1. Talk about a feel good story…that’s what James Hahn’s come from behind win at the Wells Fargo was for sure. He hadn’t even sniffed a lead in months having missed eight straight cuts. In fact he hadn’t had a top ten since last October.
2. Hahn likes tough, old school golf courses. His first win came at Riviera last year and that was in a playoff also. He’s remembered by fans for dancing “Gangnam Style” at the sixteenth at TPC Scottsdale and for being a shoe salesman before he made the tour. His gracious and emotional post win interview with Peter Kostis shows how a pro, even a pro with a few wins and over five million in winnings can doubt themselves. Great win for Hahn.
3. On the other hand it was a tough loss for Roberto Castro and a few other professionals. Castro was on the verge of his first win and had it to -11 on the fifteenth. But two straight bogeys on sixteen and seventeen dropped him back into a tie with Hahn. His pulled tee ball into the creek in the playoff gave Hahn the advantage and eventually the win.
4. As tough as it was for Castro it had to be even worse for Rickie Fowler. Rickie had been christened by the tour as the poster boy of the week to promote this week’s PLAYERS Championship. With a one stroke lead going into Sunday it looked like he was primed for another win going into defending his PLAYERS title. But that’s why the play the game.
5. Fowler started off with a bogey at the first and then another at the fourth. When he doubled the par five seventh his day was done. His closing 74 was his worst round of the week and cost him the win.
6. I love Rickie and the way he plays. First of all he’s old school in high tops and “joggers.” He plays quickly, a rarity out there and he plays aggressive golf. Since working with Butch Harmon his game has tightened up to be a contender anywhere he tees it up. But he still plays a few loose shots each round. He can play any and every shot and goes for it all the time. He reminds me of Phil Mickelson who does much the same. Both aren’t afraid to try a shot other golfers would back off from. Sometimes it works…sometimes it doesn’t.
7. As the Wells Fargo unfolded I was ready to put my money on Justin Rose. He’s has the game and the resume to win on a tough, narrow, major championship style course (Merion). And he was poised to do just that until he got to the back nine and forgot how to putt. He, like many players were perplexed by the lightning quick, undulating greens missing putt after putt. He seemed to lose all sense of pace and direction. Consider this: he gained over five shots on the field with his Strokes Gained Tee to Green, 5.2 but gave it back on the green with a Strokes Gained Putting of -3.8. Ouch.
8. Rory McIlroy was another big name that made some noise in the final round with a blistering 66 and he came to the 72nd hole with a chance to go to eight under to post a number. But a wayward approach to the left of the green gave him trouble and he finished his round just as he started it with a bogey.
9. Phil Mickelson has to be kicking himself. Phil’s final round 66 was splendid. He was striking the ball well and putting like we know Phil can…the good Phil that is. He, like McIlroy had a chance to post a low number on the field. But his day was actually lost on Saturday when he took an ugly quadruple eight on the eighteenth. An eight! That’s what a 14 handicapper shoots…believe me I know!
10. I can understand why Quail Hollow gets all the praise it does and why the PGA of America chose it for the ’17 PGA Championship. It’s a tough, challenging layout and it should be a great PGA but I did hear that they were “re-grassing” the greens before the PGA. I bet Justin Rose wishes they had done it before this week.
Playoff Hole. Lastly, this was John Daly Week on the Golf Channel as Big John made his Champions Tour debut and to see all the hype you would have thought it was the Almighty himself teeing it up. Big John finished T17 and as a few of the “champions” had said earlier: you don’t just show up out there and win. They still play good golf. Oh, Jesper Parnevik won for his first win on the senior circuit. We’ll see how long before the Wild Thing adjusts and breaks through for a win.
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