Sips of Maginnes: Future secure in Memphis, Garrigus' swing
By John Maginnes, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
I don't often give accolades to tournament officials, simply because every week on the PGA TOUR the local staff and volunteers do an unbelievable job and raise a tremendous amount of money for the community, but two men deserve a little recognition in Memphis after the St. Jude Classic presented by Smith and Nephew.
• Tournament Director Phil Cannon and Tournament Chairman Jack Sammons were left in a pretty awkward position after the federal government stormed the offices at Stanford Financial. With their title sponsor gone and their community alienated, Phil, Jack and a team of community leaders set about to rebuild the old Danny Thomas Memphis Open. Although they still haven't found a title sponsor, Smith and Nephew stepped up as a presenting sponsor this year and the tournament was a tremendous success. With Phil and Jack at the helm, the 52-year-old tournament is going to be around for a long time to come.
• Two of the fastest players on the PGA TOUR were paired together in the second group out on Sunday. Justin Bolli was playing by himself in the first group and he needed a pair of track shoes to stay in front of John Daly and Chris Riley. The pair played 18 holes in a little more than two-and-a-half hours. Chris shot an even-par 70 while Daly shot 73. If you are wondering who is faster, it's a toss-up. The next full practice swing that either man takes will be his first. When John and Chris finished the group immediately behind them was on the 14th green -- and David Toms and Roger Tambellini still finished in under four hours.
• After a triple bogey and a double bogey on Nos. 11 and 12, respectively, in the opening round the defending champion found himself 6 over. But Brian Gay wasn't ready to pack up and go home. He made three birdies in a row to finish with a 73. He backed that up with a 67 in the second round and then bettered that on Saturday with 65. From way behind the cut line to the top-10 by Saturday night was the biggest move of the week.
• Young Jordan Speith made his second start on the PGA TOUR this week after a terrific showing at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The hospitality in Memphis where he missed the cut wasn't quite as good as the home cooking in Dallas, where he tied for 16th. In between the two events, Jordan went to the prom. No word on when we will see Jordan again inside the ropes on the PGA TOUR. One thing is certain, there is plenty of time.
• In a completely unrelated topic, Ty Tryon qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday at Woodmont in Rockville, Md. You will remember Ty as the 17-year-old who survived q-school back in 2001. Ty struggled as a member of the PGA TOUR the following season. Now at the ripe old age of 26, Ty is playing the mini-tours and trying to work his way back to the PGA TOUR. This will be Ty's first major championship.
• There were a handful of players who survived one of the 36-hole qualifiers for the U.S. Open and then contended at the St. Jude Classic. Memphian Shaun Micheel survived the heat at Colonial Country Club in his hometown and then found himself in the third to last group on Sunday. Bob Estes won the qualifier in Houston before hopping a flight to Memphis where he is a former champion. It was a long week for all of those players who teed it up in U.S. Open qualifying and then made the cut in Memphis -- six rounds of competitive golf in seven days.
• Brandt Snedeker also grabbed one of the spots in the U.S. Open in Memphis on Monday. You would expect after walking 36 holes on Monday that he would take the morning off on Tuesday. But Brandt was on the driving range at TPC Southwind early Tuesday morning doing a little fine tuning with his instructor Todd Anderson. Obviously after shooting 69-66 in the qualifier the day before there wasn't a whole lot of work to be done. So what did it look like they were working on Tuesday morning? The same thing that all of us should pay attention to every time we head to the golf course -- setup and alignment. For a TOUR player, the more you play the more likely your ball position and your alignment can get a little out of synch. Nothing wrong with an extra set of eyes to keep you pointing where you are aiming.
• The triple bogey that Robert Garrigus made on No. 18 Sunday was undoubtedly one of the most painful moments to watch in professional golf over the last decade. Robert has battled his way through the ranks by launching massive drives and playing with a short putter. He will undoubtedly replay the 18th hole in his mind over and over again for a long time.
"I made a nervous swing," Robert said afterwards. He went on to say that he was not clear on the situation. He thought that his lead was just one or two. Had he known, perhaps things would have been different. Everyone who has ever played professional golf can sympathize with Robert today.
We know that the 72nd hole at TPC Southwind will eat at him for a long time. Hopefully he will be able to take positives out of the week -- not the least of which is the fact that he had his best finish ever on the PGA TOUR. Moreover, he will likely have to add a tournament or two to his schedule at the end of the season in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
• Two non-members of the PGA TOUR were left to decide things in Memphis. Lee Westwood became the first European to win the St. Jude Classic on the fourth extra hole. He was the highest-ranked player in the field and the heavy favorite. Heading into the second major of the year you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the world playing better than Lee Westwood. Even though history is not on his side -- no player has ever won a PGA TOUR event the week before the U.S. Open and then gone on to win the Open the next week -- Lee is a good bet.
Former PGA TOUR player John Maginnes is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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