The Players Champion
For all of the build-up heading into The Players surrounding the “super groups,” it was a former US Open Champion who was looking to end a 5-year drought that dominated TPC Sawgrass. Webb Simpson’s win, his first since the anchoring ban went into effect, almost seemed like destiny. Until Sunday’s final found, Simpson simply could not miss. Whether it was a 20 foot par putt, holing out from bunkers, or clutch par saves on No. 18, Simpson could not miss. He built an insurmountable 7 shot lead heading into the final round. And as much as NBC and Golf Channel tried to build intrigue when Simpson would slip, the tournament never seemed out of his grasp. The field was just too far away to make a serious threat.
So Simpson’s drought came to an end. He beat the best field in golf and cashes a nearly $2 million winner’s check. And while his win was the focal point after the tournament, there are ripple effects throughout the men’s game which are equally if not more interesting.
New No. 1
Dustin Johnson was the No. 1 player in golf for 64 consecutive weeks. That streak ended on Monday morning.
Ryder Cup Implications
It’s hard to imagine the reigning Players Champion NOT being included on the Ryder Cup. Simpson is currently in the No. 9 spot (with 3 majors and the playoffs yet to go). The top 3 spots held by Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth are locks. So 9 spots are still “up for grabs.” Simpson almost surely grabs one of those spots.
So which Simpson is going to show up to the Ryder Cup? The 2-2-0 player at the 2012 matches? Or the 0-1-1 player? Simpson begged and pleaded his way onto the 2014 team captained by Tom Watson. It proved to be a disasterous selection. 2012 (and 2016 winning captain) Davis Love III praised Simpson as a Ryder Cupper during the Golf Channel coverage of The Players on Friday. Retaining the cup in Paris is going to be a tough chore - and which Webb Simpson shows up to play in France will play a big role in whether the US brings the cup back.
Tiger’s Return
The Tiger Woods comeback tour dominated the golf coverage this weekend. For the Tiger fans out there, there are lots of positives to takeaway:
So Simpson’s drought came to an end. He beat the best field in golf and cashes a nearly $2 million winner’s check. And while his win was the focal point after the tournament, there are ripple effects throughout the men’s game which are equally if not more interesting.
New No. 1
Dustin Johnson was the No. 1 player in golf for 64 consecutive weeks. That streak ended on Monday morning.
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 14, 2018Defending PGA and FedEx Cup Champion Justin Thomas is the new No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Rankings. In all liklihood, Thomas has been the No. 1 player in the game since last August when he captured the PGA and then went on to claim the FedEx Cup. He has also won this year on tour capturing the Honda Classic.
Ryder Cup Implications
It’s hard to imagine the reigning Players Champion NOT being included on the Ryder Cup. Simpson is currently in the No. 9 spot (with 3 majors and the playoffs yet to go). The top 3 spots held by Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth are locks. So 9 spots are still “up for grabs.” Simpson almost surely grabs one of those spots.
So which Simpson is going to show up to the Ryder Cup? The 2-2-0 player at the 2012 matches? Or the 0-1-1 player? Simpson begged and pleaded his way onto the 2014 team captained by Tom Watson. It proved to be a disasterous selection. 2012 (and 2016 winning captain) Davis Love III praised Simpson as a Ryder Cupper during the Golf Channel coverage of The Players on Friday. Retaining the cup in Paris is going to be a tough chore - and which Webb Simpson shows up to play in France will play a big role in whether the US brings the cup back.
Tiger’s Return
The Tiger Woods comeback tour dominated the golf coverage this weekend. For the Tiger fans out there, there are lots of positives to takeaway:
- While tee shots on Thursday and Friday were shaky, Woods seemed to right the ship on Saturday and Sunday.
- Woods was able to get closer to the pins thanks to being in a better position off the tee.
- Woods converted on a number of birdie opportunities going -10 on the weekend.
- At one point on Sunday, Tiger was T-2 — not too bad for a guy who made the cut on the number.
The PGA Tour now heads down for the Texas 2-step in Dallas and Fort Forth. Then it’s off to Ohio for Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament. Then a final stop in Memphis before the FedEx St. Jude Classic becomes a WGC even in 2019.
AND then the US Open returns to Shinnecock for the national championship.
Comments
Post a Comment