PGA Tour: WGC:MatchPlay: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).The "Match Play" returns to Texas and Austin CC's Pete Dye design for the fourth time - and it's the 5th time the tournament has started off with three rounds of round-robin "Group Play", the first time having been played at San Francisco's Harding Park.

2).And: In all those first round matches (4 x 32 = 128, I think) only 8 golfers have lost their first match and progressed out of Group play, according to the AP's Doug Ferguson - and he's always right. An amazing stat.
(That's not good news for King Louis and Ben An as I press "send".)

3).Just a word about Paul Casey, and his Valspar win last week. When he won last year, he made clutch putts to hold off T.Woods and others, having earned a deserved reputation, in PGA Tour Play at least, for failing to close the deal. But now he's successfully defended his title and seems fit and healthy enough, with fantastic ball-striking and apparently a much sunnier outlook on life, to add further titles as he moves through his forties. Now comfortably inside the top 40 career money earners.
Pretty good to see.

4).Two or three neat stat's for this week, for those in today's field only:
~Only four are survivors of the inaugural WGC: MatchPlay in 1999.
And you guessed 'em all: Furyk, Mickelson, Westwood & Woods.

5).Top ten in terms of matches played:
43: Woods
42: Poulter
41: Sergio
40: Casey
38: Furyk, Phil
37: Rors
36: Kuchar, Westwood
33: Day

6).And top ten in terms of matches won:
33: Woods
27: Poults
25: Casey
24: Kooch, Phil, Rors
22: Day, Sergio
20: Bubba
19: Louis, Furyk

7).There's an "Opposite Field" tournament in the Dominican Republic this week - Paul Dunne returns, hoping to improve on his T5 last year. And McDowell will hope for a strong finish after he rather squandered a decent start last week.

8).And the Champions Tour and web.com Tours resume their seasons.

9).NBC TV is televising seven events in a row, no Johnny Miller and, for the most part anyway (I haven't heard him except on Golf Channel's coverage), no Peter Jacobsen.
Neither were my favourite but there seems to be little rhythm in the commentary teams we're left with, especially last week with no Maltbie.
Notah Begay slows everything down - is he really the best they can do? - and the team don't seem to know how to deal with Azinger, who I like a lot. And Bones McKay is terrific!

10).Tiger Woods tees off at 2.00 p.m. Eastern Time, 6.00 p.m. in Ickenham.
And TV coverage begins at 2.00 p.m. Fancy that. Tiger TV.

GPB,
I think O'Meara has been withdrawn from the list of next week's runners.

I wonder if you saw pd's note that Luiten joining the Valero field causes the strength of field to go up, and winner's share of owgr pts to 40 from 38.
(Though I'm pretty sure that's an oversimplification.)

GPB wrote:Garcia in 2013 offered to hang out with Tiger and eat Fried Chicken.

I don't care if Garcia is a Spaniard.  Its well known that mentioning fried chicken with respect to a Black American is racist.  Think Fuzzy Zoeller in 1977.

Garcia had been acclimated to American culture for over a decade.  He was not ignorant of the reference.  (Why did he specifically say Fried Chicken?  why not grilled chicken, or hamburgers, or whatever)

Honestly. Woods said he 'putted like a spaz' in the past. Does that make him inherently discriminatory towards those with cerebral palsy and/or other disabilities? I seriously doubt it. Garcia wasn't even born in '77 and it's a complete assumption that he was aware of the reference, or its significance. Playing golf professionally is hardly going to ensure you regularly spend time with loads of black Americans and discuss racial stereotypes, is it? If Garcia's use of the phrase is a racist remark as used, why do people insist in conflating that as meaning that Garcia is de facto racist?

This OTT character assassination by social media 'influencers' who crave attention, on the basis of stuff all real evidence, needs to stop.

navyblueshorts wrote:

GPB wrote:Garcia in 2013 offered to hang out with Tiger and eat Fried Chicken.

I don't care if Garcia is a Spaniard.  Its well known that mentioning fried chicken with respect to a Black American is racist.  Think Fuzzy Zoeller in 1977.

