Real Life Fantasy Golf - Following Rob

Stitch01

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Top 125 in FedEx standings is automatic card. Winning a tourney is a two year exemption. Outside of 125 likely ends up in the web.com finals competing for a card.

365 points was good for 125th last year. For perspective 9th place alone here would be 45 points. 2nd would be 165.
 
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Stitch01

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Putter got him unfortunately. Four putt on 17. Had six feet for par but doubled. Probably kills a chance at a really high finish. Hopefully scoreboard is wrong (PGA scoreboard is sketchy) and its only a bogey
 

BigMike

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Absolute disaster on the short par 4 8th (his 17th), pulls an iron into the rough off the tee, then 4 putts, including a 3 putt for 6 feet
 

Deathofthebambino

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Uggh, just a dreadful way to finish, but still has to feel ok with how he played today. 4 birdies, one bad hole. Eliminate the mistake, and I think a -4 day tomorrow gets him into the top 15, maybe even top 10. A lot of the guys playing in this are young, rookies, etc., so I expect the sphincters to tighten up tomorrow, and given Rob's experience playing under pressure, it could be a good day for him.
 

The Napkin

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right here
2 holes, 4 strokes lost. Avoid those 2 bad tee shots and he's probably at worst -7 (T12). Pars on those 2 puts him at -9 (T5).
Frustrating damn game...
 

BigMike

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So he finishes at -6 for the tournament. Looks like that should be enough to stay in the top 25 for the week and pocket a paycheck in the 35-45K range

Honestly looking at his stats for the week it is amazing he was able to hang in as well as he did. He only hit 50% of fairways on the round, and just 51% for the week. His GIR was 61% today, and he was just below average putting for the day and week.

Looks like he moved all the way up to a tie for 18th. That should earn him 48,686 I think
 
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Deathofthebambino

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A top 20, 26 Fedex Cup points, and $52,337 in earnings. I'm pretty sure Rob would have said "hell yes, I'll take that," if someone had offered it to him on Wednesday. Of course, it could have been a whole lot better. 3 shots better, and he's looking at $125,000 and 50 points, but getting that first cut under your belt and making a nice chunk of change has to ease the tension in the shoulders a little.
 

Vegas Sox Fan

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PGATour.com says yes. TPC Summerlin has traditionally been pretty easy for the pros so I imagine it will not suit Robs game. I'm going to try to go out on Thursday. If I see Rob or any of you jokers out there, the first beer is on me.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Yep, he's officially playing this weekend. Late tee time Thursday, early tee time on Friday. Then hopefully two late tee times on the weekend. :) There is $2.5m more in this week's purse than last week's tournament, so a finish in the same spot would earn him about $80,000. Just make the cut, but like Vegas said, sometimes these easier courses don't fit him well, because he's not very long, so it's tough for him to go super low for four rounds.

I can't remember if he played in this event when he was on the Tour a couple years back. I feel like this was one of the ones he got bounced out of due to his priority ranking, but I could be wrong. Don't have time to look it up right now. One good thing about Vegas is the ball tends to carry, so hopefully, his length will be offset a bit by that, although it's the accuracy he's got to fix right now. Can't hit 51% of the fairways again this week, if the winning scores are going to be in the -20+ range. .
 

Stitch01

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Rob hasn't played this from what I can see on what I use for research. Wind might take scores a bit higher than usual this week. Weather in golf subject to change but PM/AM split somewhat advantageous as of now, avoids the worst of the forecast wind.

Middling course fit I'd say. Second shot golf course where traditionally missing the fairway doesn't matter much (low fairway hit percentage, high GIR vs tour average) although I have read the rough is a little longer this year. Not a real long course where he's going to lose strokes to the bombers. His iron game is on point right now, 5.7 SGA is his best PG tour performance since 2014 (As far back as my records go). This isn't quite a full field event so cut made chances are slightly higher than usual.

On the negative side, players with Vegas ties tend to have an advantage here and this event tends to be a putting contest/scorer fest towards the top, neither of which favor Rob.

I'd guess he makes the cut but doesn't place super high.
 

Stitch01

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Suspended for darkness. He’s even par through 16. The course played nearly a stroke over par in the afternoon and a stroke and a half harder during the afternoon than in the morning, not quite the birdiefest it had been in recent years. It won't be as calm tomorrow morning as it was this morning, but it will be windier tomorrow afternoon than it was today. He still has the easy par 5 ninth to play.

Couple putting mishaps, but par in the afternoon wave is pretty good and leaves him pretty well positioned to make the cut. Not playing super well so room to improve tomorrow as well. Saved by shots gained around the green so far, approach game not as sharp as recent weeks but, again, it was really windy.
 

