PGA Tour: The Players Championship: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).All the top golfers have converged on TPC Sawgrass for The Players Championship, as have most of the best of the rest. Arguably the second strongest field of the year, after the PGA Championship, prepare for their final look at Pete Dye's design in May before it reverts to its original March date - to be replaced in May by the PGA for 2019 when all the US Major eggs will be found in one spring basket.
It looks a lousy idea to me but, who knows, something presidential may be behind this unless Turnberry gets an Open soon - an executive order likely to declare The Players a Major and The Open relegated to a status akin to the Barbasol as ICE make travel to and from Britain nigh on impossible.

2).Familiarity is inclined to breed contempt but not for me with the TPC Sawgrass; still deplore the penal nature of #17 - though I know many/most like it - but one of the strengths of the tournament's stature is the course and the consistency of the challenge. It's had a bit of a facelift the past couple of years and I'm not sure I like the idea of reconfiguring #12 as a driveable par-4, just doesn't seem to lend itself to the normal risk/reward associated with short Par-4's, but love the Par-5's, best on Tour in my book, though Muirfield Village's collection would give them a close run.

3).Perhaps we'll see the new Tour calendar this week, or at least part of it. Could even see the North Korea Open added - just hope established venues don't get added to the Tour's discard pile.

4).Missed most of the Wells Fargo's weekend play from Quail Hollow, but love that tournament and it looks like it was another good one.
Can't suss the 2018 model of Jason Day, but he's now won on two of the Tour's strongest tests and may be back as a Major factor. He won at TPC in 2016 before he largely disappeared, apparently for at least two or three reasons. Day's President's Cup record continued to deteriorate and he still seems to blow a bit hot and cold; but when he can hit shots as he did on #17 on Sunday, under pretty much maximum tournament pressure, it's clearly time to take him seriously again.

5).Happy to see Molinari find some form at Quail Hollow - just in time for the TPC I hope! Kaymer has a played 9, made 9 cuts record at The Players and once again showed flickers of form last week.
And another solid tournament for Seamus Power; there's another "reshuffle" effective last Monday and Power has again beefed up his position. But he'll likely only get to play Dallas and Memphis before The Travelers at the end of June unless he qualifies for Shinnecock, such are the perils of Tour journeymen during this phase of the schedule with so many elite or invitational events coming thick and fast.

6).One man certainly NOT in form, on Sunday at least, was Brice Garnett - don't usually check out these things, but noticed that his Round 4 "strokes gained putting" was -7.85. Blimey, so that's how you shoot 88.

7).I think I'm right in saying that T.Woods is the only pro to have won The Players in its March version as well as in May - was always very impressed that he could win in 2013 but Garcia rather handed it to him (as did Casey Wittenberg). Sergio is the leading money winner here, has won once and runnered up twice in making 16 cuts from 18 trips. But he has a hat-trick of missed Tour cuts and doesn't look the cast iron bet that he usually is. An important part of the season coming along for Sergio and he needs to get his head on straight if he's to make anything of his season.

8). Ian Poulter also has two second-place results here - he's playing with his mate Justin plus Tommy Fleetwood and would expect another strong week from Poults. Rose hasn't been at his best recently and only has one top 15 result on a course you'd think he should play well on. Whilst Fleetwood took last weekend off and it'll be interesting to see how he goes after his debut T41 last year.

9).If Zach Johnson's putter is working (surprisingly big IF recently) I'd quite fancy him this week, but don't really have a strong idea about a likely winner - I'll take Molinari for my one-and-done, just finding some form and Top 7 results on his last three visits. He's in an interesting threesome at the arse end of Thursday's play: With Laird and O'Hair who've also had run-ins with the TPC leaderboard.

10).Didn't realise Jim Furyk & Mike Weir were twins - 48 candles apiece on Saturday, though doubt Weir at least will be at Ponte Vedra Beach.

I'm never wrong wrote:Watching Featured Groups - is it a Nike pink/mauve day today again?

