PGA Tour 2018-2019

[Carolina Speed]

Getting this thread started a little late, but here goes. Xander Schauffele wins the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the first event of 2019. It's an event that puts the winners of the 2017-2018 tournament winners into the field.
Noticeably missing was Jordan Spieth who went without a win last year. However, he made no excuses, while suffering from mononucleosis and getting married last year. Let's hope he can get back on track this year.
He'll be in the field this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii!

 

[Don Wassall]

Gary Woodland started the final round with a 3 shot lead including a 5 shot lead over Schauffele, shot 5 under for his round -- and still lost to Schauffele, who tied the course record with a -11 yesterday. Woodland has improved his short game to go with his prodigious power, and Schauffele is a cool customer who has to be added to the list of young stars on the Tour.

2019 is the year the greatly improved scheduling of the four majors and The Players begins. The Players now takes place in March instead of May, followed by The Masters at its usual time in April, then the PGA Championship moves to May rather than its previous August placement, followed by the U.S. Open in June, with the British Open in July now the last major to take place. The FedEx Cup playoffs have also been moved up a few weeks so they will no longer compete head-to-head with the NFL, which slaughters it in the TV ratings. Nice to see the Tour get it right, should be another year of compelling golf.

 

[Carolina Speed]

At the Sony Open in dreadful Hawaii Matt Kuchar's back to back 63's has him at the top of the leaderboard.
Jordan Spieth misses the cut by one after an opening round of 73. Second round 66. Hopefully he gets it together in time for the Masters.
Not too many other big names at the top. However, a young man from my part of the country, JT Poston is in a T-12, at -6. I hope to get to watch him play this evening.

 

[Fighting Pride]

Rose closes out 10th TOUR win at Torrey Pines

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2019/0...nsurance-open-torrey-pines-10th-tour-win.html

 

[Booth]

I haven't seen this mention, but what do you think of the rules changes in golf this year. I like most of them except one, and that is leaving the flag stick while putting. It has nothing to do with speeding up the game and it makes me think I am watching a group of weekend golfers playing.

 

[Don Wassall]

Bryson DeChambeau won the Dubai Desert Classic this past weekend, a European Tour event, by 7 shots, setting the tournament scoring record for four rounds at 264. It's his fourth win in the past five months.

DeChambeau remains the fifth ranked player in the world at 25 years of age, though the U.S. media continues to studiously ignored him. Maybe he's too blonde, too much of a throwback to the way Californians looked and acted until it was seemingly transformed into Aztlan in the blink of an eye. At any rate, he's for sure another young star to watch this year.

DeChambeau is currently listed at 16:1 to win The Masters. Here are the current betting favorites, led by a certain 43 year old who hasn't won a major in 11 years:

• Tiger Woods: 11-1
  
• Dustin Johnson: 12-1
  
• Jordan Spieth: 12-1
  
• Justin Rose: 12-1
  
• Rory McIlroy: 12-1
  
• Justin Thomas: 14-1
  
• Brooks Koepka: 14-1
  
• Bryson DeChambeau: 16-1
  
• Jon Rahm: 16-1

 

[Don Wassall]

Johnny Miller will finally retire after calling the third round of the Phoenix Open tomorrow. While undeniably supremely knowledgeable about golf, Miller's defining characteristic as a broadcaster was his mean streak, often making over the top critical comments about all golfers except one, always being reverent towards Tiger Woods.

When Rocco Mediate faced Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open playoff, the last major Woods has won, Miller said that Mediate "looks more like the guy who cleans Tiger's swimming pool." When Phil Mickelson struggled during the 2010 Ryder Cup, Miller said of Phil, "If he couldn't chip, he'd be selling cars in San Diego." Apparently Johnny never missed a shot or had a bad round during his career.

To show both his meanness and his hypocrisy, after Jim Furyk shot a 62, he said, "He did something pretty rare. He shot 62 and never smiled once." He often criticized Retief Goosen for being too stoic. Yet Miller never smiled or showed any emotion during his playing days. Ricky Fowler is likewise stoic on the course, but somehow he's never criticized for it, in fact it somehow adds to his "charisma."

