Tour Notebook: No return for Tiger, Spieth’s 79 & Rory’s putter

Shaft puts a dent in de Jonge’s hopes
How to turn an opening bogey into a four-over aggregate without finishing another hole?

Brendon de Jonge two putted the 1st at Riviera and then missed the green at the next. He then took out his 60Ëš and noticed a dent in the shaft of his wedge, put there when he swung the club into his bag the day before after not being allowed a drop when he thought his ball was plugged.

When he noticed the change in shape he was penalized two shots for each hole he had it in the bag. Had he used the club he would have been disqualified, though he did then miss the cut by six after shooting a 77. (Impressively he got up and
down at the 2nd).

“My head really wasn’t in it after that,” said de Jonge. “It was my fault, I should have checked it.”

Tiger misses hometown event 

It came as no surprise but Tiger Woods has not entered this week’s Honda Classic and there is still no expected return date for the 14-time Major winner.
Woods continues to recover from microdiscectomy surgery and he won’t be playing at Palm Beach Gardens which is just 20 minutes from his Florida home.

His last event was last August at the Wyndham Championship where he tied for 10th, his only top 10 of 2015, having held the joint lead at the halfway stage.
Spieth remains in good spirits after a 79
How to deal with your third-worst round in your PGA Tour career? Here’s Jordan Spieth after his 79 which included three putts from eight feet to finish.

“I shot 2-under and I was more miserable. It’s just a day to forget. In the course of my career, I imagine it’s going to happen. Just unfortunate when it actually does.”

The two-time Major champion’s proximity to the hole was 46 feet, which ranked 115th in the field, and he got up and down just twice in nine attempts.

“I just played really poorly from good positions off the tee, I overdrew it when you can’t be left and I overcut it when you can’t be right. Just bad timing. And when you start getting these 5 and 6-footers on softer poa annua, that’s where I really struggle.”

And he birdied the infamous 10th hole.

Rory told to ‘keep the hands moving’
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Rory McIlroy’s putting but here’s a valid one. Dave Stockton is McIlroy’s coach on the greens and the pair spent some time together at Riviera last week.

The former Ryder Cup captain told GolfChannel.com: “His hands get too low and he hits it left and I want him to roll it, not hit it. Sometimes his left hand stops [at impact] and I want him to keep the hands moving.”

Rory and Rickie under the lights
Rory McIlroy and Fowler will go head to head at Detroit GC on Tuesday June 7, the week before the US Open, in a prime-time, under-the-lights exhibition on TV.

Tiger Woods resurrected the concept in 1999 with the ‘Showdown at Sherwood’ against David Duval before, the following year, against Sergio Garcia. It was here, at the ’Battle of Bighorn’, that Woods reportedly didn’t care much for the Spaniard’s over-exuberant celebrations and the pair have struggled since. It then switched to team events and stopped in 2005.

The first two hours would be televised live by Golf Channel, followed by the 9-11pm slot shown live on CBS. The format is unclear but, as is the way these days, there will be a celebrity element to proceedings with Justin Timberlake and Mark Wahlberg the favourites to be playing.
Fowler bunker dunk wins monthly gong

Other than winning the tournament proper in Abu Dhabi Rickie Fowler also picked up the European Tour Shot of the Month for January after holing a 40-yard bunker shot in the final round.

The American had just double bogeyed the 7th to see his lead trimmed to one before knocking in his third shot at the next.

“I hit the perfect bunker shot. My caddie said ‘you know, golf is funny that way.’ When something happens like that, it definitely gives you a little boost of confidence knowing that you’ve got a good break after having a bad break. Sometimes you need to little luck on your side to get some wins.”

“It’s just a day to forget. In the course of my career, I imagine it’s going to happen. Just unfortunate when it actually does” – Jordan Spieth on his 79 at Riviera Historic vote at Muirfield
Muirfield is set to vote on the admittance of women members, according to the Sunday Times. A postal ballot is being sent to the members of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and it is thought that it is more likely that this format will help to pass the measure.

Royal Troon, home to this year’s Open Championship, announced last year that it will launch a review into their policy. Although a separate ladies’ club operates at the Ayrshire venue, Royal Troon itself has a male-only membership.

Webb has eyes on Rio
The average age of the top 10 in the women’s world rankings is 23.5. The average age of the top 10 men is 29.7. But 41-year-old Karrie Webb isn’t quite ready to hang up her clubs, with the prospect of a place on the Australian Olympic team a high priority.

“Since golf was announced in the 2016 Olympics, it’s definitely been a focus of mine,” Webb said. “I think it’s what has kept me out here playing full time. It’s important for me to make the team, but, obviously, if something were to happen and I didn’t, it’s not going to tarnish what I’ve already achieved.”

Webb needs to rank among the top two Australians on July 11, and that looks a certainty as things stand for the World No 34. Minjee Lee is 17th while Rebecca Artis is at 129.

“Hopefully, just the feeling of the Olympics and being there will inspire me to play well. A medal would be unbelievable.
I said I was going to retire when I was 35, and I’m 41 now, so still going. I think when you’re 18, 30 seems like it’s a long way away, but from experience it comes around pretty quickly. I don’t know what the future holds for me as far as full time playing. I’m concentrating this year on a full schedule and hopefully making the Olympic team and then just re-assessing where things are at the end of the year.”