PGA Tour: Very Poor Year For GB&I PGA Tour Golfers: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).After the trophies and cash had been handed out at East Lake last Sunday, one stark fact illustrated a year of frustration (or worse, possibly much worse) for British & Irish PGA Tour members.
For the first year since 2004, no British or Irish golfer has won a PGA Tour event, multiple wins since 2008.
That could change with the half dozen or so "Fall" tournaments but you'd probably bet against it.
Some would argue, "What do you expect when Rory doesn't win?", but the truth is, take Rory out of the equation and there's still been at least one GB&I winner every year. Until 2017.
How has this happened??!!
Let's see: Grades rated A, B, C, D, E, F (and my A'Level results remind me what that means):

2).McIlroy: Never seemed fit or focused: 6 x Top Ten finishes in 14 events disguises the fact that he never seemed in contention, let alone a likely winner. Grade C.

3).Rose: So close to a Green Jacket, then went in a funk for four months with no Top 50's before coming to life in the Play-Offs. Hasn't won for almost 2 1/2 years except for Rio gold. Grade B.

4).Casey: A huge shame that he didn't play his best on Sunday; had a terrific year, didn't miss a cut after January and contended on a regular basis (except the Majors). 1st on Tour in first round scoring, 80th in Round 4. Superb irons but 184th in sand saves. Grade: B++ (Can't give a A to a non-winner, surely?)

5).Knox: Largely disappeared after a career season (2 wins in 15/16). Started in fine form and steadily deteriorated except an aberrational T5 at Firestone. Shut out at the Majors, four missed cuts. Even worse than Casey from the sand. Grade C.

6).Poulter: I thought Poults had a fabulous year, buckling down, playing a sensible schedule even before his membership reprieve. Only time will tell if he's truly back as a Top 50 golfer. Grade B+.

7).Laird: Probably Laird's most consistent year on Tour with 5 x Top Tens. Maybe considered a journeyman by some, but a pretty bl00dy good journeyman; always worth keeping an eye on during the early part of the season. Grade B-.

8).Donald, Lowry, McDowell, Owen and Power:
Luke: Terrible year. 2nd at Harbour Town was his only Top 15, short and crooked off the tee and lousy iron play only rescued by the usual short game brilliance. Grade E.
Shane: Too good to sleep-walk his way through the year. Says he's rededicating himself to the PGA Tour - he needs to. Wake up Shane or there'll be no roses left to smell. Grade E-.  
McDool: 9 X Top 30's, but no cuts made since early June. Hits it straight, super putter, everything in between below Tour level. Needs to figure out if he wants to play Tour golf or be a restaurateur. Grade F.
Greg Owen: Two runner-up finishes, yet lost his card. Strange but true. Excellent ball-striker, horrendous putter and probably destined to return to the web.com. Grade E.
Seamus: Narrowly missed retaining his card, very close to having retrieved it in the WTF Finals. Only aberrational final rounds when in contention at Sanderson Farms and Mayakoba kept him from reaching the Play-Offs comfortably. Otherwise, consistent and good stat's except driving (in)accuracy. Grade D+.

9).Harrington, Johnston, Willett:
St.Padraig: On the injured list for most of the season; assume he'll take some sort of "extension" for the new season. Grade: Incomplete.
Johnston: Where's the Beef? Not on Tour next year, that's for sure. Waste of time, no sign of effort. Grade F.
Willett: Still celebrating? Never fit? Who knows, haven't got time to figure it out. Assume he'll be in Sheffield for most of next season. Grade F.

10).Sad to say, I reckon the brilliant futures of most of this lot are slipping inexorably behind them.
Confident that Rory will roar back, and Rose won't go away. Imagine Casey might have a come-from-behind win in him and hopefully Poulter can win again. Would categorise Knox and Laird as solid pros who may win occasionally and perhaps Lowry & Willett will show their great wins were no fluke.
Power could be the surprise package moving forward, and we still have to learn which Europeans will take Tour Membership.
But perhaps the promise of the Casey/Donald/Howell/McDowell/Poulter/Rose generation spoiled us?

Double dipping anyone?

On a more serious note, I pretty much agree with your summary of the GB&I PGAT year.

The only niggle would be that I don't share your confidence that Rory will roar back. DJ, JT, Spieth, Rahm even Hedeki will be hard to pass in both OWGR terms and in the big events. Rory might have stiffer competition than ever for top dog status and he has so far slightly crumbled under the pressure.

How does he manage to just go missing every other season or so?

