PGA Tour: The Players: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).Well done to Tyrrell Hatton, great win at Bay Hill which continued the run of non-American winners - Day, Leishman, McIlroy, Molinari, Hatton.
This was also an Open Championship qualifier and Keith Mitchell (for the second year running), Danny Lee and Dahmen get to battle the traffic at Royal St.George's in July.

2).For the second week running, the course set-up seemed to make scoring unnecessarily tricky given the prevailing weather conditions. A war of attrition, but not necessarily the most attractive golf for the TV viewer to enjoy.
Hopefully the set-up at TPC Sawgrass will enable the world's best to play their shots.

3).Scott Piercy made news for all the wrong reasons last week and now Tour Commish Monahan has expressed disappointment "in the lack of judgment used" and "that it has been addressed with Scott directly". Good thing Monahan didn't say "he knows better" because Piercy clearly doesn't. But his sponsors do, thankfully, tho' any Tour punishment will be kept unpublished - unless he starts missing tournaments, from which we might draw our own conclusions.
Personally, I'd like to have seen his "invitation" to Bay Hill revoked, but no such disapproval reported from the API.

4).Interesting graph from princedrac's twitter account this week showing the top ten owgr points-getters at The Players:
Four Americans: Woods, DLIII, Furyk, Couples
Three Aussies: Elk, Scott, Shark
Nick Price
Sergio & Langer
A good week, of which there haven't been many recently, will see Garcia can jump from 2nd to 1st, ahead of Tiger.

5).That's reflective of an international honours board with eight of the last twelve winners being "overseas" players.
And first-timers at TPC have a tough time too - after Jerry Pate won on the course's debut in 1982, only Hal Sutton and Craig Perks have won trophy on their first trip. Leading "rookie" last year was Eddie Pepperell who stormed home in 3rd place - but he's busy trying to figure out how you get dq'd three times in less than 2 years.

6).This week looks like the exact halfway point of the pre-Play-Off PGA Tour season, the 23rd event out of a total of 46. About 50 pros have already won enough FedEx Points to assure them a tee-time at the Northern Trust, Round 1 of the FedEx Cup Play-Offs.
Not many are Europeans: McIlroy, Hatton, Rahm, Hovland.

7).And only Fleetwood among other Europeans is comfortably placed, for now.
Those who have struggled this season so far, but are exempt at least through next year, include McDowell (79th), Casey (93rd), Lowry (140th), Molinari (168th), Donald (assuming he takes another earnings exemption - 172nd), Garcia (179th), Willett (181st), Stenson (197th), Wallace (202nd), Rose (205th),
While this lot, all not yet exempt for 2020/21 have it all to do: Straka (82nd), Norlander (84th), Knox (90th), Fitzpatrick (100th), Noren (107th), Rafa C-B (120th), Poulter (128th), Cappelen (130th), Laird (158th), Ventura (175th), Power (201st), Bjerregard (224th), Lewis (227th), plus 3 or 4 others on more tenuous status.

8).But one or two American "faces" are also struggling, with these three less than half-way to a Play-Off goal about 400 pts:
110th: Spieth
111th: D.Johnson
213th: Koepka

9).The Florida "Swing" has a musical chairs of dates next year, starting with Bay Hill, then The Players, followed by "Honda". No word yet on how Valspar fits in, but hopefully retains its fourth slot in Florida.

10).Finally, the Top 64 in the owgr's after The Players will qualify for the WGC-MatchPlay in Austin in a fortnight's time.

Any Valspar Notes will be added here next week.

I watched bay hill, and was torn between enjoying the carnage and not enjoying the carnage. I like to see the odd difficult set up, but a target golf course becoming tricky borders on unfair.

Breaking News!
Tiger Woods elected to the World Golf Hall Of Fame.
Astonishing.

They're off and running at TPC Sawgrass; should be good scoring conditions with just enough breeze to make it interesting.

Always look forward to this week; will the American stars come out to play, unlike the past two events? (I'm guessing Webb Simpson might have a very good tournament . . . . . . . .)

Wonder if Trumps flight ban will affect European players coming over for tournaments like The Masters. A zinger and the PGA will absolutely love that.

The ET has a bit of a hiatus so any Europeans in Europe just now should surely be hopping onto a plane ASAP.

It looks as if Russell Knox 5-putted the first green.
Where did he learn to do that? Dornoch??

