DL3 Must Win in Houston to Make the Masters

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 31, 2009 10:10 AM EDT

Davis Love III may well miss the Masters despite a valiant fight to try to make the top 50 in the biased Official World Golf Rankings. Love was in 48th position last week, but entered the Bay Hill event with the hopes of making the field by staying in the top 50 - or even improving on his status.

As the Associated Press reports, perhaps he shouldn't have entered.

Love fell out of the top 50 in the world ranking Sunday by four-hundredths of a point, and it all came down to a shot by Pat Perez on the 18th hole at Bay Hill that cleared the rocks framing the water by about a foot.

Perez was able to play his next shot from short of the green and made bogey to tie for fourth. That gave Perez, who already was eligible for the Masters, enough points to move up to No. 48 and knock Love out of the top 50.

Prayad Marksaeng made the tournament by tying for second at the Asian Tour's Black Mountain Masters. What? One could say that this is another example of how the OWGR is biased against American players, but DL3 didn't make the cut at Bay Hill. That was all he had to do.

By missing the cut, he needed a far out scenario to happen for his bid to survive:

Love’s only hope was for Hunter Mahan to finish out of the top 20 and for Perez to finish lower than outright seventh place.

Mahan complied. Double P didn't.

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DL III gets the Ted Williams award this week

he HAD a spot in the top 50 and he didn’t duck Bay Hill – now he has to win in Houston. He deserves credit for playing when he could have skipped the tougher tournament and kept his spot.

(Ted Williams was hitting just under .400 [.39955, which would’ve been rounded up to .400] on the last day of the 1941 season. Given the opportunity by manager Joe Cronin to sit out the doubleheader and save his average. Williams played both games, went 6 for 8, finishing the season with a .406 average. His philosophy was that there might be people in the stands who came to see him play who had never seen him – so he wasn’t going to let them down.)

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 31, 2009 10:46 AM EDT reply actions

Good call on Teddy Ballgame, that might be one worth recycling in a future post!

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 31, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

in 1995

Davis was on the outside looking in for the upcoming Masters. The only y way he would get into the field was by winning in New Orleans.

Which he did, by beating Mike Heinen in a playoff. At the time Davis was like 0-5 in playoffs. Davis went on to finish second to Ben Crenshaw at Augusta the next week. Love’s best ever finish in a major by a mile up to then.

So history says Davis can do it. He was 14 years younger and in his prime back in 1995. That also has to be weighed. My prediction- Love won’t be playing at the 2009 Masters.

by Bill Jempty on Mar 31, 2009 11:02 AM EDT reply actions

Another good call here, though I definitely think DL3 won’t make it. Still, I think he should get a special invite or get in by virtue of his Disney win. If Prayad can get in by finishing second in some Podunk Asian Tour event, then DL3 should get an invite.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 31, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

that “14 years and in his prime” thing is an awfully big hurdle. He’s shown sparks since recovering from his ankle surgery, but there is just so much young talent on Tour these days – I’m with you – it’s not very likely to happen – but I sure would love it !

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 31, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions