PGA Tour: Las Vegas: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).The Tour returns from its "Asian Swing" this week and descends on Las Vegas, recently in the news for all the wrong reasons. Not the greatest field we've ever seen, but some good names nevertheless, led by Charley Hoffman, Kevin Chappell and course specialist Webb Simpson.

2).Tumbled out of bed last Sunday morning to see how many strokes Dustin Johnson won by in China, only to find the WGC Champion was some guy from 'ook.
Well done Justin Rose, but this is not the DJ we knew before his tumble down an Augusta staircase. Anyway, good news for Thomas Bjorn to see Rosey and his buddy "H" get Ryder Cup points under their respective belts. Guys, your Tour needs you both!

3).Plus Paul Casey of course, and good news that he's condescended to resume ET membership. For whatever reason, and surely not just because he's focussed on just one Tour, Casey's making more money than ever, but it would be nice to see him pick up a "W" or two. Regardless, Europe's squad gained depth and experience at a stroke.

4).There's another return this week, Bubba Watson is returning early from his "at least four and a half months off" to tee it up in Las Vegas. And he's doing it with new balls, having "settled" his contract to play Volvik which leaves him without a ball contract, for this week at least. Reports state he'll be going back to his Titleist roots, for this week at least. Like him or loathe him, golf is better for having Bubba around to stir the Tour's drink.

5).And Tiger Woods will be making his traditional reappearance in the Bahamas in four weeks - where, not incidentally, he led the field in birdies last year. Let's hope he prioritises common sense over wallet when he designs his schedule going forward. No guarantees on that.

6).It sounds like a broken record but Seamus Power missed a great opportunity to improve his position as a web.com "graduate" at last week's "opposite field" event, the Sanderson Farms, slipping to a final round 75 after spending most of Friday and Saturday comfortably inside the Top Ten. Still, he's in the Las Vegas field and he's improved his position from 50th to about 20th. More this week please Seamus.

7).It sounds ludicrously arcane to harp on about this, but these autumn tournaments are absolutely crucial to fringe players like Power. He'll likely struggle to reach the Mayakoba field but will surely play the year's final tournament, the RSM Classic on Georgia's Golden Isles.
So, that's the schedule:
Las Vegas this week, Mayakoba next, and finishing the year before Thanksgiving at the RSM (McGladrey).

8).Congrats then to Ryan Armour for moving from journeyman to trivia question by short-hitting (message to Luke Donald: short-hitting only works when you hit the fairway) his way to a dominant maiden victory at the ripe old age of 41 (or just two months younger than Eldrick).

But the real trivia question from last week is:
***Who was the only FedEx Cup Play Off qualifier last season who failed to notch a single Top Ten finish?***

9).Round 2 of the Champions Tour "Play Offs" ended just as Round 1 had done, with Bernhard Langer rolling in a winning putt on the final hole - in this case the second play-off hole against Miguel Angel. Langer's in his 60's now and beating pros ten years his junior on a regular basis. Slippers and pipe for the Seniors this week before the Top 36 Schwab points leaders (or 34 or 35 depending upon Daly & Couples) play in Phoenix next week.

10).It seems counter-intuitive but Scots Knox and Laird have historically played well in Las Vegas. In 12 combined trips they've collectively missed just one cut while registering a win and play-off loss (both Laird) and a 3rd (Knox). Expect both to go well this week, perhaps Jonas Blixt also, but I like Webb Simpson's chances - he has a strong recent record here with two 4th place finishes plus a win. Finally seems to be a peace with his putter after struggling when anchors went aweigh.

Duly consumed as it is every week, excellent as usual thanks.

All worthy of comment were it not for my lack of PGA Tour knowledge, but my child-like mind thoroughly enjoyed "anchors aweigh" nonetheless.

What's the origin of the Seamus Power(down) focus. Sorry if I missed the origin (and I'm not suggesting it's odd or should go) but I just don't get where it comes from. Have you followed him throughout his career or is it perhaps an interesting aside about someone from this side of the pond that isn't upper echelon (yet?!?) and his topsy turvy weeks?

