Glass: Open/Barbasol Preview
The 144th Open Championship
The Old Course at St. Andrews
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, Great Britain
The Old Course
Yards: 7,297
Par: (36-36) 72
Greens: Average square feet is 13,000. That's not a typo. There are only four holes that are not double greens, Nos. 1, 9 17 and 18. Fine fescue surfaces.
Stimpmeter: N/A; weather dependent
Rough: Fine fescue
Bunkers: 110
Water Hazards: 1
Course Architect(s): God, Alister MacKenzie and Old Tom Morris (1850).
Purse: $9.2 million
Winner’s Share: $1.8 million
FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner
Defending Champion: At the event, Rory McIlroy fired 17-under-par 271 to win at Hoylake; At St. Andrews, Louis Oosthuizen won by a whopping seven shots in 2010 on 16-under 272.
Dates: July 16-19
Notes: 156 players; stroke play; low 70 and ties play the weekend
Notes II: In the event of a playoff it will be a four-hole aggregate used to determine a winner.
History Lessons
Patrick Reed, Jimmy Walker (twice), Bill Haas, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, Brandt Snedeker, James Hahn, Padraig Harrington, Alex Cejka, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth (four times), Matt Every, J.B. Holmes, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Chris Kirk, Steven Bowditch, David Lingmerth, Fabian Gomez, Bubba Watson and Danny Lee are the 26 winners of calendar 2015. Hahn (No. 297), Harrington (No. 297), Cejka (No. 285), Every (No. 96), Bowditch (No. 137), Lingmerth (No. 212) and Gomez (No. 283) and Lee, No. 158 are the only players outside the top 70 OWGR to win this year.
After 28 wins in 45 events last season the USA has won with Snedeker, Koepka, Haas, Walker (two), Reed, Hahn and Johnson, Spieth (four), Every, Holmes, Furyk, Fowler, Kirk and Watson in 2015.
The USA already picked up wins in 2014 portion from Charley Hoffman, Watson, Ryan Moore, Robert Streb and Ben Martin. The USA has won 23 of the first 35 events.
Cejka, Harrington, Jason Day, Rose, McIlroy, Bowditch, Lingmerth, Gomez and Lee make up the rest of foreign legion who have won in calendar 2015. They join Sang-moon Bae (Korea) and Nick Taylor (Canada) from the 2014 as the international winners.
After 13 first-time winners in 2013 there were only 10 last year. Through 34 events in 2015, Hahn, Koepka, Martin, Streb, Taylor, Cejka and Lingmerth, Gomez and Lee have broken their maidens.
The only multiple winners this season on TOUR are Watson, Walker, McIlroy and Spieth. The young Texan is the only player besides Tiger Woods this century to have won four times in a season. Let that set in.
For those of you living under a rock or who have been on vacation without technology, please know that Rory McIlroy, via his Instagram: "Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage in a soccer kickabout with friends on Saturday. Continuing to assess extent of injury and treatment plan day by day. Rehab already started..... Working hard to get back as soon as I can." Sadly, this was followed by a message that he won't be defending his Open championship this week because of said injury. Get well soon!
The Home of Golf
The 144th Open Championship returns to the Old Course at St. Andrews for the 29th time and first since 2010. Golf in Scotland and St. Andrews goes back over 600 years and winning here can be argued is the pinnacle achievement in the modern game. Jack Nicklaus has argued as much so I believe him.
The Old Course has many facets of difficulty including bunkers, weather, fescue and hidden obstacles. Arguably the most difficult bunkers on the planet, 110 chances will await errant tee shots, field shots and improperly executed shots around the green. Heck, one of the bunkers is named Hell. Hell, the most difficult ones have NAMES. Pitching out from the sandy penal zones aren't the recipe for success this week so controlling the golf ball is a huge factor.
