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Gearing up for Quail Hollow
As the Wells Fargo Championship rolls into GTG Golf’s hometown of Charlotte, NC, we figured we’d take the time and have an Inaugural Quail Hollow player pick for this week.
The pickers include Bob “Bellymaster” Selby, Adam “Taco” Zeck, Michael “Crash” Bland, Ryan “Grim” Ripa, and Tim “Big Guns” Martin.
Rules were to pick three players based on total accumulated earnings from the event.
Bellymaster: Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, and Sang-Moon Bae
Taco: Rory McIlroy, Jim Furyk, and Vijay Singh
Crash: Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood, and Rory McIlroy
Grim: Webb Simpson, Bill Haas, and Hunter Mahan
Big Guns: Bo Van Pelt, Hunter Mahan, and Jim Furyk
The winner here will receive the GTG Golf Green Jacket for the rest of the calendar year.
Keep your eyes on the leaderboard this weekend and see who picks like a pro.
Sorry, Arnie…
The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill has long been viewed as one of the top stops on the PGA Tour early-season schedule. And why not? Great course, great atmosphere, great sponsorship… and until now, great field.
How could you not like this tournament, hosted by “The King,” Arnold Palmer? He has already done far too much for golf, not to mention the countless efforts he and his wife, Winnie, have made in the medical community.
Unfortunately, the story this week is many of the world’s top players skipping out on the event. Arnie, himself, has even expressed his “disappointment” towards the top players not entering this week’s field as World No. 7 Webb Simpson is the top-ranked player in the field.
But (you heard it here), in this case, The King is wrong. The Masters is right around the corner and the guy who has four green jackets (Arnold Palmer) wants everyone to be fixated on his event?
The fact is, only two of the world’s top-10 golfers are American. Europe is setting the standard for premier golf and they are doing it by winning major championships.
The world’s current top four players (Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer)… are all taking a rest in Europe while preparing for The Masters. And even Arnie can not knock the importance of The Masters.
Arnold Palmer Invitational: Players to Watch
Tiger Woods
How could you not lead off with him? Tiger’s record at Bay Hill speaks for itself. He’s won here six times and leads the all-time list of earnings at Bay Hill, with more than twice the amount of second-ranked Vijay Singh. But there’s questions… oh, so many questions. Tiger’s hitting the ball wonderfully. But once he’s on the putting surface, it’s still unravelling. Missed putts seem to stick with him throughout the round, and that’s anything but “Tiger-esque.” And then there’s that awful achilles injury that prevented him from playing the final six and a half holes at Doral. Well, apparently it fixed itself in just a week as Tiger teed it up at the two-day Tavistock Cup earlier this week and is set to go the distance at this event. Miraculous recovery, or something else? You be the judge.
Hunter Mahan
The WGC Match-Play champion has been taking it pretty easy since tearing up the bracket in Arizona. In his only start since, Mahan posted a T24 at the WGC-Cadillac at Doral. He might as well just make a career of playing WGC events as two of his four career wins have come in those events and he always seems to pop up there. Mahan’s resume at Bay Hill has been solid with three top-25s in his past four starts. This year on Tour, he’s second in total driving and 15th in greens in regulation, which will be a big help at a course that puts a premium on accuracy.
Sergio Garcia
With Sergio, it always seems like it’s one step forward and two steps back. Almost every week, a round that’s closer to 80 than 70 derails Sergio’s plans to ditch his multi-year funk and get back to where he belongs: lifting trophies. He’s finally enjoying his golf again and his results have showed it. Two top-20s in his first four starts this year (including a T4 at the Northern Trust) suggest he’s getting closer to breaking through again. And he’s been better than good at Bay Hill in the past with six top-10s in 10 appearances. Could this finally be it?
