PGA Tour Valero Texas Open leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/valero-texas-open/leaderboard.html
Of the six Canucks at this Valero Texas Open, the Monday qualifier Corey Connors leads the way in round two.
After opening with -3 69, he went out in the early wave this morning and has shot a brilliant -5 67 -8 total for the clubhouse lead.
Corey went out with 3 birdies, all pars in 33, gave 2 strokes back with bogey's at 10 and 12, but stormed home with birdies at 14,16 and 17 and 18, 34 =67.
Other scoring: Nick Taylor (69 72) -3 T24. Mac Hughes (70) -2 T33 (12.50pm), Adam Svensson (73) -1 through 9.
Ben Silverman (77) is struggling to make the cut at +8 so far today and Roger Sloan (72) is +3 so far today.
The afternoon wave are going out now so we'll see if Corey's score stands up.. Follow live scoring link above
Bryan Angus
Friday, April 5, 2019
Longer rough proving tough at ANA Inspiration.. Henderson opens with 71... live scoreboard
LPGA Tour ANA Inspiration leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard
Brooke Henderson begins play this morning in round two of this ANA Inspiration in good shape after opening with a -1 71 on the tree-lined Mission Hills course toughened this year by thicker rough, tighter fairways and some longer holes. She's in good company with top-ranked Sung Hyun Park, and 2011 winner Stacy Lewis all T17 just 3 shots off the lead.
American, Ally McDonald closed in fading light to take the lead with a -4 68 in the first major championship of the year.
Only 28 of the 112 players broke par, with Henderson, McDonald and the other afternoon starters facing gusting wind. She had a one-stroke lead over 2014 champion Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Hyo Joo Kim and Linnea Strom all at -3 69.
Alena Sharp was in the last pairing with the toughest conditions and battled to a +4 76 T80 so she will need to take advantage of the early start today if she's going to make the cut.
Brooke hit 12/14 fairways and averaged a prodigious 298 yards off the tee. She hit 13/18 greens but used 31 putts in her opening round. She had 3 birdies and 2 bogey's but she only managed to birdie 1 of the 4 par 5's.
She is out early this morning at 8.03 PST, follow her scoring on the link above. The wind is calmer, but the thick rough is soaking wet with dew.
Defending champion Pernilla Lindberg shot an opening +1 73.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson begins play this morning in round two of this ANA Inspiration in good shape after opening with a -1 71 on the tree-lined Mission Hills course toughened this year by thicker rough, tighter fairways and some longer holes. She's in good company with top-ranked Sung Hyun Park, and 2011 winner Stacy Lewis all T17 just 3 shots off the lead.
American, Ally McDonald closed in fading light to take the lead with a -4 68 in the first major championship of the year.
Only 28 of the 112 players broke par, with Henderson, McDonald and the other afternoon starters facing gusting wind. She had a one-stroke lead over 2014 champion Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Hyo Joo Kim and Linnea Strom all at -3 69.
Alena Sharp was in the last pairing with the toughest conditions and battled to a +4 76 T80 so she will need to take advantage of the early start today if she's going to make the cut.
Brooke hit 12/14 fairways and averaged a prodigious 298 yards off the tee. She hit 13/18 greens but used 31 putts in her opening round. She had 3 birdies and 2 bogey's but she only managed to birdie 1 of the 4 par 5's.
She is out early this morning at 8.03 PST, follow her scoring on the link above. The wind is calmer, but the thick rough is soaking wet with dew.
Defending champion Pernilla Lindberg shot an opening +1 73.
Bryan Angus
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Ian Poulter's early years.." From selling sausage rolls to Super-star".
I have followed Ian Poulter's career since he was a cocky 19 year old who had dropped out of school to work as a golf assistant and decided to turn pro in 1996 out of Leighton Buzzard GC in Herefordshire, England. I will always remember after his first win he showed up the next week with a Rod Stewart look-a-like haircut, dyed about 3 different colours.
He is and always will be one of the game's most colourful characters, and I thought you'd like this post from europeantour.com this week.
Scarbrow recalls a young man who had a strong work ethic and a touch of class which showed in almost everything he put his mind too.
“He was always a star even when he had 50p in his pocket,” said Scarbrow. “When working in the Pro Shop he was brilliant, and his attention to detail was almost OCD.
