Preface: Because only one Umcee, Tom Hoge, competed last week (at the Genesis Invitational), I opted to not award an Upper Midwest Connection of the Week honour for the week. Hence, the present post concerns the upcoming week's action, rather than the one before.
Last week's Genesis Invitational was thrilling with Hideki Matsuyama's comeback from six strokes adrift of Patrick Cantlay, at least for those fans who follow the sport enough. But as is well known, the week was marred by Tiger Woods' illness and Jordan Spieth's disqualification for an incorrect scorecard. The good news from an Upper Midwestern perspective is that the one Umcee to make the field--Tom Hoge--not only made the cut but finished solo eighth. The finish lifted him six places to #15 in the FedEx Cup but was only good enough to bump him up one spot (#56 to #55) in the OWGR. Funny how those things work out, I guess.
This week, the West Coast Swing is over after five weeks. It featured five longshot winners, including Matsuyama, who hadn't won since the 2022 Sony Open; two head-to-head situations with LIV Golf; and the last three such events being afflicted by an act of God (Pebble Beach), acts of man (Genesis) and acts of both God and man (Phoenix Open). In its place is a low-key third successive trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for that country's national open. First played in 1944, it became a PGA Tour event in 2022 and was won by then-U.S. Open holder Jon Rahm. Last year, it was won by Tony Finau, who returns to defend his title.
The 132 players in Mexico this week do not include Hoge, who (I assume) is prepping for the next signature event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational next month, held the week before the Players. However, there are three other Umcees involved in the proceedings. Erik van Rooyen and Troy Merritt both return from a week's absence from competition, simply because neither of them qualified for the Genesis. Both are coming off missed cuts in Phoenix, but van Rooyen won last November just across the Sea of Cortez at El Cardonal in Cabo San Lucas, taking the World Wide Technology Championship on behalf of his dying homie and Minnesota Gophers teammate Jon Trasamar. Last year, van Rooyen was attacked by a swarm of bees during the first round of his appearance at this event:
Like van Rooyen, Troy Merritt heads into the Mexico Open off a missed cut at TPC Scottsdale. Unlike EVR, Merritt has had little luck since the Sony Open (deja vu from 2023, anyone?) and may struggle here as well. Lastly, the open qualifier for the Mexico Open was held last week. Four players, including Minnetonka (MN) High School alumnus Ben Sigel, were involved in a playoff for the last three open spots, and Sigel avoided being the odd one out. However he fares, I expect he'll take some positive points away from the experience of playing with the big boys.
There is the possibility of a fourth Umcee in the cards for this week on the other side of the pond. O.J. Farrell is from England but went to the University of Wisconsin, and he is currently 12th alternate for the Challenge Tour's Nelson Mandela Bay Championship in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour). This reflects making DP World Tour Q-School finals but failing to make the cut once there. I'm not holding my breath, though.
Anyway, that's all for this week until Sunday, when I plan to release my fifth-round picks for the FA Cup. The next Upper Midwest Connection of the Week will be named within the following few days.
Edward the Scop
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