If so, you know there'll be one exception to the rule.

Good to see Justin Rose flashing some form and a nice bounce-back, so far anyway, from Alex Noren.
Lack lustre from Fisher and you gotta think his Tour race is run, Majors excepted. Not half the player in the US that he is elsewhere.

I’ve been watching a bit and Sky are really pushing the Woods / Spieth head to head plus the race for second. Also they’ve been hinting Simpson could have a mare which we don’t really want.

These are the tournaments when look back on them we think that was amazing golf but during it we’re thinking I wish there was more players involved. I’m not sure how long I’ll stick with it, the dog is needing walked.

I'm never wrong wrote:Watching Featured Groups - is it a Nike pink/mauve day today again?

Is it Mother’s Day in the US? Could an awareness thing why not only Nike staffers are wearing pink.

Mothers Day, Correct. Pink all round.

Dufner and Woods protesting the Pink Out.

Just about every other player I have seen has some shade of pink/purple/mauve/lavender/fuchsia shirt

I'm never wrong wrote:

I'm never wrong wrote:Watching Featured Groups - is it a Nike pink/mauve day today again?

Is it Mother’s Day in the US? Could an awareness thing why not only Nike staffers are wearing pink.

Nike’s Sunday colours this year are pink/mauve. Will tie in with Mother’s Day, Breast Cancer awareness, and maybe something else. I think there was some discussion on this over the Masters. Tiger is the only Nike staffer that doesn’t wear Pink on Sundays.

Typical Woods! I must say I did have a chuckle when he hit his tee shot on 17, then I went to bed happy

Seems like every other week on tbe PGAT there's a "pink out something or other" day to bring awareness to women's breast cancer, Mother's Day or something else. What I want to know is when is the LPGA going to start a regular "Brown Out" or something to bring awareness to men's prostate cancer... :-)

PS... For Tiger, red is his Mother's Day color. It was his mom Tida who decided red was Tiger's power color and that's why he wears it on Sundays. Some Thai thing I guess...

The PGA Tour is doing a collective pink out this week, for the Byron Nelson in Dallas; if initial projections are confirmed, this will be the Tour's weakest (non-opposite field event) field of the year.
A new course, a lousy date, the European exodus prior to Wentworth, and pros lining up their schedules for Shinnecock all conspire for most non-Texas pros to stay away in droves.
Spieth will be there, Kuchar, Jimmy Walker, Garcia, one or two others, but no depth to the field whatsoever; how the "Nelson" will fare with the new schedule is anyone's guess, but hopefully there'll be a hat-trick of TX action, MatchPlay in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth.
We'll hear about that from robo first, no doubt!

EDIT: I suppose I should have added the spectre of mid-90's temps as well. It'll be a heater! With very little sign of any relief.

Kwini....  Ditto on the Nelson field this year... it will be WEAK... probably John Deere only non-opposite event weaker this year.  Next year's schedule change with the PGA (Major) moving into May, and the BMW PGA (Euro Tour) moving out of May... ALL the May events on the PGAT should benefit field strength wise.

As for schedule itself... actually the talk I've been hearing is to split up Texas...  5 Texas events remain on the schedule... Only two back to back will likely be Austin Match Play and Valero San Antonio. Now please understand, I have VERY little what I would call "reliable" inside on this, other than what I would call "informed speculation" as apparently pieces of the 2018-19 schedule are still being moved around the board.   BEST as I can put together from various sources... the 2018-19 schedule will likely look something like this...

