PGA Tour: The John Deere Classic: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).No argument with Nick Watney winning last week's AT&T National Invitational; -1 after 45 holes, -12 for the next 27, better than anyone else could muster up in 72 holes. "Young Gun" Rickie Fowler disappointed once again, three over par for the same 27 crucial holes.

2).And Watney pretty much clinches his spot on Fred Couples' Presidents Cup Team; he's now third in the qualifying rankings behind Kuchar and Stricker. Mickelson, Bubba and Dustin Johnson will likely join them, while Fowler now ranks 21st, Tiger Woods 23rd. Not much homefield advantage though for Greg Norman in Melbourne as he only has two Aussies (Day and Scott) in the top ten qualifying positions. High time for Allenby, Badds and Ogilvy to get their proverbial skates on.

3).Why does the PGA Tour persist in bigging up great old-style courses and dumbing them down for touring pros? Last summer, in a five week span, this happened at Toronto's St George's where Carl Pettersson shot a third round 60, the Old White Course at The Greenbrier, site of Appleby's winning 59, and Greensboro's Sedgefield where Atwal blasted a 61 on his way to a 20-under par win. Now last weekend at Aronomink where Adam Scott was thrilled with his third round of 66 until he realised there were 62's, 63's, 64's to be had. All very well playing Donald Ross classics but Betsy Ross could have come up with something more challenging than Saturday's set-up.

4).But good things come to those who wait - even Mike Weir, who happily made his second cut of the year, albeit almost six months after his first.

5).The American sporting press spends much of its time covering things because of what they wish would happen, not those that are happening. Hence their big stories this summer: The NFL strike which of course they need to finish by the time you read this; the NBA lock-out, ditto; Tiger's will-he, won't he play and when; the Williams Sisters etc. Let's help them on the Tiger saga. What do you think of this book for his return in the next year?
3/1: Firestone
10/1: PGA
100/1: Greensboro
100/1: Las Vegas
20/1: Disney
20/1 HSBC Champions if qualified.
10/1: Koala Open or other such appearance fee laden rinky-dink event Down Under.
2/1: Tiger's Chevron benefit.
3/1: San Diego

6).Tiger won't be in the Iowa/Illinois "Quad Cities" this week supporting the John Deere Classic, site of one of Tiger's earliest appearances as a PGA Tour member - he led into the final round only to be beaten by The Grip, Ed Fiori! But two top tenners are here, Steve Stricker, going for his hat-trick of wins, and Jason Day rewarding the folks who gave him his first Tour start.

7).And Champion Golfer Louis Oosthuizen will be on hand, a somewhat curious spot to launch his defence amongst a veritable plethora of Open Champions; King Louis plays with Day and Stewart Cink, ahead of Hamilton, Daly and Duval. Kudos to the tee-time guys for coming up with those groups!

8).As well as Stricker, and Todd Hamilton, local boys trying to make good this week include Jerry Kelly, Mark Wilson, DA Points and loyal Iowan Zach Johnson.

9).The Champions Tour are playing at Pebble Beach. Every so often a bright spark launches the idea of a Senior Ryder Cup, but Europeans are just not competitive in the world of Senior Golf, Bernhard Langer of course excepted. Even USA vs the Rest of the World would struggle to compete. Price and Frost sure, Peter Senior is enjoying a strong season, McNulty still putts like a dream, and Joe Ozaki has his moments, but Europeans over fifty seem to have better things to do, or just have Senior careers which have fizzled. The European Senior Tour players seem to have fun, but they seldom compete strongly in Majors.

10).No Nationwide business this week but the ladies are in Colorado, at The Broadmoor, for the US Women's Open. British competitors include Ms's Davies, Matthew, Morgan, Reid and Stupples. Ooh, and Lindsey Wright.

Hi Nay,
Don't want to feed s_r's prejudices but;
Marino has put on a good couple of stone since he burst on the scene about four years ago. I've seen him in contention several times now, at tournaments he should have won. For some reason he seems to make poor decisions or poor swings at crucial times. I seriously doubt he'll fulfil his promise until he gets himself properly fit.
Not saying he couldn't win a birdie-fest like this week, but not likely if it's close coming down the straight.

