Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette provides weekly content for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Thursday June 26.
Jacksonville's reputation as a football town is currently undergoing a makeover. That's because the city is fast becoming just as much a pipeline for Major League Baseball as it is an NFL factory.
With the recent promotions of third baseman Brian Buscher, a Parker High graduate, to the Minnesota Twins and former Wolfson High pitcher Eric Hurley to the Texas Rangers, there are now an all-time record eight players who played high school ball in the Jacksonville area up in the big leagues, though Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ryan Freel (Englewood) is still on the disabled list. Last season, there were nine players from the Jacksonville area on a regular-season NFL roster.
Making this infusion of local baseball talent to the major leagues even more impressive is that many of the players are having a significant impact on their teams. They're not just taking up space on the bench.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones of The Bolles School is leading the National League in hitting at .394, along with 16 home runs and 46 RBI. Though he's nursing a quadriceps injury, Jones, who may return for Friday night's game at Toronto, is the leading vote-getter to be the NL's starting third baseman in the July 15 All-Star game.
Howie Kendrick, a West Nassau High product and starting second baseman for the first-place Los Angeles Angels, is hitting a respectable .318 with 15 RBI after missing six weeks this season with a hamstring injury. Busher, who was recalled by the Twins from Triple-A Rochester two weeks ago, has been on a hitting tear. He raised his average to .375 after hitting a ninth-inning home run Tuesday night off all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman of the San Diego Padres.
Two former Bishop Kenny High stars, Jonathan Papelbon and Darren O'Day, are getting it done out of the bullpen. Papelbon, one of the game's elite closers, is 3-2 with a 2.08 earned run average and 23 saves for the Boston Red Sox. O'Day, a situational reliever for the Angels, is 0-1 with a 4.07 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake City on June 9.
Hurley has started three games for the Rangers, going 0-1 with two no decisions and a 4.24 ERA. He has nine strikeouts and five walks in 17 innings.
The only local player struggling right now is Philadelphia Philies starter Brett Myers (3-9, 5.51 ERA), an Englewood product. Myers has allowed a major-league high 23 home runs in 16 starts.
Besides Jacksonville's eight big-leaguers, there's some promising prospects in the minor leagues that could be called up by September, maybe sooner. Hurley's teammate at Wolfson, Billy Butler, was up with the Kansas City Royals as their designated hitter before being optioned to Triple-A Omaha a few weeks ago. He's hitting .337 with 5 home runs and 13 RBI in 26 games, so he could be recalled any time.
Mat Gamel, a third baseman for the Double-A Huntsville Stars, has been a nightmare for Southern League pitchers with a leading .373 batting average and 67 RBI, and is second only to teammate Matt LaPorta in home runs with 15. Gamel was selected Thursday to the U.S. team for the All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium on July 13. One of the top prospects for the Milwaukee Brewers, he could also be playing in the Olympics in Beijing in August.
Two other players in Double-A, former Englewood third baseman Dan Murphy with Binghamton in the Eastern League, and second baseman Corey Wimberly (Ribault) with Tulsa in the Texas League, are also having solid seasons that could warrant future big-league promotions.
Jacksonville will likely always have more passion for football. But when it comes to producing talent that can make it on the biggest stage, baseball is right up there.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Giant contract number for Posey?
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette offers weekly commentary for jacksonville. com This is his entry for Thursday June 5.
With Florida State superstar Buster Posey being selected fifth by the San Francisco Giants in Thursday's Major League Baseball free agent draft, the hard part now will be coming to contract terms with the Seminoles' All-American catcher.
SIgning bonuses have been a tricky negotiation for clubs and agents over the past decade. With ESPN reporting that Posey wants as much as $12 million, speculation will escalate that it could be a long, drawn-out process before Posey begins his professional baseball career.
