PGA Tour: Houston has a Problem: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Houston has a problem, no sponsor! And the very real possibility that it might be one of the tournaments left standing without a seat when the PGA Tour's "Musical Chairs" department publishes its schedule for 2019. Shell looked after the event for more than 20 years before abruptly capping it's gusher prior to last year's event. Houston has been preoccupied since then with more important things, like life, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey's invasion last summer; the GC of Houston was mostly underwater, but by all accounts is in fine condition again for today's action - though overnight storms may have left a puddle or two.
Nice article on pgatour.com about Chris Stroud, Bobby Gates, etc:
https://www.pgatour.com/news/2017/12/14/chris-stroud-texas-charity-hurricane-harvey-relief.html


2).The Houston tournament has offered an attractive warm-up destination for Masters competitors; apart from the winner earning the last invitation from the Hooties, green complexes are manicured to go someway to replicating those that might be anticipated at Augusta. The pre-Masters week next year will go to San Antonio, an event which, despite a lousy date (usually) on the schedule and a course that's never been fully embraced by Tour regulars, thrives with a long-term sponsor - Valero - and one of the largest charitable contributions of the Tour year.
Unless I'm mistaken, the juxtaposition (if Houston keeps its tournament) of 2019 dates is a one-off quirk caused by the calendar, as in 2013 when Martin Laird won (from R.McIlroy), but it surely adds to the uncertainty.

3).Will Tour players flock to San Antonio if the pre-Masters date switch DOES turn out to be permanent? Not likely if JB Holmes, winner at Houston in 2015, is to be believed: I think the Tour "will be surprised with the people who normally play (Houston) who won't play (Valero)".

4).Martin Kaymer returns from injury this week and he's one of a number of Europeans who are in danger of missing the FedEx Play-Offs as we close in on the halfway point of the pre play-offs season. Currently outside the all-important Top 125 are:
130th: Pieters -Terrible season so far, streaky is fine so long as there are some good streaks to go with the bad - 13th at the "Honda" is his only Top 25 finish in a PGA Tour event since August, second since Augusta.
139th: Jaeger - some promising starts, heart of his season still ahead of him.
154th: Lingmerth
178th: Blixt
185th: Donald - Luke's Major comes in a fortnight, at Harbour Town. No Top Ten there and you'd think a fine career is fizzling out.
190th: Fisher - Deja vu, incomprehensible, Lowry-like, scheduling, with only four events played so far. Imagine he'll be foregoing his "privileges" by default.
194th: Lowry - Speechless.
211th: Davis - Lucrative journeyman career fizzling out.
218th: Harrington - Only Past Champ status this year, presumably will take a "career earnings" exemption for 2019.
223th: Chopra
234th: Kaymer

5).Not much to say about the MatchPlay last week, d'ya think? Bubba a worthy winner, interesting to see guys like Poults and Kisner (and Thomas?) "hit the wall" - and disappointing to see Noren's putter go cold when he needed just one more holed putt to put Kis away. By and large a missed opportunity for a number of Europeans, and their limited field, easy pickings tournament opportunities are dwindling rapidly.

6).Irish eyes smiled for Power and Paul Dunne last week in the Dominican Republic, Dunners' return to form earning him a place in Houston this week, alongside Padraig, Shane & Seamus.

7).Paul Casey won Houston nine years ago, but has largely avoided the place since, or "mailed it in", one 9th place finish excepted.
Don't know why players avoid events they've done well at, but then he's only returned to the Irish Open once, and the KLM not at all, since winning each event to help resurrect his career 4 or 5 years ago. As "snap hook" remarked on his "villain" Poulter in his very excellent post on last week's thread: Don't forget you meet the same people on your way down as you do on your way up, or words to that effect.

8).An exception to that would be gents like Steve Stricker whose invitation to "Houston" when he was down on his uppers, with only "past champion" status remaining, helped lift his career back from beyond the brink. He's almost always returned to Houston since, and is back in the field this week as he continues to double-dip, two wins in two weeks as the new sheriff in town on the Champions Tour.

