Early Season Disappointments

[email protected] · February 13, 2007

After Phil Mickelson missed the cut at The FBR Open, I was ready to write his season off. Lefty bounced back this past weekend at Pebble Beach and proved he still has what it takes to seal the deal. He is obviously in better shape physically and mentally, and it was nice to see him win his 30th career PGA Tour event.

Mickelson officially put his name near the top of The FedEx Cup standings and will more than likely be a contender most of the season. After six events, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Lefty have all found the winner's circle. That is great for ratings, and it will keep fans more involved throughout the inagural FedEx Cup season. It's just unfortunate all three won't be in the same field until the Accenture Match Play Championship in two weeks.

I usually don't start watching every week of golf until late February or early March. The FedEx Cup has changed things for me, and I have found myself watching almost every event of the season. I said almost because I can't make it through another Bob Hope Chrysler Classic or Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The pro-am events is one of three PGA Tour disappointments early in 2007. Can you guess the other two?

Pro-Am Frustrations

I've never been a fan of pro-am events during the regular or silly seasons. I enjoy watching the world's best tee it up each week, and Bill Murray doesn't fit in that category. Sure, Murray and other choice celebrities are funny, but there is an arena for that. It's called the movie theater. Last time I checked, the PGA Tour is supposed to be all about golf.

To make things worse, they pick Pebble Beach as one of the pro-am destinations. Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and Poppy Hills are all very solid courses, and it would be nice to see a little more of the courses instead of the celebrities. In fact, viewers get to see very little of Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills throughout the week because the cameras are always following the amateurs at Pebble Beach. It's a shame because Spyglass Hill is one of the best courses in the United States.

Some people may disagree with my thoughts on this subject because the pro-am events bring in a lot of revenue for the PGA Tour and various charities. That's great, but there are other times throughout the year where these types of tournaments can bring in the same amount of money. That's what the silly season is for after The FedEx Cup has been completed. I still wouldn't watch much of the events, but at least they wouldn't take away from the world's best.

I tried to watch some of The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and Pebble Beach Pro-Am over the past few weeks, but I couldn't make it through 30 minutes. I chose not to watch any of the action until the final round where the professionals took over the television time. It's sad to watch an event at Pebble Beach for 30 minutes to an hour and only see two or three golf shots from professionals. Luckily, these two events are now in the rear-view mirror, and it's time to get down to serious business!

Lack of Star Power

None of the fields have been extremely weak so far this season, but they haven't exactly been very strong, either. So far, Tiger Woods has only played in one event, and it looks like he won't be playing again until the Accenture Match Play Championship next week. That is two events in two months from the world's greatest golfer, and that stings a little. It would have been nice to see him play at Kapalua and at the upcoming Nissan Open.

At least Mr. Woods has played one PGA Tour event so far. That's more than I can say for Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Sergio Garcia. All three of these golfers are ranked inside the top 12 in the world rankings, but we haven't seen them play in the United States in 2007. It will be nice to see them all tee it up in the strong-fielded Nissan Open this week, but that doesn't help my early frustrations.

The FedEx Cup was created in order to bring all the world's best together more often, but the fields have been the same as they have been in the past. Els, Goosen, and Garcia are already handicapped as far as the FedEx Cup standings are concerned. Other top guys like Tiger, Vijay, and Lefty already have a nice headstart because they have played at least one PGA Tour event in 2007.

I'm sure the fields will be stronger over the next few months because the World Golf Championship events and major championships will be sprinkled throughout the schedule. However, it would be nice to see some of these International guys make an earlier appearance on the PGA Tour.

Golfer Struggles

I can't write an article about disappointments without mentioning the lackluster performance of a couple individuals. Chad Campbell easily has top-ten talent, but he hasn't put that to good use over the past year or so. Ever since winning the 2006 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and finishing in a tie for third at the 2006 Masters, Campbell has been one of the most underachieving golfers in the world.

There isn't any reason why Campbell shouldn't be winning tournaments at a rapid pace. He started off the season by finishing 13-over par at Kapalua. At the Sony Open the next week, he started things off with a great first-round 66. Things have been downhill since then. Campbell ended up finishing in a tie for 46th at Sony, and he has missed the cut in his last two events. The talent is in place, but this Texan is going nowhere fast.

It's hard to imagine David Duval being on this list of disappointments, but that's where he belongs. Duval has looked so good in numerous opening rounds this season, but he has struggled to make a move on the weekend. He has fired openings rounds of 66 (Bob Hope Chrysler Classic) and 67 (Buick Invitational) early in the season, but he can't seem to break the top 30 for an event.

Duval has made three out of four cuts, and I'm happy to see him playing a little better. Unfortunately for David Duval fans, just making the cut isn't going to get the job done. It's time for him to start making a statement on Saturday and Sunday.

The Final Say

I'm happy that I've given the early-season schedule more attention this season than I have in the past. There are some great events and courses at the beginning of the year, and I've had the chance to focus on those more in 2007. The FedEx Cup has gotten mixed reactions so far, but it has given me more motivation to watch every weekend. The play of Charles Howell III hasn't hurt my viewership any, that's for sure.

Like I mentioned above, the weakest part of the PGA Tour schedule is over, and things are about to get even better. Starting with The Nissan Open, nearly every event for the next few months will have a great field. At least I hope that's how things go. It's still early enough for guys like Els, Goosen, and Garcia to get themselves in the chase for The FedEx Cup, but they will have to play from behind. It's also early enough for Campbell and Duval to get things rolling and make me happy. Let's hope both situations work themselves out for the best.

It's your turn to tell me what you think of this week's article. Do you enjoy watching the pro-am events as much as the regular PGA Tour events? Also, how nice would it be to see all golfers in the top ten make their PGA Tour debuts before late February? Finally, can Chad Campbell perform up to his talent, and can David Duval ever put things together on the weekend? If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum. Thanks for reading this week's Thrash Talk!