Seems as if they're settling on 13 for Daly. A caricature of himself if ever there was one.

Goydos off to poor start with 2 bogies and a double thru 6

A couple of extraordinary shots by Goydos out of deep divots.

Only one survivor out of the five Open Champions, Todd Hamilton.

Chez Reavie has diminished "status" on Tour after not advancing from his Major Medical status. A top three finish this week would secure full Tour membership for 2012.

The Ballwasher will be concentrating on The Viking Classic next week, the Madison Mississippi event which recently has been a Fall Series tournament.

It should have stayed there; Mississippi should be hot and sweaty in mid-July, not appealing for golf, and the field reflects that. There might be one or two top 100 golfers in the field but no more than that. Richard S.Johnson looks to be the only European due to attend, but quite a few Seniors, led by Kenny Perry.

Very disappointing for the sponsors, put up a $3.6M purse and the Tour spits in your face.

Kwini, do you think there should even be an event opposite the majors especially if it offers nothing different and a poor field. If the tour wishes to hold an event against a major I always feel it should be exploring new territories or offering something different in terms of who plays in it.

Agreed Mac, This makes no sense at all.

At one time the old BC Open went up against The Open, then Milwaukee which actually attracted some good names. Last year it was Reno, which now goes up against Firestone.

But this just doesn't work and the field is vastly inferior to last October's event which Bill Haas won.

This is how traditional community tournaments get driven into the ground. Too bad. But I shouldn't think Flinchem gives a monkey's.

The thing with these "alternates" is that they have to accept their lot. If they realise they're second-tier events and go along with it, it works fine as an opportunity to get tour golf to some new places, and give an extra tournament's entry to the Q-school guys. Europe does it with Madeira and St Omer, and the PGA Tour has got the hang with the Mexico and Puerto Rico events. But shunting tournaments into the spots from elsewhere in the schedule just doesn't work, it's a kiss of death, and a kick in the face to the organisers and sponsors which inevitably rebounds in the tournament closing.

The other thing that doesn't help is that they've scheduled this the same weekend as the Nationwide returns from a two-week break, which makes no sense. The Viking field was always gonna be pretty average, but it couldn't have hurt to have the likes of Goggin and Chopra there, by shifting this week's Nationwide event a week or two earlier.

Agreed Ned,
It's beyond stupid, almost kamikaze stuff.
A "super" Nationwide event for half the prizemoney would have had twice the field.

Back to the Quad Cities, and let's hope "The Midwest farmers' daughters really made the PGA pros feel alright" last night. Gorgeous morning, hot this afternoon and more of the same for Sunday, with the threat of an afternoon storm.
Breezy today, but sunny and dry and the boys will be off in a few minutes. More low scores are inevitable and there were some extended birdie runs. Brian Davis had a nice round going before he birdied his final hole, and you'd think he'd prosper again this weekend.
But they all have to beat Stricker who'd presumably cement his fifth place in the owgr just behind Rory with a win.

A big week for Chez Reavie who'd clinch his PGA Tour status for 2012 with a top three finish.

Hi kwini,
The lull in the Scottish action allows to watch Le Tour. Excellent first week with lots of team jostling with a good mixture of different styled riders hitting the front. Can't imagine watching this event without the commentary of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. Also greatly appreciate Cliff Drysdale. It'll be a sad day when he no longer commentates on tennis.

I've never placed a wager on golf. What happens when the tourney is shortened as in this weekends play at Castle Stuart? Are the payouts the same or are the bets cancelled? I guess it depends on what the bet is on.

Bonjourno venezia,

Feel very sorry for the Scottish Open people, extraordinarily uncharacteristic weather I would have thought. But what a beautiful looking course and location.

A great first week dans Le TDF, and I see you're just about to experience your own version of that: Carmaggedon. I was working just off the 405 in Irvine when OJ was being "chased", reminds me of the old joke:
"OJ is on the Ten."
"He's on the Five!"
"He's on the Four O Five!"

