PGA Tour Slugs Break 4 Hours Thanks To Looming Monday Finish!

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Because of the decision not to tee off early in threesomes off split tees--a controversial call which John Strege explains may not have been to Greenbrier resort boss Jim Justice's liking--the Greenbrier Classic faced a fight to finish before Sunday night darkness.

While the rush may have benefitted tournament winner Jonas Blixt, third round leader Johnson Wagner wasn't quite so amused, reports Jason Sobel.

“It was dark, it was really dark,” said the 54-hole leader, who shot a 73 to finish in a four-way tie for second place. “We should have played threesomes early this morning. Not that, that would have made any difference with my round, but the last few holes I felt like we were just trying to finish.

Even better was this buried lede:

The final twosome played in three hours and 38 minutes.

That's right, they can break four hours in twosomes with marshals to find balls if it means not coming back the next day. But most weeks now that is not the case, which is why I know you'll be shocked to learn that the PGA Tour did not make Golf Channel's list of golf "entities" doing something about pace of play.

The final round highlights courtesy of PGA Tour Entertainment:

Punters Note: Watson Has 22 Putts In Greenbrier Final Round 67

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Okay so he finished T38 but the 63-year-old five time Open champion Tom Watson--including 1980 at Muirfield--is rounding into form. Just saying…he certainly is a candidate for low geezer. 

Jason Sobel with the post-round quote from Greenbrier's Pro Emeritus.

Watson is generally around 500-1 according to Oddschecker, where you can also see that Graeme McDowell is holding steady at 25-1 after his win in Paris.

Rose Pulls Out Of AT&T National...

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It was admirable of him to stick to his Travelers Championship commitment last week but the adrenaline can only last so long, as U.S. Open champion Justin Rose WD's from the AT&T National this week to regroup for The Open Championship.

His statement:

"I'm disappointed to withdraw from the AT&T National, but the last three weeks have been extremely demanding both mentally and physically," Rose said. "This tournament has been very good to me - especially in 2010 - and I would play if I felt I could. Tiger and his Foundation run a great tournament, and I wish I could be there."

Video: Bubba To Caddie: "There's just no reason for me to show up."

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Thanks to Doc from golfcentraldaily.com for this mini-meltdown by Bubba Watson directed at caddie Ted Scott during the Travelers Championship final round.

Ken Duke beat Chris Stroud on the second hole of sudden death to win.

Meanwhile out on the Champions Tour, the caddies have been told not to enter a certain restroom. Rough times for loopers!

**Corrected the headline to note he said "me" and not you.

Justin Rose Honoring His Travelers Championship Commitment

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From the AP...and yes, the U.S. Open Champion committed and of course he should play, but he still very easily could cite fatigue from all of the shuttle busings. But he's not...

Nathan Grube, the tournament director at the Travelers Championship, said Rose's wife, Kate, called shortly after he won his first major title, to confirm they would be in Connecticut for this week's tournament.

"She called last night at about 9:30 and I looked down at the phone and said, 'This is either going to be a really good call or a really bad call,'" Grube said Monday. "It was fine. She said, 'We're coming, we're just trying to rearrange our schedule a little bit because of all the media (commitments).'"

Rose will be making a cameo with David Letterman Tuesday night.

2013 U.S. OPEN GOLF CHAMPION JUSTIN ROSE TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’s
“LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” TUESDAY, JUNE 18
 
NEW YORK, June 17 – 2013 U.S. Open golf champion Justin Rose will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, June 18 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  Rose won his first major golf championship Sunday at the Merion Golf Club, shooting a closing round of 70 and finishing two shots ahead of contenders Phil Mickelson and Jason Day to secure his U.S. Open victory.  Also, Rose became the first Englishman to win the championship since Tony Jacklin in 1970, ending a 43-year U.S. Open drought for England.

Assessing Tiger's Memorial Week & A New Nike Contract?

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Strong analysis of Tiger Woods' Memorial week--in case you were suddenly down on the lad's chances at Merion--starting with this from Robert Lusetich.

Yet at Memorial Woods hit 46 of 56 fairways — good for fifth in the field — and drove it not just straight but long.

It reflected the work Woods has put in to his driving game given the importance of tee shots at Merion, a tight course where the winner won’t have played from the long rough.

In Ohio, his short irons were inconsistent, his short game bad and his putting was abysmal.
That’s a cause for concern, but those facets of his game have been strong points all year.
And then there’s the fact that it wasn’t a slow bleed.

Woods made 15 birdies — and missed countless other chances — but uncharacteristically blew up, making three double bogeys and two triples, something he hasn’t done in a tournament in 16 years.

Gene Wojciechowski went to the top for advice on Tiger.

And just to make the point, Nicklaus told a story.

"I'll give you this one," he said, smiling. "Last U.S. Open I won I shot 72-79 the week before. I missed the cut. Atlanta. OK, how's that? And then I broke the Open record.

"So I wouldn't read too much into that."

Nicklaus got most of the facts right.

He did miss the cut at the 1980 Atlanta Classic at the Atlanta Athletic Club, but he shot 78-67. And sure enough, he went to Baltusrol and broke his own U.S. Open record for total score (272) -- a record that stood until McIlroy's performance at Congressional in 2011.

I'm with Nicklaus. I wouldn't read too much into what Woods did here. He has won big here and he's stunk it up big here too.

Three of his worst 22 finishes as a pro have come at Memorial. It happens.

Meanwhile those sleepless nights for many of you can end now that agent Mark Steinberg reveals to Bob Harig that Tiger is just about ready to sign a new deal and that he hopes it's viewed as a "bold statement." The deal will be done as soon as Steiny stops yapping to the press about it and gets the paperwork in front of Tiger, Tiger says.

This was interesting:

Earlier this year, Golf Digest, as part of an annual report on golfer's incomes, put Woods' earnings at $77-million off the course in 2012. It did not break down what he received from Nike, although the figure is believed to be more than $20 million per year. Sports Illustrated, however, as part of a recent compilation called "The Fortunate 50," pegged his total compensation at closer to $40 million annually.

Steinberg would not confirm specifics of those reports, saying only that "those numbers are traditionally low."

Traditionally low?

Memorial '13: Is Matt Kuchar Now The U.S. Open Favorite?

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Because his record in the majors is poor, Matt Kuchar was a 25-1 shot for the upcoming U.S. Open at Merion.

But combine his well-established ability on classic courses, his steady play over the last three years and his love for USGA golf, doesn't his Memorial win over a tough Muirfield Village make him the obvious first choice heading into Merion?

From Doug Ferguson's AP story we learn this is Kuchar's first multi-win season and his biggest win outside of his Players title from last year.

Needing two putts from 20 feet to hold off a late charge from Kevin Chappell, Kuchar punctuated a remarkably steady final round by making the birdie putt for a 4-under 68 and a two-shot victory at Muirfield Village. He joined Tiger Woods as the only players with more than one win this year on the PGA Tour.

John Strege says Nick Faldo noted what this win means for Kuchar's upcoming U.S. Open chances.

The victory was his third in less than 13 months. He also won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February and the Players Championship in May of 2012 and is now firmly ensconced in the World Ranking top 10, with another strong field and elite tournament, the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, on deck for him.

"Maybe this is his next stepping stone," CBS' Nick Faldo said. "He's won some fantastic events. Maybe a major is next."

Steve DiMeglio also considered the U.S. Open angle and had this from Kuchar:

"Heading into Merion, I'll have a lot of confidence. It's a course I've not seen before, so I'll have to do some learning. But from what I understand you've got to drive it well, as you do in a U.S. Open, and I feel like I've been really driving the ball well. I'm looking forward to my chances there at Merion."

As for Tiger's lousy week, Bob Harig sums it up with quotes from Woods who graciously stopped for the assembled scribblers Sunday.

"Yeah, it happens," said Woods, who finished on the front nine while the leaders were playing the closing holes. "It happens to all of us. I'll go home next week and practice."

The PGA Tour highlights: