2014 PGA Champship – Final Round

August 10, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Rory McIlroy wins the 2014 PGA Championship and raises the Wanamaker Trophy!

What a fantastic finish to the 2014 PGA Championship! The back and forth battle between Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson was the best in years. There have been memorable head to head matches in professional golf, but none that included four players that lasted 18 holes! It was amazing to watch these remarkable professionals deliver knock out punch after knock out punch to no avail.

Rory McIlroy started slowly, but true to form, he clawed his way back to win his fourth Major. There is little question that the number one player in the world earned the right to raise the Wanamaker Trophy in victory. There will be many outstanding highlights about this years PGA Championship, but one point that many not be highlighted is McIlroy’s mental toughness throughout the entire round!

He watched Mickelson and Fowler make putt after putt. He watched them make amazing approach shots, scramble for par from the wrong fairway and avoid the hazards like they did not exist. All the while, McIlroy responded with eagles, birdies, scramble pars and being waved up from the tee on the 18th hole because of darkness. His slow start did not deter him, but highlighted his strong mental game.

All of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, many pundits questioned his dedication to his chosen profession. They questioned his mental toughness and ability to stay an élite player on the PGA Tour. McIlroy’s play over the past two Majors should quiet all the nay-sayers! Having won three tournaments in a row and claiming the world number one ranking, what is next for this 26-year old phenom? Oh yeah, the Ryder Cup in September!

As the anchor for the European Team, Rory McIlroy will once again prove he is the best golfer in the world….but, for now,that can wait. It is time to celebrate today’s win and relish his victory.

I am grateful to Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy for an outstanding exhibition of how golf is supposed to be played.

Congratulations to Rory McIlroy, the 2014 PGA Championship winner!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

PGA Championship – Moving Day!

August 9, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

The PGA Championship Trophy – Wanamaker Trophy

Day three of the PGA Championship is in the books. Rory McIlroy is leading with Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson and Jason Day in hot pursuit. Sandwiched between these favorites is an Austrian, Bernd Wiesberger. A virtual unknown on the PGA Tour; he has only played in 7 events in the past four years and has missed the cut 4 times. Considered a journeyman on the European Tour, Wiesberger is defying all odds and will play with McIlroy in the last group tomorrow.

Except for Wiesberger, everything is playing out as scripted in this year’s PGA Championship. McIlroy is leading and being chased by two young lions and a wily veteran. With 11 players within 5 strokes of the leader, Sunday is shaping up to be the best finish of any Major in 2014. It is fitting that the last Major of the year be hotly contested by golf’s leading players.

An interesting fact about the 12 players at the top of the leaderboard is that nine different countries are represented. The diverse nature of the players is another strong indication that the US dominance in golf may be over! A particular favorite of mine is Graham DeLaet. The sole representative from Canada, he is considered to be one of the next great players because of his smooth swing and consistent play.

Moving day did not provide too many surprises at the top of the leaderboard. Except for Bernd Wiesberger and Jamie Donaldson, most players only moved up a couple of positions. The real movers of the day were players like Hunter Mahan (up 25 positions), Sergio Garcia (up 30 positions) and Adam Scott (up 13 positions). Unfortunately for these players, it is just a little too late. They are too many strokes behind to make a run for the Wanamaker Trophy, but they are fun to watch.

So far, my prediction of Rory McIlroy finishing first, Rickie Fowler finishing second and Sergio Garcia as my dark-horse, is not looking too bad. On Sunday, expect Fowler and Mickelson to start strong early and put pressure on McIlroy down the stretch. However, it will not be enough. McIlroy is playing his best golf in 2 years and will not falter. When all the dust settles on Sunday afternoon, Rory McIlroy will raise the Wanamaker Trophy over his head. As a two-time Major winner, he is a shoe-in for PGA Player of the Year!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

PGA Championship and The Ryder Cup

August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

The second round of the PGA Championship is in the books. As expected, Rory McIlroy is leading the field by two. He played very well in the extremely wet conditions and is poised to win his second Major of the year.