Miller openly worshiped Woods. During his peak years, as Woods spat, hurled clubs in anger, cursed, and greeted adoring fans with his death stare, Miller never commented negatively on his behavior. After his personal scandals and subsequent decline, Johnny like all other broadcasters was still always rooting for Tiger, hopeful that he was just one great shot away from suddenly being the Tiger of 2000.

Good riddance, Johnny Miller!

 

[Carolina Speed]

Miller openly worshiped Woods. During his peak years, as Woods spat, hurled clubs in anger, cursed, and greeted adoring fans with his death stare, Miller never commented negatively on his behavior. After his personal scandals and subsequent decline, Johnny like all other broadcasters was still always rooting for Tiger, hopeful that he was just one great shot away from suddenly being the Tiger of 2000.

You think Miller had some white Mormon guilt in him? Or, the fact that Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time, owned him. Maybe he was wanting Tiger to beat Jack's records. Either the guilt or his jealousy of The Golden Bear! I don't know for sure. Just a thought or two.

 

[sport historian]

Johnny Miller will finally retire after calling the third round of the Phoenix Open tomorrow. While undeniably supremely knowledgeable about golf, Miller's defining characteristic as a broadcaster was his mean streak, often making over the top critical comments about all golfers except one, always being reverent towards Tiger Woods.

When Rocco Mediate faced Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open playoff, the last major Woods has won, Miller said that Mediate "looks more like the guy who cleans Tiger's swimming pool." When Phil Mickelson struggled during the 2010 Ryder Cup, Miller said of Phil, "If he couldn't chip, he'd be selling cars in San Diego." Apparently Johnny never missed a shot or had a bad round during his career.

To show both his meanness and his hypocrisy, after Jim Furyk shot a 62, he said, "He did something pretty rare. He shot 62 and never smiled once." He often criticized Retief Goosen for being too stoic. Yet Miller never smiled or showed any emotion during his playing days. Ricky Fowler is likewise stoic on the course, but somehow he's never criticized for it, in fact it somehow adds to his "charisma."

Miller openly worshiped Woods. During his peak years, as Woods spat, hurled clubs in anger, cursed, and greeted adoring fans with his death stare, Miller never commented negatively on his behavior. After his personal scandals and subsequent decline, Johnny like all other broadcasters was still always rooting for Tiger, hopeful that he was just one great shot away from suddenly being the Tiger of 2000.

Good riddance, Johnny Miller!

I remember when Johnny Miller was a well known golfer. He won some tournaments in the 70's, two majors. When he won the Open in 1976, Miller was on TV commercials for several years. After he stopped winning, you still saw Miller in TV commercials. It became a joke.

I remember a magazine article that ended with something like "Johnny Miller lost another golf tournament and is now making another commercial." Miller then became an "analyst," apparently popular with most viewers, hence his longevity on TV.

 

[Don Wassall]

Miller was a tremendous golfer -- for a short period of time. He won 25 PGA events, with 15 of them occurring from 1974-1976. His closing round 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont is considered by some the greatest round of golf ever. He was only 26 when he won that event in '73. But he got a case of the putting "yips" at an early age and only won two tournaments after he was 35. Blonde and lean, it's easy to understand why he was wanted as a TV spokesman back before mass culture became rabidly anti-White, though he always came across as aloof and arrogant.

One would think that given Miller's early decline he would have just a little bit of empathy for the mistakes and ups and downs of the golfers he covered as a TV analyst, but he was always quick to criticize, sometimes viciously. In spite of his vast knowledge of golf, overall he has a very unpleasant personality.

 

[Carolina Speed]

I haven't seen this mention, but what do you think of the rules changes in golf this year. I like most of them except one, and that is leaving the flag stick while putting. It has nothing to do with speeding up the game and it makes me think I am watching a group of weekend golfers playing.

