The Barclays
August 21-24, 2008
Tournament #38 of 48
Ridgefield CC [Paramus, NJ]
Par 35-36=71 - 7,319 yards
Years hosted: 2008
Purse: $7,000,000 (Winner-$1,260,000)
Field size: 136 (of a possible 144)
Cut: Top 70 & ties after 36 holes (if >78 golfers are tied, another cut of Top 70 & ties will occur after 54 holes)
The state of New Jersey is no stranger to the PGA Tour or the game of golf, but despite claiming Pine Valley GC, the USGA and Jim McGovern, it doesn't host an annual tour stop. The Barclays is the first event in the Garden State since the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol GC in Springfield. For this week's trivia question, you'll need your thinking caps and/or a golf trivia whiz. Name the last non-major played in the state of New Jersey.
HINTS: If you can name the host course, you know your golf because it hosted a tour event for a few years before the answer to the question (and has hosted tournaments on the LPGA and Champions Tours since). But if you can answer this question correctly by naming the tournament itself, it will be the equivalent of an albatross net condor on the scorecard. Its only winner won one major and was once struck by lightning. At the time, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Mike Weir were in diapers.
Answer at the "The 19th Hole." (Yes, this is a mind-breaker but hey, it's the playoffs! Suck it up. If you can answer it without researching or peeking, write me at RotoworldRob@charter.net and tell me what triggered it, if you were there, etc.)
Sports
Well, we're finally going to see how this engine works without the jet fuel in the tank. Sans fans or at least a probable reduction of them with Tiger Woods off site, the PGA Tour has changed little in the way of marketing the playoffs since its debut a year ago. The golf media is doing a better job at slicing and dicing it than any cute but poorly acted commercials could in terms of top-of-mind awareness. Personally, I feel the same as I did last year, when guys like Glen Day, Jon Mills and Michael Allen will be captivating my attention in the first week before others like George McNeill, Greg Kraft and Matt Jones take over at the Deutsche Bank. That's because while the eyes are on the $10 million prize, The Barclays is just another golf tournament for the top tier that knows it has room to err, albeit less than 2007. The rank-and-filers that fill out fields are the ones that can make history. In Woods' absence, nothing would be greater than someone like Scott McCarron making a spirited chase as the 77 seed. Or a Rocco Mediate v. Paul Goydos battle for all the marbles at East Lake. The revised points system will allow for more week-to-week movement but it solved the greater issue of guys skipping events. But that's what I thought the revised schedule was supposed to do. In any case, the modifications in the aggregate have quieted the critics.
Nevertheless, I stand by my viewpoint that we're going to be looking at a situation in which it would be more gratifying to have the points erased and let 30 guys play for the Cup and its overflow at THE TOUR Championship. Since that's not how it's going to go down, I'm instead looking forward to how the spin doctors will validate one guy winning THE TOUR Championship before he steps aside to allow the FedExCup champion to collect his ware, all the while supporting the notion of the "playoffs." (Think San Francisco Giant Jeffrey Leonard's MVP Award at the 1987 National League Championship Series despite losing to the St. Louis Cardinals. Here's your trophy, Jeff, now go home. To digress, if it wasn't for his one flap down, the award would be his legacy.) The beginning to the end needs to look like the way XFL games started. Forgets the coin flip and FedExCup points, throw the money in the middle of the course and let them battle it out. What would you rather see - 30 golfers playing for $10 million or a dozen that remain mathematically alive and could still win it without actually winning? The PGA Tour has done right by the idea but has failed to see the forest from the Woods on this one.
