Torrey Pines starts Wednesday, just a heads up. BTW the Golf Channel had a story on a former Ohio State golfer, who is deaf and dumb. He won the Big 10 Championship as a senior, hasn't had much success as a Pro though, but an inspiring story never the less. He's on the APGA tour now and will be playing Saturday and Sunday at Torrey, I assume on the course that the regular tour isn't using.
Just looked at the tee times for Torrey. Looks like all the top golfers will be there. One interesting pairing is DeChambeau, Spieth, and Fowler. (9:40 PST) Besides the majors and playoffs there are a handful of other tournaments where most of the best usually show up. Torrey is one of them.
Torrey hasn't disappointed, it's been great so far. Jason Day and Will Zalatoris all 130lbs are the leaders @-14. Great to see Day playing well, he's really struggled with his back in recent years. Rahm in spite of his average round of even par today is 1 stroke back and JT 2 strokes back at - 12. Some big names didn't make the cut. Bryson could not play with his wrist problems, Speith, Fowler, Phil, Koepka and Finau all missed the cut.
Beautiful weather. Thinking about my golfing buddies up in Michigan staying in the warm indoors watching the tournament. And meanwhile in the Northeast.....brrr.
Cold in Fort Myers. Gotta be cold in the Villages as well. Stuck in my place with Covid after full vaccine and booster. Very mild.
Beautiful day here in Houston, sunny and cool. Torrey Pines is not done. Will Zalatoris had a very makeable putt to win on the 18th hole and he didn't hit it. He had a solid but unspectacular round, made a lot of par putts. Got himself out bad shots, but just couldn't get anything but pars on the back nine. Poor Luke List finished almost 2 hours ahead of him, talk about icing the kicker. Off we go for a playoff as they are fast losing the sun.
What an 18th hole. Both ended up in the trap off the tee almost on top of one another. List had a sort of a fried egg and Will had a smooth lie. Both had to layup. I thought they would mark Will's ball but they didn't,. Both hit good layups, but Luke hit a perfect 3rd shot and spins it back to 6 inches. Will hit a good shot but ended up with nearly the exact same putt he missed for the win in regulation and missed it again. Luke List is going to the Masters!
Had to feel a bit for Day. After holing out on 14 he could see his first victory in almost 4 years. And then the collar tightened. Right now he's not on the Masters invite list.
Pebble was in great shape yesterday, it's always so cool to see those beautiful vistas. But I wondered where all the big names were, well they are in the middle east playing in Saudi Arabia for huge appearance fees. Phil has been outspoke about the PGA Tour and the way they treat the players. The latest newcomer to this particular game is the Super Golf League, a Saudi-backed endeavor that has reportedly tabbed Greg Norman as its new commissioner. There's a lot of money at stake here, as Bryson DeChambeau is being offered $135 million to join and the pair of Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson are reportedly being offered $30 million each to leave the Tour to join the SGL. It will be a topic of conversation this weekend while the Tour is in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi International tournament. Phil Mickelson was asked about the possibility of the SGL stealing golfers and the Tour's various threats to prevent it from happening and blew up about the PGA Tour's "obnoxious greed" in a series of fiery quotes. Per Golf Digest:
I don't think that Phil is the best spokesman for those miffed at the tour. He's rumored to have pissed away millions at the tables in Vegas. The only one worse would be John Daly.
Phoenix Open one of the cool tournaments. It's the anti-Masters with the Patrons allowed to run wild and cheer. I watched the best of the 16th hole the other night including Tigers hole in one, and a golf Robot hitting a hole in one as well. It's the best par 3 in golf. Field will be good as all (most of them at least) the money grubbers who defected to the Saudi Tournament last week will be on the greens in Phoenix.
I always like to watch because it's the one regular PGA tour stop that I've played a couple times. Have played some others where big tournaments have been held (Canterbury, Firestone South, Tiburon) and have attended tourneys at Augusta and Muirfield Village, but TPA Scottsdale was pretty cool.
They couldn't get the first round finished, don't really know why though. I mean the weather was perfect when I was watching. Ricky Fowler really struggled, he used to be a great putter now he seems to get it close! I've never heard of the guy who is leading, Theegala. Koepka had a good opening round and is a couple of shots back.
Theegala not going away, Cantlay is in the clubhouse at - 9, was - 5 today. Theegala is also - 5,but in the trap at 16. Still he's currently - 10 and in the lead.
So the guy I never heard of is still in the lead! Sandith Theegala overcomes a double bogey on #2 to start and then righted the ship. He's got Koepka right on his heels, talk about pressure. But watch this hole in one on 16, hang with it to see the beer comming out of the stands.
There isn't any tradition as to how you react when you get an ace there, since it happens so seldom. We've seen World Series winning homerun trots and Super Bowl winning plays with spiking of the ball or hugging of the kicker but what does a golfer do after the ball goes in? Ryder doesn't seem to know. Meanwhile, you've got to wonder about those folks who arrived early in the middle of the night to get front row seats in the stadium. They're at ground zero for the beer throws.
Kid has hung in there but a bad kick on 17 almost ends up in the water and he can't get up and down, had a very makeable putt, but putted it through the break for bogey, now a bad tee shot on 18 probably does him in. Looks like it might go to a play off if Scottie Schaeffer can't make birdie on 18, he hit a great drive, it's all on his wedge.
Theegala is done followed up the bad drive with a bad 2nd shot. Schaeffer hit his wedge stiff, just has to make the putt!