Posey, who leads all of college baseball in batting average (.468), slugging percentage (.897) and on-base percentage (.572), was the MVP of last weekend's Tallahassee NCAA regional and is a finaist for the Golden Spikes award, symbolic of the nation's top collegiate player. The question becomes how much is signing the consensus top defensive catcher and one of the best power hitters around worth to the Giants, who are weak at the position in their farm system.
Major League Baseball has had a "slotting" system in place since 2000 as a way of helping its teams sign the top drafted players without paying runaway prices for their services. However, the richer teams like the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox have been known to pay well above the slotting price to obtain the services of players they covet.
Posey, considered to be ready for the big leagues within two years, will likely want far above the approximate $3 million slotting price for someone in the No. 5 spot.
Last year, Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters was taken with the fifth pick and was given a signing bonus of $6 million by the Baltimore Orioles, more than double the $2.475 million bonus handed to Clemson pitcher Daniel Moskos, who was picked at No. 4 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wieters is a client of agent Scott Boras, who has a reputation of demanding well above market value for his draft picks.
Posey will be represented by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which has recently ventured into the sports field after being the exclusive domain for actors, directors and music artists for decades.
Posey, who still has one year of eligibility left at FSU, has until the start of fall classes to sign a contract with the Giants. He could elect to return for his senior year, but it's doubtful his value will be any higher than it is at the moment.
In 1997, Boras client and FSU outfielder J.D. Drew was the No. 2 pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, but turned down a $3 million signing bonus and went back into the following draft in 1998. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and received an $8 million signing bonus.
Since then, Major League Baseball has tried to keep signing bonuses from getting out of hand, but the final price tag is at the discretion of the individual club. The San Francisco Giants don't have a reputation as a high-paying club when it comes to signing bonuses, but that could change with Posey.
With the aging Bengie Molina's contract expiring after the 2009 season, the Giants have no big-time catching prospects, though 21-year-old Pablo Sandoval got off to a hot start at Class A San Jose this season.
San Francisco desperately needs Posey, but it looks it's going to take a record signing bonus for them to get FSU's standout player in a Giant uniform.
With Florida State superstar Buster Posey being selected fifth by the San Francisco Giants in Thursday's Major League Baseball free agent draft, the hard part now will be coming to contract terms with the Seminoles' All-American catcher.
SIgning bonuses have been a tricky negotiation for clubs and agents over the past decade. With ESPN reporting that Posey wants as much as $12 million, speculation will escalate that it could be a long, drawn-out process before Posey begins his professional baseball career.
Posey, who leads all of college baseball in batting average (.468), slugging percentage (.897) and on-base percentage (.572), was the MVP of last weekend's Tallahassee NCAA regional and is a finaist for the Golden Spikes award, symbolic of the nation's top collegiate player. The question becomes how much is signing the consensus top defensive catcher and one of the best power hitters around worth to the Giants, who are weak at the position in their farm system.
Major League Baseball has had a "slotting" system in place since 2000 as a way of helping its teams sign the top drafted players without paying runaway prices for their services. However, the richer teams like the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox have been known to pay well above the slotting price to obtain the services of players they covet.
Posey, considered to be ready for the big leagues within two years, will likely want far above the approximate $3 million slotting price for someone in the No. 5 spot.
Last year, Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters was taken with the fifth pick and was given a signing bonus of $6 million by the Baltimore Orioles, more than double the $2.475 million bonus handed to Clemson pitcher Daniel Moskos, who was picked at No. 4 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wieters is a client of agent Scott Boras, who has a reputation of demanding well above market value for his draft picks.
Posey will be represented by the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which has recently ventured into the sports field after being the exclusive domain for actors, directors and music artists for decades.
Posey, who still has one year of eligibility left at FSU, has until the start of fall classes to sign a contract with the Giants. He could elect to return for his senior year, but it's doubtful his value will be any higher than it is at the moment.
In 1997, Boras client and FSU outfielder J.D. Drew was the No. 2 pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, but turned down a $3 million signing bonus and went back into the following draft in 1998. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and received an $8 million signing bonus.
