2013 WGC Cadillac Final Round Open Comment Thread

A stellar leaderboard is pursuing Tiger Woods who, according to Dave Shedloski, "has never lost a 54-hole lead when ahead by at least three strokes, and he's won 50 of 54 times when owning at least a share of the lead."

This will be the final time we see this iteration of Doral, as it's slated to undergo a makeover soon after the final putt drops today. Try not to get emotional.

Coverage starts at 1 pm ET on Golf Channel, and 3 pm ET on NBC with bonus coverage of holes 15, 16 and 18 on Golf Channel at 3 pm ET.

Comments

[Digger Dave *is* digsouth]

Ben Seattle--

So TW was stuck in neutral last week, with a chance to make a real move on #1, and this week he is simply going nuts-fun to watch those putts drop!

So the question is: will TW balk, and what does RMc have to shoot/place to keep his margin the same amount ahead of TW, assuming TW will get the win?

Personally, I'd love to see PM go real crazy and win, but TW would have to coast, and ALL of Phil's putts would need to drop.

[DTF]

According to the criteria previously decreed this tournament *counts*.

[elf]

It's amazing how selective people get about the world challenge, sometimes it counts and sometimes it doesn't. Will say this, it counted to both GMac and Tiger

[johnnnycz]

TW is looking good so far. If the putter stays the same and his drives end up within a reasonable distance from the fairway...then he can hit grounders into those greens. The ball is sure running eh?

At the moment...watching the SkySports online feed...ah bliss! They're actually showing shots and live interviews and then more shots...and so far not too many tap-ins which is what drives me batty. The shots into the 1st green are much appreciated.

Lastly. I held and hit that new Nike Convert driver in scarlet-fugly red. Not a bad flight/sound/feel... but darn tootin it looks like a modern version of that Bullet C-shaped driver from the late 90's...which was declared illegal and then legalized after a crown was installed. Looks like it's designed for Mr and Mrs Havercamp!!!!

Other than that, it looked cheaply made and plastickey to me. The swoosh on the heel is WAY distracting. A part of the reason I am staying away from any driver model this year that offers different colours as an option.

[Mike Bowen]

Phil just went Driver, 8-iron on the opening par 5. Exactly how the hole was designed to be played. If that's not laughable enough, Rory hit a long iron 289 yards on the par 5 10th.

[ol Harv]

But Mike, according to almighty know it all Mike Davis the ball is not going farther? No doubt is because they work out now....yeah, that's the reason.

[T Money]

" Phil just went Driver, 8-iron on the opening par 5. Exactly how the hole was designed to be played. If that's not laughable enough, Rory hit a long iron 289 yards on the par 5 10th. "

Come on--the problem is with the long putter, it just doesn't look right. \s

[johnnnycz]

Agree MikeB...I feel like I'm an above average golfer ball striking wise and I can't really fathom the numbers they're hitting on TV. A soft UK pitch and putt chalky style ball might do it...or re-introduce the Spalding Dot. But won't happen since the ads for Ballzier clubs and improved pinnacles are rampant.

Tiger looks like he's got a dependable one-way miss going...doesn't bode well for the rest of the field. Oh...and Keegan's routine leaves me frustrated and depressed as a pro. Just get on with it FFS!!!! I bet he wears out the carpet real good at a 100+ item all you can eat buffet whilst trying to make a decision on what salad dressing looks 'safe'.

[Digger Dave *is* digsouth]

3n... They have both Nike drivers in LH at the club here, and the pro/black face/smaller head looks pretty good, but as you say, kind of plasticy/cheap.. it has been very windy , and I am dealing with a broken shoulder and a modified swing, so I am not gonna chance scratching it up with a mishit. The Asst pro didn't like the feel of the larger club, and has not hit the samller head.


I like the color, and I think the club looks good and feels really nice.

[Mike Bowen]

The pace of play is ridiculous. Keegan frustrates me to no end. Not sure if anyone is a curling fan, but as a Canadian I am very familier with the sport. The system they use for a shot clock would work perfectly in golf I reckon. Anytime it's your turn to hit, your clock starts running. As soon as you hit the ball it stops. Each player would have their own clock that starts the round with a redetermined amount of time on it. If you run out of time, penalty stroke.

[Hilltop]

Am I the only one who thinks that being able to hit mid-irons or less into a par "5" makes it a par 4?

[Manku]

Phil just hit a 9 iron into the par 3 third..playing 193 yards.

It was downwind, but still.

Keegan is a bozo...but at least he's entertaining, in a villian kind of way.

