Thursday, May 20, 2021

PGA Championship -- Round 1

I'm probably too old to ever really like the idea of playing the PGA Championship in the middle of the NBA and NHL playoffs.  For me, it would always be better to keep the PGA in the heat and thunderstorms of early August, when there's nothing else on the sports calendar.  For decades, it was an event to watch on vacation, just before everything starts up again around Labor Day.  But the Powers That Be have decided to do things differently, so here we are.

I am very happy to see the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island again.  Few courses can host the greatest golfers in the world, play to a par of 72, and not end up with scores that look a bit silly.  But the Ocean Course can.  It is one of the most interesting modern courses in the world, and I always enjoy seeing it.

After day one, it appears that we could be in for a dramatic tournament.  There are a lot of big names on this very crowded leaderboard:

1.  C. Conners (CAN):  -5 (67)

T2.  K. Bradley-3 (69)
T2.  V. Hovland (NOR):  -3 (69)
T2.  B.  Koepka-3 (69)
T2.  A. Wise-3 (69)
T2.  S. Horsfield (ENG):  -3 (69)
T2.  C. Davis (AUS):  -3 (69)

T8.  C. Tringale-2 (70)
T8.  M. Laird (SCO):  -2 (70)
T8.  C. Morikawa-2 (70)
T8.  P. Mickelson-2 (70)
T8.  B. Grace (RSA):  -2 (70)
T8.  G. Woodland-2 (70)
T8.  K. Streelman-2 (70)
T8.  S. Im (KOR):  -2 (70)

41 comments:

  1. What I like about this golf course and tournament so far is that I really feel like I'm being transported somewhere in watching it on TV. The whole thing looks dramatic and different.

    It was really great to see 50-year-old Phil Mickelson of San Diego rally back into contention after his bad start yesterday, but I think I'm going to root for a repeat win by 24-year-old Collin Morikawa of Los Angeles.

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  2. Cory Connors is 5 over through 14 holes today, and even par for the tournament, so we probably won't hear much more from him.

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    1. Corey Conners finished with a three-over par 75, leaving him at 2 under for the tournament. So we probably will hear from him some more.

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  3. T1. B. Grace (RSA): -5 (30 holes)
    T1. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -5 (29)

    T3. I. Poulter (ENG): -3 (28)
    T3. K. Bradley: -3 (18)
    T3. V. Hovland (NOR): -3 (18)
    T3. B. Koepka: -3 (18)
    T3. A. Wise: -3 (18)

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  4. Through 10 holes, Jordan Spieth is 2 over for the day, 3 over for the tournament, and mired in a tie for 76th.

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  5. Through 27 holes, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia are both 6 over, and they are not likely to be around this weekend.

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  6. 1. P. Mickelson: -5 (36 holes)

    2. B. Grace (RSA): -4 (35)

    T3. G. Woodland: -3 (34)
    T3. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (33)
    T3. K. Streelman: -3 (33)
    T3. K. Bradley: -3 (18)
    T3. V. Hovland (NOR): -3 (18)
    T3. B. Koepka: -3 (18)
    T3. A. Wise: -3 (18)

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  7. On ESPN, they tell us that the wind is really picking up.

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  8. In case you're wondering, Mickelson's last major title was the 2013 British Open. He has won five majors:

    Masters: 2004, 2006, 2010
    U.S. Open: None
    British Open: 2013
    PGA Championship: 2005

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  9. Spieth bogeys the last hole to finish at 4 over for the tournament. For now, the cut line is 3 over. But if the wind keeps blowing, 4 over may be good enough.

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  10. 1. P. Mickelson: -5 (36 holes)

    T2. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T2. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (35)
    T2. K. Streelman: -3 (35)
    T2. C. Tringale: -3 (22)
    T2. M. Laird (SCO): -3 (19)
    T2. K. Bradley: -3 (18)
    T2. V. Hovland (NOR): -3 (18)
    T2. B. Koepka: -3 (18)
    T2. A. Wise: -3 (18)

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  11. 1. P. Mickelson: -5 (36 holes)

    2. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -4 (26)

    T3. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T3. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (36)
    T3. P. Casey (ENG): -3 (29)
    T3. B. Koepka: -3 (25)

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  12. The cut line is now at 4 over, so Jordan Spieth looks safe for the weekend. But Justin Thomas is at 5 over with nine holes left.