Yeah booth it's kind of odd seeing them leave the flag stick in while putting. I always take it out when I'm putting as an adherence to the rules. I believe the old rules said, if you leave the flag stick in while putting from the putting surface, it was a two stroke penalty, I think?
But, I may leave it in now while I am playing. It would speed things up a little for me, however, I tend to play slow anyway.

 

[Don Wassall]

Johnny Miller is now officially retired. He got a very nice sendoff today from NBC, which was appropriate given his hall of fame career on the course followed by nearly 30 years as an analyst. I'll never be a fan but it's always sad to see someone whose connection to the game goes back to 1966 when he finished 8th at the U.S. Open at the age of 19, call it quits.

Rickie Fowler leads the Phoenix Open after three rounds, but despite his Tiger Lite status he's zero for eight when leading a tournament after two rounds and one for seven after leading after three rounds. He's 30 now and if he's ever going to become a golfing great he needs to start proving it soon.

BTW if you rarely or never watch golf, you should check out the final round of the Phoenix Open before the Super Bowl tomorrow. It draws hundreds of thousands of fans each round, and they are much more like a soccer crowd than a traditional golf gallery, especially the par 3 16th hole, which is in an enclosed stadium like set-up with 20,000 drunk fans cheering or booing non-stop depending on if players hit a good or bad tee shot or putt.

 

[Booth]

Yeah booth it's kind of odd seeing them leave the flag stick in while putting. I always take it out when I'm putting as an adherence to the rules. I believe the old rules said, if you leave the flag stick in while putting from the putting surface, it was a two stroke penalty, I think?
But, I may leave it in now while I am playing. It would speed things up a little for me, however, I tend to play slow anyway.

I have great admiration for anyone who plays golf for it is an unforgiving game for everyone who plays it. I was told my whole life growing up that golf was a game for the rich and snooty people who looked down their noses at people like me. When I finally tried it I realize I waited about 45 years too late to play, so I just watch it and attend as many events as I can. I am fortunate to live about 45 minutes from Moore County a golf heaven for golfers, have to save up my money in advance of some tournaments, but it's worth sacrificing for. CS I've notice that the better golfers are slower players.

 

[Don Wassall]

Phil Mickelson just won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the fifth time with a final round 65. He had to play 17 and 18 this morning due to weather issues yesterday. It's Phil's 44th PGA Tour win, a number that dwarfs everyone currently playing other than Tiger Woods.

The U.S. Open is being played this year at Pebble Beach, so Phil will likely be one of the favorites though the course will play much tougher for the Open. At 48 years old it may be his last, best chance to win the one major he's come so close to winning many times and which he needs to complete the career grand slam.

 

[Don Wassall]

Francesco Molinari, the reigning British Open champion, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday, coming from behind with a final round 64. He finished two hours before the third round leaders.

Dustin Johnson won the previous week to give him 20 PGA titles and wins in 12 straight seasons. With all the speculation in recent years about which of the young bucks would turn out to be the next dominant player -- Spieth, Thomas, McIlroy, Day, Fowler, Reed, etc. -- it's turned out to be Johnson with the staying power at the top. And he's still just 34 years old. He needs to add to his single major win to be considered truly great, but he's already put together a Hall of Fame career and is just now entering his peak.

This week is The Players, being played at its traditional time in March for the first time in 13 years. It marks the beginning of the heart of the tour schedule, with the majors following the next four months, culminating with the Fed Ex Cup playoffs in August rather than September so as not to be competing head to head with the NFL anymore.

 

[BeyondFedUp]

Thanks for the update, Don. I'd like to see Lefty win the US Open, and someone well-known to not even make the cut. We know who...
Also, that Fed Ex Cup in August will be probably hot, hot. But I do understand the reasons for rescheduling.

 

[Don Wassall]

The FedEx Cup hasn't caught on yet, in part because previously the playoff weeks always were competing on TV against the beginning of the NFL's regular season. The complicated nature of its points system is another factor. It's just not easily accessible for the average fan the way it's set up. It's a year long competition and the winner of it gets a check for $15 million, so the Tour has given it great stature but not yet the sport's fans and casual players.

