So I was on vacation, and my family decided to hit the links. On our way back from Myrtle Beach, we decided to take the I-20 route through Augusta, Georgia to Atlanta. We stopped in Augusta to play at a course on the Fort Gordon Army Base. If we could we would have played at Augusta National, but that wasn't meant to be. We had already played one round in Myrtle Beach where I shot an 83, and as a +.8 handicap that wasn't what I was hoping for. I hadn't really played much since the end of high school season, so my goal was to beat 80.
The start was not ideal for me. I made a poor bogey on the first leaving it just short on my approach into the green, and then missing about a five footer for par. On the second I stumbled and pushed my drive into the trees, then hit a punch fade about 60 yards out on the long par four. I hit my approach just over the pin, but with little play I wasn't sure on the distance and hit it about 30 feet past, then the inevitable, a three putt. Number three is a par five, that dog legs to the left, with bunkers on both sides. I hit a poor second shot, then a bad approach, and then a three putt bogey.
I was able to turn this bad start around though. I missed a short par putt on the fourth, but made a par on the fifth and sixth. I hit a ball in the water on the seventh, then stuck my approach to about 10 feet, but missed the par putt which led to a bogey. But finished par-par to shoot a 42 on the front.
The back started with a bogey on the tenth due to leaving myself in a tough spot just off the green. But the eleventh was good for me. I stuck a 130 yard shot about four feet passed the hole to make a birdie. Then on the next I stuck a four iron to about four feet, but missed it. Then I made another bogey due to bad positioning into the green. Then another poor chip to make it back to back bogies. After these two bogies I realized I needed to play the last four one-under to break 80.
The fifteenth is an island green, that is designed like the seventeenth at TPC Sawgrass. I stuck one to about eight feet and made a clutch birdie to give me some life. I had never really found my game during our vacation, but I could definitely tell it was back when I made a birdie there. But I lost a little of it on the sixteenth.
I hit two good shots on the long par five, but then hit a heavy six-iron and put it in the pond. I settled for a double bogey, and now had to birdie out to break 80.
The seventeenth is a long par three, where I hit a five iron just right of the pin, knowing I had to birdie. I got up to the green and found my ball about fifteen feet right of the pin. All I was thinking was make this and go to the eighteenth looking for a birdie. Even though this wasn't a tournament, I felt the pressure, and rose to the occasion and drained it. Now all I needed was birdie on the par five eighteenth.
I had been having issues with blocking my drives to the right, and that crept in on the last when I put it deep into the trees. When I got to my ball, I found a similar situation as Phil in the Masters on the thirteenth. I had a clear shot through the trees. I couldn't go for it, but I could get out. I hit a poor second shot off the heal and it faded a little too much, but I got up to my ball with a shot. As I got to my ball in a pile of leaves, I knew I had to stick this close and just give myself a putt at it. I did exactly that, and stuck it to about eight feet. I knew the break, just slight to the left and I couldn't leave it short. I rolled it well, and when I looked up I thought it was in. But you can't wish putts in, and this one just wasn't perfect and grazed the right edge, just rolling past.
The 80 I shot, wasn't what I was hoping for, but it made me stronger, and showed me that I can really go low if I put all my effort into it.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
10 of top 25 unbeaten so far, who will be last one standing?
There are currently 10 unbeaten teams in the top 25 of men's college basketball. Which team will be the last one standing? Or will there be more than one?
Arizona (#1), Syracuse (#2), Ohio State (#3), Wisconsin (#4), Villanova (#8), Wichita State (#11), Oregon (#13), Iowa State (#17), Massachusetts (#22), and Missouri (#23) are the 10 teams. Arizona and Iowa State both squeaked out nail biters late this past week to stay unbeaten. Michigan who was originally ranked inside the top-10 almost took down Arizona, but fell 72-70. And Iowa State just inched past in-state rival Iowa with a late game charge to win 85-82. We know one thing not all of these teams will be undefeated at the end of the regular season.
Ohio State and Wisconsin will face each other once this season, and possibly in the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State will also face #5 ranked Michigan State twice, and #25 ranked Iowa twice. Wisconsin gets the Spartans once, but they do get Iowa twice. With a strong Big Ten schedule, oen of these two will surely go down.
Arizona and Oregon get the pleasure of playing each other twice, so at least one of them won't remain unbeaten. #20 Colorado is also on each of their schedules. Only once for Oregon, but twice for Arizona.
Villanova and Syracuse face off on December 28th, which should be a good battle early in the season for both of those teams. Syracuse will be the favorite, but with Villanova already taking down Iowa and Kansas, they aren't to be messed around with.
The Wichita State Shockers do not have a currently ranked team on their remaining schedule, so look for the Shockers to continue their momentum from last years tourney charge throughout the 2013-2014 season. The same is the case for the Massachusetts Minutemen who do not face a ranked opponent for the rest of the this season.
But for schools like Massachusetts, it is similar to college football teams like Northern Illinois and Fresno State. Both of them were undefeated throughout most of their season, but got no credit for that and were ranked behind teams with up to three losses. So, they won't get much competition throughout their season, and will have to prove themselves in the tournament come March.
This season is shaping up to be good one for college basketball, and I can not wait until March for all of the suspense.
Arizona (#1), Syracuse (#2), Ohio State (#3), Wisconsin (#4), Villanova (#8), Wichita State (#11), Oregon (#13), Iowa State (#17), Massachusetts (#22), and Missouri (#23) are the 10 teams. Arizona and Iowa State both squeaked out nail biters late this past week to stay unbeaten. Michigan who was originally ranked inside the top-10 almost took down Arizona, but fell 72-70. And Iowa State just inched past in-state rival Iowa with a late game charge to win 85-82. We know one thing not all of these teams will be undefeated at the end of the regular season.
Ohio State and Wisconsin will face each other once this season, and possibly in the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State will also face #5 ranked Michigan State twice, and #25 ranked Iowa twice. Wisconsin gets the Spartans once, but they do get Iowa twice. With a strong Big Ten schedule, oen of these two will surely go down.
Arizona and Oregon get the pleasure of playing each other twice, so at least one of them won't remain unbeaten. #20 Colorado is also on each of their schedules. Only once for Oregon, but twice for Arizona.
Villanova and Syracuse face off on December 28th, which should be a good battle early in the season for both of those teams. Syracuse will be the favorite, but with Villanova already taking down Iowa and Kansas, they aren't to be messed around with.
The Wichita State Shockers do not have a currently ranked team on their remaining schedule, so look for the Shockers to continue their momentum from last years tourney charge throughout the 2013-2014 season. The same is the case for the Massachusetts Minutemen who do not face a ranked opponent for the rest of the this season.
But for schools like Massachusetts, it is similar to college football teams like Northern Illinois and Fresno State. Both of them were undefeated throughout most of their season, but got no credit for that and were ranked behind teams with up to three losses. So, they won't get much competition throughout their season, and will have to prove themselves in the tournament come March.
This season is shaping up to be good one for college basketball, and I can not wait until March for all of the suspense.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Sergio finally gets into the winners circle
It has been a tough season for Sergio Garcia with out any wins, and all of his issues with the media.
Garcia finally got a win at the Thailand Golf Championship. He outlasted Henrik Stenson down the stretch to win by four. This was special for Garcia with his girlfriend Katharina Boehm on the bag. She caddied for him the whole week, and was right there to celebrate the win with him right as it concluded. Garcia also finished second the week before at the Nedbank World Challenge. So as a fan it is good to see him play well at the end of the season, and shows hope for next year after this struggling season.
Sergio showed some sparks being in contention at the Players Championship, even with the distractions of the media. Sergio put three balls in the water on the 17th (island hole) at TPC Sawgrass, which led to a quadruple bogey. Then doubled the last for a horrid finish, and to give Tiger the win. Sergio faced great ridicule from the press that week, after he blamed his playing partner Tiger Woods for the gallery cheering while he was hitting. It was very easy for almighty Tiger to turn the media on Sergio, and make him sound like a big whiner. Sergio took a lot of bad talk from the media and put up with a lot to get through the week, and all the frustration came out on the last few holes. This disappointing finish summed up Sergio's season, and later led to him saying a racially offensive comment towards Tiger. But Sergio apologized many times to Tiger and tried to make things right. The fans supported him throughout, and understood that he made a mistake. This season couldn't have finished better after all the struggles.
Sergio had a poor season, but finished a bang. His up and down season never got to the level that we expect, but with a win at the end, good things are expected to come in 2014.
Tournament information can be found at: http://www.thailandgolfchampionship.com/new/en/home/index.php
Garcia finally got a win at the Thailand Golf Championship. He outlasted Henrik Stenson down the stretch to win by four. This was special for Garcia with his girlfriend Katharina Boehm on the bag. She caddied for him the whole week, and was right there to celebrate the win with him right as it concluded. Garcia also finished second the week before at the Nedbank World Challenge. So as a fan it is good to see him play well at the end of the season, and shows hope for next year after this struggling season.
Sergio showed some sparks being in contention at the Players Championship, even with the distractions of the media. Sergio put three balls in the water on the 17th (island hole) at TPC Sawgrass, which led to a quadruple bogey. Then doubled the last for a horrid finish, and to give Tiger the win. Sergio faced great ridicule from the press that week, after he blamed his playing partner Tiger Woods for the gallery cheering while he was hitting. It was very easy for almighty Tiger to turn the media on Sergio, and make him sound like a big whiner. Sergio took a lot of bad talk from the media and put up with a lot to get through the week, and all the frustration came out on the last few holes. This disappointing finish summed up Sergio's season, and later led to him saying a racially offensive comment towards Tiger. But Sergio apologized many times to Tiger and tried to make things right. The fans supported him throughout, and understood that he made a mistake. This season couldn't have finished better after all the struggles.
Sergio had a poor season, but finished a bang. His up and down season never got to the level that we expect, but with a win at the end, good things are expected to come in 2014.
Tournament information can be found at: http://www.thailandgolfchampionship.com/new/en/home/index.php
Tough start for the Wolverines, what's instore?
After starting this season ranked 9th in the nation, and one spot in front of bitter rival Ohio State, the Michigan Wolverines could not imagine a more disappointing start. They are currently 6-4 with three of their losses coming to currently ranked opponents (#17 Iowa State, #8 Duke, and #9 Arizona). Their other loss came to the Charlotte 49ers. At least all of their losses have been close, not what they want to hear right now. This program is in a rebuilding year after losing Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., who led the Wolverines to a NCAA Championship appearance. Their is still plenty of time to revive this season, but their schedule doesn't get easier. They will play multiple ranked opponents more than once to finish the rest of their season, as they have to get through the tough Big Ten.