Also not sure about McIlroy. Clearly has the talent and game, but not convinced about his focus. If he quit now, he'd have a good record with his Majors etc, but if his career fritters out in the bigger events, I think history will always say he under-achieved.

I think you have been fair Kwini and I also do believe that Rory can come back but with the talent around now it will be much tougher than before.

His downturns have tended to come during or after huge life events; celebraty engagement and break-up, massive court case, serious injury, marriage - admittedly a lot of it his doing but he clearly has a lot of talent and my hope is that once the honeymoon period is over he settles into his marriage and concentrates on his game.

My bigger concern is Scotland's lack of talent both current and future

I think Rory will be back also, though would say his likely Major prospects may be fewer and further between than a couple of years ago. Rather feel as if he's raised the bar a little but, let's face it, another three Majors would put him ahead of Nelson and Seve, Faldo and Trevino, and join Palmer, Snead etc.
Can't do it as a part-timer as he has been since January though.


One trouble with rating Scottish golfers is that no-one seems to consider Knox & Laird as Scots!
Connor Syme in with a fine result in Portugal, hopefully a sign of things to come.

Presidents Cup action Thursday, 5 x Foursomes matches.

Fowler/Thomas vs Matsuyama/Schwartzel
DJ/Kuchar vs Vegas/Scott
Spieth/Reed vs Grillo/Kim (if he doesn't withdraw)
Berger/Koepka vs Grace/Oosthuizen
Kisner/Mickelson vs Day/Leishman

Can't imagine anything better for Nick Price than a 3-2 deficit going into Friday's FourBall.

I take all we can get Kwini so I very much regard Knox and Laird as Scottish plus I spent six months in Massachusetts in the mid 90s so appreciate you have to soften your accent to be understood.

However in terms of golfer I am looking for a Ryder Cup regular / major challenger and neither Knox or Laird look like fitting the bill.

We are still second overall on major winners by country but our list of champions is very 19th century heavy

Monty is doing ok on the champo tour...

If Tiger can't even ride a cart I doubt he will be taking the knee. He wouldn't be able to get up again. Maybe most people had already concluded this but his time as PGATOUR player might be up.

wiretapper wrote:I take all we can get Kwini so I very much regard Knox and Laird as Scottish plus I spent six months in Massachusetts in the mid 90s so appreciate you have to soften your accent to be understood.

However in terms of golfer I am looking for a Ryder Cup regular / major challenger and neither Knox or Laird look like fitting the bill.

We are still second overall on major winners by country but our list of champions is very 19th century heavy

wire,
I think my takeaway from this "report" card is that there's no-one age 30 or above that you'd confidently say their best days are ahead of them, whichever part of the British Isles they come from.

Is the next generation fit to fill the void? I'd say, not based upon what we've seen so far Rory of course excepted.

PS: Didn't think I'd ever feel that way!

I reckon Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick have the potential to be top 10 players.

And in the meantime Rose should still have a few major challenges in him.

But yeah, no British Jon Rahm types on the horizon

The webbies Tour Championship is taking place in the Jacksonville area this week, the fourth and final web.com Finals event. Remember, 25 golfers have already qualified for PGA Tour membership next season, 25 more will join them on the basis of their accumulated earnings in these four tournaments.

Mixed fortunes so far from Europeans. Here's their outlook:
Already qualified via "regular" season: Germany's Stephan Jaeger (plus former Tour winners Chesson Hadley and Ted The Wizard Potter).


Certain to qualify based upon results in first three events:
Alex Cejka, (plus "notables": Troy Merritt, Uihlein)

And what these guys need:
Southgate: Probably just needs to make the cut, could be safe already.
Seamus Power: Likely just needs to make this week's cut.
Sepp Straka: Needs a Top 6.
Whilst Gonzo, Greg Owen, Norlander, Jimmy Gunn and David Skinns all probably need a Top 5.
Brian Davis also playing but he has a medical extension due also.


Some other notables:
Ben Crane probably just needs a made cut, but others have a job on their hands:
Cabrera, Matt Jones, Tringale, Hunter Mahan, Summerhays, Curtis Luck, Sam Saunders, Romero, Wagner, Appleby, MacKenzie, etc. Plus Ishikawa, Byrd, David Hearn.

Sam Saunders in with a 59 on the web.com, including 9 consecutive birdies. Ok day at work.

3.5-1.5 today.  about what I expected.

Hideki needs to regain his form.

Fantastic round from Sam Saunders today but he didn't have 9 straight birdies, he started his round on the back nine.