Ridgewood CC is a great place to start the "playoffs" regardless of its forced move from Westchester CC. The Paramus parkland track plays both ways, requiring shot-making ability, and will force ball-strikers to find fairways with trees on both sides, footed by a challenging rough. The greens are unusually large for a classic layout (A.W. Tillinghast design, circa 1929) and while that would normally allow the more wayward on tour more opportunities to recover, putting surfaces will be slick and quick, repelling approaches free of spin. Listen, we've been dissecting courses all year long and you rarely know in advance what a guy is working on (i.e. Richard S. Johnson's equipment change immediately before Milwaukee) or how the course fits his eye, so it's always safer to go with hotter hands. Plus, because Ridgewood is a first for the entire field in terms of live competition, I couldn't give a flyin' FedExCup point what anyone did at Westchester; success at both courses will be coincidence. All of that said (and with obvious conviction, thank you), I do expect experience and talent to reign supreme this week (i.e. no first-time winner). Ridgewood is going to test the three Ps - power, precision and putting - but, by and large, the priority will be ball-striking. It should be a fulfilling opening in the Race to Riches.
Eight golfers that qualified for the playoffs will not play this week. They are: Tiger Woods (1st in points), Luke Donald (44th), Lee Westwood (50th), Justin Rose (78th), Alex Cejka (91st), Jason Bohn (96th), Bob Estes (124th) and Roland Thatcher (140th). Of this octet, Westwood and Rose might return for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship; the odds are on the former. Woods, Donald and Thatcher are out for the year with injuries. Cejka and Bohn will probably advance despite the week off but injuries might keep them from competing anywhere for a while. Mystery man Estes won't advance.
The ElementsNot much to report this week. The threat of light showers will have ended by the time you read this, setting up a dry and warm event. The temperature will camp out in the mid-80s throughout, with sunshine the dominant feature. There is another very slight risk of rain over the weekend but if there is zero precipitation, scores will rise on Sunday when pin positions are usually at their most challenging. Winds will be light to moderate, growing in intensity each day, but it's not like Tropical Storm Fay will be blowing through. (Now, as far as USGA Executive Director, David B. Fay, making the trip over from Far Hills, I couldn't tell ya. Or even Tina Fey. And I regress .)
Past Champions in the Field YEAR: All winners at Westchester CC2007: Steve Stricker
2006/1995/1993: Vijay Singh
2005: Padraig Harrington
2004/2001: Sergio Garcia
1997/1996: Ernie Els
1994: Lee Janzen
1986: Bob Tway
Steve Stricker (21st in points). As much as I'd love to take the approach that the playoffs are held in a vacuum, reality prevents it. It's one thing for the European Ryder Cup team to exert three-day dominance at the turn of a switch, but stroke play golf over several weeks is another animal. Stricker has cashed in his last five starts, which dates all the way back to the U.S. Open. Of all the reliable options in terms of projecting results, Stricker is near the top of the heap. When he's on, he's deadly. When he's not, he's dead. If he hits 10 or more fairways on Thursday, hedge up on my projection for the weekend.
Projected Finish: 26+
Carl Pettersson (13th). I'm careful not to get too excited about my first win of the year. And I also think Pettersson needs to play his way onto the Ryder Cup team before he thinks he's on it. As it relates to us, fact is, he got a bit sloppy on the weekend at Sedgefield.
Projected Finish: 26+
Sergio Garcia (12th). Now that he's at the top of his game, what I'm really interested in witnessing is how it translates in the Ryder Cup. You'd think that his legend will only grow in the team competition. In the meantime, Garcia's game transcends the intent of the classic courses on tour. Keep your ball in the fairway and strike your irons well. He plays to the formula. Can I make it 2-for-2? The world awaits .
Top 5Phil Mickelson (3rd). On record for loving Ridgewood, which is probably the kiss of the missed cut. Nevertheless, with the majors behind him and the Ryder Cup forthcoming, he's now the man. Or at least the perception of one. Right?
