Justin Thomas gets it done, I was a bit worried with him as he has shown to he very nervous in some previous events when getting into contention and it proved no different last night as he caught 3 iron shots fat in a row, but managed to escape unharmed as the rest around him fell back a bit too. He's a talented golfer though and this could be the catalyst he needed to push on, he's got all the facets needed to win on a regular basis. Thankfully the course set up allowed for some action on Sunday as the pins were fairly harsh Thurs - Saturday. A lot of decent shots got punished which is unfair. Johnson and Koepka performed with credit whilst Pieters and Grillo didn't run their race at all. Glad Thomas won and now we've to wait 8 months until the next Major
Well done STH a 40/1 winner will keep the lights on for a while anyway! Very impressed with Thomas, like you I questioned him in the final round, based on his US Open Sunday but perhaps starting a couple back and the focus not really on him helped. Considering how poor he looked on the first he really got it together with quality iron play and confident putting. Bit pissed I didn't include him myself, was contemplating going with either him or Pieters in my squad Roll on the Masters, the Fed Ex doesn't really get us excited here on this side of the big pond does it.
Well done STH. A few picks off here thereabouts but a 40/1 winner, luverly. 8 of the last 9 majors winners first timers according to what I read this morning.
Thanks men. Thomas has looked wobbly even in regular PGA events at times. He's very emotional as you probably saw last night which I don't think helps a golfer but this may settle him better in future. He's great friends with Spieth and I'd argue he is even more talented than Spieth at golf, but the difference is the mentality and how they both plot their way around the courses, remaining disciplined and focused throughout is Spieth's biggest asset. Anyway, that's for another day. I'll be following the golf beefy, I try keep tabs on all European and PGA events throughout the year so if you want to put up some events in the near future go ahead and we'll discuss it here.
Sounds good to me STH I enjoy the PGA stuff too, I'll likely watch as much as I can of the Fed Ex but it obviously doesn't get the spotlight on it here compared to how big a deal it is to Americans. I hardly bother with European Tour stuff bar a few of the events, it pales in significance to the US stuff. Can see why the best Europeans head over to the States to play their tour.
Good shout STH The thing that appeals most to me about the US Golf is more the time that it's on. Being on in the evening means it's easier for me to watch. The Euro golf is just on at a bad time, and clashes with all the racing, so that's why I only watch the US stuff.
Am I the only one who thought the weekend golf was very ordinary? Matsuyama was particularly awful I thought. He spent more time in the woods than The Sherriff of Nottingham!
5 birdies in that awful round Stick.........and 6 bogeys and only 1 par score on the back nine. If you back him you definitely need a strong ticker.
It was ordinary, mainly due to the the nature of the course set up stick. Some great shots were harshly punished due to some horrendous pin positions especially from Thursday thru to Saturday. We saw some fireworks in small part on the Sunday as they placed them in fairer positions overall. Some pins were simply inaccessible. I think they will view the tournament and the changes to Quail hollow as a success on the whole. They did the course work within 9 months (they were digging up the front 9 as James Hahn was winning last year) which is an incredibly short amount of time to get the work done which was carried out and I think once it has another year or so on it's back, Quail Hollow will retain it's character. The course set up was to be as penal as possible and it did that. It doesn't make the best viewing at times but I liked it personally as I watch these guys shoot 63's every other week of the year. It's nice to see a +6 handicapper on a course tailored to test his game to it's maximum and see what they can conjure or how they deal with it mentally and skill wise.
Sergio, Brooks and now Justin Thomas all break through this year as first time major winners then. The first named has been knocking at the door for nearly two decades and it opened at long, long last. I'm sure most people like myself thought it'd never happen for him but so glad to be proved wrong. The next two guys are on the opposite end of the experience spectrum, very few scars or near misses for them, none at all for Koepka, he simply grabbed his first opportunity by the horns and never looked like giving it up once he got himself there. Do we think these guys can win multiple majors or join the seemingly endless list of one time major winners? It's underplayed just how hard it is to get more than one, even Dustin Johnston, Jason Day former world number ones who've won loads of events are still sitting on 'just' one albeit DJ especially hasn't had many subsequent attempts. Personally I can't see Garcia adding to his tally, the age factor and huge satisfaction for just finally nailing that one major will satisfy his desires. Koepka isn't quite at that elite level for me, in that he can become a multi time major winner but he could nab one more and become a Zach Johnston as a dual major winner. His problem is it's a good period for golf, with a depth of young talent emerging. He'll come close again I've no doubt and he's young enough to get plenty of goes. The man best placed to pick up a few more is Justin Thomas, often cited on the junior events to have more game than his pal Jordan Spieth. And what of the last of the three amigos, the one whose been around longest but hasn't done it yet on a major Sunday Mr Rickie Fowler? He's went close so often, I really thought he'd win The Open but as is his way he played well throughout but ended up respectable rather than really contending. He has contended before especially during 2014 when he was involved in all four majors in the last round but surely there's the increasing possibility he's going to sit with the 'best player to have never won a major' tag for a long time to come. The jury is out on him for me, I can think of a long list of players I'd rather back to win a major before Rickie now.
I think Koepka is the likely multi major winner BOS. He's just unbelievably good all around. I like how he has gone about his career so far too, earning his stripes on our tour, gaining valuable experience playing different types of golf on an array of courses throughout Europe and Asia before heading back home to the the States. I think he has the game and profile to win many events. Fowler is very good and as long as he keeps putting himself in a position to contend for one, then it should fall into place soon. I'd be more worried about the guys that don't get into the frame. It's difficult to win any event, all you can do is give yourself chances and it will eventually take care of itself. Those of us who play the game regularly know that the swing comes and goes from time to time, it's the greatest game ever when you have it on a string and then you are left scratching the head when you start duck hooking drives out of nowhere the pros are just the same, except they can still get around ok with their B game, just not be consistent enough to win.
I think the reason we see so many different winners in golf, is down to how much a factor luck plays in the game. It doesn't matter how good you are, you can't accurately aim a ball 300 yards. As you can't even see where you are aiming half of the time. You are just hitting into an area and hoping you are in a good position. I liken it abit to poker, you can maximise your chances of winning by playing with skill and intelligence but some days the cards will just not come for you. The same with Golf, some days you will just get bad break after bad break. You'll never get the same guy winning pro poker tournaments consistantly, and it's the same with Golf it is so hard to consistantly dominate, as the luck factor is so huge. Justin Thomas is a very talented player, I have no doubt about that, but some very average players have won the biggest prizes in Golf in the past. This does not really happen in other sports. There are so many guys playing golf now compared to what there was when Nicklaus and then after him Tiger Woods where at there best, that it's not really suprising that we are seeing so many different winners, as they are all so good, so these tournaments are being decided on a lucky break here or there.
