Backspin: Johnson's work pays off; mailbag; more

text size

Steve Stricker's Sunday collapse was a sign of just how hard it is to win in back-to-back weeks on the PGA TOUR, and I'll get into that in the Back Nine. Johnson Wagner's win at the Sony Open in Hawaii, meanwhile, was a sign of what a motivated guy can do.

Wagner has always been a talented player -- after all he won just last year and was a standout coming out of Virginia Tech in 2002 -- but he'd already had five trips to q-school in his somewhat young career.

So in the offseason Wagner hit the practice range and the gym, shedding 15 pounds and a couple of waist sizes in the process. He also set some pretty lofty goals.

"Getting back into the Masters, getting back into the majors, get my world ranking up to the top 50 where I think I belong," Wagner said. "Hopefully having a chance to qualify for the Ryder Cup team."

After a two-shot win at Waialae on Sunday, that first goal is taken care of. Wagner, who moved to the top of the FedExCup standings after the victory, also climbed more than 100 spots to No. 92 in the world.

Wagner now has two wins in the last 11 months (his other one came in Mexico) and while he still has a ways to go to accomplish those other goals, he's certainly off to a good start.

"I've won twice and learned from both of these experiences that you think they just come so easy after that," Wagner said. "Hopefully I can settle down a bit and then not think that winning is easy, because it is not, and it's hard. I've worked very hard this off season, and it's just really nice to see it pay off so early."

To Wagner's point, the rest of his season following his victory in Cancun didn't go nearly as well. He didn't have a single top-10 the rest of 2011.

But it's a new year and a new Wagner, mustache included.

THE BACK NINE: 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. As well as Steve Stricker played in the opening week of the season, we saw just how hard it is to win in consecutive weeks on TOUR (Ernie Els in 2003 was the last to win the first two events of the year). Stricker shot an uncharacteristic 74 Sunday, missing several putts and taking 33 in all, to tumble 30 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 38th. That 74, by the way, was just his sixth round above par in 50 rounds at the Sony Open.

2. If I'm into fantasy golf, I don't think I'd ever not pick Charles Howell III at the Sony Open in Hawaii. His runner-up finish last week was his sixth top-5 finish in the event since 2002 and he's never shot anything worse than even par in his 18 rounds on the weekend at Waialae. Of course that's also a tad bittersweet to Howell. "Any other tournament, encouraged. Here, maybe a little bit frustrated," Howell said following a 69 on Sunday. "Listen, it's still encouraging. It's hard to ever say a top three finish is not. But yeah, I would really like to get this one."

3. Stat of the Week I: Howell, who has won twice on TOUR, now has 13 career runner-up finishes. No wonder he feels the way he does about the Sony Open, and a few other tournaments, too, I'm sure.

4. Stat of the Week II: Johnson Wagner played the back nine at Waialae without a single bogey and was a combined 14 under for the week on that stretch. That's awfully similar to what Stricker did the week before at Kapalua, where he played the final five holes in a collective 15 under for the week. I don't care who you are, you play that well down the stretch of rounds you're going to win.

5. In Erik Compton's first career start as a full-time member of the TOUR he tied for 67th. It wasn't the result the double heart transplant recipient was looking for, but just playing and making the cut was a step in the right direction. Even though Compton is here, he still has his share of setbacks -- over the holidays his weight fell 18 pounds, and he still takes several medications on a regular basis. Not that he wants anyone to feel sorry for him, or make a movie about his incredible life story.

"I honestly don't want to get into every detail because then when I hear myself, I sound like somebody who always has issues and I hate that," Compton said. "I want my clubs to do the talking and be able to play and talk about and win. ... I think that's kind of the two sides of me, the player, and also the transplant side to it. So I've done a good job of being able to balance that when I get on the golf course. I just feel like a regular person, and being able to play successful and good golf for me is just being healthy."

6. Gary Woodland didn't waste any time getting to work with his new coach Butch Harmon, flying straight from Hawaii to Las Vegas last week to put in a 5 1/2-hour session with Harmon on Tuesday. While Harmon will certainly help Woodland with his swing, where Woodland really needs to improve is his putting. The last three years he's ranked 142nd, 184th and 166th in strokes gained-putting. That's why Woodland sought out Brad Faxon last year, and why if I were Woodland I would do so again this year.

7. Sunday's game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots won't be the last time Tim Tebow and Tom Brady see each other. According to officials, both are likely to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am next month. Brady is already committed to the tournament, and Monterey Peninsula Foundation president and CEO Ollie Nutt told me last week they're saving a spot for Tebow and that Tebow has expressed interest in playing.

8. A must-read if you haven't done so already is Randy Mell's story on the Thompson family secret that centers on Nicholas, Lexi and Curtis Thompson and the events that transpired following a tragic accident 29 years ago.

9. How good does the field look for the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation (formerly the Bob Hope Classic)? That's what having a former popular President does, and it's a big, big reason of course why Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman and Anthony Kim, among others, are in the field.

Monday Mailbag

Slow play is now more prevalent then ever. Does the PGA TOUR need a shot clock and a ref with every group?" -- T.J. Kerrigan If you saw Luke Donald's recent Twitter rant, you know how he (and a lot of other players) feel about slow play. The fact is, most players play at a reasonable or even fast pace. Others, like Ben Crane, have worked to get faster and have. I don't know that a shot clock matters as much as maybe a more severe penalty. Whatever the case, it will be a topic of conversation at the next players meeting. How's Tim Tebow's game? Better on the back nine, I'm guessing? -- Chad Coleman Funny. Not judging by how he played against the Patriots. Tebow is likely to play at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, though, and he does smash it. When he played with Phil Mickelson a couple of years ago the week of THE PLAYERS Championship, Tebow reportedly shot 82 from the tips at Timuquana CC. Who is most fun to interview? -- Paul Regali That's a long list -- some guys are great for their sense of humor, others for their honesty and still others for their significance or place in the game. A few that come to mind for a variety of reasons include Geoff Ogilvy, Phil Mickelson, Paul Goydos, Rory McIlroy, Jim Furyk, Jack Nicklaus, Luke Donald and Paul Casey. Have a question for the mailbag? Email brianwacker@pgatourhq.com, or tweet it to @pgatour_brianw.

Forward Spin: Who I like this week

The Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation not only undergoes a name change but a change in the field with Phil Mickelson playing at PGA West for the first time since 2007. While Mickelson had, at least by his standards, a down year in 2011, there is plenty of reason to like his chances this week. For one, he has a history of playing well early in the season -- he was second at Torrey Pines last year, tied for eighth at Pebble Beach the year before, and won at Riviera in 2009 and 2008. For another, he's trying to be less technical and return to being more of a feel player, which is much more natural to begin with for Mickelson.