Daniel Chopra

[BSharma]

I am thinking of rooting against Daniel. Everybody i rooted against this week are winning (what unbelivable baseball games) ...

Lose Daniel ... -Kumar

I like that attitude; anything to get your player to do well!

Daniel had a better day today. He was -3 for the day and is -4 for the two days. The projected cut is at -1 so Daniel should be playing on Saturday and Sunday. He had 5 birdies and 2 bogeys today and is still within striking distance of the leader. We just need a lot of birdies and no bogeys over the next two days.

Kumar, keep on saying "lose Daniel" for the next two days. We need Daniel to win in Texas.

[ajay]

Second day is winding up and the following players in our watch list are likely to make the cut (-2).

19. Tommy Tolles (-2)
22. Tjaart van der Walt (-2)
25. Daniel Chopra (-4)
27. Charles Warren (-3) in 15 holes
28. Michael Long (-2) in 17 holes

If the cut is at (-1) (quite possible) we'll have two more players

20. Brett Wetterich (-1)
26. Roland Thatcher (-1)

Even though Daniel is leading among them, there is not much difference between them. With good performance over the weekend, anyone can easily reach the top positions.

Now we have to see who makes the move up the leaderboard over the weekend.

[BSharma]

The cut came at -1.

Watching the competition:

19. Tommy Tolles at -2, Tied for 45th place today
20. Brett Wetterich at -1 T60
21. Scott Gutschewski +3 Did not make the cut
22. Tjaart van der Walt at -2, T45
23. Roger Tambellini +4 Did not make the cut
24. Paul Claxton at +2 Did not make the cut
25. Daniel Chopra -4, T23
26. Roland Thatcher -1, T60
27. Charles Warren -4, T23
28. Michael Long -2, T45
29. Chris Tidland +4 Did not make the cut

The leader is Mark Hensby at -10.

[Kumar]

I am very happy to see Daniel doing so badly at -4. I am scared that he will make a comeback. Letz hope he doesn't make one.

Anybody seeing the above mail is going to throw bricks at me

[BSharma]

Anybody seeing the above mail is going to throw bricks at me. - Kumar

We all know that your heart is in the right place . In the meantime we want Kumar to keep repeating "lose Daniel".

Today Daniel started with 3 birdies in the first four holes and had birdies on 8th, 14th and 16th holes and an eagle on the par 5 12th hole. He had bogeys on the 10th and 18th holes. We will know his final standing later today when all the golfers would have finished their rounds. But he has made a move up the leaderboard, and if tomorrow he can have a great round perhaps he would win in Texas.

Keeping an eye on the competition:

19. Tommy Tolles 70, 72, 73 (-1)
20. Brett Wetterich 70, 73, 70 (-3)
21. Scott Gutschewski Did not make the cut
22. Tjaart van der Walt 72, 70, 64 (-10). On fire today with a -8
23. Roger Tambellini Did not make the cut
24. Paul Claxton Did not make the cut
25. Daniel Chopra 71, 69, 66 (-10) -6 today
26. Roland Thatcher 70, 73, 66 (-7) . -6 today
27. Charles Warren 70, 70, 67 (-9)
28. Michael Long 69, 73, 72 (Even)
29. Chris Tidland Did not make the cut

[Dhruv]

Well Daniel has done very well indeed today with a 6 under par. A bogey on the last hole of the day and a bogey on #10 hurt him. But overall not too bad. Another similar performance tommorow and BSharma will be a very happy man indeed (ofcourse as will Daniel himself) . He has to finnish in the top 5 if not top 3 to help his cause to get a tour card on the PGA tour. The top three in the tourney get prize money of $76,500.00 ; $45,900.00 and $28,900.00 respectively.

[BSharma]

Money leaders and their performances by the end of third day:

13 Lucas Glover $190,786 (69 74 78 =+5) 73rd place
14 Ted Purdy $186,980 (71 70 72 =-3) T49
15 David Morland IV $184,002 Cut
16 Chris Couch $175,193 (72 70 71 =-3) T49
17 Jason Dufner $172,380 (69 66 70 =-11) T3
18 Kyle Thompson $171,852 did not play
19 Tommy Tolles $166,126 (70 72 73 = -1) T66
20 Brett Wetterich $162,710 (70, 73, 70 =-3) T49
21 Scott Gutschewski $161,478 Cut
22 Tjaart van der Walt $160,430 (72, 70, 64 =-10) T6
23 Roger Tambellini $160,338 Cut
24 Daniel Chopra $149,024 (71, 69, 66 =-10) T6
26 Roland Thatcher $140,681 (70, 73, 66 =-7) T22
27 Charles Warren $136,187 (70, 70, 67 =-9) T10
28 Michael Long $128,104 (69, 73, 72 =Even) T61
29 Chris Tidland $123,348 Cut

Now we can see how the top three prize money of $76,500.00 ; $45,900.00 and $28,900.00 respectively affect the race for the PGA Tour card for players on the bubble. A win puts Daniel in a safe position; a second place or third place with some decent money in the next two tournaments will definitely get him the Tour card.