Michigan's last game was against the #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats. They lost a close battle 72-70, which showed that maybe Michigan is worth what they were once ranked. But nevertheless, no loss looks good on a record. Glenn Robinson III was a big factor in the fight putting up 20 points. Robinson was also a big factor last year in their late season charge throughout the tourney. Other Wolverines who had big nights were Caris LeVert and Nik Stauskas who put up 15 and 14 points. Stauskas also added 6 rebounds to his night. Spike Albrecht, who is known for his three-point shooting after last years tourney charge, shot 3 of 4 from beyond the mark to put up 10 points on his own. Michigan knew they had to shoot to have a chance against the undefeated Wildcats. They shot 50% from the field, and 47% from beyond. They also made 14 of 17 from the line. This outshot the Wildcats from three land and from the field. The Wildcats did have a higher percentage from the line making 14 of 15. There's the two shots they lost right there. But even though it was a tough lost this did give the Wolverines some inspiration that they can play with anyone.
They will play the Buckeyes this season, and they are currently ranked inside the top 5. They will also play Wisconsin and Michigan State, who are also ranked inside the top 5. Iowa is also on their schedule, and they are currently ranked. With this tough of a schedule it provides Michigan an opportunity to prove themselves. We will see if that is what happens.
Michigan Basketball information can be found at: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/
Michigan's last game was against the #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats. They lost a close battle 72-70, which showed that maybe Michigan is worth what they were once ranked. But nevertheless, no loss looks good on a record. Glenn Robinson III was a big factor in the fight putting up 20 points. Robinson was also a big factor last year in their late season charge throughout the tourney. Other Wolverines who had big nights were Caris LeVert and Nik Stauskas who put up 15 and 14 points. Stauskas also added 6 rebounds to his night. Spike Albrecht, who is known for his three-point shooting after last years tourney charge, shot 3 of 4 from beyond the mark to put up 10 points on his own. Michigan knew they had to shoot to have a chance against the undefeated Wildcats. They shot 50% from the field, and 47% from beyond. They also made 14 of 17 from the line. This outshot the Wildcats from three land and from the field. The Wildcats did have a higher percentage from the line making 14 of 15. There's the two shots they lost right there. But even though it was a tough lost this did give the Wolverines some inspiration that they can play with anyone.
They will play the Buckeyes this season, and they are currently ranked inside the top 5. They will also play Wisconsin and Michigan State, who are also ranked inside the top 5. Iowa is also on their schedule, and they are currently ranked. With this tough of a schedule it provides Michigan an opportunity to prove themselves. We will see if that is what happens.
Michigan Basketball information can be found at: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/
Is State finally better than Iowa at a sport?
2013 basketball has been huge for the state of Iowa this year. With both Iowa and ISU being ranked, the CyHawk trophy was up for some real stakes. The two schools played at the Hilton Coliseum Friday, and boy was it something special.
Iowa State who has always come behind Iowa when it comes to intrastate competitions, was the victor in this tough match Friday night. The Clones were down by ten late in the first half, but battled back to outscore the Hawks 85-82. Dustin Hogue, Melvin Ejim, and Georges Niang led the Clones with big nights. Hogue had a double-double with 16 rebounds and 12 points. Ejim put up 22 points and Niang put up 24 to count for almost 70% of their points. Off the bench, Naz long added 13 points to the cause. DeAndre Kane had 9 assists for the Clones, and he continues his campaign for the Bob Cousy award, even though he only put up 5 points. The Cyclones had a big night all around, and were able to outlast the rival Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes fell just short, with desperation shots not falling late. Leading the Hawkeyes was star Aaron White with 25 points and 17 rebounds. Roy Devyn Marble put up 19 for the Hawks, and 6 assists. Off the bench Cedar Rapids native Jarrod Uthoff scored 12 points and had 5 rebounds. The Hawkeyes put up a good fight to the higher ranked Clones, but suffered their second loss of the season. The season won't get easier for the Hawks with a tough Big Ten schedule upcoming, but this is still one of their best years for the program. This season shows a lot of potential for them, and shows a bright future for the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball program.
The Clones, or "Clowns" as the Hawkeye faithful likes to call them proved to be stronger at home. The comeback late in the game showed a great amount of potential for this years team. After the past couple years' tourney surprises the Cyclones are looking for a good season this year. With an 8-0 start, that's just what the Clones have. They have a tough Big Twelve schedule coming up with two games against three different Big 12 opponents. But with two wins already against ranked opponents, the Clones don't seem to be intimidated by anyone. They rank 2nd in the nation for points scored in a game, averaging over 90 points per game. They are ranked 6th in rebounds per game, averaging almost 45 rebounds a game. And to finish it off they are also ranked 2nd in assists per game, with almost twenty a game. All three of these statistics show that the Clones are passing, scoring, and playing like a team which are very good qualities to have.
So, with all of this information one could argue that the Iowa State Cyclones are finally better than the Iowa Hawkeyes when it comes to a form of athletics. This is just the start of a long season, but for the Cyclone faithful it is a very happy sight. The Hawkeye fans have always made a big deal about how much better Iowa is when it comes to athletics, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Clones. After Friday, it's time to be proud to be a Cyclone.
Boxscore of Iowa-Iowa State game can be found at: http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400498300
Iowa State who has always come behind Iowa when it comes to intrastate competitions, was the victor in this tough match Friday night. The Clones were down by ten late in the first half, but battled back to outscore the Hawks 85-82. Dustin Hogue, Melvin Ejim, and Georges Niang led the Clones with big nights. Hogue had a double-double with 16 rebounds and 12 points. Ejim put up 22 points and Niang put up 24 to count for almost 70% of their points. Off the bench, Naz long added 13 points to the cause. DeAndre Kane had 9 assists for the Clones, and he continues his campaign for the Bob Cousy award, even though he only put up 5 points. The Cyclones had a big night all around, and were able to outlast the rival Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes fell just short, with desperation shots not falling late. Leading the Hawkeyes was star Aaron White with 25 points and 17 rebounds. Roy Devyn Marble put up 19 for the Hawks, and 6 assists. Off the bench Cedar Rapids native Jarrod Uthoff scored 12 points and had 5 rebounds. The Hawkeyes put up a good fight to the higher ranked Clones, but suffered their second loss of the season. The season won't get easier for the Hawks with a tough Big Ten schedule upcoming, but this is still one of their best years for the program. This season shows a lot of potential for them, and shows a bright future for the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball program.
The Clones, or "Clowns" as the Hawkeye faithful likes to call them proved to be stronger at home. The comeback late in the game showed a great amount of potential for this years team. After the past couple years' tourney surprises the Cyclones are looking for a good season this year. With an 8-0 start, that's just what the Clones have. They have a tough Big Twelve schedule coming up with two games against three different Big 12 opponents. But with two wins already against ranked opponents, the Clones don't seem to be intimidated by anyone. They rank 2nd in the nation for points scored in a game, averaging over 90 points per game. They are ranked 6th in rebounds per game, averaging almost 45 rebounds a game. And to finish it off they are also ranked 2nd in assists per game, with almost twenty a game. All three of these statistics show that the Clones are passing, scoring, and playing like a team which are very good qualities to have.
So, with all of this information one could argue that the Iowa State Cyclones are finally better than the Iowa Hawkeyes when it comes to a form of athletics. This is just the start of a long season, but for the Cyclone faithful it is a very happy sight. The Hawkeye fans have always made a big deal about how much better Iowa is when it comes to athletics, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Clones. After Friday, it's time to be proud to be a Cyclone.
Boxscore of Iowa-Iowa State game can be found at: http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400498300
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Zach takes down Tiger
Zach Johnson takes down Tiger in exuberating fashion. Tiger doesn't lose often, and rarely to Iowans.
Tiger wasn't looking like the man to beat after his Friday 62, and he was beat. Zach who had led off and on through out the tournament, was able to just pass Tiger at the very end, and even in a playoff. He was able to beat Tiger on the first hole of the playoff, but the exciting part was getting there.
Zach found himself trailing by one after both him and Tiger birdied the 16th. He was able to make birdie on the 17th to tie it up with one hole to play, a golfers dream. One hole, you and Tiger. After Tiger just missed the water, all Zach had to do was find the green and make par and force Tiger to get up and down. He wanted a tougher route. Zach hit his second shot into the water, so he was hitting his fourth into the green. This wasn't going to effect him though, he hit a perfect shot literally to hole out and save par. To put the pressure on Tiger to get up and down to force the playoff. Tiger rarely let's us down, and he had no issue getting up and down. In the playoff Zach two putted to force Tiger to make a five footer to continue the playoff. Like I said Tiger rarely let's us down, he did, and missed. Giving Zach the win.
Now Tiger or Zach don't need the money. But that was a costly miss. It cost him the win and $500,000. But Tiger and Zach are friends and I don't think he'll lose much sleep. There were some players that would have hoped for better weeks than this though.
The young gun, Jordan Spieth finished tied for second to last with Lee Westwood. Both of these players are expected to have big 2014 seasons.
Dustin Johnson finished in last place at 11 over. He to is expected to have a big 2014 season, so let's hope this was just an off week for him.
As the weekend closes, more great golf was added to the end of the season even though we are so close to the end of the season.
Tiger wasn't looking like the man to beat after his Friday 62, and he was beat. Zach who had led off and on through out the tournament, was able to just pass Tiger at the very end, and even in a playoff. He was able to beat Tiger on the first hole of the playoff, but the exciting part was getting there.
Zach found himself trailing by one after both him and Tiger birdied the 16th. He was able to make birdie on the 17th to tie it up with one hole to play, a golfers dream. One hole, you and Tiger. After Tiger just missed the water, all Zach had to do was find the green and make par and force Tiger to get up and down. He wanted a tougher route. Zach hit his second shot into the water, so he was hitting his fourth into the green. This wasn't going to effect him though, he hit a perfect shot literally to hole out and save par. To put the pressure on Tiger to get up and down to force the playoff. Tiger rarely let's us down, and he had no issue getting up and down. In the playoff Zach two putted to force Tiger to make a five footer to continue the playoff. Like I said Tiger rarely let's us down, he did, and missed. Giving Zach the win.
