I've said it before and I'm saying it again - trying to pick the winner of a golf tournament is more difficult than any other sport. Going through the list of participants for this year's Masters, I came up with 27 players I think have a legitimate chance at winning. And that doesn't even include recent major winners like Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, and Lucas Glover, nor does it include three of the last four Masters winners - Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman, and Zach Johnson. How crazy is that?
Watch 30 minutes of coverage this week and you get 30 different interpretations by the "experts." You have to be a long hitter. No, wait, you don't. Iron play is critical. No, putting is more important. Really, it's anybody's guess. And that's exactly what I'm doing here, but still having fun with it. I mean, with a major tournament that's this wide open, it's going to have to be one heckuva good weekend!
So before I burst a blood vessel trying to analyze and scrutinize who's got what it takes to win, I'll leave my "guesses" below. Have some fun with it and leave yours in the comments section.
Favorite - Phil Mickelson - after winning in convincing fashion last week, the defending champ is the odds on favorite (at least according to Vegas: 7 to 1).
Darkhorse - Miguel Angel Jiminez - great ballstriker, savvy veteran, looking to cap stellar career with first major.
Surprise to miss the cut - Steve Stricker - inconsistent year so far, although coming off good performance last week at Shell Houston Open. Putting usually best part of game, but falls short this week.
Top "old guy" - First Greg Norman at the '08 British Open, then Tom Watson at the '09 British Open. Which grizzly vet will make a run this week? '12 Ryder Cup Captains Jose Maria Olazabal and Davis Love III give preview of what's to come, battle it out for top-20 finish.
Contender - Hunter Mahan - getting closer and playing well this year - he'll be in the hunt.
Champion - Aaron Baddeley - rejuvenated Aussie has been playing brilliant golf this season, especially since dumping the stack and tilt swing. Best finish at Augusta is a T17 in '09, but he's a whole new player this year. Plus, he's the best player who's still flying under the media radar.
Masters coverage starts Thursday at 3pm on ESPN. Or you can go to masters.com to watch extended coverage online, including featured groups, Amen Corner, and holes 15 and 16.
Check here for the list of invitees and leave your picks below! http://www.masters.com/en_US/players/invitees_2011.html
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Funnest Masters Tradition - The Par 3 Contest
Augusta National and the Masters tournament ooze tradition - from the drive down Magnolia Lane to the all white jumpsuits the caddies wear, from the honorary starters to the Champions dinner, from the pimento and cheese sandwiches to the green jacket.
But the most entertaining, the most fun of all the traditions, is the annual par 3 contest on the Wednesday of tournament week.
The par 3 contest has been a tradition since it was first played in 1960. And lucky for us, starting a few years ago, the powers that be decided to start televising it.
The contest is played over 9 holes to a par of 27 on an absolutely gorgeous design.
And this contest is all about fun. The atmosphere is spirited, relaxed, and casual. Here's where you see the pros' kids caddying for them, dressed in oversize caddy jumpers, and even putting for dad!
Here's where you see three of the all-time greats - Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player - paired together, firing at flagsticks and draining 40 ft putts.
Here's where you hear great banter between player and caddy, player and child, player and fans. At last year's contest, Jim Fyruk promised his daughter she could finally putt for him on one of the holes. He then had to explain to her why she couldn't - he had made a hole in one! She didn't care about dad's great shot, she was just bummed she couldn't putt!
And yes, if you've never seen a hole in one, or if you have and want to see more, you're virtually guaranteed of seeing at least one. There have been 72 holes in one in the contest's history. The record for one year was five in 2002!
Despite the relaxed atmosphere and fun of it all, they do crown a winner at the end. But let's just say it's not a title any pro is keen to win, at least if they're superstitious or a student of history. No player has won the par 3 and gone on to win the Masters in the same year. Who knows - maybe this year will be the first.
The par 3 contest airs on ESPN on Wednesday at 3 p.m. You can also go to www.masters.com to view live coverage online.
Monday, April 4, 2011
2011 Masters Preview
Until Phil Mickelson thumped the field to win the Shell Houston Open yesterday, there didn't appear to be a clear favorite for the first major of the year, this week's Masters. But after posting 20-under par to win by three, Mickelson has leaped to the forefront of the favorites.