Also as predicted, Tiger Woods struggled and missed the cut. Brian Penn at All About Golf talks about the end of an era and provides a great view of what most of us are thinking. It is unfortunate, but I am not entirely sure he will not make another come back.

A more interesting issue regarding the PGA Championship is its importance to USA Ryder Cup Captain, Tom Watson. Playing in this weekend’s Major, he has his eye on all the players who have made the team and those on the bubble. With three Captain’s picks left, players such as Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Keegan Bradley, Brendon Todd and Ryan Moore seem to be the leading candidates. Play at the PGA Championship will have a tremendous impact on his final decision.

Complicating Watson’s life is the turmoil faced by the 2014 USA Ryder Cup Team. Dustin Johnson cannot play due to his personal challenges. He was in 6th place before he announced that he was finished playing professional golf for the rest of 2014. Matt Kuchar and defending PGA Champion, Jason Dufner, have both withdrawn from the PGA Championship because of health issues. Considered leaders on the USA Ryder Cup team, their loss would further stress Tom Watson. If neither are healthy enough to play in the Ryder Cup in September, Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley would make the team….then what?

The players Watson would have to choose from are steady, focused, young and hungry to make their mark in Ryder Cup history. Unfortunately, players like Ryan Moore, Brendan Todd, Harris English, Webb Simpson and Chris Kirk are all considered young journeyman players who are just now starting to play well enough to win. With 12 wins between all 5 players, they are not considered seasoned professionals ready for the pressure of the Ryder Cup matches. Or are they?

Maybe, Captain Watson needs to throw convention out the window and go with some young blood. It is a risk, but considering the Europeans have won 7 out of the last 10 Ryder Cups, a change might be in order! They have played well enough to at least be in the running, it may be time to give them a chance! And Tom Watson, that wily veteran who has slayed the greatest names in golf, might just be crazy enough to lead these young players to victory!

After the PGA Championship, Watson will have some difficult decisions to make. I believe Mickelson is a shoe-in, but the rest….who can say? Regardless, come 23 September at the Gleneagles Resort in Perthshire, Scotland, the underdog USA Ryder Cup team will battle the European Team for golfing supremacy!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The PGA Championship!

August 6, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 11 Comments

PGA Championship – Wanamaker Trophy

Tomorrow is the last Major of 2014. I have predicted Rory McIlroy to win this event several times and I wrote more about it at Pundit Arena just yesterday. The PGA Championship, played at the Valhalla Golf Club, will test the mental and physical stamina of all the players. At this time, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson are the leading candidates to win the Wanamaker Trophy. However, it is important not to discount Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott or Sergio Garcia. Tomorrow’s start will decide who will be set up to play in the last group on Sunday.

From the names above, there is one name missing; you guessed it, Tiger Woods. After leaving the WGC – Bridgestone in the last round via golf cart, barely getting into his SUV and having difficulty walking up the stairs of his private jet, it is highly unlikely that Tiger Woods will be a player in this weekend’s Major. There is no question he is mentally willing to play, however it is unclear if he will be able to.

Tiger Woods requested a registration exemption earlier in the week and was granted this request. Arriving at Valhalla Golf Club today, Woods stated he was ready to play and plans to win! In typical Tiger Woods fashion, he put all other players on notice:

“That’s the only thing I can control,” Woods said. “Try to go out there and win this event. That’s all I’m focused on. … I played all right. Nothing great. It’s only Wednesday – I want my good stuff to start tomorrow. I felt pretty good about how I played and the shots I hit.” (USA Today)

It is impossible to begrudge Woods the opportunity to play and everyone wishes him well. Unfortunately, the way the rest of the field is playing it is unlikely he will be a factor on Sunday. For any player to win a Major, they would have to be at their best and Tiger Woods is far from being at his best. As the players hit the links at 7:30 am tomorrow morning, all the questions will be answered and Woods will put on his game face preparing to do battle with the rest of the field. No matter what happens, I do wish him luck!

