winning big ones like Dubai, to contending in world events.

Typical pgatour.com.
They also trumpet Thomas Aiken and Appleby, who they probably haven't realised are not in the field, not to mention hyped-up guys like Matteo, Ryo, Poulter etc, over guys with more substantial resumes.

And their Quick 18 remarks that we don't know Michael Woodhead. Not surprising as there's no-one of that name remotely close to qualifying. Unlike Michael Whitehead, who is similarly little known.

They're almost BBC-ish in their careless interpretation of "facts".

I like Karlsson and, of first-timers, also quite like Noren, who of course they wouldn't write about.

NedB-H wrote:I think Quiros is actually a smart pick from them, the sort of big-potential guy they'd normally overlook. Featured on the leaderboards at the Masters and the Players this year, and he seems to be progressing very steadily, from winning obscure tour events to winning big ones like Dubai, to contending in world events.

Stenson has had 5 top 10's in majors over the last 3 years, Quiros is still finding his feet at elite level and hasn't managed one top 10 yet. If it was a list based on potential, he should be in it, but his and Matteos records don't stand up to the others, not yet anyway.