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Inside Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach

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12 years ago

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By Michael Williams

Special to GolfWRX

Ok, let’s start with a show of hands: how many of you out there predicting that Ken “Tin Cup” Duke would be in contention at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I’ll admit that I thought that for the first three rounds I thought he was the head of global banking for Wachovia; turns out he’s a Tour pro who flirted with victory but fell victim to Sunday pressure and a shaky putter to shoot a disappointing 74.

But he beat Tiger Woods by a shot on Sunday.

In one of the marquee matchups that the sport both craves and requires, Phil Mickelson was paired with Tiger in the next to last group at a venue where they have both enjoyed success. Mickelson put a good old-fashioned beatdown on Tiger, besting him by 11 stokes. For goodness sake, after the sixth hole Tony Romo was carrying that team.

So there are four things to consider as we sip our morning coffee; Tiger’s performance standalone, Phil’s performance standalone, the state of their rivalry and what Sunday’s results can tell us about future outcomes.

While Woods suffered through yet another Sunday, Bloody Sunday, Phil Mickelson played some of the most inspired golf that he has produced for years. It always seems that Mickelson can contend anywhere on the Tour’s California swing. But on Sunday he did more than contend; he dominated. After a recent adjustment from Butch Harmon, Mickelson was long and straight off the tee and dialed in with he irons, putting up sensational numbers like 93 percent driving accuracy and 77 percent greens in regulation.

Given all of that, the most impressive numbers for Phil were 5-under, 12, 15, and 204. 5-under is the score that Mickelson put up for the first six holes, putting the entire field on notice that it would have to go low or go home. 12 is the hole where Tiger holed out of a greenside bunker, momentarily sparking hope for a back-nine miracle. But Mickelson promptly squashed that notion with a scintillating 30-foot par putt; and for good measure he saved par again on 15 with a 40-foot bomb. And what about 204? That’s the distance of Mickelson’s tee shot on the 543-yard 18th.  Rather than risk disaster needlessly, Mickelson hit two short, straight shots to leave himself with 111 yards. He spun a wedge to 5 feet and dropped nailed that one for a birdie that clinched the title.  Clearly, Phil had discovered what all of us bums have known for years; it’s a much easier game out of the fairway. In past years, he might have been convinced to “make a statement” and go for eagle on the 18th. And where the tents were at Winged Foot, there was nothing but the Pacific Ocean to catch any errant shots by Mickelson. But this time he traded guts for glory. It’s the kind of mature decision-making that doesn’t necessarily win events but it definitely doesn’t give them away senselessly.

Tiger on the other hand, would be glad to have a solid performance on any given Sunday.  He seemed tentative about his technique yet again, taking more and more exaggerated practice swings in an effort to conjure up some muscle memory. He gave new meaning to the phrase “Sunday Driver”, his ball flying to one side of the course while his club was helicoptering to Earth in the other direction. His irons were imprecise at best, sloppy at worst.  But more disturbing than Tiger’s overall performance was his disastrous putting. He seemed rock solid with the flat stick on the same course the day before, but on Sunday he was lost. He had neither green speed or line locked in, making every putt an adventure. And on the short putts, Woods has seemingly switch places with Mickelson. Tiger has been the best quite possibly the best short putter of all time; Phil on the other hand could take the easiest gimme and turn it into a tragi-comic tale.  But yesterday it was Phil who looked confident over every putt from every distance, while Tiger could only drop his head and silently whisper, “Serenity Now”. The enduring image of the weekend is Mickelson looking on in disbelief as his nemesis rammed a 3-foot birdie putt 6 feet past the hole. “I want it…but not like this,” was the sentiment his expression conveyed.

As for the rivalry, it can be summed up in these words; Phil currently owns Tiger. The last five times they have ben paired together, Phil has put up a better score; three of those times he has won the event. It’s like the old joke about the Yankees and the Red Sox; calling that a rivalry is like saying there is a rivalry between a hammer and a nail.

It’s way early in the season and there is only so much that can be extrapolated from one event, from one round … but let’s give it a whirl. Phil has clearly found another gear, but it’s one thing to have it on Sunday in February and quite another to have it on the four Sundays that mean the most. Woods is clearly playing good golf, but without the ability to close the deal he will be will conjure up fewer comparisons to Jack and more comparisons to Sergio. Augusta will be epic. Epic.

Ironically, Tiger can find some solace in Mickelson’s performance. Their lives have parallels that can be instructive for Woods. Before Winged Foot in 2007, Mickelson was attempting to win his third consecutive major and become the dominant player in the world. After Winged Foot, his psyche was shattered in a similar the way that Woods’ was. Mickelson was beset with challenges off the course as well as on the course, challenges that demanded more of him as a man than as a golfer. He has come through the storms and he is a better man and quite possibly a better golfer. This is precisely the outcome that Woods is seeking.

As for Mickelson, his 40th Tour win puts him in a different place. He is one of only nine golfers to achieve that feat, putting him one clear of Tom Watson and just a few back of the great Walter Hagen. At 41, he can look to supplant Vijay Singh as the gold standard for late-career success. He is healthy, confident and at peace. But he should not get complacent. Predatory cats in the rear view mirror are bigger, better and more determined than they appear.

Michael Williams is the contributing editor of Newschannel8 Capital Golf Weekly and Bunkershot.com, as well as a member of the Golf Writers Association of America.

