golfweloveit

Jimmy Walker reflects on PGA Championship win
Ewan Murray at Baltusrol
Jimmy Walker’s passion is astrophotography. It is unclear at which point he reckoned that, if taking pictures of the stars, he might as well shoot for them.

The sequence of first-time major winners continues. On a balmy Baltusrol evening, in concluding a tournament that had threatened to rumble into another week, Walker lifted the Wanamaker Trophy. This year’s four prime events have each had a player break his major duck.

Walker is the 98th US PGA champion, the reward for scores of 65, 66, 68 and 67 for a 14-under-par total. Walker’s margin of victory from Jason Day was one but, in truth, the outcome never looked in much doubt. That is until the very last hole of the tournament, when Walker carved a fairway wood into thick rough and had to scramble for par.

Perhaps his story is the most poetic of 2016. Three years ago, when 34, Walker claimed his first PGA Tour title. The trigger was sufficient for him to win twice in 2014 and the same number of times in 2015. From journeyman professional he went to top-50 in the world and, now, major holder.
Three moments were to define this tournament. Ultimately and thankfully, with luck playing a part, the forecast brutal weather did not.

When holding a one-stroke lead on the 10th, courtesy of nine straight pars, Walker made his first error by finding a greenside bunker. He was to hole out from there. The 37-year-old did likewise from 30ft at the 11th. On the 17th Walker nervelessly converted an 8ft putt seconds after Day had played a 254yd approach to the hole in front to eagle range. Only a Walker stumble would hand the trophy away from there.

Walker’s A-game might not be up there with the best in this sport but it is clearly sufficient when others fall short. It is testimony to Day that he pushed Walker as far as was the case, with the world No1 obviously performing at around 70%.

Day made that eagle on the 18th to leave Walker needing his par to win. Day had been two over par after three holes but battled back manfully before ultimately falling short in this title defence. Daniel Summerhays claimed third and a Masters berth at 10 under, one ahead of Branden Grace, Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka.

Henrik Stenson had produced seven major rounds in the 60s before choosing the wrong time to post a 71. Stenson shared seventh with Robert Streb and Martin Kaymer.

Jimmy Walker wins 2016 US PGA Championship – as it happened!
Hole-by-hole report: Jimmy Walker has claimed his first major title after holding off the challenge of Jason Day on a marathon final day at Baltusrol. Scott Murray was watching

Two Englishmen, Tyrrell Hatton and Paul Casey, sneaked into the top 10. Hatton, who shared fifth at the Open, closed with a 68 with Casey’s round four coming in at one shot better. Andrew “Beef” Johnston’s legend is such that one half expected him to conduct a chorus of Knees Up Mother Brown while topless on the 72nd green but the lower-key Hatton continues to suggest he may be the one to watch on grounds of talent. With every decent Casey finish, his refusal to make himself part of the Ryder Cup equation resonates more. Not that this will bother the man himself in the slightest.

The PGA of America had taken highly rare, but not unique, steps to ensure a Sunday finish. Lift, clean and place was controversially permitted the day after the tournament director, Kerry Haigh, labelled such a move as “highly unlikely” with round four played partly in tandem with the penultimate 18 holes.

The preferred lies option meant any returned score of 62 would not have counted as a major record but there was support from Phil Mickelson.

“I think it was a great call,” said Mickelson after signing off with a 68. “There’s so much element of luck involved if you don’t do that because of the amount of mud that will get on the ball as well as the inability to finish the round because of not being able to take full relief from the fairway. There were some spots where the only relief would end up being in the rough.

“I know it’s not ideal. Unfortunately it’s been the case this week because on the weekend this golf course was set up to be perfect for a major championship. The rain came and just softened the course.”

Padraig Harrington earned his finest major finish since 2012, tied 13th, after a closing round of 68. Perhaps the Irishman has had his competitive fires relit by imminent Olympic involvement. When asked about the prospect of another team playing appearance, at the Ryder Cup, the 44-year-old scoffed.

“I’m a little late in the game for that,” said Harrington, who has been named as a vice-captain to Darren Clarke. “No, I don’t see it happening. I’m happy in the role I’m in. If I start winning things, maybe that changes but at the moment it’s not really on my radar.”

It is for Walker. The road from 2013 has been paved with gold.

https://soundcloud.com/user-96678684/episode-39-pga-championship-preview

He called it “the most difficult decision of his life”. Jordan Spieth cited health reasons as the overriding factor for his withdrawal from the United States golf team for the Rio Olympics. He said he made the decision for himself and those around him and for his future. Coca Cola, who signed Spieth to a sponsorship contract in January, will now use a golfer’s silhouette instead of his image on their products during the Games.

With the Games opening on August 5th the tally of golfers who have withdrawn from the Games now reaches 20. Apart from fears over the spread of zika virus, security issues are also high on the list. Golfers fear there will be inadequate police protection. News from Reuters within the past hour says that a terrorist cell of 10 people have been arrested in Brazil over fears of a possible incident at the Games.

So the golfers who will not be representing their countries at Rio are: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama, Charl Schwartzel, Marc Leishman, KT Kim, Graeme McDowel, Hideto Tanahara, Victor Dubisson, Matt Jones, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Vijay Singh, Brendon De Jonge, Angelo Que, Tim Wilkinson.