I would have thought all bets would stand unless the nature of the result is changed, an abandonment for instance. But I used to be a lot before on-line betting became the rage, the whole structure seems to be changing so I might be way outdated.

Glad #2, AFraud and Mariano are dodging the All Star game; important weekend and let's hope we get off to a good start this afternoon.

As for the John Deere, a very poor start from Brian Davis but Cameron Triangle is going gangbusters - he really seems a player, better and better month after month. Reckon he'll win a small event soon.

But the top three will take some beating this week.

kwini

Are you watching the womens us open?

Hi Mac,
No!
Actually not sure it's on, but am watching Yankees baseball, a major milestone just accomplished by a great Yankee - most important news of the day!

Fine (-5) back nine by Brian Davis to somewhat compensate for a dismal front.
Scoring getting lower at TPC Deere Run by the minute - already 2 x 66's and 7 x 67's. More to come no doubt.

Getting more and more confident about my Stricker bet. A 75-feet put for birdie at the 1st and leading at 15-under after 4 holes! Looks like a birdie fest is on there yet again.

GJ's gone a bit quiet... Jason Day may be feeling sorry at the moment that he made the cut. But there are a few other aussies up there to keep him happy.

7:30pm and they're off?!? Can't remember ever having a start time for a day round as late as this. Better late than never I suppose...

Oh well, just thought the womens event might have been a little more interesting than the John Deere and the course is in a spectacular setting. According to the blurb a Donald Ross at the start of its life.

At lest the US women some to have maintained a slightly higher standing in the ranking than the men.

All the top owgr guys look comfortably inside the CS cut-line, pd, just Sneds and perhaps Ryan Palmer looking like they'll miss out, unless The Laird does something silly.
Presumably conditions will lend themselves as much to scoring as yesterday morning's did - my Ned fantasy Team depends on it!

Quite a cross-section of contenders at the John Deere, golden oldies and young guys, over achievers and Marino. Always enjoy this event for some reason, coverage coming up shortly!

pd, If Stricker wins I'm thinking he'll stay a tenth of a point or so behind Rory?

Mac,
I'll catch up with the girls later when they get into Round 3. Still completing Round 2 right now.

Now I'm really confused... so they didn't actually start anything in the end.
Here's what they say on the ET site:

"One final attempt to resume was made at 7.30pm, but when the players returned to their positions on the course, there was simply too much water affecting the Castle Stuart course."

kwini, John Deere is gonna be worth 30 pts in the end (right at the upper limit of the 30pts range), and Stricker will end up almost 3 tenths behind Rors, but he'll be quite a bit ahead of the next guys and maintaining a remote chance to get to #1 with another win at the Open next week. Well, but let's wait now to see if he wins this one first...

kwinigolfer wrote:Hi Mac,
No!
Actually not sure it's on, but am watching Yankees baseball, a major milestone just accomplished by a great Yankee - most important news of the day!

Hey Kwini

I assume Jeter Got his 3000th hit

Nay Bother, Yup,
Singled for 2,999
Homered for 3,000
Doubled for 3,001
3 for 3 so far, he'll be going for the cycle in a few minutes.
Very moving moment when he homered for #3,000, brought a tear to my eye . . . .

That was a great moment, kwini. Now he's 4 for 4, still needs that triple though I'd take a 6 for 6 day if Girardi allows him to play through.

Everybody's turning into a Farmer John and plowing deep into the Illinois soil except for... Jason Day? +4 and worst round of the day.

Are they expected to finish up the 2nd and complete the final 3rd round in Scotland tomorrow? Hope the weather cooperates. A wash-out would be a sin.

What's with the Women's U.S. Open in Colorado. Thunderstorms? One would think that 2 sisters leading a major after 2 rounds would receive more attention. Alas, such is the plight of ladies professional golf these days.

So 3000 runs sounds good but what is that in terms of achievements in other sports?

Is it the same as 100 career goals in EPL or something?

venice

When you say two sisters are they actually sisters or are they lesbians?

