Why People Hate Golf Files: Jim Nantz Reciting Sappy Lyrics Editon

When I saw the tweet about Stephanie Wei's item on Jim Nantz's Memorial call of Justin Rose's win, I figure she was just having a good ole time with Jim. Then I see the video on Deadspin today and all I can say is...I knew I hit mute for a reason. Thank you higher power.

 
I just pity the poor assistant who got the directive from Jim: Google the lyrics for The Rose and do it now!

The Annual DNF, NR, SCR Watch

It was the Europeans who pioneered the art of difficulty in finishing the 36-hole international U.S. Open qualifier, but not to be outdone are the PGA Tour players handed an easy qualifying opportunity into the Open Championship, yet still just can't get through 36.

Stephanie Wei spotlights another reminder that even when you make it easy for the world's great golfers to qualify, they still show a little disrespect.

There were also nine WD's from yesterday's Japanese U.S. Open qualifier but zero listed for the European edition.

“I love it. It’s a good layout. But I think some of the greens are a little severe for the shots we’re hitting.”

Kevin Robbins' blog post on the early concerns about the difficulty of Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia's (LOL) co-design of the new tour stop at TPC San Antonio should make Thursday's first round worth watching.

What I did gather is this: The 7,435-yard course is too hemmed by native areas to play at its full length. In a torrid wind (see: today), holes such as the 213-yard No. 3 (all carry over water), the narrow 481-yard No. 4, the 447-yard No. 10 (to a plateau green) and the 241-yard (enough said) No. 13 are just too much. And the greens? I spent a good hour with a caddie I’ve known for a while. He played Division I college golf. He’s played the mini tours. He was not impressed with Greg Norman’s multi-level, elevated greens at TPC San Antonio, which are running about 10 on the Stimp because anything faster would eliminate too many positions. “Stupid,” the caddie called them.

Now let’s be fair. Omar Uresti, the Austin resident and former Longhorn, had lots of praise for the Oaks, which he’s played three times.

“It’s hard,” Uresti said. “I love it. It’s a good layout. But I think some of the greens are a little severe for the shots we’re hitting.”

Now, we hear this quite often at courses the players haven't seen, especially at majors. It'll be the hardest course we've ever seen, etc... and the first round lead is 65.

But Norman does have the distinction of building a course that was too difficult and never opened, so it is possible that he's built something the players will be justified in hating.

Which Was More Amazing, Ryo's 58 and Rory's 62? Or Their Combined Age Of 38?

I know it's a pointless debate, but considering their age (Ryo 18, Rory 20), this weekend's play has to go down as one of the more amazing performances by young players in the game's history. Ryo's round as reported by AP:

The 18-year-old Ishikawa tapped in for par on the par-4 18th after his 15-foot birdie try slid inches by the cup. He had 12 birdies in his bogey-free round on the 6,545-yard Nagoya Golf Club course.

“I always dreamed of getting a score like this but didn’t think I would do it so fast,” Ishikawa said. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will after a few days.”

After opening with rounds of 68, 70 and 71 to fall six strokes behind third-round leader Shigeki Maruyama, Ishikawa birdied nine of the first 11 holes Sunday. He added birdies on Nos. 14-16 and closed with two pars to finish at 13-under 267, five strokes ahead of Hiroyuki Fujita and Australia’s Paul Sheehan.

“I got off to a good start for the first time in four rounds, so I told myself not to give up for the title until the end,” Ishikawa said. “To my surprise, I found myself making this many birdies. I was in a calm mental state for all 58 strokes.”

Doug Ferguson on Rory's win at Quail Hollow Sunday:

Explosive as ever, the 20-year-old from Northern Ireland was 5 under over the final five holes to set the course record at 10-under 62 and win by four shots over Masters champion Phil Mickelson.

McIlroy finished in style, rolling in a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and thrusting his fist into the air.

“I suppose I got into the zone,” said McIlroy, who celebrates his 21st birthday on Tuesday. “I hadn’t realized I was going in 9, 10 under. I just know I got my nose in front and I was just trying to stay there.”

2010 Quail Hollow Championship Final Round Open Thread

Lots of potential fun today with Phil, Davis, Mayfair and the suddenly controversial Quail Hollow.

"I would say 18 is the worst on tour, except it's not the worst on this golf course, 12 is..."

This is fun on so many levels.

First you have Phil Mickelson, who bypassed this week's mandatory players meeting in which the commissioner pleaded for no controversial comments from players, choosing to criticize a tour venue's design rather strongly.

Second, the course in question was modified by Tom Fazio's designer at the time, Beau Welling, now Tiger Woods' in-house designer.

And third, the course desperately wants to host a major and this probably isn't going to help.

Steve Elling reports:

"For as beautifully designed as this golf course is from tee to green, the greens are some of the worst designed greens that we have on tour, and 18 is one of them," he said of the final green. "I would say 18 is the worst on tour, except it's not the worst on this golf course, 12 is, and we have some ridiculous putts here that you just can't keep on."

And as Elling suggests, Mickelson made sure to make his point by risking a penalty on 18:

Theatrically, Mickelson tried to make his point clear on the 18th green when he hit his approach shot over the flagstick and had a sloping, 60-footer for birdie that he could not get anywhere near the flag. At least. not without using a pitching wedge and hitting the flagstick with the lob shot.

He ordered caddie Jim Mackay to leave the flagstick in the hole as he putted away from the hole. It was shocking to see, to be sure, and nobody could recall ever witnessing it before in a tour event. If he'd made the putt, which he insisted was an impossibility, he would have been assessed a two-shot penalty.