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  13. T1. P. Mickelson: -5 (36 holes)
    T1. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -5 (29)

    T3. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T3. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (36)
    T3. B. Koepka: -3 (27)
    T3. B. DeChambeau: -3 (27)

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  14. It's been a great day for the South Africans, and Louis Oosthuizen birdies the 12th hole to take the outright lead at 6 under par.

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    1. Steve Sands said on Tony Kornheiser's podcast this week that he expected Australians and South Africans to fare especially well this weekend because the wind's interplay with this course might be similar to their home courses. But the guy he was specifically optimistic about was Marc Leishman, who failed to make the cut.

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  15. Lots of birdies happening now, as the holes in the middle of the round are playing downwind. Hovland is at 3 under. Matsuyama is at 2 under. Morikawa is at 1 under. Of course, Mickelson's big advantage is that the last four holes play into the wind.

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  16. The last South African to win a major was Ernie Els, who won the 2012 British Open. Here are his four major titles:

    Masters: None
    U.S. Open: 1994, 1997
    British Open: 2002, 2012
    PGA: None

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  17. After 28 holes, Rory McIlroy is now three under for the day, and even par for the tournament.

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  18. Koepka EAGLES the par-5 11th hole, and he moves to 5 under par. He looked like Tiger on that hole -- an enormous drive, an iron shot to 20 feet, and an eagle putt that was in all the way.

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  19. Thomas birdies the 11th and gets to 5 over. That score will probably make the cut.

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  20. 1. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -6 (30 holes)

    T2. P. Mickelson: -5 (36)
    T2. B. Koepka: -5 (29)

    T4. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T4. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (36)
    T4. V. Hovland (NOR): -3 (29)
    T4. B. DeChambeau: -3 (28)

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  21. On 12, Koepka uses the tailwind to hit a 370-yard drive. He then pitches to about 8 feet, makes the birdie putt, and moves to six-under par. He's now tied for the lead.

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  22. Like Ernie Els, Koepka has four major titles. Unlike Els, he is 31 years old:

    Masters: None
    U.S. Open: 2017, 2018
    British Open: None
    PGA: 2018, 2019

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  23. T1. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -6 (32 holes)
    T1. B. Koepka: -6 (30)

    3. P. Mickelson: -5 (36)

    T4. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T4. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (36)
    T4. B. DeChambeau: -3 (30)
    T4. H. Matsuyama (JPN): -3 (30)

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  24. And now Matsuyama birdies 13. He is 5 under for the day, and 4 under for the tournament. The Masters Champion is only two shots off the lead. This is the most loaded leaderboard we have seen in a while.

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  25. Holes 14 through 18 are all into the wind, and are all difficult. Koepka pars the 14th, and moves on to 15. Meanwhile, Matsuyama gets to 14, and he will now be playing into the wind.

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  26. The wind starts to take its toll. DeChambeau bogeys 14, and falls back to 2 under.

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  27. Now Koepka bogeys 15, and falls to 5 under.

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  28. 1. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -6 (34 holes)

    T2. P. Mickelson: -5 (36)
    T2. B. Koepka: -5 (33)

    4. H. Matsuyama (JPN): -4 (32)

    T5. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T5. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (36)

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  29. Oosthuizen drives into a bunker on the very difficult par-3 17th, but gets up and down to save par. He has now gone 25 holes in a row without a bogey.

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  30. Justin Thomas is now 7 over par through 33 holes, and he is going to miss the cut.

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  31. Others who will miss the cut: Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, and Matt Kuchar.

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  32. John Daly shot an 85 yesterday, and an 86 today. He is 27 over par, and he will not make the cut.

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  33. Oosthuizen bogeys the last hole, and finishes with an excellent 4-under par 68. He is 5-under for the tournament.

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  34. T1. P. Mickelson: -5 (36 holes)
    T1. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -5 (36)
    T1. B. Koepka: -5 (34)

    4. H. Matsuyama (JPN): -4 (34)

    T5. B. Grace (RSA): -3 (36)
    T5. C. Bezuidenhout (RSA): -3 (36)

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  35. Koepka bogeys 17, and falls back to 4 under par.

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  36. Justin Thomas hits a long birdie putt on 17, and misses a birdie putt on 18 by inches He finishes 75+75=150. That's six over par, and he will miss the cut.

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  37. Koepka makes a 10-foot putt for par and finishes with 69+71=140. That's four under par, and he is one shot off the lead.

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  38. That's all for today, but this is a very promising tournament.

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