PGA Tour: Final Tournament of the Year: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1). Final tournament of the year, but already the 8th of the 2018/19 season, or about 18% of the schedule (realistically for most members, 20%). So, if you're an international player double-dipping, and you haven't got some points on the board, you're already slipping behind. Whereas the likes of Rafa C-B, Rose, Casey, Poulter, Noren & Hatton are at least 25% of the way towards keeping their cards.

2).I didn't see any notice of it, but Career Builder is no longer a Tour sponsor - instead the January Palm Desert event is recorded on the Tour calendar as the "Desert Classic"; not sure what happened there. Any ideas? Laid off presumably.

3).The US Ryder Cup entourage spawned winners in Las Vegas (DeChambeau) and Mayakoba (Kuchar). DeChambeau has now won more Tour events in 73 Tour appearances than Rickie Fowler (218). Not sure what that means, but through all his lengthy calibrations, DeC is a winner (except en France and Germany). Fowler is too good for the game not to become a serial winner too, but he needs to get a move on.

4).Meanwhile, Kuchar's win was his 8th, and first since holing out a 72nd hole bunker shot to beat the late, great Luke Donald at Hilton Head four years ago. And in the process Kuchar has overtaken Stricker, Zach J and DL111 to 10th place ($45M) in the career earnings list behind:
TW, Phil, Vijay, Furyk, DJ, Rose, Scott, Ernie & Sergio.
Speculation in the US media that Kuchar would have been a welcome choice for the Ryder Cup, but would he really? In four RC's he's only won 6 matches, twice the tally of Rickie, also in four appearances, but would say he had to earn an automatic qualifying place with the Task Force reserving a spot apiece for Woods & Mickelson.

5).With only a few events still to be played around the world this year, we're close to the year-end cut-off of the Top 50 in the World Rankings who qualify for Augusta.
I'm guessing the current Top 40 will qualify, if they haven't already, so that would include Aphibarnrat, Poulter, Pepperell and Rafa beyond the obvious. Westwood's win in SA rocketed him to 64th so he still needs a good result this week in Dubai.
Others not yet in the field between #41 and Lee at #64 include:
#41: Haotong Li: His recent haul of points should ensure he'll make it.
#42: Olesen: I'd think he'll make it.
#43: Fitzpatrick: He needs a good result this week as his points are depleting fast.
#45: Harman: In terrible form. He's playing this week and needs a strong finish.
#46: Grace: You'd think he's too good not to make it, but similar to Fitz in needing to play well in Dubai.
#46: Bjerregard: Should be OK (as Li) but play well in Dubai to make sure. Could be suited to Augusta.
#48: Grillo: Not playing this week and could well slip out unless he has another event up his sleeve.
#51: Ben An: Similar to Grillo - EDIT: Playing in Australia
#54: Berger: Injured
#56: Perez: Similar to Grillo & An.
#57: Wallace: Needs a top finish in Dubai - I'd love to see him in The Masters.
#58: Reavie: Injured.
#59: List: Playing RSM but needs something special.
#60: Hadley: Similar to List.
#61: Hadwin: Not playing
#62: Imahira: Assume he's playing the Dunlop Phoenix - in great form!

6).Vijay Singh won the season ending Champions Tour event but the inevitable Bernhard Langer won the season-long Charles Schwab Cup - 62 next year, how long can he keep this up?

7).Every so often when following pros on the course you're lucky enough to see a player hit a remarkable shot. Tim Petkovich had a journeyman Tour career with just one win but plodded along in his late 40's and took decent form to the Champions Tour.
He was leading early in a tournament we were at a couple of years ago but had pushed his tee shot on a Par-4 into thick rough under a tree with overhanging branches.
He had about 175 to the hole on an elevated green, playing over water and it looked as if his caddie was trying to dissuade him from taking the shot on. But Petkovich played it, a low, rising ball that he somehow squeezed out of the spinach to land on the green about 20 feet from the pin. Remarkable. He handed his club to his caddie and said, "That's the best I've got". Pretty neat when you see a guy playing a worldy like that. Commonplace to the Tigers of this world perhaps, but I reckon Petkovich surprised himself. I love moments like that on the course . . . . . the Tour is right, those "guys are good".