McLaren wrote:So 3000 runs sounds good but what is that in terms of achievements in other sports?

Is it the same as 100 career goals in EPL or something?

Well he is the only New York Yankee to make 3000 hits so that in it self is big and he is only the 28th player ever to do it, (feel free to correct me if im wrong)

That's correct Kwini. It's quite a big deal!

Mac
3,000 hits.
Would have thought it was roughly equivalent to the old 30,000 runs in cricket. Or 100 centuries.
Far more unusual than 100 goals in the EPL, don't think there's really a comparison there, but at least 200 goals.

Castle Stuart Round 2 is scheduled to recommence at 7.00 a.m. Sunday, then presumably to be followed by Round 3. Let's hope it all goes to plan.

Stricker putting on a clinic, but wouldn't think any lead is safe; what with his habit of getting a little tight even with a big lead, and the nature of the course, you'd think he'd want to reach -20 today at the very least.

And Kwini, I'd agree it's comparable to having 100 first class centuries, although 25 have done the 100 whereas 28 have done 3000. Interestingly enough, the 500 home run club has 25 members.

Home runs ain't what they used to be, Dave. Too many cheap ones during the steroid era has certainly diminished the status of that achievement, whereas nothing has really occurred to lessen the stature of the 3,000 hit club.

Yeah that's true. Do you still hold the 300 win club in high regard or is that sullied in your mind? I think 250 wins will become the new 300 though.

Kwini, only shearer has ever scored more than 200 Premiership goals, and as for cricket I have no idea at all about that sport.

Does the shortening of the Scottish open have any effect on Open qualification?

Mac,
Fair enough, that's about right then. Sure if Div 1 goals and EPL goals were added together there might be one or two more? Anyway, 100 EPL goals are relatively two a penny, what, 19 in less than 20 years?
This is an achievement only reached 28 times in 125 years, first since about 2007.
Big significance with Jeter is he's done it all with one club, the most revered/notorious of all. Not many have done that, and none with the Yanks.

Mac,
I'd say that is a 50/50 proposition although I believe the acceptance of Lesbianism in Japan hasn't reached it's peak yet. I would have to say based on attending LPGA events in Southern California over the years that the gallery is in the majority for those that resemble your basic West Hollywood bar clientelle.

As for the significance of Jeter being the only Yankee with 3,000 hits (an incredible stat in itself given that former players for the Yankees hold the greatest share of pro baseball stat records) is that the Yankee organization since the days of Babe Ruth (1920 - on) have always gotten rid of their greatest players when they started aging or were 'fortunate' enough that the players suffered physical maladies which curtailed their careers before they could be given the boot.

venice1 wrote:Mac,
I would have to say based on attending LPGA events in Southern California over the years that the gallery is in the majority for those that resemble your basic West Hollywood bar clientelle.

I think the current vernacular is "wearer of comfortable shoes" or "fans of Dorothy"

Big day for Yankee fans. Let's enjoy it - Jeter a true professional who came to play every day and found magic more than once in the late Fall. Still think it will be the Bosox/Phillies in October ... at least then there will be no divided loyalties in the house.

Stricker on a tear ... but will the game travel?

Agree SH,
Does anyone think Stricker will be a real threat next week?

Davie,
I like your, "fans of Dorothy." I've been turned down in the clubs by a few ladies not realizing that they belonged to such a club. Now that I think about it, they were wearing red sequin shoes over short white ankle stockings.

Will Strickers game travel and make him a threat next week? Probably not, although checking his wiki page I found to my surprise he has two open top tens. The rest of his open finishes are generally cur or outside the top 50.

Don't fancy Strick at all next week. Rather feel it may be a long week for American golf, jusy don't see who's likely to make a challenge. Except Snedeker of course.

No concession to any Sunday weather for Round 4 tee times at the John Deere.
The boy's, or rather boy, will be off'n'running at 7.15, Jason Day in the unaccustomed position/indignity of opening the batting solo, don't know if he'll call for a runner/marker. GJ - perhaps you've volunteered?