Now Tiger or Zach don't need the money. But that was a costly miss. It cost him the win and $500,000. But Tiger and Zach are friends and I don't think he'll lose much sleep. There were some players that would have hoped for better weeks than this though.
The young gun, Jordan Spieth finished tied for second to last with Lee Westwood. Both of these players are expected to have big 2014 seasons.
Dustin Johnson finished in last place at 11 over. He to is expected to have a big 2014 season, so let's hope this was just an off week for him.
As the weekend closes, more great golf was added to the end of the season even though we are so close to the end of the season.
Bye Bye Buckeyes
After winning 24 straight games, all Thee Ohio State Buckeyes had to do was win a 25th, and they would be in the National Championship. It couldn't be that hard for the great coach Urban Meyer, or for the genius scrambler of Braxton Miller, or even for the dynamic running of Carlos Hyde. I mean, these guys should be able to blow out Michigan State, defenses don't win games, the option-spread and high powered offenses do. The Spartans who just have the best defense in the nation shouldn't match up to thee great Buckeyes.
Wrong. (As a Michigan fan, I get great pleasure in writing this), thee Buckeyes were out muscled by the Spartans and lost 34-24, and any hopes of playing in the National Championship were erased. They won't even be playing in a BCS bowl, the humble Spartans are though. With a win over thee Buckeyes, Sparty earned a trip into the Rose Bowl. Braxton Miller also lost any chance he had of winning the Heisman Trophy. They are given to winners, he is a loser. That will be given to Jameis Winston because he knows how to win. So, what's in-store for thee almighty Buckeyes, a non important bowl game, and next year. The National Championship will await the Auburn Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles. Both getting big wins over ranked opponents this weekend.
Florida State faced #20 Duke and easily won 45-7. This won them the ACC Championship and a trip to the National Championship. Auburn had a tougher game, but was able to run for over 500 yards and beat #5 Mizzou 59-42 with a couple late touchdowns to squeak out a win. This got the Tigers of Auburn a SEC Championship and a trip to Pasadena as well. Most fans of college football figured there needed to be a SEC team in the National Championship, and with thee Buckeyes losing. One got in. There will be much hype about this game because Auburn is full of surprises and knows how to squeak out wins. While the Seminoles had a perfect regular season, and had no issues winning against ranked opponents. Either way, all I can say is that I am glad thee Buckeyes are not there.
Wrong. (As a Michigan fan, I get great pleasure in writing this), thee Buckeyes were out muscled by the Spartans and lost 34-24, and any hopes of playing in the National Championship were erased. They won't even be playing in a BCS bowl, the humble Spartans are though. With a win over thee Buckeyes, Sparty earned a trip into the Rose Bowl. Braxton Miller also lost any chance he had of winning the Heisman Trophy. They are given to winners, he is a loser. That will be given to Jameis Winston because he knows how to win. So, what's in-store for thee almighty Buckeyes, a non important bowl game, and next year. The National Championship will await the Auburn Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles. Both getting big wins over ranked opponents this weekend.
Florida State faced #20 Duke and easily won 45-7. This won them the ACC Championship and a trip to the National Championship. Auburn had a tougher game, but was able to run for over 500 yards and beat #5 Mizzou 59-42 with a couple late touchdowns to squeak out a win. This got the Tigers of Auburn a SEC Championship and a trip to Pasadena as well. Most fans of college football figured there needed to be a SEC team in the National Championship, and with thee Buckeyes losing. One got in. There will be much hype about this game because Auburn is full of surprises and knows how to squeak out wins. While the Seminoles had a perfect regular season, and had no issues winning against ranked opponents. Either way, all I can say is that I am glad thee Buckeyes are not there.
Bye Bye Bama
Wow what a finish, and so long Alabama as the dominant power in college football. As a fan of college football I get much pleasure in writing this.
Alabama has won the last two BCS Championships and was well on their way to win a third, until the unbelievable happened. Auburn had scored two straight touchdowns to tie the game at 21-21, and then Bama took the lead at 28-21. Then with :32 left Auburn tied it up at 28-28. So the game was destined to go into overtime. But the almighty Nick Saban decided to try to get into field goal position, and did with hardly any of a second left on the clock. He faced a tough decision whether to kick a 57 yard field goal, or to attempt a hail mary. He decided to kick, and could not have imagined the outcome. The kicker left it a few yards short, and Auburn sent a returner to field it if this happened. Then the unbelievable happened. It was returned for 108 yards and a touchdown to win it all.
With the top 3 teams playing in heavy hearted rivalry games, something crazy was going to happen. Earlier that day, the #2 Florida State Seminoles took care of their instate rival Florida without any issue. But it wasn't as easy for the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes. They played the Michigan Wolverines in what is arguably the longest and biggest rivalry in college athletics. Michigan, who had been having a very disappointing season, showed up for their last regular season game as the team we thought we would see this season. They led for a good part of the game, and came back from a two touchdown deficit late in the fourth to leave an extra point to tie it. Or an extra two to win. And they put it all on the line, win or loss, on one three yard play. They were not successful, and lost to the bitter rivaled Buckeyes 42-41. So after that excitement, all the anticipation led up to Auburn-Alabama, the Iron Bowl.
Rivalry Week proved it's name and worth in 2013. When it comes to rivalries all you can hope for are upsets and a little excitement, we were not disappointed. With the win, Auburn gets to play in the SEC championship, and potentially a chance to play in the National Championship. They will play #5 Missouri Saturday. Ohio State faces the number one defense in the #10 Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten Championship. And finally, the #1 Florida State Seminoles face #20 Duke in the ACC Championship. Whoever plays in the National Championship will be decided by these three games. After rivalry week it will be hard to improve on the level of excitement, but it is set up to answer the call.
Box Score and Stats of the Iron Bowl can be found at: http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=333340002
Alabama has won the last two BCS Championships and was well on their way to win a third, until the unbelievable happened. Auburn had scored two straight touchdowns to tie the game at 21-21, and then Bama took the lead at 28-21. Then with :32 left Auburn tied it up at 28-28. So the game was destined to go into overtime. But the almighty Nick Saban decided to try to get into field goal position, and did with hardly any of a second left on the clock. He faced a tough decision whether to kick a 57 yard field goal, or to attempt a hail mary. He decided to kick, and could not have imagined the outcome. The kicker left it a few yards short, and Auburn sent a returner to field it if this happened. Then the unbelievable happened. It was returned for 108 yards and a touchdown to win it all.
With the top 3 teams playing in heavy hearted rivalry games, something crazy was going to happen. Earlier that day, the #2 Florida State Seminoles took care of their instate rival Florida without any issue. But it wasn't as easy for the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes. They played the Michigan Wolverines in what is arguably the longest and biggest rivalry in college athletics. Michigan, who had been having a very disappointing season, showed up for their last regular season game as the team we thought we would see this season. They led for a good part of the game, and came back from a two touchdown deficit late in the fourth to leave an extra point to tie it. Or an extra two to win. And they put it all on the line, win or loss, on one three yard play. They were not successful, and lost to the bitter rivaled Buckeyes 42-41. So after that excitement, all the anticipation led up to Auburn-Alabama, the Iron Bowl.
Rivalry Week proved it's name and worth in 2013. When it comes to rivalries all you can hope for are upsets and a little excitement, we were not disappointed. With the win, Auburn gets to play in the SEC championship, and potentially a chance to play in the National Championship. They will play #5 Missouri Saturday. Ohio State faces the number one defense in the #10 Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten Championship. And finally, the #1 Florida State Seminoles face #20 Duke in the ACC Championship. Whoever plays in the National Championship will be decided by these three games. After rivalry week it will be hard to improve on the level of excitement, but it is set up to answer the call.
Box Score and Stats of the Iron Bowl can be found at: http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=333340002
Sunday, November 3, 2013
College football week in wrap
With the top two teams in the nation on byes this week, it made room for some of the higher ranked teams to gain and lose ground on them. Alabama was still ranked number one at the end of the week, but Oregon wasn't.
Florida State showed that they are for real with another win against a top ranked opponent. Earlier this year the Noles beat the number three ranked Clemson Tigers, and this weekend they beat the number seven ranked Miami Hurricanes, and one of their biggest rivals. FSU hasn't just showed they can beat these kind of teams, but that they have the ability to beat these kinds of teams badly. Neither of these games were even close to being as close as anticipated. This is why the Seminoles have moved to number two in the BCS rankings.
The Ducks have the opportunity to prove that they are the number two team in the nation when they play the number five ranked Stanford Cardinals this week. But after the Seminoles beat two unbeaten teams its hard not to like them as the number two team in the nation, or even the number one team. The Ducks and the Seminoles both have beaten top ranked teams, and have proven themselves. We will get a good test of the Crimson Tide when they play top ranked and bitter rival, Auburn.
Another big game this weekend was the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, Michigan vs. Michigan State. This game proved the old saying right, the best offense is a good defense. The high powered Michigan offense was held to only two field goals, and had -48 rushing yards. This was a good testament of how good the MSU defense is. They are according to the stats, the best defense in the nation, and they proved just that. The Big Ten is starting to separate one team in each division, and that is who we will see in the championship.
With the conference championships getting closer and closer, and the decision of who will be playing in which bowl games keeps getting closer, the best teams are starting to prove themselves. For teams like Miami and Michigan this isn't going to be the perfect season they envisioned. But these two teams will have games left on their schedule that won't be decided by their records, but by the will of the players. That is how rivalries are born, through teams that put the records and stats behind them and just compete on one Saturday to beat their competitors. For teams like Florida State, Oregon, and Bama their stride for perfection is getting closer to reality, but their is a lot of hard nose to nose football left to be played.
Florida State showed that they are for real with another win against a top ranked opponent. Earlier this year the Noles beat the number three ranked Clemson Tigers, and this weekend they beat the number seven ranked Miami Hurricanes, and one of their biggest rivals. FSU hasn't just showed they can beat these kind of teams, but that they have the ability to beat these kinds of teams badly. Neither of these games were even close to being as close as anticipated. This is why the Seminoles have moved to number two in the BCS rankings.
The Ducks have the opportunity to prove that they are the number two team in the nation when they play the number five ranked Stanford Cardinals this week. But after the Seminoles beat two unbeaten teams its hard not to like them as the number two team in the nation, or even the number one team. The Ducks and the Seminoles both have beaten top ranked teams, and have proven themselves. We will get a good test of the Crimson Tide when they play top ranked and bitter rival, Auburn.