The Open Championships are all played on links courses so accuracy off the tee keeps players out of the bunkers and the fescue but the wide landing areas in the fairways reward the long hitter. The fine fescue fairways and greens are just fine but the wispy, lengthy unkempt wilderness off the fairway will be a crap shoot for approach shots. Tiger Woods, on his way to 19-under in 2000 didn't find one bunker. The fescue will play in its purest state this week as this is the grass that has been here since time began. There won't be any issues, minus the speed, of the greens this week. Players, similar to Chambers Bay, will have multiple ways to attack since there is hardly a difference between fairway into green. It was said that Mickelson struggled here until he understood how to play in and around the greens. He's the best short-game magician in the world.
Looking back at the recent winners and contenders at St. Andrews there's no doubt that power, accuracy and talent jump out. Playing just under 7,300 yards with two par fives and possibly two par fours that can be driven players will have chances to make birdies. If the wind is laying down there will also be plenty of chances to score. Tiger Woods is already moaning the course isn't playing as fast as he would have hoped. The slower the course, the less trouble the golf ball will find but the weather still might have a say in that. The greens are large enough that the players with the most accurate irons should have an advantage.
The mental test that is major championship also goes on display this week. Players who accept that the weather might change multiple times during their week and even during their round will be the ones standing late on Sunday. Players who accept bad bounces and embraces fortunate ones will also have a leg up on the rest. Blind tee shots, blind approaches, pot bunkers, fescue, changing weather and the ghosts will all have a factor determining the Champion Golfer of 2015 so I'm looking for premium ball-strikers who have been here, done this or are named Jordan Spieth.
Recent Winners at The Old Course
2010: Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 272
2005: Tiger Woods (USA) 274
2000: Tiger Woods (USA) 269
1995: John Daly (USA) 282
1990: Nick Faldo (ENG) 270
1984: Seve Ballasteros (ESP) 276
Facts and Figures
Since 2000, eight Open winners have been American.
Since 2000, only four events have ended in a playoff and none since 2009 when Stewart Cink beat Tom Watson at Turnberry.
The last four major champions have been Spieth and McIlroy.
Spieth will be looking to join Ben Hogan as the only man to win the first three majors in a row. Hogan accomplished this in 1953.
Only 11 players have won the week before a major championship. Spieth and Fowler (Scottish Open) will be looking to add their name to the list.
Spieth joined Nicklaus and Woods as the only players in the last 75 years to consecutively win on TOUR under age 23.
McIlroy was the first player in four years NOT in his 40s to win the Open last year at Hoylake. The three winners before him were Darren Clarke, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson. Savvy, experienced big-time players!
Woods' record of 19-under is the lowest winning score in any major. Spieth gave it a run at Augusta but fell just short.
Woods won the 2000 edition by eight shots. Oosthuizen won the 2010 edition by seven shots. Woods won in 2005 by five shots. Faldo also won by five in 1990. John Daly needed a playoff to beat Constantino Rocca in 1995. Of course he did. Woods eight-shot victory is the largest in modern history.
Only two players in the last 40 years have won the Open in their maiden voyage, Ben Curtis in 2003 and Tom Watson in 1975. One of these is not like the other.
Robert Di Vincenzo is the oldest modern champion at the Open at 44 years, 93 days. Seve won at 22 in 1979 to cover the other end of the spectrum.
The last amateur to win was Bobby Jones at Hoylake in 1930. Justin Rose gave it a run in 1998 when he finished T4.
Tournament Records
Woods' 269 in 2000 is the Open record in relation to par (-19).
McIlroy set the Open course record last here in 2010 with 63. He's the eight player to fire this mark across the pond.
Bizarre Stat(s)of the Week:
Lee Trevino, 1971, and Phil Mickelson 2013, are the only two players to win the week before the Open.
Since the OWGR began in the mid-80s only eight player outside of the top 100 have won majors.
This Will Win You a Bar Bet
Harry Vardon has won six of these. There's a reason there's a trophy named after him (lowest scoring average on TOUR annually).
The only two players in the last 40 years that have gone wire-to-wire with no ties in any round are Woods (2005) and McIlroy last year.
The Chalk
In order, these are the players that I believe project the best this week (Yahoo! group in parentheses).
