Category: PGA Tour
Articles and links about the PGA Tour -- and, incidentally, the Nationwide, Champions Tour and European Tours.
Is Tiger Making The Right Move In Playing Abhu Dhabi?
The Farmers Insurance Open this week is played at Torrey Pines, where Tiger Woods has won seven times, including the 2008 US Open. Woods, however, won’t be there. Instead, he’s chosen to start his season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on an unfamiliar track.
I’m sure he didn’t do this on a lark, so I’m wondering about the strategy. Assuming Tiger’s there to win and not just to collect the hefty appearance fee, what does Abu Dhabi offer that Torrey Pines does not? The smart money would seem to be on Torrey Pines, one of five courses that account for forty percent Tiger’s Tour victories (Torrey Pines - 7; Bridgestone - 7; Bay Hill - 6; Cog Hill - 5; Augusta - 4).
I can see a downside in this, however. Expectations at Torrey Pines would be astronomical, and anything less than a top five would be viewed as a disappointment. Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, carries none of the expectations. As a bonus, it’s halfway around the world, out of the US Media limelight. Most here won’t see the event, except on Golf Channel highlights.
Then there’s the level of competition. If you buy into the notion that the European Tour right now is the superior tour, he’s facing tougher competition in the desert. Indeed, the top four in the world golf rankings are scheduled for an appearance there. Torrey Pines has just one of the top ten: Dustin Johnson at nine. I’m not sure whether is is a plus or a minus. On the one hand, playing against top competition may make Tiger better; then again, he may have a better chance at a winning against a less powerful field. Then again, not winning against lesser competition makes him look bad.
Gee. I’m sounding like that old joke about economists: Put five economists on a problem, and you’ll get ten opinions. “On the one hand ... but on the other hand.”
At any rate, I’ll be very interested to see how Tiger fares at Abu Dhabi. And I’m interested to see what others think of the Desert Strategy.
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
Farmers Insurance Open Past Winners and History
The Farmers Insurance Open is one of a triumvirate of tournaments on the West Coast Swing once associated with Hollywood Royalty—Bob Hope, Andy Williams and Bing Crosby. Crosby’s Clambake now is the AT&T National Pro-Am, the Hope is now the “Humana-Clinton,” and Andy Williams’ tournament now is the Farmers Insurance Open.
Crooner Andy Williams (Born Free, Moon River) was the celebrity host of the tournament from 1968 to 1988, under a variety of sponsor names. Before that, the event was the San Diego Open.
The San Diego Open was played at the San Diego Country Club from 1952 - 1953, then moved to the Rancho Sana Fe Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California. It moved to Mission Valley Country Club in 1955, and stayed there until 1961, with a one year stop over at the Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, California. It’s also been played at the Mission Valley Country Club (which subsequently changed its name to the Stardust Country Club and then to the Riverwalk Golf Club.).
The tournament moved to Torrey Pines in 1968, and has stayed there ever since. There actually are two courses at Torrey Pines, and the first 36 holes are split between the North and South Courses. The weekend rounds are played on the South.
Buick became the tournament’s sponsor in 1992 and continued in that role until 2009, when the auto industry meltdown and subsequent government bailout of GM made sponsoring a golf tournament unseemly. Farmers Insurance stepped up and became the sponsor in 2010.
As an aside, when I played Torrey Pines a couple of years ago, the locals told me that they thought the North was actually the better of the two. I played the South anyway.
During his career, Tiger Woods has absolutely owned the tournament, having won a record six times there: 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008. That doesn’t include his epic 2008 US Open victory at Torrey Pines. Native son Phil Mickelson has won there three times: 1993, 2000 and 2001. Two Time winners include Tommy Bolt, Arnold Palmer, Steve Pate, JC Snead and Tom Watson.
For photos of Torrey Pines, along with satellite images of the holes, visit here.
A list of past winners follows:
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
Smokey Robinson: Golf Is Dope
Golf is dope. It’s the heroin of sports. There is absolutely nothing else that you could call me at 4:30 in the morning and say “Hey Smoke, lets get up and go do this” and I’ll say “Where?”
Its a great game and you can play it your whole life and I’m really sorry that I didn’t start to play it when I was young.
Me, too Smokey, Me, too.
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
Ironic Mustache Wins Sony Open
I’m sure the PGA Tour breathed a collective sigh of relief when Johnson Wagner edged out Matt Every for the Sony Open title. No more questions about suspensions, marijuana and what Every meant when he said: “There’s a lot worse stuff going on out here than what I got in trouble for.”
Wagner has two previous PGA Tour Victories: the 2011 Mayakoba Golf Classic and the 2008 Shell Houston Open. This latest win makes him fully exempt through 2014.
It wasn’t easy, though. Six different players had a share of the lead in the final round. In the end, Wagner worked a two shot lead over Carl Pettersson, Sean O’Hair, Harrison Frazar and Charles Howell III. That’s the kind of competitive depth I hope/think we’ll see this year on tour. Like the NFL, I really think its become a matter of “on any given Sunday.” From a fan’s point of view, that’s great.
And the moustache? Johnson said he decided he’d wear it for the year if he made it to the Masters. Now, he says, “This is potentially a ten year mustache.”
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
Humana Challege Past Winners and History
Known for years as the Bob Hope, the Humana Challenge will have its first go Jan. 19 - 22, 2012 with Bill Clinton settling into the tournament spotlight.