Another big game this weekend was the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, Michigan vs. Michigan State. This game proved the old saying right, the best offense is a good defense. The high powered Michigan offense was held to only two field goals, and had -48 rushing yards. This was a good testament of how good the MSU defense is. They are according to the stats, the best defense in the nation, and they proved just that. The Big Ten is starting to separate one team in each division, and that is who we will see in the championship.
With the conference championships getting closer and closer, and the decision of who will be playing in which bowl games keeps getting closer, the best teams are starting to prove themselves. For teams like Miami and Michigan this isn't going to be the perfect season they envisioned. But these two teams will have games left on their schedule that won't be decided by their records, but by the will of the players. That is how rivalries are born, through teams that put the records and stats behind them and just compete on one Saturday to beat their competitors. For teams like Florida State, Oregon, and Bama their stride for perfection is getting closer to reality, but their is a lot of hard nose to nose football left to be played.
DJ takes the HSBC with final charge
Dustin Johnson the long bomber, didn't look that good when he lost two shots to his nearest chasers at the beginning of the round. But with a eagle on 16 and then a birdie on 17, DJ was able to walk away with a three shot win over defending champ, Ian Poulter.
Johnson was leading by three shots going into Sunday, but when McDowell and Poulter (his playing partners) both birdied the first hole, and Johnson bogeyed it, it wasn't going to look like a run-away victory. And it really wasn't until he separated himself on the last couple holes. The win on Sunday marks the biggest win for Johnson, and this elevates his prestige on the tour quite a bit.
DJ won the HSBC in a definitive manner, and showed much of the nay-sayers that he isn't the same player he used to be. This is still the same golfer who shot in the 80's his final round at the US Open when he had the lead, and the same player who had the PGA won and then grounded his club in a non-traditional bunker, causing him to be penalized and missing the playoff. Now the WGC HSBC Championship isn't a major, but the World Golf Championship events are the biggest non-major events.
Some of the notable players who had high finishes were Poulter in second, McDowell in third, Garcia in fourth, Rose in fifth, McIlroy in sixth, and Watson in eighth. With this strong of a showing from the top players in the world it sets a great tone for the 2014 season. The only thing missing from this tournament was a good showing out of Tiger, but I'm not to worried about him for next year.
The first big tournament of the 2014 season was a big success due to the best players making it a tight race. This shows a lot of promise going forward for 2014, and all the drama that will take place.
Johnson was leading by three shots going into Sunday, but when McDowell and Poulter (his playing partners) both birdied the first hole, and Johnson bogeyed it, it wasn't going to look like a run-away victory. And it really wasn't until he separated himself on the last couple holes. The win on Sunday marks the biggest win for Johnson, and this elevates his prestige on the tour quite a bit.
DJ won the HSBC in a definitive manner, and showed much of the nay-sayers that he isn't the same player he used to be. This is still the same golfer who shot in the 80's his final round at the US Open when he had the lead, and the same player who had the PGA won and then grounded his club in a non-traditional bunker, causing him to be penalized and missing the playoff. Now the WGC HSBC Championship isn't a major, but the World Golf Championship events are the biggest non-major events.
Some of the notable players who had high finishes were Poulter in second, McDowell in third, Garcia in fourth, Rose in fifth, McIlroy in sixth, and Watson in eighth. With this strong of a showing from the top players in the world it sets a great tone for the 2014 season. The only thing missing from this tournament was a good showing out of Tiger, but I'm not to worried about him for next year.
The first big tournament of the 2014 season was a big success due to the best players making it a tight race. This shows a lot of promise going forward for 2014, and all the drama that will take place.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Battle for the Paul Bunyan
The interstate rivalry between
Michigan and Michigan State has had 105 football games, and this year’s game
may be one of the best games in the rivalry yet. Going into this year’s game,
Michigan is ranked #23 in the nation and Michigan State is #24. Both of them
have one loss on the year, and are looking to compete for a Big Ten
Championship.
In the past, Michigan has been the better team, and has always come across as underestimating the Spartans. Michigan players have called Michigan State their "little brother" in the past, and have also said that its amusing watching MSU try to compete with them. These comments have not gone over well with State, and maybe that's why they went on a four game winning streak from 2008-2011, after most of these comments were said. Michigan, under Brady Hoke, has shown the Spartans a lot more respect than in the past, and they are not going to underestimate, the highly underestimated Spartans.
The Spartans are 7-1 this year, with their one loss coming to Notre Dame (17-13). They are 4-0 in the Big Ten, and are looking at the 2014 Rose Bowl in their future. For them to make it into the Rose Bowl, they will have to win the Big Ten, and that will require making it into the Big Ten Championship. In the legends division MSU has the advantage over Blue because of their undefeated record in the Big Ten. So this game pulls a lot of weight for which team will make it into the Championship and most likely face the #4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. To get there, the Spartans will most likely have to win the rest of their games (same with Michigan), and they face a good Nebraska team, then a struggling Northwestern, and then a underrated Minnesota team. So getting there won't be easy for the Spartans.
Maize and Blue is looking to extend their season by making it to the conference championship, and that is certainly not going to be easy. Michigan faces a strong Nebraska team after they play State, and then they get Northwestern and a good Hawkeyes team. But then the real test, "THEE" Ohio State Buckeyes, who if Michigan makes it to the championship will play again.
The match-up this weekend should be a good one to watch. Michigan's explosive offense versus the strong and talented defense of the Spartans. Michigan is led by their quarterback, #98, Devin Gardner. While the Spartans are led by Shilique Calhoun. Calhoun leads the number one ranked defense in the country against the Wolverines, at defensive end. This matchup of defense vs. offense should be a good one to watch.
The long tradition of Michigan and Michigan State will be continued by what should be an exciting game this Saturday. The Battle for the Paul Bunyan should once again decide who the best team in the state of Michigan is.
In the past, Michigan has been the better team, and has always come across as underestimating the Spartans. Michigan players have called Michigan State their "little brother" in the past, and have also said that its amusing watching MSU try to compete with them. These comments have not gone over well with State, and maybe that's why they went on a four game winning streak from 2008-2011, after most of these comments were said. Michigan, under Brady Hoke, has shown the Spartans a lot more respect than in the past, and they are not going to underestimate, the highly underestimated Spartans.
The Spartans are 7-1 this year, with their one loss coming to Notre Dame (17-13). They are 4-0 in the Big Ten, and are looking at the 2014 Rose Bowl in their future. For them to make it into the Rose Bowl, they will have to win the Big Ten, and that will require making it into the Big Ten Championship. In the legends division MSU has the advantage over Blue because of their undefeated record in the Big Ten. So this game pulls a lot of weight for which team will make it into the Championship and most likely face the #4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. To get there, the Spartans will most likely have to win the rest of their games (same with Michigan), and they face a good Nebraska team, then a struggling Northwestern, and then a underrated Minnesota team. So getting there won't be easy for the Spartans.
Maize and Blue is looking to extend their season by making it to the conference championship, and that is certainly not going to be easy. Michigan faces a strong Nebraska team after they play State, and then they get Northwestern and a good Hawkeyes team. But then the real test, "THEE" Ohio State Buckeyes, who if Michigan makes it to the championship will play again.
The match-up this weekend should be a good one to watch. Michigan's explosive offense versus the strong and talented defense of the Spartans. Michigan is led by their quarterback, #98, Devin Gardner. While the Spartans are led by Shilique Calhoun. Calhoun leads the number one ranked defense in the country against the Wolverines, at defensive end. This matchup of defense vs. offense should be a good one to watch.
The long tradition of Michigan and Michigan State will be continued by what should be an exciting game this Saturday. The Battle for the Paul Bunyan should once again decide who the best team in the state of Michigan is.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Moore takes down Woodland in playoff for the CIMB
With a shortage of daylight, and a bunched up leaderboard, the new CIMB Classic had to go a Monday finish. Ryan Moore and Gary Woodland found themselves a top the stacked field when Sunday came to an end. On Monday in the playoff, Ryan Moore made a quick birdie on the 18th hole (first playoff hole) to defeat Woodland. This is Moore's third career win on the PGA Tour, and is slowly becoming one of the best players in the world.
Moore had a great amateur career winning the US Amateur, the Western Amateur, and the US Pub Links all in 2004, as well as the NCAA Individual title that year. This capped an astounding senior year of college for Moore, and he turned pro in 2005. He turned pro right after his made cut in the US Open, and the played the next week as a professional. Moore had finished low amateur earlier that year at The Masters with a T-13 finish. He also won the Haskins Award that year for the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the nation. Moore has struggled through out his career with wrist issues having to have surgery on it, and missing many tournaments because of it. But Moore has fought through the health issues, and is becoming a star.
With many players around the top, Moore slowly climbed up the leaderboard on Saturday, and was in contention all day Sunday. Another player who was in contention from the very start was Kiradech Aphibarnrat. "Aphi" is not a PGA Tour member, but has shown us a lot in 2013 proving he can play with just about anyone in the world. It is hard not to root for him, and he is fun to watch. Too bad he didn't get a win this week, but Moore and Woodland are very likeable players on the Tour as well.
The CIMB brought a lot of excitement to the early 2014 PGA Tour season,a nd brought out a lot of the stars. This tournament seemed to get a lot of popularity this year, and will get a lot more after what happened this year. For Moore, it is a great week, for others like Woodland and Aphi, close but no cigar, but it is still a good way to start the season.
Moore had a great amateur career winning the US Amateur, the Western Amateur, and the US Pub Links all in 2004, as well as the NCAA Individual title that year. This capped an astounding senior year of college for Moore, and he turned pro in 2005. He turned pro right after his made cut in the US Open, and the played the next week as a professional. Moore had finished low amateur earlier that year at The Masters with a T-13 finish. He also won the Haskins Award that year for the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the nation. Moore has struggled through out his career with wrist issues having to have surgery on it, and missing many tournaments because of it. But Moore has fought through the health issues, and is becoming a star.
With many players around the top, Moore slowly climbed up the leaderboard on Saturday, and was in contention all day Sunday. Another player who was in contention from the very start was Kiradech Aphibarnrat. "Aphi" is not a PGA Tour member, but has shown us a lot in 2013 proving he can play with just about anyone in the world. It is hard not to root for him, and he is fun to watch. Too bad he didn't get a win this week, but Moore and Woodland are very likeable players on the Tour as well.