8).When DeChambeau won the US Amateur a few years ago, he beat Derek Bard (from a club I used to belong to) in the final. Bard just qualified this week for web.com Tour Final Stage Q-School, to be played in early December. Amazing how paths diverge in all walks of life.
And, on the same theme, Phillip Price is once again trying to qualify for the Champions Tour - only 16 years since he outplayed Phil in a Belfry singles. James Kingston, plus RC'ers Sandelin & Levet, also playing, among others.

9).The RSM (McGladrey) event this week has an end-of-year look to it, too bad as it's played on two lovely looking courses on Sea Island, Georgia - a beautiful part of the world. But the purse is good and the FedEx points are just the same as much more prestigious stops. And there'll be an invite to Augusta to the winner. Not much European interest, though Ireland's Olympians are both there, McDowell too.

10).Finally, the Ballwasher "celebrates" Thanksgiving next week and I'll be sitting in the corner with copious amounts of Louis Jadot's finest efforts.
Happy Thanksgiving to McLaren and all American readers.

Cheers robo,
Do you reckon this makes the Japan jolly a replacement and not the anticipated addition?

And Desert Classic has got to be considered a little dodgy after this coming January wouldn't you think?

Surprised that Malaysia has seemingly got the boot. One of the problems the ET encountered with its attempted Asian manoeuvres was establishing events in the public consciousness. This week’s Hong Kong Open, the China Open and arguably the Malaysian Open are the only ones that have really survived a maze of TCL Classics, Ballantine Championships, and alternating Indian Opens and Masterses.

The PGAT has always been much better at building up rounded histories and narratives for its tournaments, so jacking an event in an emerging market after six years would seem a big change of strategy, unless the CIMB was truly beyond saving.

kwinigolfer wrote:Cheers robo,
Do you reckon this makes the Japan jolly a replacement and not the anticipated addition?

And Desert Classic has got to be considered a little dodgy after this coming January wouldn't you think?

... And NedB...
I was mildly surprised CIMB is out, but the tea leaves were there. Every other fall event has been inching their purse up $100-250k a year, but CIMB had remained constant for 6 years. And I knew there 6 year agreement was ending, but didn't hear of a renewal a month ago when it was played. That's never a good sign.

The other thing I should have snapped to. As I was hearing about Japan coming around one of my contacts was questioning it because he said while he was hearing about Japan too,  there was no way they were going to have four no-cut events on the Asian swing unless another was converted to a WGC and another alternate event was added. And there were no prospects for another alternate event partner.  In retrospect I think he was telling me in a roundabout way one was going away but I didn't "get it".

Actually there's 2 "dodgy" events as you put it.

Palm Springs wouldn't concern me that much yet, because CareerBuilder pulling out is a fairly recent development. I wouldn't even be overly concerned that they don't have anything by January. These things take time.

The other is Mayakoba. OHL pulled out for this past year, and I don't know if that development is strong enough to self sponsor long-term without a title sponsor or not. But I would keep an eye on that one.

I'm told Greenbriar remains committed thru at least 2021, for whatever that's worth. (Careerbuilder was committed to)

Everything else is pretty solid with at least one more year remaining on their sponsor agreements and no real signs of stress with any of them, and a bunch of these Agreements are long-term now with 7-8 even 10 years to go.

One other thought on PGAT Asian swing.  Japan & CJ are both going to be relatively strong fields next year as both have near $10 mil purses & no cut. So I think some of the duel tour euros are even more likely to play one of Japan or CJ cup before the HSBC than before.  Any Rolex Series event, with the possible exception of the BMW PGA would have a tough time competing against those. If I'm Keith Pelley, I'm trying really hard to keep the Rolex events away from those two. Turkey & Nedbank already have fiild issues

NedB-H wrote:

The PGAT has always been much better at building up rounded histories and narratives for its tournaments, so jacking an event in an emerging market after six years would seem a big change of strategy, unless the CIMB was truly beyond saving.

