The English Invasion....this time in golf

[Roadking2003]

When is the last time we had a Sunday leaderboard with three of the top four from England? And two of them are old short hitting former number one guys.

 

Luke is 231st in driving distance which shows that we still have PGA Tour events won by skill, not distance.

 

BTW, at 7140 yards this course is kicking butt. The leader is five under after three days. Once again showing that courses do NOT need to be lengthened to be challenging.

 

[babyfade]

I thought it's already Innisbrook, when I saw Luke on the board.

[Hawkeye77]

I'm trying to think of a Sunday at The Open when the leaderboard had 3/4 at the top from England!

[Medson]

Just some really good golfers at the top. Very happy to see Donald and Westwood compete. I don’t think either of them will win though.

[Christosterone]

Can we talk about the actual British Invasion for a moment...

 

Paul McCartney is the single most underrated song writer to have ever lived...and it’s not even close...

 

[Hawkeye77]

Not by me!

[Titleist99]

The last five or six tournaments on the PGATOUR Kills the theory that:

#1....A golf course has to be 8000 yards to challenge the modern day tour player.

#2....At 7000-7100 yards our golf courses are far from obsolete with a little thought in setup and design.

#3....With a little more rough....nobody breaks Par. LOL!

#4....You do not have to drive it 300+ to compete on the PGATOUR.

#5....A rollback is needed. The debate is downright silly and a waste of time.

*fEEL FREE TO ADD TO THE LIST.

~just my opinion.

[Titleist99]

Did two touring pros just hit two shots in the middle of the lake from the middle of the fairway?

~just my opinion.

[Singapore Joe]

The course may be short but the mobile lake technology makes it far from obsolete. Experiments are going on with the Someone Else's Green technology which makes greens hard enough to generate their own S.E.P. fields so the players don't actually see them when hitting the ball.

[MattyO1984]

The invasion was definitely repelled!! Disappointed for Tommy F, it would have been good for him to get a win in the States. Azinger was going in pretty hard on the Euro Tour and whilst I have no doubt that some of it was based on dismissive ignorance of anything outwith the 50 States, he was in part correct. Fleetwood winning this would have been a big deal.

[Superbrit]

I seen Poulter having a dig back at Azinger about the Euro tour, what did he say about it?

[Lancj1]

Frog Chorus. Mull of Kyntire. Anything by wings. Nah, he wasn't even the best songwriter in the Beatles.

[Lancj1]

Im not sure why my fellow Brits are upset about Azinger being dismissive about the European Tour. Whilst its very well organized and competitive, there is no doubt that its a stepping stone for many. There are a handful of good events but many are played on wide open new courses in far flung places with absolutely no crowds but no doubt ample sponsorship. Check out the leaderboard for yesterdays Oman tournament and see how many names you recognise. If Rory, Reed, Fleetwood etc play three or four times in Europe each year they are rights at the top of the Race to Dubai because the fields are that thin. Now, the top european golfers are just as good as the US and International Golfers, but to say the Tour is as deep or has equal quality is being over defensive. Poults used the Ryder cup as evidence the tours are equal, but we all know where the stalwarts of the team (Poults included) ply their trade.

 

[hammersia]

Ah, Wings. The band the Beatles could have been.

[Jimjam651]

I think in principle we can all accept that the PGA tour is the stronger tour - stating that isn't a problem, it was the tone Azinger took. It wasn't pleasant and not the sort of behaviour we want to see developing between the two tours

[3jacker]

Westwood isn't short-hitting. 24th in distance averaging 300 last week on a very unfriendly course.

He's not a bomber out there, but he is longer than many 20 yrs younger.

Donald, yeah, he's a short hitter. But with a pretty swing.

[Smada962]

Although his tone could have been better, I think the Euro's are just being way too sensitive. As usual.