Jordan Spieth (B): He's 15-1 to win THE GRAND SLAM. He's won twice in his last two starts. He's won the last two majors. He won at Chambers Bay in a set up that was links-style. He has Muirfield and Hoylake under his belt but this is his first trip to St. Andrews. I like that Faldo, Woods and Oosthuizen have all went low here and Spieth can make birdies with the best of the them. The Texan should be familiar with the wind if it blows and from the chin up is as tough as they come. The easy play this week is to say he won't win, just like he wouldn't win the U.S. Open after winning the Masters. Bet against him at your own peril as the only thing that might stop him is the luck of the draw. Yeah, that's in play this week.
Henrik Stenson (A): He's hit the podium in three of his last six attempts at the Open and eight of his last 10 majors have seen him finish T19 or better. No Swedish man has won a major but I'll take my chances with a guy who leads the TOUR in GIR and ball-striking. He's also seventh in strokes gained: tee-to-green and was second in Munich his last time out. He was T3 in 2010 and T34 in 2005.
Rickie Fowler (B): Like Spieth he's trying to join the select club of players who win the week before a major as he was victorious at Gullane last week. He was T8 last year in the Scottish before chalking up T2 at Hoylake. He opened with 79 at St. Andrews in 2010 before rallying to finish T14 and was T11 the following year at Royal St. George's. His win at THE PLAYERS had gamer salivating heading into the U.S. Open but he crashed and burned (again) playing with Woods and MC. Major golf has his attention as he's T19 or better in seven of his last nine big-time events and links golf across the pond seems to be right up his alley.
Adam Scott (A): It seems like he only plays the majors and big events and with only 10 events this season, it's not an exaggeration. He put Steve Williams back on his bag for Chambers Bay and his final round 64 vaulted him to T4. He's played the weekend in 10 of the last 11 Opens and his last three were second-T3-T5. He had only one top 10 in his previous 12 tries so he's figured it out recently. With the long putter and Williams back on the bag it looks like he's comfortable again and that's frightening.
Louis Oosthuizen (C): The 2010 champ proved he was healthy as he charged after the leaders at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay before he ran out of holes. The question with Oosti is never the talent; rather his health. He has no problem eating up distance and painting GIR. His best performances are usually on the biggest stages so I'm not concerned about his last two hit and giggles on TOUR. The tougher the track, the better.
Branden Grace (C): The learning curve has been attained and the South African is cashing mad checks. He banged three top 10s in five starts on TOUR including T4 at Chambers Bay. He took time off and jumped right back in at Gullane with four round at par or better for T17. He also won the Alfred Dunhill Links back in 2012. His ball-striking is his calling card and that will come in handy this week.
Sergio Garcia (A): He's played 14 of 18 weekends and has rattled off eight top 10s including last year's T2 with Fowler. He was T14 in 2010, T5 in 2005 and was in the top five after two rounds in 2000 as 20 year old (T36). He'll gladly grind it out if necessary or he can rack up birdies like he did last year. He's quietly going along in 2015 and made all 11 cuts. He's made 20 in a row on TOUR and five in a row in the majors. He's seventh in strokes gained: total and scoring average.
Dustin Johnson (B): The man has more scar tissue in majors than I have beer in my fridge. I won't list the chances as most gamers can recite them from memory but he does have one from the 2011 Open. Something about yanking a tee shot OB on the back nine and then Darren Clarke won. The question with Johnson has never lied with the clubs in his bag. Winning major championships takes every club in the bag plus the space between the ears. Just ask Garcia. Johnson is a superior weather player and links golf has his attention. After MC in his first Open he's rattled off T14 (St. Andrews)-T2-T9-T32-T12 in his last five.
Brandt Snedeker (B): Fresh off four top 10s on the trot including solo eighth at the U.S. Open, Snedeker has made major finishes his thing in recent majors. His streak of eight consecutive weekends in majors crashed out at Augusta but he rebounded for solo eighth at Chambers Bay. With T3 and T11 in 2012, 2013, he's proven he's comfortable on this side of the pond and that's usually because of his trusty putter. He'll enjoy attack large fairways and greens, just like he did at Chambers Bay.