Padraig Harrington (4th). What's funny is that he made it known early that he was going to ramp into the majors, playing in the preceding two weeks before the biggie. Using that plan of attack, he finished T-5 at the Masters and T-36 at the U.S. Open. Then, by sheer scheduling complications, he took the week off before winning the British and played only in the WGC-Bridgestone the week prior to winning the PGA. If there was no break between the BMW and the Ryder Cup, he'd definitely be taking a week off. Instead, he could cement Golfer of the Year with a FedExCup trophy, ending all debates. But Tiger Woods should have replays of the U.S. Open on DVD FedEx'd to all voting members just in case.
Robert Allenby (11th). There are a lot of guys that have filled their bellies already this season, Allenby among them (seven Top 10s), but he hasn't won and isn't playing for a Ryder Cup berth. He can focus completely on the playoffs.
Camilo Villegas (42nd). His physique and Latin appeal attract fans but it's his game that has lasting allure. The media is quick to label him as swashbuckling but Villegas is a true grinder, like it or not. Sure, he'll take the occasional whipsaw recoil but he doesn't make bad decisions and is a much better putter than most know. Is he the male Anna Kournikova? Well, if that means that he's the best on tour never to have won an event, he'll take it. But it won't be long before the Colombian breaks through.
Top 10Anthony Kim (5th). In a word - reset.
Stuart Appleby (19th). Back in the zone after a T-15 at the PGA and T-2 at Firestone.
Andres Romero (26th). Here we go again. The weekly game of peek-a-boo continues, only I'm firing a pre-emptive strike. (Don't worry, I play a tamer version with my nieces and nephews.) Romero got aggressive with Oakland Hills and placed T-7, surviving a second round 78. Seems that he's guttier with more chips on the table. What's not to love this week? I see you!
Ernie Els (28th). The swing modifications are working so Els just needs to putt better. He's not the kind of explosive talent that will sweep the playoffs but he should handle Ridgewood with little trouble.
Briny Baird (29th). If you haven't been paying attention, Baird has deposited eight six-figure checks and another worth $98K this year. On the strength of a third round 62, he finished T-9 at the Wyndham and hasn't missed a cut since the PODS (overlooking his WD due to illness at the Memorial). Ranks 1st on tour in GIR.
Top 25Boo Weekley (14th). His last round on tour was a 66 at Oakland Hills, proving that he can still score. It wasn't that I doubted it, just that I wanted evidence illustrating that his mind has returned to the game after the birth of his second child. With his ball-striking and distance control capabilities, he could place inside the Top 25 in his sleep, but that 66 at the PGA showed us that he can putt on slick greens, increasing our expectations this week.
Jim Furyk (15th). Has had a great summer by the standards of most rank-and-filers but Furyk remains winless since last year's Canadian Open. If anyone is due, it's this guy.
D.J. Trahan (18th). He's a bona fide finalist for a Ryder Cup wild card pick and you can ignore that missed cut on his Swedish vacation last week, but Trahan would serve himself well with a strong run in the playoffs. Moreover, he has a realistic shot at winning the FedExCup, so this is gut-check time. I like him to answer the bell.
John Senden (64th). In my first look at the Aussie this week, I placed him in my "Top 5" because he's 4th in ball-striking and is coming off a T-6 at Sedgefield. (I had in my "Top 25" at the Wyndham.) But Senden has put Top 10s back-to-back just once in his career, that at the end of last season. So, here he is again in my "Top 25" this week by default. Start him with confidence.
Mark Wilson (80th). If you want a poster boy to fit the definition of the kind of guy that Paul Azinger said that he will consider for the Ryder Cup, regardless of inexperience or big-name value, Wilson is your man. He's cashed in 18 of 22 starts this year, including a T-9 and T-8 his last two times out. While he didn't qualify for a major, he can go tee-to-cup with results. Although it usually takes some sort of validation to warrant a wild card pick, you can bet that Wilson has caught the captain's eye. There's every reason to believe that he's peaking at the perfect time.
26+Kenny Perry (2nd). Perry is the first of three here that comes limping into the playoffs, after a withdrawal from the PGA with a scratched cornea. Before that, it was a T-66 at the Bridgestone, his worst finish in six starts at Firestone. We know what he's made of but we still want to see him validate his Ryder Cup berth when it really matters. Consider how much trouble the New York Yankees are having this year now that the Tampa Bay Rays are good.
