2014 PGA Tour

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,949
No event depresses me more than the Deutsche Bank.  I've played TPC Norton at least a dozen times, and it is fucking HARD.  I don't even play the tee boxes these guys play, which seems like a mile back compared to where we go from, which is right around 7,000 yards, and these guys just eat the fucking place up.  They are so, so playing a different game.
 
Years ago, might have even been the first time they played there, Vijay shot a 61 during a round, in the middle of a driving 30mph rain storm.  The PGA and the TPC folks freaked out and decided they had to make it harder, so they added about 1,000 trees, another 500 yards or so, and it seemed to have accomplished...nothing.  The winner of this thing is still going to end up around -15 to -20.  They are just firing fucking darts at these pins right now.
 
Makes you really understand how hard the US Open type courses really are.  If these guys struggle on a place as much as they do there, I can't even imagine what it must be like.  I  can't even reach the fairway with a standard 250-260 yard drive on a bunch of these holes.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,949
No, I'm talking about from the tee boxes they are playing from.  A 250-260 yard drive doesn't get to the fairway on a number of holes.  From the tee boxes we play, which is about 6900-7000 depending on the day, I can reach all of them, but only barely on a couple. I play to between a 9-12 handicap, and the back tees are literally unplayable for someone like me at TPC Norton, and these guys chew it up and spit it out year after year.  In addition to the length, on a number of holes, they are driving it through a chute of trees on either side that can't be more than 50 yards across.  It's so fucking depressing.
 

BigMike

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Sep 26, 2000
23,244
Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
Patrick Reed threw up a cool 82 today. Went from being two strokes back to missing the secondary cut.
 
It's even beer because his front 9 was a reasonable 38. 
 
He followed that with a back 9 that featured 2-3's  2-4s  and 5-6s   all the way to a 44.  Watson must be thrilled
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Looking forward to today's final round. Getable course and lots of fire power on the leaderboard. 
 
Also, Ryder Cup captain's picks will be made tomorrow. Lots of different options for Watson. Keegan Bradley is likely a lock but Watson has a lot of options for his other two. 
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Found a way to get up and down. Crazy. 
 
Rory seems to be spinning his wheels today. 
 
Edit: And the wheels fall completely off on 6. Drove it in the fairway bunker then left his 2nd in the bunker after failing to clear the lip. 
 

bostonbeerbelly

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 26, 2008
2,224
San Fran
The fedex cup points is a truly great system. I have Morgan Hoffman who is on the 17th with 134 yards to go, and the par 5 18th left, and if he plays these last two holes -1, he will advance to next week.  If not he will miss it by a stroke. 
 

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
Deathofthebambino said:
No, I'm talking about from the tee boxes they are playing from.  A 250-260 yard drive doesn't get to the fairway on a number of holes.  From the tee boxes we play, which is about 6900-7000 depending on the day, I can reach all of them, but only barely on a couple. I play to between a 9-12 handicap, and the back tees are literally unplayable for someone like me at TPC Norton, and these guys chew it up and spit it out year after year.  In addition to the length, on a number of holes, they are driving it through a chute of trees on either side that can't be more than 50 yards across.  It's so fucking depressing.
What I'd like to know is when are you going to hook me up and get me in the course?
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
I'm kind of surprised the lead hasn't really moved much today. Outside of Ogilvy nobody's really going low. I was expecting a birdie fest. 
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,949
Man, would love to see Ogilvy pull this off.  That missed birdie putt on 18 will probably be the difference though.  Although, he probably shouldn't have had the putt to begin with, after hitting the flag to stop his ball where it did.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Kirk may have just wrapped it up. 
 
Edit: Horschel responds behind him. Good stuff, 18 is a great finishing hole. 
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Kirk's got one of the slowest swings I've seen on tour. Sloppy play on 18 but has about a 10 footer on 18 to get to -16 and force Horschel to make eagle. 
 
Edit: Missed it. Similar putt to the one Ogilvy missed earlier. Birdie gets Horschel into a playoff. 
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,949
Holy shit.  Horschel literally chunked his second shot into the hazard.  Needs to hole out after the drop to tie.  Unreal.
 

BigMike

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Sep 26, 2000
23,244
Think Patrick Reed is looking to a nice warm place to crawl up in the fetal position yet?  After his 44 back 9 to end last week he is +4 though 6 today.  Sad part is he has so many points it looks like he'll make the tour championships either way.    He might need a break before the Ryder Cup (where I assume he will play 1 single match and nothing else)
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Reed is only +1 through 7 today. Baby steps towards even par.

Nice leaderboard, as you'd expect with this field. 34 players within 5 shots of the lead and the course is playing more difficult than anticipated. It's still early but I wonder if this turns into Rory/Sergio III this summer.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
All three of Watson's picks are playing like shit so far this week.
Half of the US team is T44 or worse- Bradley, Kuchar, Mickelson, Simpson, Mahan, Reed.
 
Meanwhile, Sergio leads, Rory's T3, Stenson is T9 and Rose and Kaymer are T20.
 
Good times.  
 
