2010 Farmers Insurance Open

[Shindig]

As I type this, Tom Pernice Jr. is in the clubhouse with a 66, one shot behind Ben Crane, and one shot better than anything he's posted thus far on the Champions Tour. Ryuji Imada is also at 7 under with Crane, although he's got a few holes to play to improve that.

You might remember Imada as the man who won the B-Flight at Torrey Pines in 2008 (non-U.S. Open edition), and who, along with a tree and a pond, kept Kenny Perry from a fourth victory in 2008. When ESPN had the best-ball fantasy golf, he was a regular on my team.

Other notables on the board include Rocco Mediate and J.P. Hayes at 3 under 69.

[Chilli Dipper]

If this leaderboard looks a little off to you, that's because it is. Remember: players play a round at Torrey Pines' North Course before the cut is made, which is much, much easier than the South. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to get a clearer impression of who's doing well. No offense to any of the players who scored low on the North today, but a lot of them will card a round ten strokes worse on Friday.

For what it's worth, the leaders among players who played the South today are:
Robert Allenby, -5
Marc Leishman , -4
Ryan Palmer, -4
Pat Perez , -3
Michael Connell, -3
George McNeill, -3

[Chas]

Well said Chilli. Try playing the North and the South on consecutive days - you'll notice more than a bit of a difference, both physically and mentally. You've got to be pretty fit to walk the South without fading badly at the end IME.

Robert Allenby is a bit of a standout after the first day IMO. Shot a 67 on the South (highest scorer on that track as posted above) - 5 birdies and nuthin' but pars. Remarkably steady. After his recent performances elsewhere that guy has got to be feeling good about his game. Let's see if he can keep it going, I'm wishing him well myself. Ernie looks respectable on the S (70) while JD appears to be tanking.

[iammpspeer]

It didn't look like anyone in the fantasy league posted too amazing of a score based on all the random's at the top of the Leaderboard after round 1. I came out with only 24 points

[Chilli Dipper]

CBS put up a graphic noting that Ben Crane had made 94 feet worth of putts on his final round—just as he drained a 50-footer for birdie at the 11th. That's why he's three shots ahead of the field, well on his way to his third career victory.

[Zeph]

Though he had some nervous putts in the end, his putting was definitely what made him win. He didn't play all that good, but made some good putts. Nobody in the field relly made a run for him either, he took the lead early on and nobody caught up again. If Imada played to par, he would be at -13 too.

[topspin4hand]

Michael Sim detailing his thinking on the 18th:

MICHAEL SIM: Yeah, I hit a perfect drive down there the left side, had 224 meters front (246 yds), and for me that's really stretching a 3-wood, so I decided to lay up to a nice yardage. I looked for 80 meters and I hit it to 82, so it was a perfect, perfect number and hit a perfect shot, probably threw it past the hole maybe eight yards and just kept spinning back and it eventually went off the front of the green. It would have been nice to have a putt at it for birdie to get to 13, but it wasn't the case. So yeah.

This is one decision that makes me respect Mickelson even more. I watched TGC's "Phil's Top 10 Daring Decisions" today as well.

[shaun]

Michael Sim detailing his thinking on the 18th:

Huh? If you're suggesting that Sim's decision to lay up was a poor one by comparing his result with the "daring" successes (cough) of Mickelson, I think we'll have to disagree. Sim himself said that he would've had to stretch his three wood to hit the green with his second shot; so, rather than play his next shot from on top of a marquee (cough ... US Open ... cough ... 2006), he backed himself to hit it close with a wedge -- a pretty good play, I reckon. So, the decision didn't come off -- that happens in golf -- but it's hard to fault his thinking.

[Chilli Dipper]

I think Sim was being overly modest about his ability to reach the 18th green; if anything, a full 3-wood could have flown the green from there.

My suspicion is that Sim didn't have the right club for the shot. He still carries a 2-iron in his bag, and he wouldn't have had the trajectory to clear the water; with a 1-or-2-hybrid or a 5-wood, he may have been able to get the ball in the air enough to go for the green and take the water out of play. There's a reason why Tiger rarely plays with a 2-iron anymore, despite his mastery of it: it doesn't provide an option for situations like that one.

[B Keller]

Huh? If you're suggesting that Sim's decision to lay up was a poor one by comparing his result with the "daring" successes (cough) of Mickelson, I think we'll have to disagree. Sim himself said that he would've had to stretch his three wood to hit the green with his second shot; so, rather than play his next shot from on top of a marquee (cough ... US Open ... cough ... 2006), he backed himself to hit it close with a wedge -- a pretty good play, I reckon. So, the decision didn't come off -- that happens in golf -- but it's hard to fault his thinking.

I agree with you, but most people don't look at whether the decision was right, but the result of the decision.

Since 3W was a stretch, if he would have pulled our driver and hit it off the deck, ricochet off the stands, and rolled it to 2 feet, everyone would be marveling at the skill and daring...but it would have been the exact wrong decision. He made the right decision and was punished for it....that's sports, er, life.

[Zeph]

It's a risk-reward situation. The reward can be winning the tournament, or at least getting a play-off. The risk being to drop a shot or two and drop a couple of places on the leaderboard.

[topspin4hand]

Huh? If you're suggesting that Sim's decision to lay up was a poor one by comparing his result with the "daring" successes (cough) of Mickelson, I think we'll have to disagree.

I'm not saying that (Sim's decision) all. What I am saying is that I got yet another data point on why I respect those who'd take the riskier (albeit less wise) option in the same predicament.