[johnnnycz]

@MikeB: Same here with the curling stuff...agree. As a happily poor curler who mainly plays for the camaraderie and beer/nachos/hockey afterwards...I HATED when our one extra spare showed up to plat the lead...he was SLOW...and he felt obligated to consult with our Skip on every little decision. Even other teams would moan when they say our boy show up...but he's a good guy so we let it pass...but it destroys the flow of the game.

Diggs: Club appearances are relative. I used to HATE the original Ping ISI...looked too square/toaster like ad the black was kinda evil robot looking...but after a few shots with it...I fell in love with the looks b/c the ball flew so darn good compared to the old TM Bubble2 tour model.

As for the new stuff out these days...they're very similar. I like the idea of the new TM R1 head as well as how those adjustable hosels are looking smaller and smaller these days...less distracting. But the idea of a big swoosh or other logo being visible from above (aside from an allignment/sweetspot thing) is not my cup of tea. I like my clubs like my women...Solid, dependable, clean lines, and very little touch-up paint before taking em out in public...and they need to shoot straight...either with a 12 guage or M1 springfield!

[TheProfromDover]

@ hilltop Agreed. Mike Davis will get that corrected ASAP. We can remember when it two bombs to get there in two - that of course was pre tin-head and the space-ship ball! Back then, only #8 was semi reachable and you still had the H2O to deal with. RE: Nike Driver, just a fad. TW isn't playing it. Sounds and feels tinny. New Wedges are very good. But so are Mizuno's. You have to do an upgrade on the shaft to make the Covert Driver feel right.

[ol Harv]

Johnny, not sure if you heard it or not but on Thursday or Friday's replay GC was showing Keegan. He did his classic pre-shot and what do you think Rolfing says?....."I love his pre-shot routine." .....I kid you not. Couldn't make it up.

[Chico]

Hilltop-I agree.Reffed the Uspga at Baltusrol a few years back and one of my designated holes was a 510 yard par 4.I remarked to Mark Wilson - wow that's a long par 4 and he said "we'll Charles they will hit that with a drive and 5 or 6 iron-what par would you call it!?"Hard to argue!

[johnnnycz]

@DoverPro: I agree and would add that when club manufacturers start adding colour options...then the time for innovation has long left the barn. It's 99% marketing hype. And yes...the shaft is the real key to a driver. It's the engine!

IMO a big reason why Titleist and Mizuno are so popular among decent folks who have to pay for quality clubs is that they look simple and perform . Personally I am happy that the Clev588 has made a "comeback". My original 588 from the late 90's is still usable and makes for a neat conversation item on the range at tourneys...I got 3 identical RC grind heads 15yrs ago...only one left and it's been drilled out and grind-ed further to my eye. The kids these days have a hard time believing I actually grinded it myself in my basement. They ask: "Is this legal??"...LOL!!!

[TheProfromDover]

@ JohnnyCZ, you bet, I too have ground a lot wedges through the years and drilled weight out, lead taped, you name it. Best quote I heard about the 'white drivers' is “Just how much stock does Adidas own of Sherwin Williams?”. I get them all sent to me as well - Titleist and Callaway, and Cleveland are solid companies with very well made irons, and drivers too. Mizuno has them all beat irons wise. And the Shaft is the whole kit and kaboodle when it comes to a driver. I agree. We all know it is 99% marketing hype, otherwise the golf manufacturers wouldn't pay the players these huge amounts of dollars to play their equipment. It is all about the hype, you hit it dead on. If they would quit paying those silly endorsement figures we could buy a Titleist, or Nike, or Taylor Made, or Callaway, or whatever driver for less than $125 dollars! Give me a break!

[johnnnycz]

Harv: LOL about Rolfing...to me that confirms alot. I guess you could learn to love his pre-shot routine like one learns to love scotch or moonshine or cigarattes...but that's just me.

I know for 110% certainty that I would rather chew tinfoil all day then be paired with Keegan in a Monday hit-and-giggle. I've seen basketball and football jocks with less of a stutter step! I would probably end up walking up and teeing up my ball out-of-turn before he returns for the 3rd time to hit the freaking thing!

Paintball guns may be the only thing that helps...aside from penalty shots, but that ain't gonna happen with Timmy at the helm.

[John R]

Johnny, I always wonder what is going through his mind when that back and forth is going on. Some sort of shot visualization or is it just blank?