Paul Casey (B): His best majors finish was T3 at the Old Course in 2010 but he's finished T6 and T39 in the first two of 2015. He had McIlroy on the ropes at the WGC-Match Play before food poisoning wiped him out. He bounced back from T39 at the U.S. Open with a playoff loss, his second of the year (he's the English Kevin Kisner he is), to Bubba Watson at the Travelers. He's another power player that won't mind a bit of wind as the Englishman will have no trouble getting it down the fairway and knocking it close.
Zach Johnson (B): Summertime for ZJ officially begins after contending at the JDC which he does every year. Johnson's last EIGHT trips to the other side of the pond have resulted in four rounds of golf. Of those eight trips four have resulted in top 20s and two of his last three found the top 10. He's 13th in SGT and leads the TOUR in lag putting.
Martin Kaymer (B): After winning THE PLAYERS and U.S. Open last year, Kaymer has made us not pay attention as he struggled to start 2015. He threw up a top five in France his last time out but it's his past history at the Alfred Dunhill Links that should have your attention. He won in 2010, T2 in 2008 and was T7 in 2013. Pinehurst wasn't a "true" links but he walked it home by getting up-and-down from everywhere and not three-putting. He'll use that experience again this week. He's won two majors and that mindset and experience will help the German ball-striker this week.
Hideki Matsuyama (B): Wash. Rinse. Repeat. His last nine starts on TOUR have been in the top 25. He was fifth at the Masters and T18 at Chambers Bay. He's second SGTTG and fifth in SGT. The next step for this young talent is winning but he's fantasy gold as he makes tons of cuts and tons of top 25s.
Justin Rose (B): The Englishman hasn't had the best success in this event but he did win the Scottish before last year's event so he's hardly inept. He opened 66-66 last week before fading with 72-76 to T74. He lost a playoff at Memorial before finishing T27 at Chambers Bay so I'm not concerned about his form. With a major under his belt it should free him up to focus on winning this even rather than breaking his duck.
Francesco Molinari (C): He roared into the U.S. Open after T3 at Memorial and two other top fives leading up previously in Europe. He was T27 at Chambers Bay, T25 at the Travelers and T6 in the Alstom French Open his last start. Doesn't matter what continent he's playing as the Italian metronome continually pounds fairways and greens. He mentioned at Memorial that he prefers slicker greens but he was T9 at Muirfield in 2013 and T15 last year at Hoylake.
Charl Schwartzel (C): Ok, I'll bite. After a T51-MC-T78-MC stroke play run into the U.S. Open, the South African fired 69-66 on the weekend to finish solo seventh at the U.S. Open. Well then. He knocked his rust off in Japan with a T10 finish with four rounds 70 or better. In four out of his last five Opens he's finished T16 or better including T14 at St. Andrews in 2010 and T7 last year at Hoylake. Ok, I'll bite.
Matt Kuchar (B): Similar to Schwartzel, Kuchar was "Kucharing" like his normal top-10-self heading into Chambers Bay. He responded with T12 at the U.S. Open and warmed up his links game last week with T2 behind Fowler at Gullane. Kuchar will welcome larger fairways and greens and hope his trusty short game makes the difference. He's played four of the last five weekends across the pond and two of his last three are inside the top 15. He was T27 at the Old Course in 2010.
Shane Lowry (C): He won the Irish Open on links as an amateur and has had plenty of success the week prior at the Scottish Open. He was T9 at Hoylake and T9 at Chambers Bay and won't be bothered by a bit of rain and wind.
Victor Dubuisson (A): The mercurial Frenchman was a term heard more with Eric Cantona than Dubuisson but if the shoe fits...He disappeared after T17 at Shell before the Masters as he racked up MC-T52-MC-T63-MC-MC and that included MC at both majors. After crashing out at Chambers Bay he found it again with T20 in Munich, T12 in Paris and T10 last week at Gullane. More than once he's shown flashes of brilliance at St. Andrews in the Alfred Dunhill links so I'm buying this week.