New Open Champion Henrik Stenson will be representing Sweden at the Olympic Games. He says “it will be an experience of a lifetime. If I compete well then I will be happy and so will my country”.

The BBC TV highlights programme on Sunday evening was watched by 1.5m, a considerably higher number than the audience of 1.1m who had watched the live coverage of the final round on Sky Sports during the Sunday  afternoon. These figures compare with 4.7m who watched the final round from St Andrews in 2015 (played on a Monday) and 5.5m who watched Rory McIlroy triumph at Royal Liverpool in 2014, both, of course, broadcast free-to-air by the BBC.

The viewing numbers are down but the quality of the golf played by Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson was inspiring and is already being described as classic, recalling the ‘duel in the sun’ played by Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry in 1977. In fact Nicklaus has written on Facebook, “Our round was really good, but this was better.” Few would argue with Jack!

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https://soundcloud.com/user-92058548/henrik-stenson-open-2016-winning-press-conference

He talks a bit like a hippy and his distinctive hair which earned him the nickname Beef is something unique. Andrew Johnston could only be an Aquarian. His embracing of the golfing public, and them of him has been a breath of fresh air. It is so genuine and natural and never cultivated for show. When asked about this new popularity he answered “I love it man. I just want them to enjoy it all and leave saying “what a great day I’ve had. That’s what it’s all about, giving back”.

He’s also absolutely brilliant on television, a natural performer. Hope we see more of him on TV.

I once asked Phil Mickelson how he had applied his psychology studies to his job as a professional golfer. He graduated from Arizona State University with a psychology degree. He replied that the key element was using visualisation.

During the beautiful first round that he played at Royal Troon on Thursday before almost every shot he appeared to be taking his time to see the ball fly and its run. He played some exquisite shots, but also scrambled and scored brilliantly. However I was a bit disappointed to hear during his press conference that he didnt seem to appreciate the wonder of that 63  because he wanted the elusive, never before achieved in a major 62. Indeed the strength of his emotion about this was revealing. “I could shed a tear, I want to cry, I wanted my own little piece of history. It’s heartbreaking”.

While this shows the level of intensity that he plays with, the burning desire, his reply to the next question was again surprising. “What had caused the putt on the 18th green to lip out?”

“It should have gone in” he said “reason it didnt is the curse”

Really? Had he perhaps read my article about fate (see November 2015). Did he believe in the golfing gods, in fate? he was asked.

“I didnt before” Mickelson replied “but I do now”

Well, interesting that that’s what he’s thinking about as he approaches the final round. Indeed with him identifying in last night’s rather terse TV interview that he was struggling with his rhythm even though the swing was on plane and he needed to get back out onto the range to work something out with coach Andrew Getson indicated that he had a lot buzzing around in his mind. He was also tetchy during the second and third rounds telling a cameraman to “get out of my personal space” and an expletive was heard when the gallery didnt get out of the way in time.

If anyone can cope with a busy mind it is Mickelson, who enjoys mental stimulation so much that he and caddie Bones talk incessently through a round and have debates and stewards enquiries about many shots, because he thrives on the drama.

But last night he did look mentally exhausted after drawing on all of his creativity and ingenuity to street fight his way round the course. Today, if the rhythm of his swing has been found on the range, I believe he will come out with a calmer, quieter mind, and the championship will be his for the taking. But if not, Henrik Stenson will prove difficult for him to play alongside. Stenson can be a cold and hard competitor, brilliantly so, which is why he is held in such high esteem in Europe. He is a match for any American. Just one thing he said in interview seemed to be his detriment, that he wasn’t thinking about the outcome. I believe he should be thinking about it now, and visualising lifting the claret jug. It’s what Nick Faldo used to do. Visualise his name at the top of the scoreboard, his winning press comfernce, the drop of the winning putt, the scenes on the final green – and he sent that out into the universe. Stenson should be doing this too. He has the mental strength to win, he just needs to send out those good vibrations.

For those not in the know Pokemon Go is a smartphone game played by an app that has quickly become a global phenomenon. Virtual characters appear through the app and are caught and collected by confronting and capturing them.

For those in the know journalists have been going around Royal Troon this week and collecting the icons.

Ghastly and Magnemite were found outside the Marine Hotel, Magikarp and Rattata were found in the galleries. Goldeen was lurking by the 17 green and Artucuno by the Railway Hole. Best capture, above, was the rare bird Moltres who was flying above the Postage Stamp short 8th hole.

Well it was a long day. There’s only so much golf you can watch.

So I am looking at a map of Leicester to find out the location of a music festival. And suddenly the town of Thurmaston catches my eye. Their town planners are completely golf mad.

Not only is there a Troon Way and a Gleneagles Avenue but a Trevino Drive, a Jacklin Drive, Nicklaus Road, Nagle Grove, Thomson Close, Coles Close, Huggett Close and Faldo Close.

So if Australians and Americans get a road, where is the Ballesteros Road, Watson Way, Woods Avenue?

Come on Leicester City Council, you need more golf roads.