Cheers Roller,

Two reasons really for the Power focus:
~I prefer the stories that seldom make headlines. Try to leave Tiger & Rory to others (and originally Iain Carter).
~And I personally try to maintain some focus on Europeans (much more GB&I these days) who are playing in North America, Laird, Knox, Power and the like. Especially as they seem to receive negligible attention in their respective national press. But also because their stories are analogous to young players starting to make their way in pro US golf.

PS: In almost every such case, Ned B-H is miles ahead of me, but fair to say we picked up on those three when ( or before) each was starting out on the web.com.

Cheers - just curious, nice to know.

strangely, the answer to your trivia question had a top 10 last week.

GMAC was the next highest finisher in the FEX w/o a Top 10.

In both 2014-15 and 2015-16, there were three players in the Top 125 who failed to notch a top 10.

The change would have been predictable by the change in the FEX pt allocation. Top 10's are more valuable after the change.

GPB wrote:strangely, the answer to your trivia question had a top 10 last week.

GMAC was the next highest finisher in the FEX w/o a Top 10.

In both 2014-15 and 2015-16, there were three players in the Top 125 who failed to notch a top 10.

The change would have been predictable by the change in the FEX pt allocation.  Top 10's are more valuable after the change.

First top ten, just (T10) from Vaughn Taylor since his win at Pebble Beach nearly 2 years ago.


Glad you mentioned McDool, happy to see him and Lukey playing this week - they both need a fast start.

It's going to be a windy week in Vegas; should be dry and mild but the breezes will be up.

Another British pro who flunked Stage 2 of web.com qualies is Kelvin Day, described as being from Leicester City in his Tour bio. Just like Pearson, Rainieri, Shakespeare, Gillies and the rest of 'em, he's been sacked. Or sacked himself.

Just a thought on Rory's caddie situation, some were suggesting he might opt for Lacava but that looks unlikely now that Tiger is competing again.

Great notes Kwin. And for something that might catch on in Vegas, but not likely to be seen at Merion or Pine Valley ...

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/greg-normans-new-business-venture-aims-to-make-the-golf-course-experience-bigger-and-better

If Phish tracks were mandatory it would go down well in Burlington, especially if we had any golfcourses.
Don't get Phish meself, tho' like Mike Gordon's solo and collaborative stuff, but they certainly have a yuuuge following.

Also don't get Phish (or much of the Grateful Dead), but I do get a kick out of their CD from Utica along with the appropriate Utica Club typography!

I think Joe Bonamassa would play well in carts.

McLaren wrote:Just a thought on Rory's caddie situation, some were suggesting he might opt for Lacava but that looks unlikely now that Tiger is competing again.

I'm not sure "competing" is the right word Mac. Lacava will be at least available on a Saturday and Sunday, whilst Wood' washing machine will get less of a work out on red shirts.

Haven't heard any buzz about Rory's caddie vacancy - any other names in the mix apart from LaCava's?


30 golfers stranded on the Las Vegas course at "sundown" (they are in the West you know), so they'll finish their rounds this morning, Power included. Afternoon wind seemed to affect the scoring - hopefully that'll even out for Friday's play.

Super

The Rory of late probably won't play many more sundays than Tiger.

Hopefully Rory will be playing on Sunday at the 2028 PGA Championship and the 2032 Ryder Cup.

News reports out of California suggest both will be held at San Francisco's Olympic Club, a transfer of allegiance from the USGA to the PGA of America.

And confirmation of the line-up for the Bahamas money grab sponsored by Hero:
DJ, Spieth, Thomas, Fowler, Koepka, Kuchar, Reed, Hoffman, Kisner, Berger, Chappell, Woods
Matsuyama, Rose, Stenson, Noren, Fleetwood, Molinari

Day & Leishman were in the field as originally announced but have withdrawn.

Fleetwood's done well to get in the field. ker-ching.

That is a pretty good field. Whatever you think about what prizes should be on offer, if you like watching good players then you are going to enjoy it.