Tommy Fleetwood (A): Speaking of torching St. Andrews here are Fleetwood's last four scores on this course according to the European Tour: 65-67-62-68. He remarked on Twitter that he's not the best wind player but he's getting better and more comfortable when in contention as well. He's not the best putter on the planet but he's an excellent ball-striker. He was T27 at Chambers Bay, T11 in Munich and T10 last week at Gullane. I might need to move him up the list.
Form Plays
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: A streak of five events inside the top 13 was broken by T41 at Gullane but he Spaniard is firing quite nicely. He's two from three in his only three trips to the Open with T21 in 2013 his best finish. He's been under par every trip to St. Andrews according to his coach David Leadbetter via Twitter.
Brooks Koepka: Probably should be in the Chalk this week as he's spent plenty of time in Europe and has played well at the Old Course at the Alfred Dunhill. He hits it a mile and can really putt it but I like he's not afraid of the big stage. He's played the weekend in six straight majors and half of those are T18-T15-T4. He was T9 at the Alfred Dunhill Links last year with nice numbers at St. Andrews.
Billy Horschel: I love Horschel but if he was emotional at Chambers Bay during his round, I'm not sure what the home of golf is going to do to him. I haven't seen enough of him in tough conditions to endorse him but I like that he's batshit and isn't afraid of anything. If he was a pitch and putter he wouldn't have my attention this week; his ball-striking and ability to make birdies does.
Jason Dufner: After battling neck issues, losing a ton of weight and getting divorced, Dufner flashed some game with T8-T24 before T18 at the U.S. Open. He's played the last three weekends at the Open so he's figuring it out.
Kevin Kisner: I don't like it's his first time over here and I'm not crazy that he didn't play well last week but majors have a way of reigniting that spark. If Kisner keeps playing like he has this spring we'll be seeing plenty more of him in these big events. The U.S. Open was his second major and he finished T12. He's got bags of talent.
Danny Lee: Win-T3 in his last two. That's solid regardless. This is only his third major so keep that in mind.
Robert Streb: He's made seven cuts in a row on TOUR and six of them are T30 or better. He hits it a mile and can putt with a sand wedge or putter. He was T42 at the U.S. Open, his second major.
Luke Donald: With three top 11s in his last six we know he's familiar with how to contend on the links. He's posted back-to-back top 10s for the first time since November of 2013 after T7 at the Travelers and T7 at Gullane. He might not have enough pop to win it but he's T52-T11 at St. Andrews in two previous trips.
Bernd Wiesberger: With six top 10s including a win, two seconds and a third, the Austrian has had an excellent 2015. Remember he was in the final group on Saturday at the 2014 PGA and was T22 this year at the Masters. He MC at Chambers Bay but backed that up with T27 and a victory (Alstom) his last time out.
Keegan Bradley: His ability to drive the golf ball and find GIR makes him a solid supporting actor this week as he enters the Old Course on the back of five in a row on TOUR. He's played only three times in the Open but he's returned T34-T15-T19.
Horses for Courses
Tiger Woods: Credit where credit is due but his relativity should be kept in perspective. The man who set the lowest winning score in relation to par in 2000 is hardly the player we are seeing today. He followed that up with another victory in 2005 and T23 in 2010 so he knows how to get it around. He's 20-1 to win this week and Jordan Spieth is 15-1 to win the grand slam. Think about that for a minute.
Ian Poulter: Where he doesn't have the course form, he deserves a look because this is the major that motivates him the most. Buckle up and enjoy the ride as IJP has hit the top 10 in three of his last seven Opens but he also has MC three times and was T60 at the Old Course in 2010. It doesn't hurt he pegged T10 his last time out in Japan either.
David Howell: With top 10s in two of his last three on the European including T10 last week at Gullane, Howell will slip through the cracks. Those of you who read DT's preview won't be surprised he's in here as he's played quite well at the Old Course in the last two years in the Alfred Dunhill Links. Shhhhh.
Retief Goosen: Similar to Woods, this was a different era but he was T5 in 2005 and solo sixth in 2010. He put four rounds of par or better in 2000 to finish T51. He's posted eight top 10s in 18 tries to be the champion golfer.
Long Shots, Forgotten Names, Etc.
