This week, the PGA Tour is off to Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Quail Hollow Championship. With a course that is pegged a future major venue by many, and a field boasting most of the top players on the Tour (the most notable absence being the still-injured Steve Stricker), this week’s tournament is sure to be worth a watch.
My “spotlight players” for this week:
* Tiger Woods. Quail Hollow isn’t the Masters: tickets are available to the general public, so it will be interesting to see if any of the patrons have special greetings for Tiger, and if so, how he reacts. I’m more interested in seeing how his game looks, now that he has one tournament under his belt for 2010.
* Jason Dufner. Dufner helped my fantasy team out tremendously last week, with a 7th-place finish in New Orleans. He was 5th at Quail Hollow last year.
* Stuart Appleby. Are his back-to-back top-10's at Hilton Head and New Orleans a sign that his game really is coming back? We’ll see.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week is:
“Front 4": Jason Dufner, Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas, Stuart Appleby
“Bench team”: Tiger Woods, Sean O’Hair, Lee Westwood, Angel Cabrera
Last week was another mid-range week for picks. David Toms and Charles Howell III showed some promise early on, but finished in a lackluster 28th and 43rd, respectively. Steve Marino’s missed-cut-not-even-close disappointed a lot of prognosticators. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 2444 points, 82nd percentile.
Best of luck to all!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday Evening Takeaway: April 25
Congratulations to this week’s winners: Marcus Fraser at the Ballantine’s Championship, Jason Bohn at the Zurich Classic, and Ewan Porter at the South Georgia Classic. A few bits of takeaway from this week:
* Mother Nature can be cruel. The Ballantine’s was shortened to a 54-hour event, and the Zurich and South Georgia both had significant weather delays. Such is the peril of an outdoor sport...
* It was a good week for guys to get back in the winner’s circle. Fraser’s last win came in 2003, Bohn’s last win in 2005.
* Jason Bohn celebrated his 37th birthday this week. A trophy, a two-year Tour exemption, and a bit over a million dollars are all very nice birthday presents.
* Stuart Appleby gets his second top-10 finish in two weeks. Two or three years ago, this wouldn’t be news. Is he back? I’d say it’s too soon to tell, but signs are encouraging.
* Speaking of lost games, Sergio Garcia might want to check out the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, to see if his golf game is there. It sure isn’t with him on the course right now. He seems to be heading into the early stages of “Duval Syndrome”; though, if I had to put down money on one of the two right now, I’d go with Duval.
Until next week...
* Mother Nature can be cruel. The Ballantine’s was shortened to a 54-hour event, and the Zurich and South Georgia both had significant weather delays. Such is the peril of an outdoor sport...
* It was a good week for guys to get back in the winner’s circle. Fraser’s last win came in 2003, Bohn’s last win in 2005.
* Jason Bohn celebrated his 37th birthday this week. A trophy, a two-year Tour exemption, and a bit over a million dollars are all very nice birthday presents.
* Stuart Appleby gets his second top-10 finish in two weeks. Two or three years ago, this wouldn’t be news. Is he back? I’d say it’s too soon to tell, but signs are encouraging.
* Speaking of lost games, Sergio Garcia might want to check out the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, to see if his golf game is there. It sure isn’t with him on the course right now. He seems to be heading into the early stages of “Duval Syndrome”; though, if I had to put down money on one of the two right now, I’d go with Duval.
Until next week...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Predictions: Zurich Classic
Laissez les bon temps roulez! Grab your beignets, etouffee, and a favorite beverage, because this week the Tour is in New Orleans for the Zurich Classic. Early-week favorites Steve Stricker and Ian Poulter have both withdrawn with injuries, so the field is set to yield up some surprising names at the top of the leaderboard.
My “spotlight players” for this week:
* Steve Marino. He had a top-5 finish here last year, and two top-5's so far this season. He’s got to win sometime, and it might as well be this week.
* Charles Howell III. He was runner-up here last year, and has three top-10's so far this season. He played well early at Hilton Head last week, before fading over the weekend.
* David Toms. He also finished in the top 5 here last year. He hasn’t made any waves so far this season, due in part to shoulder trouble, but this is a virtual home game for him, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t “show up”.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week is:
“Front 4": Steve Marino, Charles Howell III, David Toms, Jerry Kelly
“Bench team”: Jason Dufner, Rory Sabbatini, Briny Baird, Ben Crane
Last week was a decent week for picks. Luke Donald came in 3rd, and my “dark horse” pick of Tim Wilkinson was a respectable 22nd. Defending Heritage champion Brian Gay’s 32nd-place finish was disappointing, however. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 2298 points, 80th percentile.