Agreed. For such a narrow field there's a half decent geographical spread while keeping decent quality too.

McLaren wrote:That is a pretty good field.  Whatever you think about what prizes should be on offer, if you like watching good players then you are going to enjoy it.

Don't care about the prizemoney, just can't stand the fact they "earn" guaranteed owgr points for an exhibition. They'll be awarding Premier League points for the Charity Shield next . . . . . . .

Underway in Las Vegas where mere mortals actually have to compete to earn anything.

By prizes I meant owgr as well,I should have been clearer. The field seems strong enough that a small amount of owgr might be acceptable but I wouldn't have an issue if none were awarded. 

But doesn't the field anounced make you likely to watch it?

Mac, you could have all the top 10 in it, but the media aren't going to show any of them. Those lickspittles will be showing every slow motion arse scratch, spit, swear, back clutch and double bogey from 9C.

It will probably be the most intolerable coverage we've seen in a long time.

Watch it?

Probably not! It's nothing but a well-paid exhibition; I don't give a toss who wins, and have no affinity for the course.
Just hope there's another Sabbatini-like incident, which rather summed the whole thing up for me. Long time ago, but still!

No-one setting it alight in Las Vegas, the entire GB&I contingent struggling to make the cut.

kwinigolfer wrote:Just hope there's another Sabbatini-like incident

Which one?

Not many to choose from at the "World" Challenge . . . . . .

Very interesting "My Shot" with Frank Nobilo:

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/my-shot-frank-nobilo


In Las Vegas, Donald & McDool, and even Brian Davis, make the weekend, Laird goes home - or hopefully Mayakoba.
Jury still deliberating for Knox & Power.

kwinigolfer wrote:Not many to choose from at the "World" Challenge . . . . . .

Aha. Found it. Didn't know you were being specific to that tournament or just in general. Thanks.

Round 3 in Las Vegas is underway - it's forecast to be quite windy on a fast & firm course. There'll be plenty of extra long drives, plenty of double bogeys I imagine. Laird outathere, the remaining GB&I players golf on.

Good scoring conditions as the leaders start their final round, but the calm which helped the early starters has become a decent breeze and wind is expected to gust up to 30 or 40 mph later.
And that's been good so far for McDowell & Donald as both move into the Top 20, Lukey's putter finally coming alive. Brian Davis also taking advantage.

Power has slipped 30 places and badly needs to be restored on his back nine.

Odds on another new face in the winners enclosure, McDowell (currently 14th) the only multiple winner in the leading fifteen pros.

The wind hasn't materialised - wonder if their forecasters used the "European" model? - so scores are low.
Alex will cash a big Cjeka after his 63, and McDool is in with a 66.
Luke's putter cooled off and he and Seamus Power will go home with what-might-have-beens.

Shoot out for the title - would love to see Finau win but he needs to hole some putts.

Not been watching, has this been as spectacular a multi car pile up as it looks? 3 way playoff, hope for an unlikely win for the journeyman’s journeyman Cejka.

It was Ned, a whole bunch of young'uns trying so hard to lose a golf tournament.

I'm a Cejka fan and he probably thought it was just an act of bravado to hang around when he finished at 9.30 (your time) and he reckoned the winning score would be -12 or -13, to his -9.
Anyway, Can't lay finally scrambled a par on the second play-off hole and that was enough. He looked about as happy as if he'd just swallowed a skunk, but no doubt we'll have to get used to his funereal "personality". He'll continue to rocket up the owgr's due to his low "divisor" of tournaments played.
Cejka 2/3 of the way to keeping the card he just retrieved, and with a high "reshuffle" number so not bad at almost 47. Not a stretch to imagine he'll do quite well on the Champs Tour in 3 years' time.

It’s better to can’tlay than spaun away...

Kwini, on my first reading of your above post I read skunk as spunk.

Glad you read it twice then Mac.