The PGA Tour's genius has been in tapping in to communities that absolutely embrace their tournament; it's not just the sponsor ponying up $10M or whatever it might be, it's the entire community infrastructure that supports and facilitates the event. Virtually every tournament has a cadre of touring pros who support it faithfully. And the Tour rewards that h/Heritage by supporting an event when it loses a sponsor, whether Tampa, Hilton Head, Fort Worth, Houston, wherever. I sound like a but ET Tournament Directors could do themselves a favour by interning at a PGA Tour event or two - I reckon they'd learn a thing or two, recoup their expense in about three weeks.
It's not just the golfers who are good - most of the tournament directors are too.

kwinigolfer wrote:

NedB-H wrote:

The PGAT has always been much better at building up rounded histories and narratives for its tournaments, so jacking an event in an emerging market after six years would seem a big change of strategy, unless the CIMB was truly beyond saving.

The PGA Tour's genius has been in tapping in to communities that absolutely embrace their tournament; it's not just the sponsor ponying up $10M or whatever it might be, it's the entire community infrastructure that supports and facilitates the event. Virtually every tournament has a cadre of touring pros who support it faithfully. And the Tour rewards that h/Heritage by supporting an event when it loses a sponsor, whether Tampa, Hilton Head, Fort Worth, Houston, wherever. I sound like a but ET Tournament Directors could do themselves a favour by interning at a PGA Tour event or two - I reckon they'd learn a thing or two, recoup their expense in about three weeks.
It's not just the golfers who are good - most of the tournament directors are too.

Nailed it Kwini. The strength of the PGAT is it's tournaments, which like you say are a joint effort of the tour, Community, charities and sponsor. So when a sponsor goes south, "most of the time" you have an underpinning of support to carry the event through until a new sponsor can be found.

Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

McLaren wrote:Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

The History Channel.

McLaren wrote:Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

It seems that sense has taken over the TV this side of the pond and no UK channel has picked it up.......yet.

Mac, you might have to get all technical and make your computer appear as though it is in the US and pay $20. But as you are a Tiger fan....

I'm never wrong wrote:

McLaren wrote:Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

It seems that sense has taken over the TV this side of the pond and no UK channel has picked it up.......yet.

Mac, you might have to get all technical and make your computer appear as though it is in the US and pay $20. But as you are a Tiger fan....

Funny how Mac falls over himself to denigrate the Ryder Cup as an exhibition, yet apparently this circus sideshow is worth watching. Not like Mac to be a hypocrite.

super_realist wrote:

I'm never wrong wrote:

McLaren wrote:Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

It seems that sense has taken over the TV this side of the pond and no UK channel has picked it up.......yet.

Mac, you might have to get all technical and make your computer appear as though it is in the US and pay $20. But as you are a Tiger fan....

Funny how Mac falls over himself  to denigrate the Ryder Cup as an exhibition, yet apparently this circus sideshow is worth watching. Not like Mac to be a hypocrite.

I’m guessing Mac’s already stocked up on Irn Bru, hand lotion and shop towels. Now he’s only an illegal streaming service away from the perfect night.

pedro wrote:

McLaren wrote:Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

The History Channel.

Pretty funny.

super_realist wrote:
Funny how Mac falls over himself  to denigrate the Ryder Cup as an exhibition, yet apparently this circus sideshow is worth watching. Not like Mac to be a hypocrite.

Might just pop it on in the background while playing some playstion.  But if I need to go to the hassle of getting a VPN I won't bother.


And I think you will find it was former European player Rory McIlroy who said it was an exhibition.





And I don't like Irn Bru.

So... how many of you want me to "facetime" or "Skype" the match to you... just $5...  

Not me.

But I would digress to say that I don't see the point of the World Cup unless there's something tangible, beyond silly season money, like as a ferinstance: places in the Majors for the two winners. Quite the bunkering at the Metropolitan . . . . . . . .

kwinigolfer wrote:Not me.

But I would digress to say that I don't see the point of the World Cup unless there's something tangible, beyond silly season money, like as a ferinstance: places in the Majors for the two winners. Quite the bunkering at the Metropolitan . . . . . . . .

