Review
My worst ever season on the PGA Tour has come to an end. Unfortunately it ended a couple of days too early as I missed another cut. Whilst my putting held me back again, I played some nice stuff over the two days. Not quite as well as I did the previous week at the PGA, but similarly I was down around 145th in the Strokes Gained putting statistic.
I put a lot of time into my putting last week, including over the weekend. I know that one thing that will turn it around is more time putting on the practice green. It is quite frustrating as my long game is in good shape now and if I had putted half decent over the last two weeks I would have had a couple of solid tournaments. The bad shots that I hit both weeks actually came about because I wasn’t holing putts and so was under pressure to try and hit great shots. When the putts are going in, average shots are good enough. What a frustrating game this is!
I stayed around and practiced over the weekend and followed the PGA Tour app to see how Seamus Power was getting on. It was a roller coaster ride all weekend for him – he was inside the top-125 cut off for the Play Offs one minute, then out the next. I’m delighted for him that he finished inside the 125 as it makes next season much easier as he can pick and choose where he wants to play. For me, I will use my all time Career Money exemption next year, which eases the disappointment of my season a little bit. It was disappointment for Shane and Graeme too, as they both ended losing their cards as well.
My PGA Tour season is over but I have a long way to go before my European Tour season is finished. I have to put the disappointment of my year to date behind me and get back at it in Europe, so I’m off to the Czech Masters this week. After the last two weeks putting display I must have a huge store of good putts waiting to come out!
Talk soon,
Padrag.
Latest
Disappointment for Padraig as he fails to make the cut at the Wyndham Champinship. Five bogies on the day caused the damage as he recorded a three over par round of 73 to end his season on the PGA Tour. He will now have to rely on a one year all time money winner exemption to play on Tour next year. He next tees it up on the European Tour at the Czech Masters next week.
Padraig shoots an opening round of one under par 69 at the Wyndham Championship. He got off to a bogie start on both nines but three very short birdie putts rescued the round. He lies in tied 73rd place and tees off early Friday at 7.50am. He will be hoping for a bit of the history that was made Thursday with Brandt Snedeker joining a very small and elite group of Tour players to shoot the magical 59 in a PGA tournament! Food for thought, Brandt started with a bogie five from a snap duck hook three wood into the trees on his first hole!
Padraig plays this week at the Wyndham Championship which is the season ending event before the Fed Ex Cup playoffs. The course at Sedgefield is one of the easiest on tour with a scoring average of 68 last year. This will be a roller coaster ride for some players trying to earn their cards for next year and that will include two Irish players, Shane Lowry and Seamus Power. Henrik Stenson is your defending champion. Padraig tees off in the opening round, Thursday, at 12.50pm local time with Peter Malnati and Nick Watney!
Preview
This is the last week of the regular season on the PGA tour and we are in Greensboro, North Carolina for the Wyndham Championship. I’m coming into this week in my worst ever position on the Fed Ex Cup of 220th, which means that for me to progress to the Play-offs there is only one scenario, a win.
I’ve played here a number of times, generally trying to get into the Play-offs or to improve my position, but in all the years coming here I haven’t had much success on the course. I have found it quite tough as it is very much a fairways and greens course, something that my game hasn’t been suited to. I’m coming into this week in theory with no form as my Fed Ex ranking suggests, however I am feeling good about my game and the best I have felt for a long time. Even though I missed the cut last week it wasn’t my long game that let me down, as I played very well from tee to green, but I putted terribly. With this in mind I have spent most of my time on the practice green hitting putts and working on some drills.
I’ve played 29 holes in practice this week and I am very happy with how I have struck the ball. The good signs I saw last week have continued and if I can hole a few putts then I feel I can get myself into the business end of the tournament.
The course hasn’t changed over the years and, as usual, is in good condition. As I mentioned, the key to playing well here is to hit fairways and greens, especially as its impossible to control the ball coming out of the rough. There is also a lot of out of bounds, in fact nearly every hole has OB on it, so with all these factors it is definitely better to be more conservative from the tee.
I’m looking forward to getting out and competing. After missing the cut last week I am itching to get going especially after hitting the ball so well. I?m out late on Thursday and early on Friday with Peter Malinati and Nick Watney.
Talk soon,
Padraig.