6-Jan - Sentry Tournament of Champions
13-Jan - Sony Open in Hawaii
20-Jan - CareerBuilder Challenge
27-Jan - Farmers Insurance Open
3-Feb - Waste Management Phoenix Open
10-Feb - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
17-Feb - Genesis Open
24-Feb - WGC-Mexico Championship (Moves 1 week earlier as Finish of "West Coast" swing)
24-Feb - Puerto Rico Open
3-Mar - The Honda Classic
10-Mar - Arnold Palmer Invitational
17-Mar - The Players Championship
24-Mar - Valspar Championship
31-Mar - WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
31-Mar - Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship
7-Apr - Valero Texas Open (Replaces Houston in this spot)
14-Mar - Masters Tournament
21-Apr - RBC Heritage
28-Apr - Zurich Classic of New Orleans
5-May - AT&T Byron Nelson (Split apart from Colonial)
12-May - Wells Fargo Championship
19-May - PGA Championship
26-May - Colonial (Split apart from Nelson)
2-Jun - The Memorial Tournament
9-Jun - Houston (Tentative on HOU having sponsor in place. See NOTE 1)
16-Jun - U.S. Open
23-Jun - Travelers Championship
30-Jun - Detroit (assumes National goes away which is NOT 100% sure)
7-Jul - Greenbrier Classic
15-Jul - John Deere Classic
21-Jul - The Open Championship (British Open)
21-Jul - Barbasol Championship (See Note 3)
28-Jul - RBC Canadian Open (Wants the current National or Greenbrier spot. See Note 2)
4-Aug - WGC-St Jude Memphis
4-Aug - Barracuda Championship  (See Note 3)
11-Aug - Wyndham Championship
18-Aug - The Northern Trust (Note 4)
25-Aug - BMW Championship
2-Sep - Tour Championship

Note 1: Houston is tentaively slotted to replace Memphis the week before the U.S. Open assuming it gets a title sponsor situatiion settled QUICKLY.  If not, Houston will likely move to Fall and Minnesota is likely candidate to  take this spot. But supposedly, Houston has the funding to survive a minimum of 1 more year even without a sponsor. But without a sponsor, Fall might be better as the the funding required is about 60% of an event on the "Network" portion of the schedule)

Note 2. Canadian Open - Is vying for the current National or Greenbrier spot.  Detrot would have the inside track on the National spot because of Quicken Loans though. But there is suggestion that Greenbrier might be looking to terminate 2 years early after 2019, which would give Canadian Open a spot there in 2020

Note 3. Both Barracuda and Barbisol agreements are currently set thru this year. Talk is ONE of these might go away. It is the Tour's objective to have an alternate event to every WGC, but there is talk about removing the alternate event to The Open if only one of them renews.

Note 4. Playoffs are reduced to 3 events with Boston the odd event out.  Boston possibly to be part of a "rota" with the Northern Trust and/or BMW Champ.

Note 5. DETROIT/MINNESOTA... All indications are BOTH will be played in 2019, but one or the other might  be in the fall in the NEXT 2019-20 season. If both Houston and the National move off the main schedule... then DET and MINN takes their place... but also... the Tour (Monahan specifically) has reiterated on several occasions that it is NOT interested in reducing it's schedule or event count. This is a CALENDAR SHIFT... not a reduction of schedule.  So with the playoffs moving earlier, there will be replacements on the schedule in September.  That could be any combination of DET/MIN/HOU... and even talk of a 4th Asian swing event in Japan (although Bridgestone sticking with the Champions Tour event at Firestone might scuttle the Japan plan).

Hideki is also playing the Nelson. He might registered at the 11th hour after MCing the Players, because I don't remember seeing his name on weekend list.

GPB wrote:Hideki is also playing the Nelson.  He might registered at the 11th hour after MCing the Players, because I don't remember seeing his name on weekend list.

You're probably correct... his commitment date wasn't until Friday... but there isn't a timestamp... so it could have been after the initial 5pm posting..

robo

Most of this makes perfect sense; Mexico date a huge improvement, then touristing Internationals/Europeans giving ballast to Valspar and San Antonio!
Not surprised if Greenbrier is on shaky ground, right up there with Bobby Ginn, Allen Stanford and Ray Halbritter as a one-man fly-by-night ego trip from Samuel Peabody Justice! Shame really with WV needing all the help it can get.

