2013 Northern Trust Open Final Round Comment Thread

Somewhere between Hawaii Five-O plugs, shots of nearby college campuses and private golf courses that host the CBS team, and anything else they can think of not associated with golf, my sources confirm that CBS will have several segments showing more than three shots during the Northern Trust Open final round.

Then again, the way Bill Haas is playing he may be tough to catch. But if he falters, there is an interesting cast ready and willing.

Golf Channel broadcasts from 10 am PT to 11:30, CBS picks up some time after noon following Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Comments

[mainuh]

N Trust on the Golf Channel (218 on Direct TV) right now - 1:00 pm, Connecticut time.
Rooting for Freddy Jacobson -

rob

[Bobby D]

I will be rooting for Ohio State :o)

[digsouth]

With no fave in site, this will be a sound off and enjoy the beauty of the course. Hunter Mahan could go crazy and that would be fun, but I'm no fan of Hass, Simpson and a couple others in the top few.

BTW, when will the telecasters and TGC actually READ that the FAKER Beljam (sic) was suffering from NOT EATING, as reported here in Shack news, not some nerve issue when he got ''sick'' at the tournament he ended up winning. In keeping with his lack of character, he has not bothered to correct anyone, plaing that sympathy card.

[digsouth]

test post.

[Brad]

I'll start the slow play ranting right away. After Webb Simpson stood and waited more than a few minutes for the group ahead to putt out on the first hole, it was then that he felt the need to discuss his shot and club selection with his caddy. Probably at least two minutes, then he prepared to hit his shot. Finally about ready to pull the trigger, he backed away because he was 'disturbed'. Start over again. Ready to pull the trigger, back away and change clubs! Discuss with caddy the nature of the shot again, pull trigger finally. Took about 4 minutes. Cue the remote, I'll watch something else, like women's curling, probably more exciting

[digsouth]

Simpson backed in to his ''major'', and will end up a flash in the pan, as I see it. Maybe ''The Golf Boys'' can get him on as a roadie.

I tried to watch the KO/LPGA last night, but Shin was SO SLOW on the greens, I watched the NASCAR I had DVRed. Even a race that doesn't matter s better than slow play at a beautiful golf course.

[FW]

Brad
You beat me to it! At this rate, it should be about a 7 or 8 hour round..wow..unacceptable

[tlavin]

I thing The Lord wants Webb to struggle today.

[BrianS]

The only thing that is more tiresome than slow play is everyone constantly complaining about it. Enough already. You know what - I bet that somewhere around 6:00 the last group is heading up 18.

[John R]

Del's favorite spitting up the bit somewhat. Looks like a good back nine coming up. I don't see the purpose of the split screen replay of putting. So we can see someone making that whimpy fist pump that has become so popular?

[Media maven]

McCord continues to embarrass himself...time to hang it up.

[digsouth]

So I'll complain with facts-- that Simpson first hole, where he waited until the green was clearing to BEGIN, was 2 minutes and 11 seconds.

Even the *laughing announcer guy commented that Simpson is very slow, but'playes fast when he makes up his mind'', and then Simpson took several ore swings before he hit his shot.

The only movement Simpson ever did slowe than golf, was hat white Bronco deal a while back.

And BrianS. Cause/effect. no slow play- no griping about it.

*Oooosterhouse- very obnoxous

[eastcoastguy]

No one has the guts to speak the truth about holes like #14 and #17 at Pebble Beach and #10 at Riviera. Once great holes that have become goofy golf because of the failure to maintain the original integrity of the green sizes and contours. 10 green at Riviera is joke in it's current form.

[Bobby D]

"The only thing that is more tiresome than slow play is everyone constantly complaining about it."

Even more tiresome (and annoying) are those that are oblivious to it.

[PABoy]

Lots of striped mowing patterns so far this year on tour. Is the right and left old school fairway mowing patern an Eastcoast thing?

[John R]

Merriick's drive just rolled 100 yards on 11. Is that shot downhill at all or is the course that firm?

[tlavin]

Watching the pros grind on 10 just doesn't seem all that fun anymore. When the good and safe tee shot leaves a murderously difficult pitch shot on a 295 yard hole, it starts to look like goofy golf. Especially when pros are making the shots. It seems like luck is rewarded more than skill, which might amount to more quirk than design genius. Heresy, I know, but I'm just typing out loud...

