Monday Morning Caddy - February 6, 2017
It was a wild week on the PGA Tour with not one but two tourney's featuring big names. Golf's biggest party delivered on both the fun and drama with record-breaking crowds and a playoff finish, while some old favorites served up wins overseas in Dubai. Read all about it below.
Matsuyama Goes Back to Back in Phoenix
For the second year in a row, Hideki Matsuyama was the last man standing at the Waste Management Open. Golf’s biggest party is always fun, but the added drama of a playoff between the reigning winner and Webb Simpson made Sunday even more enjoyable. Ironically, Matsuyama would finish off Webb on the short Par 4 17th, the same hole that he defeated Rickie Fowler on a year earlier.
Simpson actually had the low round on Sunday with a salty 64, but Matsuyama seems to thrive on the energy in Phoenix. He took 4th in 2014, tied for 2nd in 2015 and has now won the last two years. The tournament, which is always a big draw, topped it’s own attendance record with 655,434 attending for the week. A record 204,906 attended Sunday and got to watch all the drama play out.
Sergio Goes Wire to Wire in Dubai Win
While the action was heating up down in Arizona, a lot of big names were actually playing in Dubai at the Dubai Desert Classic. Sergio Garcia, who hadn’t posted a European Tour win since 2014, played solid all week and led the entire tournament. He’s actually the sixth golfer to go “wire-to-wire” at the Dubai Classic and this win should move Sergio back into the top 10 rankings.
What’s Up With Tiger?
While Sergio was busy locking up is victory in Dubai, Tiger’s much anticipated return was cut short when he withdrew from the tourney after shooting a birdieless 77 on Day 1. While he initially stated that his back was not an issue, at the time of his withdrawal, back spasms were cited as the reason. At this point, it’s hard to tell if the back or mental focus is a bigger problem, but we do know that Tigers much-vaunted return to pro golf has not lived up to the hype so far. Here’s hoping that Tiger can pull it together – the game is definitely more interesting when he’s on the course.
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