Since then, Major League Baseball has tried to keep signing bonuses from getting out of hand, but the final price tag is at the discretion of the individual club. The San Francisco Giants don't have a reputation as a high-paying club when it comes to signing bonuses, but that could change with Posey.
With the aging Bengie Molina's contract expiring after the 2009 season, the Giants have no big-time catching prospects, though 21-year-old Pablo Sandoval got off to a hot start at Class A San Jose this season.
San Francisco desperately needs Posey, but it looks it's going to take a record signing bonus for them to get FSU's standout player in a Giant uniform.
Posey drafted No. 5 by Giants
Florida State All-American catcher Buster Posey, bypassed as the No. 1 pick Thursday in the Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, was taken fifth by the San Francisco Giants.
After the Rays took Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham with the top selection, Posey slid down to the No. 5 spot and will begin the process of negotiating a contract with the Giants after FSU finishes its 2008 season. The Seminoles will host Wichita State in the NCAA Super regional starting Friday and would advance to next week's College World Series in Omaha if they win the best-of-three regional.
ESPN reported after Posey was selected that he may be seeking as much as a $12 million signing bonus, an extraodinarily high number for the No. 5 pick because last year's top three picks only commanded around $6-9 million.
Posey, who leads the country in batting average (.468), slugging percentage (.897) and on-base percentage (.572), is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes award, symbolic of the nation's top collegiate player. If Posey elects not to sign with the Giants, he still has one year of eligibility left at FSU.
Posey, a native of Leesburg, Ga., has until the start of FSU's fall classes to sign with the Giants. If he signs a contract, he could be sent to the Giants' rookie-league team in Arizona or possibly one of their Class-A teams in Augusta, Ga.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Spurs prove they're not championship whiners
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette provides weekly commentary for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Wednesday May 28.
The best part about Tuesday night's dramatic 93-91 victory by the Los Angeles Lakers over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Western Conference finals was how quickly the defending champion Spurs threw water on the postseason's biggest controversy.
Clearly, there was enough contact by the Lakers' Derek Fisher on San Antonio sharpshooter Brent Barry, who was 26 feet away from the basket with time running out, to warrant a foul call. Barry pump-faked, got Fisher up in the air and he landed akwardly on Barry's shoulder, which would have meant a two-shot foul because Barry didn't commit to a shot attempt.
Instead, official Joey Crawford let the play continue, which ended up with Barry's off-balance attempt clanging off the backboard. The way Barry initially threw up his arms in frustration while looking at Crawford, the feeling was the Spurs would soon be filling the airwaves with charges of "We wuz robbed."
But in the aftermath, with the Spurs now facing a 3-1 deficit, a beautiful thing happened. Spurs coach Greg Popovich did his part to defuse any controversy by saying he wouldn't have called a foul in that situation. Even Barry acknowledged afterwards that the game wasn't lost on a non-call, but on what transpired in the 48 minutes before it.
Isn't that what championship teams do? They hold themselves accountable. They don't take a game-ending moment, rip the official for a non-call, and blame someone else for why they're on the brink of elimination.
What made Popovich and Barry's post-game stance so admirable is the situation could have justified a foul being called because it was more than incidental contact. Fisher hit Barry fairly hard, but the Spurs understood that unless you're a superstar like Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan, you're probably not going to get the whistle in a critical, game-deciding moment like that.
The truth is, San Antonio didn't lose Game 4 because of what an official failed to do, but what the Spurs consistently failed to do: hit big shots. Every time the Spurs had a chance to take a lead, they couldn't hit the field goal that could have given the crowd at the AT&T Center a reason to provide the home team with a huge emotional lift.
Barry kept the Spurs in the game with a 23-point night, but Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen kept missing important shots that might have allowed San Antonio to seize control of the game instead of relying on a last-second whistle to rescue them.
The San Antonio Spurs' season is practically over because they must now win two games in Los Angeles to return to the NBA Finals. They had a chance to pull out a game they had no business winning, but they looked like a champion afterwards when the media gave them every opportunity to complain about a no-call.
