Sony Open 2022

[tacklingdummy]

Wow, what a turn of tides in just 9 holes. Henley just needed to go even par on the back 9 to win. He played great for the week, but that has to sting a lot. Hideki was just on fire the back 9. Such a clutch approach shot on the playoff hole. Hideki was definitely the fan favorite in Hawaii. 

[HMHS]

Hideki loves his 3 wood on the 18th LOL.  Today's shot was version 2.0 of Zozo 18th hole.  Closer to the pin, more pressure packed, and with the same results (eg EAGLE!).  I think he's overcome the mental and emotional pressure of winning a Major - now he's just playing for his legacy.  Improved putting obviously helps.  Still missed those gimmies but had the presence to make it up (and some help from Henley today).  

 

WGC Fedex St Jude was a painful playoff loss to Ancer.  Olympics putting wasn't great either.  Masters will continue to be his best win but this week's putting is "godlike" performance and his best in his career, stats wise #GOHideki🇯🇵

[MattyO1984]

Really surprised me that by winning Hideki only just made it into the World Top 10. A Masters and two wins in a 9 month span is good going.

[One Putter]

3 hours ago, tacklingdummy said:

Wow, what a turn of tides in just 9 holes. Henley just needed to go even par on the back 9 to win. He played great for the week, but that has to sting a lot. Hideki was just on fire the back 9. Such a clutch approach shot on the playoff hole. Hideki was definitely the fan favorite in Hawaii. 

Henley was basically an NFL team that went into prevent defense too early and the only thing it prevented was him from winning.

[khalespace]

19 minutes ago, MattyO1984 said:

Really surprised me that by winning Hideki only just made it into the World Top 10. A Masters and two wins in a 9 month span is good going.

Why is Xander number 6?

Edited January 17, 2022 by khalespace

[iBanesto]

 

[braincramp52]

3 hours ago, khalespace said:

Why is Xander number 6?

16 top 10's in a year moves you up the board pretty fast. He's a walking ,talking ATM machine.

[stinger_gc]

6 hours ago, MattyO1984 said:

Really surprised me that by winning Hideki only just made it into the World Top 10. A Masters and two wins in a 9 month span is good going.

Wins are undervalued by the OWGR system. No way Xander should be higher then Hideki. The rankings should be a one year system. 

[mitchnpat1]

how do you not go for the green from the bunker if you're Henley? The guy has absolutely no stones. 

[Holy Moses]

14 minutes ago, mitchnpat1 said:

how do you not go for the green from the bunker if you're Henley? The guy has absolutely no stones. 

281 out of the bunker? Wasn’t happening. His wedge was the worse shot. 

[Paddy_2_Iron]

He can win on the big tracks and on the technical tracks.  Awesome performance the guy is playing himself into a hall of fame career.   If he can muster up 2 more wins this season that’ll be ten total, well on his way to the HOF.    10 before the age of 30.  Wow

Edited January 17, 2022 by Paddy_2_Iron

[Paddy_2_Iron]

Just now, Holy Moses said:

281 out of the bunker? Wasn’t happening. His wedge was the worse shot. 

He flew the green twice that round.  Reminded me of Bryson.

[Paddy_2_Iron]

2 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

16 top 10's in a year moves you up the board pretty fast. He's a walking ,talking ATM machine.

Sounds like Kuchar.  Another top 10 steadily adding to his 53 mil career earnings

[Paddy_2_Iron]

6 hours ago, One Putter said:

Henley was basically an NFL team that went into prevent defense too early and the only thing it prevented was him from winning.

After hole 9 he shut it down.  

[Titleist99]

6 minutes ago, Paddy_2_Iron said:

After hole 9 he shut it down.  

Agreed 100%......and when your tactics is flaw as such, you allow other players to free swing and score at will. IMO

 

Jack and Tiger got away with it at times because they intimidated opponents.....Russell Henley do not provoke fear in anyone.

 

Kudos to Matsuyama..... he still had to hit the shots.

[Ronnie Mundt]

Awesome win/shot by Matsuyama. That thing landed so soft; like he hit an 8 iron.

 

Im not going to say Henley cheated but I was getting really tired of watching the conferences he was having with his caddie out of the rough. Placing a hybrid down behind the ball and tapping the grass over and over then ultimately hitting an iron. Over and over again. It’s within his right, apparently, but something about it irked me.

