Tommy Gainey - Proving the nay sayers wrong..

[iacas]

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.

Ditto to a lesser extent. C'mon Clubswinger... facts is facts and when easily checked online... you owe it to yourself and everyone to get them right.

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.

We define "close" differently. Finishing T29 or whatever he did isn't "close" to me. They don't give out the trophies after three rounds.

Top 25 and he is exempt for the next weeks event. Im simply saying, it could've gone either way.

It could have gone either way? That's like saying Tiger Woods could shoot 78 at the U.S. Open this year. It could happen, but the cold, hard, sad, miserable facts for Tommy Gainey (and, perhaps, you) are that it went the way it went: he shot a final-round 77 or whatever it was, plummeted in the standings, and didn't even earn a top-25 despite starting in second place.

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?

Almost never, dude. Really.

A final round collapse.

Which you're somehow using as proof that he'll make it? It doesn't make sense. Neither he nor Ashley have really shown any brilliance to date.

Remember, Michelle Wie "almost" made the cut in a PGA Tour event as a 15-year old. Tadd Fujikawa made the cut and was in contention on Saturday at 16 or however old he is. Even Tadd's accomplishments surpass Tommy's, and nobody's anointing him as anything.

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.

Nobody said "he has peaked." I said he may have, and unless you're an incredible moron, you have to admit to that possibility.

And right now, Tommy's only "taste" is choking. He could have made the cut at Wachovia and he choked and shot 81. He could have won a Nationwide Tour event and he choked and shot 77 or 78 or whatever. That doesn't bode well for his future.

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.

Or, if history repeats itself, he'd choke and bomb out. Are you president of the Tommy Gainey Fan Club or something?

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.

A little more care in reading what I've written would be appreciated. The Nationwide Tour is the minor leagues. Very few of the top players have immediate success on the PGA Tour (Jason Gore being the exception, and where is he now?). The top players are, when they come to the PGA Tour, rather average or below average PGA Tour players. Some improve, some don't. Zach Johnson's improved, clearly, but he didn't win The Masters the first year after coming from the Nationwide Tour.

The bad NWT players are just that - bad. The gap between them and even a bad PGA Tour player is huge. Tommy couldn't even "beat" 28 Nationwide Tour players in a given week. Players that win two or three times on the Nationwide Tour aren't often very successful on the PGA Tour right away, let alone a guy who can't finish in the top 25.

To call them for the most part a bunch of chumps is a mistake and im sure alot of people would disagree with you.

I didn't call NWT players chumps. You should re-read what I wrote again. You called him "a player." I said, based on his credentials, that unless you include a lot of chumps, he isn't. You'd have to include people with a single "top 30" on the Nationwide Tour and people who have never made a cut on the PGA Tour.

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.

Again, get your facts straight.

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.

Then leave it at that. Stop trying to convince others - with bad facts nonetheless - that these people are players. The nay sayers are, to this point, correct. Nobody from The Big Break has ever managed to do anything of substance. The Nationwide Tour has some good players, it has some bad players, and it's impossible to predict Tommy's future based on losing to 28 guys one time (or 130 guys on the PGA Tour, since he finished T131).

If anything, the trend seems to be for him to choke. I'm sure he'll probably win Big Break tonight, but again, that puts him among a class that includes Danielle Aimee. Woo. Winning the BB proves absolutely nothing. It's a good PR move - nothing else. Don Donatello hasn't gone anywhere in golf. He sucks. I don't see any evidence that Tommy fare any better.

[Bo the Golfer]

WOW-great dissection-I have often said that all The Big Break has ever lacked was talented golfers. I think Tommy's had the best chance he'll ever have in golf and it's over. I can't think of one former winner that seems to have anything close to the talent needed on the big tours. I like the Big Break but am certainly not thinking I am watching some up and comer more like a never has and never will be.

[Clubswinger21]

blah.. cant you just give me a pass on the score error? =/. I looked up the Wachovia complete score sheet and I guess i missed out on Tommy's score because I couldnt find it. Anyways, after a 2nd look he did finish ahead of Stuart Appelby, Sean O'hair, and Bubba Watson to name a few players who are playing good golf right now. Im not saying he made it. I didnt say he made it. It looked like he was going to and he didnt, I did said I believe he may be on the verge of it. To repedetly pull qoutes and try to prove everything I was saying is wrong is your oppinion.. but it doesnt necessarily mean its true.

From my point of view Tommy has done enough to prove alot of the naysayers wrong. He's impressed the hell out of me and done more than any Big Breaker may ever do. Its a discussion thread, not a who's right who's wrong thread which it seems to have turned in to. In my oppinion he's proved alot of the naysayers wrong. In Iacas and QQ's he hasnt. We'll leave it at that.

I see something in Tommy the others dont have besides averaging 310 off the tee. Some of these other players are just even par golfers. You cant shoot 2 + on a course like that and expect to play on any tour. Im sure they'll all shoot in the 60's every once and a while but Tommy seems to be able to go out and do it on any given day, minus the the days when it counts (so far).

[iacas]

blah.. cant you just give me a pass on the score error?

Sure. As soon as you stop using it as proof that he's about to win the U.S. Open, you betcha.

Anyways, after a 2nd look he did finish ahead of Stuart Appelby, Sean O'hair, and Bubba Watson

Oh no... you didn't...

Stuart was DQed and Sean and Bubba withdrew. So, no, he didn't finish ahead of them. He beat Paul Stankowski, Craig Perks, Todd Hamilton, and John Daly, among a few other people you've probably never heard of.

I did said I believe he may be on the verge of it.

