The 94th US PGA Championship comes to us this year from Kiawah Island, South Carolina right on the Atlantic coast. The PGA tour hasn't visited this course at all in its history, and hasn't held a PGA Tour event since 2007, the Senoirs PGA Championships. But probably its remembered most for the 1991 Ryder cup in which Bernard Langer just missed out on retaining the cup with his missed putt on the 18th and last hole of the competition. It even got its own slogan, 'The War On The Shore'. So lets hope that we get the same drama as we did back then this weekend, as it seems the norm at the moment. The course is brutal and becomes the longest in yardage in US PGA history, some 7,676 yards for its par 72. And that's even before you weigh up the fact that its basically a links course with most holes somehow effected by the wind one way or the other. In doing my research on this course, its a Pete Dye designed course, he very much likes to make the golfer think his way around the 18 holes put in front of him. Some holes will be driveable par 4's, others will need approach shots from over 220 yards, some just brute force. The other thing is the grass they use. Yeah i know its a bit geeky and technical but the people in the know and PGA are making a big thing of it so ive read up on it. It means the grass, Paspalum if you need to know, runs very different to what the touring pros are used to and this may make a difference come the end. The greens are not going to be lightening fast, scoring 11 on the stimp meter, and the approach shots will be different on how the ball reacts in landing. So good approach play, aggressive putting and good scrambling skills might be the key factors here... Of the players in contention its worth noting that not every player enjoys the Pete Dye set ups and Tiger Woods, 9/1 is one of them, having not won on any of his courses. Whistling Straights played host in 2010, the one in which Martin Kaymer, 66/1 won, and that is a similar course in set up and design here. Rory McIlroy did well there finishing 4th and showed a bit of form last week in his 5th placed finish, plus he is big off the tee, something you need here. Bubba Watson, 35/1 came runner up to Kaymer and leads the tour on Driving and GIR's so he might well feature as well. The usual suspects lead the betting Westwood, 22/1, Donald, 18/1, Rory, 20/1 but ive looked elsewhere as usual... Dustin Johnson is a native of Carolina and this will be like a home course to him. He will be used to the 'links style' course and used to the conditions as well. He is long off the tee which is needed, good with his approach shots from over 200 yards which will be tested and can get aggressive with the putter... Phil Mickelson. Jeez where do i begin with this bloke. I wrote him off at the start of the season and im not totally sure here, but... He is currently ranked 8th in the race for the US Ryder Cup Team (Only top 8 get automatic inclusion...) and with a few others breathing down his neck i think he might just start to pull a few shots out to make sure he qualifies. Has always been one of the longer hitters if not the longest now, had a good year with his putter plus we all know how good he is with his scrambling skills. He hasn't had the best of years this year but he can play coastal courses well and i think he may just step up this week for a big challenge... Bo Van Pelt as many of you know is one that im sticking with at the moment, again solely on the fact i dont think Mahan or Kuchar will do well here. Bo hasn't broken through to win a title yet this year but has 8 top 10's to his name. Ranked 3rd in the Overall golfing stats, and this just shows how good he has played this year... Brandt Snedeker hasn't had a full year due to injury but even though he did put in a bad round in our Open i was surprised at how well he stayed composed to finish a very creditable T3rd. He won the Framers Invitational in January, which is a coastal course albeit in the Califonia, and shows that he can handle these type of conditions. His putting is hot at the moment, ranks 5th for Strokes Gained in Putting, plus he is ranked 10th for Scrambling... Dustin Johnson @ 28/1... Phil Mickleson @ 40/1... Bo Van Pelt @ 66/1... Brandt Snedeker @ 80/1... As usual £2.50 e/w... PadPow pays 1/4 top 6... Good luck to all...
I've gone for: Blubba Watson 33/1 - Same as last time, hits it a long way, long course. Louis Oosthuizen 35/1 - Been playing well recently, has been there or there abouts in his last three Hunter Mahan 50/1 - Err can't remember exactly why i picked this one again. Will write up this evening when I get a chance hopefully.
This week I am going for Louis Oosthuizen. 35/1 £1 E/W K.J Choi. 125/1. £1 E/W Nick Watney. 50/1 £1 E/W Hears hoping.
Big Phil hasnt hit a ball yet and he has drifted out to 45/1... Jeez what do they know that we dont... He will prob tee off some 4-5 shots off the lead which is Joost Luiten, yeah ive not heard of him either, at -5... Rory is playing well though, currently -4... Long way to go yet...