Stewart Cink (6th). How do you feel after a MC-T43-MC run? Exactly.
Geoff Ogilvy (10th). He finished T-31 at the PGA, T-68 at the no-cut Bridgestone and missed the cut at the British. As I said in my Steve Stricker projection, in a vacuum, this guy would be nails. Reality bites.
Ben Curtis (27th). Here's your stat of the week . The next time Curtis chases a Top 10 with a Top 20 will be his first time - ever. That said, he has three Top 13s in his last four starts. In the process, he has gained the long-awaited respect he deserves. But I'm not sold on him for the Ryder Cup. Read my analysis in "The 19th Hole."
Martin Laird (128th). In a field like this, Laird would normally get overlooked, but he's banked two T-4s in as many starts just to get into the playoffs. There are all sorts of reasons why you should keep him benched this week, the most obvious of which is that he can't keep this up forever.
MCVijay Singh (7th). Has missed the cut in three of his last four starts, sandwiching the victory at Firestone.
Adam Scott (24th). Missed the cut at the PGA after placing T-56 at the Bridgestone. Ranks 200th in accuracy off the tee.
Hunter Mahan (31st). Until he shakes off the 81-79=MC on the heels of his reference and aversion to becoming a Ryder Cup "slave," what would you project?
Dustin Johnson (117th). First, a root canal (WD), then a cut finger (WD). Even if you're thinking flier here, don't make it happen.
Tim Petrovic (126th). Sits 182nd in GIR and 143rd in putting. Has missed 12 cuts this year, including five of his last seven. If you want a guy from the bottom 24 that is tracking towards a good performance and advancing to the Deutsche Bank, go with Glen Day (143rd) or Lee Janzen (144th). Seriously. Day has cashed in his last eight starts on the PGA Tour, while Janzen has posted a pair of Top 25s in as many events.
Ned Said, ".YAHOO!
Group A
Phil Mickelson . He actually is playing well right now but you wouldn't know it because Padraig Harrington has won back-to-back majors. Mickelson's only Top 10 at The Barclays came last year but he played the Ridgewood course in the spring and commented that he thought he would do well on the layout.
Padraig Harrington . He has won back-to-back majors and played decently at the WGC-Bridgestone. He won the championship at The Barclays in 2005 and had a second place in 2004. It's pretty hard not to start him this week given how well he is playing.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Sergio Garcia . Timing is everything and, now that Tiger Woods is out for the year, Sergio is finishing runner-up to a red-hot Padraig Harrington. Garcia has a very good record at The Barclays, with five Top 10s in eight starts, including championships in 2001 and 2004.
Ernie Els . Els snapped out of his spring slump and was playing well going into the WGC-Bridgestone, but a poor second round sank any chances of a good finish. His record at The Barclays is good, with six Top 10s in 11 starts, including championships in 1996 and 1997.
GOING DEEP:
Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy, Hunter Mahan, Adam Scott, Carl Pettersson, Boo Weekley and K.J. Choi.
Group B
Ian Poulter . He played great at the British Open, with a second place finish, and played well at the WGC-Bridgestone, so his T-31 at the PGA was a bit of a surprise. He has played at The Barclays twice, finishing in a tie for ninth place both times.
Anthony Kim . It's hard not to start him after he has won twice on the tour in his sophomore season. He played in his first Barclays last year, finishing in a tie for 17th place.
Camilo Villegas . He has played well at times this season, including at the PGA, where he finished in a tie for fourth place. Villegas played in his first Barclays last year and finished in a tie for 21st place.