Edit: Spieth is showing some signs of life after a rather dull stretch though. USA!
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Mickelson WD's with a case of the suck. 
 
http://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/tourreport/2014/09/06/mickelson-withdraws-from-bmw.html
 
I mean, I get that the playoff schedule this year sucks because of the Ryder Cup, but come on Phil. Finish the week then you have over 2 weeks to rest and get ready for the Ryder Cup. If it's so taxing you should've just skipped the event (or the Barclay's, or the Deutsche Bank) all together instead of this "well, I'm not going to make it anyway so fuck it" move. 
 

WayBackVazquez

white knight against high school nookie
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2006
8,294
Los Angeles
The ten or twenty thousand dollar fine that the PGA would levy means less than nothing to Phil. He could earn 100 times that each day of the three he's taking off.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
12,959
The Paris of the 80s
WayBackVazquez said:
The ten or twenty thousand dollar fine that the PGA would levy means less than nothing to Phil. He could earn 100 times that each day of the three he's taking off.
 
No kidding. It would be a parking ticket to him. Plus, who really knows how much his health issues are wearing on him and how he is adjusting to learn how they affect him in terms of fatigue over the season. I wouldn't be surprised if he's even pickier about when plays going forward.
 

steveluck7

Member
SoSH Member
May 10, 2007
3,994
Burrillville, RI
Freddy Linn said:
Uncomfortable with a rules issue where he was granted relief.

Phil is going to be fined, rightfully so. He shouldn't get a pass on this.
He better not... Tiger gets picked apart in the media when he WD's with an injury that he had going into the tournament. But, to the media, Phil's always been the anti-Tiger so he'll probably skate
 

Freddy Linn

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
9,151
Where it rains. No, seriously.
steveluck7 said:
He better not... Tiger gets picked apart in the media when he WD's with an injury that he had going into the tournament. But, to the media, Phil's always been the anti-Tiger so he'll probably skate
 
Phil is bulletproof.  The GC guys all said he gets a pass.  The Tour needs to do something or it will turn into the WTA.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
12,959
The Paris of the 80s
Freddy Linn said:
 
Because being out of contention isn't a valid reason for withdrawing from a tournament.  
 
I agree. However, it's not like he pulls this every time. I really don't understand the attention to it. It's kind of a roll your eyes and mutter "whatever" kind of thing. A few people in this thread seem seriously tweaked by it. I don't get that. The tourney was enjoyable to watch, no one would have been paying attention to Phil. He's paid his dues. Whatever.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
I'll admit that it tweaked me primarily because I'm biased and don't like Phil Mickelson. He'll get a pass because he's the media darling, and that is sort of what irks me, so I guess my issue is more with the golf media than Phil. Rory got (rightfully) raked over the coals last year when he picked up his ball when he was a billion over par at the Honda Classic and I can't imagine the outcry that would occur if Tiger quit the way Phil did this weekend. Phil gets a pass though because he's Phil. This episode reminded me of when he WD'd from an event a few years ago (I want to say the Greenbrier or Memorial) because he was too tired from his European vacation.
 

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
cshea said:
I'll admit that it tweaked me primarily because I'm biased and don't like Phil Mickelson. He'll get a pass because he's the media darling, and that is sort of what irks me, so I guess my issue is more with the golf media than Phil. Rory got (rightfully) raked over the coals last year when he picked up his ball when he was a billion over par at the Honda Classic and I can't imagine the outcry that would occur if Tiger quit the way Phil did this weekend. Phil gets a pass though because he's Phil. This episode reminded me of when he WD'd from an event a few years ago (I want to say the Greenbrier or Memorial) because he was too tired from his European vacation.
While I agree regarding Tiger v. Phil - the one caveat being that Tiger has WD a lot more than Mickelson has. If Tiger had not had such a long history of WD and did what Mickelson did this weekend, I think he would have gotten a pass too.
 

WayBackVazquez

white knight against high school nookie
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2006
8,294
Los Angeles
FL4WL3SS said:
While I agree regarding Tiger v. Phil - the one caveat being that Tiger has WD a lot more than Mickelson has. If Tiger had not had such a long history of WD and did what Mickelson did this weekend, I think he would have gotten a pass too.
 
It's Mickelson's third withdrawal this year, and his sixth in his career. Tiger has seven.
 
EDIT: And one of those seven was officially a withdrawal, but he did so before making one swing.
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
I'm watching some of the Tour Championship this morning. The golf is OK, but it seems like there could be a better way to wrap the year up. I feel like this could be a good spot for a match play event to decide the champion, but I guess it would suck to play all year and then have your season (and chance at $10 million) get torpedo'd in a single 18-hole match play. I don't know, I feel like this could be done better. 
 
Also, Tom Watson must feel great watching Billy Horschel and Chris Kirk duke it out for the championship while Hunter Mahan and Webb Simpson fart along at +4 and T25 out of 29. Reed is showing signs of life though. So there's that. 
 

cshea

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
36,047
306, row 14
Rory's wayward tee shot on 14 hit the trees and literally fell down right into a spectator's pocket. I've never really seen that before.