[Alex H]

Come on, Freddie! Interesting stretch of strategy there on 17. Merrick goes Driver - Bunker - Trees, while Jacobson opts for 5-wood, 5-wood, fairway...

I'm not going to lie - it's awfully satisfying to watch Simpson and Haas cough it up.

[tlavin]

Frederic Jankobson!

[Doctor]

The leaders finished in 5 hours, 15 minutes.

[ol Harv]

Charlie B is really slow on the greens.

[tlavin]

Well, well. Skill prevails on the tenth after all.

[RickABQ]

Will the PGA Tour Confidential team be a-twitter over the caddie lining up Charlie on his putts? Thought I was watching the LPGA there for a sec....

[KLG]

So, what happened? I turned on the teevee to watch the playoff. 18 was pretty good. Then I think to myself, "Self, you are finally going to get to see the 10th when it really means something." Wrong! Switch over to GC.com and you have to enter your cable provider to watch. I don't have a cable provider. CBS, GC? Bite me. And will someone please tell Nantz that "tour" does not rhyme with "sewer." Not at this point in time. Nor ever.

Charlie's meds must be working pretty well. Must be eating properly, too. Good for him. And that caddie-lining-up-the-putt thing? Completely justified after that putt on the first playoff hole. Even if it is lame in the extreme.

[ladyh]

Agree Rick, it was LPGA like. Was watching on dvr playing catch-up and missed playoff. Hate when that happens, was it televised?

[DTF]

Didn't see a shot John R. but assuming Ol' 3-Iron missed the club face a whole bunch as he is wont to do...

[John R]

Del, Got it to 13 under, fell back to 8, finished birdie birdie for 10 under, third place tie. Even par for the day and he wins.

[fourputter]

I'll rant again! CBS switched to TGC at about 7pm EST. I had watched their full broadcast and absorbed at least some of their promotional and commercial material when I couldn't switch to another channel quick enough or got back too early for an interruption to be over. However I was enjoying the golf when it was actually on the screen.

I happen to subscribe to TGC so I was able to switch, but there must be millions who don't and were therefore deprived of the climax of 4 hours viewing. They must be furious with CBS!

As I have moaned before on this esteemed blog, I spent the winter cursing at CBS for overrunning football and basketball games thus delaying the start of 60 Minutes; they are never cut off, and often continue on to OTHER games that are still in progress when the original has finished. This year the NFL was granted an extra half-hour but still overran every week there was a late game on, and for just as long as it did before the extension. It is obvious therefore that this is deliberate on the part of the NFL and its sponsors, and CBS.

Now, today I can understand CBS's position. The final round overran its alloted time by over half an hour because of the abysmally slow play of the final groups. I'm sure CBS would have stayed with it if the overrun was simply the playoff, but it wasn't.

I'll repeat what I suggested 6 months ago. If a TV broadcast overruns because of overtime (or a playoff) resulting from normal play completed within the scheduled time, let the broadcast continue. If a game is delayed because of its slow conduct, then cut off to the next program. Ad hoc judgements can be made when weather (or a floodlight failure such as I read about) affects an important event. There would be no reason for example to stay with an ordinary NFL game, or a golf tournament like today's. But people will be less mad if they know what's going to happen, and they will apply pressure to a sport's organisers to get the god-damned players to get a move on! Maybe today's action by CBS was the first shot across the bows of the PGA Tour, the NFL, and other sports organisations that seem to regard it as their divine right to command the airwaves.

PS I watched a bit of the Oz Ladies Open and the pace of play was excruciating - around 5 hours for a twosome to play a pretty short course!

[Bobby D]

@fourputter...the LPGA event last night was nightmare...the Shin/Ko group was warned early on and put on the clock...I even saw the official (a large man) walk up to the players on the back nine and have a "chat"...it was Shin who was dragging azz, not Ko...so one player ruins it for all...and the TV crew said barely a peep. BrianS: slow play is a MAJOR problem in golf at all levels.

[Lynn S.]

I recorded the Northern Trust because I cannot watch those many commercials. Waited a long time to watch, recorded an extra hour and a half and CBS flips to 60 Minutes during the playoff. Thanks CBS.
Oh well, I sensed I was watching a very small Tour event, weak field, medium sized crowd, on a course that was hosted outstanding events.