On the PGA Tour you're considered a rookie when it's your first full year with exemptions. So even if you've played in events previously, you're still considered to be in your first year. With all that said, Brendan Steele really is a rookie on the PGA Tour as prior to this year, he had not tee'd it up in a PGA event (for context, Matteo Manaserro is a decade younger and has already played in six PGA Tour sanctioned events and won twice on the European Tour). And after recording pars on his last 11 holes he's also a winner on the PGA Tour, winning the Valero Texas Open by one stroke over Kevin Chappell. Prior to this week, his best finish on Tour was a T17 at the Farmers Insurance Open. And in that tournament his end result wasn't nearly as notable as what he had to say about his final round playing partner, Tiger Woods.
"I don't think he gave it everything today," Steele told SI. "Once it started going in the wrong direction, I don’t think it had his full attention."
From being notable for what you said, to being notable for how you played -- not bad. On top of all that, he gets a two year exemption and an invitation to next year's Masters.
After a brief absence due to some deadlines and overall business, we're back.
Schwartzel is a fitting champion. The morning after the completion of The Masters the general consensus of the mainstream sports media seemed to be: Charl Who? But those who have been paying attention knew who he was. Sure, his birdies on the final four holes to win the tournament certainly couldn't have been predicted, but that the signs that he was on the verge of a breakthrough were certainly there. If you go back to the beginning of 2010 and look at his results in the major championships and World Golf Championships events they are thus (in chronological order): T9, 2, T30, T16, T14, T58, T16, T17, T24, win.
There's also no reason to think that he'll slow down much after this. His early season tally is pretty impressive: two wins, four more top-10s, three more top-25s and no missed cuts in 11 events on the PGA and European Tours combined.
South Africa to host WGC event in 2012? Speaking of South Africa, there was the confirmed then not-so-confirmed news this week that the country will host a new World Golf Championships event starting in 2012. I love the idea of having another WGC event and especially having one somewhere other than the United States. I've said it before and I'll say it again, while there are numerous quality golf courses in the US, you can't really call them "golf's global summit" if there isn't a true global spreading of the events. The fact that there could be a $10-million purse and the event will try to raise awareness and funds of the AIDS epidemic in Africa is even better.
The only issue now is keeping the PGA Tour happy and finding a date. The rhetoric of Sunshine Tour commissioner Gareth Tindall that if placed on the same weekend as Tiger Woods' Chevron Challenge, Woods would need to move his tournament may not have been the best approach to take with the player that is still very much the key to golf TV ratings success. McIlroy will bounce back. He spent much of the first nine on speed wobble mode and was somehow able to keep it together. But when Rory McIlroy's tee shot on the 10th hole went left of left and he ended up with a triple bogey seven, the wheels came off completely and his opportunity to contend was dashed. There is a reason that some -- no less than Jack Nicklaus, in fact -- preferred to have a fade ball-flight rather than a draw. Under pressure, the line between a draw and a hook becomes blurred and you needn't look any further than McIlroy's tee shots at 10 and 13 for evidence. Add to that his woes with the putter -- pulling many short putts to the left -- and it's pretty easy to say how it fell apart so dramatically.
With all that said, McIlroy will contend in majors again very shortly. First of all, his swing is the envy of just about anyone who's every picked up a club. At maybe 160-pounds soaking wet he nearly led the field in driving distance (Alvaro Quiros, who may be the longest hitter on the PGA or European Tours edged him out with a 303.38 to 303.12 yards pre drive average) while hitting 10 of 14 fairways each day and finishing third in greens in regulation, despite his struggles. Second of all, his demeanor is what we expect from our champions. It's entirely possible that McIlroy won more fans with his post-round interview with Peter Kostis than he would have if he won the tournament. Add to that his comments after his second round in Malaysia that while he was disappointed, he's confident he'll have more chances to win majors and this could be the start of something special between the Northern Irishman and the golfing public.
UPDATE: McIlroy holds a two-shot lead with 27 holes still to play on Sunday in the weather-delayed Malaysian Open.
Making the big number in style. I'm not sure what part surprises me more -- the fact that after already having played about eight shots, noted slow player Kevin Na took precious little time in eventually chopping his ball out of the woods; or that the PGA Tour posted the entire ordeal to their YouTube account. Either way the 16 he recorded at the par four ninth was certainly something to behold and puts Na into the record books for the highest ever score recorded on a par four on the PGA Tour. (It also inspired this list from the fine folks at Golf.)
Give him full credit though. Not only was Na wearing a microphone for the event -- and nary a questionable word got to air during the entire ordeal -- but you could see he was able to laugh it off, he answered questions about it after the round and even reviewed the tape himself to clarify his score.
"I wanted to know exactly what I made. Nobody was sure and to know exactly what I made, I'm the only one that's going to be able know that was a whiff, that's what I did there.So, you know, I'm glad I went in there and checked it and found out it was a 16. I hate to know I signed for a 15 and think back later and actually add it up, it was 16."
Course vitals Yardage: 7,435 Par: 72 Designed by: Alister MacKenzie, 1933. (Some re-design work by Tom Fazio) Bunkers: 43 Water Hazards: 6 Green speeds: 12.5 feet Defending Champion: Phil Mickelson Course record: 63, Nick Price (1986), Greg Norman (1996) .
Key holes
The Par fives. Simply put, you don't win at Augusta if you don't play well on the par fives. In fact, last year the four par fives ranked as the easiest five holes on the course yielding 29 eagles and 420 birdies. The two on the second nine are of particular importance, as each of the last six champions have birdied at least one of them in their final round and three have birdied both.