[ajay]

WoW!! It was a big move for Daniel. Go Daniel !! Keep it up!!

Just one more big performance like today and he can secure hig PGA card. I'm happy as well as little nervous. Hoprfully, Daniel won't have any butterflies tomorrow and he can repeat today's performance.

Kumar, keep doing your job - its working.

Let's pray BSharma's prediction comes true and he wins this event.

Can't wait for tomorrow.

[BSharma]

Quote of the Day: "Can't wait for tomorrow." author Ajay.

The excitement is growing and I hope that Daniel with "eyes of a hawk, the nerves of steel and heart of a ?lion" (did I just describe a surgeon!) can come through tomorrow with a victory in Texas.

Mark Hensby at -13 has been leading the tournament for the past two days. It is time for him to move over and let Daniel ascend to the throne. Sonny Skinner at -12 is at the second place and Jess Daley, Wes Short and Jason Dufner share the third spot with -11. Daniel (-10) is tied for the 6th place with four other golfers.

[Kumar]

i hope Daniel stinks tomorrow. Guys u have been watching, there is no way he is going to finish no1. tomorrow. But i am still scared with all you guys rooting, he may actually do it and may make it to PGA

[BSharma]

Close but no cigars .

Daniel was -4 for the day and -14 for the tournament but D.J. Brigman at -16, Jason Dufner (-15), and Jimmy Walker (-15) finished ahead of him. Mark Hensby at (-15) and Weshort at (-13) are playing the last hole and can change Daniel's final placing for the tournament. It looks like Daniel will finish fifth.

A good showing by Daniel in this tournament this year; he did not make the cut last year here.

Best of luck for the remaining tournaments. We have faith that he will get the PGA Tour card for 2003.

[ajay]

Daniel shot -4 on the last day and finished sole 5th. Great effort by Daniel. It was such a tremendous effort and a such a good result, but it is still short of securing PGA.

Well done Daniel! Keep it up! Top 5 finish is always a great finish.
And good news is Daniel is just back in top 20.

As far as race is concerned, it will go to the wire.
.

[Dhruv]

13 Lucas Glover $190,786 (69 74 78 70 =+4) 70th place
14 Ted Purdy $186,980 (71 70 72 68=-7) T35
15 David Morland IV $184,002 Cut
16 Chris Couch $175,193 (72 70 71 76 =+1) T67
17 Jason Dufner $172,380 (69 66 70 68 =-15) T3
18 Kyle Thompson $171,852 did not play
19 Tommy Tolles $166,126 (70 72 73, 74 = +1) T67
20 Brett Wetterich $162,710 (70, 73, 70 70 =-5) T48
21 Scott Gutschewski $161,478 Cut
22 Tjaart van der Walt $160,430 (72, 70, 64 74 =-8) T30
23 Roger Tambellini $160,338 Cut
24 Daniel Chopra $149,024 (71, 69, 66 68 =-14) 5th Place
26 Roland Thatcher $140,681 (70, 73, 66 71 =-8) T30
27 Charles Warren $136,187 (70, 70, 67, 69 =-12) T7
28 Michael Long $128,104 (69, 73, 72 71 = -3) T54
29 Chris Tidland $123,348 Cut

Mark Hensby(9th) and DJ Brigman(85th) and Jimmy Walker(36th) are the others who finished ahead of Daniel. He will make about $20,000 from this tourney and should put him right on the bubble 18th to 22nd spot on the money list. SO he still needs to play more events and needs to continue to play well.

[BSharma]

One can see from the money table Dhruv has placed in his previous message that not only did Daniel improve his placement on the money list but the other golfers in the hunt did not do well.

D.J. Brigman won the tournament but he has earned $47,441 so far but with a big paycheck today will move up many places but still well below Daniel. Unless he does exceptionally well in the next two tournaments Brigman will not be a factor.

Mark Hensby(T2) will get the PGA Tour card for 2004 with his performance today ($217,167 plus second place money today) and Jason Dufner (T2) ($172,380 plus money for 2nd place) will move up from the 17th place on the money list. Jimmy Walker (T2) had won $105,333 so far and was 36th on the money list and he will move up but will not catch Daniel. Wes Short (6th today) had won $113,297 so far and was 32nd on the money list, and will not catch Daniel.

Ajay has correctly said, "The race will go to the wire".

[ajay]

By the fourth day, apart from Daniel only Tjaart van der Walt and Charles Warren from our watch list were in a position to strike rich and shake the top 20 list. But in the end Tjaart van der Walt slipped while Warren although did well and finished T7, but probably didn't make much difference. Jimmy Walker was a possible "surprise element" and he was looking dangerous, but he also fell short. I'm guessing that Daniel should get around $20,000 and he should most likely displace Tommy Tolles from 19th spot. While Tommy will be on 20th spot. But still lot of people are close on the heel.
Except Warren (possibly) moving up in the core group and Walker also joining the "dangerous" group and race, not much change is expected in the watch list. We'll further discuss the final positions once the updated money list is out

Anyway, it is much better position to be looking back and holding off the competetion, than trying to catch up. The excitement goes on