Retief Goosen . The bookmakers in London currently have Goosen as the number-three ranked player in this week's Barclays. He has been playing some good golf lately, highlighted by a T-4 at the WGC-Bridgestone. Goosen has made the cut in all four starts at the Barclays. His best finish is a T-18 in 2003.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Paul Casey . Casey has decided to stay on this side of the pond for the FedExCup Playoffs and goes in playing some of his best golf of the season. This will be his first time at The Barclays but it shouldn't be a big disadvantage because of the change to the Ridgewood course this year.
Stuart Appleby . At the start of the season he was a must play every week. He is starting to play well again, with a T-2 at the WGC-Bridgestone and a T-15 at the PGA Championship. His history at The Barclays is fair, with four made cuts in seven starts, so the change of venue might be beneficial to Appleby.
Robert Allenby . Allenby has played some of his best golf of the season in recent months, so the T-31 at the PGA Championship was a bit of a disappointment. He has one Top 10 in five starts at The Barclays, which came in 2001, when he finished tied for eighth place.
Mike Weir . Weir has played well in spots this year but, after a nice T-5 at the Canadian Open, it was a bit of a disappointment when he tied for 42nd at the PGA Championship. He has a couple of Top 20s at The Barclays in six starts.
GOING DEEP:
Sean O'Hair, Steward Cink, Justin Leonard, Briny Baird, Stephen Ames, Brian Gay, Kevin Streelman, Ken Duke and Michael Letzig.
Group C
Kenny Perry . He should be over his scratched cornea. Before that, he was the hottest player on the planet, with three championships in the space of five tournaments. Perry has played in The Barclays six times, with two Top 10s (T-3, 2005; T-9, 2004). Most fantasy owners have used Perry close to the 10 allowed starts and he should make THE TOUR Championship, so saving his last start for East Lake is almost a must in the C Group.
Tim Clark . Clark has played well in spots this season, including last week's tie for sixth place at the Wyndham Championship. He has played five times at The Barclays, with three Top 20s, including a T-9 in 2004.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Ben Curtis . He is playing some very good golf right now, with a T-7 at the British Open and a T-2 at the PGA Championship. His only made cut at The Barclays in two starts was a T-66 in 2003, so it is possible the change to the Ridgewood course might help him.
Andres Romero . Romero won the Zurich Classic and then followed it up with a T-8 at the Masters. He really hadn't done much since until his tie for seventh place a couple of weeks ago at the PGA. This will be his first time at The Barclays.
GOING DEEP:
Fred Couples, Ben Crane, Steve Marino, Dudley Hart, Mathew Goggin, Shane Bertsch, Trevor Immelman and John Rollins.
PGATour.com
Group 1: Padraig Harrington . Right now, he is playing the best golf of anyone on the tour.
Group 2: Vijay Singh . Hopefully, he has fixed his putting troubles. Robert Allenby would be the safest choice.
Group 3: Sergio Garcia . He is playing well right now and has a very good record at The Barclays.
Group 4: Stuart Appleby . Right now, he is playing the best golf in this group.
Group 5: Ernie Els . He is playing well right now and has good history at The Barclays.
Group 6: Ben Curtis . His record at The Barclays isn't great but he's playing the best golf of anyone in this group right now.
Group 7: Retief Goosen . Goosen is a safe pick but Ian Poulter and Camilo Villegas would be interesting picks this week.
ESPN.com
Phil Mickelson . A carryover player. He is playing well and could do well at the Ridgewood course.
Carl Pettersson . A carryover player. Last week's win moved him up to 13th on in FedExCup points.
Paul Casey . A carryover player. He has played his best golf of the season in recent months.
Andres Romero . His is coming off of a nice T-7 at the PGA Championship.
The next reshuffle will occur following the Viking Classic (September 21). Until then, golfers will rank in order of their current "number." The "projected gain/loss" reflects how many spots each golfer stands to gain or lose in this pecking order
after the next reshuffle. Full-season earnings determine the ranking.