The CIMB brought a lot of excitement to the early 2014 PGA Tour season,a nd brought out a lot of the stars. This tournament seemed to get a lot of popularity this year, and will get a lot more after what happened this year. For Moore, it is a great week, for others like Woodland and Aphi, close but no cigar, but it is still a good way to start the season.
Sergio woes at the CIMB
Sergio finished T-11 at the PGA Tour's CIMB Classic in Malaysia. This is the third PGA stop this year, and the first tournament for Garcia.
Sergio has had a very good 2013, making all 17 cuts in the 2013 season, and is now one for one in 2014. Sergio, who is a very talked about player, had some struggles off the field in 2013, but that seemed to have no affect on his play.
At this weeks stop, Sergio had put himself in contention after the first couple rounds, and was four back going into Sunday. Sergio struggled the final round, shooting even par,72, and dropping to six back. After the first round of 66, Sergio finished the tournament 71-71-72 and fell down the leaderboard. Though a tough finish for Garcia, this was good finish for him as he tries to get back to where he once was.
Winner, Ryan Moore, defeated fellow American Gary Woodland in a playoff Monday with a birdie on the first playoff hole. This is one of Ryan Moore's few wins on the tour, and it is always good to see him finish well. After a great amateur career, Moore struggled with injuries, and is slowly getting back to where he once was in the game of golf. Like Sergio, he is slowly rebuilding and is starting to reach the top of the game.
Sergio, one of my favorite in the game of golf, has had an up and down last few years. With a very good 2008 season, winning The Players, but had poor '09 and '10 seasons. With many good looks in majors, maybe 2014 is finally the year. It would be great to see Garcia win one next year, just to prove all of the people that say he will never win one wrong. He is really coming on strong, and his chances keep getting better to finally win one.
With a bunched leaderboard, and an exciting finish the 2013 (2014 season) CIMB Classic was a success for one of the new tournaments. This tournament also attracted many of the games best, and is looking to be a popular stop in the years to come.
Sergio has had a very good 2013, making all 17 cuts in the 2013 season, and is now one for one in 2014. Sergio, who is a very talked about player, had some struggles off the field in 2013, but that seemed to have no affect on his play.
At this weeks stop, Sergio had put himself in contention after the first couple rounds, and was four back going into Sunday. Sergio struggled the final round, shooting even par,72, and dropping to six back. After the first round of 66, Sergio finished the tournament 71-71-72 and fell down the leaderboard. Though a tough finish for Garcia, this was good finish for him as he tries to get back to where he once was.
Winner, Ryan Moore, defeated fellow American Gary Woodland in a playoff Monday with a birdie on the first playoff hole. This is one of Ryan Moore's few wins on the tour, and it is always good to see him finish well. After a great amateur career, Moore struggled with injuries, and is slowly getting back to where he once was in the game of golf. Like Sergio, he is slowly rebuilding and is starting to reach the top of the game.
Sergio, one of my favorite in the game of golf, has had an up and down last few years. With a very good 2008 season, winning The Players, but had poor '09 and '10 seasons. With many good looks in majors, maybe 2014 is finally the year. It would be great to see Garcia win one next year, just to prove all of the people that say he will never win one wrong. He is really coming on strong, and his chances keep getting better to finally win one.
With a bunched leaderboard, and an exciting finish the 2013 (2014 season) CIMB Classic was a success for one of the new tournaments. This tournament also attracted many of the games best, and is looking to be a popular stop in the years to come.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The chances for maize and blue this year?
This is the first of many blogs I will have for the rest of the college football season covering Michigan football, and then will probably cover some Michigan basketball.
Currently the Wolverines are 6-1 (2-1). With their one loss coming against Penn State in 4OT, but this season, with their record being good, isn't as successful as Brady Hoke was hoping. They've squeaked out three of their six wins so far. Two of them against Akron and Connecticut, which are struggling teams this year. So what are Blue's chances of holding their own with the Buckeyes this year and knocking them off their throne?
This week the Wolverines play, a should be ranked (6-1) Michigan State team. The inner-state rivalry should be a very good test for Michigan, and if they play to their ability realistically they shouldn't have a problem with State. But as proven this season, it doesn't matter what school, program, or quality of team, they could pose a threat to Blue.
Then the next week Michigan gets #25 ranked Nebraska (Mich. is currently #24). So, according to the rankings, this should be a battle. But as I said earlier, if the Wolverines can play to their ability they can handle the Huskers, but you never know what to expect with this years team.
The next two weeks after Nebraska, Michigan gets a good but injured Northwestern team, then a weak, but surprising Iowa team. Northwestern like State and Nebraska could pose a risk, but Michigan can handle them. Then there is Iowa. As a local, I am hoping Michigan beats Iowa 91-0, but if Iowa brings what they brought to OSU, then it could be an unexpectedly close game. Michigan easily and should be able to get through these four teams without a loss, and then they face the almighty Buckeyes for The Game.
The Game. The biggest rivalry in college sports. That is what awaits both Michigan and Ohio State at the end of their regular seasons each and every year. These two teams have played 108 times and Michigan has 14 win lead over the Buckeyes. Ohio State has won most of their most recent visits, but his year could be different. OSU is currently undefeated, and up there for the nation's top team, but Michigan is also ranked with only one loss coming in the fourth OT. This year The Game could be a battle to the finish, but Michigan's good team needs to show up, or else it will be a murder scene.
Michigan has a lot of talent this year with an explosive offense, but this year has met their goals, until they beat Ohio State. If Michigan can win their last five games, then they will get a chance for the Big Ten Championship, then the Rose Bowl, but they've got an uphill battle to get there.
For current Michigan news and upcoming events visit: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/
Currently the Wolverines are 6-1 (2-1). With their one loss coming against Penn State in 4OT, but this season, with their record being good, isn't as successful as Brady Hoke was hoping. They've squeaked out three of their six wins so far. Two of them against Akron and Connecticut, which are struggling teams this year. So what are Blue's chances of holding their own with the Buckeyes this year and knocking them off their throne?
This week the Wolverines play, a should be ranked (6-1) Michigan State team. The inner-state rivalry should be a very good test for Michigan, and if they play to their ability realistically they shouldn't have a problem with State. But as proven this season, it doesn't matter what school, program, or quality of team, they could pose a threat to Blue.
Then the next week Michigan gets #25 ranked Nebraska (Mich. is currently #24). So, according to the rankings, this should be a battle. But as I said earlier, if the Wolverines can play to their ability they can handle the Huskers, but you never know what to expect with this years team.
The next two weeks after Nebraska, Michigan gets a good but injured Northwestern team, then a weak, but surprising Iowa team. Northwestern like State and Nebraska could pose a risk, but Michigan can handle them. Then there is Iowa. As a local, I am hoping Michigan beats Iowa 91-0, but if Iowa brings what they brought to OSU, then it could be an unexpectedly close game. Michigan easily and should be able to get through these four teams without a loss, and then they face the almighty Buckeyes for The Game.
The Game. The biggest rivalry in college sports. That is what awaits both Michigan and Ohio State at the end of their regular seasons each and every year. These two teams have played 108 times and Michigan has 14 win lead over the Buckeyes. Ohio State has won most of their most recent visits, but his year could be different. OSU is currently undefeated, and up there for the nation's top team, but Michigan is also ranked with only one loss coming in the fourth OT. This year The Game could be a battle to the finish, but Michigan's good team needs to show up, or else it will be a murder scene.
Michigan has a lot of talent this year with an explosive offense, but this year has met their goals, until they beat Ohio State. If Michigan can win their last five games, then they will get a chance for the Big Ten Championship, then the Rose Bowl, but they've got an uphill battle to get there.
For current Michigan news and upcoming events visit: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/
Sunday, October 20, 2013
McIlroy ties for 2nd, Kang wins over Kim because of rules violation
A struggling Rory McIlroy found some success at the Kolon Korean Open finishing in a tie for second. McIlroy dropped to 10 shots back after three rounds, but fired 4-under 67 on the final round to finish one back.
The big story this weekend was the rules violation that cost Kim Hyung-tae the victory to friend, Kang Sung-hoon. Similar to Dustin Johnson at the 2010 PGA Championship, Kim ground his club mistakenly in a hazard. This penalty was assessed well after Kim had finished the round, due to him and the rules officials going out to the hole and discussing the penalty and watching the video. But, in the end, Kim was assessed the penalty, and Kang got the win.
Kim and McIlroy both ended up in a five way tie for second place. This wasn't the ideal outcome for McIlroy, but its progress, and after a very poor 2013 season, McIlroy will take anything that will lead him in the right direction. McIroy is looking for a good 2014 season to get him back on his record-pacing career.
At the age of 24, is one of the only 24 year olds in golf history who has had as much success as he has. Two majors, and being ranked number one in world for some time are pretty big accomplishments at this young of an age. But I don't think McIroy is satisfied with his career as it is, he is looking for more and better accomplishments.
McIroy who had once stood toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods, and on his good days was better, was clearly out played by Woods in 2013, with five wins, and McIroy zero. These two were once the biggest and upcoming rivalry in golf, but there hasn't been much action it that due to Tiger not playing like Tiger when Rory's playing good, and Rory playing very poor when Tigers on. We as a golfing community would love to see these two, preferably at a major in 2014, go head to head playing their best, and see whose the best. But that isn't as easy to see with how poor Mcilroy's played recently.
Mcilroy looks to be going in the right direction, but the hill is very steep. For Kang, its time to celebrate, for Kim its time to move on.
The big story this weekend was the rules violation that cost Kim Hyung-tae the victory to friend, Kang Sung-hoon. Similar to Dustin Johnson at the 2010 PGA Championship, Kim ground his club mistakenly in a hazard. This penalty was assessed well after Kim had finished the round, due to him and the rules officials going out to the hole and discussing the penalty and watching the video. But, in the end, Kim was assessed the penalty, and Kang got the win.
Kim and McIlroy both ended up in a five way tie for second place. This wasn't the ideal outcome for McIlroy, but its progress, and after a very poor 2013 season, McIlroy will take anything that will lead him in the right direction. McIroy is looking for a good 2014 season to get him back on his record-pacing career.
At the age of 24, is one of the only 24 year olds in golf history who has had as much success as he has. Two majors, and being ranked number one in world for some time are pretty big accomplishments at this young of an age. But I don't think McIroy is satisfied with his career as it is, he is looking for more and better accomplishments.