Sleeper: Jeff Overton
It sounds odd to list “Boom Baby” as a sleeper. But the fact remains, Overton has never won on the PGA Tour and will be stuck in that category until he does. And it’s just a matter of time. Like Sergio, Overton has slowly been inching there after a rough start to 2012. Three straight top-20s have Overton coming to Bay Hill as one of the field’s most in-form players and a win this week would forever abolish his “sleeper” status.
One Hard @$$! Hole
One day. One hole. The world’s top 74 players… 55 over par.
But just how hard was the 18th at TPC Blue Monster at Doral during the first round of the WGG- Cadillac Championship? If you examine the numbers, you’ll find that it was darn near impossible.
As many birdies as triple bogeys (2). 29 bogeys to 30 pars. Add in 11 double bogeys and you’ve got yourself one beast of a hole.
With today’s wind coming in from the right, an already tough tee shot was amped up to 11, pushing over a quarter of the players’ drives into the pond (even steady ol’ Webb Simpson pumped one into the exact center of the water with land nowhere in sight). So, the answer is bail out right…
…Right?
Wrong. Roughly 30 players put their drive into the right rough on Thursday. Exactly zero of them hit the green.
Even from the fairway, the pond was a factor, as recent world No. 1 Luke Donald dunked one from a near perfect position. Thanks to a bottleneck tee-shot, most players were left with 200+ yards in, with danger everywhere around the green and wind howling above.
Still not convinced? Examine the elite names who took double-bogey (or worse) on this fiery gauntlet of a golf hole: Luke Donald, Jason Day, Webb Simpson, Gary Woodland, Sergio Garcia (triple), Alvaro Quiros, Darren Clarke (triple), among many others.
In the feature group of Tiger Woods, Nick Watney and Sergio Garcia, Woods and Watney bested the hole with bogeys. And both were lucky to do so.
When in these conditions, the closing hole at the Blue Monster is just that, a BLUE MONSTER, and could provide us one of the most exciting/heartbreaking finishes of the year.
But where does it rank on the list of toughest finishing holes on tour?
It’s never too early to start thinking about The Masters
In what is shaping out to be the best year in the history of the PGA Tour, it becomes increasingly exciting to think about The Masters. This year’s blend of new and old favorites rounding into form figures to be the most compelling story of the Spring. If you are a novice fan of the sport, I suggest you don’t turn that dial.
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be the clear favorites. Tiger has not won a sanctioned event since 2009, a major since 2008, and The Masters since 2005. Phil has finished in the top 5 an astounding nine times since 1995 (3 wins). Rory has four top 3’s in just 13 career major championship (1 win). Fuzzy Zoeller remains the last first timer to win.
Rory is the best player in the game. Tiger is finding his game. Phil remembers how to putt. Lee Westwood still has doubters until proven otherwise. Luke Donald needs to win a major to secure his legacy in the game.
The weather in Augusta, GA the second week of April.
Phil is the only “bomber” to win The Master’s with a winning score in single digits (2004, 2006) since 2000. It is becoming a trend that the harder the course plays, the more likelier we are to ending up with a Charl Schwartzel, Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Mike Weir type of player winning.
Assuming we get typical Georgia weather, expect the cream to rise to the top. If not, consider it a toss up. One thing’s for sure, we’re in for a heck of an event.
My predictions:
Show: Phil Mickelson - True to his pedigree, will be in it on the back 9 on Sunday. If he shows up with his Sunday at Pebble game, look out.
Place: Rory McIlroy - His impressive course management is what sets him apart from other players his age. His confidence is growing in front of our eyes. Like many great ones that came before him, it will take another year of seasoning before he slips on the Green Jacket.
Winner: Tiger Woods - All signs are pointing towards a Rory-Tiger battle. With his game improving on a week to week basis, it’s hard not to pick Tiger’s peak at The Masters. In historical fashion, don’t be surprised with a slow start. Tiger always find a way to the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
Dark Horse: Sergio Garcia - Still one of the best tee to green players in the game. Putter no longer a disadvantage?