I was going to ask about that Kwini. So there is nothing tangible in golfing terms for the winners? (OWGR points, entries into comps etc)

I'm never wrong wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Not me.

But I would digress to say that I don't see the point of the World Cup unless there's something tangible, beyond silly season money, like as a ferinstance: places in the Majors for the two winners. Quite the bunkering at the Metropolitan . . . . . . . .

I was going to ask about that Kwini. So there is nothing tangible in golfing terms for the winners? (OWGR points, entries into comps etc)

Sunce it's gone back to a combination best ball/ fourball, there's really nothing on the line but pride and the purse itself. No OWGR and no official win on any tour.

But... It's a helluva purse for a lot of these players from smaller tours.. $1.2 million each for the winning team.

(From 2013-15 the format was 72-hole stroke-play similar to the Olympics. OWGR points were awarded those years on the individual results basis. The World Cup itself was awarded based on a team basis)

PS... Apparently Sky Sports has picked up live coverage of the match. So now all y'all have something to do tomorrow night...

My point, robo, with the World cup, is that it would be a big deal for golfers from a smaller country to gain Majors places; it wouldn't make any difference to most of the likely winners as they'd be exempt anyway, but for a country with less owgr depth, it would be a reward they might not otherwise achieve - Wales winning a few years ago, for instance.

kwinigolfer wrote:My point, robo, with the World cup, is that it would be a big deal for golfers from a smaller country to gain Majors places; it wouldn't make any difference to most of the likely winners as they'd be exempt anyway, but for a country with less owgr depth, it would be a reward they might not otherwise achieve - Wales winning a few years ago, for instance.

I agree Kwini. I really like formats like the World Cup. Unfortunately, I just don't see the World of Golf valuing the World Cup highly enough they would offer major places. To be honest, I'm a little bit surprised they've been able to maintain it to this level and this purse size as it is

robopz wrote:Sunce it's gone back to a combination best ball/ fourball, there's really nothing on the line but pride and the purse itself.  No OWGR and no official win on any tour.

Thanks Robo

I'm never wrong wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Not me.

But I would digress to say that I don't see the point of the World Cup unless there's something tangible, beyond silly season money, like as a ferinstance: places in the Majors for the two winners. Quite the bunkering at the Metropolitan . . . . . . . .

I was going to ask about that Kwini. So there is nothing tangible in golfing terms for the winners? (OWGR points, entries into comps etc)

No OWGR Points,
No entries into other competitions?

So, in other words, its the Ryder Cup without the propaganda?

But unlike the RC it doesn’t count as an official tournament.

Then there's the match:

Sounds from the Tiger Tracker text as if both pretty much retained their Ryder Cup form. But if Tiger still think he's been in Phil's head for twenty years, I imagine Phil is perfectly happy about that.

pedro wrote:But unlike the RC it doesn’t count as an official tournament.

Only because Pelley has not been asked to make it as an official tournament by a high ranked American Golfer.

Gutted.

Pretty funny that the Phil/Tiger exhibition transmission was effed up yesterday - I see it was partly a "Bleacher Report" production and, for some unfathomable reason, they've also horned in on US Champions League coverage.
And it's absolutely awful, reminiscent of US footie coverage forty years ago when idiots cooped up in a room in LA would try to "call the game" with Rothmans Football Yearbook open in front of them. Idiots.

Ok I admit, I watched most of The Match last night. The golf was pretty poor, but it actually ended up being exciting at the end and you could see both players were nervous. Obviously it all meant most to Phil and I also think he was a deserved winner.
But a bit perverted to watch them throw bets of up to a million $ per hole. Golfs Black Friday.

2nd place finish in Hongkers should ensure a Masters invite for Fitzpatrick.
And: Detry (sign of things to come?) and Pieters spreadeagled the Melbourne field, but what a shame no Major invitation accompanies their "World Cup" win.

Hosung Choi wins the Casio World Open in Japan.

He has some flair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdfD4d5QyC4

GPB wrote:Hosung Choi wins the Casio World Open in Japan.