Thankfully, the Spurs showed some class and sportsmanship by not whining. Sometimes, even after a crippling defeat, you can still come away looking like a champion.
The best part about Tuesday night's dramatic 93-91 victory by the Los Angeles Lakers over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Western Conference finals was how quickly the defending champion Spurs threw water on the postseason's biggest controversy.
Clearly, there was enough contact by the Lakers' Derek Fisher on San Antonio sharpshooter Brent Barry, who was 26 feet away from the basket with time running out, to warrant a foul call. Barry pump-faked, got Fisher up in the air and he landed akwardly on Barry's shoulder, which would have meant a two-shot foul because Barry didn't commit to a shot attempt.
Instead, official Joey Crawford let the play continue, which ended up with Barry's off-balance attempt clanging off the backboard. The way Barry initially threw up his arms in frustration while looking at Crawford, the feeling was the Spurs would soon be filling the airwaves with charges of "We wuz robbed."
But in the aftermath, with the Spurs now facing a 3-1 deficit, a beautiful thing happened. Spurs coach Greg Popovich did his part to defuse any controversy by saying he wouldn't have called a foul in that situation. Even Barry acknowledged afterwards that the game wasn't lost on a non-call, but on what transpired in the 48 minutes before it.
Isn't that what championship teams do? They hold themselves accountable. They don't take a game-ending moment, rip the official for a non-call, and blame someone else for why they're on the brink of elimination.
What made Popovich and Barry's post-game stance so admirable is the situation could have justified a foul being called because it was more than incidental contact. Fisher hit Barry fairly hard, but the Spurs understood that unless you're a superstar like Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan, you're probably not going to get the whistle in a critical, game-deciding moment like that.
The truth is, San Antonio didn't lose Game 4 because of what an official failed to do, but what the Spurs consistently failed to do: hit big shots. Every time the Spurs had a chance to take a lead, they couldn't hit the field goal that could have given the crowd at the AT&T Center a reason to provide the home team with a huge emotional lift.
Barry kept the Spurs in the game with a 23-point night, but Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen kept missing important shots that might have allowed San Antonio to seize control of the game instead of relying on a last-second whistle to rescue them.
The San Antonio Spurs' season is practically over because they must now win two games in Los Angeles to return to the NBA Finals. They had a chance to pull out a game they had no business winning, but they looked like a champion afterwards when the media gave them every opportunity to complain about a no-call.
Thankfully, the Spurs showed some class and sportsmanship by not whining. Sometimes, even after a crippling defeat, you can still come away looking like a champion.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Worst part of job: athletes dying too soon
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette provides weekly content for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Saturday May 17.
Going over to Fleming Island High School on Friday afternoon and watching a football team deal with the emotional fallout of linebacker Wesley Whiddon's death was a grim reminder of another sad experience.
A month ago, I wrote a story for the Times-Union just before the NFL draft about Heath Benedict, the ex-Newberry College offensive tackle and Jacksonville resident who was found dead in late March from an enlarged heart.
Benedict was expected to be a mid-round NFL draft pick. He was entering one of the most exciting times of a young football player's life when a previously undetected medical condition led to his premature death. Talking to Heath's parents was a difficult experience, but they wanted the opportunity to let people know who their son was and the great memories he provided during his short time on earth.
As a father of four children, it's hard not to feel an emotional attachment to this kind of story, and the same thing occurred Friday when I visited Fleming Island to talk to head coach Neal Chipoletti, his staff and players about Whiddon's tragic end. The Golden Eagles' starting middle linebacker was struck by a train while fishing with two teammates on a railroad trestle at Black Creek in Orange Park early Wednesday night.
I hadn't seen Chipoletti in over 20 years, back when he was coaching basketball at Forrest High School and took the Rebels to a state championship game with star player Otis Smith, now the general manager of the NBA Orlando Magic.
