There weren't (obviously) a lot of big name busts this week, but there sure
were a number of folks on the "pick radar" who failed miserably this
week, when there really wasn't a reason to. These are some of the more
talented players in the World, and should be performing a lot better in a thin
field such as this one. So, it's time to beat some people up for a bad
week; I'm sure it's just what they need to get back into the swing of
things. Actually, this list is relatively important, because it points out
some of the golfers you may want to pick in a particular week; and may
(hopefully) have you think twice. Without further delay, let's get to it.
Matt Kuchar - Kuchar is truly an enigma. His talent is
unquestionable, and at times it comes out for everyone to see. However,
that said, too much of the time it's nowhere to be seen. This season he's
got four top-10s and six top-25s, but he's also got six missed cuts; which is
virtually unacceptable for a player of his talent. He will struggle on
some of the longer courses; he's not a big hitter. But his short game and
putting should be enough to carry him through. However, on these
relatively easy greens this week, he averaged 30.5 Putts Per Round.
Everything else was relatively ok statwise, but if you can't get off the
greens, you're not going to score well. Kuchar couldn't, and he didn't,
and he missed the cut as a result.
D.J. Trahan - This one was particularly disturbing to see, as Trahan
has been one of my "favorites on demand" in the weekly picks.
70-73 on a course like this one from Trahan is simply astonishing, and even
with the relatively low cut; it can't be used as an excuse. His putter
was, in a word, terrible this week. He averaged 31 Putts Per Round, and
1.955 Putts Per GIR (average); which are both just terribly bad numbers.
Throw in his 61.1% GIR score, and it's no secret as to why Trahan missed the
cut. The shame of it is that Trahan had three straight top-25s coming in,
and looked to be putting himself in a decent position for the FedEx Cup
playoffs. A result like this on a course like this will derail that
pip-dream pretty quickly.
J.B. Holmes - No, I'm not picking on golfers with initials in their
name. Now, Holmes hasn't been one of my favorites this year, but the rest
of the golf World seems to think Holmes is one of the leaders in "the next
generation" of golfers. Personally, I'm not as convinced as others,
and its performances like this that are the reason why. Ultimately, it
was one of his Achilles' heels, GIR, which did him in this week, as he averaged
just 61.1%. 29.5 Putts Per Round didn't help either, but all of this is
sort of outside the bigger issue. He's now missed three of his last four
cuts (T-49th in the other tournament) and hasn't carded a top-25 since Memorial
six weeks ago. I understand struggles and that he's had some decent
finishes this year, but for someone who is supposed to lead the second coming;
you simply can't miss cuts in tournaments like this one. You just can't.