| McIlroy making noise in Europe | Thursday 9/4, 11:04 PM CT |
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Teenager Rory McIlroy shot an 8-under 63 to take the lead after the first round of the European Masters, according to the Associated Press. "You get days when you read the lines perfectly and you know every putt is going in," McIlroy said. "I've only been missing cuts by one or two shots," he said. "I just feel like I've been making silly mistakes. I feel once I have a little bit of form, I won't make them."
Our View: McIlroy needed only 26 putts. His only bogey came at the 12th where he drove into a bunker. His lowest round was a 61 in the Northern Ireland amateur event at Royal Portrush. The 19-year-old Northern Irishman had missed cuts during the last three weeks. |
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| First round rained out at BMW Championship | Thursday 9/4, 10:49 PM CT |
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St. Louis added yet another chapter to its dreary decade of golf history when the first round of the BMW Championship was washed out by storms that dumped 3 inches of rain on Bellerive Country Club, according to the Associated Press. Dozens of players were at Bellerive getting ready for the American Express Championship the morning of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It was the first big event in St. Louis since the 1992 PGA Championship. Woods was playing in St. Louis for the first time in his career, but he only got in a practice round before the event was canceled. Three years later, the U.S. Senior Open came to town, and rain washed out the second round Friday. This season the first round of the BMW Championship has been postponed until Friday, with 36 holes on Saturday to get back on schedule. The first round originally was delayed for two hours with hopes the storms would pass quickly. Hunter Mahan arrived a few hours before his scheduled tee time, but he knew what to expect when he awoke and called caddie John Wood. “I said, ‘Is it raining?’ And he said, ‘No, it’s pouring,”’ Mahan said. “I saw on television that creeks were flooded over and you needed a cart to get to some of the holes. There’s just too much water. To hold an event like this, it should be in the best shape possible.”
Our View: The BMW Championship is the third event in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, with Vijay Singh holding such a large lead that he could wrap up the title before the season-ending TOUR Championship. Singh won the first two events at The Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championship. |
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| BMW Championship on hold | Thursday 9/4, 1:37 PM CT |
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The BMW Championship, held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, has seen it's first round canceled due to heavy rain, according to ESPN.com. "It's as bad as I've seen in a long time," said PGA vice president of rules Slugger White.
Our View: Vijay Singh and the others in competition will simply have to wait until Friday for first round play to begin. The tournament will go 36 holes on Saturday to make up for the lost time. |
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| Garcia one of two still pushing Vijay for FedEx Cup | Wednesday 9/3, 7:58 PM CT |
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While the Tour calculates the top 24 players in the current FedEx Cup rankings could conceivably reach Vijay Singh for the title, coming off victories in both the first (The Barclays) and second (Deutsche Bank Championship) stages of the four-tourney playoff, it appears only two have a reasonable shot to topple the hottest hand on the Tour, according to the PGA. One of those golfers is Sergio Garcia.
Our View: If Garcia wins twice, he will earn 23,500 points, for a total of 131,775. To catch him, Singh would need to earn 11,275 points -- two third-place finishes, or a second at BMW and an eighth at THE TOUR Championship. With a second at BMW and a win at THE TOUR Championship, Garcia would have a total of 128,175. Singh could catch him with two seventh-place finishes or a third at BMW and a 24th at THE TOUR Championship, or a last-place finish at BMW and a third in Atlanta. Other combinations would also work. If Singh has two mid-pack finishes -- say, 35th at BMW and 20th at THE TOUR Championship -- he would end the Playoffs with 125,470 points, meaning Garcia would need 17,196 to overtake him. A third and a first (in either order) would suffice, but two second-place finishes wouldn't. If Singh has two last-place finishes, he would end the Playoffs with 124,601 points. Garcia would still need a first and a third at BMW and THE TOUR Championship, or a fifth at BMW and a win in Atlanta. |
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| Weir one of few still in FedEx contention | Wednesday 9/3, 7:55 PM CT |
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With two victories in the first two stages of the four-tourney playoff for this year's FedEx Cup, Vijay Singh appears to have put the competition to rest. However, Mike Weir is one golfer that still has a chance to catch him, according to the PGA.
Our View: If Weir wins twice, he will earn 23,500 points, for a total of 130,465. To catch him, Singh would need to earn 9,965 points -- a third and a fourth, or a second at BMW and an 21st at THE TOUR Championship. Other combinations also work. If Singh has two mid-pack finishes -- say, 35th at BMW and 20th at THE TOUR Championship -- he would end the Playoffs with 125,470 points, meaning Weir would need 18,505 to overtake him. A 2nd and a 1st (in either order) would suffice, but a first and third wouldn't. If Singh has two last-place finishes, he would end the Playoffs with 124,601 points. Weir would still need a win and a second at BMW and THE TOUR Championship, or a third at BMW and a win in Atlanta. |
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| No Skins for Couples | Wednesday 9/3, 7:40 PM CT |
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The four-man field for the LG Skins Game was announced last week, and the biggest news was who would not be playing at Indian Wells over Thanksgiving weekend, according to the Associated Press. Fred Couples is playfully known as the “King of the Silly Season,” especially the Skins Game. He has played 14 times, captured 95 skins and earned over $4.2 million, more than he has made playing in the majors. Instead, defending champion Stephen Ames will join Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi and Rocco Mediate. “I’m glad I’m not playing,” Couples said at the Deutsche Bank Championship, where he missed the cut. “I’m done with golf. I was feeling so good, but I think I’m playing too much. This may be my last real event.”