Leaderboard after the 1st round... Leader - C. Petterson, -6 T14 K.J. Ckoi, -3 ........... Jim T25 L. Oosthuizen, -2 .... Jim, Jeff T32 D. Johnson, -1 ........ red T45 H. Mahan, E ........... Jeff T66 N. Watney, +1 ........ Jim T66 B. Watson, +1 ........ Jeff T66 P. Mickleson, +1 ...... red T66 B. Van Pelt, +1 ....... red T132 B. Snedeker, +5 .... red Well its tough going for some of our picks, mainly mine but there is a long way to go. Seems that the early tee times got the best of it weather wise, so lets see how todays early groups compare with yesterdays first lot...
Amazed Mickelson is only one over the way he was playing off the tee, some top scrambling from him! Could be in with a shout if he can sort out his driving.
Not many sub par scores about today! Hoping Bubba and Louis can get through the day at par I don't think the lead will be extended if they stay where they are
Got to admit Jeff looking at the scores at the moment it must be tough out there... Your right anyone who can shoot -1 or -2 under will no doubt move up the table and right into contention...
+7 for Oosthuizen today after being 1 under through 4 I'd put a 9 iron through his front teeth it didn't look like someone already had!
Leaderboard after the 2nd round... Leaders at -4... T11 P.Mickelson, E.......... red T24 B. Van Pelt, +2......... red T24 K.J. Choi, E.............. Jim T47 B. Watson, +5.......... Jeff T56 L. Oosthuizen, +6...... Jim, Jeff T66 D. Johnson, +7......... red Missed cut T85 H. Mahan, +8........... Jeff T111 B. Snedeker, +11.... red So the wind got up Vijay posted a -4 clubhouse lead and came out in a share with Tiger for the overall lead going into the 3rd day...!!! It was brutal out there, and credit has to go to any player who shot level par or better, and there wasnt many of em... Somehow Big Phil is still in the hunt for this title, only 4 shots behind the leaders, but he better get his driver into gear as its just stopping him from maybe challenging at the top. Other than that its just going to be another day of sit back and see what the weather brings...
The Leaderboard as it stands... Leaders at -6... T5 Bo Van Pelt, -3 (F)........... red T21 P. Mickelson, +1 (11)...... red T28 B. Watson, +2 (F).......... Jeff T35 L. Ooosthuizen, +3 (F).... Jim, Jeff T47 K.J.Choi, +5 (F)............. Jim T55 D. Johnson, +6 (F)......... red So the wind, rain and lightening came in and forced a early finish for the day with 26 players still yet to complete their 3rd round. So they will be going out early today and then the 4th round will be completed with groups of 3 and split starts. What else could happen in this Open...!!! Rory has made a great move to get level with Vijay at the top on -6, as has Adam Scott to get to 3rd. Tiger has struggled and dropped 3 shots in four holes before play was suspended, and it looks like he may go another Major without adding to his collection here now. Of the rest Bo Van Pelt - which is good for me, Steve Striker and Jimmy Walker shot -5 for their rounds and gave themselves a great chance of getting in the mix come the end... It now depends on what the top 3 or 4 do with the unfinished rounds. If they extend the leads then those on level par or worse will be out of it. If the lead stays at 5 or 6 shots don't be surprised if someone puts in a great round to pinch it... Just like Els in our Open and Bradley did last week on the tour it may go down to the last few holes to decide who will be this years 2012 US PGA Champion...
Commentators curse there i think Jeff... he's dropped 3 shots in 4 holes and slipped down 10 places since the start of the rot... He isnt out of it but this wont help him...!!!!
We bow down to the Rory McIlroy, just a superb display in winning this years PGA Championships... He broke a few records on the way but the main one for me is that he now has 2 Majors under his belt and i feel this will release his mind set to go and and win many more... The competition just crumbled away from the pressure of trying to keep up, with Woods, Petterson, Singh and Van Pelt all finishing off poorly in the final round. I must also congratulate the efforts of David Lynn who shot -4 for his final round and come out a clear second in his only ever appearance in America let alone one of the biggest Championships going. The 39 year old only qualified last week and has made the most of his first trip to America and gain a very sizable check of $865,000, not a bad 4 days work for the bloke... The efforts of the lads picks make bad reading so i think we shall pass on how bad they did...
Thought Poults was going to do it when he birdied the first 5 holes! 6 Under for the first 7 holes, 7 under after 12, downhill from there though! Got to give it to McIlroy, after many (me included) have been writing him off recently, a birdie free 6 under in the final round on that course is very impressive. That par on the 3rd after somehow managing to get the ball stuck up a tree was brilliant.
