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WD from the Open?

• JeffSpicoli1 88 Posts

  Sun, Jun 26 2011 3:14 PM

  What is the deal with players withdrawing from the open. i dont understand. literally thousands of players try to qualify...lots of players missing by 1 or 2 shots. playing all day to try to make it. Then we see that the excellent players who did qualify are withdrawing because of a "poor" second round. A lot of players would be thrilled to qualify and then post a pair of 68s or whatever you all think is a bad round. Just to say hey, we played the open with the best players is all alot of them want and then too see the best players withdrawing doesnt make sense. You made it. You got your chance. Play both rounds instead of being a baby, ornext dont even qualify so the others can enjoy the round(S).

• TarheelsRule 5,566 Posts

  Sun, Jun 26 2011 8:42 PM

  Actually some WD during the first round and I guess they just dropped off the scoreboard.  I agree that it is silly to not post because you played bad, I had a 70 in the first round which included a ball in the drink on 11 and 2 three putt bogies late in the round after going out in 5 under.  Came back with a 63 in round two and finished in 85th place.

  However it is their option to withdraw.

• TheLighterDark 1,404 Posts

  Sun, Jun 26 2011 9:58 PM

  Tiger has withdrawn from two real life tournaments in the past year. 

  It's their game, let them play it the way they want to. 

• dorkfeatures 712 Posts

  Sun, Jun 26 2011 11:43 PM

  Hey Jeff,

  Fundamentally I do agree with you. I would loved to have put two rounds together in the Virtual Open - I mean, what a blast. Then to find out quite a number of players pulled the plug on the second round ?? Thats poor - the least they could do was finish the round and put their score up.

  @ Tars - you played a good tournament, and had a great second round. Well played and at least you had the backbone to actually complete the tournament. Very well played. 

  @ Lighterdark. Tiger withdrew - sure. But at the open he withdrew at the last minute and someone else stepped up to fill his shoes.  Players generally withdraw during tournaments through injury - not thru a poor shot or hole!!

  I'm not losing any sleep over the issue, but its poor form - and as you say Jeff, how many other players would have loved to shoot a couple of rounds at the open - irrespective of their final scores.

  Thats it on the issue.

  Cheers

  Doug

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Jun 27 2011 8:27 AM

  JeffSpicoli1:

  What is the deal with players withdrawing from the open. i dont understand. literally thousands of players try to qualify...lots of players missing by 1 or 2 shots. playing all day to try to make it. Then we see that the excellent players who did qualify are withdrawing because of a "poor" second round. A lot of players would be thrilled to qualify and then post a pair of 68s or whatever you all think is a bad round. Just to say hey, we played the open with the best players is all alot of them want and then too see the best players withdrawing doesnt make sense. You made it. You got your chance. Play both rounds instead of being a baby, ornext dont even qualify so the others can enjoy the round(S).

  I hear ya, but there are plenty of folks who strive to be either nothing or the best, so placing anything but first is not that important to them. Does it seem unfair? to some, but, I suspect it does not seem unfair to them or others.

  I understand the frustration, but I think what they decide to post, in the end, is their decision.

  -wgticon

• TarheelsRule 5,566 Posts

  Mon, Jun 27 2011 9:40 AM

  Someone else mentioned this, but I'll repeat it.  If all the people who withdrew had not qualified, it would not have moved the cut line and thus no additional people would have gotten into the virtual US Open.

  In terms of Tiger, he wasn't the only player who withdrew.  There are generally 8 to 10 players each week who withdraw for various reasons, he obviously gets the most attention.  Back in 1991 (I think) John Daly won the PGA at Crooked Stick, I believe that he was the 8th alternate and had to drive up there the day before play was to start.

  This was my 3rd major on WGT.  I posted a horrible round in last years US Open at Oakmont.  I got caught by the fringe on a downhill putt and made a 9 on a par four hole due to that, cost me four strokes and then just played badly.  I came back with a 6 or 7 under second round to salvage a little of my dignity but I posted.  The people who WD in the 1st or 2nd round don't post a score and finish in a tie for last, behind the people who post 80 / 80 for two rounds.  Since there is no prize except the grand prize outside of qualifying there is no penalty for this.

  We also might want to consider that maybe a few of them had computer issues that forced the WD, I have had it happen doubtful but it can.

• JeffSpicoli1 88 Posts

  Tue, Jun 28 2011 12:48 AM

  TheLighterDark:

  Tiger has withdrawn from two real life tournaments in the past year. 

  It's their game, let them play it the way they want to. 

   

  Thanks for your well thought out response, but in what ways am i not letting them play the way they want too?. 

• lvietri 3,326 Posts

  Tue, Jun 28 2011 6:35 AM

  Maybe the qualifiers can each win an official logo'd "WGT condom".

  Then they don't have to withdraw !!!!!

  :)

• tiffer67 1,764 Posts

  Tue, Jun 28 2011 7:19 AM

  I think the refreshing honesty shown by funkiejunkie3000 on the subject sums it up perfectly. This game can be hugely frustrating when you are not playing to the standards you set yourself. When you are chasing unlikely birdies, one bad kick, one meter stutter, one pulled shot can see the red mist come down and have you clicking on the withdraw icon before you've had a second to reflect. I've done it myself many times under less testing conditions than playing in the WGT US Open. Easy to be critical, not so easy to be in that position in the first place.

• SgtDoodles 3,112 Posts

  Tue, Jun 28 2011 9:41 AM

  tiffer67:

  I think the refreshing honesty shown by funkiejunkie3000 on the subject sums it up perfectly. This game can be hugely frustrating when you are not playing to the standards you set yourself. When you are chasing unlikely birdies, one bad kick, one meter stutter, one pulled shot can see the red mist come down and have you clicking on the withdraw icon before you've had a second to reflect. I've done it myself many times under less testing conditions than playing in the WGT US Open. Easy to be critical, not so easy to be in that position in the first place.

  I think if I was in the US Open, I would've cocked up both rounds badly, sweat like friken nuts, turned off the PC and never return again simply out of anxiety. To do what MRenn29 did was truly marvelous and the rest.