PGA Tour: Top Stories from a Busy 2 Weeks

Despite the PGA Tour's Fall Series and several notable events taking place on the European Tour, October and November are typically quiet months in the world of golf.

However, between Tiger Woods attending the Frys.com Open, Luke Donald and Webb Simpson battling it out for the PGA Tour money title, Rory McIlroy making some more headlines off the course and Sergio Garcia returning to the winners circle, the past few weeks have been anything but quiet in the world of golf.

Here are the top five stories from a busy two weeks.

Luke Donald Wins Disney and the PGA Tour Money Title

Starting his final round five strokes behind the leaders last Sunday, Luke Donald ran off six straight birdies on the back nine en route to a final round score of 64, which was good enough to earn him both the Disney Children’s Miracle Network Classic title and the PGA Tour’s money title.

Donald’s win at Disney concluded arguably the best season of any player in the world in 2011.

Donald took over the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings back in May, and has done nothing but increase his lead in ranking points since that time.

Donald racked up five wins around the world in 2011, including wins at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the BMW PGA Championship.

In addition to the PGA Tour money title, Donald will likely win the European Tour Money title as well, making him the first player in history to win both titles in the same season.  

Donald led the PGA Tour in Top-10 finishes (14 in 19 events), won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average (68.86) and led the tour in strokes gained putting.

Although Donald had an amazingly consistent year in 2011, that first major championship still managed to elude the 33-year-old native of Hertfordshire, England. Donald came close at the Masters with a T4, but finished 45th at the U.S. Open, missed the cut at the Open Championship, and despite a T8 at the PGA Championship, Donald was never really in contention on Sunday at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

If Donald wants to be remembered as a truly great player, he will need to take that next step in the coming years.

Sergio Garcia Wins the Castello Masters Costa Azahar

Last week in Castellon, Spain, Sergio Garcia ended a nearly three-year title drought with an 11-stroke victory at the Castello Masters.

Garcia finished at 27-under-par 257, and the 11 strokes separating him from second place finisher Gonzalo Fdez-Castano was the third largest margin of victory in European Tour history.

After falling outside of the Top 75 in the world last season, Garcia been has slowly but surely climbed his way back up the World Golf Rankings in 2011.

Garcia had nine Top-25 finishes in 16 events on the PGA Tour, and his 2011 scoring average was nearly a stroke and-a-half better per round than in 2010.

Garcia has now jumped to 35th in the World Golf Rankings and is looking to have an even bigger season in 2012, which just happens to be a Ryder Cup year.  

Rory McIlroy Leaves ISM

No one other than Rory McIlory knows the true reason behind his decision to part ways with ISM and his longtime agent Chubby Chandler, but most assume it was a combination of several factors.

First off, many believe that McIlory was not happy with some of the advice he was given regarding his 2011 playing schedule and relinquishing his PGA Tour membership after playing just one season in America. Chandler, a former European Tour player himself, has always been partial to the European Tour and has been critical of many of the PGA Tour’s policies in recent years.

Although some of the PGA Tour’s membership policies certainly make it difficult for members to play truly international schedules these days, the big money still lies on the PGA Tour.  Purses are far higher and sponsorship dollars are massive when compared to what most full-time European Tour members earn.  

Although no one quite knows whether McIlroy’s decision to relinquish his PGA Tour membership in 2011 and skip the Players Championship was his decision alone or whether he was persuaded to do so by Chandler, one thing is for sure, it was not in his best financial interest.    

Second, many assume that Chandler’s large and growing stable of world class players led to McIlory not receiving the amount of personal attention he may have desired.

And then there was the “Chubby Slam.”

After three of Chandler’s clients won the first three majors of the 2011 season, including McIlroy’s U.S. Open title, and a lot of attention was given to Chandler and ISM.

Although it’s no secret that Chandler likes to be seen around major championship golf courses, which is not overly difficult for a man with the nickname “Chubby,” it was the media and not Chandler that created the “Chubby Slam.”

If one of Chandler’s clients won the 2011 PGA Championship, Chandler would have had a client win every major in 2011, thus completing the “Chubby Slam.”

Of course, that didn’t happen as PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley was not an ISM client, but the damage had been done in the eyes of some of Chandler’s key clients.

The agent had become bigger than the golfers, which is a big no-no in this modern world of ultra-sensitive celebrity egos.

Over the past few months, both Ernie Els and Rory McIlory have parted ways with ISM.

Perhaps Tiger Woods is not the only golfer with an apparent policy of don’t be seen nor heard.  

USGA Rules Change

Let’s call it the “Webb Simpson Rule.”

The USGA and the R&A have for the first time jointly published a new version of the rules of golf for 2012-2015.

Within this new version of the rules lies the “Webb Simpson Rule.”

Earlier this year during the final round of the Zurich Classic, Webb Simpson had addressed his ball on the 15th hole only to see it move a quarter of an inch due to a gust of wind.

Simpson immediately backed off the ball, and after a short deliberation with the on-site rules official, Simpson was handed a one-stroke penalty.  

Simpson would finish 72 holes tied with Bubba Watson and would later go on to lose to Bubba Watson in a sudden death playoff.

Had Simpson not been assessed that penalty on the 15th hole, he would have likely secured his first PGA Tour victory at the Zurich Classic.

The Simpson incident essentially forced the USGA & R&A to reassess rule 18-2, amongst others.

Listed below are the three most notable amendments to the 2012-2015 Rules of Golf:

Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b). A new exception is added which exonerates the player from penalty if their ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that they did not cause the ball to move. For example, if it is a gust of wind that moves the ball after it has been addressed, there is no penalty and the ball is played from its new position.

Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions (Rule 13-4). Exception 2 to this Rule is amended to permit a player to smooth sand or soil in a hazard at any time, including before playing from that hazard, provided it is for the sole purpose of caring for the course and Rule 13-2 (improving lie, area of intended stance or swing or line of play) is not breached.

Time of Starting (Rule 6-3a). The rule is amended to provide that the penalty for starting late, but within five minutes of the starting time, is reduced from disqualification to loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play. Previously this penalty reduction could be introduced as a condition of competition.

Rules of Golf information according to the PGA of America (www.pga.com)

Reno-Tahoe Open Switches to the Stableford Scoring System

In 2012, the PGA Tour will have 43 stroke play events (including majors and events opposite the WGCs), 1 match-play event and one event that will use the Stableford scoring system.

Yes, you did read that last sentence correctly; the Reno-Tahoe Open will be using the Stableford scoring system in 2012, which begs the question: What in the world is the Stableford scoring system?

Under the Stableford scoring system, players are awarded eight points for a double eagle, five for an eagle, two for a birdie, zero for a par. Players will drop a point for each bogey and lose three points for a double-bogey or worse.

Needless to say, the player who has racked up the most points after 72 holes will be crowned the champion.

It’s an interesting format that will almost certainly promote aggressive play down the stretch, as players will be forced to go flag hunting in order to earn the most possible points through 72 holes.

“The PGA Tour believes there is merit to this format for Reno,” Andy Pazder, PGA Tour vice president and chief of operations, said in a press release last week.

“The modified Stableford system not only promotes aggressive play, which the tournament is already known for, but Montreux lends itself well to this exciting format with its series of challenging finishing holes.”

It’s just too bad that the eyes of the golf world be focused on the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which is scheduled to take place the same week as the 2012 Reno-Tahoe Open.

For more golf news, insight and analysis, check out The Tour Report.