The calendar says that it is now officially fall; and though the weather is beginning to cool down, the golf is as hot as ever.
Though the 2013 PGA TOUR concluded this past weekend, the 2013-14 season is just a few weeks away. The Web.com Tour Championship this coming weekend will help determine who will be fulltime participants on the PGA TOUR next year and who will be seeking their 2014-15 cards on the Web.com Tour. The LPGA is on sabbatical, but will return Oct. 3 at the Reignwood LPGA Classic in Beijing. And a little thing called the Presidents Cup also tees off Oct. 3.
It’s just a great time of the year for a little golf. Let’s get started.
Hole #1: Who Will Muirfield Favor?
It is Jason Day’s home club these days (a fact that Golfweek fails to mention), but it lies on American soil and many international players have struggled there. So who will fair best at Muirfield? The Presidents Cup is just a little over a week away! [Link]
Hole #2: U.S.A! U.S.A!
If you just can’t get enough of national team golf competitions, then you probably already know that the U.S. retained the PGA Cup despite a furious Sunday charge by the GB&I squad. [Link]
Hole #3: Is the U.S. to Blame?
Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood have each had a sub-par year (particularly McIlroy) since moving to the United States (Florida, specifically) and playing the PGA TOUR full time. Is it just a coincidence or is their something more insidious at work? [Link]
Hole #4: That Other Tour Championship
The Web.com Tour Championship starts Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, and arguably promises more drama than the PGA’s TOUR Championship. While the money up for grab is not even close to that offered in Atlanta (the winner takes home $180,000), players are really vying for their futures. [Link]
Hole #5: Wiebe Gets Second Win of the Year
Mark Wiebe defeated Corey Pavin on the second playoff hole to claim the Pacific Links Hawai’i Championship. Champions Tour rookie Vijay Singh finished three back. [Link]
Hole #6: Tiger Finishes T22 and Second
Despite shooting even par for the championship, 13 shots behind Stenson, Woods finished 2nd in the FedExCup and won $3 million for his efforts. (To tell the truth, we wouldn’t really mind finishing 125 and taking home $70,000 for losing.) Stricker, Scott, and Zach Johnson round out the top five in the final standings and each pocket $1 million or more for their efforts. [Link]
Hole #7: A First Pitch to Remember
Holly Sonders “threw” out the first pitch at last Monday’s Tampa Bay Rays game, and she did it in an apropos fashion… with a golf club. That’s cool and all, but just what the heck is the mascot supposed to be? [Link]
Hole #8: Thank You, Good Night!
The TOUR Championship officially closed the 2013 PGA TOUR Season. But fear not! The 2013-2014 schedule begins Oct. 7 with the Frys.com Open. [Link]
Hole #9: Stenson Holds Off Young Guy, Old Guy
At 27, Henrik Stenson (who shot 2-under 68 in the final round of the TOUR Championship) is closer in age to 20-year-old Jordan Spieth (who shot a 6-under 64) than to 46-year-old Steve Stricker (who closed with a five-under 65). But at 13-under he still beat them both by three strokes to claim the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup, not to mention a combined payday of $11.44 million. Last week, HtL noted that he broke his driver, purposely, during the BMW Championship. At Atlanta, he hit driver on a few occasions, but it was the 3-wood that he relied on most. [Link]