And you're entitled to believe that. But here are two other things to consider:

a) we're allowed to disagree and say we do NOT believe he's on the verge just as much as you're allowed to say you think he is. b) You titled the thread "proving the nay sayers wrong" - he hasn't proven jack squat yet.

To repedetly pull qoutes and try to prove everything I was saying is wrong is your oppinion.. but it doesnt necessarily mean its true.

No opinions are true. Otherwise they'd be called "facts."

From my point of view Tommy has done enough to prove alot of the naysayers wrong.

You're entitled to it. But a single T29 or whatever he finished doesn't cut the mustard for most of us.

He's not even listed in the Official World Golf Ranking. Guys who absolutely suck are ranked 700th. He's not even listed.

I see something in Tommy the others dont have besides averaging 310 off the tee.

His average driving distance is 298, and he's 25% in fairways hit. Fred Funk could hit it 298 if he only hit 25% of his fairways.

See how easy this is? OK, I'll stop now, but you have to stop too.

Im sure they'll all shoot in the 60's every once and a while but Tommy seems to be able to go out and do it on any given day, minus the the days when it counts (so far).

That reminds me, I need to find a "choke" smiley. The closest I have right now is

.

[Clubswinger21]

blah again.. lol, my lord your a stickler. He averaged 318 the 1st day. Obviously started snap hooking everything because he average 281 the 2nd. 298 overall. Either way he's Camillo type long.. I hope this guy destroys Ashley tonight.

[iacas]

blah again.. lol, my lord your a stickler. He averaged 318 the 1st day. Obviously started snap hooking everything because he average 281 the 2nd. 298 overall. Either way he's Camillo type long.. I hope this guy destroys Ashley tonight.

Drop it. Take the hint. Like I said, a lot of people could average only 298 if they hit 25% of their fairways.

[Norm66]

Congrats to Tommy two-gloves. He was clearly the best player out there.

One thing all the talk about how good (or not) Big Breakers are is the fact that if they were good enough to get on the Tours they would already be busy doing that instead of playing on a game/reality show on the Golf Channel.

[Clubswinger21]

^ Not if they didnt play college golf. Like Tommy.

[Shindig]

^ Not if they didnt play college golf. Like Tommy.

Why? You don't need to have played in college to play on the PGATour.

[iacas]

Why? You don't need to have played in college to play on the PGATour.

Yeah, that doesn't make any sense.

[ezmoney5150]

He may have a funny swing with the 10 finger grip but his confidence level is something that gets him through. He does hit it a long way too.

[PBCgolfer]

I really dont see him making the tour, playing good is one thing, but playing good under pressure is a whole different story, i still defend what I said along time ago.

[Clubswinger21]

Why? You don't need to have played in college to play on the PGATour.

No you dont, its the traditional way, and alot easier. There are different ways to make it on the pga tour. College, or if your a late bloomer.. its just harder to do plain and simple. If you're going to play on the mini tours you need financial backing something that Tommy probably doesnt have.

[iacas]

No you dont, its the traditional way, and alot easier. There are different ways to make it on the pga tour. College, or if your a late bloomer.. its just harder to do plain and simple. If you're going to play on the mini tours you need financial backing something that Tommy probably doesnt have.

All of which speaks to Tommy never proving the nay-sayers wrong. Again, dude, drop it... you're not helping yourself here.

[Parker0065]

IACAS, I have to agree with your points here in this thread.


Without intentions of sounding mean, the first time I saw Tommy on the BB he looked like a +18 handicapper that has grooved his swing faults into some form of disfunctional consistancy! Or as Peter Oosterhaus said about Tommy on the Friday Wachovia broadcast "You wouldn't want to copy that swing"!


Add in the fact that the guy does have a solid short game and you have a player that may show flashes of brilliance right before he has a big collapse. Which is pretty much what has happened to him at Wachovia and the NWT event.


I think someone already mentioned the fact that if all these BBer's really had as much game as they constantly say they do on the show, most of them would have probably already had a good chunk of experience on the NWT and maybe just need some money to back them. Look at Don Danatello, they say he is one of the best BB players ever and this guy is near the bottom of the Hooters Tour money list. He's made one cut this year and won a total of $900 the last time I checked. That's not exactly having "A Lot of Game"!


I watch the show for nothing more than pure entertainment. If this was a real Big Break oppertunity, they would do a show with the top 12 or 15 college senior golfers that have just graduated and turned pro, now that would be a show!!!

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Look at Don Danatello, they say he is one of the best BB players ever and this guy is near the bottom of the Hooters Tour money list. He's made one cut this year and won a total of $900 the last time I checked. That's not exactly having "A Lot of Game"!

I didn't see the first BB (BB2?) Don Donatello was on, but did see all of BB VII and if Don had any game I sure didn't see it. But I did hear his big fat mouth writing a lot of checks his body couldn't cash.

For the record, DD has made one cut in seven NGA Hooters events in '07 with winnings of $900 (just like Parker said); his scoring average is 74.94 in the seven tournaments.

[Guest]

Tommy's a hell of a player. I'm from his hometown and feel great anytime he ask bout my game. The guy shot 63 after bogeyin the first hole in our "blitz". I pray to see him on the Tour one day and like Boo Weekley told him at the Wachovia "Tommy we need another redneck like me out here"

[Q.Q.Quillume]

At the Nationwide Tour event held July 5th - 8th in Highland Heights, Ohio, Tommy Gainey shot 69-75 and missed the cut by four strokes. Although I'm not sure what the "nay sayers" have said about Tommy, it still does not appear that he is proving them wrong.