American Turnout For Wentworth, Or Lack Thereof

/

From Doug Ferguson's notes column as the BMW Championship prepares to get underway at Wentworth. The World Top 50 plus past major winners are exempt. Only Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem and Ben Curtis are representing the Stars and Stripes.

Luke Donald wishes it would attract more Americans, though he understands the reasons not to play.

"You don't have to travel far to play in a $6 million event at a great course at Colonial," Donald said at Sawgrass. "But I've always been a proponent of to get the most out of your game, it's important to travel and to experience new places. I think at least go try it once, and if you don't like it, fair enough. But it's a big event on our tour. It's considered our Players Championship of the European Tour. And I would have thought that would incite some interest in some of the big Americans that would be exempt for it."

These Guys Really Want To Play The Open Championship

/

Jeff Rude reporting on the amazing scoring by Harris English (-17, 123!), Greg Owen (afternoon 61) Stephen Ames (another afternoon 61) and other qualifiers in Plano, Texas while battling for eight spots into July's Open Championship.

“I kind of lost track of how many straight birdies I made,” said English, 22, who ranks 77th in Tour earnings and has a best finish of tied for eighth at the RBC Heritage.

The 60 gave him a four-stroke midway lead. It featured an eagle and eight birdies. He eagled his second hole of the day, No. 10, making a 4-footer.

“I was relaxed,” he said. “I had some fun. I was striking the ball really well. In fact, I was doing everything really well.”

So well that he missed only three greens in regulation over 36 holes. “I just never got out of position,” he said.

English, who got on Tour by tying for 13th at last year’s Q-School finals,

Oh...don't say that! Q-School bad, Q-School bad, Q-School bad...

says his bucket list includes skydiving, flying in an F16 and driving a NASCAR vehicle. Soon he can cross the Open off the list.

And I know you'll be shocked to learn that Rory Sabbatini was one of twelve WD's. Shocked!

Contrasted nicely by playoff qualifier Bob Estes:

Estes has played in 10 Opens, with a tie for eighth in 1995 his best finish. The four-time Tour winner long has called the Open his favorite event.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s THE tournament,” said Estes, who grew up in Abilene and starred at Texas. “It’s the one I want to win the most. Guys who don’t get it, I feel sorry for. Most of them are high-ball hitters who didn’t grow up in the wind like me.”