[johnnnycz]

DoverPro: I had some fun with my old T-Zoid Pro 2-iron last week. It still works in certain conditions, namely into the wind on mofo par-3's and long approaches. The feel is unmistakably Mizuno. I'm still wondering why I'm still swinging the AP2's...but they work(ed) pretty good and I have no complaints at all.

At the moment, I am trying various Mizuno irons, trying to come up with a semi-progressive set with mp-64 blades at the bottom and a Fli-Hi 2iron at the top....mostly 4 deg increments. I love the look and idea of a '2-iron-on-steroids' hybrid type club. Easier to work.

Also...Muira's are "Veerrry Nice"...bu they'll cost you more than a few mortgage payments....not worth it in my book. I checked out some of their wedges and they're even nicer/sleeker looking....BEFORE being taken to the grindstone for modification of course!

[Hawkeye]

65 for Rory. So much for that slump.

[johnnnycz]

Hawkeye beat me to it! Solid round from Rory in tougher scoring conditions.

He'll be fine I think. His play today is the result of actually PLAYING golf vs posing for cameras and all that promotional $hit he's had to do the past 3 months. Easy to get off w/ your takeaway and plane comming down when one is required to swing 'on-cue' from a non-golfer photographer.

I know it kills my swing the few times I was lucky enough to have a cameraman interested enough in me and my ball-whacking 'skillz'...LOL...1 hr to play one hole on TV took about 2weeks to recover my original mechanics. At the end it took 4 tries to hit a green from 100yds! At the end all I could do was laugh with the producer and camera guy when the ball went astray....it ain't easy folks

[AG]

@johnny

And I thought I was the last one to keep my Fli-Hi. Go to for 190-205 with wind.

[johnnnycz]

AG: True story...last time I teed it up w/ a decent field 4 yrs ago (Challenge Tour)...all three of us in my group had a Fli-Hi 2iron of some sort. And we all used it 3-5 times each day...was a short/techy/7+ forced 'blindshot' type course in the CZ so the club was rather useful that week.

Even though 5yrs ago, when golf digest listed it as having a book value of 5 bucks and basically worthless in terms of technology, it's a keeper for those who were never scared of pulling out a long iron in the first place.

[Chico]

Still got one too Johnnny

[johnnnycz]

Phil just hit his new 3w from 288 out...onto a cart path and 40+ odd yards long.

I guess Callaway has that "path finding" technology down pat.


Seriously speaking...Phil, Tiger, Rory, and others appear to be rounding into form... Augusta is fixin' to be some dern good TV ain't it?

(I'd put a smallish wager on Geoff Ogilvy at the moment...and yes...he will play his way into the field)

[johnnnycz]

Last question/observation (late here in CZ):


Has Tiger ever won a tourney sporting such an 'impressive' goatee?

I'm betting he'll be shaving his head Jordan-style when/if he gets to 19 majors. Either that or high tech implants.

[Chuck]

So what happened on Graeme McDowell's drop on 18? Did his ball get over the hazard and then cross back into the hazard rolling down the bank? That's the only way I can figure where he dropped.

No explanation from NBC, which left to go to commercial. Terrible lapse in coverage with only one pairing left on the course.

[DTF]

Chuck, that is what happened.

[D.]

Tiger, Finchem, and Trump standing next to eachother -interesting group.

It's also funny when Tiger wins an event sponsored by a company that dropped him. He must enjoy that a little bit.

[DTF]

5 of last 18 stroke play events on PGA Tour. Not bad for a guy who will "never win again"...

[Claude]

D -- GM dropped Tiger with a year left on his contract when their stock was in freefall and were, I believe, $7 billion in the hole.
Entirely understandable decision.

[chicago pt]

Tiger did nothing re the sale of more Buicks...giving him all that money is the kind of thinking that caused bankruptcy

[meefer]

johnnnycz: I've always loved Mizuno. The mp 64s at the low end (or mp 68) moving up with the mp 32s (maybe the sweetest feel I've experienced) followed with a 4/3 of mp 59s...add your fli-hi and that would be a nice set to my eyes.

I've hit but one Miura, a six iron, picked up at a shop connected to a driving range. First swing of the day and, woohoo, what a sweet club! Couldn't miss. But, at close to 2k for a set...ahh well.

Wish Rory would play a few more tournaments before Augusta.

Still think Tiger will have trouble at the Masters because of the lies he'll face. Until he proves me wrong - and hey, he may be that good :-) - I still believe his knee will betray him on one or two of those critical downhill lies.

I'm loving the fact that the best are starting to round into form.

Would someone please take the ADHD out of Keegan's pre-shot routine.