OT: Travelers Golf

[mauconnfan]

Just came home grabbed a cold on and watching some of the late golf and the place looks dead. It's not the same fan free place it used to be where you were proud to have your home state hosting the event due to the huge droves of people walking and watching. Bubba, Keegan and Sergio pretty much the only household names anywhere near the top many of the others are web.com grads and stuff.

They need to catch a break and get a better date of course, but with crowds like these the PGA won't do that for them.

 

[Kitaman]

They need to catch a break and get a better date of course, but with crowds like these the PGA won't do that for them.

Perhaps more prize money (but that ain't happening). Its like that tennis match in New Haven I went to. The dates are horrible with a major event held the following week.

Maybe start play on Wednesday ending Saturday so players can rest an extra day for the PGA event the next week. Hate to see a Connecticut event fade away into obscurity, how many more punches can the state take?

By the way, I know we had a golf course thread, but I've never seen the Cromwell course, is it the most challengeing and scenic course the state has to offer?

We are on the sound, and a course with a water view would seem very attractive. Not sure if where the best 'water view' course is and I ain't looking through that 15 page thread.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Just came home grabbed a cold on and watching some of the late golf and the place looks dead. It's not the same fan free place it used to be where you were proud to have your home state hosting the event due to the huge droves of people walking and watching. Bubba, Keegan and Sergio pretty much the only household names anywhere near the top many of the others are web.com grads and stuff.

They need to catch a break and get a better date of course, but with crowds like these the PGA won't do that for them.

The quality of the field will always be dependent on the location of the US Open. The closer it is to Ct., the better chance of getting a better field.


You still have Bubba, Keegan Ernie Else, Vijay, Toms, Harrington, Cabrera, Love III and Cink who have all won majors.

Throw in Sergio, Molinari, Baddeley, Donald, Snedeker, Reed and Mahan who have all been on Ryder Cup or President Cup teams.

If that's the "down" year, you are doing okay.

Course looks great, I'd like to see 17 get about 15-20 yard longer. 15-18 are a great finish, but I'd like to see one of them require the players to put the brakes on a little bit.

 

[Deepster]

17 is funny. We watched about 6 groups and 80-90% of the balls ended in 1 of the same 2 spots and there weren't as many birdies as you'd think for a relatively straight 296 years par 4. And it was fun viewing.

 

[uconnfan68]

17 is funny. We watched about 6 groups and 80-90% of the balls ended in 1 of the same 2 spots and there weren't as many birdies as you'd think for a relatively straight 296 years par 4. And it was fun viewing.

Did you mean 15?

 

[UConnKev]

Perhaps more prize money (but that ain't happening). Its like that tennis match in New Haven I went to. The dates are horrible with a major event held the following week.

Maybe start play on Wednesday ending Saturday so players can rest an extra day for the PGA event the next week. Hate to see a Connecticut event fade away into obscurity, how many more punches can the state take?

By the way, I know we had a golf course thread, but I've never seen the Cromwell course, is it the most challengeing and scenic course the state has to offer?

We are on the sound, and a course with a water view would seem very attractive. Not sure if where the best 'water view' course is and I ain't looking through that 15 page thread.

Most scenic? No. Most challenging? Definitely not. Is it the most fan friendly? Absolutely.

 

[Vuce]

The prize money in this tourney is over 6 million I think and the winner gets 1'million. That is pretty good isn't it? I carry scores at the event every year and the caddies and golfers say they love it. Next year the U.S. Open is in PA so it is a short trip and the field should be very good. I think it is good this year too. And it is not going away soon. Last year the PGA and Travelers agreed to a 10 ear extension of the event. Jason Day was supposed to be here too but the vertigo knocked him out of it

 

[JSM1970]

I was there today. I thought it was great. Hadn't been in a number of years. So many great changes, the whole Fan Zone, practice facility, all the technology with scoreboards everywhere giving info about players, shots, etc.

I looked afterwards and the purse, $6.4MM, is actually higher than the Phoenix Open ($6.3mm), which is considered the Gold standard of non-major tourneys.

Biggest issue is timing, after U.S. Open. Tough. Guys want to decompress after all that. Several of the upcoming Opens are closer, 2016 Oakmont (Pittsburgh), 2018 Shinnecock (LI), 2020 Winged Foot (Weschester).

Just came home grabbed a cold on and watching some of the late golf and the place looks dead. It's not the same fan free place it used to be where you were proud to have your home state hosting the event due to the huge droves of people walking and watching. Bubba, Keegan and Sergio pretty much the only household names anywhere near the top many of the others are web.com grads and stuff.

They need to catch a break and get a better date of course, but with crowds like these the PGA won't do that for them.

 

[DogMania]

17 is funny. We watched about 6 groups and 80-90% of the balls ended in 1 of the same 2 spots and there weren't as many birdies as you'd think for a relatively straight 296 years par 4. And it was fun viewing.

It's funny that you mention 17. A relatively new addition to my area at Travelers, who I'm training, volunteered for the Travelers Championship and texted me today that he was holding up the Quiet sign at the green at 17. I texted him back that if the ball was coming his way to remember to tuck, duck and roll.

 

[UConn4ever]

The quality of the field will always be dependent on the location of the US Open. The closer it is to Ct., the better chance of getting a better field.


You still have Bubba, Keegan Ernie Else, Vijay, Toms, Harrington, Cabrera, Love III and Cink who have all won majors.

Throw in Sergio, Molinari, Baddeley, Donald, Snedeker, Reed and Mahan who have all been on Ryder Cup or President Cup teams.

If that's the "down" year, you are doing okay.

Course looks great, I'd like to see 17 get about 15-20 yard longer. 15-18 are a great finish, but I'd like to see one of them require the players to put the brakes on a little bit.

I also thought the field was very good this year and Jason Day would also be here if his vertigo didn't show up last week. Not to mention the current Fed Ex champion is also playing here this week.

This event is never going to get every big name like some of the bigger ones that aren't majors do, but I feel like this event is attracting bigger names every year hell remember some of the fields we had for the GHO?? We've come along way from that, and the crowds will be much better for the weekend!

 

[The X Man]

I always wanted to make Sportcenter but didn't want it to be after almost being hit by a Bubba Watson tee shot and then falling in a sand trap but I did.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

I always wanted to make Sportcenter but didn't want it to be after almost being hit by a Bubba Watson tee shot and then falling in a sand trap but I did.

Beggars can't be choosers

 

[mauconnfan]

I always wanted to make Sportcenter but didn't want it to be after almost being hit by a Bubba Watson tee shot and then falling in a sand trap but I did.

You would have made a lot more people happy and most of the tour players also if you waited for Bubba and told him he was an a** wipe while wiping sand out of your hair. Now that's the way to go. Not sure how anyone roots for this other than being impressed by his prodigious length and shotmaking? Here he is in a bubble from the Courant today:

Sunday will not be stress-free. In 2013, DeLaet was tied with Watson and Charley Hoffman for first at 10-under after three rounds at TPC River Highlands. DeLaet played with Hoffman in the final pairing. Hoffman faltered with a 72 to drop to seventh. DeLaet had a 69 to finish third. Chris Stroud, who sits in seventh this time around, charged into a playoff with Ken Duke with a 67 after Watson imploded. Bubba dumped his 9-iron shot in the water and barked at his caddie Ted Scott. He came off badly on national television as his lead vanished into a fourth-place finish with an ugly triple bogey. Watson sure sounded as if he was blaming Scott.

Duke, at 44, would dramatically become a first-time winner on the PGA Tour that day. It's something DeLaet would love to duplicate Sunday.

Bubba can be unpredictable. He can be a sweetheart. He can been funny. He can open his heart and spill his emotions about the dearest and most important matters of his life. He also can grow hissy. We got another glimpse Saturday when asked in his press conference if he was disappointed with his round. "Have you ever shot a 68 before?" Watson said. No, was the response. "Would you be happy with it?" Of course, was the response. "OK, so I'm happy with it, too," he said. If you had watched the round closely, watched every Bubba expression, every shot, he obviously wasn't happy with it.

In an ESPN.com anonymous survey earlier this year, 103 players were asked which fellow player wouldn't they help in a fist fight. Watson easily topped the list. Ouch.

"I take it as I need to improve as a man," Watson said when asked about it at the time.

 

[Danzz]

Don't know about attendance this year but the Travelers used to be 2nd on the PGA tour to Phoenix. We still get more fans than most of the tournaments on the PGA tour and it is recognized as one of the best run tournaments.
I can remember following Jack, Arnie and Trevino (he lives off 16th tee) at Wethersfield but the truth is we rarely got a great field. These guys have to take a break and mark off tournaments and the Travelers is a likely candidate. As Chin Diesel said, the field can have a lot to do with the US Open location.