Internationals need their Top Seven players to play well to have any chance.
Matsuyama is "tired" according to his manager in explanation of his poor play in the Play-Offs, and Jason Day has been inconsistent all year.
Add in Adam Scott who has been lacking lustre all year, and the Internationals don't appear to have an earthly. Can't see Day 2 being much better.
Reminds one of Europe at Hazeltine.

But should be an interesting day at the web.com Championship on Friday. Saunders needs to keep his foot down; hopefully Seamus Power will match his first round 67.

Fowler / Thomas and Spieth / Reed blew their opponents away but the other three matches were all close and it could have been 3-2 to the Internationals.

But it isn't as close matches tend to even themselves out like yesterday so as long as the US have a couple of pairings in devastating form they will continue to pull away.

From a neutral perspective I just hope it isn't over by tomorrow evening.

Crucial day in the young careers of Matthew Southgate and Seamus Power. Their cards could already be secure, but making today's cut should confirm it.

Sam Saunders doing Arnie proud yesterday, at last. Will he follow up a great round with a good one (as is often difficult to do) or a clunker?

Just as well this isn't a Ryder Cup year. On current form, and taking into account Kwini's report card, US would batter Europe if the match was on now.

ray,
A bit misleading really as I only rated GB&I with PGA Tour cards.
And omitted the Continentals altogether.
So Fleetwood, Fitz and Hatton excluded, plus Rahm, Garcia, Franny & Noren, probably some others I've missed.
But, yes, it would be a struggle.


Well done Seamus Power, birdied the last after a ho-hum round - he makes the cut and hopefully enough to be assured of his card.

Pieters, Fleetwood, Hatton, and Noren have the option of taking 2017-18 PGATour Cards from their STM status.

Haven't seen anything that they have or have not exercised that option.

raycastleunited wrote:Just as well this isn't a Ryder Cup year. On current form, and taking into account Kwini's report card, US would batter Europe if the match was on now.

Not this old cliché again. How many times have we heard that America were going to batter Europe? It's hardly ever worked out that way.

On another note, can RC favourite Ian Poulter play himself back into the Top 50 before the Master's cutoff?

Among the certain casualties who lose their full Tour card today are Hunter Mahan and Daniel Summerhays (how he'd like to have back just one of the strokes he squandered on the back nine at The Memorial this year).

Curtis Luck's luck runs out, plus Zac Blair, Romero, Appleby and MacKenzie also lose their card.

Romero didn't really have a card and Blair & Summerhays still have conditional status.

Mahan still has a Top 50 money list exemption in his back pocket, which he will have for another 2-3 years. He is 8 Million + ahead of 50th place right now. He will probably go the Sponsor's invites and past Champions status. IMO, his name still has some cachet.

Whats baffling to me is that Ben Crane (I know not your favorite) didn't play this week. #18 going into this week, he is currently projected at #26.

Agreed, and Romero, Apples & Willie Mac have Past Champion status. We're still to see whether Hunner takes his career earnings exemption.
But they're all teetering and the older they are, the less likely they are to return.
I think Crane & possibly Southgate will be OK, but what was Crane thinking.
And: Then there's Scott Hend; frequent flying for three weeks, then seemingly gives up. Missed the Geordie cut this week.

And there goes the pres Cup again. You have to wonder whether all the internationals are up for it, and if not is it worth the trouble. Oosthuizen and Grace clearly up for the fight, Charl Hideki and Anirban not so sure.

I've watched brief moments of the Presidents Cup and I have to say it's been the dullest golf I've seen in a long time. No atmosphere, no enthusiasm from crowd or players, it really makes you wonder why they're bothering. The internationals especially look like they aren't interested.

Watched a bit of it last night. The most exciting was the view of the NY skyline.

It's all a bit like the Ryder Cup must have been before Jacklin came to rescue it. With an assist from Seve of course.

Matthew Southgate should be kicking himself for missing the WTF cut - still a chance he'll qualify but all dependent upon four golfers falling back; and no-one roaring past him. A nervous weekend for him.

SmithersJones wrote:I've watched brief moments of the Presidents Cup and I have to say it's been the dullest golf I've seen in a long time. No atmosphere, no enthusiasm from crowd or players, it really makes you wonder why they're bothering. The internationals especially look like they aren't interested.

And yet the Americans once tried to say it is more important than the Ryder Cup. Try telling that to the fans!

PS I've not even bothered watching any of it

LP,
Nicklaus was pushing that "bigger than the Ryder Cup" garbage again this week.