[Paddy_2_Iron]

4 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

Agreed 100%......and when your tactics is flaw as such, you allow other players to free swing and score at will. IMO

 

Jack and Tiger got away with it at times because they intimidated opponents.....Russell Henley do not provoke fear in anyone.

 

Kudos to Matsuyama..... he still had to hit the shots.

Hes really is trending in a great direction.  If he can keep that putter going for another month or so he could win another tourney soon.   

[bladehunter]

6 hours ago, MattyO1984 said:

Really surprised me that by winning Hideki only just made it into the World Top 10. A Masters and two wins in a 9 month span is good going.

Yea the rankings really are impossible to make sense of. Unless  you’re  a numbers nerd that memorized how many top 10s it takes to balance out a win , and the strength of field contingent that tips the scale for either.   

[bladehunter]

34 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

281 out of the bunker? Wasn’t happening. His wedge was the worse shot. 

Why not hit hybrid ?   He had a great lie.  Way back from the lip 

[woodriff]

6 hours ago, iBanesto said:

 

Thanks for posting. I missed that extra hole. I checked the line scores and wondered what happened to Henley. That’s the best 3w I’ve ever seen. A fade of 277yds. Amazing stuff.

[Holy Moses]

6 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Why not hit hybrid ?   He had a great lie.  Way back from the lip 

Henley isn’t hitting the green out of the bunker from 281 with or without a lip

[mitchnpat1]

38 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

281 out of the bunker? Wasn’t happening. His wedge was the worse shot. 

 

what'd michael scott say that one time? you miss 100% of the shots you don't take

[KBong]

9 hours ago, Supermilo said:

Hideki loves his 3 wood on the 18th LOL.  Today's shot was version 2.0 of Zozo 18th hole.

#GOHideki🇯🇵

[bladehunter]

25 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

Henley isn’t hitting the green out of the bunker from 281 with or without a lip

But a flip lob wedge is miles easier than a sand wedge.  

[chigolfer1]

49 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Yea the rankings really are impossible to make sense of. Unless  you’re  a numbers nerd that memorized how many top 10s it takes to balance out a win , and the strength of field contingent that tips the scale for either.   

 

I mean it's all laid out pretty clearly and straightforward.  Of course you can debate the methodology but it's not a black box.  Strength of field/finish/how recent were the points (for weighting) = total points/events.  

 

Aren't they changing the methodology though this year?

 

http://www.owgr.com/Ranking/PlayerProfile.aspx?playerID=19895

Edited January 17, 2022 by chigolfer1

[bladehunter]

7 minutes ago, chigolfer1 said:

 

I mean it's all laid out pretty clearly and straightforward.  Of course you can debate the methodology but it's not a black box.  Strength of field/finish/how recent were the points (for weighting) = total points/events.  

 

Aren't they changing the methodology though this year?

 

http://www.owgr.com/Ranking/PlayerProfile.aspx?playerID=19895

Right. That’s what I said. If  you believe in metrics. You like it. But it rarely passes the sniff test.  Strength of field is like a self fulfilling prophecy.  It’s based on its own teachings.  So it’s either correct or entirely incorrect.  Meaning ,  is it chicken or egg?  Do the the rankings make the strength of field ? Or the strength of field  make the rankings ?  It has to be the second option.  But. That makes you say “ ok how do you make the strength of field to begin with ?  

[bscinstnct]

7 hours ago, iBanesto said:

 

 

I could do that

 

🤣

 

Holy, on the playoff hole! Clean card 63 and bringing that firepower at the end. 
Tough to beat that. 
 

[ThinkingPlus]

What did Henley hit off the tee on the playoff hole?

[deadsolid...shank]

5 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

What did Henley hit off the tee on the playoff hole?

Fairway wood, I believe it was the same club he used just previously off that tee. 

[ThinkingPlus]

3 minutes ago, deadsolid...shank said:

Fairway wood, I believe it was the same club he used just previously off that tee. 

Well that wasn't the smartest play. If you are laying up short then lay up. I am guessing he thinks he can draw 3W better, but the shot on the 72nd hole was not close to a draw swing.  On the playoff hole, he should've hit hybrid to really lay up or driver to get maximum benefit from a good swing.  Playing 3W again just meant a good shot that finished left of the bunker would still leave a longer approach shot than Hideki where Henley probably loses or another ball in the bunker where once again Henley loses.  Just bad strategy.