Best of luck to all!
My “spotlight players” for this week:
* Steve Marino. He had a top-5 finish here last year, and two top-5's so far this season. He’s got to win sometime, and it might as well be this week.
* Charles Howell III. He was runner-up here last year, and has three top-10's so far this season. He played well early at Hilton Head last week, before fading over the weekend.
* David Toms. He also finished in the top 5 here last year. He hasn’t made any waves so far this season, due in part to shoulder trouble, but this is a virtual home game for him, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t “show up”.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week is:
“Front 4": Steve Marino, Charles Howell III, David Toms, Jerry Kelly
“Bench team”: Jason Dufner, Rory Sabbatini, Briny Baird, Ben Crane
Last week was a decent week for picks. Luke Donald came in 3rd, and my “dark horse” pick of Tim Wilkinson was a respectable 22nd. Defending Heritage champion Brian Gay’s 32nd-place finish was disappointing, however. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 2298 points, 80th percentile.
Best of luck to all!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Hasta luego, Lorena...
The big news in the golf world this afternoon came from the LPGA. Number one women’s player Lorena Ochoa has announced that she is retiring from professional golf. Ochoa will hold a press conference on Friday where she will likely talk about her reasons for retirement, as well as the timetable (will it be immediate, at season’s end, or some other time?).
Ochoa’s announcement didn’t come as a huge surprise to this writer, at least; she’d been candid for some time about potentially retiring early to focus on family life. I wouldn’t have been very surprised if she’d announced at the end of last season that she was stepping away for a while, especially in light of her marriage at the end of 2009. I was surprised by the timing–April, during the LPGA season. I suspect this will mean that her actual retirement date will fall within the 2010 season (some reports say it will be effective immediately, but no date has been confirmed yet).
I applaud Ochoa for focusing on her own priorities, despite the pressure she might face (and will undoubtedly face after today’s announcement) to keep playing as long as she’s on top. This is ultimately her decision to make, and only she can decide what is best for her life. I wish her and her family all the best as they go forward into whatever new challenges life has for them.
Of course, I join many out there in saying that it’s hopefully just “hasta luego, Lorena”, and not a permanent “adios”...
Ochoa’s announcement didn’t come as a huge surprise to this writer, at least; she’d been candid for some time about potentially retiring early to focus on family life. I wouldn’t have been very surprised if she’d announced at the end of last season that she was stepping away for a while, especially in light of her marriage at the end of 2009. I was surprised by the timing–April, during the LPGA season. I suspect this will mean that her actual retirement date will fall within the 2010 season (some reports say it will be effective immediately, but no date has been confirmed yet).
I applaud Ochoa for focusing on her own priorities, despite the pressure she might face (and will undoubtedly face after today’s announcement) to keep playing as long as she’s on top. This is ultimately her decision to make, and only she can decide what is best for her life. I wish her and her family all the best as they go forward into whatever new challenges life has for them.
Of course, I join many out there in saying that it’s hopefully just “hasta luego, Lorena”, and not a permanent “adios”...
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday Evening Takeaway: April 18
Congratulations to this week’s winners: Y.E. Yang at the Volvo China Open,Kevin Chappell at the Fresh Express Classic, and Jim Furyk at the Verizon Heritage. A few bits of takeaway from this week:
* Yang’s game has been improving at pretty much an exponential rate over the last two seasons. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for him in the next few years.
* After Furyk won in Tampa four weeks ago, I thought he was “back”. His first-round 80 at the Masters had me doubting that. After watching him this week, I’m going to consider Augusta an aberration and say that he really is “back”.
* Another week, another top-10 for Ricky Barnes. I’m not on the Ricky bandwagon yet, but I’ll be watching his next few tournaments very closely.
* Brian Davis gave us another example of why golf is considered a “gentleman’s game”. Literally on the beach on the first playoff hole, Davis barely brushed a loose impediment on his backswing. He immediately called a rules official over, explained the situation, and ultimately incurred a two-stroke penalty. He didn’t attempt to justify himself or explain it away, or even wait for someone else to catch it before self-reporting. Perhaps Michelle “I lost my balance” Wie could benefit from a talk with Brian.
Until next week...
* Yang’s game has been improving at pretty much an exponential rate over the last two seasons. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for him in the next few years.