Want to see what I’m reading, writing, or laughing about: @gtggolfBigGuns
Honda Classic: Players to Watch
Lee Westwood
The World No. 3 enters the week on the back of top 20s in each of his last five starts worldwide. He posted a tie for ninth at PGA National in 2010 and will be anxious to stop Rory McIlroy from snatching the No. 1 ranking he desperately wants to regain. This will be a strange week for Westwood, as he visibly put a ton mentally into his run at the Match Play Championship and seemed to stall just short of the finish line. If there’s anything left in the tank, he could win. But if not, it could just as easily result in a missed cut.
John Huh
After an impressive start to his rookie season, the interesting factor this week will be how Huh reacts to his first PGA Tour victory last week in Mayakoba. Huh fired a 63 in the final round to earn a spot in a playoff, downing Robert Allenby in eight holes. Now, many of the big boys are back, having played in the Match Play rather than in Mexico. But that hasn’t fazed Huh thus far, making the cut in all five of his events while posting two top 10s and an additional top 15.
Tiger Woods
Everyone else is watching him, so why not us? Much is being made about Tiger this week. Unfortunately, very little of it is actually about his golf. While the lion’s share of the focus remains on former coach Hank Haney’s upcoming book and the fact that Tiger is playing this event for the first time since 1993 as an amateur, his obvious flaws on the course are going largely unnoticed. His swing looks great, but the fact remains that Tiger is not putting like Tiger. He claims he can fix his performances on the greens in a day and this might be the week we find out if it’s the truth or Tiger’s ego getting in the way, not for the first time.
America’s New Sweetheart?
When many people think of Hunter Mahan, the first thing that shoots to mind is the image of a defeated young golfer sitting in front of a microphone, sobbing and blaming himself for America’s 2010 Ryder Cup loss.
Thankfully, that can now change.
Mahan’s demolition of last week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship bracket again proved that not only is he one of America’s brightest young talents, but quite possibly the best.
And it’s great to see, considering the heartbreak Mahan suffered after his flubbed chip on the 17th hole at Celtic Manor allowed European hero Graeme McDowell to claim the match and officially close the door on the American team’s hopes to retain the Ryder Cup. It was the type of heartbreak that had the potential to haunt a career for its entirety.
But after examining Mahan’s record since, it’s pretty clear that this kid has a truly special resolve and will be leading the American charge for many years to come.
In 2011, Mahan posted nine Top 10s in 25 Tour starts while missing only three cuts, and was incredibly denied the FedEx Cup title by Bill Haas’ once-in-a-lifetime, $10 million dollar shot from the water in the Tour Championship playoff (another heartbreak he’s bounced back from). In addition, he banished his demons in the team format, helping America to win the 2011 President’s Cup with a 4-1 individual record.
What’s great about Mahan is that he keeps on coming. And when this guy gets going, everything goes in the hole (which was the case last week in Arizona), and he has the capability to win several events in a row, including multiple majors.
With Europe firmly in control of the Official World Golf Rankings, Mahan’s re-emergence teamed with with his ability to dominate the big events gives him a leg up on the handful of other talented Americans with their eyes set on wrestling the No. 1 spot away from the Europeans.
Winning the Match Play Championship will feel like a major, but don’t expect that to be the end of the noise made by America’s new main man in this year’s biggest tournaments.
WGC Accenture Match Play Championship: Players to Watch
Rory McIlroy
Is anybody on the planet playing better golf recently? In his last 10 starts worldwide, he’s posted two wins and nine top fives. Of the No. 1 seeds, McIlroy seemingly has the most manageable route through the brackets. In addition, he’ll be anxious to redeem himself for the embarrassing second round 8 & 7 defeat to Ben Crane last year. A potential third round match-up with Sergio Garcia could be interesting, especially if Garcia reproduces the form that saw him fire a 64 in the final round of last week’s Northern Trust Open. Luckily for McIlroy, Garcia’s even less consistent than post-Thanksgiving Tiger.
