Tommy Gainey - Proving the nay sayers wrong..

[Clubswinger21]

I've been following this guys progress since I saw him play on the Big Break 3. I knew this guy had the tools to make it on the PGA tour since then. There was a thread about Big Breakers not being able to make it on tour. Its funny, I remember defending Tommy Gainey, and Ashley Prang. Saying they were both on the verge of stardom on the PGA and LPGA tours respectively. While everyone else here pretty much laughed at the idea a big breaker could make it on tour.

Well this is Tommy Gainey's 2nd pga golf event. I think it was Wachovia where he monday qualified and narrowly missed the cut shooting 72 78? Now he's playing his 1st nationwide tour event. He is one off the lead at -10 and has a very good chance at gaining permanant status on the Nationwide tour. And we all know how it goes from there. 2 more wins this year and he can squeeze in his PGA tour card for next year. It must be an exciting time for him, knowing he's had all the shots for so long. With that comes sponsors knocking down your door with gigantic checks, star treatment, and much deserved recognition.

Congrats

[MGP]

Well every company that makes golf gloves will certainly want to sponsor him.

[lamebums]

Yeah, that's what I thought. He would certainly keep his golf glove manufacturer in business. I tried the two-glove thing...didn't work out very well. (I actually lost my right glove...)

But, yeah, it's good to see this happening, especially with all the naysayers.

[Shindig]

But, yeah, it's good to see this happening, especially with all the naysayers.

Now I need an inspiration story of someone who started golf after his (or her) teenage years and was a successful touring pro at some level. I doubt I'll be that story, since there's speculation among my friends as to whether my 24th birthday or my first double-digit score will come first. That and having a non-golf career in process.

But yeah, it's cool to see a Big Breaker succeed, even if I've never seen the show.

[GoingfortheGreen]

There was a thread about Big Breakers not being able to make it on tour.

Guilty as charged; I am about to eat a

large slice of humble pie

[Clubswinger21]

To correct myself it was the BB 4 he was on (long time ago) It just prove's how much undiscovered talent there is around the world, people not playing college golf have it rough trying to make it on tour.

He's unconventional to say the least, baseball swing, 2 gloves, he's using a regular stiff aldila nv shaft in his woods?! which is nuts. Even I hated that whippyness in that shaft. As far as sponsor's go he's still using Callaway x-14 pro's. So I dont think he has one yet. Whatever works I guess?

[Klew]

He's about to tee it up at the 18th and 1 birdie short of the top 25 to qualify for next week's Nationwide event. I'll be pulling for him...

[titleistguy]

well espn's website says gainey finished T29 with a final round 77. Still thought he did a good job this week as well as at Wachovia, he just needs to play a little more consistently. Struggling to make the tour still beats most regular day jobs though!

[Clubswinger21]

well espn's website says gainey finished T29 with a final round 77. Still thought he did a good job this week as well as at Wachovia, he just needs to play a little more consistently. Struggling to make the tour still beats most regular day jobs though!

He's never been one back in the final round of an event this big. Maybe he got caught up in trying to make a number instead of just playing his game. Pretty disappointing to miss getting a top 25 exemption by 4 spots but he'll be back.

[iacas]

He's never been one back in the final round of an event this big. Maybe he got caught up in trying to make a number instead of just playing his game. Pretty disappointing to miss getting a top 25 exemption by 4 spots but he'll be back.

I don't know that. This and the Wachovia thing may have been his peak. It may be downhill from here.

I've seen a lot of Nationwide Tour guys, and the bad ones are pretty bad.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

I've been following this guys progress since I saw him play on the Big Break 3. I knew this guy had the tools to make it on the PGA tour since then. There was a thread about Big Breakers not being able to make it on tour. Its funny, I remember defending Tommy Gainey, and Ashley Prang. Saying they were both on the verge of stardom on the PGA and LPGA tours respectively. While everyone else here pretty much laughed at the idea a big breaker could make it on tour.

As of today, Ashley Prange has not "made it" on the LPGA Tour and Tommy Gainey has not "made it" on the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour. At this point any naysayers out there have not been proven wrong. Not sure why I'm defending the naysayers, because I haven't made any predictions one way or the other and I would be happy to see either of them cash in on some success.

