Monday Backspin: Why 59 will be broken; Open preview; more

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How long will it be before someone shoots 58 in a PGA TOUR event? That's a legitimate question after Paul Goydos became the fourth player to shoot 59 at last week's John Deere Classic.

Ryo Ishikawa already shot a 58 in Japan earlier this year, and Jason Bohn and Shigeki Maruyama have, too -- in a Canadian Tour event and U.S. Open qualifying, respectively. Actually, it's more surprising there haven't been more 59s.

Yes, Goydos achieved the feat playing lift, clean and place, and he did it on a par-71 course. But that doesn't diminish the accomplishment, especially when you consider that Goydos was well aware what he needed to do down the stretch to reach golf's magic number.

So what is it about a 59 that's made it so rare?

"I think that's an interesting question," Goydos said. "That's just a mythical number in our game.

"Obviously 1 is a pretty magical number in our sport, too, but it happens a lot more."

Champion's Replay

Want to hear what Steve Stricker said about his win in the John Deere Classic? Click here John Deere: Leaderboard More coverage: • Highlights • Stricker interview • Complete tourney coverage

This year alone, there have been 25 holes-in-one, including one at the John Deere Classic by Rocco Mediate. And Goydos certainly didn't come to Illinois with anyone thinking he would shoot 59.

Goydos had missed his last two cuts and had withdrawn from another event, traveled last Monday, hit two bags of balls on Tuesday and played the pro-am on Wednesday.

"The quantum leap from where I thought it was getting better to where it went [Thursday], I can't explain," Goydos said.

"I've had one good opportunity at home this year to shoot 59 with my friends, and did the same thing. Actually needed one birdie on the last four holes and couldn't do it. But it's an iconic number in our game."

And it's one that seems might be broken sooner than later given some recent trends.

On a side note, with only six weeks to go until the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExcup, Stock Up and Stock Down will focus on the playoff picture and who played his way in or out.

Stock up

Paul Goydos: Goydos was already in the Playoffs picture, but not by much. He had two missed cuts and a WD before his second-place finish in Illinois. Now he's assured a spot in The Barclays. FedExCup rank: 50 (118 last week) Shaun Micheel: His second fourth-place finish in a month has Micheel in good shape for the Playoffs. Two of his other three starts during that span were also in the top 35. FedExCup rank: 57 (T74 last week) Brett Quigley: Quigley's first top-10 of the season couldn't have come at a better time as he moved inside the top 125 on the FedExCup points list. Now can he stay there? FedExCup rank: 119 (136 last week)

Stock down

Joe Durant: A second straight missed cut has Durant on the outside looking in right now as he's a combined 3 over in his last four rounds at TC Deere Run and Aronimink. FedExCup rank: 132 (124 last week) Lee Janzen: Two missed cuts and a tie for 68th at last week's John Deere Classic have pushed Janzen, who has three top-25s this season, outside the top 125. FedExCup rank: 128 (120 last week) Chris Stroud: After three straight finishes in the top 30, including a T10 at THE PLAYERS Championship, Stroud missed three straight cuts and hasn't finished in the top 40 in any of his last three starts. FedExCup rank: 127 (119 last week)

THE BACK NINE: 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. You have to wonder if this is going to be the start of something special for Steve Stricker. We saw it last year in the Playoffs, when he went T2-1st in The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship. Stricker tends to be streaky good and he's had a couple of top-10s the last few years at the Open Championship.

2. Stat of the week: Stricker has now converted his last three 54-hole leads into victories. Yes, he had to sweat this latest one out at times Sunday, but the point is Stricker knows how to close out a tournament.

3. For all the talk of the next generation of players taking over the game, five guys in their 40s have won this year on TOUR, which is a perfect segue to ...

4. Rickie Fowler is sixth on TOUR in greens in regulation and 13th in total driving, yet he missed his second straight cut and eighth in 19 events this year last week in Illinois. What do you call that? Being a rookie. He also has five top-10s, though, and is the front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors.

5. I interviewed Steve Williams for a Q&A you can read later this week on PGATOUR.COM and after talking to him all I can say is there is nothing that makes me think Tiger Woods is going to win this week. Not with the way Woods is putting.

6. That said, all it takes is one good week of putting to turn the entire year around and Williams is hoping a return trip to St. Andrews will conjure up some good memories for Woods.

7. Is it me, or has this season gone by really quick? We're only six weeks away from the start of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup and there is not even close to a clear-cut candidate for Player of the Year honors.

8. The most talked about course topic this week will undoubtedly be St. Andrews' famous road hole and the changes made to it -- the tee pushed back and a narrower landing area. The idea is to try to entice players to hit driver off the tee, though early accounts seem to indicate a lot of players will be conservative and still hit an iron off the tee and just lay up short and right of the green.

9. After LeBron-apalooza, I'm glad everyone is a free agent in golf.

Last week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-5, 557-yard 17th at TPC Deere Run LAST WEEK: Mark Wilson moved within two shots of the lead after dropping a 31-foot putt for eagle in the final round at TPC Deere Run. Click here to tour the Kodak Challenge holes | Current Kodak Challenge standings

The Forward Spin

The Open Championship and St. Andrews just seem to go together. Of course the $64 million question is how will Tiger Woods play? Asked earlier this year about major venues, he quipped that he wished all four majors were played there. It's his favorite course in the world and the place where he was introduced to links golf. It's pretty simple: If he putts well, he'll be in contention on Sunday. For those who didn't get into the Open, there is the Reno-Tahoe Open at the Montreux Golf & Country Club, where Scott McCarron will serve as the tournament's host. McCarron has had a difficult season with just seven made cuts in 19 starts, but he's also played a little better of late with a tie for 13th at the Travelers Championship and a tie for seventh at the Quail Hollow Championship.