Tyrell Hatton: He snuck in with T4 at the Scottish Open and was T4 at Royal County Down six weeks ago. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Ross Fisher: If power is a factor again this week at St. Andrews then Fisher makes a tasty long shot. He hits it a mile and is T35-T11-T7 in his last three.
Brendon Todd: If Fisher is the hare, Todd is the turtle. He'll find all the fairways and make the most putts and he enters on the back of T15-T6 after MC at Chambers Bay.
Soren Kjeldsen: He won at Royal County Down and backed that with solo second at the Nordea Masters the next week. He hasn't slowed down either with T47-T15-T41 entering the week in Scotland.
Miguel Angel Jimenez: I like a guy who hits it straight and who's never MC at St. Andrews, age be damned.
Geoff Ogilvy: He's seen the weekend five of his last six times on TOUR and his last outing was a very solid T18 at Chambers Bay. He was T5 in 2005 and MC in 2010 and prefers a proper test of golf. Nothing to worry about between the ears here.
Morgan Hoffmann: Lovely outsider here who has no problem bombing away and holing putts. He was T27 at Chambers Bay and followed that with T39-T13 so he's on form.
Koumei Oda: After toasting the Japanese Tour late last year Oda rose to as high as No. 56 in the world. His slow start saw him drop in 2015 but his last six are all T16 or better and three of his last four are T6 or T5. Opened 69 and closed 67 last year at Hoylake (T39).
Eddie Pepperell: The Englishman was T2 at Royal County Down and T4 last week. If I'm going to play long shots, I'm going to play links long shots.
John Senden: He quietly sneaks in here on the back of T14 at Chambers Bay followed by T8 in Japan and T22 last week at Gullane. With nothing better than T34 in eight starts at the Open, he qualifies as a long shot.
Edoardo Molinari: Just in case you can't remember which one is the "good" one, EMolo is five-for-five in his career but 2015 has been quiet as he recovers from a wrist injury.
Rafael Jacquelin: Posted solo eighth back in 2011 and enters the week off T2 at Gullane. Rank outsider.
Fades:
Bubba Watson: The next time I endorse Watson on the links with the chance of weather in the forecast will be the first time. His best finish in six tries is T23 and MC in 2010 at St. Andrews.
Jason Day: His heroic finish to what he started at Chambers Bay was something else. He's quite talented but it has never translated to the Open as his best finish is T30 in four chances.
Jim Furyk: I thought fast and firm would help at Chambers Bay but it didn't as he racked up T42. His form this season since the beginning of March has been wildly uneven. His solo fourth at Hoylake last year came on the back of 65 on Sunday and that was his only finish inside the top 30 in his last six Opens. He's T41-MC-MC in three trips to the Old Course.
Graeme McDowell: Course history buffs will sneer at his inclusion here but there has to be recent form for me as major championship golf is not where guys should all of a sudden "figure it out". His last top 25 was February 1 of this year. He qualifies as an outlier/flier this week in deep games where taking a chance late must be balanced with significant risk.
Lee Westwood: He also has three podium finishes in his last six and was solo second to Oosti in 2010 but his recent pending divorce, according to the Daily Mail, has shot his form to hell.
Man with His Own Section:
Phil Mickelson: Well, I couldn't find anywhere else that made sense. Mickelson has proven the last two years that he has his spots (Quail, Augusta, TPC Southwind and select majors) that he can put it together. In his last four Opens he's won and posted a T2 plus MC and T23 so that's been his best run of form. Maybe he has figured out links golf. As stated above, 40-somethings, including Mickelson, have won three of the last four Opens. He posted four rounds at par or better at Gullane last week for T31 to bounce after his T64 at Chambers Bay.
Rookie/Up-and-Comer of the Week Last Week
Once called the “Jordan Spieth” of the week, I had to retire that name after his last two seasons on TOUR. Now, we’ll keep a broad view of newer names/faces that gamers should pay attention to as the season moves on. Some former examples in this column include Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Chesson Hadley.
