Padraig Harrington: That couldn't possibly be my divot. (Getty Images)
A few hundred miles on the rental car and the Hall of Fame ceremonies turn this week’s Niblicks into a nocturnal affair. Hey, it happens. And sometimes the PGA Tour is stuck with an unplanned Monday finish…
Looking back at the weekend, a lot of things got turned upside-down with news of Seve Ballesteros’ quick fade and eventual passing. Not since Payne Stewart’s ghostly death have we seen such raw emotion from the game’s pros. Maybe even longer than that.
Paul Casey’s eyes got puffy and his voice cracked upon learning the Spaniard was living his final days. Fanny Sunesson, caddie for Nick Faldo’s major reign and now working for Henrik Stenson, broke down in tears.
Even Faldo – aloof as a player and now a TV quipster – choked up on Golf Channel airwaves when reminded of a long embrace with Ballesteros at the end of the 1987 Ryder Cup in which Europe triumphed for the first time on U.S. soil.
And that was just at Quail Hollow. The pall cast over the Spanish Open didn’t seem to really leave, even after Thomas Aiken won.
Ballesteros didn’t just amaze with his creativity. To those who knew him more than in passing, there was a bond. Byron Nelson and Sam Snead were gentlemen beyond their playing greatness, but their passing wasn’t met with such emotion.
Checking what else caught our bleary eyes from the weekend …
• Note to wannabe rules heavies: Be absolutely certain of the specifics before sending up a flare. Accused of teeing off from in front of the markers, Padraig Harrington endured an inquiry that sent him back to the 13th tee to figure out which of the 60 or so divots between the markers was his. A side trip to the TV compound wasn’t any help, either.
• Kudos to CBS for activating the microphones on the tee to let everyone eavesdrop on the conversation as everyone went divot-checking. The best line came from Harrington, as they focused on one forward-placed divot: “If that’s where I teed it up, I’m a blind man. There’s no way.”
• Tiger Woods will give his injured knee a go at The Players Championship this week, but the way he went about committing was quite a contrast to the previous week. When he gave up his spot at Quail Hollow, Woods called tournament chief Kym Hougham to apologize and made an announcement on his website. The only statement he made about signing up for The Players came in a singular tweet.
• For those not keeping track, Lucas Glover’s playoff triumph at Quail Hollow was the second PGA Tour win by a former Clemson Tiger in 2011. Wins this year for that more iconic Tiger: Still waiting.
• And if Glover hadn’t prevailed, former Clemson teammate Jonathan Byrd would have picked up his third win in a 17-month span. A week after consensus proclamation that Bubba Watson is the PGA Tour’s hottest player, he has a challenger. Don’t forget Luke Donald, either.
• Speculation was hot Sunday that Lucas Glover would celebrate his victory by shaving off the Grizzly Adams beard he started growing last fall. Not so fast, though – to do that would create a “ghost beard” of white facial skin no longer hidden from the sun. We’ll see what this week’s 90-degree temps at TPC Sawgrass do to the thought process.
• The Nationwide Tour had its second amateur winner, when University of Georgia senior Russell Henley won the Stadion Classic on his home course. Not necessarily a home-cooking weekend for Henley, though – he tied for 16th at last year’s U.S. Open. Must be nice to know you have an exemption waiting for you when you turn pro.
• Davenport’s Erica Popson now has four straight tournament wins, taking medalist honors at last week’s NCAA Women’s West Regional while helping Tennessee move into the national finale later this month. Popson remains No.4 in the women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking.
• The U.S. Open qualifying process is in full swing, with nine first-stage qualifiers scheduled for this week around Florida. Three are in Central Florida – Monday brought one to MetroWest, with others set for Thursday at Disney’s Magnolia course and Lake Wales CC. Seven more take place in the state next week.
• Looking ahead: The Players Championship takes the spotlight for itself, with the LPGA, Champions and Nationwide tours taking the week off. The European Tour has the Iberdrola Open, though most of its top names will be at TPC Sawgrass. On Wednesday, Ballesteros will be laid to rest in his native Spain.