From the fantasy perspective, this list provides non-weekly formats a projected value (i.e. ability to set schedule, more opportunities to play, likelihood to improve number) of golfers playing out of this category. Because of the preset format of the playoffs, the only event where the list below plays a role in determining a field until the next reshuffle is for next month's Viking Classic.
Current "number." Name, 2008 earnings (gain/loss since last reshuffle)
* - In the field at The Barclays
CURRENT RANK1. *Nicholas Thompson, $1,351,663 (-)
2. *John Merrick, $1,191,597 (-)
3. *Tim Wilkinson, $757,964 (-1)
4. *Brad Adamonis, $729,156 (-2)
5. *Michael Letzig, $851,385 (+2)
6. *Matt Jones, $703,000 (-1)
7. *Dustin Johnson, $621,605 (-2)
8. *Patrick Sheehan, $648,974 (-)
9. *Kevin Streelman, $755,748 (+4)
10. *James Driscoll, $570,630 (-)
11. *Jason Day, $535,535 (-)
12. *Jon Mills, $489,510 (-1)
13. *Frank Lickliter II, $459,900 (-1)
14. Roland Thatcher, $445,212 (-1)
15. Tag Ridings, $390,599 (-1)
16. Brett Rumford, $373,579 (-3)
17. Y.E. Yang, $384,956 (-1)
18. Carlos Franco, $316,340 (-2)
19. *Justin Bolli, $389,502 (+2)
20. Omar Uresti, $279,110 (-2)
21. *Martin Laird, $490,100 (+9)
22. Marc Turnesa, $262,252 (-1)
23. Brenden Pappas, $247,934 (-1)
24. Kenneth Ferrie, $222,398 (-1)
25. Jin Park, $227,102 (-1)
26. Scott Sterling, $300,832 (+5)
27. Jimmy Walker, $173,759 (-3)
28. Chad Collins, $161,117 (-3)
29. Kent Jones, $215,671 (+2)
30. John Riegger, $205,918 (+2)
31. Alejandro Canizares, $125,539 (-2)
32. Chris Stroud, $121,853 (-2)
33. Todd Demsey, $132,694 (+1)
34. Jim McGovern, $114,843 (-2)
35. Kyle Thompson, $109,930 (-2)
36. Paul Claxton, $93,323 (-2)
37. David Lutterus, $120,088 (+2)
38. Michael Bradley, $77,584 (-1)
39. Jason Allred, $71,953 (-1)
40. Bob Sowards, $189,637 (+11)
41. Tom Scherrer, $60,531 (-)
42. Brad Elder, $52,461 (-)
43. Jonathan Kaye, $41,375 (-1)
44. Travis Perkins, $36,583 (-1)
45. Cody Freeman, $46,342 (+2)
46. Ron Whittaker, $34,177 (-)
47. Tommy Gainey, $30,185 (-)
48. Duffy Waldorf, $7,350 (-)
49. Carl Paulson, $0 (-)
Name (PRIORITY RANKING) - has: # of events played/$ earned . remaining: # of events remaining under extension/$ remaining unearned
*- In the field at The Barclays
*Ben Crane [MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
Jason Bohn (MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
*Brett Quigley (MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
*Dudley Hart (MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
Chris Perry (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 18/$515,445
Joey Snyder III (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 25/$647,466
Brandt Jobe (MAJOR) - has: 17/$254,114 . remaining: 6/$520,050
David Berganio, Jr. (MAJOR) - has: 1/$0 . remaining: 5/$346,345
Hank Kuehne (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 18/$636,221
*Shane Bertsch (MAJOR) - has: 22/$686,676 . remaining: 6/$58,744
Paul Azinger (MAJOR) - has: 8/$42,590 . remaining: 6/$568,521
Wes Short, Jr. (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 15/$743,061
David Duval (MAJOR) - has: 15/$46,287 . remaining: 5/$666,948
Patrick Moore (NATIONWIDE/3 WINS) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 12/$452,636
Jonathan Kaye (Q SCHOOL/NATIONWIDE) - has: 8/$41,375 . remaining: 13/$743,805
Michael Bradley (Q SCHOOL/NATIONWIDE) - has: 9/$77,584 . remaining: 5/$675,707
Carl Paulson (Q SCHOOL/NATIONWIDE) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 15/$428,522
Kris Cox (NON-EXEMPT) - has: 7/$0 . remaining: 1/$748,451