I at least 4 putted "Foxy" at Dornoch, but I'm a hack!

Rory receiving massive (and just, IMO) attention as he gears up to defend and gets in top form for Augusta. Really like his chances.

super_realist wrote:Wonder if Trumps flight ban will affect European players coming over for tournaments like The Masters. A zinger and the PGA will absolutely love that.

Other than Westwood, what Euro players (with a legit chance to win or even make the cut) are qualified for the Masters are currently located in Europe.

Psssssssssst:

BTW, and for Westwood the European travel ban does not apply to the UK.

GPB wrote:

super_realist wrote:Wonder if Trumps flight ban will affect European players coming over for tournaments like The Masters. A zinger and the PGA will absolutely love that.

Other than Westwood, what Euro players (with a legit chance to win or even make the cut) are qualified for the Masters are currently located in Europe.

Psssssssssst:

BTW, and for Westwood the European travel ban does not apply to the UK.

Well I don't know where they are are all currently located or more importantly what countries they might have travelled through.
Who is to say that they are all planning on staying in the US for the next month?

Seems like spectators are to be banned from tomorrow. Good job The Masters doesn't have spectators!

Who is to say that they are all planning on staying in the US for the next month?

Given the current travel restrictions and they want to play the Masters, do you think they would leave?

SMH

and BTW, there is the WGC Dell Match Play in a couple weeks. Again, any Int'l player qualified for the Masters (with a chance to win/make cut) will be qualified for the Match Play.

GPB wrote:

Who is to say that they are all planning on staying in the US for the next month?

Given the current travel restrictions and they want to play the Masters, do you think they would leave?

SMH


and BTW, there is the WGC Dell Match Play in a couple weeks.  Again, any Int'l player qualified for the Masters (with a chance to win/make cut) will be qualified for the Match Play.

Completely ignoring where they might have been

What has happened to Rev Gordon Spieth? Stinking the house out again.

Can't see what's to be gained from banning spectators from a golf tournament. And it looks as if Punta Cana is postponed indefinitely.


This is pretty grisly:
https://www.golfchannel.com/news/watch-russell-knox-5-putts-first-hole-players-championship


To paraphrase Seve: "I miss, I miss, I miss, I miss, I make".
Then he eagled the par-4 12th, from 12 ft. Just like Seve.

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:

super_realist wrote:Wonder if Trumps flight ban will affect European players coming over for tournaments like The Masters. A zinger and the PGA will absolutely love that.

Other than Westwood, what Euro players (with a legit chance to win or even make the cut) are qualified for the Masters are currently located in Europe.

Psssssssssst:

BTW, and for Westwood the European travel ban does not apply to the UK.

Well I don't know where they are are all currently located or more importantly what countries they might have travelled through.
Who is to say that they are all planning on staying in the US for the next month?

"..what countries they might have travelled through...."

For a grammar Nazi you do have have your share of grammar errors.

Spoiler:

All but one of them are located in the Jacksonville FL vicinity. The exception (Westwood) is attending a horse event, presumably in the UK.

What difference does it make what countries have been recently stamped in their passport. They are here now, you cannot get into Dr Who's TARDIS and turn back time to prevent them from traveling here. If you starting drilling down through several degrees of separation, just about everyone has been indirectly exposed to the virus.

super_realist wrote:What has happened to Rev Gordon Spieth? Stinking the house out again.

TRollin' trollin' trollin'
tRollin' trollin' trollin'
tRollin' trollin' trollin'
tRollin' trollin' trollin'
Rawhide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKC8pSFg1Vw

I am living rent free in your head!

GPB,
pgatour.com has been very slow recently, especially today. Know of any reason why? Almost unusable.

kwinigolfer wrote:GPB,
pgatour.com has been very slow recently, especially today. Know of any reason why? Almost unusable.

Are you talking about the Live Leaderboard?

Hadn't notice.

But every pairing is being televised on PGATour Live. That might be stressing the bandwidth.

Watching Featured Groups on Sky. One group includes Rose. Commentators saying he has gone back to previous irons.

Super - Jordan is 227th in Driving Accuracy, 221st in Greens Hit and his putting is nothing to write home about these days.

The Masters without patrons.. will be special.

Davie wrote:Seems like spectators are to be banned from tomorrow. Good job The Masters doesn't have spectators!

Underrated post.