Frys.com: Zac Blair, T12; Tony Finau, T12;
Shriners: Finau, T7
McGladrey: Robert Streb, WIN
CIMB: Cameron Smith, T5
SFC: Nick Taylor, WIN; Peter Uihlein, T4; Justin Thomas, T4; Blayne Barber, T9; Carlos Sainz, Jr., T9; Cory Whitsett, T14.
OHL:T7 Finau, T9 Barber, T9 Carlos Ortiz, T9 Oscar Fraustro,
HTOC: Taylor played his sixth event as a pro. He’s won 1/6 of the events he’s entered. That’s worth keeping an eye on for the foreseeable future.
Sony: Blair and Thomas finished T6 in their Sony debuts.
Humana: SJ Park (T2) is new to the TOUR but is hardly a rookie; Oh, look: Thomas in the top 10 again (T7).
WMPO: Koepka won so he graduates from this column like Reed, Spieth and Matsuyama before him. Justin Thomas is now the current mayor. Daniel Berger was T10, Thomas T17 and Finau returned with another top 25.
Farmers: Blair and Ortiz were T11 and Finau and Berger were T24. Not bad on a big, bad course!
Pebble Beach: Another top 10 for Berger and Curran as they had low rookie honors at T10. Will Wilcox was T18.
Northern Trust: Barber checked in at T12 and all that took was firing a tournament-low 65 on Sunday. No shame in Ortiz’s final round 75 from the final group as he played two very tough SoCal courses, Torrey South and Riviera T11 and T20. Noted.
Honda: Berger lost in a playoff. He’s played 10 TOUR events.
PRO: Young Argentine Emiliano Grillo missed a three-footer for his first win on TOUR. Curran hit another top 10, his third this season. Grillo has three TOUR starts; Curran has 17.
Valspar: There’s that pesky Thomas back in the top 10 AGAIN!
API: Berger just missed out on another top 10 with T13 and Blair and Ortiz racked up another top 25 each on T21.
VTO: Welcome Scott Pinckney to the proceedings as his T8 was quite stout. Ortiz hit the top 20 AGAIN with T15.
SHO: Berger, T25. He just keeps on keepin’ on.
Masters: Now you see why Spieth (WINNER) and Matsuyama (5th) were retired from the column? Koepka has already won as well. So has Henley. And Reed. Nobody this week fits.
RBC Heritage: Thomas, T11.
Zurich: Berger, T6. Thomas T12.
WGC-Match Play: N/A but Tommy Fleetwood is only 24 on the European Tour.
THE PLAYERS: Thomas fell from T5 to T24 closing with 75. #learningexperience
Wells Fargo: Web.com’s Patrick Rodgers inched closer to STM with his T2. He needs just nine FedEx Cup points to gain unlimited exemptions for the rest of the 2015 season.
Colonial: Finau returned to the scene as he backed up a good week at Quail with another at Colonial. T19.
ATT&TBNC: Pinckney, T2, best finish ever on TOUR; Berger and Finau T10.
Memorial: Finau, T8. He won't be in this column for long, I feel...
FESJC: Will Wilcox continues to turn the heads of gamers as he hits the top 35, T12, for the fifth time in only six starts. Tom Hoge was also T12.
U.S. Open: Smith made eagle on the final hole to finish T4. That gave him a trip to Augusta next year and STM for the rest of this season. Finau continues his fantastic run with T14.
Travelers: Curran pegs another top 10 with T10.That's No. 4 in 2015 and No. 5 overall. Not bad for less than 25 starts on TOUR in his first year!
Greenbrier: Finau, again, T13.
JDC: Thomas, again, T5.
Barbasol Championship
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Grand National Lake Course
Auburn/Opelika, Alabama
Lake Course
Yards: 7,302
Par: (35-36) 71
Greens: Average square feet is 6,800
Stimpmeter: 11 ft.
Rough: Bermudagrass between 2-2.5"
Bunkers: 53
Water Hazards: 10 holes have water in play from the massive lake
Course Architect(s): Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (1991)
Purse: $3.5 million
Winner’s Share: $630,000
FedExCup Points: 300 to the winner
Defending Champion: YOU ARE. It's a brand-new event on the TOUR calendar.