Barbasol has moved this year from AL to KY , wonder if there's a bigger picture there? Hope they keep Reno.

And: Imagine the WGC in Memphis in August will be an easy one to avoid for pros wanting a breather.

I like the idea of alternating NE venue for Northern Trust, but feel that further dilution of MidWest venues for the Beemer would be something of an insult.

Kwini... since the moving away from Firestone was announced... things got a whole lot simpler in trying to figure out what is happening.  But the key to putting together the final schedule still revolves  4 events... Houston, the National, Minnesota and Detroit.  Nothing can be totally done until the status of Houston and the National is settled. Every time it sounded like the National was for sure dead, something else comes out that maybe it's not.  At this point I figure Houston at about 80% of surviving long term and the National at about 20%.  

So basically we have 2, 3 or 4 events to put in 2 spots before the playoffs... and the Exact how's might not even be known in Ponte Vedra yet...  I dunno.  

The other part of this we might not hear much about until the NEXT year is Asian expansion.  

For the fall of 2018 I expect everything to remain much the same as ALL the existing events have sponsor agreements in place through 2020 or longer...  EXCEPT Mayakoba which is set through 2018 only as of now. But they are expected to renew.

But with the new schedule year starting immediately after Labor Day in the 2019-2020 season... that opens up 3-4 dates in September to fill.  2 of those could be by events discussed above... but maybe NONE of them will be.  

In any event, for 2019-2020 going forward...  I fully expect 1-2 "Pacific Rim" additions in the near-mid term... and there's also been occasional rumblings of a Northwest Tour stop... possibly even Boeing upgrading to the PGAT from the Champions (Seattle area). That one could move from August and still play easily thru September. A Napa Valley (Safeway), Vegas & Seattle swing in the fall might make sense.

Interesting.

A NW swing could be very attractive, Reno too could squeeze in somewhere.

Was there ever any expectation that Insperity might assume the Houston stop?

Minnesota deep into September is a risk.
Halbritter (and the PGA of A with the RC, don't think I ever got credit for that going to Oak Hill come to think of it!) found out the hard way that anything much after mid-September in the upper northern tier is rolling the dice. Still think RC's at Whistling Straits & another trip to Hazeltine is an unnecessary gamble.

IMO: Some of the delay from PGAT HQ is how the dominoes fall to the Webbie Tour and Q-School for the webbies.

There are a lot of open dates on the Webbie schedule, for re-shuffling tournaments, but I think the web tour is going to have to go to a wrap-around schedule as well.

And that means Webbie Q-school will have to be moved up a couple of months.

GPB wrote:Some of the delay from PGAT HQ is how the dominoes fall to the Webbie Tour and Q-School for the webbies.

Not sure if the Web Tour would be much of an issue in any of this or not. Yes there is a bit of a domino effect, but I'm not seeing a big one.

As it stands now they could move any two events back into March April (maybe South Carolina and California Stonebrea)... Shift everything else back 2 weeks and they finish on Labor Day as well.

But I sure couldn't see how pushing a few events into a wrap around schedule in late fall after a Q-School would hurt anything either... Would probably take an end of October Q School finish for that to happen though.

GPB:
Anything sinister in Notah Begay's absence from NBC coverage at the weekend?
Perhaps he's been fired - does he still have his GC gig?

Plus: With the SCOTUS ruling on sports betting, I wonder how long before we see Ladbrokes and Paddy Power advertising in the US - and sponsoring an event or two? Nah.

Apparently Aphibarnrat has achieved ST Membership . . . . . . wonder if he'll use it, not sure where his ambitions lie.
More defections from the "Nelson", possibly down to just 34 x owgr points for the winner?.

no one really significant in the Nelson WDs, yet. Imagine that it is still SoF 36.

Yes I noticed that there was no Notah Begay at the Players. With the Bones Mackay hire, I think Begay has become expendable, at least a very reduced role.

Barnrat at 290 pts, sill needs at least 80 faux FEX pts to assure his 2018-19 PGAT card.

kwinigolfer wrote:Interesting.