It seemed like the final round yesterday was played in slow motion - Cejka "iced" for 2 1/2 hours before he got to compete in the Play-Off. Simple arithmetic suggests that means slow play that, as usual on the PGA Tour, was never penalised. Can't see why they didn't play in twosomes off the first tee only, but it was still a reminder that Cejka remains a good player, very competitive on shorter "ball-striking" courses even as he eases into his late 40's.

The Tour goes South of the Border this week, wall be damned.
McDowell played well on Sunday and he returns to Mayakoba where he won two years ago. His resultant Tour exemption expires this season so another good effort this week would be most welcome.
Other Europeans in the field include Russell Knox (only one Top Ten finish in 2017 but a super record @ Mayakoba), Seamus Power, Alex Cejka, Jaeger and Lingmerth, and hopefully first alternate Brian Davis.

kwinigolfer wrote:Glad you read it twice then Mac.


It seemed like the final round yesterday was played in slow motion - Cejka "iced" for 2 1/2 hours before he got to compete in the Play-Off. Simple arithmetic suggests that means slow play that, as usual on the PGA Tour, was never penalised. Can't see why they didn't play in twosomes off the first tee only, but it was still a reminder that Cejka remains a good player, very competitive on shorter "ball-striking" courses even as he eases into his late 40's.
 

"...Can't see why they didn't play in twosomes off the first tee only..."

Another anti-European Player conspiracy? How many does that make?

Cejka started Round 4 in a T27th spot, his tee time would have been 2.5-3.0 hours before leaders had the PGATour gone with 2-somes off on one tee.

There is just not of much daylight so close to the Winter Solstice (about 7 weeks away) at these northern latitudes to play 2-somes off one tee with 77 players. You need 6 hours and 20 minutes hours of tee-times (10 min increments) for 77 players. Then players need at least 4 hours to play which totals 10 hours and 20 minutes. The time between sunrise and sunset in Las Vegas is 10 hrs 33 minutes on Nov 5th.

13 minutes to spare. Doesn't leave them much time for a possible playoff, does it?

super_realist wrote:Mac, you could have all the top 10 in it, but the media aren't going to show any of them. Those lickspittles will be showing every slow motion arse scratch, spit, swear, back clutch and double bogey from 9C.

It will probably be the most intolerable coverage we've seen in a long time.

Did you watch last year's tournament? Tiger coverage was in proportion with other big names... he is a main attraction after all.

I couldn't care less about OWGR points on offer. Ultimately the "hero" features an elite field competing against each other in a relaxed environment but motivated by high stakes. This is infinitely more interesting to me than Spawn, Hussler and Piston in Vegas last week.

GPB,
Nothing about any "Anti-European" conspiracy from moi, couldn't care less who it was, it's just a peeve of mine.
Sunrise was just after 6.00 a.m. - no reason at all why they shouldn't have gone off at 6.45 a.m. in twosomes, eight/nine minute intervals; Cejka would have been about 2 hours ahead of the leaders, but obviously not if they played as slowly as Chesson Hadley and the rest of 'em. They took about 5 1/2 hours to get round. Pathetic.

Kwini, I don't think you would be complaining if it was a non-European that waited around for 2.5 hours. In fact I am pretty sure of it. You seem to have keen eye to think that there is anti-Euro bias when it affects a European. I now if it was Kevin Na or Ben Crane, you would have never said anything about it.

Yes, I suppose the Tour could have "Squeezed" the tee times, by going to 9 (or 8) increments. 9 minute increments would have meant Cejka tees off 2 hr 20 minutes in front of the leaders (BFD).

Starting at 6:15 am would have meant that there would have to be a bunch of volunteers on site at ~5:30 am. Volunteers to park the cars, to man the gates, to marshall the holes, to tend the driving range, to man the concession stands, etc etc.

In addition, the grounds crew would have to get there at 4 am to prep the golf course.

SURE, this happens when there are weather delays, but I am sure the tour would rather not go to these extreme measures. They basically had the same daylight situation in Turkey. 78 players, and they went with split tees and threesomes. They did not play twosomes off of one tee. There is just not a lot of daylight this time of year in the northern hemisphere.

