No Pain, No Gain(ey)

“RIGHT NOW, IT HURTS.” That was Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey after his chance to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open turned into an 8th-place tie. Trying to catch leader Mark Wilson, Gainey attempted to drive the short par-4 17th hole. His ball hit a red hazard stake and disappeared into the water. Gainey chili dipped his chip and again ended up wet. Two Gloves may have taken a triple and thrown away a hefty payday, but he wasn’t second-guessing his decision.

“I’m one back,” he explained. “I’m trying to win the golf tournament. That’s all I was thinking.”

I can’t fault Gainey. It was an aggressive play by a journeyman gunning for his first PGA Tour title. There was another way to make a birdie—lay up and pitch it close—but Tommy preferred Option A, driving near or on the green. He just didn’t pull off the shot.

Wilson beat Jason Dufner on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. It’s Wilson’s second victory in this young season and fourth PGA Tour win. The happy “Cheesehead” (Wilson is a Green Bay Packers fan) won the Sony Open a few weeks ago.

Wilson called Gainey “a great player and a great character.” I don’t know about great player, but Tommy is certainly a great character. His interview with Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo on Saturday was a hoot. I’m at a total loss to describe his swing. It’s divot-digging blue-collar golf.

Gainey will pack up the sticks and head to the Monterey Peninsula. “All I can do is try to get ready for Pebble,” he said.

−The Armchair Golfer

By the Time I Get to the Phoenix Open

BY THE TIME I GET to Phoenix and the Phoenix Open I’ll be, um, retiring? As I mentioned to a fellow golf blogger, I’ve never been to the tournament.

The event has been around forever and through several name changes, most recently called the FBR Open and now the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Before that it was simply the Phoenix Open and Phoenix Open Invitational, except for in 1950 when they called it the Ben Hogan Open. I’m guessing that was because of Hogan’s near-fatal car accident that occurred shortly after he departed the 1949 Phoenix Open.

In 1967, Glen Campbell sang “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” a Jimmy Webb song that reached number three on the pop charts. In the opening, Glen sang, “By the time I get to Phoenix, she’ll be rising. She’ll find the note I left hanging on her door.” When I go to Phoenix, I won’t sing about it. (People will be glad about that.) And I seriously doubt that I’ll leave a note, although that would be kind of cool. “Hey, y’all. Gone out for a while. Went to Phoenix Open. Turn off the burner if I forgot to.” Maybe, instead, I’ll just tweet and update my Facebook status.

Oh, and by the way, Glen is a golf nut. In fact, he hosted his own PGA Tour event, the Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open from 1971 to 1983. Absolutely true. And Glen never lost a guitar because he always put his name on it. OK, I’m not as certain about that, but it could be true. Check out the neck on his guitar.

−The Armchair Golfer

2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

UPDATE:
Click here for 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open TV schedule and tournament info

THE 2010 WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN is underway. The current leader is Camilo Villegas, who blistered TPC Scottsdale, well known among Phoenix golf courses, with a first-round 62.

Purse: $6 million
Winner’s share: $1.08 million
Defending champion: Kenny Perry

Inside the field
Inside the course
Tee times
Full tournament news
The live report
What players said

2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

Fourteen hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Thu, 2/25:
GOLF 4p - 8p ET

Fri, 2/26:
GOLF 4p - 8p ET

Sat, 2/27:
GOLF 4p - 7p ET

Sun, 2/28:
GOLF 4p - 7p ET

PGA Tour radio coverage

−The Armchair Golfer