Regardless, Stricker has rather stretched the field into a four horse race; De Jonge faded when in the mix at Transitions and it must be a better than even money bet that Strick will add another tractor to his collection. Good for him, it will make up for any disappointment next week.

No "Singing in the Rain" at TPC Deere Run, yet. Lovely morning but reportedly a 70% chance of late afternoon storms. No change to the tee-times and Jason Day kicks things off in just over an hour.
Brian Davis can wave goodbye to any chance of a top two finish, but a 60-something will likely earn him a $100K payday, continuing his good recent form.

No problems with rain on the Monterey Peninsula where the Champions Tour is completing their week's business at Pebble Beach. Mark Mouland shot a fine 67 in Round 2 and he starts his final round in 11th place, a chance to collect the first really big cheque of his Champions Tour career. Not so good yesterday from Roger Chapman and he continues to struggle - like Mouland he'll almost certainly lose his "status" at the end of 2011. Back to Q-School for them, or back to Europe?

Kwini

Did you manage to watch in of the Public links played on bandons old MacDonald? I think one of the preliminary rounds may have been played on the bandon trails course.

No didn't see any of it, but I think they used a number of the courses, women's and men's at the same location necessitating that.
Old MacDonald is supposed to be fabulous . . . . !

Morning kwini,

Good to see they're playing at Stuart Castle. It has to be one of the largest logjams ever going into the last round of a tourney. Losing a round is not good but certainly today's finish will make up for that in some way.

Can't see Stricker losing his 3rd tractor in a row. Would say that de Jonge has a shot but he's so streaky. Reavie and Stanley don't strike fear yet either.

Wonder if GJ is about watching the Sweden/Oz Women's World Cup. Sweet and timely goal by Oz's Ellyse Perry to pull within one at half.

My error yesterday as had read that the Miyazato girls were sisters. Not true. Hail from the same Island of Okinawa but who knows, maybe there was a 'family feud' in previous centuries and now there supposedly is no relation between the two.

Kwini

I wonder what the chances are that we could see a major played at bandon some day. It is hard to see chambers bay and bandon getting used given the similar location and "links" type of course. Although I am sure you have pointed out before how badly the majors are spread geographically.

As good as old mac is it must almost be quicker for you to get to the UK compared to Oregon?

In saying that I would be tempted to make a trip to bandon at some point and I live about 20 miles from one of the best stretches of golf in the world.

Mac,
Only negative about Bandon would be its distance from a population centre and availability of necessary infrastructure, roads, hotels etc.
I know Shinnecock and Pebble are kinda remote, but they're iconic venues and there is ceretainly beaucoup accomodation around Monterey, not sure about Shinny though hope to find out in a few years!
(Hasn't stopped Royal St.George's of course!)

Exciting finish in both tournaments. Probably the avalanche of birdies has something to do with that... Just a bit odd that top guys like the world no. 6&7 are at the bottom of the respective piles right now...

Hi pd,
Lukey seemingly on his way beside the sea, Monty in reverse.

Trahan leading out the early starters beside the Rock River.
Trahan's worth keeping an eye on, hitting the ball great recently, not making many putts but is quite capable of going really low - perhaps today.

Kwini - I just dropped you a PM.

See that Jason Day is scorching the field by 7 holes today. 3 birdies, 3 bogeys. Not bad for speed golf.

Hobo,
There were originally 19 golfers scheduled to thumb a lift on the special charter to England. That number will have risen as "alternates" (Garrigus, Marino etc) were added to the RStG field, though Toms of course went home to Louisiana.

'Morning venice, You were off to the gym way too early!
GJ has been quiet and Jason Day has certainly given him a lot to be quiet about, good to see him skate around in under two hours though, a lesson to everyone, especially as he can be quite "deliberate" at times.
Trahan and Stroud rather parking the bus in comparison, the whole field stacked up behind them, rather like planes coming into O'Hare.

The Scotsmen and Irishmen have been slowly ovetaken by the Englishmen and the Welshman... But I'm very happy with Mark Foster who once again is giving me something to cheer about (apart from Luke, etc.) for my ET fantasy team.