[TarDawg]

I tell you what. If he could hit the ball from 100 yards in consistantly then he would definately be in contention. His putting wasn't bad. Watching him leave it short so many times sunday I believe was definately nerves. He just needs to work on that 1/2 to 3/4 swing for those sub 100yd shots. Other than that you got to love the fact that he will rare back and explode through the ball no matter what.

[Guest]

It was a pretty good week for Big Breakers. Both Sarah Lynn Sargent and Kristy McPherson placed in the top 40 at LPGA's Sybase Classic.

[Clubswinger21]

I don't know that. This and the Wachovia thing may have been his peak. It may be downhill from here.

You actually believe that? This guy is a player. He's won numerous non-pga tour tournaments. He monday qualified for a PGA tour event. He's solo 2nd heading into a final round on whats arguably the 2nd best tour in the world.. has one bad final round and he's done? Thats more than you can say for some PGA tour players, who cant even put 4 rounds together.

Anyways when he wins the BB he'll have another exemption. Buddies just not some guy who had a few good days, he's been turning heads behind the scenes for the past couple years. He doesnt need to change his game or work on anything, he just didnt play well on Sunday period. And QQ, he has now missed a cut by 1 shot on a very tough golf course on the PGA tour, and just about gained his NWT card in his 1st NWT event. I think thats enough proof that a BB can compete at this level. As for Ashley, I believe she will be gaining her card after leading the Futures tour money list for most of last year. Time will tell, and I do believe they will both win on the tours respectively.

[iacas]

You actually believe that?

Believe what, specifically? That he may have peaked? Of course I believe he MAY have peaked. Tiger MAY have peaked in 2001. You never really know.

This guy is a player.

Not yet. Not by any definition that excludes a bunch of chumps. By definition, he's not accomplished much. It may be a "yet" scenario, or again, he may have peaked.

He's won numerous non-pga tour tournaments. He monday qualified for a PGA tour event. He's solo 2nd heading into a final round on whats arguably the 2nd best tour in the world.. has one bad final round and he's done? Thats more than you can say for some PGA tour players, who cant even put 4 rounds together.

He couldn't put four rounds together... on a far easier course than the PGA Tour plays and against much weaker competition. You're not helping yourself here...

Let me elaborate on what I've said, based on having watched lots of Nationwide and PGA Tour golf. The best Nationwide Tour players are about the equivalent to pretty average PGA Tour players. Most of them lack the consistency of the average PGA Tour player, but overall, that's about where they are. Then the bottom drops out. The bad Nationwide Tour players are really, really quite bad. I've seen them shoot 84 on courses I've played under the same conditions and shot 74. I've seen them shank balls so badly their next shot is further from the green than their prior one. They're bad. Really, really bad. (Bear in mind it's relative. They're all better than me, overall, of course - but I'm limiting the discussion to PGA Tour/Nationwide/Mini-Tours). Tommy isn't - currently - even that good. He doesn't even have status on the Nationwide Tour - a tour full of players who really kind of suck and who might never make it to the PGA Tour. I've even played high school golf with some of them (like this guy ). They've all got potential, and again they're all, on average, better than me. But they're miles behind even being able to keep a PGA Tour card.

He doesnt need to change his game or work on anything, he just didnt play well on Sunday period.

Sorry, but that's wrong. A top PGA Tour player - or even one who will simply keep his card comfortably - would tear up some of the courses the Nationwide Tour plays. Whether he choked or whether he simply failed to play well, he's clearly got to work on something. A single T27 and an MC on the PGA Tour don't mean much, nor does winning a bunch of mini-Tour events.

And QQ, he has now missed a cut by 1 shot on a very tough golf course on the PGA tour, and just about gained his NWT card in his 1st NWT event.

I'm still not entirely sure a single top-25 finish earns you a Nationwide Tour card, but if you say so...

I think thats enough proof that a BB can compete at this level. As for Ashley, I believe she will be gaining her card after leading the Futures tour money list for most of last year. Time will tell, and I do believe they will both win on the tours respectively.

She failed to earn her card last year. She's made $4,611 in 7 events this year and is in 33rd place on the money list. Her scoring average is 73.90.