McIroy who had once stood toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods, and on his good days was better, was clearly out played by Woods in 2013, with five wins, and McIroy zero. These two were once the biggest and upcoming rivalry in golf, but there hasn't been much action it that due to Tiger not playing like Tiger when Rory's playing good, and Rory playing very poor when Tigers on. We as a golfing community would love to see these two, preferably at a major in 2014, go head to head playing their best, and see whose the best. But that isn't as easy to see with how poor Mcilroy's played recently.
Mcilroy looks to be going in the right direction, but the hill is very steep. For Kang, its time to celebrate, for Kim its time to move on.
Rulings change because of call ins, is this right?
Now that it's happened to Tiger,
and a couple years ago it caused Dustin Johnson to lose the PGA Championship.
You would think that the rules committee for the PGA and USGA would discuss a
rule against call ins. The real question is if it can't happen in football or
basketball, then how can it be legal in golf.
You don't see call ins in professional or collegiate football and basketball. You don't see a foul in basketball that wasn't called, or a holding in football down the wire, where a fan calls in, and they change the outcome of the game. So why can you see a player get penalized by a fan seeing the player unknowingly ground his club in a questionable bunker on television. It’s idiotic, golf is a game of integrity. For as long as golfs been around it has been the players vs. the course, not and the spectators.
My biggest objection, is that they only show a select amount of the players. Unlike basketball or football where they show the whole field and all of the competitors, they don't show every single player and every single one of their shots. So in my eyes, the ability to call in a penalty or an infraction on one player isn't fair to him or to the field. This especially hurts the better, more popular players aka Tiger Woods because they show every single one of his shots, and the players in contention because they also show a few of their shots when not showing Tiger.
I feel like the call in against Tiger at the 2013 Masters was the last straw. Tiger, who had just hit a great shot, but was too good and hit the pin and rolled back into the water on #15, decided to drop from the same spot. Tiger ended up dropping about 3-4 feet in front of where he originally hit his shot, the rule is you have to drop the ball as close to the original spot as possible. Tiger should have known this, he is the greatest golfer to live, but he made a simple mistake, not one worth of a post round penalty, and luckily one that didn't get him disqualified. How could they penalize him, not knowing if any other golfer that day had done something similar, it's not right, and it needs to be changed.
No other sport allows the ability of fans watching the game to call in and penalize a player. The other thing is, you don't know who the person calling in is, they could be someone who hates the player that they are calling against. This is just unfair to the players in the tournament. Golf is a game where the players have to be honest, and usually the players are. The call ins are taking that great aspect away from the game.
You don't see call ins in professional or collegiate football and basketball. You don't see a foul in basketball that wasn't called, or a holding in football down the wire, where a fan calls in, and they change the outcome of the game. So why can you see a player get penalized by a fan seeing the player unknowingly ground his club in a questionable bunker on television. It’s idiotic, golf is a game of integrity. For as long as golfs been around it has been the players vs. the course, not and the spectators.
My biggest objection, is that they only show a select amount of the players. Unlike basketball or football where they show the whole field and all of the competitors, they don't show every single player and every single one of their shots. So in my eyes, the ability to call in a penalty or an infraction on one player isn't fair to him or to the field. This especially hurts the better, more popular players aka Tiger Woods because they show every single one of his shots, and the players in contention because they also show a few of their shots when not showing Tiger.
I feel like the call in against Tiger at the 2013 Masters was the last straw. Tiger, who had just hit a great shot, but was too good and hit the pin and rolled back into the water on #15, decided to drop from the same spot. Tiger ended up dropping about 3-4 feet in front of where he originally hit his shot, the rule is you have to drop the ball as close to the original spot as possible. Tiger should have known this, he is the greatest golfer to live, but he made a simple mistake, not one worth of a post round penalty, and luckily one that didn't get him disqualified. How could they penalize him, not knowing if any other golfer that day had done something similar, it's not right, and it needs to be changed.
No other sport allows the ability of fans watching the game to call in and penalize a player. The other thing is, you don't know who the person calling in is, they could be someone who hates the player that they are calling against. This is just unfair to the players in the tournament. Golf is a game where the players have to be honest, and usually the players are. The call ins are taking that great aspect away from the game.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Jimmy Walker takes home Frys
Jimmy Walker gets his first PGA Tour win at the first tournament of 2014.
Walker has struggled over the years getting into the winners' circle, but maybe 2014 is his year. I mean, the man is undefeated, when it comes to events in 2014. Some one had to be.
Walker is a former Web.com Tour champion, getting his most recent win at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic. The only difference between his win Sunday and that one is $792k. So to say that the win on Sunday was big for Jimmy, would be an understatement.
Walker finished the tournament at -17, the next closest competitor was tour-veteran Vijay Singh, who finished the week at -15. Singh has been playing a little on the Champions Tour, now that he's turned 50. But this was a big week for Vijay because this ties for his best finish since 2007, where he won three times, and got two second place finishes.
Other notables who made it onto the leaderboard were former star Kevin Na, who tied for third with up and rising star, Hideki Matsuyama, and two others. The 21 year old Matsuyama finished at -14, and this was his best career finish on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama was on the losing end of the Presidents Cup, but it is just impressive that he was there. Matsuyama has shown us some great things so far, and we can expect to see even more out of him.
For Walker, the 2014 season is looking very bright. Maybe this is the year he really breaks out on the tour. But for others, the struggles have already began one week into the season.
Mike Weir, Robert Allenby, John Huh, and Bud Cauley were four of the six who finished in last place of the players who made the cut. While, Gary Woodland, Aaron Baddely, and Billy Horschel are three of the biggest names that didn't make the cut. This is not the start of the season these players were looking for, but one tournament doesn't define a season.
Walker and many others are satisfied with their start to the season, but players like Billy Horschel are looking for a better start next week at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Link to the Shriners leaderboard: http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
Link for information of the Frys: http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/frys-com-open.html
Walker has struggled over the years getting into the winners' circle, but maybe 2014 is his year. I mean, the man is undefeated, when it comes to events in 2014. Some one had to be.
Walker is a former Web.com Tour champion, getting his most recent win at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic. The only difference between his win Sunday and that one is $792k. So to say that the win on Sunday was big for Jimmy, would be an understatement.
Walker finished the tournament at -17, the next closest competitor was tour-veteran Vijay Singh, who finished the week at -15. Singh has been playing a little on the Champions Tour, now that he's turned 50. But this was a big week for Vijay because this ties for his best finish since 2007, where he won three times, and got two second place finishes.
Other notables who made it onto the leaderboard were former star Kevin Na, who tied for third with up and rising star, Hideki Matsuyama, and two others. The 21 year old Matsuyama finished at -14, and this was his best career finish on the PGA Tour. Matsuyama was on the losing end of the Presidents Cup, but it is just impressive that he was there. Matsuyama has shown us some great things so far, and we can expect to see even more out of him.
For Walker, the 2014 season is looking very bright. Maybe this is the year he really breaks out on the tour. But for others, the struggles have already began one week into the season.
Mike Weir, Robert Allenby, John Huh, and Bud Cauley were four of the six who finished in last place of the players who made the cut. While, Gary Woodland, Aaron Baddely, and Billy Horschel are three of the biggest names that didn't make the cut. This is not the start of the season these players were looking for, but one tournament doesn't define a season.
Walker and many others are satisfied with their start to the season, but players like Billy Horschel are looking for a better start next week at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Link to the Shriners leaderboard: http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
Link for information of the Frys: http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/frys-com-open.html
Sunday, October 13, 2013
High School Golf: a tragedy
As a high school golfer, my team has finished second the last two years in the state meet. Not exactly our goals we were looking to achieve.
With all of us being juniors, we will have our best chance of winning the title next year, but these last two years we've walked away with state runner-up, when we easily could have been champions.
Two years ago we went to state ranked fourth in the state, and with the number one team being very dominant we were playing for second place. After very cold and windy conditions, we stood alone in first place by one shot over two teams after day one. I battled very hard, shooting low for our team the second day, but our efforts fell just short, as we were nudged by one of the teams one shot behind us. We had been beat by a single stroke. One missed putt, one easy up and down that wasn't converted, one stroke.
After last years defeat, we were thinking we could play with anyone this next year. We had a record amount of win, beating the previous years new record with an impressive 101-7 record. Going into the state meet we were ranked third, but this time we felt we were better than our ranking. Upon hearing that the team who beat us by one the year before, and this years number one ranked team, didn't qualify, we were very excited for the possibility of this years title. But after day one in windy conditions, we found ourselves short by seven strokes. The next day our game plan was to run the table. As a whole most of us came out swinging jumping to hot starts, and myself being one under through 2 and all the way through 11, once again in very windy conditions. But after struggling on the tight back nine our teams title sites were once again not in our hands. And with strong finishes by it's players the team who was leading after day one, ended up getting us by nine overall.
Our team will be starting six seniors in all six varsity spots next year, and we will surely be back to make another run for a state title. But heartbreak is tough to recover from, and it may take some of our players a little time to recover. In the long run these second place finishes will make us stronger, but at the moment we are all still a little hurt.
Next year will be different, our rivals who edged us by one will most likely qualify with three of their top four being seniors next year, and it will surely be a battle of the best. As of now, our team is working on fixing their weaknesses, so we will be a major force next year. Our goals are to improve our record from the year before, and maybe give an undefeated season a run. But the state title is definitely our biggest goal after letting it slip from our grasps the past two years.
With all of us being juniors, we will have our best chance of winning the title next year, but these last two years we've walked away with state runner-up, when we easily could have been champions.
Two years ago we went to state ranked fourth in the state, and with the number one team being very dominant we were playing for second place. After very cold and windy conditions, we stood alone in first place by one shot over two teams after day one. I battled very hard, shooting low for our team the second day, but our efforts fell just short, as we were nudged by one of the teams one shot behind us. We had been beat by a single stroke. One missed putt, one easy up and down that wasn't converted, one stroke.