* After Furyk won in Tampa four weeks ago, I thought he was “back”. His first-round 80 at the Masters had me doubting that. After watching him this week, I’m going to consider Augusta an aberration and say that he really is “back”.
* Another week, another top-10 for Ricky Barnes. I’m not on the Ricky bandwagon yet, but I’ll be watching his next few tournaments very closely.
* Brian Davis gave us another example of why golf is considered a “gentleman’s game”. Literally on the beach on the first playoff hole, Davis barely brushed a loose impediment on his backswing. He immediately called a rules official over, explained the situation, and ultimately incurred a two-stroke penalty. He didn’t attempt to justify himself or explain it away, or even wait for someone else to catch it before self-reporting. Perhaps Michelle “I lost my balance” Wie could benefit from a talk with Brian.
Until next week...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Predictions: Heritage
Like many golf fans out there, I’m still nursing a bit of a “Masters hangover” this Tuesday evening, so this week may be a bit of a letdown. But the PGA Tour marches on, and this week’s tournament is the Verizon Heritage in lovely Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
My “spotlight players” for this week:
* Luke Donald. Runner-up here last year, and two top-10's so far this year (Northern Trust, Travelers).
* Brian Gay. Defending champion. I was expecting more out of him at Augusta last week, but still optimistic about his chances to repeat this week.
* Tim Wilkinson. He finished 6th here last year. He’s completely off the map right now, but could factor as a “surprise/dark horse” pick if he finds the form he had here in 2010.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week:
“Front 4": Luke Donald, Brian Gay, Lee Janzen, Davis Love III
“Bench team”: Heath Slocum, K.J. Choi, Rod Pampling, Tim Wilkinson
Last week was a good week for picks. My “spotlight” pro, Hunter Mahan, finished in 8th place, and Italian amateur Matteo Manassero (“spotlight” #2) finished a respectable 36th. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 2163, 81st percentile.
Best of luck to all!
My “spotlight players” for this week:
* Luke Donald. Runner-up here last year, and two top-10's so far this year (Northern Trust, Travelers).
* Brian Gay. Defending champion. I was expecting more out of him at Augusta last week, but still optimistic about his chances to repeat this week.
* Tim Wilkinson. He finished 6th here last year. He’s completely off the map right now, but could factor as a “surprise/dark horse” pick if he finds the form he had here in 2010.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week:
“Front 4": Luke Donald, Brian Gay, Lee Janzen, Davis Love III
“Bench team”: Heath Slocum, K.J. Choi, Rod Pampling, Tim Wilkinson
Last week was a good week for picks. My “spotlight” pro, Hunter Mahan, finished in 8th place, and Italian amateur Matteo Manassero (“spotlight” #2) finished a respectable 36th. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 2163, 81st percentile.
Best of luck to all!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Masters Musings
Congratulations to Phil Mickelson, the 2010 Masters champion. To me, this was one of the best Masters tournaments in a long time: the leaderboard was packed with big names and big storylines, there were eagles and birdies galore, and the outcome was unknown until the final hole. Some of my thoughts from the week:
* The first day was a trip down memory lane, with Fred Couples and Tom Watson on top of the leaderboard. These were the players I grew up watching, and to see them still contending in a major–well, let’s just say it’s been a few years–later was something that doesn’t happen in many other sports. Freddie remained in contention until well into Sunday, proving that while he’s dominating the Champions Tour right now, he’s still got the game to play with the “young guys” sometimes, too.
* Rory McIlroy’s missed cut didn’t surprise me very much; I’d talked to Rory’s parents at Doral, and they had mentioned then that he was a bit tired. It looks like the decision to play both the PGA and European tours this year might not have been the greatest idea. Jim Furyk’s missed cut, largely set up by a Thursday 80, did surprise me. We’ll see if that was a momentary aberration, or if there are signs that his game isn’t all the way back yet.
* Matteo Manassero is the real deal. The 16-year-old amateur not only made the cut, he finished in 36th place, ahead of past champions Zach Johnson and Mike Weir, among others. He’ll turn pro soon, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he wins an event before the end of the year.
* Ricky Barnes, after falling off the map following his amateur days, is starting to “show up” in majors. If he can play that way in regular Tour events as well (and show some consistency), he’ll start living up to those predictions of greatness from 2003.
* Tiger’s 4th-place finish was better than I was expecting (I had expected him to finish in the 11-25 range). I didn’t really see much of a difference in mannerisms between the “new Tiger” and the “old Tiger”, nor much of a difference in play. Remember, he hasn’t won at Augusta in five years.