[Jimjam651]

Fair enough, that's your opinion. I don't agree that it's 'Europeans being way too sensitive as usual' though, it's easy to make offensive generalisations, we're better than that on this forum

[Smada962]

Is it really that offensive though? I think that's the point I'm making, people (of all backgrounds) get way too bent out of shape about some words. It's not like I was using slurs or calling anyone names and neither was Azinger. I just saying they tend to be overly sensitive to any potential criticism.

[bscinstnct]

Ahhh, little cross Atlantic drama brewin..

Ian Poulter hits back at Paul Azinger over European Tour comments

 

Zinger,

 

"During commentary Azinger, who also won the PGA Championship in 1993, said: “There is a lot of pressure here [on Fleetwood]. You know you are trying to prove to everybody you’ve got what it takes. These guys know, you can win all you want on the European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour."

 

Poulter and Euros,

 

"Poulter wrote on Twitter: “I like @PaulAzinger a lot. And get on with him great. But Paul please do not condescend or disrespect the @EuropeanTour and our players like that.

‘We have slapped your arse in Ryder Cup for so long. I know you captained a win but seriously that was embarrassing today.”

 

The Spanish golfer Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño said: “Is that the same Azinger who last year called Molinari’s putt at Bay Hill’s 18th ‘the most important putt of his career’ months after he just won the Open?”

 

Francesco Molinari’s caddy, Mark Fulcher, added: “Not @TommyFleetwood1’s day. But as ever, a class reaction. Please take notice Mr Azinger. Better times ahead for this ‘non pga tour winner’. Humble pie soon with extra custard.”

[Jimjam651]

If you mean do I take offence to it personally then of course not, but to describe a whole group of people as over sensitive when the overwhelming attitude from the Europeans would appear to be no more than 'we expect a bit better from Azinger really' seems a bit over the top. In my mind, highlighting that someone's comments have been disrespectful, especially when talking in a professional capacity, isn't being over sensitive.

 

 

 

[3jacker]

Zinger has always been overly jingoistic and typical of our worst types when it comes to appreciation and respect for other cultures/countries.

Makes for good TV.

[Roadking2003]

“There is a lot of pressure here [on Fleetwood]. You know you are trying to prove to everybody you’ve got what it takes. These guys know, you can win all you want on the European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour."

 

I''m not sure what all the fuss is about. Azinger is spot on. The PGA Tour is the pinnicle of pro golf and everybody knows that.

 

There is NOTHING offensive about Azingers comment.

[Darth Putter]

first place point values of Tommy's 5 Euro Tour wins

2018 Abu Dhabi 52

2017 Abu Dhabi 50

2017 French Open 46

2019 Nedbank 36 (a Euro Tour Playoff LOL)

2013 Johnny Walker in Scotland 24

 

Pretty good. The 2020 Honda would have been a 46, so he's got 3 wins as good as that.

[Hawkeye77]

LOL, plenty of songs from both Paul and John to cherry pick - easy to do with such a prolific duo.

Given their work during most of the Beatles' run was truly collaborative, no point getting into an argument about the Beatles.

Afterward . . . . not worth the argument - it's music, no "write" or wrong.

Singular talents in the history of popular music.

[DavePelz4]

I gave you a like for the use of the word whilst.

[Caddykev]

Rory basically said the same exact thing a while back when he declared that he was playing full time over here and dropping his Euro membership, which he didn’t at the end of the day.

[MattyO1984]

Anyone else thinking that this was Azinger simply trying to please the masters from up on high at PGA Tour HQ? As we know the Tour is like communist Russia when it comes to publicity. Big up the Tour, don’t mention anything bad and knock everything else down. Was this Azinger towing the party line? Probably. I don’t know if anyone caught the NLU podcast with him on it a couple of weeks ago but in that he came across as more DJ than Ogilvy in the thinking department.

[stixman]

Nothing to see here folks. Azinger's not exactly being counter-cultural or anything similarly rash. He's being paid to reflect and reinforce the attitudes and values of his audience.

 

[Hawkeye77]

And some of these ideas assume he’s thinking about what he says. ;-)