8/20 . Duffy Waldorf (46); S.K. Ho (35)
8/21 . Richard Zokol (50); Jarrod Lyle (27)
8/22 . Gene Sauers (46)
8/23 . Peter Thomson (79); Chris DiMarco (40); Todd Fischer (39)
8/24 . Sam Torrance (55); Rich Beem (38)
8/25 . none
8/26 . Jim Rutledge (49)
Last week, I gave you my take on Hunter Mahan's soon-to-be irrelevance at the Ryder Cup. Unless Mahan lights up the tour this month, I can't see Captain Paul Azinger telling guys that missed the roster cut that Mahan earned the job over them. (Again, I didn't take issues with Mahan's comments or decision to go public with them. My problem was with him equating the life of a touring golf pro with a "slave." And even if he was paraphrasing from a conversation with a former Ryder Cupper, Mahan spoke alone.)
Anyway, I also promised a peek at what's missing from the American Ryder Cup team with four spots to fill. Here's the current stable and the number of times they have competed in the event: Phil Mickelson (six), Stewart Cink (three), Kenny Perry (one), Jim Furyk (five), Anthony Kim (rookie), Justin Leonard (two), Ben Curtis (rookie) and Boo Weekley (rookie). Among them, only Furyk and Curtis have not won in 2008. I've always liked winners, not Top 10ers like Chris Riley. The revised points structure was a roaring success (although the jury remains out on Curtis) but the reduction from 10 to eight automatic qualifiers was even better. It drew the line in front of instead of behind where Steve Stricker and Woody Austin finished.
Now, I'm not too concerned about Sunday singles. Of all current full-timers that have Ryder Cup experience, only Tom Lehman (3-0-0) and Scott Verplank (2-0-0) have never lost or halved a singles match. Instead, the real value is in the foursomes play, which has been the bane of the American effort. Azinger will surely analyze the combinations but let's have a little fun in determining the best fits right now.
Overall, America's strength is in its iron game. Only Kim (79th) and Curtis (162nd) rank outside the Top 40 in GIR. (But Kim is tops of the eight in distance off the tee.) So, if you're wondering how much of a chance that iron magicians like Austin and Zach Johnson have, supply and demand eliminates their hopes. The next best asset on the team is putting, where Curtis makes up for lost ground, ranking T-62. Meanwhile, it's no secret that Furyk (T-146) and Weekley (202nd) have struggled with their blades this year. Moreover, the best putter, statistically at least, is Justin Leonard, at T-24. Therefore, it would make sense to add at least two clutch putters to the team. That would normally open the door for Jeff Quinney but he's completely fallen apart lately. How about Chad Campbell? Not too sexy, but efficient. Or Ben Crane? No. Corey Pavin? Sigh. We'll get back to this .
As a whole, the Americans don't like to land in fairways. Furyk is 30th in accuracy off the tee, which leads the group. Curtis is next at 54th, then Leonard at T-57. Maybe it's just me but golf gets a whole lot easier when you're hitting it from the short grass (I'm usually there in a couple of shots myself). Enter Scott Verplank, who's made his living from the fairways. Oh, and he's a darn good putter, too, ranked 24th on tour. He was on a nice run before missing the cut at the PGA, but he would team up perfectly with Mickelson or Kim, a couple of guys that bomb it and can shape their irons. Verplank also has the experience and always steps up his game for the team competitions. No, he hasn't won since last year's Nelson, but that hasn't mattered in the past. He's in.