After last years defeat, we were thinking we could play with anyone this next year. We had a record amount of win, beating the previous years new record with an impressive 101-7 record. Going into the state meet we were ranked third, but this time we felt we were better than our ranking. Upon hearing that the team who beat us by one the year before, and this years number one ranked team, didn't qualify, we were very excited for the possibility of this years title. But after day one in windy conditions, we found ourselves short by seven strokes. The next day our game plan was to run the table. As a whole most of us came out swinging jumping to hot starts, and myself being one under through 2 and all the way through 11, once again in very windy conditions. But after struggling on the tight back nine our teams title sites were once again not in our hands. And with strong finishes by it's players the team who was leading after day one, ended up getting us by nine overall.
Our team will be starting six seniors in all six varsity spots next year, and we will surely be back to make another run for a state title. But heartbreak is tough to recover from, and it may take some of our players a little time to recover. In the long run these second place finishes will make us stronger, but at the moment we are all still a little hurt.
Next year will be different, our rivals who edged us by one will most likely qualify with three of their top four being seniors next year, and it will surely be a battle of the best. As of now, our team is working on fixing their weaknesses, so we will be a major force next year. Our goals are to improve our record from the year before, and maybe give an undefeated season a run. But the state title is definitely our biggest goal after letting it slip from our grasps the past two years.
Lexi's back in the winner's circle
Lexi Thompson, after being on the losing side of the Solheim Cup, comes out of Malaysia with a win, and some momentum.
Though only being 18 years old, Lexi has been around for quite some time. And the win at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, is her second career win.
It seems like she's been around a lot longer than three years, but after a 14 year old has won multiple times, Lexi doesn't seem that young. But neither did Michelle Wie. We've seen Lexi battle through the thick and the thin. I've seen her when she looked like a dominant force on the tour, and I've watched her hit two consecutive shanks. Is Lexi finally going to break out?
No one knows the answer to that question. You can never tell on the LPGA Tour. Its been proven that almost anyone can win on that tour, but we've seen some dominant players go through slumps where they can't win for multiple years. I believe it will still be awhile before an American player becomes a dominant force on this tour because there are just too many good young players from Asia, that have been outplaying the American's for the last five years.
I may be wrong, and Lexi may be the one. But in my eyes one win over in Malaysia doesn't tell me if a players back or not. But a win is a win, and I'm happy for Lexi. We as American's need someone to step up, or else ladies golf will continue to be dominated by foreigners.
Some of the notables that Lexi beat were Suzann Petterson, who finished third, and seven strokes back of Lexi. Stacy Lewis finished in a tie for sixth, Michelle Wie ended up in a tie for 12th, and Paula Creamer tied for 15th. There was a strong showing for American golf, but it definitely needs some help and young stars too bring it back to the glory days.
Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda are just two of the many young American talents that could restore the dominance of American golf, but these golfers need to step up, and step up now. The call has been sent, and it hasn't been answered yet. Maybe with this win from Lexi is the start, but there needs to be more of it.
Though only being 18 years old, Lexi has been around for quite some time. And the win at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, is her second career win.
It seems like she's been around a lot longer than three years, but after a 14 year old has won multiple times, Lexi doesn't seem that young. But neither did Michelle Wie. We've seen Lexi battle through the thick and the thin. I've seen her when she looked like a dominant force on the tour, and I've watched her hit two consecutive shanks. Is Lexi finally going to break out?
No one knows the answer to that question. You can never tell on the LPGA Tour. Its been proven that almost anyone can win on that tour, but we've seen some dominant players go through slumps where they can't win for multiple years. I believe it will still be awhile before an American player becomes a dominant force on this tour because there are just too many good young players from Asia, that have been outplaying the American's for the last five years.
I may be wrong, and Lexi may be the one. But in my eyes one win over in Malaysia doesn't tell me if a players back or not. But a win is a win, and I'm happy for Lexi. We as American's need someone to step up, or else ladies golf will continue to be dominated by foreigners.
Some of the notables that Lexi beat were Suzann Petterson, who finished third, and seven strokes back of Lexi. Stacy Lewis finished in a tie for sixth, Michelle Wie ended up in a tie for 12th, and Paula Creamer tied for 15th. There was a strong showing for American golf, but it definitely needs some help and young stars too bring it back to the glory days.
Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda are just two of the many young American talents that could restore the dominance of American golf, but these golfers need to step up, and step up now. The call has been sent, and it hasn't been answered yet. Maybe with this win from Lexi is the start, but there needs to be more of it.
Taylormade, the most innovative company yet
Taylormade is starting to be a very popular company when it comes to golf equipment. They now are in business with Adidas and Ashworth. So they are getting their name out on clothing, and in the last few years they have just started to make putters and balls. And both of them are booming.
The new Taylormade putters contain contrast colors of white and black for better alignment, and also counterbalance for a smoother stroke. Some of their new putters are:
Daddy Long Legs
http://www.petecarlsonsgolf.com/golf-products-2/taylormade-ghost-spider-daddy-long-legs-putter/
Spider Blade
http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?44045-TaylorMade-Spider-Blade-Putter-Forum-Review/page8
Taylormade came out with the spider a few years ago, and was originally a black mallet. Then it became a white mallet. Then a white and black mallet and blade.
Taylormade's new golf balls have struggled at times, but have become very popular over the last few years. The TP Black and TP Red were Taylormade's first somewhat popular ball. But after them came the very popular Penta TP, and then the Penta TP5 and TP3 were even more popular. This years Lethal is supposed to be even better and more of a controlling ball. The new innovation of Taylormade has led them to a very successful company, and mostly because of their drivers.
Taylormade's latest driver is the SLDR which is innovative for its adjustable weight to change the ball flight. The reason Taylormade's drivers are so successful is mostly because of the R-series. Which featured the R5 through the R11S, and then the R1. These drivers featured innovative technology from interchangeable weights to white heads.
Taylormade built it's name off of its drivers, and is now become very successful on all sides of the golf industry. The innovations of today keep getting better and better.
The new Taylormade putters contain contrast colors of white and black for better alignment, and also counterbalance for a smoother stroke. Some of their new putters are:
Daddy Long Legs
http://www.petecarlsonsgolf.com/golf-products-2/taylormade-ghost-spider-daddy-long-legs-putter/
Spider Blade
http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?44045-TaylorMade-Spider-Blade-Putter-Forum-Review/page8
Taylormade came out with the spider a few years ago, and was originally a black mallet. Then it became a white mallet. Then a white and black mallet and blade.
Taylormade's new golf balls have struggled at times, but have become very popular over the last few years. The TP Black and TP Red were Taylormade's first somewhat popular ball. But after them came the very popular Penta TP, and then the Penta TP5 and TP3 were even more popular. This years Lethal is supposed to be even better and more of a controlling ball. The new innovation of Taylormade has led them to a very successful company, and mostly because of their drivers.
Taylormade's latest driver is the SLDR which is innovative for its adjustable weight to change the ball flight. The reason Taylormade's drivers are so successful is mostly because of the R-series. Which featured the R5 through the R11S, and then the R1. These drivers featured innovative technology from interchangeable weights to white heads.
Taylormade built it's name off of its drivers, and is now become very successful on all sides of the golf industry. The innovations of today keep getting better and better.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
2014 Tour Preview
The 2014 season starts next week. But it's still 2013. Yes, we know, but due to the new changes, the fall events are apart of the next years season.
I agree completely with the new decision, and am anxious to watch some golf the rest of the season. The main reason I am excited for the fall events is because they actually matter now, they aren't just throw away events for Web.com Tour players. There will be better fields, and much more pressure.
Now, I'm not saying that we are going to see a lot of Tiger, but we will see a lot higher ranked players than normally in the fall season. That is going to bring a lot more spectators to the tournaments, and add suspense to them.
Who will be the big players to watch this season?
Tiger Woods. Well no crap! Tiger is coming off of a five win season, but no major. Maybe 2014 is the year that Tiger gets back on track to catching Jack's major record. It would be nice to see Tiger at least win one major, so there is still talk about him beating the record.
Hunter Mahan. Mahan had a good but not great 2013 season. He didn't get a win, but made the Tour Championship and President's Cup. Mahan has played very well in the last two match play events, so look for him making a charge in February at the WGC. Mahan missed out on the last Ryder Cup team by a sliver after a three win season. So don't be surprised if Mahan earns his spot easily after a heartbreak of not being a captain's pick in 2012.
Rory McIlroy. After a less than stellar 2013 season, McIlroy is looking for a recovery season. He was not close to making it into the field of the Tour Championship, and really didn't seem to get anything going at anytime in the season. McIlroy, who is a former number one, was supposed to be the one to challenge Tiger. But after Tiger's return to number one, McIlroy hasn't challenged him. The golfing world would love to see this young star make a big return, and challenge Tiger for his thrown.
The 2014 season is set to bring a lot of suspense, and we can't wait to watch.
I agree completely with the new decision, and am anxious to watch some golf the rest of the season. The main reason I am excited for the fall events is because they actually matter now, they aren't just throw away events for Web.com Tour players. There will be better fields, and much more pressure.
Now, I'm not saying that we are going to see a lot of Tiger, but we will see a lot higher ranked players than normally in the fall season. That is going to bring a lot more spectators to the tournaments, and add suspense to them.
Who will be the big players to watch this season?
Tiger Woods. Well no crap! Tiger is coming off of a five win season, but no major. Maybe 2014 is the year that Tiger gets back on track to catching Jack's major record. It would be nice to see Tiger at least win one major, so there is still talk about him beating the record.
Hunter Mahan. Mahan had a good but not great 2013 season. He didn't get a win, but made the Tour Championship and President's Cup. Mahan has played very well in the last two match play events, so look for him making a charge in February at the WGC. Mahan missed out on the last Ryder Cup team by a sliver after a three win season. So don't be surprised if Mahan earns his spot easily after a heartbreak of not being a captain's pick in 2012.
Rory McIlroy. After a less than stellar 2013 season, McIlroy is looking for a recovery season. He was not close to making it into the field of the Tour Championship, and really didn't seem to get anything going at anytime in the season. McIlroy, who is a former number one, was supposed to be the one to challenge Tiger. But after Tiger's return to number one, McIlroy hasn't challenged him. The golfing world would love to see this young star make a big return, and challenge Tiger for his thrown.
The 2014 season is set to bring a lot of suspense, and we can't wait to watch.
Presidents Cup Final
Well, I can't say it was a surprise.
The U.S. who was pretty heavy favorites won the President's Cup, but it may have been a little closer than they expected, and the general public may have thought.
Tiger clinched the cup with a 1-up victory over the relatively unknown, Richard Sterne. This match was probably wasn't supposed to go to the 18th hole, but a win is a win. And the champion U.S. team isn't thinking any different right now.
