Capelle On Golf

Rory Sabbatini is most famous for saying he “liked the new Tiger” when Woods, for a brief spell a couple of seasons ago, looked beatable. Sabbatini, #43 in the WGR prior to the start of the HP Byron Nelson, won it this weekend, boosting his notoriety among a TV audience of family, friends, and a few diehard fans. It wasn’t always this way.

In the 1970s Jack Nicklaus won the Nelson twice and Tom Watson captured it four times. Other marquee names over the years to hoist the trophy include Raymond Floyd, Fred Couples, Payne Stewart, Nick Price, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson.

In this year’s edition, however, the chances of a big name winning were near zero because few were entered. Slump ridden Vijay Singh, the top ranked player in the field at #9, finished 16t. Anthony Kim (#15) and Ian Poulter (#18) missed the cut. The remaining entrants in the WGR top30 included Mike Weir (#22), Justin Leonard (#27), and Robert Allenby (#30). None contented for the title. How exciting.

The Nelson has a decent date on the PGA Tour’s schedule, falling two weeks after The PLAYERS and two weeks before The Memorial. But one big unsolvable problem is that Byron Nelson, one of the game’s great gentleman and a magnet for entrants, died in September, 2006.

Another problem this year for the Nelson is that it opposes the BMW PGA, which is one of the most important events on the European Tour. The PGA attracted 10 members of the top 30 compared to only six top 30 players at the Nelson.

Paul Casey (#7 before the event) won the PGA. PLAYERS champion Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els, Masters champion Angel Cabrera, and Retief Goosen were among the stars that opted to skip the Nelson to compete overseas.

Early this season commissioner Tim Finchem asked his stars to play more often, but he didn’t mean overseas or at home with their pals. Nevertheless, Tiger Woods remained at home to practice his way into top form. If his knee needs the rest, then it’s understandable that he take it slow after playing back to back at Quail Hollow and The PLAYERS.

But if his knee is fine as he keeps insisting, then Ranger Rick could have earned considerable points by breaking form and showing up at the Nelson – far more than he garnered for teeing it up with the corporate fat cats one Monday morning a few weeks ago.

The Nelson probably will survive despite anemic ratings. But it didn’t have to be that way if the game’s top player and some other top ranked stars had decided to pitch in and give this long standing event a boost during these troubled times.