Before I continue, I'm putting J.B. Holmes on the team for several reasons. He won the FBR this year, taking down Phil Mickelson of all people in the playoff, sinking a mid-range putt for the trophy. He can hit it longer than anyone currently on the team. He swept the awards at the Tavistock Cup, where it looked like he was playing a video game. And he's a Kentucky guy. That kind of resume puts him on a short list with two wild cards, much less four. I'm concerned about how he'll affect the chemistry in the clubhouse, and you couldn't pair him with another rookie, but I love what I've already heard, too, to let Holmes and fellow Kentuckian, Perry, go out in the first match on Friday.
Of the dozen or so remaining on my list, only Sean O'Hair and D.J. Trahan have emerged victorious this year. Despite the fact that Cink did a better job losing the PODS than O'Hair did winning it, O'Hair has bounced back quite well since his fender-bender this summer. At 26 years of age, he's still rough around the edges (remember, he turned pro after his junior year of high school) and wouldn't get a look if just two spots were available. Meanwhile, Trahan is a little more seasoned in terms of team and match play. After winning the Hope with a ridiculous week of putting, it took him three months to land inside the Top 20 again. Since, he's shown much more consistency and has competed very well in big events, usually coming on late, a blatant sign of never-say-die attitude. Moreover, Trahan "looks" like he's arrived. His gait is more confident and he's matured. With his ball-striking, he'd match up wonderfully with Cink or fellow rookie Curtis. I'll take D.J.
Finally, while looking over the updated crew, Weekley will charm the international press and not even know it, so, again, we don't need Austin or even Rocco Mediate to play the role of course jester. I wouldn't mind having Mark O'Meara on the team to walk with Kim but that would mean that O'Meara has to play, too. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion-turned-pro, Colt Knost, has won twice on the Nationwide Tour, will be on the 2009 PGA Tour and has the all-around game but he'd be a stranger on his own squad at Valhalla. More realistically, Brandt Snedeker, Heath Slocum and Briny Baird are all deserving but would probably have to play their way on in the playoffs, although Slocum teamed with Weekley to finish P-2 at last year's World Cup. Bubba Watson and Ken Duke have intriguing value but another year perhaps. Meanwhile, Steve Flesch is a University of Kentucky product and lives just up the road a piece, in Union (outside Cincinnati). He can be an explosive player (6th at the PGA, T-5 at the Masters) and worries me not about his affect on the team dynamic. He'd also be a rookie but would make a very logical choice.
All of this brings me back to Stricker. First, I doubt that he agrees with Mahan, much less would ever take the topic to task. Next, absolutely no worries in the clubhouse. Third, he has President's Cup experience and the maturity to let the Ryder Cup come to him. Fourth, he and Kim could be the odd couple pairing that just might work (although Stricker would match up much better with Furyk). Fifth, he's over his spring slide. If Azinger had to make his pick right now, Stricker is probably the 12th man but, like the others, probably needs to play his way on. But he squeezes on now. Flesch is 13th. O'Hair 14th.
Thus, my foursome pairings: Mickelson-Leonard, Cink-Weekley, Furyk-Stricker, Kim-Verplank, Perry-Holmes, Trahan-Curtis. Next week, I'll analyze the European team even though the qualifying period ends on August 31. Then, during the week of the Ryder Cup, we'll play armchair captain in addition to the preview for the concurrent Viking Classic.
"Starter" ANSWER: The only Dow Jones Open (Invitational) was played in late August of 1970 at Upper Montclair CC in Clifton. Bobby Nichols was the champion. Incidentally, The Barclays will rotate to Liberty National in Jersey City in 2009.
[Thanks to Doug Lee of Edmonton, Alberta for correcting last week's answer. I changed it within a few hours after I had originally written that Vaughn Taylor was the last golfer to successfully defend his inaugural victory on the PGA Tour (2004 and 2005 Reno-Tahoe). Doug quickly pointed out that it was actually Boo Weekley, who won the 2007 and 2008 Heritage.]