Price getting criticism for matching his best team, Grace & Louis, against Fowler & Thomas, but I'm sure he feels his best team would beat anyone on their day - and they're getting another crack at it this morning.
Schwartzel must feel he's destined to have to partner every rabbit in the team. Hadwin and Vegas have played quite well . . . . . . . . but if Day & Scott don't turned, Hideki's in a funk, and Si Woo Kim seems awol, it could be over this evening.

Fooch playing mind games?

https://twitter.com/Fooch1993/status/913881988280586240

I think Fooch is spot on!

It might be different in a year's time, but Europe's best had better find some form by then.

As it is, this shambles is a bit like Cheney & Rumsfeld thought the Iraq war would be like.

I think the International team needs a task force..

Robo just got word that Pieters, Fisher, Noren, Fleetwood and Hatton have all accepted their PGATour Card for the 2017-18 season.

That's not a fair trade.
PGA Tour gets that lot, Europe gets Kjeldsen & Johnston in return. Recycle.

Not good in a Ryder Cup year.

4 of those make sense, high in the world rankings and looking to juggle both tours. Fisher doesn't... this is where it all went wrong last time

GPB wrote:Fooch playing mind games?

https://twitter.com/Fooch1993/status/913881988280586240

Other than his glaring spelling error, it's obviously a wind up or he just doesn't know his onions.

The media come out with this sort of guff all the time, and usually go back to their Pastors minus the Ryder Cup, even more so when they're playing away.



Ryder Cup is a year off, so even if it was a form issue, what difference does form make now?

Robo has said that Fisher wants to finish his career out on the PGATour. He expects him to play a relatively full schedule on this side of the pond.

I have not seen those comments.

Fish had better play (and schedule himself) better than last time or he'll be on the web.com in a hurry.

This New Jersey demolition could result in Sunday being arithmetically unnecessary.

One day the Internationals may well end up putting Woy Hodgson in charge..

kwinigolfer wrote:That's not a fair trade.
PGA Tour gets that lot, Europe gets Kjeldsen & Johnston in return. Recycle.

Not good in a Ryder Cup year.

Kaymer has also re-taken his PGATour membership.

If Spieth keeps picking balls up Europe will be alright.

kwinigolfer wrote:Fish had better play (and schedule himself) better than last time or he'll be on the web.com in a hurry.

IMO if Ross is serious about sticking on the PGAT he's gonna need to play as much as he can in America and probably play only the minimum on the ET. Dual touring is hard, and getting harder every year. Except for the very, very best, there's just too much talent on the PGAT these days to spot all the full time guys 5-15 events and expect to hang on.

McLaren wrote:If Spieth keeps picking balls up Europe will be alright.

if Spieth changed his name to Rahm, he probably wouldn't have any more rules issues with McFee though... :-)

Spud munchers to the fore at Close House.

GPB wrote:Robo just got word that Pieters, Fisher, Noren, Fleetwood and Hatton have all accepted their PGATour Card for the 2017-18 season.

Hatton showing his usual petulance; that won't go down well in the US, Montgomerie-esque. Can imagine that, if he doesn't get off to a flying start, he'll struggle.

Wrong thread perhaps, but Rory showing why no-one should ever write him off.


As to robo's point, the HSBC Champions looms extremely large in these guys' calendars - failure to secure a good result there will stymie their outlooks for the first three months of the season, when they might be tempted by the European Tour events. Not sure yet who gets into the Korean action, or CIMB for that matter, but none of the double-dippers are committed for next week in Napa.

Hoping for a double celebration today, with Seamus Power in strong position to retrieve his PGA Tour card.
Strange thing; with the rain delay, two members of his threesome have w/d'd so Power playing as a singleton. You don't see that every day.

Great stuff there from Dunners Kwini, but great to see the British Masters back. I like the different "hosts" format, it really works.

It would be nice to see Seamus secure his card later Kwin heres hoping

Dauphinoise all round Greystones GC tonight Super, and maybe the odd

web.com Tour Championship Round 4 postponed until Monday because of heavy rain. Not much time for the boys to earn their card, find out if they're ranked high enough to earn a place in the coming week's event, and fly cross-country to Napa for the Safeway tournament.
Ah, the joys of being a webbie; not surprising so many who have already qualified withdrew and got an early start.


And web.com Tour Q-School first round got under way last week; more to come the next fortnight, but one interesting entrant is one-time Tour member David Lutterus (unfortunate name, French I suppose); isn't he Jason Day's caddie for 2018? Ty Tryon trying again, also. Must be close to the Senior Tour by now.