Pressel pouting
I’ve watched the replay of Golf Channel’s tape-delayed coverage of the semifinals match between Morgan Pressel and Azahara Munoz, with a particular interest on the 12th hole, where Pressel went over the allotted time — she had 2:09 to play her three shots — by 39 seconds. I’ve also read just about every article of coverage by the scribes on-site. (continue reading…)
The waiting game...
Slow play has been an epidemic on the PGA Tour since as long as anyone can remember. Every year it’s the same ol’ story — fans/media/players complain and it’s always brought up at least once in the annual Players Meeting, but the pace of play on Tour hasn’t improved. It’s become one of those things that’s almost become part of the game. At least on Tour, but Kevin Na’s waggles and whiffs put a massive spotlight on the slow play issue, which was already a point of contention heading into the week.
Interesting enough, this week’s event marks the 20th anniversary of the last time a player — Dilliard Pruitt, who is now, coincidentally, a Tour rules official — was stroked a one-shot penalty for slow play at the ’92 Byron Nelson Classic. *Update: Last player stroked was acutally Glen Day at the ’95 Honda Classic.
Speedy? Na. Classy? Ya.
Kevin Na bared his soul to the media and the world after Saturday’s third round of The Players Championship, candidly speaking about the demons he’s been battling for quite a long time.
As the 54-hole leader at the PGA Tour’s marquee event, Na received more television time than perhaps ever before, putting a massive spotlight on his bizarre pre-shot routine, which includes multiple waggles (he has to do everything in pairs) and whiffs (he’s not stroked because he doesn’t intend to hit the ball). He also backs-offs after setting up countless times. It’s painful and grueling. For him, too. (continue reading…)
One for the family!
Matt Kuchar never seems to stop smiling. It’s nearly impossible to tell if he’s just made bogey or birdie because he has a perma-grin that kind of reminds me of the Joker. Don’t let the “aw, shucks” persona fool you, though. He clearly has the killer instinct to take down his opponents — not just on the golf course, but also on the ping pong table and tennis court — and win the biggest title of his career, The Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s flagship event, often dubbed as the “fifth major.” (continue reading…)
Rickie? Nope.
Wow, has Rickie Fowler shrunk? Nope, it’s not him — it’s one of many fans dressed in Fowler’s traditional Sunday all-orange. The above picture is Ryder Sutcliffe, 12, of Jupiter, Florida, waiting on the second fairway during the final round of the Players Championship. (continue reading…)
Na says he can't hit a putt outside 2 feet if he doesn't line it up...
It’s no secret Kevin Na, the 54-hole leader at The Players Championship, is one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour — if not the slowest — but he is well aware of his problem and the criticisms.
He’s been under even more scrutiny than usual this week given his position on the leaderboard, but he’s handled it with candor, bearing his demons to the media (and the world) and throwing in some self-deprecating humor. That makes it hard not to sympathize with the difficult he has “pulling the trigger,” which causes him to back off the ball and go through his pre-shot routine more than once countless times throughout a round. (continue reading…)
Matt Kuchar co-leading the Sea Island crew at Sawgrass
The crew of golfers that reside just about 80 miles up the eastern seaboard on Sea Island in St. Simons Island appear to have conspired a takeover of The Players Championship at the halfway mark. Neighbors Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar, along with “outsider” Kevin Na, shot a 36-hole total of eight-under for a three way share of the lead.
Just behind them, rookie Harris English, another Sea Islander (or to be more specific, St. Simons Islander — still not exactly sure), trails by a stroke, after a birdie-birdie finish to get him to seven-under for solo fourth in his first start at the Tour’s flagship event. Jonathan Byrd is also lurking at six-under to complete the coastal Georgian occupation of four of the top nine names on the leaderboard going into the weekend. (continue reading…)
Tiger looks pissed, but he's really exhaling...maybe...
Tiger Woods rallied after flirting briefly with missing his second consecutive for the first time in his career at The Players Championship, posting a four-under 68 to make the weekend with two shots to spare. He broke 70 for the first time since the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he captured his first official PGA Tour victory in two-and-one-half years in March, ending a nine-round drought of sub-70 scores.
High-fives all-around!
Faldo and Johnny: Probably talking Tiger here
For better or worse, I rarely have the privilege to listen to the telecast because the TVs are always on mute. Well, this week the Tour provides us with a “Personal PA” at each media station, so we can listen to Nick Faldo, Johnny Miller and the rest of the crew.
About an hour ago, Dan Hicks said to Johnny something like, “You’re not a fan of the over-analysis of Tiger, are you?” (continue reading…)
Rough week for the young and the old
Two of the field’s biggest draws, the current world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and the former No. 1 Tiger Woods, are in jeopardy of missing the cut at The Players Championship. (continue reading…)
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