A NW swing could be very attractive, Reno too could squeeze in somewhere.

Was there ever any expectation that Insperity might assume the Houston stop?

Minnesota deep into September is a risk.
Halbritter (and the PGA of A with the RC, don't think I ever got credit for that going to Oak Hill come to think of it!) found out the hard way that anything much after mid-September in the upper northern tier is rolling the dice. Still think RC's at Whistling Straits & another trip to Hazeltine is an unnecessary gamble.

Never any talk I heard about Insperity moving up to take the big boy Houston event. Everything I had seen from them, they thought the champions tour business model worked way better for them than a big tour model would.

Same thing with the Reno I think. I think that three alternate events being Convention/Visitor Bureau/Resort sponsored is no accident. (Reno, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic). Sponsor price point is way lower for an alternate event and probably fits those types of organizations better. Mayakoba started out that way too, but that's a huge real estate project now.

GPB wrote:
Yes I noticed that there was no Notah Begay at the Players.  With the Bones Mackay hire, I think Begay has become expendable, at least a very reduced role.

Too many cowboys and not enough Indians

Notah was at the Players participating in some of Golf Channel's Live from the Players panels earlier in the week. IIRC, he's still been working a lot of the Golf Channel coverage from the ground. But I'd imagine he's well down the pecking order of on-course reporters when all the top NBC network talent is in town for a big event like the Players.

Davie wrote:Too many cowboys and not enough Indians

robopz wrote:Notah was at the Players participating in some of Golf Channel's Live from the Players panels earlier in the week.  IIRC, he's still been working a lot of the Golf Channel coverage from the ground. But I'd imagine he's well down the pecking order of on-course reporters when all the top NBC network talent is in town for a big event like the Players.

My thought was that they could have done with another guy on the ground - Tirico (as usual), Justin Leonard (Champions Tour can't come soon enough) and probably Jimmy Roberts all surplus to requirements. Not that I reckon Begay is much good, would much prefer Big.

Have to say I don't really find Notably Gay very interesting either. I'm enjoying Rich Beem on Sky more and more. He was a great find.

I’m a fan of Beem too, him, Riley and Butch are the high points of their US coverage. Roe, McGinley and Monty on the other hand are worse than their backup Euro Tour team. Would rather have Coltart and John E Morgan’s oo-arr accent.

We never hear Radar or Butch, but occasionally get Beemer - he's great! Agreed.

US coverage way too politically correct, too much reverence and too many sycophants. Can't think of an exception to that rule.

Only 34 owgr points to the Nelson winner now, pathetic really.

Yeah Beemer is really good, a real find. I'm surprised one of the US networks hasn't snapped him up yet.

Butch divides opinion here, I don't mind him and he does seem genuinely enthused with whoever is playing. He could do with no longer saying "They're not booing ladies and gentlemen, they're just saying Kooch." I've probably heard that enough now.

His come to bed eyes during the end of session analysis if off putting though

Harmon looks like the living dead.

http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2018/05/15/lucas-glovers-wife-arrested-domestic-violence-during-players-championship

Didn’t have Lucas Glover down as the new Freddie Couples/John Daly

Did she wear glove(r)s? Not velvet I guess?

NedB-H wrote:http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2018/05/15/lucas-glovers-wife-arrested-domestic-violence-during-players-championship

Didn’t have Lucas Glover down as the new Freddie Couples/John Daly

Too bizarre - I think that's Lucas's second missus so gawd knows what the first one was like. Better not miss any more cuts, that's for sure.

Kwini...  Doug Ferguson is reporting that the PGA Tour wants the end of schedule the week before Labor Day. That's a week earlier than most others thought.

According to Doug... It's sounding like the Canadian Open will get the week they want after The Travelers... And the WGC Memphis will be the week after the Open... Followed by Wyndham and then playoffs.  