Another player to watch tomorrow is Rickie Fowler. Fowler has finished in the top 5 in the previous Majors of 2014. His game is strong, honed, and ready to make a run at winning his first Major. To his chagrin, he will face Rory McIlroy (who is also playing his best golf in years). Paired with Victor Dubuisson and Ernie Els, Fowler will be able to feed off the excitement of Dubuisson’s play, yet watch “The Big Easy” calmly navigate his way around Valhalla. Rickie Fowler is quickly maturing into a weekly contender and this weekend should be no different.

My dark-horse for the PGA Championship is Sergio Garcia! Ranked third in the world, Garcia is still considered my dark-horse pick for several reasons. First, he experienced a difficult loss to McIlroy last weekend in the WGC – Bridgestone (shooting 1 over on the last day). His mental toughness in the Majors is suspect and the expectation to win his first Major is growing. However, being paired with Steve Stricker and Tom Watson is a blessing. Both of these players are calm, mature, and complete gentlemen. Garcia could not ask for a better group to start the first two days of the PGA Championship. If Garcia starts strong, he just might be able to repay Rory McIlroy for last weekend.

The PGA Championship will be very exciting! As with every Major, the first two days will set the scene for the weekend. However, moving day (Saturday) will determine who has the mental toughness to raise the Wanamaker Trophy above their heads on Sunday!

Who is your favourite? Dark-horse?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Lucky Bounces in Golf!

August 4, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 14 Comments

Golf is a game of lucky and not so lucky bounces. The movement of the ball one-inch in any direction can be the difference between a birdie or a double bogey. Anyone who plays golf regularly calls this the ‘rub of the green’. We have all experienced it and today was one of those days.

After my tee shot on the par 5, 9th hole, I was sitting about 240 yards from the pin. My second shot was wide open, so I decided to go for the green with my 3-wood. That was when the fun began.

Roundel Glen 9th Hole – 240 yards from the green.

From where I stood, the pin was just left of the 100-yard marker and the sand trap. Playing out of the rough, I was lucky to have a fluffy lie and was able to make solid contact. As the ball flew towards the green, left of the pin, something strange happened!

Roundel Glen 9th hole from 75 yards.

All of a sudden my ball took a hard right kick towards the pin. As we walked towards the hole, I noticed the five brown posts used to direct cart traffic away from the green. Walking forward, my playing partners said it the top of the far left post!

The uneven top of the far left post used to direct cart traffic from the green.

I continued to walk in disbelief, but there seemed to be no other explanation. Upon examination, I realized my ball hit top of the post on the surface closest to the bottom of the picture! I found it difficult to comprehend that my ball could hit a two-inch surface from 215 yards (the post was 25 yards off the front of the green) and then bounced towards the pin.

Roundel Glen 9th green. My ball is directly behind the pin!

But, that is exactly what happened! My ball bounced off the post and rolled directly behind the pin. You can see the ball sticking out just above the bottom of the pin! The above picture was taken from the far left post described above. I kid you not; now I am putting for eagle to go 1 under for the front nine!

Roundel Glen 9th green – my ball 25 feet past the pin.

As I continue to walk towards my ball, I am grateful for the lucky bounce and started to focus on my next shot. Getting to our balls, my friend Mike looks right at me and says with a straight face, “What, you could not judge the distance any better than that! Your 25 feet past the hole!” As all three of us started to chuckle, I just shrugged my shoulders; for once I was speechless!

I wish I could say that I made the eagle putt to really cap off this amazing story, but I will never begrudge a tap in birdie! As we walked to the 10th hole, I was even par and looking forward to a great back nine! I finished the round by shooting a 2-over par 74. What a great day on the links!

Today, the one-inch was in my favour; tomorrow, who knows! Lucky bounces are part of golf and make the game interesting. It is one of the reasons I love and sometimes hate this game!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!