 

[UconnMICK]

I always wanted to make Sportcenter but didn't want it to be after almost being hit by a Bubba Watson tee shot and then falling in a sand trap but I did.

I actually saw that on the Golf Channel replay last night. Had to re-rind it a couple of times to get the full gist of what actually happened. It looked like a kid pulled you down a bit. Hope you are both OK!

You should have made a sand angel while you were in there!

P.S. I agree 1,000% with mauconnfan Re: Bubba. At last year's tournament, my wife, two boys and I witnessed his whinny attitude on multiple occasions.... Needless to say, we didn't follow him at all yesterday.

 

[Chin Diesel]

You would have made a lot more people happy and most of the tour players also if you waited for Bubba and told him he was an a** wipe while wiping sand out of your hair. Now that's the way to go. Not sure how anyone roots for this other than being impressed by his prodigious length and shotmaking? Here he is in a bubble from the Courant today:

Sunday will not be stress-free. In 2013, DeLaet was tied with Watson and Charley Hoffman for first at 10-under after three rounds at TPC River Highlands. DeLaet played with Hoffman in the final pairing. Hoffman faltered with a 72 to drop to seventh. DeLaet had a 69 to finish third. Chris Stroud, who sits in seventh this time around, charged into a playoff with Ken Duke with a 67 after Watson imploded. Bubba dumped his 9-iron shot in the water and barked at his caddie Ted Scott. He came off badly on national television as his lead vanished into a fourth-place finish with an ugly triple bogey. Watson sure sounded as if he was blaming Scott.

Duke, at 44, would dramatically become a first-time winner on the PGA Tour that day. It's something DeLaet would love to duplicate Sunday.

Bubba can be unpredictable. He can be a sweetheart. He can been funny. He can open his heart and spill his emotions about the dearest and most important matters of his life. He also can grow hissy. We got another glimpse Saturday when asked in his press conference if he was disappointed with his round. "Have you ever shot a 68 before?" Watson said. No, was the response. "Would you be happy with it?" Of course, was the response. "OK, so I'm happy with it, too," he said. If you had watched the round closely, watched every Bubba expression, every shot, he obviously wasn't happy with it.

In an ESPN.com anonymous survey earlier this year, 103 players were asked which fellow player wouldn't they help in a fist fight. Watson easily topped the list. Ouch.

"I take it as I need to improve as a man," Watson said when asked about it at the time.

We had a similar thread about Bubba a few years ago. Presumably during Traveler's week and after the 9-iron on 16.

I think the article is about right. His on course play can be brilliant, but he is still weak mentally. That is why the US Open will be nearly impossible for him to ever win. He lets small things get to him and lets it impact his game. There is almost no chance of him playing 72 holes straight without a 6-9 hole stretch of bad attitude. Places like Augusta let you get away with that because there are birdies and eagles to make up lost time.

It's easy to see how he can be off-putting. Petulant and prickly are probably two accurate words to describe him.

On the other hand............kid grew up in a very middle class environment and taught himself to golf on a driving range at a municipal golf course. He lives in Arizona but grew up in Bagdad, Florida about 20 minutes outside of Pensacola. He has funded 100% the Divot Derby, a local youth golf tournament that has significant regional participation, for a 5-6 year period, does multiple free demonstrations for the military across the country and invested back in the Pensacola area with businesses. This year he became a minority owner in the local AA baseball team and spent an entire week working with staff throughout the organization to better learn their jobs and how they relate to the overall organization. He married his college sweetheart from Georgia and they've adopted two kids since one of them is unable to make it happen naturally.

Which makes the paragraph you quoted about being a sweetheart, spill his emotions and be prickly spot on. He has a few close knit friends on the tour and I doubt he cares much what the rest of the field cares about him.

Good or bad, like or dislike, he's loyal and since Traveler's was his first tour win, he's going to make this a regular part of his schedule.

 

[mauconnfan]

Okay but back to the real Bubba.