 

[Don Wassall]

Rory McIlroy wins The Players by one stroke over Jim Furyk. Furyk would have been the oldest champion of the event at 48.

McIlroy becomes just the sixth player to win at least 15 PGA Tour events before the age of 30. His 30th birthday is in May. That's even more impressive considering that he also plays a lot of events on the European Tour. He needs to win The Masters to complete the career grand slam.

 

[Don Wassall]

Lucas Bjerregaard, a 27 year old Dane who is ranked 50th in the world but was previously unknown to American golf fans, knocked off Tiger Woods in the quarterfinals of the WGC Match Play championship in Austin today. Woods missed a 4 foot putt on the 18th green to lose it. Paul Azinger and Dan Hicks sounded like they were having heart attacks, which provided comic relief after they'd lauded Woods as the greatest clutch putter of all time right before he missed.

Azinger has seamlessly taken over for Johnny Miller on NBC as far as being a non-stop Tiger brown noser. Of course they all are; all the pre-tournament coverage and the tournament coverage itself was absurdly Tiger-centric. It's always the year 2000, when Woods won three majors and was at the height of his powers, in the world of golf coverage even as Tiger has won exactly one tournament in the past six years and no majors since 2008. But never fear, he's always on the brink of turning back the clock and becoming 24 again.

 

[icsept]

Not only did Tiger miss the 4 footer to extend the match, but he flopped his critical second shot on 18 into the bunker. Two choke jobs on the final hole.

If it was any golfer besides Tiger, the media would acknowledge that Father Time is undefeated. Tiger can no longer bomb it past the field; Tiger is no longer deadly clutch with his short game; Tiger is still randomly withdrawing from tournaments with age/degenerative physical conditions; and, Tiger’s bald spot is spreading like cancer. Yet, the media fan boys still see him through their beer goggles as if he’s a perfect 10.

Granted, I am actually enjoying this version of Tiger. His personality has transformed (perhaps due to antidepressant psychotropic drugs) from supeme a-hole into friendly, playful, and pleasant with the fans, players, and media. Yes, Tiger Woods, the lovable loser...who would’ve thought it.

 

[BeyondFedUp]

Don,
I was literally smiling and clapping last night when I heard about the 4 foot "clutch" miss. It's not that I dislike Woods so much as it is the media slobbering over everything he does. It's part of my open defiance to "all things msm" and (((those))) who control it, the narrative, and the brainwashing. I'm happy for anyone who wins on any given day over Woods and his worshippers...

 

[Don Wassall]

Don,
I was literally smiling and clapping last night when I heard about the 4 foot "clutch" miss. It's not that I dislike Woods so much as it is the media slobbering over everything he does. It's part of my open defiance to "all things msm" and (((those))) who control it, the narrative, and the brainwashing. I'm happy for anyone who wins on any given day over Woods and his worshippers...

That's how I look at it too. As icsept mentions above and I've noted several times, Woods now acts considerably more like other golfers rather than being the snarling, spitting, swearing, club-throwing, cold-eyed, fan-ignoring a-hole he was until recent years (and which the media always excused, played down, or ignored altogether).

 

[Awake in America]

ESPN is spinning Tiger's miss as a positive. At the foot of the article was an ad with a mixed race couple. It's no longer about Tiger, and it hasn't been for a long time. I don't mind seeing him play well. I love watching his fanboys get their hopes crushed. I'd love to see him play well enough to give them false hope.

 

[Fighting Pride]

Corey Conners earns first PGA TOUR victory at Valero

https://www.pgatour.com/news/2019/0...ay-qualifier-wins-2019-valero-texas-open.html

 

[Don Wassall]

Rory McIlroy shoots 64-61 (!) over the weekend to win the Canadian Open by 7 shots. It's his 16th PGA Tour win.

Next week is the Open at one of the world's great courses, Pebble Beach.