“He would keep the shop perfect and his jumper folding was truly class. I would laugh with him about this, but I think that attention to detail has stayed with him and helped him in his approach to his golf, always seeming to hit the right shot when it mattered. He was, and is, a great closer"
One of Poulter’s key roles at Leighton Buzzard involved leading the club’s junior section. Every Sunday he would run group sessions for children aged between five and ten, which would only cost each youngster £1 – not bad for a lesson from a man who has since gone on to win 17 European Tour titles.
"When the club built a new club house we had to run the Pro Shop from a shed,” he said. “To help make money in the winter Ian came up with the idea that we should sell hot soup and sausage rolls from the shed.
He is and always will be one of the game's most colourful characters, and I thought you'd like this post from europeantour.com this week.
* Ryder Cup star. Ferrari owner. Multi-millionaire. The Ian Poulter of today lives a very different life to the Ian Poulter of yester-year, who sold sausage rolls, manned a cash register, and coached juniors for just £1.
Knowing he only wanted to play golf for a living, Poulter first started working at Chesfield Downs Golf Club in Hertfordshire, England, from the age of 14, spending five years there as a golf shop manager and assistant professional, after choosing to join the paid ranks in 1996.
Aged 19 and eager for a change of scene, Poulter moved to nearby Leighton Buzzard Golf Club in 1996 where he began a new job, working closely as an assistant to the head professional, Lee Scarbrow.
Scarbrow recalls a young man who had a strong work ethic and a touch of class which showed in almost everything he put his mind too.
“He was always a star even when he had 50p in his pocket,” said Scarbrow. “When working in the Pro Shop he was brilliant, and his attention to detail was almost OCD.
“He would keep the shop perfect and his jumper folding was truly class. I would laugh with him about this, but I think that attention to detail has stayed with him and helped him in his approach to his golf, always seeming to hit the right shot when it mattered. He was, and is, a great closer"
One of Poulter’s key roles at Leighton Buzzard involved leading the club’s junior section. Every Sunday he would run group sessions for children aged between five and ten, which would only cost each youngster £1 – not bad for a lesson from a man who has since gone on to win 17 European Tour titles.
“We used to call it ‘PeeWee Club’,” said Scarbrow. “Any child who turned up on a Sunday morning, we would charge them one pound a go, and we used to have at least 60 coming along for those sessions. It was Ian’s love of the game and his enthusiasm that helped drive this forward. He was a good little coach, anything he put his mind to he was good at, which made him such a pain in the neck at times!”
While Scarbrow admits that Poulter would blame ‘cats, dogs, deers, moose and flat tyres’ when he was running late, ‘he was always late’, Scarbrow says, he more often remembers times when a hard-working Poulter went the extra mile.
"When the club built a new club house we had to run the Pro Shop from a shed,” he said. “To help make money in the winter Ian came up with the idea that we should sell hot soup and sausage rolls from the shed.
“He would go and visit the baker’s each day to pick up the sausage rolls. Every little helped the club, and it showed he had an entrepreneurial side to him – he now deals in Ferraris which is a bit of a step up!”
Three years after joining Leighton Buzzard Golf Club, Poulter was claiming his first victory on the European Challenge Tour at the 1999 Ivory Coast Open in west Africa, and the rest is history. But it was many of the relationships which Poulter forged during his time at the Bedfordshire-based club which would set him up on his path to the very top.
“Ian met his manager Paul Dunkley, who was my sponsor, while at Leighton,” said Scarbrow. “He would help Ian and his career so much. Ian also met his first sponsor, Terry McCann from McCann Homes, at Leighton who also helped set Ian on the path to stardom.
“When Ian played in local events he often predicted that he was going to win – unfortunately he tended to be right. Safe to say he became the ‘mail man’ early"
Three years after joining Leighton Buzzard Golf Club, Poulter was claiming his first victory on the European Challenge Tour at the 1999 Ivory Coast Open in west Africa, and the rest is history. But it was many of the relationships which Poulter forged during his time at the Bedfordshire-based club which would set him up on his path to the very top.
“Ian met his manager Paul Dunkley, who was my sponsor, while at Leighton,” said Scarbrow. “He would help Ian and his career so much. Ian also met his first sponsor, Terry McCann from McCann Homes, at Leighton who also helped set Ian on the path to stardom.
“When Ian played in local events he often predicted that he was going to win – unfortunately he tended to be right. Safe to say he became the ‘mail man’ early"
Graham DeLaet expects to return to PGA Tour in September. His back history..
