Quick Five: Tour Championship

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Before moving into the quick 5, obvious congrats go out to Henrik Stenson. He was easily the worthy winner of the $10 million Sunday at East Lake, and his attitude of not giving up is a reminder to us all that a little self belief and effort can go a long way.

We’ll start with the notables who played well last week. Or better yet, let’s talk about those who didn’t.

 

The two that most come to mind would be Tiger and Adam Scott, the two with the most to gain and the most to lose coming into the week (monetarily speaking). Adam gets a free pass because, well, he’s a nice guy. That and the fact that he became so ill Friday evening that he would’ve undoubtedly withdrawn from any other event in which he wasn’t competing for 8 figures. It was evident Saturday morning when Adam looked more like yours truly playing East Lake than it looked like him playing East Lake. Horrible timing, what a week to come down with a bug… Tiger Woods was sick too, but more along the lines of being sick of playing ratty golf. It’s amazing that the guy we’ve watched play over the past few months is the same guy who’s won 5 times this year and will easily win Player of the Year honors later this week. It was a great start for Tiger this season, but a very frustrating finish. And zero majors since 2008, still. I won’t get into the oscillation thing, I’ve moved on.

Secondly… two words: Spieth Rocks. The kid came into the season playing on sponsors exemptions and no status, and ends the season with a win, three 2nd place finishes, 9 top-10’s, $3.8 million in his bank account and a PGA Tour membership for the next 20+ years by the looks of things. For a very small window of time yesterday at East Lake, he gave us something to get all worked up about. Great season, Jordan. Keep it up, kid.

Thirdly… Finchem has been on record acknowledging that the FEC playoff structure isn’t perfect, and the points distribution (weighted more heavily in the playoffs) is designed to add excitement to those last four events of the season. But he’s been very fortunate to avoid the perfect storm. Imagine the chaos that would ensue with having a player like Steve Stricker, who hasn’t won a single event all season, winning the final event of the year and bagging the $10 million… Nothing against Stricker, who has managed 4 runner-ups this season and played very well, but I just don’t see how that competes against a player who has won 5 times this season (Tiger). The formula needs to be tweaked, Tim. And it wouldn’t hurt to remove one of those playoff events, making it three playoff events total, and expanding the field to include more than 30 players in the Tour Championship finale.

Fourthly… Henrik Stenson had several gut-check moments Sunday, and it was impressive to watch him manage his game on a day when it was clear that he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Hopefully Jim Furyk was paying close attention, because Henrik provided a textbook example of how to close out a win with a significant lead going into the final round with everything at stake. The only thing missing Sunday was Fanny Sunesson there guiding him along and keeping him in the moment, but Gareth Lord, who took Stenson’s bag at the start of this season after Fanny officially retired, likewise did a phenomenal job getting his player around East Lake Sunday. But it does beg the question: does the caddie get the customary 10% of the $10 million???

And lastly… just a small point to make about how great these players are. A majority of them are hitting approach shots these days from 200-235 yards closer to the hole than I can hit a wedge approach into a green from half that distance. We’re talking insanely good. But most of us already knew that.

Tiger Woods Wins Cadillac Championship

Andrew Innerarity/Reuters

And just like that, it seems like old times again.

No one was shocked to see Tiger Woods win Sunday afternoon, although a few were probably surprised that he made it a bit more interesting than he needed to on the final hole. But there wasn’t any doubts who the player to beat was over the weekend. As he’s done countless times in the past, Woods protected a handsome 4-shot lead in textbook fashion in Sunday’s final round, relying on percentage plays and solid putting to close out what was otherwise an uncontested victory over the final two days. McDowell, Stricker, and Mickelson each had several opportunities Sunday to narrow the gap between themselves and Woods, but Stricker’s 4-under 68 was as close as any of the three would get. And even that wasn’t enough to get Woods to blink.

The sloppy finish for bogey notwithstanding, it was arguably the best tournament Woods has played tee-to-green since 2009, and one that reignites the conversation about who exactly is the best player playing the game today.