As a sports writer, most stories you deal with are generally of the positive nature, with others sprinkled with a controversy now and then. But the death of someone so young, and in such a bizarre manner, is a highly sensitive subject for so many people.
In this instance, it's not just heartbreaking for a kid's family, but his extended family of coaches and about 100 players involved with Fleming Island's football program on every level. You cannot possibly see the hurt and pain on their faces and not think to yourself that it could easily be your own teenaged son in that same situation.
Who even thinks for a second that anyone could get hit by a train while fishing? There was no alcohol, drugs or horseplay involved. Just three kids wanting a break from spring football practice and dropping a line in the water, and in a matter of seconds, so many lives are changed because one of the players couldn't get out of the way of an oncoming train fast enough.
For Sunday's Times-Union, I wrote a column about Wesley Whiddon and how his tragic passing has impacted the Fleming Island community. The Golden Eagles resumed practice Saturday morning for the first time since his death and Whiddon's parents, Wesley Sr. and Angie, were among many fans who showed up to support the team.
"I've never lost a player before while coaching them," said Chipoletti. "This is a first for me. I hope there's never a second."
Twice in the last month, I've had to write about football players dying too young. This job is much easier when the subject matter is the game instead of an obituary.
Going over to Fleming Island High School on Friday afternoon and watching a football team deal with the emotional fallout of linebacker Wesley Whiddon's death was a grim reminder of another sad experience.
A month ago, I wrote a story for the Times-Union just before the NFL draft about Heath Benedict, the ex-Newberry College offensive tackle and Jacksonville resident who was found dead in late March from an enlarged heart.
Benedict was expected to be a mid-round NFL draft pick. He was entering one of the most exciting times of a young football player's life when a previously undetected medical condition led to his premature death. Talking to Heath's parents was a difficult experience, but they wanted the opportunity to let people know who their son was and the great memories he provided during his short time on earth.
As a father of four children, it's hard not to feel an emotional attachment to this kind of story, and the same thing occurred Friday when I visited Fleming Island to talk to head coach Neal Chipoletti, his staff and players about Whiddon's tragic end. The Golden Eagles' starting middle linebacker was struck by a train while fishing with two teammates on a railroad trestle at Black Creek in Orange Park early Wednesday night.
I hadn't seen Chipoletti in over 20 years, back when he was coaching basketball at Forrest High School and took the Rebels to a state championship game with star player Otis Smith, now the general manager of the NBA Orlando Magic.
As a sports writer, most stories you deal with are generally of the positive nature, with others sprinkled with a controversy now and then. But the death of someone so young, and in such a bizarre manner, is a highly sensitive subject for so many people.
In this instance, it's not just heartbreaking for a kid's family, but his extended family of coaches and about 100 players involved with Fleming Island's football program on every level. You cannot possibly see the hurt and pain on their faces and not think to yourself that it could easily be your own teenaged son in that same situation.
Who even thinks for a second that anyone could get hit by a train while fishing? There was no alcohol, drugs or horseplay involved. Just three kids wanting a break from spring football practice and dropping a line in the water, and in a matter of seconds, so many lives are changed because one of the players couldn't get out of the way of an oncoming train fast enough.
For Sunday's Times-Union, I wrote a column about Wesley Whiddon and how his tragic passing has impacted the Fleming Island community. The Golden Eagles resumed practice Saturday morning for the first time since his death and Whiddon's parents, Wesley Sr. and Angie, were among many fans who showed up to support the team.
"I've never lost a player before while coaching them," said Chipoletti. "This is a first for me. I hope there's never a second."
Twice in the last month, I've had to write about football players dying too young. This job is much easier when the subject matter is the game instead of an obituary.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Players needs a three-hole playoff
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette was at The Players Championship all week and offers some post-tournament thoughts for jacksonville.com
After seeing how quickly Sunday's sudden-death playoff at The Players ended, I think the PGA Tour needs to seriously consider going to a more extended format. It's a shame that a deadlock between eventual champion Sergio Garcia and Paul Goydos after 72 holes in such a big-time event had to end with a quick thud -- a gust of wind pulled Goydos' tee shot at No. 17 into the water.