Good news via twitter (what else !) yesterday from Graham DeLaet who has been on the DL since October 2017 with a serious back injury. He had back surgery in 2010 that caused him to miss the entire 2011 season.
He then underwent a steam cell injection in California late in 2017 and although the healing process was supposed to be just over a week, he continued to experience tenderness and discomfort through the early part of 2018. The procedure didn't work forcing Graham to look at alternative options to aid in his recovery.
In July 2018 he opted for the same surgery he had in 2010 on a different disc. "Recent
imaging has shown that my stem cell injection treatment from late last year has not helped regenerate my L4-L5 disc and in fact it has gotten worse. I've seen multiple doctors over the last few months with hopes of getting pain free so I can play again.
As a result I have decided to go with an L4-L5 microdiscectomy surgery. It's the same one I had on a different disc."
Here is his post @GrahamDelaet from yesterday :
" I've been receiving a lot of questions about when I will be returning to golf so I wanted to give an update. My recovery has been slower than expected, but I am getting better each day. Based on my progress and based on discussions with my team it looks like I will be back for the 2019-20 season in September. I want to thank everyone for their support and I cant wait to get back to doing what I love, playing the game!. Huge thanks as well to my partners who have stood by me on this journey."
DeLaet has had 175 PGA Tour starts and earned $11.2m in the process. He is still looking for his first victory.
Bryan Angus
He then underwent a steam cell injection in California late in 2017 and although the healing process was supposed to be just over a week, he continued to experience tenderness and discomfort through the early part of 2018. The procedure didn't work forcing Graham to look at alternative options to aid in his recovery.
In July 2018 he opted for the same surgery he had in 2010 on a different disc. "Recent
imaging has shown that my stem cell injection treatment from late last year has not helped regenerate my L4-L5 disc and in fact it has gotten worse. I've seen multiple doctors over the last few months with hopes of getting pain free so I can play again.
As a result I have decided to go with an L4-L5 microdiscectomy surgery. It's the same one I had on a different disc."
Here is his post @GrahamDelaet from yesterday :
" I've been receiving a lot of questions about when I will be returning to golf so I wanted to give an update. My recovery has been slower than expected, but I am getting better each day. Based on my progress and based on discussions with my team it looks like I will be back for the 2019-20 season in September. I want to thank everyone for their support and I cant wait to get back to doing what I love, playing the game!. Huge thanks as well to my partners who have stood by me on this journey."
DeLaet has had 175 PGA Tour starts and earned $11.2m in the process. He is still looking for his first victory.
Bryan Angus
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp play this week's major, the ANA Inspiration..Tee times, rankings..
LPGA Tour ANA Inspiration tee times http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/ana-inspiration/leaderboard
It's the first major of the year for the LPGA/LET tours, the ANA Inspiration out in the California desert at the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, and as such the world's best 112 women golfers are tuning up for play that begins tomorrow at 7.15am PST. (10.30am EST). The top 25 in the Rolex Rankings are there as are all seven of this year's winners.
Click here for complete rankings https://www.rolexrankings.com/rankings
Amongst them are Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp, both are in the late wave. Brooke is 1.03pm with China's Shanshan Feng off the 10th tee, Alena is the last pairing with American, Alison Lee at 1.59pm off the 10th tee.
Alena played well earlier this year in Australia, T17 at the Victoria Open then T6 at the Australian Open, however she has M/C in her last two starts, the Founders Cup and the Kia Classic.
Brooke meanwhile who missed a rare cut last week at the Kia Classic (only 8 since she joined the Tour in 2015) has been a top 15 machine, two T6, T8, T15 in 5 outings this year.
The defending champion is Pernilla Lindberg who beat Inbee Park in an 8 hole playoff last year.
Bryan Angus
It's the first major of the year for the LPGA/LET tours, the ANA Inspiration out in the California desert at the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, and as such the world's best 112 women golfers are tuning up for play that begins tomorrow at 7.15am PST. (10.30am EST). The top 25 in the Rolex Rankings are there as are all seven of this year's winners.
Click here for complete rankings https://www.rolexrankings.com/rankings
Amongst them are Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp, both are in the late wave. Brooke is 1.03pm with China's Shanshan Feng off the 10th tee, Alena is the last pairing with American, Alison Lee at 1.59pm off the 10th tee.
Alena played well earlier this year in Australia, T17 at the Victoria Open then T6 at the Australian Open, however she has M/C in her last two starts, the Founders Cup and the Kia Classic.
Brooke meanwhile who missed a rare cut last week at the Kia Classic (only 8 since she joined the Tour in 2015) has been a top 15 machine, two T6, T8, T15 in 5 outings this year.
The defending champion is Pernilla Lindberg who beat Inbee Park in an 8 hole playoff last year.
Bryan Angus
Six Canadians playing this week at the Valero Texas Open.. Tee Times
PGA Tour Valero Texas Open.... Tee Times https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/valero-texas-open/leaderboard.html
Some of the field from Austin, and some from Puntacana have made the trip to San Antonio, Texas this week for the Valero Texas Open and amongst them are six Canucks including Monday qualifier Corey Connors.
Ben Silverman, Nick Taylor, Adam Svensson, Roger Sloan and MacKenzie Hughes will all play in the last event before the 2019 Masters, where unless one of them win, Mike Weir will be the only Canadian.
Rickie Fowler #8 is the top ranked player, also the struggling Jordan Spieth is joined by Lucas Bjerregaard and Matt Kuchar who both featured so prominently at the Dell Match Play and Graeme McDowell who won the Corales Puntacana.
For the official world rankings click here http://www.owgr.com/
So Dustin Johnson, Rory, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Paul Casey, Tiger etal are preparing for Augusta in their own ways and the Valero obviously isn't one of them. Rory for example flew home to Florida after losing to Tiger last Saturday morning, for a week off with his wife, before heading up to Augusta on Monday.
The relatively weak field isn't necessarily a reflection on the TPC San Antonio, which is returning to this spot before the Masters for the first time since 2013. It has more to do with the condensed new spring and summer PGA Tour schedule.
Remember in this day and age the big guys rarely play more than 4 weeks in a row, mostly 3, as they build their schedules around the majors, WGC, sponsor obligations ( like the RBC Canadian Open) and Fed Ex Cup and or Race to Dubai playoffs. Also keep in mind there is either a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup every year for the Americans.
Play begins at 7.20am local time tomorrow.
Bryan Angus
Some of the field from Austin, and some from Puntacana have made the trip to San Antonio, Texas this week for the Valero Texas Open and amongst them are six Canucks including Monday qualifier Corey Connors.
Ben Silverman, Nick Taylor, Adam Svensson, Roger Sloan and MacKenzie Hughes will all play in the last event before the 2019 Masters, where unless one of them win, Mike Weir will be the only Canadian.
Rickie Fowler #8 is the top ranked player, also the struggling Jordan Spieth is joined by Lucas Bjerregaard and Matt Kuchar who both featured so prominently at the Dell Match Play and Graeme McDowell who won the Corales Puntacana.
For the official world rankings click here http://www.owgr.com/
So Dustin Johnson, Rory, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Paul Casey, Tiger etal are preparing for Augusta in their own ways and the Valero obviously isn't one of them. Rory for example flew home to Florida after losing to Tiger last Saturday morning, for a week off with his wife, before heading up to Augusta on Monday.
The relatively weak field isn't necessarily a reflection on the TPC San Antonio, which is returning to this spot before the Masters for the first time since 2013. It has more to do with the condensed new spring and summer PGA Tour schedule.
Remember in this day and age the big guys rarely play more than 4 weeks in a row, mostly 3, as they build their schedules around the majors, WGC, sponsor obligations ( like the RBC Canadian Open) and Fed Ex Cup and or Race to Dubai playoffs. Also keep in mind there is either a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup every year for the Americans.
Play begins at 7.20am local time tomorrow.
Bryan Angus
Monday, April 1, 2019
Monday morning shagbag.. Kisner survives Match Play, Hughes 2nd in Puntacana
WGC Dell Technologies Match Play final results https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
The WGC Match Play, no matter who's sponsoring it, these day's it is Dell Technolgies, the computer giant, is like a marathon, and Kevin Kisner from South Carolina is built like a marathon runner. Small, slight and with a big heart.
At the Players he led the field in Fairways hit with 80% and he was right at the top of the field again this week as he rode his driver and a reliable putter to victory as he outlasted the 64 man select field through seven rounds, just barely edging a brilliant Francesco Molinari 1up in the semi final, then beating Matt Kuchar 3&2 in the final.
Molinari added to his sparkling resume by beating the surprise of the tournament, Lucas Bjerregaard 4&2 in the consolation match.
