PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS

Clint Crump’s win at the Griffith Observatory Championship was his first victory since the 2010 Tour Championship. With 8 career wins Crump takes sole possession of 5th place on the MGM Tour’s all time career wins list.

Doug Vargas’s 5th place finish was his best result in his last 4 Griffith starts. Just +4 thru 5, his two 8’s over the last 4 holes, however, may have cost him the tournament. His finish was not the way to start the 2nd half of the season, which has historically, not been kind to the 7 year veteran. In 2008 and 2011, Vargas led in Player of the Year points at the midway point of the season but faded down the stretch.  Patrick Bird, who trails Vargas in the standings, is counting on history repeating itself.  “He’s over-tired, he’s over-worked. All the signs point to this being something where that could be the case.” Vargas too, is aware of his past, but is determined to avoid any repeats. “I had Rookie of the Year (in 2006) wrapped up and then I came in last place in the [Tour Championship] and Chris won. It’s the absolutely only way I could have lost [the award] and it happened. It’s just typical of my career. I just don’t close. [I’m] wiping the slate clean this year and I hope to break that pattern. I want to just play golf and get over this hump, because it is a hump. It’s something I see and it’s in the back of my mind all the time, Player of the Year.” Only Armen Grigorian has matched Vargas in runner-up finishes (3) for Player of the Year. But the difference is, Grigorian has won the award.

JULY UPDATE