He has some flair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdfD4d5QyC4

I suppose you could call it that.

Worse golf swing than Charles Barkley.

pedro wrote:

McLaren wrote:Does anyone know what TV channel #TheMatch is on in the uk?

The History Channel.

Great one Pedro.

I'm catching up... few days behind the action.

pedro wrote:Ok I admit, I watched most of The Match last night. The golf was pretty poor, but it actually ended up being exciting at the end and you could see both players were nervous. Obviously it all meant most to Phil and I also think he was a deserved winner.
But a bit perverted to watch them throw bets of up to a million $ per hole. Golfs Black Friday.

I watched it too. I recorded it and then watched it on Sunday morning (without knowing the outcome). I enjoyed it because I could fast forward through the painful small talk as Tiger and Phil walked down the fairway and was able to watch the shots only.

This reminded me of a low scoring cricket ODI on a slow sub continental wicket. Sometimes a bit attritional but result always in the balance. Not as spectacular as a run fest on a flat track, but much more tense.

I got the impression that it meant more to Phil, he was more up for it, looked better prepared, had spent more time on the course developing a game plan. Tiger on the other hand, seemed pretty relaxed and casual about the whole thing, until it got to the business end, when it clearly started to matter to him. Phil deserved the W.

There was no UK production, we just saw the US feed, and it was without doubt the most vulgar piece of television I've ever seen in my life. Posing with bundles of cash, crass side bets of $200k on nearest the pin, Ron Burgundy in the studio, it made Al Czervik look classy. In many ways the course was perfect for the event, golf's answer to Pamela Anderson, all artificial curves, attractive in a trashy and impossibly fake way with silly plastic waterfalls and boulders carefully placed in a creek.

Not sure if it will catch on, but there is clearly a market for ostentatious displays of wealth. I expect the next edition will be in Qatar or somewhere the Middle East.

One more thing. Every other hole at Shoddy Creek seemed to be a dogleg right. Darren Clarke noted this too in his commentary. Was this chosen to favour one player? Watching a tournament at this course would get boring pretty quickly.

Tee Times for PGATour Champions Q-school

https://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/pgatour-champions-q-school/tee-times.html

Hadn't spotted that Tommy's tuckered out and Keegs has replaced him in the second Tiger exhibition in a fortnight.
Good decision by Mr.Fleetwood I would think.

raycastleunited wrote:

pedro wrote:Ok I admit, I watched most of The Match last night. The golf was pretty poor, but it actually ended up being exciting at the end and you could see both players were nervous. Obviously it all meant most to Phil and I also think he was a deserved winner.
But a bit perverted to watch them throw bets of up to a million $ per hole. Golfs Black Friday.

I watched it too. I recorded it and then watched it on Sunday morning (without knowing the outcome). I enjoyed it because I could fast forward through the painful small talk as Tiger and Phil walked down the fairway and was able to watch the shots only.

This reminded me of a low scoring cricket ODI on a slow sub continental wicket. Sometimes a bit attritional but result always in the balance. Not as spectacular as a run fest on a flat track, but much more tense.

I got the impression that it meant more to Phil, he was more up for it, looked better prepared, had spent more time on the course developing a game plan. Tiger on the other hand, seemed pretty relaxed and casual about the whole thing, until it got to the business end, when it clearly started to matter to him. Phil deserved the W.

There was no UK production, we just saw the US feed, and it was without doubt the most vulgar piece of television I've ever seen in my life. Posing with bundles of cash, crass side bets of $200k on nearest the pin, Ron Burgundy in the studio, it made Al Czervik look classy. In many ways the course was perfect for the event, golf's answer to Pamela Anderson, all artificial curves, attractive in a trashy and impossibly fake way with silly plastic waterfalls and boulders carefully placed in a creek.

Not sure if it will catch on, but there is clearly a market for ostentatious displays of wealth. I expect the next edition will be in Qatar or somewhere the Middle East.

