
My Big Break
Seven years after starting Monday Q as a passion project, a meeting outside a bathroom at the PGA Show led to the opportunity of a lifetime: hosting Big Break: Meet the Players.
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Insider coverage for readers who want more than the headline and the final score.
Membership
Insider coverage for readers who want more than the headline and the final score.
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ListenAfter another disappointing Alpena City Open round, I realized why this little tournament still has such a hold on me.
ListenCharley Hull pranked her caddie with a fake scratch ticket. The danger is she may not get the last laugh.
Ryan French and Mark Baldwin talk about how AIG Women's Open champion Shiho Kuwaki is celebrating; why the last Rocket Classic made Ryan sad; a long walk home from Ryan's city open; playing in 115 degree heat at the Arizona Open; and why it takes some "can't miss" players years to break through.
Blades Brown is playing the Wyndham this week, which is an odd choice to me for a few reasons. 1. Special Temporary Members can’t qualify for the playoffs unless they win, so playing the last regular season event seems odd to me. 2. He had another very good KFT event but didn’t get over the 1000 point threshold which most consider the guaranteed number to finish top 20 and get a tour card. He has 943. Obv very very very likely to get over 1000 but I’d thought he’d get over that before heading to Tour events. Injuries and slumps happen, so I’d just be sure to have it locked up. 3. He’s playing really well, T5 and T6 in his last two KFT starts. I’d keep that momentum going, go to Nebraska, lock up a card and then have the freedom to do whatever he wants in the Fall. 4. Travel. This will be his 7th week in a row. Assuming he plays next on KFT in Boise, he will have Wyoming- NC- Idaho. He’s 19 so this is probably a minor detail but good chance he plays 9 weeks in a row, so have to consider it 5. He’s probably going to win Wyndham and this entire post is pointless.
My take on Brad Dalke round today. 1. If you think he sucks all of sudden that’s on you. He sucked today. But he very literally had the LEAD in a DP event like 3 weeks ago. 2. That doesn’t mean +11 isnt bad, it is. And if you want to argue a sponsor exemption shouldn’t have been used on him, I would disagree but also understand people who had that view. 3. Expectations change everything. I would guess Brad went into the DP event with very little expectations. 36 holes in he was T2 or whatever. That changes things. And the “feel comfortable with feeling uncomfortable” takes time. Id assume he teed it up today with different expectations and that feeling is probably uncomfortable. Guys on tour know they don’t have their best stuff they have experience to deal with it. For rookies, sponsors exemptions, things move fast once things go the wrong way. 4. The Yips are undefeated. I’m not sure that’s what happened but Brad had some real wayward drives today. And by all accounts it’s the strongest part of his game. But he struggled with yips as a pro and when shit is going bad old thoughts can creep in. Troy Merritt told me at each step of getting over the yips he battled them again. Meaning when he was in contention at a DP event and hadn’t yipped any in long time prior, they snuck back in. And it will take time to not have any when in contention. 5. Bad rounds happen, really bad rounds happen. He beat a Tour player today.
ListenCarson Lundell won more than a trophy and a check at the Colorado Open. He proved he could succeed as a pro and carried that confidence straight into a Monday qualifier in his home state.
Blades Brown has made what I think is the smart decision. On Friday when the field was released for the Rocket Blades was third alternate. He would have gotten into the field yesterday. However, he WD and is playing the KFT event in Utah. Despite a 5th place last week on KFT, Blades didn’t move up (or down) any spots in points, remaining 12th. Top 20 get cards. Although he’s nearly 200 points ahead of James Nicholas in 20th, things can quickly change so smart of him to keep playing KFT.
| Player |
|---|
| Thru |
|---|
| Score |
|---|
| 1 | Lorenzo Rodriguez (a) Qualified | F | -8 |
| T2 | Keenan Huskey Qualified | F | -7 |
| T2 | William McGirt Qualified | F | -7 |
| 4 | Luke List Qualified | F | -6 |
| T5 | Dalton Ward | F | -5 |
| Pos | Player | Thru | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bennett Swavely | F | -10 |
| T2 | Alex Schaake | F | -8 |
| T2 | Otto Black | F | -8 |
| T4 | Andrew Beckler | F | -7 |
| T4 | Jack Wetzel | F | -7 |
A Long Walk from the City Open, Arizona Heat, AIG Women's Open, Last Rocket Mortgage
| Thru |
|---|
| Score |
|---|
| 1 | Keenan Huskey Qualified | F | -8 |
| T2 | Daniel Azallion Qualified | F | -6 |
| T2 | Justin Quiban Qualified | F | -6 |
| T2 | Ryan Celano Qualified | F | -6 |
| T5 | Ben Silverman | F | -5 |
| Pos | Player | Thru | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Baumgartner (p) Qualified | F | -12 |
| T2 | Jimmy Paradise (p) Qualified | F | -10 |
| T2 | Matthew Kress (p) Qualified | F | -10 |
| T4 | Barry Schenk (p) |
| Score |
|---|
| 1 | Blair Bursey Qualified | F | -9 |
| 2 | Cougar Collins Qualified | F | -8 |
| T3 | Jake Scott Qualified | F | -7 |
| T3 | Peter Bradbeer Qualified | F | -7 |
| T3 | Zach Mandry Qualified | F | -7 |
| F |
| -9 |
| T4 | Carson Lundell (p) Qualified | F | -9 |