Irmo’s Dustin Johnson back from back injury, ready for Wells Fargo
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As Dustin Johnson returns this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, will his first start since missing the Masters with a back injury hamper him going forward?
And with Cameron Smith‘s and Jonas Blixt‘s victory at the Zurich Classic, what’s the feeling about the new team format?
Our panel looks at those storylines, as well as what gift Ian Poulter should get for Brian Gay and more, in this week’s edition of Monday Four-Ball.
1. Dustin Johnson will return from a back injury this week. How worried are you about any long-term effects?
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: I’m not concerned at all. Johnson has always been smart about any injuries he’s faced and doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to rush back too quickly if that could jeopardize his long-term health. I expect this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, DJ will not only be 100 percent healthy, but that he will also be in contention come Sunday.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: From all indications, everything with his back is fine. It’s now more a matter of getting back into a competitive mode that saw him win his past three starts prior to having to withdraw from the Masters. This week marks a month since he last played, so it might take a little time.
ESPN.com senior golf editor Kevin Maguire: Not in the least. It will be four full weeks away before the world No. 1 gets back on the course this week at the Wells Fargo Championship. And if he was so close to playing at the Masters that he actually made it to the first tee … I’m not worried, not even a little bit.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: Maybe it’s because DJ so quickly shrugged off any notion that this would be a lingering injury. Maybe it’s because he appears so fluid and athletic. But I’ve heard virtually no concern about this injury moving forward. He’s certainly not at Tiger Woods-level back injury, but can this be a Jason Day-type lingering problem? Let’s hope not for his sake, but it’s not wrong to be concerned.
2. What were your most favorite/least favorite parts of the Zurich Classic’s new team format?
Collins: I loved how into this tournament all the players have become. In talking to some of the players and their teams, I found out that some golfers who were not in the event were calling players asking to be part of next year’s tournament if their partner decided to switch out or not play in 2018. I hate that Mother Nature seems to have a vendetta against this tournament, again becoming a part of the story in 2017.
Harig: There is little to dislike. If I had to quibble, a field of 160 is probably too many (80 teams) and they would be better served cutting that down to 75 teams to make things a bit more manageable. But the reaction of the players has been fantastic, and it is clear they enjoy the change of pace.
Maguire: My favorite parts were the wild swings on the four-ball days (Friday/Sunday.) It felt more like a club championship than a PGA Tour event (albeit most club championships don’t have guys shooting 60 in the final round like Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown did). The least favorite? I’m quibbling here, because overall it felt like a resounding success, but while the star power looked great going in, with seven of the top 11 in the world rankings in the field, it didn’t feel that way on Sunday.
Sobel: Favorite: I love the team concept. When Kevin Kisner holes out a chip on the final hole of regulation, it’s fun to see him not only high-five his caddie but his teammate and teammate’s caddie, too. Least favorite: Let’s mix up the format a little more. You want to see some low scores? Give me tour pros in a scramble format for one of the days.
3. What did you think of the PGA Tour issuing its first slow-play penalty in more than two decades?
Collins: I think it was unjustified. The two players who were assessed the penalty were not the true definition of a “team.” Why? Because they were thrown together and didn’t choose each other. They were the first and second alternates who got in because, when Kevin Chappell won in Houston, he was already exempt. That opened a spot for a two-man team, but because the time had already passed for players to declare entry, Miguel Angel Carballo and Brian Campbell were forced to play as a team.
Harig: It’s about time. Sure, this was an odd case and might not have happened in regular stroke-play because the players involved got nailed because they were considered one in a team event. Still, it’s a great wake-up call, and docking players strokes hits hard. Do it more often, and players will speed up.
Maguire: Let’s hope it’s the first of many. There’s no shortage of slow-play offenders, so it won’t be hard to find the next case. The real test, though, will be if the PGA Tour keeps putting the hammer down. That will make players start to take notice because it will hit them where it hurts the most — their wallets.
Sobel: It was kind of silly. I mean, I get that the rules toward this are supposed to be black and white, but they need to show a little common sense in these situations, too.
4. What kind of gift would be appropriate for Ian Poulter to get for Brian Gay, since Gay basically got Poulter his PGA Tour card for the rest of the year?
Collins: Poulter should let Gay borrow one of his Ferrari sport cars for a week, when Brian is off, of course. But it would also be a good idea to send a thank-you note and throw a nice gift card to a great restaurant inside. I bet BG would also get a kick out of it if Poulter had recorded the call he got from Andy Pazder letting him know the tour had messed up and he was now a fully exempt player.
Harig: There are lots of possibilities here, including an expensive dinner, bottles of wine, etc. But I’ll go with something that makes a ton of sense: some of Poulter’s time on his NetJets airplane deal. Surely there is a trip that Gay would love to take without the hassle of commercial air travel. And given how big of a deal this could be for Poulter, it would seem more than worth it.
Maguire: How about one of Poulter’s fancy sports cars? Maybe one he hasn’t driven in a while that has fallen out of favor with the Englishman? Seriously, though, I’d suspect Poulter will do something nice for Gay, especially since it’s not the first time Poulter has been on the positive side of someone else’s kindness when it comes to his career.
Sobel: Well, he’s got a whole bunch of Ferraris. Couldn’t he just gift him one with triple digits on the odometer?