You can follow Michael on twitter — @Michaelontv

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Williams has a reputation as a savvy broadcaster, and as an incisive interviewer and writer. An avid golfer himself, Williams has covered the game of golf and the golf lifestyle including courses, restaurants, travel and sports marketing for publications all over the world. He is currently working with a wide range of outlets in traditional and electronic media, and has produced and hosted “Sticks and Stones” on the Fox Radio network, a critically acclaimed show that combined coverage of the golf world with interviews of the Washington power elite. His work on Newschannel8’s “Capital Golf Weekly” and “SportsTalk” have established him as one of the area’s most trusted sources for golf reporting. Williams has also made numerous radio appearances on “The John Thompson Show,” and a host of other local productions. He is a sought-after speaker and panel moderator, he has recently launched a new partnership with The O Team to create original golf-themed programming and events. Williams is a member of the United States Golf Association and the Golf Writers Association of America.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

Published

1 day ago

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May 14, 2024

By

GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.

While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.

Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue

Published

1 day ago

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May 14, 2024

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the PGA Championship from iconic Valhalla.

1. Is now the time Rory finally ends major drought?

BBC’s Iain Carter…”But given the imperious form he showed in Charlotte last week, perhaps this is the PGA Championship to rekindle the ruthless streak of old. And not just because he is back at Valhalla (the Nordic word for the hall of the fallen).”

  • “It also became clear last week that McIlroy is somewhat persona non grata to the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. His views on a global future for this damagingly split sport do not seem to chime with the American dominated body.”
  • “His offer to return to the board from which he resigned earlier this year was rejected and he has been left as a mere non-voting member of the “transaction committee” dealing with a potential deal with Saudi Arabia.”
  • “McIlroy insists there are “no hard feelings” but there should be.”
  • “No player has worked harder for their sport during this period of unprecedented tumult and the board has rejected someone many people regard as the game’s most articulate and enlightened international voice.”
  • “Now is, surely, the time for McIlroy to feel slighted and respond with his clubs. Play as though he has a chip on his shoulder, but in the knowledge that he is generationally the most consistent golfing force out there.”
Full piece.

2. Scheffler in for PGA Champ after birth of child

Jaclyn Hendricks for PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler and wife Meredith’s bundle of joy has arrived.”

  • “The couple welcomed their first child, just weeks after Scheffler claimed his second Masters victory in three years.”
  • “Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig tweeted Saturday that the baby was born and Scheffler will play in this week’s PGA Championship — the second major of the season.”
  • “There’s been nothing official from Scottie Scheffler, his team or the Tour… But word is he will be at Valhalla for the PGA next week after winning four of his last five tournaments, including the Masters. He is currently on the Tuesday interview schedule for 3:30 p.m. #babyborn,” Harig wrote over the weekend.”
Full piece.

3. “Erik van Rooyen, friends and family live in honor of ‘Trazzy’”

  • That’s the headline of Ryan Lavner’s superb piece on Erik van Rooyen and his departed best friend Jon Trasmar. An excerpt would be an injustice. Go read it!
Full piece.

4. Stricker out of PGA citing fatigue

AP report…”Steve Stricker decided Sunday to withdraw from the PGA Championship at Valhalla, citing the difficulty of playing four times in a span of five weeks.”

  • “Stricker, 57, was eligible by winning the Senior PGA Championship last year. He, John Daly and Phil Mickelson are the only players to have competed at Valhalla each of the previous three times the PGA Championship was held there.”
Full piece.

5. Why Valhalla is a great venue for major championships

Garrett Morrison for The Fried Egg…”But before we start slinging mud (of which there will be plenty in Kentucky this week), let’s pause to think about why Valhalla tends to generate close final-round battles featuring elite players. It’s not magic: the course has long par 3s and 4s, narrow fairways, and smallish greens surrounded by rough and bunkers. This style of design and setup, which practically defines the PGA Championship’s modern brand, gives an outsize advantage to a skill that many star players share: power. Length off the tee and the ability to muscle the ball out of rough to a well-protected green will be near-prerequisites for contending at this week’s PGA Championship. If Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau show up with any kind of short-game and putting form, they will be in the mix on Sunday. And the presence of such A-listers on the leaderboard will further burnish Valhalla’s reputation as a serious venue.“

  • “It does not follow, however, that Valhalla is a great golf course. In fact, I find it a fairly mediocre and bland one. Very few holes offer multiple options of the tee (the exceptions being the short par-4 fourth and the double-fairway par-5 seventh), most of the greens lack memorable contouring, and the recovery shots from around the fairways and greens are one-dimensional and repetitive. So even if Sunday turns out to be a barn-burner, the first three rounds, when the focus will be on the course and the shots demanded, will probably be sleepier, aside from the inevitable Blockie walk-and-talk.”
Full piece.

6. Dunne resigns from policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Jimmy Dunne, who last year helped negotiate the PGA Tour’s controversial framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, resigned from the tour’s policy board on Monday.”

  • “In Dunne’s resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, Dunne wrote that “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF” and that “my vote and my role is utterly superfluous” now that player directors outnumber independent directors on the policy board. Dunne’s resignation was effective immediately.”
  • “It is crucial for the Board to avoid letting yesterday’s differences interfere with today’s decisions, especially when they influence future opportunities for the tour,” Dunne wrote. “Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and repairing wounds left from a fractured game. I have tried my best to move all minds in that direction.”
  • “Along with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Dunne and policy board chairman Ed Herlihy secretly negotiated the framework agreement with the PIF, which is financing the rival LIV Golf League. Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced the deal on June 6. Most PGA Tour players — including some player directors — were unaware of the deal until it was announced on TV.”
Full piece.
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Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls

Published

2 days ago

on

May 13, 2024

By

This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)

This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.

LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms

There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.

This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.

Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.

PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte

Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.

Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.

PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week

It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.

The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.

Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.

PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie

Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.

In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again.  Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.

Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.

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