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Dan O’Neill's Golf Notebook
The Gateway PGA Section will replace
co-executive director Bill Burton at the end of the year. Yeah, now
there’s a good move fellas.
The section’s books are in the black
for the first time in years, the players and their Monday events got
more newspapers space than ever and the website is bright and
informative. Nonetheless, the pros have decided to make a change.
Maybe Burton’s mistake was advancing
things like the “Grow The Game” initiative. It seems to me an
influential core of the section pros are infinitely more interested in a
“Grow The Wallet” program.
Two messages: In the future, please
don’t come to this bureau to complain about coverage of your events;
your sponsors are not our sponsors. And best of luck to the next den
mother.
GATEWAY SALE The annual season-ending
Gateway Golf Clearance Sale is under way at Machinists Hall in St.
Charles. The event runs from Friday through Sunday, with hours from 9 to
5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Both equipment and apparel is featured
in the sale, with merchandise marked down between 20-70 percent.
Shoppers also can register to win a 3-day trip to Cancun, courtesy of
Altair Travel, Apple Vacations and AMResorts. There will be daily
drawings for other prizes and golf getaways.
Machinists Hall is located at 12365 St.
Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Mo., just north of I-70 and east of
I-270.
BORN TO PUTT Maybe it’s something in
the food. The last two Putting leaders on the PGA Tour spent a large
portion of their upbringing in India. Daniel Chopra won the Putting
crown this season after Arjun Atwal won the title last season.
IN THE MONEYA record 93 players earned
$1 million or more this season with 31 of them winning at least $2
million.
GLOBAL GAMEInternational players won
15 times this year, eight of them by Australians. A total of 13
countries were represented among the top 125 money winners—the U.S.,
Fiji, Sweden, Australia, England, Japan, Colombia, South Africa, Canada,
South Korea, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Spain.
Players in their 20s won 13 times, in
their 30s 28 times and the 40-somethings won seven times.
YOUNG AND OLD The youngest player to
win on Tour this year was J.B. Holmes who was 23 years, 10 months and
one day old when he won the FBR Open. The oldest player to win was Corey
Pavin who was 46 years, eight months and 14 days old when he won the
U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.
It was a great year for rookies. Four
of them were able to record wins (Trevor Immelman, Troy Matteson, J.B.
Holmes and Eric Axley) and 11 finished among the Top 125. The others
were Camilo Villegas, Nathan Green, Charley Hoffman, Bubba Watson, Bill
Haas, Daisuke Maruyama and Nick O’Hern.
In fact, eight rookies topped the $1
million mark in earnings, including Trevor Immelman who set an all-time
rookie earnings record of $3,844,189.
SUPER SOUTHPAWS It was also a big year
for lefthanders with six finishing among the top 125. They included Phil
Mickelson, Mike Weir, Steve Flesch, Eric Axley, Bubba Watson and Nick
O’Hern.
Here Are some other season-ending quick
facts about the 2006 PGA Tour:
Jason Gore recorded the season’s
longest drive with a 427-yard effort on the 12th hole at Kapalua during
the Mercedes Championships.
There were three rounds of 60 fired
this year on the PGA Tour, the most in any one season in history. Nearly
hitting the magic 59 mark were Pat Perez (Bob Hope Chrysler Classic),
Arron Oberholser (EDS Byron Nelson Championship) and Justin Rose (FUNAI
Classic at Walt Disney World Resort).
Shane Bertsch and Patrick Sheehan had
the most starts, each competed in 34 tournaments.
Steve Flesch played in (119) the most
rounds.
Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh each had 13
Top-10 finishes this year to lead the Tour.
Tiger Woods had 10 Top-3 finishes in15
starts.
Fred Funk and Brett Quigley had the
most rounds in the 60s this year - each had 47.
Woods and Steve Stricker shared the
title for hitting the ball closest to the hole on average at 31 feet, 7
inches.
Joe Durant had the longest streak
during the year of hitting fairways with 52 in a row.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson hit the
most Greens In Regulation in a row with 37.
Luke Donald had the longest stretch
without a 3-putt—276 consecutive holes.
Corey Pavin led the PGA Tour in
Scrambling, getting up and down 66.45% of the time.
Brent Geiberger made the most putts
from 25 feet and beyond - 34.
Jim Furyk played the Par-3 holes at
13-under – best on Tour - while Tiger Woods was the best on the Par 4s
at 44-under. Lucas Glover topped everyone on the Par 5s at 153-under.
Now for the Champions Tour:
Loren Roberts had the most top-10s this
year with 18 in his 21 starts.