Deathofthebambino

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2 of his three bogeys today were 3 putts in which he missed a 3 and a 4 footer for par. That's not like Rob. He can go months without missing a putt from 3 feet, but it seems he's been doing more of it since the season started. The putter is the best club in his bag, and it's not particularly close. I think he finished in the top 5 in putting on the Nationwide/Web.com tour multiple times. I would hope that's just nerves, and eventually, it comes around, because if he can just eliminate those, its going to make a big difference because every week, a couple shots better for him would be really important.
 

cshea

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Finished his first round today. Even par 71, T62 right now. Heads back out in half an hour for his 2nd round, probably needs an under par round to play the weekend.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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He didn't play himself out in the first round, but the flat stick really let him down. Missed 3 putts inside 5 feet and only made 2 outside 5 feet.

Be nice if he could get a -3 up and get into the weekend hopefully easily.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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Played at Indian Ridge a week ago - they love that guy there. My friend didn't know his name, but was talking about this PGA pro who bounced around tours and came and played and was telling me where he would put his drive and where I should aim. He was very surprised when I knew Rob's name and more about his career, than most golf fans ever would.
 

Stitch01

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About to knock himself out with a disaster on the par 5 13.

Cut line will likely be 1 over

Edit: hit a 17 footer to save bogey two over with five to play
 

cshea

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Had a 22 footer for eagle on 16, but couldn’t make it. +2 with 2 to play, needs a birdie to have a chance.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Played at Indian Ridge a week ago - they love that guy there. My friend didn't know his name, but was talking about this PGA pro who bounced around tours and came and played and was telling me where he would put his drive and where I should aim. He was very surprised when I knew Rob's name and more about his career, than most golf fans ever would.
That's Rob's "home" course so to speak. His family have been members there for decades. It's basically the course he grew up playing. He has the course record there, I believe, as well as probably a dozen other courses in the area. His family switched over to Andover CC a number of years ago, and recently went back to the Ridge. It was at Andover that I became close with Rob's brother, and then Rob. One of the times I played with Rob at Andover, he birdied 7 holes on the front 9. At the time, the course record was 64, and that had been the record for like 70 years (amateur or pro). Instead of finishing the round, Rob took off at the turn and said, "don't worry, I'll do it another time." A couple years ago, he came back and shot 61 on a Saturday with a bogey, and then 62 on Sunday, and he didn't think he was playing that well.

These guys simply don't play the same game we do.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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That's Rob's "home" course so to speak. His family have been members there for decades. It's basically the course he grew up playing. He has the course record there, I believe, as well as probably a dozen other courses in the area. His family switched over to Andover CC a number of years ago, and recently went back to the Ridge. It was at Andover that I became close with Rob's brother, and then Rob. One of the times I played with Rob at Andover, he birdied 7 holes on the front 9. At the time, the course record was 64, and that had been the record for like 70 years (amateur or pro). Instead of finishing the round, Rob took off at the turn and said, "don't worry, I'll do it another time." A couple years ago, he came back and shot 61 on a Saturday with a bogey, and then 62 on Sunday, and he didn't think he was playing that well.

These guys simply don't play the same game we do.
I know exactly what you are talking about with your last comment. Not on the same level as Rob - but I have played with a young kid from the north shore who is trying to make it on the asian mini tour system. I have played with him at my home course Bass Rocks and this was when he was a teenager, watching him work his way around a golf course was a piece of art. He had the club champion parking spot before he had a drivers license.
 

Deathofthebambino

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I know exactly what you are talking about with your last comment. Not on the same level as Rob - but I have played with a young kid from the north shore who is trying to make it on the asian mini tour system. I have played with him at my home course Bass Rocks and this was when he was a teenager, watching him work his way around a golf course was a piece of art. He had the club champion parking spot before he had a drivers license.
Our newest club champ is a 14 year old kid. Happens to be Asian. He didn't even break a sweat beating the best players we have. He spends hours and hours a day just hitting putts on the practice green, or working from the sand or chipping. It's amazing, but it's the only way to reach that level.
 

cshea

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He ends up shooting a -3 68, currently T14. Nice round, though I’m sure he was hoping for more after birding 3 of his first 4 holes.
 

Deathofthebambino

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He made bogey on #1 today, and then settled down. He just birdied 6, 7 and 8 to get to -2 for the day through 8, and -5 overall, in a tie for 19th. A couple more birdies on the back nine, and he could climb into the top 10 heading into the weekend.

