The Golf Thread

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Sergio and Paddy coming down the stretch, like at Carnoustie. Hopefully with a similar result. Add Ben Curtis to the mix today, though.

 

"Of the last twenty PGA Champions, thirteen were first-timers. Of the seven that weren't, four were Tiger Woods."

Off the top of my head.....2005 Mickelson, 2004 Singh, 94 Nick Price.

 

This'll be the forum for a pretty good few weeks of golf. Mickelson could have entered the PoY discussion, but barring a few more wins for today's champ, or a lot more wins for someone else, I think Tiger gets the nod.

 

Does JB Holmes get a captain's pick? I think so.

Does Monty get one? Worked for Weir last year.

 

And the silly playoffs are a mere two weeks away.

 

Edit: Sergio's in the drink at 16.

 

 

[MFer 0]

Sergio just can't win...

 

Good for Harrington though. I would think this win clinches Player of the Year, but I'm not sure.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Unquestionably, Paddy's the PotY in my books.

 

Tiger not being there is irrelevant. Was Tiger not there when Phil won the 05 PGA, 06 Masters, and gave away the 06 US? Was Tiger not there when Vijay won nine times in 04? Was Tiger not there in 98 when O'Meara won two majors. He was there, which proves these feats can occur with Tiger in the field, and as such, shouldn't make Padraig's 2008 any lesser.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Padraig's performance on the back nine was one of the best back nine performances I've ever seen and those clutch putts that he knocked in at 16 and 18 were amazing. I think this was the only thing that could've prevented Tiger from being player of the year, but I still wouldn't be surprised to see Woods win because of his performance early in the season before the injury. However, this is a players, not a media vote, so I think that will be enough to put Padraig over the top. I am definitely not looking forward to the drive-by sports media spin on things when people who only casually follow golf are going to say "Yea but Harrington only won because Tiger wasn't there! Tiger would have won these two majors by over ten shots! Blah, blah, blah."

 

JB Holmes was textbook in how not to start off the final round of a major championship today. I think he started the first two holes with a 7 and a 6 and his boneheaded play when he was under the tree on the first killed any potential he had.

[Red Baron 0]

Holmes was aiming to the trees in the first place. He was either looking for a boost in the wind to help him out, or a fade that went very very wrong.

[CanadianChris 0]

I think this was the only thing that could've prevented Tiger from being player of the year, but I still wouldn't be surprised to see Woods win because of his performance early in the season before the injury. However, this is a players, not a media vote, so I think that will be enough to put Padraig over the top.

I don't. Tiger clinched the players' PoY at the US Open. It's not like the players hate Tiger or anything.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

And the Playoffs begin Thursday at the Barclay's in New Jersey. The field of 144 will be cut to 100; some notable players currently in that tier include recent major winners Rich Beem, Zach Johnson, David Toms, and Angel Cabrera. There's also about 20 recent PGA Tour winners, including a current champion in Richard S. Johnson, along with crowd favourites Jesper Parnevik and Chris DiMarco.

 

Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Justin Rose

Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer are the ten on the European Ryder Cup team, so far. Faldo still has two captain's picks.

 

 

 

[CanadianChris 0]

Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Justin Rose

Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer are the ten on the European Ryder Cup team, so far. Faldo still has two captain's picks.

Not quite. Only the top 5 off the world rankings are selected, along with the top 5 not already qualified off the Euro Tour Order of Merit. As of this moment, the European Ryder Cup team looks like this:

 

Padraig Harrington

Lee Westwood

Sergio Garcia

Henrik Stenson

Robert Karlsson

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Graeme McDowell

Justin Rose

Oliver Wilson

Soren Hansen

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

There's a hell of a logjam right now with six guys at -7. Some good names up there to: Steve Stricker, Mike Weir, Sergio Garcia, Hunter Mahan. Vijay Singh, Anthony Kim, Kenny Perry, and Bubba Watson are all within a shot as well.

 

Weir's 'playoff beard' is hilarious.