So that makes the biggest question... What about the other events between the two Opens... Detroit and Quicken is reportedly in... Which would leave the National out... And no answer to what happens with John Deere and Greenbrier.  Deere is wanting to retain their current spot.

https://www.apnews.com/dc208acf6b5e49958ba542f56656e497/New-PGA-Tour-schedule-still-has-a-few-moving-parts

Golf's oldest Living Major Champion, Doug Ford has passed away at age 95. I think Jackie Burke inherits the distinction of Golf's oldest Major Champion.

Burke almost as old as Ford.
Imagine there's a sizeable gap to the next one.


robo,
That's starting to make some sense, "Canada" going back close to where it was years ago, in its heyday, when Nicklaus kept on finishing second!
I've always thought Washington/Detroit was synonymous, given the sponsorship situation . . . . . . Not sure about a WGC in CDT the week after The Open, but stranger things have happened. If Greenbrier is going to the Justice slagheap, there's room for the John Deere - there would be this year anyway! And they don't seem to be anybody's fools, happy with the community event that they have, and good for them. Houston still a missing piece of the jigsaw.

GPB wrote:Golf's oldest Living Major Champion, Doug Ford has passed away at age 95.  I think Jackie Burke inherits the distinction of Golf's oldest Major Champion.

Thompson, Finsterwald, January are 88, Thompson oldest by a couple of weeks, can't think of anyone older.

Yes, no one within 6 years of Jackie Burke. As far as I can tell, these are the living Major Champs, that are 80 yrs or older.

Jackie Burke January 29, 1923
Bob Goalby Mar 14, 1929
Peter Thomson Aug 23, 1929
Dow Finsterwald Sep 6, 1929
Don January Nov 20, 1929
Gene Littler Jul 21, 1930
Gary Player Nov 1, 1935
Bob Charles Mar 14, 1936

kwinigolfer wrote:robo,
That's starting to make some sense, "Canada" going back close to where it was years ago, in its heyday, when Nicklaus kept on finishing second!
I've always thought Washington/Detroit was synonymous, given the sponsorship situation . . . . . . Not sure about a WGC in CDT the week after The Open, but stranger things have happened. If Greenbrier is going to the Justice slagheap, there's room for the John Deere - there would be this year anyway! And they don't seem to be anybody's fools, happy with the community event that they have, and good for them. Houston still a missing piece of the jigsaw.

Kwini... don't write off Greenbrier yet.   There's several other factors...  

• You never know for sure when JJ is bloviating... but once when questioned about the viability of the event as his interest was ramping up in politics, he said something to the effect he could endow it for 20 years if he needed to.  And he's the kind of guy that just might.

• Doug mentioned 4th of July weekend being a tough sell to some players, but the Greenbrier has actually embraced the 4th weekend as a player's family old-style 4th... and it's had some traction.  Until last year when some players were unsure of the viability post flood... the event had found a level of 40's in OWGR field strength.  That's not REAL strong... but not awful for dates between the Open's either.  Plus they have Phil bought and paid for as a draw.

• Also consider the purse.  Greenbrier is $7.3 mil... while the Deere is the only remaining non-alternate event under $6 mil ($5.8mil). That has sway.

• John Deere signed their sponsorship renewal knowing full well there would be "movement" in the summer schedule. So they had to have considered the possibility of getting moved.  I see no reason why it couldn't do just as well in September. They've pretty much lost Spieth anyway...

And again... just to be clear... all this is speculation based on bits and pieces from here and there...

The Lucas Glover storyis a bit mad. Gotta feel for the guy, seems to have been a victim of domestic abuse for while. Poor guy.

kwinigolfer wrote:

NedB-H wrote:http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2018/05/15/lucas-glovers-wife-arrested-domestic-violence-during-players-championship

Didn’t have Lucas Glover down as the new Freddie Couples/John Daly

Too bizarre - I think that's Lucas's second missus so gawd knows what the first one was like. Better not miss any more cuts, that's for sure.

For better or worse and all that