He did a commercial for ESPN at a course in Farmington at Westwoods, a little 18 hole par 60 or something like that where old couples play mostly. He did this just a few years back and he got there and the pro wanted to say hi and he brushed him off then asked the ESPN people to please get all the local golfers from there who heard about this through the grapevine off the course and out of the way. He wanted this done fast and didn't need people hanging around and asking for autographs and alike - they cleared the course, he did his commercial and he got in his limo without a thanks or smile from what I hear. He's a , give him excuses if you want Chin I don't guy any of his act. Would rather a Euro win most any tourney than he, and even in the Ryder Cup I find it hard at times. And his small hometown crap? Why would a guy buy Tiger's old mansion in Jupiter? I know because he has the money I get it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Okay but back to the real Bubba.

He did a commercial for ESPN at a course in Farmington at Westwoods, a little 18 hole par 60 or something like that where old couples play mostly. He did this just a few years back and he got there and the pro wanted to say hi and he brushed him off then asked the ESPN people to please get all the local golfers from there who heard about this through the grapevine off the course and out of the way. He wanted this done fast and didn't need people hanging around and asking for autographs and alike - they cleared the course, he did his commercial and he got in his limo without a thanks or smile from what I hear. He's a , give him excuses if you want Chin I don't guy any of his act. Would rather a Euro win most any tourney than he, and even in the Ryder Cup I find it hard at times. And his small hometown crap? Why would a guy buy Tiger's old mansion in Jupiter? I know because he has the money I get it.

Didn't know he bought Tiger's place in Jupiter. I thought he was living in Arizona with some property in northern Georgia. I remember your story about the golf commercial too. Like I said, he isn't a "people" person and isn't comfortable at all in the corporate sponsor settings.

On a side note, completely separate from Bubba, unless you know the context of what he was doing that day or week, I wouldn't judge a person on one example when it comes to fans. I take the 40,000 foot view. I know it sounds great as fans to say these guys should always be congenial and available because without fans willing to pay to see them, they don't have the lives they live. Reality is that all these professionals have bad days and bad fan interactions.

Funny thing, is I don't think he has an act. What you see is what you get. Good or bad, you get his emotions instantly and unfiltered.

 

[mauconnfan]

Fair enough. It's not easy being them for sure. Even Steve the old caddy for Tiger stuck up for him because he said his life was so far from reality. It's a Bubb(a)l they live in.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Fair enough. It's not easy being them for sure. Even Steve the old caddy for Tiger stuck up for him because he said his life was so far from reality. It's a Bubb(a)l they live in.

that's funny. and true.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Fair enough. It's not easy being them for sure. Even Steve the old caddy for Tiger stuck up for him because he said his life was so far from reality. It's a Bubb(a)l they live in.

That's one thing that makes golf and tennis a bit different than most other sports. You become attached (good or bad) to an individual more than a team or a school.

 

[Waquoit]

Don't know about attendance this year but the Travelers used to be 2nd on the PGA tour to Phoenix.

Yeah, I think they really papered the house back then. I remember Randy Smith writing that if you couldn't get a free ticket to the GHO, you really weren't paying attention.

 

[storrsroars]

Yeah, I think they really papered the house back then. I remember Randy Smith writing that if you couldn't get a free ticket to the GHO, you really weren't paying attention.

I don't know about "papering". I went 3x back in the 90s when Daly would bring in crowds and Phil won one. Pretty much everyone I knew who attended got their tix from suppliers at work. I got mine from a printer. So seems lot of CT businesses were buying stacks of tix to give to customers. There was some money being exchanged.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Amazing what some heavy air and wet grass does for that course. Par from the fairway becomes tough.

A double Bubba for the Traveler's.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

Okay but back to the real Bubba.

He did a commercial for ESPN at a course in Farmington at Westwoods, a little 18 hole par 60 or something like that where old couples play mostly. He did this just a few years back and he got there and the pro wanted to say hi and he brushed him off then asked the ESPN people to please get all the local golfers from there who heard about this through the grapevine off the course and out of the way. He wanted this done fast and didn't need people hanging around and asking for autographs and alike - they cleared the course, he did his commercial and he got in his limo without a thanks or smile from what I hear. He's a , give him excuses if you want Chin I don't guy any of his act. Would rather a Euro win most any tourney than he, and even in the Ryder Cup I find it hard at times. And his small hometown crap? Why would a guy buy Tiger's old mansion in Jupiter? I know because he has the money I get it.

He rented my girlfriends house on TPC the past few years during the tournament. Awful to deal with and caused thousands of dollars worth of damage last year when he stayed there (He paid for repairs).