Garcia had been acclimated to American culture for over a decade.  He was not ignorant of the reference.  (Why did he specifically say Fried Chicken?  why not grilled chicken, or hamburgers, or whatever)

Honestly. Woods said he 'putted like a spaz' in the past. Does that make him inherently discriminatory towards those with cerebral palsy and/or other disabilities? I seriously doubt it. Garcia wasn't even born in '77 and it's a complete assumption that he was aware of the reference, or its significance. Playing golf professionally is hardly going to ensure you regularly spend time with loads of black Americans and discuss racial stereotypes, is it? If Garcia's use of the phrase is a racist remark as used, why do people insist in conflating that as meaning that Garcia is de facto racist?

This OTT character assassination by social media 'influencers' who crave attention, on the basis of stuff all real evidence, needs to stop.

I can go along with the OTT character assassination remarks need to tone down, that's fine. I can't be doing with the need for apologist explanations about something that is, as clear as day is day, a race related sneer.  Does it make him a racist, not necessarily, is there a reason why black people would have a right to take offence should they so wish, absolutely it is. But we've been here before.
Is conflating the new online buzz term? Have you conflated the issue by mentioning the Tiger comment? Is one persons conflation another persons...can't think of another word, so some other word that over complicates a sentence.

Fuzzy made his fried chicken comment during the 1997 Masters.



"tell him not to serve fried chicken next year".



And even the telegraph thinks Sergio's comment was racist. If they are admitting it then maybe some of the apologists on here need to have a rethink.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/10078790/Sergio-Garcia-isnt-the-sharpest-wedge-in-the-bag.html

Pea brain's comment was absolutely racist. Is he a racist? I think so, but that's just my opinion.

And for those of you that are still uncertain if it's offensive, come on down to West Philadelphia and start asking Africans Americans that pass by just how much fried chicken they eat. Let me know how that works out for you.

Anyone see Tomas Bjorn's tweet predictions for top 10's at the Masters?
Early Masters thoughts...
Three definite top ten
Tiger
JR
Casey

Three most likely top ten
Rory
DJ
Frankie

Three good chance of top ten
Bjerregaard
Schauffele
Oosthuizen

Thoughts?

First reply : Eddie Pepperell
"Load of bo110ck5"!!

I appreciate English isn’t his first language, but what’s the difference between “three definite” and “three most likely”? Are they the three next most likely after the definites?

I can’t see beyond Rose and Rory for guaranteed top ten myself, Casey isn’t a bad shout either.

I just got a laugh out of Eddie's reply

Typo in my last post.  I meant the Fuzzy remarks were in 1997 (not 1977) and Sergio was most definitely born by 1997.

I admit agree that racist remarks do not necessarily mean someone is a racist.  But I do think that Sergio knew the fried chicken reference was a racist reference.

Diggers wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Super

You are going to have to explain this?

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Hard to know where to come down on gimmie gate. One walks about like a grinning idiot with an air head demeanor and the other is a petulant racist wee prick.

I thought you were a liberal Mac? Seems you aren't.

Thought I might given how poor your grasp of language is.

Have you never said anything that you think might be inappropriate before? (maybe comparing Lee Westwood to a Downs syndrome person?) Perhaps you've said a few things you regret and which misrepresent what you actually think?

If you're a liberal, you grant a person a second chance don't you? Has Garcia ever said anything since which could be construed as racist? No, so why are you still beating him with a stick for something he said bloody years ago. Are you the same person you were 5 years ago? I doubt it.  It's not like you can genuinely say you haven't said anything you don't regret is it? Don't tell me you haven't.

Of course, it's quite OK to beat someone like Corbyn with a stick for old comments taken out of context. That's different.
Also I've never seen that definition of a Liberal, I think it's that basic lack of any knowledge that leads you into so many misconceptions. That plus the fact you are a hypocrite.

Here we go again. Corbyn has repeatedly made errors in speech and demonstrated numerous actions which unveil very dubious views and opinions, Garcia has done it once and he's a pariah and the most racist person to ever walk the earth.

Garcia is also not angling to be the leader of a country, he's an uneducated sportsman with no bearing on anything. Corbyn could actually represent the people he stands against so vehemently. Big bloody difference.

Now, what Garcia said may well have been intentionally racist, but it's ONE incident, just as I'd give Corbyn a second chance if he had actually just made one error, but Corbyn has done it numerous times. There's no sense of contrition from either, but at least Garcia hasn't repeated it like Corbyn has.

Let's not talk about hypocrisy Diggers, you're the past master at that.

super_realist wrote:

Diggers wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Super

You are going to have to explain this?

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Hard to know where to come down on gimmie gate. One walks about like a grinning idiot with an air head demeanor and the other is a petulant racist wee prick.

I thought you were a liberal Mac? Seems you aren't.

Thought I might given how poor your grasp of language is.

Have you never said anything that you think might be inappropriate before? (maybe comparing Lee Westwood to a Downs syndrome person?) Perhaps you've said a few things you regret and which misrepresent what you actually think?

If you're a liberal, you grant a person a second chance don't you? Has Garcia ever said anything since which could be construed as racist? No, so why are you still beating him with a stick for something he said bloody years ago. Are you the same person you were 5 years ago? I doubt it.  It's not like you can genuinely say you haven't said anything you don't regret is it? Don't tell me you haven't.

Of course, it's quite OK to beat someone like Corbyn with a stick for old comments taken out of context. That's different.
Also I've never seen that definition of a Liberal, I think it's that basic lack of any knowledge that leads you into so many misconceptions. That plus the fact you are a hypocrite.

Here we go again. Corbyn has repeatedly made errors in speech and demonstrated numerous actions which unveil very dubious views and opinions, Garcia has done it once and he's a pariah and the most racist person to ever walk the earth.

Garcia is also not angling to be the leader of a country, he's an uneducated sportsman with no bearing on anything. Corbyn could actually represent the people he stands against so vehemently. Big bloody difference.

Now, what Garcia said may well have been intentionally racist, but it's ONE incident, just as I'd give Corbyn a second chance if he had actually just made one error, but Corbyn has done it numerous times. There's no sense of contrition from either, but at least Garcia hasn't repeated it like Corbyn has.

Let's not talk about hypocrisy Diggers, you're the past master at that.

List these repeated errors and supposedly demonstrated actions. You aren't just a hypocrite, you're a blatant liar.

Repeated errors. Well shall we start with Corbyn REPEATEDLY refusing to denounce anti-Semitism in his party, or how about Corbyn repeatedly refusing to expel anti semites from within his party, or perhaps his repeated meetings with very questionable organisations around the world to which he refuses to explain?

How's that for a start?

Corbyn's own quote is "I can't name one mistake I've made, there's been too many"

super_realist wrote:Repeated errors. Well shall we start with Corbyn REPEATEDLY refusing to denounce anti-Semitism in his party, or how about Corbyn repeatedly refusing to expel anti semites from within his party, or perhaps his repeated meetings with very questionable organisations around the world to which he refuses to explain?

How's that for a start?

Corbyn's own quote is "I can't name one mistake I've made, there's been too many"

Daily Mail crap, no specific examples. As for the last line, the fact you can't see the credit in admitting that speaks volumes.

Yes, ADMITTING that proves that Corbyn makes repeated mistakes, in his own admission. Doesn't say that he's contrite.

It's not Daily Mail "crap" that Corybn has denounced anti Semitism, it's well known and well reported, and until he was virtually put up against the wall it was never forthcoming. He never expelled Livingstone, and he hasn't expelled Degsy Hatton either despite disgraceful comments.

super_realist wrote:
It's not Daily Mail "crap" that Corybn has denounced anti Semitism, it's well known and well reported,

So he has denounced it. So what's your problem?

Can you take the Corbyn stuff to 'Anything goes' please.? Ta.

GPB wrote: Sergio was most definitely born in 1997.

Definitely or most likely?