Mickelson, the defending Masters champion, is coming off his best week of the year. There is a reason Mickelson has won three Masters tournaments - Augusta National favors a player who can hit high, soft fades into tight pin placements. As a lefty, Mickelson has a distinct advantage. For a right-handed player, as a majority of professionals are, the course sets up to require a right to left draw shot. This makes it difficult to stop approach shots close to the hole. On the other hand, a lefty like Mickelson can shape his shots from right to left using a high fade, which lands softer and makes it easier to fire in to those tight pin placements. This is part of the reason world #1 Martin Kaymer has struggled at Augusta, missing the cut all three times he's played there. Kaymer's natural shot is a draw, so he's been working on hitting the fade in preparation for the Masters. It's not there yet, and he feels he might still be a year away.
Watch for Bubba Watson this week. He's a lefty and a dynamo at shaping his shots. If his short game is there, the course could be a perfect fit for Bubba.
But the reason this tournament is so wide-open this year is because Augusta National tests every part of your game. Yes it favors bombers, but that hasn't stopped guys like Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman, relatively short hitters, from winning in recent years.
That's because you have to be dead on with your mid-irons; your short game has to be immaculate around Augusta's giant, speedy, undulating greens; and you will not win if you're not putting brilliantly this week.
So who are the favorites? Mickelson and last year's runner-up, Lee Westwood, have to be favored. Dustin Johnson, with his success in last year's majors, is a name that keeps popping up. He defintely has the length for the course, but his putting has been incosistent, especially in big moments when it counts. I have to see him actually do it one time before I can consider him a true favorite.
Rory McIlroy is another name that gets bantered around when talking about the Masters, but he's been largely absent this year from contending for tournaments. Maybe he's a darkhorse, because he certainly possesses the talent.
We've seen some flashes of the old Tiger, but what we haven't seen is four consistently good rounds. Maybe this is the week the four-time Masters champion puts it all together and wins his first major since 2008's epic at Torrey Pines.
And watch out for a guy like Luke Donald. The WGC-Accenture Matchplay winner has the total game to get it done at Augusta. Guys would pay big money for his short-game expertise, but whether he can be consistent off the tee with the driver will determine his fate this week.
It will take a lot to top Mickelson's 6-iron off the pine needles last year that propelled him to the win, but this field is certainly capable of making a magic moment.
With Phil eager to defend his title; Tiger ready to relaunch his march toward history; and Lee Westwood looking to storm through the door to his first major, the 2011 Masters may just be, one for the ages.
Mickelson, the defending Masters champion, is coming off his best week of the year. There is a reason Mickelson has won three Masters tournaments - Augusta National favors a player who can hit high, soft fades into tight pin placements. As a lefty, Mickelson has a distinct advantage. For a right-handed player, as a majority of professionals are, the course sets up to require a right to left draw shot. This makes it difficult to stop approach shots close to the hole. On the other hand, a lefty like Mickelson can shape his shots from right to left using a high fade, which lands softer and makes it easier to fire in to those tight pin placements. This is part of the reason world #1 Martin Kaymer has struggled at Augusta, missing the cut all three times he's played there. Kaymer's natural shot is a draw, so he's been working on hitting the fade in preparation for the Masters. It's not there yet, and he feels he might still be a year away.
Watch for Bubba Watson this week. He's a lefty and a dynamo at shaping his shots. If his short game is there, the course could be a perfect fit for Bubba.
But the reason this tournament is so wide-open this year is because Augusta National tests every part of your game. Yes it favors bombers, but that hasn't stopped guys like Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman, relatively short hitters, from winning in recent years.
That's because you have to be dead on with your mid-irons; your short game has to be immaculate around Augusta's giant, speedy, undulating greens; and you will not win if you're not putting brilliantly this week.
So who are the favorites? Mickelson and last year's runner-up, Lee Westwood, have to be favored. Dustin Johnson, with his success in last year's majors, is a name that keeps popping up. He defintely has the length for the course, but his putting has been incosistent, especially in big moments when it counts. I have to see him actually do it one time before I can consider him a true favorite.
Rory McIlroy is another name that gets bantered around when talking about the Masters, but he's been largely absent this year from contending for tournaments. Maybe he's a darkhorse, because he certainly possesses the talent.
We've seen some flashes of the old Tiger, but what we haven't seen is four consistently good rounds. Maybe this is the week the four-time Masters champion puts it all together and wins his first major since 2008's epic at Torrey Pines.
And watch out for a guy like Luke Donald. The WGC-Accenture Matchplay winner has the total game to get it done at Augusta. Guys would pay big money for his short-game expertise, but whether he can be consistent off the tee with the driver will determine his fate this week.
It will take a lot to top Mickelson's 6-iron off the pine needles last year that propelled him to the win, but this field is certainly capable of making a magic moment.
With Phil eager to defend his title; Tiger ready to relaunch his march toward history; and Lee Westwood looking to storm through the door to his first major, the 2011 Masters may just be, one for the ages.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)