Someone Tweeted that wouldn't it be ironic if Rory won The Masters and no one saw it

LPGA has canceled their next three events including their first major of the year.

Rory is calling for 100% testing of the players, and if any test positive, then he wants to shut the tour down.

GPB wrote:LPGA has canceled their next three events including their first major of the year.

Rory is calling for 100% testing of the players, and if any test positive, then he wants to shut the tour down.

I'd say Rory should stick to his golf. Tour players can choose, as CT Pan clearly did today, to sit tournaments out, but I can't see any reason to shut the Tour down. Ludicrous idea.

and POOF, PGATour has canceled the Players, the Valspar, the Dell MP, and the Valero.

~~~Sigh~~~

Guess I am going to watch old Masters on youtube to fill my time.

Schedule view graphic of known cancellations and/or postponements as of tonight... There are some other events in JPN/ASIA & Challenge Tour I assume either already have been or will also be cancelled or postponed, but I've not seen verification as of yet.

GPB wrote:and POOF, PGATour has canceled the Players, the Valspar, the Dell MP, and the Valero.

~~~Sigh~~~

Guess I am going to watch old Masters on youtube to fill my time.

Maybe some Netflix binge weekends for me...

It seems like the sensible option to cancel the event. Unsure why it took so long to make the call

What a miserable piece of news to wake up to.

Surely the masters will go aswell.

beninho wrote:Surely the masters will go aswell.

You can bet the coffin dodger starters won't be attending.

I bet Hideki will have mixed feelings about the cancellation :-p

Could we have the prospects of the Masters being played in say August?

JAS wrote:Could we have the prospects of the Masters being played in say August?

Would allow Botox Woods time to "get more reps"

JAS wrote:Could we have the prospects of the Masters being played in say August?

I think the course is closed for the summer isn't it? What a mess . . . . . .

I wonder if CT Pan's tweet upon withdrawing yesterday morning effectively shone light on the inadequacy of TPC Sawgrass's hygiene practices?
"I'm probably the only one who is not playing. Same number as the hand sanitizers in the clubhouse, locker and dining."

Not sure why the number of hand sanitisers is important given that washing hands with soap is the preferred method.

super_realist wrote:Not sure why the number of hand sanitisers is important given that washing hands with soap is the preferred method.

Yeah. Hand sanitisers (the alcohol-based type) aren't generally as effective against bugs as people think.

Assuming the Masters is not postponed or canceled.

Looking at the Top 50 OWGR bubble for the Masters, it looks like the suspension of golf is going to get #51 GMAC into the Masters (because of attrition). Jason Day is falling fast

Right now, Rob Bolton has 92 players exempt players and expected to play in the Masters.

McDowell will join Bezuidenhout as players who will qualify in the 11th hour making the field total to 94 players.

Although Weisberger just said on Golf Channel that he is trying to catch a flight back to Europe, and he acknowledged that he might not be able to get back to the USA.

And now the Masters has been postponed.

Suppose they had no other option with the masters.

beninho wrote:Suppose they had no other option with the masters.

Shame, would have been a good way to knock off a few of the "bababooey" crowd. Might have got rid of the braggard Gary Player too.

GPB wrote:

Although Weisberger just said on Golf Channel that he is trying to catch a flight back to Europe, and he acknowledged that he might not be able to get back to the USA.

Tell Weisberger he can have my ticket - at a price.

Each pro who teed it up at The Players will get paid approx $52K, including presumably King Louis who did a runner after 7 holes.

Oosty must be looking to re-supply his sick notes. Jason Day is already on his third re-print.

GPB wrote:Oosty must be looking to re-supply his sick notes.  Jason Day is already on his third re-print.

But it IS Louis's first mid-tournament w/d since 2015. And now it won't count anyway. Presumably.

Jason Day has just exited the owgr Top 50, stage left.

Not sure what to do with my Saturday: AFC Fylde vs Aldershot looks attractive but not sure who's got the rights - it must be 50 years since I last watched the Shots . . . . . . . .

The Masters will then probably be played in October, or?

But he does W/D frequently before the tournament starts and the 11th, and after fantasy teams are submitted.

Oosty (Mattress King) and JDay (Balloon Boy) are on my Do Not Roster list.

I would love to see how Augusta plays in the fall.

Better chance of great weather in late Sept/Early August.

Lots of Ryder Cup points are going unclaimed (on both sides) with these tournaments being canceled and/or postponed.