Bill Haas
Phil Mickelson failing to convert at the Northern Trust proved just how hard it is to win two weeks in a row. But Haas is the definition of a grinder, which is a big advantage in match play competitions. He’s putting extremely well and also has a favorable draw through the first few rounds. Haas exited in the first round in his only start in this event last year after running into a buzz saw in Bubba Watson. While he faces another tricky opening match against Ryo Ishikawa, his steady nature could provide a good run.
Bubba Watson
A semi-finalist last year in his only appearance, Watson is the epitome of an exciting match play golfer. First, he rarely cards a par. The guy makes a ton of birdies and with his length, most par fives are eagle targets. On the other hand, he is also prone to a couple blow-up holes. To his credit, he’s seemed to start limiting those mistakes recently. But with such a volatile player, you never can know what to expect. Second, his distance can take a toll on you. Imagine how frustrating it must be to be hitting five or six iron into greens while your opponent is throwing lob wedges in there and stopping it on a dime. The only negative for Bubba this week is that he’s utterly surrounded by other strong match play guys. Should he get by his first round match with Ben Crane, Martin Kaymer, Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler all potentially await within the next two rounds.
Sleeper: Kyle Stanley
It’s tough to imagine the top guy in the FedEx Cup standings to be a sleeper, but Stanley enters his first WGC appearance as the 13 seed in the Jones bracket. We know he has the game, and we thought it could take a while to recover from his Torrey Pines meltdown. But his win in Phoenix the very next week proved he has the guts too. If he can get past KJ Choi in the first round, a rematch with Farmers Open champ Brandt Snedeker could be next. Wouldn’t that be something?
No Love for the Lefties?
February is an awesome month for trying out new golf equipment. This is the month every year when local clubs receive all sorts of shipments containing the “it” drivers and woods of the year that will make you hit longer and straighter. Of course this year, it’s TaylorMade’s RocketBallz (the single best name for a golf club) and Ping’s G20 and i20.
But which one’s right for you? No worries, all you have to do is swing through your local pro shop on the way to the tee and they’ll just give you one to hit for the day in a ploy to get you to dish your money to them rather than someone else. Make a weekend of it. Try them all. It’s Awesome!
Unless, of course, you’re left handed.
I challenge you to walk into your local pro shop of choice and search wall-to-wall for a left-handed club of any kind. To save some time, I’ll give you the result now: you’ll find none. But on the odd chance you do spot a backwards stick, under no circumstances will it be available for demo.
Heaven forbid we (that’s right, I’m one of them) want to try out a club before we make the financial commitment to it, because that just isn’t happening. That left-handed driver is the only one they have and if there’s a chance you won’t buy it, you can forget laying a finger on it. Meanwhile, there’s five shiny new right-handed R11s behind the counter waiting to go out for their daily round with a new would-be suitor.
Instead, they suggest we’re welcome mosey over to Dick’s Sporting Goods or another chain outlet for a better “lefty experience.” But in fact, it’s there where the degradation hits its high.
Left-handed clubs are actually quite easy to find in these stores, because they all shove us into the small, dark corner in the back. So while we’re in the corner perusing over the three sets of irons and a single rack of standard, consistently lofted drivers, all the beautiful, right-handed people stare and laugh at us from the rest of the store while pondering their limitless choices.
But what can be done about it? It’s painfully true that we are the gross minority when it comes to golf club sales, because there’s just not that many of us. If things are ever to change, we will need to grow the game to more left-handed people. And that starts with role models.
I play left-handed mainly because I am left-handed (however, many lefties today actually play righty due to lack of clubs and instruction), but also because I enjoyed watching Phil Mickelson growing up.
That’s what we need, more Phil’s. With Bubba Watson really emerging over the past few years, it’s starting, as the PGA Tour now has it’s highest ever count of truly elite lefties.
Too bad that number is still only two.