* Lee Westwood has never been the world’s greatest putter. The flat stick may have cost him yet another major on Sunday.
* Phil Mickelson was my pre-season pick for the Masters, though I had my doubts after the somewhat shaky start to his 2010 season. He definitely earned the title, especially over the last two rounds. It would have been hard not to cheer for Phil after all of the trials his family has been through with Amy’s and his mother’s cancer battles. Well done, Mr. Mickelson; you gave us a great story with a happy ending this Sunday evening.
* The first day was a trip down memory lane, with Fred Couples and Tom Watson on top of the leaderboard. These were the players I grew up watching, and to see them still contending in a major–well, let’s just say it’s been a few years–later was something that doesn’t happen in many other sports. Freddie remained in contention until well into Sunday, proving that while he’s dominating the Champions Tour right now, he’s still got the game to play with the “young guys” sometimes, too.
* Rory McIlroy’s missed cut didn’t surprise me very much; I’d talked to Rory’s parents at Doral, and they had mentioned then that he was a bit tired. It looks like the decision to play both the PGA and European tours this year might not have been the greatest idea. Jim Furyk’s missed cut, largely set up by a Thursday 80, did surprise me. We’ll see if that was a momentary aberration, or if there are signs that his game isn’t all the way back yet.
* Matteo Manassero is the real deal. The 16-year-old amateur not only made the cut, he finished in 36th place, ahead of past champions Zach Johnson and Mike Weir, among others. He’ll turn pro soon, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he wins an event before the end of the year.
* Ricky Barnes, after falling off the map following his amateur days, is starting to “show up” in majors. If he can play that way in regular Tour events as well (and show some consistency), he’ll start living up to those predictions of greatness from 2003.
* Tiger’s 4th-place finish was better than I was expecting (I had expected him to finish in the 11-25 range). I didn’t really see much of a difference in mannerisms between the “new Tiger” and the “old Tiger”, nor much of a difference in play. Remember, he hasn’t won at Augusta in five years.
* Lee Westwood has never been the world’s greatest putter. The flat stick may have cost him yet another major on Sunday.
* Phil Mickelson was my pre-season pick for the Masters, though I had my doubts after the somewhat shaky start to his 2010 season. He definitely earned the title, especially over the last two rounds. It would have been hard not to cheer for Phil after all of the trials his family has been through with Amy’s and his mother’s cancer battles. Well done, Mr. Mickelson; you gave us a great story with a happy ending this Sunday evening.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Predictions: Masters
Predictions: Masters
Congratulations to Anthony Kim, who won last week’s Shell Houston Open.
Now on to Augusta, for the Masters. The big question for predictions is: To pick Tiger, or not to pick Tiger? I’m holding off for this week, until I see more of the state of his game.
My “spotlight players” for the week:
* Hunter Mahan. He finished in the top 10 at Augusta last year. The missed cut last week at Houston is a slight concern, but he’s been playing reasonably well this year, including a win in Phoenix.
* Matteo Manassero. The Italian amateur is scheduled to turn pro this spring, at the tender age of 16. He seems to be the real deal.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week:
“Front 4": Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar
“Bench team”: Phil Mickelson, Brian Gay, Oliver Wilson, Mike Weir
Last week wasn’t a great one for picks. One of my “spotlight players”, Paul Casey, was a late withdrawal with a shoulder injury, and the other, Fred Couples, came in 55th. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 1929 points, 73th percentile.
Best of luck to all!
Congratulations to Anthony Kim, who won last week’s Shell Houston Open.
Now on to Augusta, for the Masters. The big question for predictions is: To pick Tiger, or not to pick Tiger? I’m holding off for this week, until I see more of the state of his game.
My “spotlight players” for the week:
* Hunter Mahan. He finished in the top 10 at Augusta last year. The missed cut last week at Houston is a slight concern, but he’s been playing reasonably well this year, including a win in Phoenix.
* Matteo Manassero. The Italian amateur is scheduled to turn pro this spring, at the tender age of 16. He seems to be the real deal.
My Yahoo Fantasy Golf team for this week:
“Front 4": Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar
“Bench team”: Phil Mickelson, Brian Gay, Oliver Wilson, Mike Weir
Last week wasn’t a great one for picks. One of my “spotlight players”, Paul Casey, was a late withdrawal with a shoulder injury, and the other, Fred Couples, came in 55th. My Yahoo Fantasy Golf standings: 1929 points, 73th percentile.
Best of luck to all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
