The PGA Tour Thread

joebloggs32

A great few weeks on the PGA tour for European players, very encouraging in a Ryder Cup year.

Winning a Rdyer Cup in the states is always tough, especially with them hurting from Rome so hopefully the streak continues. Would give team europe great confidence if there is a lot of them placed high up in the FedEx standings this year.

Trampas

Europeans on top again

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123193405#Comment_123193405

It's one round, it means nothing, and there's plenty from the US and other countries up there.

Mantis Toboggan

Scrolling the leaderboard it appears that there's less US players, not sure if this is reflective of the tour and if there is less US players than previous years but it's something I've noticed this year.

coillcam

Great to see European players play well. We have to remember that there is a lot of golf between now and September.

The US crew were very disappointed with the way they prepared for Rome. Lots of lessons learned and they will be formidable by the time Bethpage rolls around.

spacecoyote

Plus the massive home team advantage in the Ryder Cup, odds are stacked massively in the US favour to be fair

Mantis Toboggan

Will Europe have Rahmbo and Hatton? They will be huge losses if not.

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123193761#Comment_123193761

Would think so, they can play European tour events I thought? Yeah they'd likely rely on picks

blue note

Home advantage matters in sport. For some reason we seem to ignore this in golf and GAA (for Dublin). But I remember looking at the last 60 years or so in the majors, breaking down the winners by European, American and rest of the world. The Europeans clearly did better in the open and the Americans worse. The rest of the world were fairly similar. I'd be surprised if it's not the case in non-majors too.

I always feel the world rankings are distorted by the fact that the biggest competitions are in America too. And judging the players by majors wins has the same problem - most majors are in America. And qualification is a little easier for the Americans because most ranking points are available in America. And getting onto the PGA tour is a little easier for them too. Without doubt world tours would be more fair overall. And while cream will rise to the top, I'd say the stats even for the top players could be slightly different. Maybe jack Nicklaus might have one less and Gary player one more.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123193761#Comment_123193761

Well I don't follow the Ryder Cup anymore. It was a great event when most of the European players played in Europe because there was a real competitiveness between the teams. Now almost all of them play on the PGA tour and are friends so it's not the same thing at all.

As regards the two MOD EDIT you mention above, I hope they don't play. I wish nothing but misery for them.

And Europe won't miss either of them.

You've got Rory, Aberg, Fleetwood, Straka, Hovland, Lowry and MacIntyre to start with. You've got the Hojgaards, Detry and Fitzpatrick. Laurie Canter from the European tour is another. Plenty of good, competitive players there.

Trampas

Hatton id be surprised if he didn’t make the team. Problem with Ryder cup now it’s just a show now with crowds. It’s gone to extreme with away team getting booed and abused for pretty much everything.

eagle eye

In this tournament in the top 30 there's 13 US players, 10 European, 3 Asian and 4 others.

There's only two players from the top 30 in the world in this tournament and they are 29 and 30 who are Aaron Rai and Akshay Bhatia.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123193894#Comment_123193894

To say the team wouldn't miss Rahm and Hatton is utter nonsense.🤣

People really are so blinded by their hatred of LIV it's unreal.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123194344#Comment_123194344

They are playing crap golf all the time. Your standard drops when you aren't playing top class competition.

IAmTitleist

Hatton won the Dubai Desert Classic a matter of weeks ago. 🤣

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195167#Comment_123195167

European tour isn't up to much. How many of the top ten in the world were playing in that event?

I'd imagine the average world ranking of players in it would be below this Mexico Open.

slave1

34pts for Hatton winning the DDC, 31pts for winner of Mexican Open last yr

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123201782#Comment_123201782

So basically the Mexican open with no top 25 player in it is the same level as a bigger European event. Tells you all you need to know about the European tour.

Anyway I don't watch the European tour anymore, since they started letting the MOD EDIT play on it.

joficeduns1

Aside from all that, Brian Campbell finally got his maiden win after seeing off Potgieter after 2 playoff holes down 18. He rode his luck off a wayward drive bouncing back in play, and made a great up and down for birdie after being almost 100 yards behind Potgieter off the tee.

It was a funny Sunday, where plenty of players (including previous PGA Tour winners) all teased a push to top the leaderboard but nobody grasped the opportunity. A frankly underwhelming final group just about held on to the lead (shooting E and -1) to go to extra holes.

Life changing work from Campbell however, who secures the cash ($1.3m), FedEx points, signature events and Major appearances for this season, as well as his tour card through 2027. Fair dues.

The tour returns to Florida for the next few weeks for their mainstream events.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123203664#Comment_123203664

When the deal with PGA Tour goes through soon you'll have no golf at all to watch. Oh and hate to tell you the Masters invites LIV players and the US and British Open have produced routes for LIV players to qualify so you can cross them off your list too.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123205625#Comment_123205625

I'll always watch the majors. U fortunately some of them are in for years or forever as previous and being high enough in the rankings to get in.

I will stop watching the PGA tour if that happens. MOD EDIT

Trampas

Of the 50 odd players on Liv how many do people actually want to see? I assume it’s mainly Bryson, Brooks and Rahm. Who cares about for Phil, na, Garcia, kaymer, dj nowadays.

Deeper Blue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123206616#Comment_123206616

I reckon many are clamouring for the return of Cam Tringale and Brendan Steele

Seriously though Smith and Niemann are interesting players and I'd like to see them back. Some would probably say Reed and Hatton for their antics too. The rest I would say have been completely forgotten about by 99.9% of fans.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123205714#Comment_123205714

Nothing to do with having previously qualified i'm afraid.

Top player on the LIV standings who isn't otherwise exempt will qualify for both US Open and Open Championship.

https://www.espn.co.uk/golf/story/_/id/43704839/liv-golf-players-now-path-us-open-exemption

https://www.livgolf.com/news/r-and-a-announces-open-championship-exemption-based-on-liv-golf-standings

And the Masters of course has regularly handed out special invites to Niemann too.

Enjoy the US PGA! 🤐

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207531#Comment_123207531

Why are you picking out the PGA championship specifically?

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207668#Comment_123207668

It's the only one that hasn't offered MOD EDIT LIV PLAYERS a direct route to qualify. (Outside of winning a major)

So i'd assume that was the only golf you'd be willing to watch.

MOD COMMENT, ease off the personal insults per Charter please

coillcam

Those invites will expand next year if there's no sign of a fast track unification deal. Probably 2 of the top 5 not otherwise exempt on LIV. Then 6-10 will have free access to final round qualifying if not 6-20. Something like that I'd expect. PGA may follow the USGA/R&A route but the Masters is a wildcard and do as they feel appropriate.

OWGR points is the interesting topic though. USGA CEO Michael Whan was on NLU recently. He mentioned that they (OWGR) were actively working LIV to come up with some sort of solution. Even if it was reduced points to start with but LIV just walked away from the table and never returned.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207931#Comment_123207931

Note to MOD Slave1…"the MOD EDIT" was a term used by Eagle Eye to describe LIV Players on post 2291 & 2299 so i'd appreciate if you returned my post to it's original version. Thanks

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123210875#Comment_123210875

I don't see every post, if folk use the Flag button then I can moderate (will go back and Mod them now), I only saw your post so moderated that and it will remain moderated per our Charter

HanShotFirst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207531#Comment_123207531

Why does Niemann get those invites? Whereas Marc Leishman didnt.