First it's great to be back after a week away from the computer looking after my dear old Dad, he's 90 now and all things considered still going strong. He taught me the best lesson I have ever had in golf,which I will relate at the end of this post..
So it's the final event of the regular season this week on the PGATour, the Wyndham Championship at the venerable Sedgefield CC in Greensboro,SC. The top 125 players on the money list qualify for the Fed Ex playoffs which start next week with The Barclays at the Ridgewood CC in NJ., then the Deutsche Bank at the TPC Boston and the BMW at Cog Hill in Lemont Il with the final 75 left to play for the Tour Championship and theFed Ex Cup at East Lake in Atlanta, September 20-26.
Enter Mike Weir, 126 on the money list and therefore right on the bubble !!
Now ranked 82nd in the world, battling tendinitis in his elbow and having only placed in the T10 once all year and having only made 4 cuts in his last 6 attempts, he is T38 after an opening round -3,67. It's typical of his never say die attitude that he hasn't just packed it in for the year to give the elbow time to heal, then sort out what direction, including a possible new coach, he will take to get back on track.
"I really shouldn't be playing I guess to find a way to give this (elbow) a chance to heal, but I want to play this week and for the next three at least" he said after his 4 birdie and 1bogey round.
" It's an old tree lined course that really suits my game, but you still have to make some putts, and I left a few out there"
Arjun Atwal is your leader with what seems to be the weekly requirement of 61. -9. The course is very soft although sunshine is in the forecast today, so look for more low scores.
Atwal by the way has been told even if he wins he cannot qualify for the Fed Ex Cup. He is playing on a medical extension and had not accrewed enough money through our RBC so he lost his PGATour playing privileges.
By the way Stephen Ames is not in the field, he is 71st on the money list so is in for the playoffs.
Graham DeLaet is 119th, so he has it all to play for as well. He also opened with a -3,67
I remember Heath Slocum being in Weirsy's shoes last year, he just made it into the top 125 on the Sunday then went on to win the Barclay's...
Knowing Weirsy that's exactly what he is thinking despite all his woes this year on the golf course !
Tiger Woods by the way has announced he is entering the Barclay's next week. He usually has the luxury of skipping the first 2 weeks of the playoffs because he has such a lead in the Fed Ex. points race. Not so this year, at last check he was 115th !!
LPGA.
While we are all waiting for the CN Canadian Open at St Charles CC in Winnipeg next week, the women are out west this week at the Safeway Classic at the Pumpkin Ridge course in Oregon.
Alena Sharp, Lori Kane, Samantha Richdale, Lisa Meldrum and Adrienne White all in the field.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
It's their last major of the year and they are also in Oregon at the Jeld-Wen Tradition. Bernhard Langer is vying to become the first Senior to win 3 majors in a row since Gary Player did it in 1987-88. It really would be a popular choice if Monty were to pick him for Celtic Manor !!
EUROPEAN TOUR
This is the second last regular season event for Euro players to earn their spot on Monty's Ryder Cup team. It's the Czech Open. The Johnnie Walker is the final event next week at the fabulous Glen Eagles spa and Resort in Perthshire.
NATIONWIDE TOUR (off)
CANADIAN TOUR
Is down in Seaforth this week, it's the Economical Insurance Group Seaforth Classic and they are playing for a purse of $125,000
Oh yeah, Dad's lesson !! We could go out and play Parkview after 5pm on the weekend's for a $2.00 twilight ticket ( back in the late 60's) and Dad and I, having knocked heads all through my early teenage years were finally enjoying each others company. Dad showed me how to respect the game by playing in his Sunday best pants and shirt minus the tie and jacket, but with his Sunday shoes, black and shiny but of course with no spikes !
Here's the lesson. Away out at the back of the course,I want to say the 12th, I duffed a drive, lost my temper and threw my driver at a big tree. He was about to tee up,but instead put his cover head back on his driver, picked up his bag and said "let's go back to the car" I of course protested saying I could still make par once I found the ball etc etc....He gave me the 'be quiet 'hand and we walked and walked as I fumed. Then he said. " You have ruined my round and my day with your temper and bad sportsmanship. You are a good athlete and if you get the time could become a scratch golfer, but if you are like most of us you will spend most of your time working and raising a family, so when you do get a chance to play, enjoy the day, enjoy the company,and enjoy your good shots and you will enjoy your day, more importantly the guys you play with will enjoy playing with you
I have carried that with me all my life, and to this day I remember his words almost every time I am having one of those rounds where everything is going sideways, it puts it all in perspective !! Thanks Dad !!
Bryan Angus
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