Our View: Couples did not express disappointment, but a tinge was evident. He said he was hopeful of playing again, but he was pleased for Choi and Mediate. And no, Couples did not ask for an exemption. |
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| FedEx Cup format drawing criticism from golfers | Wednesday 9/3, 7:37 PM CT |
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The golfers of the PGA have been spending more than a few minutes in interviews and with reporters discussing their concerns with the revamped point format as awarded at this year's FedEx Cup playoffs, according to the Associated Press. With the current business model, a player could finish 70th two weeks in a row and earn more points than someone who contended on Sunday and wound up fifth, then missed a cut. “Cuts made bothers me,” said Jim Furyk, a reasonable and honest voice on tour. “Making a cut isn’t anything to be proud of, in my opinion. Finishing fifth? Now, there’s something to be proud of. As we know two 70ths is better than a fifth and a missed cut. I think we’re rewarding mediocrity. I don’t like rewarding mediocrity.”
Our View: The idea behind a revamped points system was to create more movement in the standings during the three playoff events leading to the TOUR Championship, and the simple fix was to award an additional 2,000 points to each player. But that essentially became a 2,000-point bonus to anyone making the cut. For instance, Charlie Wi tied for 65th at The Barclays and tied for 44th at the Deutsche Bank, moving up 27 spots from No. 66 to No. 39 going into the third round this week. Sean O’Hair missed the cut both weeks and was sent home, despite starting the playoffs as the No. 16 seed. The case of Kevin Sutherland, ranked at No. 57, may be the best case study from this season. He had one great week – Sutherland was part of the three-man playoff at The Barclays – then made the cut in Boston and tied for 50th. Two weeks later, an ordinary year and one great week means Sutherland is No. 6 in the standings. As a result, the TOUR Championship is no longer a reward for a great season. It’s a reward for a great month. |
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| Poulter blames the press for his Deutsche Bank shortcomings | Tuesday 9/2, 8:47 PM CT |
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Ian Poulter lashed out at the media Saturday after missing the cut in the Deutsche Bank Championship, claiming they created too large of a distraction about the Ryder Cup to allow him to concentrate on golf, according to the Associated Press. "It's been a very long week, and I think a lot of misspent energy has been taken up by obvious press -- media, players, everybody. It's just so mentally draining to be in this position, to listen, to read, to hear all the B.S. this week. I'm spent. I'm exhausted. I didn't want to finish the last two tournaments like this." Asked if he thought Faldo would pick him, Poulter glared at a reporter. "Do you know what? I'm sick and tired of all this nonsense," he said. "I'm absolutely spent. I can't waste any more energy on this. If I get the call, I'm ready to play. And trust me, I'll do my job."
Our View: With his last chance to leave an impression on Nick Faldo before the European captain announces his two picks Sunday, Poulter shot a 74 to miss the cut by five shots at the TPC Boston. Poulter said he was exhausted after his week, which only lasted two rounds, and he blamed the media on both sides of the Atlantic for making the week harder than it should have been. Missing the cut also meant Poulter was done for the year on the PGA Tour, having no chance to move into the top 70 for the third round of the playoffs in St. Louis. |
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| Tiger announces his family will be growing | Tuesday 9/2, 8:41 PM CT |
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Tiger Woods may be frustrated as he continues to miss the competition of the PGA, but he has announced one bit of positive news as his wife is pregnant with their second child, according to the Associated Press. "Elin is feeling great and we are both thrilled," Woods said. "While my injury has been disappointing and frustrating, it has allowed me to spend a lot of time watching Sam grow. I can't begin to tell you how rewarding it is being a dad and spending time with her and Elin. The injury has been a blessing and a disappointment."
Our View: Woods said on his Web site that Elin is expecting in late winter without being more specific on a due date. The world's No. 1 player has begun rehabilitation and has traveled recently to Dubai and New York for business projects. |
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| Scott battling tonsillitis | Tuesday 9/2, 8:35 PM CT |
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Recurring tonsillitis may be the cause of the lingering health problem that wiped out Adam Scott's chances in the major championships this year, according to the Daily Telegraph. "I'm going to have some more tests when I get back to Australia,'' said the Queenslander, who will have his tonsils removed if necessary. "I feel okay at the moment but I get worn out easily. My swing hasn't been great since Loch Lomond (the week before the British Open in July). This has been a bit of a crazy year, the last six months. Over the last few months, with illness and injury, I just haven't been able to put the work in and my game's suffering a bit. I would like to have worked on it in Akron (at the Bridgestone Invitational) and didn't get the opportunity. I tried to work on it at the PGA and didn't get it done.''
Our View: Scott had blood tests a fortnight ago and although he is waiting for a definitive diagnosis, doctors have told him that recurring tonsillitis is the most probable cause for his persistent throat pain and fatigue. The lack of preparation has shown itself on the course, as a rusty Scott has missed the cut in his past two starts at the PGA Championship as well as The Barclays tournament, where he shot a second round 82. Scott did not have a top-20 finish in any of the four majors this year. |
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