Whereas the Bob Hope Classic was unique on the PGA Tour for being played on four different courses over five days, the Humana will use the traditional four-day PGA Format. It remains, however, one of two of the Tour’s televised celebrity pro-am events (the other being the AT&T National).
To accommodate the new approach, the tournament will feature:
A four-day tournament, beginning Thursday of tournament week, with the first three rounds played in a pro-am format.
The pro-am teams will consist of one professional and one amateur playing in groups of four.
For each day of the three-round, pro-am competition, the professional ill have a different amateur partner. Amateurs will compete in daily competitions as well as an overall, three-day competition.
Round 4 will be professionals only with a normal 70 + ties cut.
The field size for the event will be 144 professionals, an increase of 16 professional spots from the previous format, and 144 amateurs.
The tournament will play out over three courses: La Quinta Country Club, a tournament course since 1965, PGA WEST Nicklaus Private and PGA WEST Palmer Private. PGA WEST has been in the rotation since 1986. Silverrock Resort Course has been dropped.
From 1960 to 1962, the tournament was played at Thunderbird Country Club and Tamarisk Country Club, both in Rancho Mirage, California; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in Bermuda Dunes, California; and Indian Wells Country Club in Indian Wells, California. Bermuda Dunes has been used every year of the event and Indian Wells every year until 2006.
In 1963, Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells, California, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California replaced Tamarisk Country Club from 1964 until 1968, but rejoined the event from 1969 to 1986, alternating with Eldorado Country Club.
Bob Hope added his name to the tournament in 1965 and became the Classic’s Chairman of the Board.
Starting in 1987, the classic courses began to be phased out of the vent. The PGA West in La Quinta got a permanent spot in the rota in 1997. Eldorado Country Club was dropped in 1990. In 2005, a local foundation gave the Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif. to the tournament. It replaced Indian Wells the following year. The Hope now is the only event on the Tour that owns its own facility. Strangely, it was dropped from the rota in 2008 (over player concerns about high winds). The tournament now owns a course that isn’t used for the tournament. Strange.
The 2011 rota consisted of the PGA West (Palmer and Nicklaus Courses), La Quinta CC and Silver Rock Resort, all in La Quinta, California. Bermuda Dunes is not being used this year.
The tradition of choosing the tournament’s “Classic Girls” from among the area’s collegians began in those early years, with the earliest tournaments having a celebrity dubbed “Classic Queen.” The earliest titleholders included Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell and Jill St. John. The queens of the 1970s included Barbara Eden and Lynda Carter.
The Classic’s biggest draw was—and continues to be—the celebrity Pro-Am competition which has attracted some of each era’s biggest celebrities. Of note was Dwight Eisenhower, who became the first president to play in a Tour event. History was made at the tournament in 1995 when the pro-am team of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and defending champion Scott Hoch teed up for the tournament’s opening round. The event marked the first time a sitting president – Clinton – had played during a PGA Tour event and perhaps the first time three presidents had ever played together.
Bill Clinton hosts in 2012.
The first tournament was won by Arnold Palmer with a final score of 338, or 22 under par. Palmer would win the event five times: 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1973.
More Hope Classic history: David Duval shot a 59 in the final round of the event in 1999. For a recount of the round, visit here.
A complete list of Bob Hope Classic past winners follows:
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
DeLaet Leads Sony Open
Graham DeLaet is in the lead at the Sony Open.
Who?
DeLaet was Rookie of the Year on the Canadian Tour in 2007, and Player of the Year there in 2009. In his native land, he won the 2008 Desjardins Montreal Open, the 2009 ATB Financial Classic and the 2009 Canadian Tour Players Cup. He’s also played on the Sunshine Tour, where he won the 2009 BMG Classic.
On the PGA Tour, he passed through Q-School and was a rookie in 2010. His best ever finish was a T-3 at the Shell Houston Open. In 2011, he suffered a back injury that sidelined him for all but three events.
This is a good way to come back. Here’s hoping he can keep up the pace. It’d be nice to have yet another player to talk about when discussing the depth of the current PGA Tour.
For us old guys, last week’s winner, Steve Stricker, is just three off the pace, in a T5.
More golf in prime time tonight: The Golf Channel airs the Sony Open live from 7:00 to 10:30.
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
Finchem Gets Four More Years
It seems that one of my New Year’s predictions already has gone by the wayside: Rather than retiring this year, Tim Finchem has been given a four year extension of his contract.
From the Washington Post:
Coming off his most difficult stretch as PGA Tour commissioner, Tim Finchem is ready for four more years.
Finchem received a four-year contract extension Wednesday, which will keep him in charge of golf’s most lucrative tour through 2016.
He suggested last year that he might be willing to stay on the job after his contract expired in June 2012, and Finchem said he made up his mind after talking to his wife. Their youngest daughter starts college next year.
The 64-year-old Finchem also wanted to get through the most recent television contract, an unprecedented nine-year deal with NBC Sports and CBS Sports.
“It was a no-brainer decision,” Finchem said. “It’s what I do. Plus, we got done with TV. And with a runway for 10 years, I figured we could do some good stuff long term. I’m as optimistic as I’ve ever been.
From that last quote, it seems as though he’s thinking about staying until 2021.
Given the accuracy of this first prediction, I also amend my thoughts on the Majors: Tiger will win all four, and break Byron Nelson’s eleven in a row winning streak. Also, The GolfBlogger will shoot even par this summer. 
Posted By The Original Golf Blogger