Fowler has it going again today after shooting a 65 yesterday, he's -5 right now through 13, and sitting at -11.
 

Stitch01

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Not going to finish round two today, which is probably a break since he'll get what looks like 8 holes in what should be better conditions tomorrow morning. He's set up pretty well, still has the two easiest holes on the course to play before it hardens up from 14-18. Cut going to be -1 or -2, so should be all set there. Hard to tell much of what's going on since no shotlink data and golf's typical lol TV coverage was two hours of rain and a 4 PM sign off.

Wasn't sure Rickie was going to be really focused here, its an odd event for him to schedule, but he's pretty dialed in and going to be tough to beat this weekend. That said, a few of the other relatively heavy hitters here either missed the cut or still might (Hoffman, Perez, Woodland, Chappell, maybe Reed). A leaderboard with Kizzire, Harkins, and Fraustro towards the top should provide for some moving day opportunities.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Wasn't sure Rickie was going to be really focused here, its an odd event for him to schedule, but he's pretty dialed in and going to be tough to beat this weekend. That said, a few of the other relatively heavy hitters here either missed the cut or still might (Hoffman, Perez, Woodland, Chappell, maybe Reed). A leaderboard with Kizzire, Harkins, and Fraustro towards the top should provide for some moving day opportunities.
I still get a kick checking out the players that Rob "beats" each week, or sometimes, in a given round. I can't even imagine what it would be like to know I went out on the same course, on the same day, in the same conditions as a guy like Patrick Reed, and beat him by a couple shots. I just think that shit is too cool. To be able to beat some of them over a four day period is just insane.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Are they having weather issues there this morning too? Kind of surprised Rob and the other guys that didn't finish their rounds yesterday haven't teed off yet.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Ok, birdie on 13, and now he's tied for 10th with 2 holes left to play in the 2nd round. Just don't give any back here, and go "into the weekend" in the top 10, and see if he can make a run.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Feels like he always gives something back at the end of a good round like this, but either way, definitely in a good spot. He can't be done for the day, can he? I assume they are going to get as much in as they can today so they don't have to play 36 tomorrow?
 

BigMike

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He tees off here in a 15 way ties for 10th place.

Good advantage for him here potentially. Seems like guys may not finish this round, but he is teeing off first in the group of 15 tied at 10, so he should be able to complete more of his round today, and have less work for tomorrow. Now of course he needs to play a good round today for it to matter

And a bad tee shot leads to a bogey on 1
 
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Deathofthebambino

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Goes from 7th to 24th in two holes with bogeys on 18 and 1. He bogeyed #1 yesterday too, so hopefully it just doesn't fit his eye and he can turn it around again.
 

BigMike

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Well only got 4 holes in this afternoon before they called it for darkness. He ended up even on the 4 holes, but that dropped him 5 spots into an 11 man tie for 15th
 

bostonbeerbelly

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Tough ending bogey on 14 and then the implosion happens. double on 17 and double on 18. Gave up 5 shots in the last 5 holes to go from T-8 to T-37. I feel real disappointed, can't imagine what he feels.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Finishes tied for 34th, after posting a -2 in the final round. Gotta be very disappointed, even though again, it's a made cut and a paycheck (and probably a nice one all things considered).

One thing I've noticed is that he almost never finishes a round on a strong note. He'll make a few birdies, and seem to be rolling along, and then he always, always seems to make a bogey or two coming in. For example,

In Round 1, he's -4 through 15, and then makes a bogey on 16 and finishes with two pars. Prior to the bogey, he had made 4 birdies in 7 holes, including 3 in a row.

In Round 2, he's -4 through 17, and makes a bogey on 18. The only bogey he made besides 18 was on #1.

In Round 3, he's -3 through 13, and then gives back 5 shots in 5 holes, including doubles on 17 and 18.

In Round 4, he's -4 through 13, and then gives back 2 shots, including a bogey on 18 again.

Actually, I think one of those rounds, he started on the back 9, so that may not be exactly correct, but it's not just this week. If I had time, I would go back and look, but it seems like he almost never finishes a round with a birdie for his last "non-par" hole. He's always giving a shot or two or more after his final birdie/eagle of each round. If he just made par on 18 for 4 days this week, he'd have finished tied for 14th.

I don't know what it is, or why it keeps happening. I don't know if there are sneaky hard holes on the back stretch, but it's something a few of his friends and I have talked about for years. We used to say "If courses were 15 holes, Rob would be ranked top 10 in the world." Anyway, another good week all things considered. If he does this week in, week out, he'll be around next year, and he's bound to have a couple of good weekends along the way.