Dates: July 16-19
Notes: 130 players; stroke play; low 70 and ties play the weekend
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail goes to their featured track, the Lake Course at Grand National, for the inaugural Barbasol Championship. This week gamers must be aware of three things:
Greens are Champion Ultradwarf Bermudagrass which is common in the Southeast. They can get very slick and the grain in them will favor the players familiar with this type of grass. We're not on bentgrass anymore!
It's a resort course. That means large greens, generous fairways and the views are better than the golf course is difficult. Expect plenty of birdies and a putting contest similar to last week.
Since the course is brand new to the TOUR not many will have much history to hang their hats on this week so the players in form should be the ones who make the most noise. There won't be an advantage on the greens for the premium putters so I'm going with the scoring ball-strikers and wouldn't be surprised if 20-under was the target again this week. The last time the TOUR used a new course on TOUR Morgan Hoffmann closed at last year's BMW 62-63 at Cherry Hills, the former sight of major championships. The year before that Conway Farms, Luke Donald's northern home course, hosted the BMW as well. Jim Furyk shot 59 that week. He did it with a bogey.
For those of you who have played, the front and back nines are reversed for tournament play with the exceptions of holes Nos. 9 and 18. Keep your balls dry and get your putts to the hole!
Go low, yo.
The Chalk
Chris Stroud: With T10 and T5 in two of his last three, I'll argue that he's in the best form of this field.
Will Wilcox: It's a home game essentially for the Birmingham native who lives just up the street. He grew up here, played his college golf in the area and was T8 last week. He'll have no problem getting low.
Patton Kizzire: Went to Auburn, grew up in Montgomery and leads the Web.com money list. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if he won this week as he's probably played this layout more than anyone in the field.
Chad Campbell: With three of his last four finishes inside the top 30, the veteran ball-striker stands out this week. The water and new track shouldn't bother him a bit. His last round above 72 was in April.
Mark Hubbard: He's made five cuts in a row and the last three are trending in the proper direction. Only two rounds above 71 in his last five events.
Kyle Stanley: He's quietly finished T20 and T18 in his last two on TOUR. This is a course and field that is right up his alley.
Emiliano Grillo: His very solid European season as he was T41 last week at the Scottish Open, his worst finish when making the weekend since 2014.
Martin Piller: He won last week by posting 28-under on the Web.com so this field is hardly going to scare him off. He has his TOUR card and is free rollin'.
Anybody named Thompson: Michael played at Alabama and Nicholas opened with 63 last week at the JDC. Is Curtis playing? Lexi? TAKE ALL OF THEM TO MAKE A SUPERFECTA
Johnson Wagner: He'll hit the top 10 or MC by five shots. Neither would surprise me.
Maverick McNealy: Got his feet wet and was T17 entering the final round at Greenbrier before he remembered he was Golfweek's No. 1 amateur who is going back to Stanford in the fall. He shot 73 to fall to T60 but I'm guessing he's relishing another chance to show why he was the Nicklaus award winner this season.
Austin Cook: All he does is Monday qualify and he's done it again. That means he's already played well this week and has three top 25s in four tries on TOUR doing this. He was T22 last time he MQ at Memphis.
Long Shot of the Week:
Auburn grad Blayne Barber has MC in FIVE straight since his T8 at Zurich. This is exactly what the doctor ordered this week.
Coming Later TUESDAY Afternoon
Playing the Tips will be up and running this and every Tuesday afternoon and will list all of the Rotoworld experts picks in the GolfChannel.com game, the Yahoo! Fantasy Golf game, DFS plus the European Tour! Oh, and my One-and-Done feature. Look for it around 4ET every Tuesday for the rest of the season.
Coming Wednesday
And the analysis doesn't end here. Rotoworld's Rob Bolton and I will be co-hosting a one-hour live chat Wednesday at 12 ET. We will be breaking down the fields at both events and answering your questions. Simply return to the golf home page to join in on the chatter. Don’t forget to follow Rob (http://twitter.com/RobBoltonGolf) and Glass (http://twitter.com/MikeGlasscott) on Twitter.