Goydos, who did a phenomenal job of taking a one-shot lead into the final round and holding at least a share of it throughout regulation, should have had the opportunity to recover from one errant shot.
All day long, Goydos had a knack for rebounding when it looked as if the wheels might be coming off a bit. It started with that tricky, downhill 50-foot birdie putt he made at No. 4 after bogeying the second and third holes. When it looked like he might be headed for a bogey at No. 10, he holed it out from 34 yards away for a birdie.
However, with a sudden-death playoff starting at the par-three island hole, Goydos drew the first slot and it was pretty much over when his ball found water. Garcia followed with a career shot, sticking his ball within four feet of the cup and a two-putt par for the win. Goydos made double-bogey.
It was great theater, seeing everything ride on such a signature hole. But in fairness to the competitors, The Players should go to a three-hole playoff and start it at the par-five 16th hole. You'd have the most entertaining risk-reward homestretch in all of golf to decide the biggest championship outside the majors.
Each of the Grand Slam tournaments has a different playoff format. The U.S. Open has an 18-hole playoff on Monday, while the British Open and PGA Championship have four-hole and three-hole aggregate playoff formats. Only the Masters has sudden death like The Players.
The only change The Players would have to make for a three-hole playoff, especially if the agonizingly slow Garcia is involved, is move the starting time for the leaders up about 15-20 minutes on Sunday to ensure enough sunlight in case of a 72-hole deadlock. So for television purposes, it's a minor adjustment.
Goydos had several chances to close out a victory, but bogeys at No. 14, 15 and 18 opened the door for Garcia. In Goydos' defense, none of those three bogeys was all that bad except for a sloppy putt at the 15th hole. Even there, he hit a marvelous approach shot right at the flag, but the ball didn't hold on the rock-hard greens.
Garcia deserved to win, but the championship should have been decided with all three closing holes at TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course deciding the outcome.
Hopefully, the PGA Tour considers that option in the future. It'd only help their television ratings and increase already great drama.
After seeing how quickly Sunday's sudden-death playoff at The Players ended, I think the PGA Tour needs to seriously consider going to a more extended format. It's a shame that a deadlock between eventual champion Sergio Garcia and Paul Goydos after 72 holes in such a big-time event had to end with a quick thud -- a gust of wind pulled Goydos' tee shot at No. 17 into the water.
Goydos, who did a phenomenal job of taking a one-shot lead into the final round and holding at least a share of it throughout regulation, should have had the opportunity to recover from one errant shot.
All day long, Goydos had a knack for rebounding when it looked as if the wheels might be coming off a bit. It started with that tricky, downhill 50-foot birdie putt he made at No. 4 after bogeying the second and third holes. When it looked like he might be headed for a bogey at No. 10, he holed it out from 34 yards away for a birdie.
However, with a sudden-death playoff starting at the par-three island hole, Goydos drew the first slot and it was pretty much over when his ball found water. Garcia followed with a career shot, sticking his ball within four feet of the cup and a two-putt par for the win. Goydos made double-bogey.
It was great theater, seeing everything ride on such a signature hole. But in fairness to the competitors, The Players should go to a three-hole playoff and start it at the par-five 16th hole. You'd have the most entertaining risk-reward homestretch in all of golf to decide the biggest championship outside the majors.
Each of the Grand Slam tournaments has a different playoff format. The U.S. Open has an 18-hole playoff on Monday, while the British Open and PGA Championship have four-hole and three-hole aggregate playoff formats. Only the Masters has sudden death like The Players.
The only change The Players would have to make for a three-hole playoff, especially if the agonizingly slow Garcia is involved, is move the starting time for the leaders up about 15-20 minutes on Sunday to ensure enough sunlight in case of a 72-hole deadlock. So for television purposes, it's a minor adjustment.