Kisner has given the USA the match player they so badly lack. Ranked 48th, having lost his card on a couple of occasions, he is the epitome of fairways and greens and remember he was the runner up here last year.
Kuchar who had a splendid week, was solid, at times spectacular but he barely beat Bjerregaard 1up in their semi final.
NOTES:
*In my opinion they should play this from Thursday with a Monday finish. That would give them Sunday with the round of 16 where there is much more action and more TV. That leaves Monday when everyone has gone back to work etc to play the anti climatic final and consolation match.
* Adding to the anti climax on the golf channel/NBC is having Steve Sands, Terry Gannon and Nick Faldo all calling the play off the TV. Leave one guy doing the ins and outs in the booth and get all the rest live, out on course or doing features. Having Bones and Notah Begay live on course is the only reason I didn't turn the sound down.
While most of us are still in the grips of a frigid winter, Faldo would not stop blabbing away about how everyone in Austin, playing, spectating and as importantly for Nick, in the booth were just freezing to death.
PGA Tour Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship final scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
MacKenzie Hughes rallied with his second straight -6 66 to finish -17 T2, his best PGA TOUR result since his 2016 win at the RSM Classic. He is in great form coming off a T13 result at the Valspar Championship just a week earlier.
Ben Silverman (69 -12 T12) and David Hearn (69 -11 T18) made the most of their week in the Dominican Republic.
Good guy Graeme McDowell returned to some of the form he had 4 years ago before he became a family man, won the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship for his first PGA Tour title since November 2015, closing with a -3 69 for a one-stroke victory at -18 270 over Chris Stroud and Hughes.
"It’s difficult to win on the PGA Tour,” McDowell said. “Don’t like calling this a second-tier event, but obviously the best players in the world are in Austin, Texas, this week. Still got a great field down here"
Next week is the Valero Texas Open then the Masters...
Bryan Angus
The WGC Match Play, no matter who's sponsoring it, these day's it is Dell Technolgies, the computer giant, is like a marathon, and Kevin Kisner from South Carolina is built like a marathon runner. Small, slight and with a big heart.
At the Players he led the field in Fairways hit with 80% and he was right at the top of the field again this week as he rode his driver and a reliable putter to victory as he outlasted the 64 man select field through seven rounds, just barely edging a brilliant Francesco Molinari 1up in the semi final, then beating Matt Kuchar 3&2 in the final.
Molinari added to his sparkling resume by beating the surprise of the tournament, Lucas Bjerregaard 4&2 in the consolation match.
Kisner has given the USA the match player they so badly lack. Ranked 48th, having lost his card on a couple of occasions, he is the epitome of fairways and greens and remember he was the runner up here last year.
Kuchar who had a splendid week, was solid, at times spectacular but he barely beat Bjerregaard 1up in their semi final.
NOTES:
*In my opinion they should play this from Thursday with a Monday finish. That would give them Sunday with the round of 16 where there is much more action and more TV. That leaves Monday when everyone has gone back to work etc to play the anti climatic final and consolation match.
* Adding to the anti climax on the golf channel/NBC is having Steve Sands, Terry Gannon and Nick Faldo all calling the play off the TV. Leave one guy doing the ins and outs in the booth and get all the rest live, out on course or doing features. Having Bones and Notah Begay live on course is the only reason I didn't turn the sound down.
While most of us are still in the grips of a frigid winter, Faldo would not stop blabbing away about how everyone in Austin, playing, spectating and as importantly for Nick, in the booth were just freezing to death.
PGA Tour Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship final scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
MacKenzie Hughes rallied with his second straight -6 66 to finish -17 T2, his best PGA TOUR result since his 2016 win at the RSM Classic. He is in great form coming off a T13 result at the Valspar Championship just a week earlier.
Ben Silverman (69 -12 T12) and David Hearn (69 -11 T18) made the most of their week in the Dominican Republic.
Good guy Graeme McDowell returned to some of the form he had 4 years ago before he became a family man, won the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship for his first PGA Tour title since November 2015, closing with a -3 69 for a one-stroke victory at -18 270 over Chris Stroud and Hughes.
"It’s difficult to win on the PGA Tour,” McDowell said. “Don’t like calling this a second-tier event, but obviously the best players in the world are in Austin, Texas, this week. Still got a great field down here"
Next week is the Valero Texas Open then the Masters...
Bryan Angus
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