I did see the 24/7 build up programme on t'interwang and (unless it was a deliberate effect in the edit) it looked like that. The programme showed Phil playing and scouting the course, getting yardages, angles etc. All the stuff you'd expect a pro to do in the build up to a tourney, while it showed Tiger having a knock round a "home" course in Floridia. Missing 7 irons and putts. Like I say, it may just be the edit put out and they both did the prep work but the impression was that Phil was working the course and Tiger was going to turn up and play.

I guess Tiger cares about career stats and Phil still cares about Tiger having been better than him and this meant nothing to Tiger apart from a bit of small change to charity.

I did like one quip in the 24/7. They were speaking to both of them and there was a bit about Tiger being 3 shy of beating Snead's total of 82 and they banged on about it for a couple of minutes until Phil chirped up about only being 39 behind. All tongue in cheek and chuckles, apart from it being quite clear that the undercurrent was Phil's ego having been jolted by not being part of that bit of conversation.

Back to back:
It's not just DeLaet and Woods undergoing microdiscectomy, but Kevin Chappell is getting in on the act. Hadn't realised he was struggling but now he could disappear for a year, as DeLaet has done for the second or third time.

Great that Woods is intent on being a Playing Captain at the Presidents Cup.
Especially seeing as his Playing Vice Captain performance at the Ryder Cup went so well.

Couldn't be more delusional if he applied for a job as a driving instructor.

kwinigolfer wrote:Great that Woods is intent on being a Playing Captain at the Presidents Cup.
Especially seeing as his Playing Vice Captain performance at the Ryder Cup went so well.

Couldn't be more delusional if he applied for a job as a driving instructor.

I don't know about that. It's the President's cup, nobody takes it seriously. If he announced he was going to be a playing captain for the Ryder Cup now that would be a different matter.

Kwini, these players got into final stage PGATour Champions Q-School (and their position on the 2018 PGATour Champions Money list.

No idea how a player like Dan Olsen got exempted into Final Stage

Spoiler:

Agree GPB, and I've never heard of Walt Chapman.

PS: One or two others were also exempt (e.g. Tom Byrum) but are going to ride their luck given their existing status.
Whilst Phillip Price has won more money (not all of it "official, e.g. World Series whilst a European Tour member) on the PGA Tour than most of this lot, plus a good dabble on the Champo, and he had to go thru Stage 1 . . . . . . . . . .

Mixed bag of no-names at Champions Tour Q-School, not a full-strength-field Tour win among the leading 15 (with just a few holes to play in Round 3). Phillip Price booking his ticket back to Pontypridd.

Go Gibby!

GPB wrote:Go Gibby!

Nice going.
Is he good enough to succeed on the Champo Tour?

Kinda surprised Skip Kendall hasn't done better with his opportunities, but can't see any of the rest of this lot doing the business. Back same time next year for most of 'em.

It's been 30+ years since I played with him. He was good back then, but he was a level below his Dad.

When I lived near Chattanooga, the club pros and few invited guests would have a impromtu pro-am gambling game on Mondays (autumn and winter) when most of the clubs were closed. You could gamble as much as you wanted. Groups were divided into ability, but most groups had at least two scratch players and a low handicapper and one mid range handicapper (that was me at the time). Each week we would go to a different course

We would play Single ball, double low ball and triple low ball at a minimum, 5-5-5 on each bet and a skins game. Plus any side games that you wanted

I got paired with Gibby II and Gibby III fairly frequently. Gibby II would shoot 65 or better nearly every time.

This guy was also part of our group

http://www.proputters.com/NewFebPlayers/pros/vance_randall.htm

Tiger is a humble host. Wonder if he’s ‘fatigued’ after his Phil bout?

Henrik Stenson with a new caddie whilst Gareth Lord recovers from shoulder surgery. Might be permanent. On the bag is Scott Vail - ex caddie of Brandt Snedeker.

I'm never wrong wrote:Henrik Stenson with a new caddie whilst Gareth Lord recovers from shoulder surgery. Might be permanent. On the bag is Scott Vail - ex caddie of Brandt Snedeker.

They seemed to be saying Stenson & Lord are no more anyway.
Scott Vail's Dad was a long-time ice hockey star, not too far short of Hall Of Fame credentials.