9).Last year, my one-and-done for Houston banked on the confluence of decent current form and consistent course form: Russell Henley had finished 45-7-4-5th in his career at Houston, and won by three. Not sure he's playing quite as well coming in as he was last year, but knocking at the winner's door is Luke List, and I like his e.w. chances, provided he doesn't have to putt with his wedge.  

10).Lastly, a shout out to "snap hook" for his "Heroes and Villains" post on last week's Ballwasher thread. Don't necessarily agree with his choices but that's the point.
Hope he reposts as a stand alone thread. Otherwise, interesting and thought-provoking . . . . . . (as in McLaren's and Shotrock's five "villains", presumably Garcia x 5.)

I just heard from my contact at ANGC that Poulter will recieve a Masters invite, regardless of tonights result. Poults!!!

In other news, Jodi Ewart and Charley Hull are tied for 3rd, four shots back of Sweden's Pernilla Lindberg, after Round 3 of the "ANA Inspiration", the first LPGA Major of the season. Good luck Ladies! (Bronte Law also having a good week.)

robopz wrote:Seamus getting ready to tee off early this morning...

https://i.servimg.com/u/f62/18/25/95/53/img_2010.jpg

Busman's holiday robo?

Nice pic, Seamus lucky to be playing today, but can now do himself a lot of good, Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne too of course . . . . . . . .

Is that pedro in with the first April Fool titter of the day?

Kwini,

Poults has a lot to gain today and, considering where he stood on Friday morning, not really that much to lose.
Any sort of decent finish would move him comfortably into the Top 50 owgr's, and be close to assuring himself of a Top 60 position in a couple of months when US Open exemptions close. One more top result and he should be Top 50 through Open Championship & Bridgestone qualification too.

What's going to win today? Poults and Hossler -14, so you'd think -18 would be a pretty good score.
They often say it's tough to follow a good round with another good round; hopefully IJP can follow two good rounds with something spectacular.

Could it be a Woburn double with Poulter/Hull? Odds on that?

Watching the Drive/Chip/Putt competition for junior golfers at Augusta National on Golf Channel.

Is there anything comparable in Europe? Seems like the R&A would try to duplicate the competition and hold it on Sunday or Monday before the Open Championship.

puligny wrote:Could it be a Woburn double with Poulter/Hull? Odds on that?

Probably about a gazillion/1 on Thursday evening, now perhaps slightly less. Good weeks from both of them, whatever happens today. Charley Hull seems to be getting just a little bit closer every month.

Good day's work from Seamus Power, signing for a 69 today and will probably be close to a Top 50 (EDIT! Looking waaaay too optimistic now!) by the time beaten horses have coasted home. Every little bit of FedEx pointage counts.

Come on Poults! Today could be the making of his 40's career

If not Poults then Dunne? I assume both him and Suri could nail STM membership today?

Seems the TV people are particularly allergic to actually showing live shots today. Packed leaderboard the week before the masters, final group is nearly a third of the way through and we’ve barely seen anything.

Two balls in the drink won't help Dunners, too bad.
Poults with a dream start. Long may it continue. Think I'd be most scared of Stenson.

I don't like Poulter, and the hype for a journeyman pro drives me mad but fair play if he wins this,if he doesn't from this position I will laugh.

beninho wrote:I don't like Poulter, and the hype for a journeyman pro drives me mad but fair play if he wins this,if he doesn't from this position I will laugh.

Not a world-beater, but hardly a journeyman. If he wins from this position I'll laugh. Birdie on 8 will help a lot. Par in from there and only one or two would be able to reel him in.

How is 13 wins worldwide a journeyman? He is a scrapper thats why we love Poults. A character not the US college automaton taking over the game. Get it done Ian.