[Red Baron 0]

I like it. True Canadian spirit right there.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

And it's Vijay, with his second win of the month.

 

Onto the Deutsche Bank with its goofy Labour Day finish. The cut will knock off guys 71-120, with a current gap of only about 2000 points. This should be good.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I'm surprised this didn't come up: The LPGA insists that all players who have cards at the beginning of the 09 season are to speak English. The buzz amongst the media seem to be: Good idea, poor execution. The press release included the word "Korean".

 

I hate to be that guy, but there's a lot of ugly Americans chiming in on this issue.

 

I'll further dig my hole by praising Mike Weir's opening 61 today, good for ten under. His eagle putt on, which skipped by, would have given him 60, and a tie with Mick for the best round ever on tour by a lefty. Vijay Singh is three back.

[CanadianChris 0]

All right, who taught Vijay how to putt again? If he gets the flatstick going, there's no one currently on Tour who can touch him.

[Red Baron 0]

Exactly.

 

24 putts is outstanding and it Mike didn't play bad. Vijay played better

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Sixty-freakin-three. He's officially got a stranglehold on the FedEx Cup.

 

Thoughts on Faldo and Zinger's captain's picks?

[CanadianChris 0]

Faldo's getting roasted for picking Poulter over Darren Clarke, but I think it's a great pick. Azinger's picks were very predictable.

 

Thumbs down on Tweeter, BTW.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Didn't notice Baron's name to go along with it? I swear I changed it before I read this.

 

And I agree. Clarke's been hot, and it's going to be something without Monty, but he made the right picks. I like all Zinger's as well; can you imagine Perry and Holmes together (which I can't see not happening)? Those crowds will be insane.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Camillo Villegas gets his first win. It also locks Vijay Singh up for his first FedEx Cup.

 

There's plenty of good football and baseball storylines to talk about, so barring anything major, see you during the Ryder Cup in two weeks.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

For this to be a real playoff in my view they just need to make the TOUR Championship count for everything and just use the points to determine who makes the field. It'd be a lot better hype to have 30 guys all gunning for $10 million than have someone clinch it beforehand. They could even do a gradual cut over all 4 days of the tournament by going from 30 to 20 to 15 to 10 or something like that.

 

Vijay gets to just stroll through Atlanta in 2 weeks and collect the money so that's gotta be a good feeling. He had a helluva run over the first two weeks of this thing, though, so he definitely deserved the win.

 

I think a Tiger-less Ryder Cup definitely makes things more interesting. I'm still somewhat kicking myself over not going through a broker to get tickets after I lost the lottery for them, but I can see things on TV just as well.

 

For those that are more informed of future tour schedules, is another major coming to Valhalla anytime soon?

 

 

[CanadianChris 0]

For those that are more informed of future tour schedules, is another major coming to Valhalla anytime soon?

No, although the 2014 PGA Championship is listed as TBA. You'd think that the PGA Championship would go back there eventually, seeing as the PGA of America owns the course.

 

Future US Open sites:

 

2009 - Bethpage State Park, Black Course (Farmingdale, New York - June 18-21)

2010 - Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach, California)

2011 - Congressional Country Club, Blue Course (Bethesda, Maryland)

2012 - The Olympic Club, Lake Course (Daly City, California)

2013 - Merion Golf Club, East Course (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)

2014 - Pinehurst Resort, Course #2 (Pinehurst, North Carolina)

2015 - Chambers Bay (University Place, Washington)

 

Future PGA Championship sites:

 

2009 - Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, Minnesota)

2010 - Whistling Straits, Straits Course (Sheboygan, Wisconsin)

2011 - Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course (Duluth, Georgia)

2012 - Kiawah Island Golf Resort, The Ocean Course (Kiawah Island, South Carolina)

2013 - Oak Hill Country Club, East Course (Pittsford, New York)

2014 - TBA

2015 - Whistling Straits, Straits Course (Sheboygan, Wisconsin)

2016 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course (Springfield, New Jersey)