If Crane and/or Na had been involved, they wouldn't have finished the play-off before dark . . . . .

Nope, and I never attend weekend play at a Tour event if there's any chance that they'll be going off both tees, whether Europeans or not. One of my favourite all-time rounds was following Lyle & Sluman going off early at Pebble Beach, getting round in under three hours and playing themselves back into the tournament, Sluman finishing 2nd the following day.

When did they play a PGATournament at Pebble Beach going off one tee?

Or are you talking about a US Open? When there is 15-16 hours of daylight? as opposed to 10 hours of daylight

Kevin Na or Ben Crane wouldn’t mind waiting for 2.5 hours. It would just allow the time to play a practise hole...

Cheers Kwini... A lot of talk about Seamus Power on this board so I thought I'd add a little.

Granted, Seamus booted some opportunities to do even better this fall, but relatively speaking he's not doing that bad either. Job #1 for him was to improve his #50 Webbie priority, and as of now he's moved up to #21 in the category with 2 to play before the reshuffle. Not bad at all.

And in an indirect way, he has the CJ Cup to thank for the opportunity he's had.

There was some grumbling when the CJ Cup was announced that the rich got richer.  That's true, but the poorest got richer too.  Historically, the bottom of the Webbie category have been getting into as few as 2-3 events in the fall. This year everyone who entered will get at least the 5 because of the way the stronger "Asian Swing" siphoned off players. And not sure if you've seen an updated field list, but all Webbie are in Mexico including Davis as first reshuffle medical.

Anyway... The result... For the first time since I've been tracking the category, ALL the Webbies are actually getting a fair shake. At least so far anyway. Come January I expect the bottom half of the Webbie category to have their usual tough time getting into events.  

Bottom line... If Seamus can hold in where he's at around #20... He's gonna get the opportunity to play a reasonable amount starting the year. But holding on isn't a given. Points are pretty tight in his current range and a couple missed cuts could drop him in the 30's...

But in the missed opportunity category sits Thomas Pieters. He did the smart thing playing all 3 no-cut events. But milking less than 50 points out of them was pretty pathetic. Dual touring is hard enough, and doing so little with the opportunity makes it just that much harder for him now.

Agree with both, robo.
But, remember, Pieters has always had something of an ambivalence towards the States, and perhaps the Tour.
And Colsaerts has said, "maybe the PGA Tour is not for me." Kindred spirits?

Looking forward to Mayakoba, interesting field. Knox & McDowell both have previous, but are they at that level now?

kwinigolfer wrote:Agree with both, robo.
But, remember, Pieters has always had something of an ambivalence towards the States, and perhaps the Tour.

Always?

Is that why he spent four years at Univ of Illinois?


BTW...someone named Sean Jacklin Monday qualified for Mayakoba. He is related to Tony?

Believe Sean Jacklin is Tony’s son? Been a Florida mini tour regular for years

Colsearts and Pieters would both love successful PGAT careers, whatever they say after cocking it up.

GPB wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Agree with both, robo.
But, remember, Pieters has always had something of an ambivalence towards the States, and perhaps the Tour.

Always?  

Is that why he spent four years at Univ of Illinois?


BTW...someone named Sean Jacklin Monday qualified for Mayakoba.  He is related to Tony?

GPB,
There were several articles, assumed to fairly reflect Pieters' position, at least of a year ago that he was, to say the least, not in love with America, and that "adjusting to the American way of life was really tough" whilst at Illinois. I won't quote Colsaerts on this as who knows whether his disparaging comments truly reflect Pieters' up-to-date views, but it's seemed then that Pieters is perfectly content in Antwerp.

Mac,
Why don't you move over here, seems you advocate for everyone else to? Why has Pieters cocked up a PGA Tour career? And, Colsaerts was playing thru injury most of the year he had a Tour card, he didn't exactly man sausage it up.

Kwini

If I was a top golfer I would aim to be successful on the PGAT, that doesn't mean I would move to the USA in my current situation.

I was just making the general point that people often berate something when they have failed to perform like they wanted to in that situation.