The odds are stacked against them. Sorry to rain on your parade - I hope they do well, too - but I just don't see it happening as surely as you do. I think their fame is a blip on the radar. I'd be willing to wager that Tommy never wins a PGA Tour event. Ditto for Ashley on the LPGA Tour.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

And QQ, he has now missed a cut by 1 shot on a very tough golf course on the PGA tour, and just about gained his NWT card in his 1st NWT event. I think thats enough proof that a BB can compete at this level. As for Ashley, I believe she will be gaining her card after leading the Futures tour money list for most of last year. Time will tell, and I do believe they will both win on the tours respectively.

Clubswinger, you can't just make up "facts" to prove your case. Gainey missed the cut by 8 strokes at Wachovia, not by 1 and he shot 74-81.

Getting a Nationwide Tour card, if he does, proves nothing unless he capitalizes and is successful on the tour. The card can be elusive and does not guarantee anything except the right to play the tour for a finite time. Finishing in an eight way tie for 30th doesn't prove Gainey can make it on the Nationwide Tour, just as it doesn't prove he can't. I hope he is able to pull it off, but his future performance -week in and week out - will make him a success or it won't. Are you serious when you say that by tieing for 30th in a Nationwide event Gainey "just about gained his NWT card in his 1st NWT event"? As for Ashley I'm as big a fan as anybody, partially because we share the same college Alma Mater. But again, getting an LPGA card doesn't guarantee success on the LPGA Tour. So far, I think Ashley played in one LPGA event in '06 and missed the cut; she has yet to play in an LPGA event in '07. Right now she's in 32nd place on the Duramed Futures Tour money list. Not exactly proof she can make it to the LPGA Tour, much less be successful there. When either or both of them are successful on the PGA/LPGA/Nationwide tours, I'll give them all the credit they deserve. And I give them both a lot of credit for trying. I'm not saying either of them won't achieve success on one of the tours but at this point both are looking for tour success; neither has achieved it. Many are called and few are chosen.

[Clubswinger21]

He was one back of the lead heading into the final round. A win and he is exempt on the nationwide tour for the remainder of the year, which is what i was implying. Top 25 and he is exempt for the next weeks event. Im simply saying, it could've gone either way. He shoots 67, gets in a playoff and possibly wins his 1st Tour event. Unfortunately it went the other way and he had a final round collapse. How many times do you have one of your favorites to win a PGA tour event, leading heading into a final round or 1 shot back and they go out and shoot a 78?

A final round collapse. It happens, to say Tommy has peaked just seems strange to me, this guy is hungry as hell, and he's just getting his 1st taste of what its like now. I see it as a sign of things to come, others may not.

Trying to down play what the guy has done doesnt help you either. He shot a 59 with his Nationwide tour buddies, he's monday qualifying? isnt that extremely hard to do in its own right? If he ever gets a shot at Q school I honestly feel like he'd take advantage of it.

I dont care who you've seen do what on the NWT. That tour breeds alot of good players, Id start rifling them off but its too many to mention and if you watch golf you already know. To call them for the most part a bunch of chumps is a mistake and im sure alot of people would disagree with you. Considering some golf analyst's say its a stronger tour than the euro tour is in average field events.

If i made a mistake on Tommy's final round score im sorry, he shot even 72 the 1st round and 81 in the 2nd (9 over). The cut was +5 so he missed the cut by 4 shots not 8. For some reason i though it was 78 he shot and didnt check the stats thouroughly.

As far as Ashley Prang, its still early in the season. She's a hopeful, and Tommy is the more likely of the 2 to have success. Time will tell, and im excited to see how he plays in the future.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

If i made a mistake on Tommy's final round score im sorry, he shot even 72 the 1st round and 81 in the 2nd (9 over). The cut was +5 so he missed the cut by 4 shots not 8. For some reason i though it was 78 he shot and didnt check the stats thouroughly.

No, Gainey shot 74-81 and missed the cut by

8 strokes . http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/...480/index.html The cut was 147 (+3, not +5 as you said) & Tommy shot 155 (+11, not +9 as you said). BTW 84 players made the cut. I'm dropping out of this thread immediately after I click on "Submit Reply" as you seem totally incapable of getting your facts straight and that being so, it's impossible to respect your opinion of what's going to happen in the future.