Bob Gilder had the most starts with 28.
He led the Tour in this same category last year, also with 28 starts.
Dan Pohl led the Champions Tour in
Driving Distance (293.0) for the second consecutive year—he was the only
repeat winner of a stat category this year.
Hajime Meshiai had the longest drive on
Tour this year with a 401-yard effort at the Greater Kansas City Golf
Classic.
Fred Funk was the youngest winner,
claiming the AT&T Championship crown at 50 years, four months and eight
days. The oldest winner was Gil Morgan, who won the Allianz Championship
at age 59 years, nine months and 21 days.
Hale Irwin’s record streak of 11
consecutive seasons with at least one victory came to an end this year.
Sorry, Flash.
Morris Hatalsky was the top scrambler
on Tour getting up and down 65.71% of the time.
Loren Roberts had the most rounds (40)
in the 60s.
Three players ended long victory
droughts in PGA Tour co-sponsored events this year. Jerry Pate earned
his first win since the 1982 Players Championship, Andy Bean his first
since the 1986 EDS Byron Nelson Classic and David Edwards his first
since the 1993 MCI Heritage.
Loren Roberts had the lowest percentage
of three-putts – surprise, surprise. He three-putted only 19 times in
1,206 holes (1.58%).
Jay Haas played the Par-3 holes the
best (18-under), while Loren Roberts was the best on Par 4s (55-under)
and Bob Gilder the best on Par 5s (124-under).
Scott Simpson was the top rookie earner
with $1,340,676, just ahead of David Edwards who collected $1,191,086.
As for the Nationwide Tour:
Boo Weekley finished in the top 10 in
Driving Distance (299.9) and Driving Accuracy (73.51%). He was the
obviously the leader in Total Driving (19) and he was also No. 1 on
Scoring Average (69.59) and Greens In Regulation (74.31). His Total
Driving score and his GIR mark are both new Tour records.
Jeff Quinney set a new Nationwide Tour
record for earnings without a victory - $317,802.
Scott Hend led the Tour in Driving
Distance at 315.5 yards per drive. He led the PGA Tour in the same
category last year.
Three players - Paul Claxton, Scott
Weatherly and Scott Ford – played a Tour-leading 30 tournaments.
A record 10 players earned at least
$300,000. A total of 22 players earned at least $200,000 and 62
collected at least $100,000.
Michael Sim was the youngest winner in
2006, earning the title at the PalmettoPride Classic on his 22nd
birthday.
The oldest winner was Jim Rutledge, who
was 46 years, six months old when he won the ING New Zealand PGA
Championship.
Eight international players were
victorious this year—Paul Sheehan (Australia), Jim Rutledge (Canada),
Paul Gow (Australia), Andrew Buckle (Australia), Brenden Pappas (South
Africa), Gavin Coles (Australia), Kevin Na (South Korea) and Michael Sim
(Australia).
Two players - Tripp Isenhour and Gavin
Coles - each graduated to the PGA Tour for the third time. Only three
other players have done so in the history of the Tour—Sean Murphy, Chris
Smith and Jeff Gove.
Ricky Barnes made the cut in his last
23 consecutive starts this year. That’s the second longest streak in
Tour history.
Jarrod Lyle led the Tour in Scrambling
this year, getting up and down 65.93% of the time.
Boo Weekley and Ken Duke each had nine
Top-10 finishes this year to lead the Tour.
Jim Rutledge had the longest drive on
Tour this year with a 410-yard effort at the Scholarship America
Showdown.
Johnson Wagner and Boo Weekley each had
47 rounds in the 60s this year, topping the Tour.
Eight players who won this year failed
to graduate to the PGA Tour, but four players who didn’t win did. Jeff
Quinney, Michael Putnam, Boo Weekley and Jarrod Lyle all finished in the
Top 20 this year without earning a victory.
Johnson Wagner played the Par 3 holes
better than anyone at 13-under par, while Boo Weekley topped the list on
the Par-4s at 41-under. Wagner and Ken Duke led the way on Par 5 holes
at 150-under.
Notebook Archives:
Dan's
Notebook -
11/7/2006
Dan's
Notebook -
10/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 9/30/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 9/10/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 9/1/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 8/25/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 8/18/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 8/11/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 8/4/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 7/22/2006
Dan's
Notebook - week of 7/15/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 6/25/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 6/18/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 6/11/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 6/4/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 5/28/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 5/21/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 5/14/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 5/7/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 4/30/2006
Dan's Notebook
- week of 4/23/2006
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