Speaking of which, as it relates to the player who’s technically the world’s top player at the moment, the final round was arguably just as important for Rory McIlroy as it was for Woods. McIlroy showed serious signs of renewed confidence Sunday, firing the 2nd lowest score of the day with a 7-under 65. Despite opening the week with a miserable round of 1-over 73 on Thursday, Rory finished T-8th Sunday and will head into Houston in a few weeks feeling quite a bit better about life.

As it relates to Mickelson, Stricker and McDowell – they obviously played some solid golf last week and carried a strong leaderboard all four days, each with an outside shot at winning over the weekend. Stricker’s 4-under 68 Sunday earned him solo 2nd, and Mickelson and McDowell finished in a 4-way tie for 3rd with Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott.

Tiger Woods picks up his 2nd win of the season, and clearly has the momentum heading into the closing stretch of the Florida swing. He’ll take a week off and then try to defend his title at Bay Hill in two weeks, a venue that has every potential to reward him with his 3rd win this season. Although I’ve yet to tally the exact points spread separating him from McIlroy for the #1 spot in the world rankings, a win there would likely overtake Rory in that department, and then it’s game-on in Augusta.

For a full recap of Sunday’s action at the 2013 Cadillac Championship, click HERE.

 

Tiger Increases Lead at Doral, Eyes 17th WGC Title

Fred Vuich / SI

A week ago, Jack Nicklaus went on the record to say that while he thought Tiger Woods could still best his record of 18 major championship wins, time was of the essence.

Judging by what we’ve seen through 54 holes this week, it appears that Woods got the memo.

Heading into today’s 3rd round of the WGC Cadillac Championship, Tiger had already amassed 17 birdies through the first 36 holes of play, a feat that he himself had never done before, not even when he was in the middle of his prime during his dominating performances in the early-mid 2000’s. If his critics and fans alike were looking for something beyond the 4 wins that he’s managed since his world came crashing down back in the fall of 2009, something that could justify why Jack’s record is still within reach, they might’ve found it this week.

For a more thorough overview of the action in Saturday’s 3rd round of the Cadillac Championship, you can simply click HERE.

But the short version is that barring an un-Tiger like meltdown on Sunday that happens to coincide with some phenomenal type of scoring round coming from either McDowell, Mickelson, or Stricker, Woods will pick up his 2nd win of the season, and his 5th win since this time last year when he was still having to answer questions about whether or not he could win again. With Bay Hill only 2 weeks away, where he’s won 7 times already, and then the Masters only a few weeks after that – Tiger will be heading into Augusta in top form and full of confidence.

We can’t officially say he’s back until he either lifts another major trophy or slips on another Green Jacket, but things are definitely looking up for Woods. We’ve heard that he and Rory McIlroy have become reasonably good friends over the past several months, so it’ll be interesting to see that dynamic in play this season, especially with Tiger seeing some early slides this season with Rory’s game and maybe seeing an opportunity to recapture the top spot in the World Rankings again relatively soon.

But before all of that, tomorrow still awaits. As impossible as it seems that someone other than Tiger will win, he’ll still have to go out and post a winning number. But he’s virtually unbeatable when he’s putting the way he’s putted this week. More than anything, he looks like the fearless player he used to be on the greens.

 

 

 

PGATOUR.COM – Daily Wrap-up: Thursday, Northern Trust Open

PGATOUR.COM – Daily Wrap-up: Thursday, Northern Trust Open.

The weather turned out to be better than expected on Thursday, but that’s not likely to be the case for Friday and Saturday, with an 80% chance of rain both days. Nevertheless, the timeless masterpiece that is Riviera held its own today, with 9 players posting rounds of 4-under 67 to share the lead. It’s worth noting that about a dozen players failed to finish their opening rounds on Thursday due to darkness, and will finish up their remaining holes first thing Friday morning.

For an official recap of the opening round of the Northern Trust Open, click on the PGATOUR.COM link at the top of the page. And let’s keep our fingers crossed that the rain won’t be severe enough to delay tomorrow’s festivities….

 

Break Out the Rain Suits: Forecast for Northern Trust Open

“You know, it’s going to make it more difficult. I mean, the course played extremely long today. But I’d rather play in nice weather. I think we all would like to play in nice weather, and the people would like to come out here to the tournament in nice weather. But it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen over the weekend.” – Defending Champion Steve Stricker, talking with reporters in THIS interview on Wednesday about the wet weather expected to impact this week’s Northern Trust Open at Riviera CC

Apparently Mother Nature isn’t overly fond of this tournament. It seems like this event has required rain suits and umbrellas in at least 2 rounds every year it has been played over the past 5 seasons. The FORECAST doesn’t appear to get any better heading into the weekend either.

Why Riviera’s Short Par4 10th is a Timeless Masterpiece

Photo By Stephen Szurlej

“Bubba Watson and his ilk weren’t flying the ball 330 yards when George C. Thomas cut Riviera’s 10th hole into a hill in 1926, bunkers littered about the lot guarding a heavily pitched putting surface, yet somehow No. 10 remains relevant.” – Rex Hoggard, Senior Writer for GolfChannel.Com

Interesting article HERE courtesy of Hoggard at TGC.COM.

The short par4 10th at Riviera is a perfect example of how the architects today could address the distance issue, without having to add 100 additional acres to accommodate the game’s longest hitters. It is clearly one of the greatest risk-reward par4’s on tour.

Kikuyu Time: Northern Trust Open

With the panoramic view sitting atop the 9th and 18th greens, very little else needs to be said about this majestic piece of golf history, better known as Riviera Country Club.

The test that awaits the players this week will be graded sharply on ball striking and the ability to work the ball, unlike most other West Coast Swing events that offer straightaway holes with plenty of room for error. That will certainly not be the case this week, as the field will see a plethora of trees and shortish fairways that demand a premium on distance control and accuracy. Not that a long hitter can’t win here, as Phil Mickelson enjoyed back-to-back victories in 2008 and 2009. But this course is generally more befitting of a player who can meticulously plot his way around the numerous tree-lined fairways and stay out of the Kikuyu rough, a player like Steve Stricker, for instance, who prevailed here last year and will be defending his title this week.

Speaking of the field… all of the players who have already carded early victories this season will be there, looking to add their names to the trophy alongside Ben Hogan’s: Mark Wilson, Jhonnatan Vegas, Bubba Watson, Jonathan Byrd, and last week’s winner at Pebble Beach – D.A. Points. Early season notables who’ve been close to cashing in but not quite, include Phil Mickelson, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Jason Dufner and Steve Marino. For a complete rundown of the field at Riviera this week, click HERE .

Riviera’s “I did not know that” factoids:

Obviously it’s a private facility, and to get on one has to play with a member. And also fork over the $350 guest fee. And don’t change your shoes in the parking lot.

The back tees for members stretch to just shy of 7000 yards, but the course setup for the pros measures 7298 yards. For a neat, animated tour of Riviera, click HERE.

Ben Hogan referred to the par3 4th as “The best par3 in America.” But the par3 6th earns the distinction of being the only hole on tour with a bunker dead-center in the middle of the green.

The short par4 8th is also a rarity for tour players, as they have two fairways to choose from off the tee. (Or if you’re like most weekend players, aim for the trees in between them and act like you hit a good shot, providing that you don’t hit the ball where you aim…)

One of the many trees surrounding the 12th green is named “Bogey’s Tree” – named after Humphrey Bogart. (Anytime a tree on a golf course is named after you, it’s probably not good. That would also include small creeks and ponds…)

The course record at Riviera in professional tournament play is 61, fired by Ted Tryba back in 1999. I’ve never spoken to Tryba, but I would gather that it’s probably the most memorable round of golf he’s ever played.

No, those aren’t cough drops you smell. They’re Eucalyptus trees, which emit a menthol-like odor. And unlike just about any other tour stop in the US, they can be found at Riviera.

It sounds like an exotic coffee bean…. it’s also wiry, gnarly, and downright unpredictable as far as rough goes. But it’s also the predominant grass on the fairways at Riviera. It’s Kikuyu Grass.

Riviera CC was established in 1926, designed by a fellow by the name of George C. Thomas, Jr. Thomas designed several other courses, including Whitemarsh Valley CC near Philadelphia (1908), Los Angeles CC North Course (1921), and Bel-Air CC (1927). But Riviera was by-far his most prized accomplishment, as most of the features from his handiwork (unlike many other storied courses from back in that era of golf course architecture) are still very prominent characteristics some 85 years later.

Also known as “Hogan’s Alley”, Riviera played a significant part in Ben Hogan’s career. He won the LA Open at Riviera 3 times (1942, 1947, 1948) and would win his second major championship (US Open) held there later in 1948. Riviera is also the backdrop of a cameo appearance from Ben Hogan in his made-for-Hollywood biography, Follow The Sun.

Television Coverage: Thu-Fri, 3:00-6:00 p.m. EST – TGC / Sat-Sun, 3:00-6:00 p.m. EST – CBS

Mark Wilson Wins 36-Hole Sunday Marathon at Sony Open

Courtesy of PGA Tour/Stan Badz

Where do we begin… maybe we’ll start with his opening round of 5-under 65 back on Friday, consisting of 7 birdies and 2 bogeys. Solid start. The second round on Saturday would be a mixed bag, 6 birdies/3 bogeys for 3-under 67. They say that Saturday is moving day, but that wasn’t the case this week with the weather. Sunday morning was moving day, and Mark Wilson got the U-haul rolling…. a round of 5-under 65 in the morning put him in great position heading into the afternoon, giving him the opportunity to play with house-money for the remainder of the 2011 season. And Sunday afternoon he managed his missed shots flawlessly, carding nary a bogey and closing out the 3rd win of his career with a 3-under par round of 67. The win netted him $990,000, and a stress-free 2011. Congrats to Mark Wilson, who will be enjoying Hawaii for an additional week in 2012.

Notables

Tim Clark is another guy who hopped on the revolving equipment merry-go-round for 2011, leaving Srixon and signing a deal with Titleist. And it seems that he’s adjusting to the new ball and sticks just fine – posting his best finish on tour since his win at the Players Championship back in May of last season. Clark shot 4-under 66 in the morning round on Sunday, following it up with an impressive 6-under 64 in the afternoon. He finished T2.

Steve Marino made things interesting near the end on Sunday, with a little help from an unbelievable second shot on the par5 closing hole that gave him an outside shot at a playoff with Wilson. Marino’s eagle putt just narrowly missed the left side of the hole, leaving him a tap-in birdie and a share of 2nd place with Tim Clark. This was his best finish since his T2 back at the Crowne Plaza Invtl in 2009.

We’ve gotten so accustomed to seeing Matt Kuchar’s name near the top of the Sunday leaderboards that it’s almost impossible to not notice when he isn’t. But he was there again this week, 4 consecutive rounds in the 60’s and another top-10 finish. Matt finished 11-under for the tournament, T5.

Steve Stricker is starting 2011 off with a bang… he finished T4 at last week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and made another strong showing again this week by finishing T9. Two tournaments – two top-10’s. Could be yet another great season on his storied comeback from 4 seasons ago.

Finally… Davis Love III, the latest Titleist turncoat who’s now gaming Bridgestone equipment doesn’t seem to be having any issues making the adjustment. Davis was well in the mix heading into the final round before running out of steam, finishing with a 1-under round of 69 and sharing 9th place with Stricker. Nice to see DL3 getting off to a good start this season.