Is he really a scrapper? Accepted Ryder Cup heroics apart. To be honest I remember a lot more back nine folds from him than charges, especially at the Masters. For a guy who has meant to have a load of bottle he's rarely forced himself into the frame at the really big events. He's more likely to go into reverse.

Hardly a journeyman with two WGCs? May not say a lot but after Rose he’s the most successful English golfer in the last decade.

300 in the world this time last year, dropped a shot here, so we will soon see

I'd caveat his stroke play WGC (if I remember rightly) as an end of season damp squid of an event with a lot of top guys missing.
I do agree he's no journeyman though.

He's not won for 6 years and considering he's based on the pga tour for years he only has two wins. Becone a journeyman. Jope he doesn't shank one coming in.

I’d love to see Poulter in his Ferrari burning rubber up Magnolia Lane.

Think both donald and westwood have won more in the past 10 years.

Poultie's putter is cooling off. Don't like that.

It’s a two-hosstler race..

Hossler gained 1.8 strokes on the greens so far, Poults has lost just more than a stroke.
Four holes to set that to rights.

Match play, kids on a roll though

Hossler’s to lose... kind of what I expect from Poulter sadly

Poulter drops his bottle

Hossler looks nervous, poulter looks nervous

DId Johnny Miller just have a dig at Poulter for having a high regard for himself? Pot and kettle....

As much as I like Ian, I did cash out when he was 3 shots up. Still think this has play off all over it now.

NedB-H wrote:DId Johnny Miller just have a dig at Poulter for having a high regard for himself? Pot and kettle....

NedB-H wrote:DId Johnny Miller just have a dig at Poulter for having a high regard for himself? Pot and kettle....

Miller has always had a hard on against Poults, he'd love to see him lose. Let's hope IJP does the job.

A beauty from the "bottle"r . . . . . . . .

Chest pump

Gutsy putt from Poulter!

Great reaction from Hossler

Genius in a bottle.

That'll work.

Shame for the kid but immense from Poults

At least cheer for him you miserable crowd.

beninho wrote:Poulter drops his bottle

Fortunately he picked it up again.

Fantastic win, Fxxx Johnny Miller.

Just need to find a way to get Poults wound up next week now. Maybe the man on the Augusta gate needs to not let him in on Tuesday, that might be enough to get him motivated.

Double up on Augusta fried poultry: Garcias champions dinner and now Ian.

Poulter @ 60/1 at the bookies.

Incredible display of guts from Poulter, even the curmudgeonly Diggers should give him praise for that effort.


By the way, whoever takes the PGA photographs for the leaderboard succeeds in a technique that takes 100 IQ points of the player. It's probably true in many cases, but harsh on many others.

Jesus wept Super, have you literally no self awareness that you can call anyone else on the planet curmudgeonly. Anyone who uses the word instantly becomes the most dull and curmudgeonly person on the planet.
It was a good win, I still think he's a prat though.

super_realist wrote:Incredible display of guts from Poulter.

Hyperbole much. He is only playing golf in a standard tour tournament. Not dragging children from a fire.
Was missing the shorter putts earlier a display of a lack of guts, if holing one long one is showing guts?
Tiger must be the bravest golfer in world with all his wins.

I also still think Poulter is a d!ck and loved Digger's description of him as a lot less than meets the eye but I guess I'll have to knock also ran off my list of criticisms.

Brilliant golf when needed and after all the fuss last week.

Will look forward to him missing the cut in the masters.

Well, he’s in good form and has a decent Masters record (3 top 10s since 2010). If he’s dialed in he defo won’t mc.

Good win for Poulter. Glad he won his first event in 6 years. Every journeyman has his day. Still think he's a bit of a tw@t.

3 masters specialists in form though, spieth, bubba and phil even tiger. I would put the first three as favourites.

Wide open Masters, if Rory's putter stays hot he'll be up there. Rose as well. Cat see Johnson (possibly either of them) being far off. I'd like to see Day do well, seems like a good bloke.