Goydos had several chances to close out a victory, but bogeys at No. 14, 15 and 18 opened the door for Garcia. In Goydos' defense, none of those three bogeys was all that bad except for a sloppy putt at the 15th hole. Even there, he hit a marvelous approach shot right at the flag, but the ball didn't hold on the rock-hard greens.
Garcia deserved to win, but the championship should have been decided with all three closing holes at TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course deciding the outcome.
Hopefully, the PGA Tour considers that option in the future. It'd only help their television ratings and increase already great drama.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Hold on for a wild Players ride
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette is at The Players Championship all week and filing reports for jacksonville.com. This is his early-day entry for Sunday May 11.
If Billy Mayfair's TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course forecast is any indication of what awaits the Players Championship field later today, the leaders will be in for a long day.
"I'd say it's a par 76 or 77 right now," Mayfair said after shooting a final-round 81 in the blustery wind conditions. "We had a hard time keeping the balls from just not rolling on the greens [while waiting to putt]. You stand over a ball and it starts wiggling or trying to move.
"If the wind comes up more this afternoon and we don't get any rain, [the rest of the players] could be in trouble."
The par-three No. 3 hole could be especially troublesome for the leaders because it's directly into a 15-30 mile per hour wind. Today, the pin is at the back on the upper tier of the green, playing to 183 yards, and many golfers wait on the tee to try and hit when the winds are calmer.
"To get it on that back tier today is just about impossible," said Mayfair, who took a triple-bogey 6. "If you do get it back there and hit it a tad too far, it rolls over the back into the bunker. You have to try to hit to the center of the green."
Ben Crane hit the shot of the day at No. 3 among the early groups, putting the ball within 6 feet and making birdie. The only other birdie at that hole came from Bart Bryant, who made a 12-foot putt.
The heavy wind conditions could favor Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who is No. 1 this week in greens in regulation and stands in third place at four-under-par 212, three shots behind leader Paul Goydos.
It appears the potential for great drama will be there at the two closing holes, the par-three island at No. 17 and the par-four No. 18, which was playing almost a full shot above par after the first 22 players completed their round.
So far, the rain has held off through 2 p.m. and there's a strong chance that the thunderstorms that were forecast to push the tournament into Monday could miss us. Stay updated throughout the day at The Players by clicking on to jacksonville.com
If Billy Mayfair's TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course forecast is any indication of what awaits the Players Championship field later today, the leaders will be in for a long day.
"I'd say it's a par 76 or 77 right now," Mayfair said after shooting a final-round 81 in the blustery wind conditions. "We had a hard time keeping the balls from just not rolling on the greens [while waiting to putt]. You stand over a ball and it starts wiggling or trying to move.
"If the wind comes up more this afternoon and we don't get any rain, [the rest of the players] could be in trouble."
The par-three No. 3 hole could be especially troublesome for the leaders because it's directly into a 15-30 mile per hour wind. Today, the pin is at the back on the upper tier of the green, playing to 183 yards, and many golfers wait on the tee to try and hit when the winds are calmer.
"To get it on that back tier today is just about impossible," said Mayfair, who took a triple-bogey 6. "If you do get it back there and hit it a tad too far, it rolls over the back into the bunker. You have to try to hit to the center of the green."
Ben Crane hit the shot of the day at No. 3 among the early groups, putting the ball within 6 feet and making birdie. The only other birdie at that hole came from Bart Bryant, who made a 12-foot putt.
The heavy wind conditions could favor Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who is No. 1 this week in greens in regulation and stands in third place at four-under-par 212, three shots behind leader Paul Goydos.
It appears the potential for great drama will be there at the two closing holes, the par-three island at No. 17 and the par-four No. 18, which was playing almost a full shot above par after the first 22 players completed their round.
So far, the rain has held off through 2 p.m. and there's a strong chance that the thunderstorms that were forecast to push the tournament into Monday could miss us. Stay updated throughout the day at The Players by clicking on to jacksonville.com
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