Notable MIA’s

The following notables failing to make the first cut of 2011: Bo Van Pelt, Carl Pettersson, Justin Leonard, John Daly, Jim Furyk, Robert Allenby, Adam Scott, K.J. Choi, Camilo Villegas, David Duval, Robert Garrigus

Rating a Few Notable Rookies

Because so many players finished within 10 strokes of the leader after 36 holes, a secondary cut was implemented after 54 holes.

Chris Kirk, Nationwide Tour Grad from 2010 – T30 @ 6-under par

Daniel Summerhays, Nationwide Tour Grad – T34 @ 5-under par

Nate Smith, Q-School Grad – T42 @ 4-under par

Kevin Chappell, Nationwide Tour Grad – T42 @ 4-under par

Matt McQuillan, T54 @ 2-over par

Ben Martin, Q-School Grad – Missed Cut after 54 holes

Alex Rocha, Q-School Grad – Missed Cut after 54 holes

Fabian Gomez, Nationwide Tour Grad – Missed Cut after 54 holes

Joseph Bramlett, Q-School Grad – Missed Cut after 54 holes

Jamie Lovemark, Nationwide Tour Grad – Cut after 36 holes

 
For an official full recap of the Sony Open, click HERE.

Rain Causing Issues at Sony Open

Seems like the familiar theme from last season is carrying over into the early stages of this season. Severe rains on Wednesday washed out the practice round at the Sony Open in Hawaii yesterday, and it appears that Mother Nature is poised to take today’s opening round festivities hostage as well.

Check out the pics taken earlier today HERE.

Edit: Play has officially been canceled for Thursday, and the first round of the Sony will start on Friday. If all goes as planned the tournament will conclude with the final two rounds being played on Sunday.

My Take: Ryder Cup Friday Fourball Pairings Hit and Misses

In approximately 7 hours, while most Americans are fast asleep in their beds, the 2010 Ryder Cup will officially commence. By the time they leave for work Friday morning, the morning fourball session will have been concluded and the first 4 points of the competition will have been accounted for. Let the second-guessing begin…(all times are BMT, 5 hours ahead of EST)

1st match, 7:45 a.m. – Phil Mickelson/Dustin Johnson vs Lee Westwood/Martin Kaymer: Captain Pavin wasted little time flexing team USA’s muscles by pairing the squad’s longest hitters together and giving them the opportunity to strike first in the event. I can’t argue the pairing or the order of battle, as it’s imperative that team USA strikes hard early. The tandem of DJ and Lefty appears to be a risky move, but it’s a risk that Pavin needed to take. I predict that the match goes 17 holes, with the US putting their first point of the competition on the board.

2nd match, 8:00 a.m. – Stewart Cink/Matt Kuchar vs Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy: I think Team Europe prevails in this match, and surprisingly, I think it will be McDowell leading the charge. I would be surprised to see this one go beyond 16 holes. The Cink/Kuchar pairing does absolutely nothing for me. Hopefully I’m wrong and Corey has guessed right.

3rd match, 8:15 a.m. – Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker vs Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher: You had to know that Pavin was going to pair Stricker and Tiger together. No surprises there, it’s a solid pairing that has a good history, both guys play well together. This could be the most important match in the morning session for team USA, and I think that both Woods and Stricker know this. As a result I think they get it done and put our 2nd point on the board. I would be shocked to see this go all 18 holes, although Poulter always seems to get up for this event. But I think Stricker and Woods come out ahead.

4th match, 8:30 a.m. – Bubba Watson/Jeff Overton vs Luke Donald/Padraig Harrinton: I don’t like this pairing for team USA. Both players are rookies, both players have a tendency to play anxiously, and I don’t expect them to climb out of a deep hole if they get into one early on in the match. I think putting a player like Hunter Mahan with either of these two players would’ve been a more reasonable choice. But unfortunately I see the Europeans squaring the morning session with this final match.

My prediction is that the morning session will be halved, 2 points each. And all things considered, that’s not a bad start for team USA. Hopefully it materializes.