The International team won the singles, but they had put themselves in too big of a hole going into singles. The International's dominated the singles winning 7.5 points, to U.S.'s 4.5. Some of the bigger upsets earlier today were Marc Leishman beating the match play stalwart, Matt Kuchar. Kuchar beat fellow teammate, Hunter Mahan, in the WGC Match-Play earlier this year. Mahan the past champ of that event, won his match over the up and coming Asian-sensation, Hideki Matsuyama. Another big upset was Angel Cabrera beating Phil. Though the cup had already been decided, the match still went on, and a win is a win.
One of the biggest reasons that the U.S. won was that they had depth. The lowest amount of points contributed by a player for them was two, from Spieth, Snedeker, and Mahan. The international team had two players who didn't contribute any points (Grace and Sterne). As well as two contributing 1.5 each (Matsuyama and Oosthuizen).
For the International team to have success in the future, and to actually start contending at this, they need to be able to compete with the U.S. in all three categories (alternate shot, best ball, and singles). For that to happen, they need to find good pairings within their team, and find chemistry amongst their players.
It has always seemed to me that the U.S. has always been united, and treats this as kind of an exhibition before the Ryder Cup. And never has made this event as serious as it could/should be. But why should they? They blow out the International's every time. If the U.S. can keep being much more united than the International's, than they will have no problem with the Presdent's Cup in the future.
The International team has always seemed like they were just thrown together with little unity. Yes, there are some pairs like Oosthuizen and Schwartzel that seem to be very comfortable with each other, and a good duo. But that's it, there's always one or two good groupings, but not more than that. If the International team can find the same chemistry as the Europeans in the Ryder Cup, and start to play with a little chip on their shoulder. Then maybe they can start to make this a match, but not until they start to make this a big deal to them.
This President's Cup like many, has shown how dominative the U.S. is over the International's. Hopefully in the future the President's Cup will become more competitive, but this years didn't show that in the near future.
The U.S. who was pretty heavy favorites won the President's Cup, but it may have been a little closer than they expected, and the general public may have thought.
Tiger clinched the cup with a 1-up victory over the relatively unknown, Richard Sterne. This match was probably wasn't supposed to go to the 18th hole, but a win is a win. And the champion U.S. team isn't thinking any different right now.
The International team won the singles, but they had put themselves in too big of a hole going into singles. The International's dominated the singles winning 7.5 points, to U.S.'s 4.5. Some of the bigger upsets earlier today were Marc Leishman beating the match play stalwart, Matt Kuchar. Kuchar beat fellow teammate, Hunter Mahan, in the WGC Match-Play earlier this year. Mahan the past champ of that event, won his match over the up and coming Asian-sensation, Hideki Matsuyama. Another big upset was Angel Cabrera beating Phil. Though the cup had already been decided, the match still went on, and a win is a win.
One of the biggest reasons that the U.S. won was that they had depth. The lowest amount of points contributed by a player for them was two, from Spieth, Snedeker, and Mahan. The international team had two players who didn't contribute any points (Grace and Sterne). As well as two contributing 1.5 each (Matsuyama and Oosthuizen).
For the International team to have success in the future, and to actually start contending at this, they need to be able to compete with the U.S. in all three categories (alternate shot, best ball, and singles). For that to happen, they need to find good pairings within their team, and find chemistry amongst their players.
It has always seemed to me that the U.S. has always been united, and treats this as kind of an exhibition before the Ryder Cup. And never has made this event as serious as it could/should be. But why should they? They blow out the International's every time. If the U.S. can keep being much more united than the International's, than they will have no problem with the Presdent's Cup in the future.
The International team has always seemed like they were just thrown together with little unity. Yes, there are some pairs like Oosthuizen and Schwartzel that seem to be very comfortable with each other, and a good duo. But that's it, there's always one or two good groupings, but not more than that. If the International team can find the same chemistry as the Europeans in the Ryder Cup, and start to play with a little chip on their shoulder. Then maybe they can start to make this a match, but not until they start to make this a big deal to them.
This President's Cup like many, has shown how dominative the U.S. is over the International's. Hopefully in the future the President's Cup will become more competitive, but this years didn't show that in the near future.
Super strokes? -Whats the big deal??
By now you've probably seen the picture. Yes, Tiger using a Super Stroke putter grip.
I was very surprised as well. I guess you can't blame the man for experimenting with new things to fix his putting. But if you remember he's the one who spoke out very profoundly about how belly putters were cheating. So I would expect the person who is very critical about new techniques, and new methods to putt very traditionally.
Here's a link to an article about Tiger demoing the new grip: http://www.golfwrx.com/140885/tiger-to-change-to-a-superstroke-putter-grip/
Tiger isn't the only person to switch recently. Phil, the arch-rival of Tiger, switched to it at the end of last year. Phil's putting has gotten quite a bit better with the switch, including a major win this year. Phil copied a lot of his style from Sergio who switched a couple years ago, and went to a claw grip on it. Phil and Sergio have been using the claw with a Super Stroke for a while, and both of them were in the top-10 this year for strokes gained putting. So is Super Stroke the key to good putting?
What a Super Stroke grip does, is it takes your wrists out of the stroke by being an oversized grip, and by being multiple times heavier, which makes it harder to flip your wrists. Two of the players on my high school team use Super Strokes, which makes that a third of the players on my team. So are Super Stroke grips going to keep popping up? Is there going to be an even bigger boom with them?
I'm not really sure. In the tournaments I play in I'd say I see about ten Super Strokes, out of fields of 70-80. Jason Dufner was one of the originals to use it, and he has finished second in a major, and won a major after he appeared on tour.
The innovative design is very big to players that struggle with putting. This new grip might be just the thing to make bad putters, decent putters. I don't think a grip can take a person from a bad putter to a great putter. But if you consider Tiger a bad putter, then don't be surprised if he becomes a great putter.
I was very surprised as well. I guess you can't blame the man for experimenting with new things to fix his putting. But if you remember he's the one who spoke out very profoundly about how belly putters were cheating. So I would expect the person who is very critical about new techniques, and new methods to putt very traditionally.
Here's a link to an article about Tiger demoing the new grip: http://www.golfwrx.com/140885/tiger-to-change-to-a-superstroke-putter-grip/
Tiger isn't the only person to switch recently. Phil, the arch-rival of Tiger, switched to it at the end of last year. Phil's putting has gotten quite a bit better with the switch, including a major win this year. Phil copied a lot of his style from Sergio who switched a couple years ago, and went to a claw grip on it. Phil and Sergio have been using the claw with a Super Stroke for a while, and both of them were in the top-10 this year for strokes gained putting. So is Super Stroke the key to good putting?
What a Super Stroke grip does, is it takes your wrists out of the stroke by being an oversized grip, and by being multiple times heavier, which makes it harder to flip your wrists. Two of the players on my high school team use Super Strokes, which makes that a third of the players on my team. So are Super Stroke grips going to keep popping up? Is there going to be an even bigger boom with them?
I'm not really sure. In the tournaments I play in I'd say I see about ten Super Strokes, out of fields of 70-80. Jason Dufner was one of the originals to use it, and he has finished second in a major, and won a major after he appeared on tour.
The innovative design is very big to players that struggle with putting. This new grip might be just the thing to make bad putters, decent putters. I don't think a grip can take a person from a bad putter to a great putter. But if you consider Tiger a bad putter, then don't be surprised if he becomes a great putter.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
The Final Cut (Web.com Tour final results)
The 2013 season is officially under wraps, and the players who received there 2014 cards are getting ready for the tour.
Just like them, the players who didn't, are ready to kick it around on the Web.com Tour, and get their cards for next year.
With the new playoff system for the Web.com Tour, and the elimination of Q-School, there was a lot of objectors. But I think those people objecting will be rethinking their objections after this years finale. The new system was an instant success, providing a lot of excitement and thrill as the professionals battled for their future jobs.
With all of the excitement, there's going to be winners and there's going to be losers. The top 50, are all getting their cards for next year. But for the guys who finished 51, 52, and 53. They're leaving this season empty handed. They were that close to getting their cards, but they don't have it.
It's back to the grind for Andres Gonzales, the man who finished 51st in the points standings. Gonzales earned his card last year through the Web.com Tour, but had to give it up after the 2013 season, that was less than stellar. Gonzales only made three of 17 cuts, and his best finish was T-8, his only top ten, or 25, or 50.
But for players like Chesson Hadley and Ed Loar, it's a whole new life. They are pursuing the dream, and they are going to be playing with players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2014. Making it on the PGA tour opens a whole new set of doors for them. They will be playing with best.
For the players who made it, there is nothing standing in their way. They are what we say, living the dream.
Just like them, the players who didn't, are ready to kick it around on the Web.com Tour, and get their cards for next year.
With the new playoff system for the Web.com Tour, and the elimination of Q-School, there was a lot of objectors. But I think those people objecting will be rethinking their objections after this years finale. The new system was an instant success, providing a lot of excitement and thrill as the professionals battled for their future jobs.
With all of the excitement, there's going to be winners and there's going to be losers. The top 50, are all getting their cards for next year. But for the guys who finished 51, 52, and 53. They're leaving this season empty handed. They were that close to getting their cards, but they don't have it.
It's back to the grind for Andres Gonzales, the man who finished 51st in the points standings. Gonzales earned his card last year through the Web.com Tour, but had to give it up after the 2013 season, that was less than stellar. Gonzales only made three of 17 cuts, and his best finish was T-8, his only top ten, or 25, or 50.
But for players like Chesson Hadley and Ed Loar, it's a whole new life. They are pursuing the dream, and they are going to be playing with players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2014. Making it on the PGA tour opens a whole new set of doors for them. They will be playing with best.
For the players who made it, there is nothing standing in their way. They are what we say, living the dream.
Stenson takes it all!
Last Sunday as Henrik Stenson approached the 235 yard 18th hole, and the 72nd hole of the tournament with a three shot lead, the dream of this has-been golfer, to make such a big comeback where he regained his status and then won the tour championship over a course of a year, came true.
Stenson, who at one point was in the elite status of golfers on the planet, had dropped off the planet after he won the Players Championship "fifth" major) in 2009. Stenson battled through injuries, and ultimately had to rebuild his swing after this severe downfall.
As a golf fan, I wanted to see this happen just like I wanted to see Mike Weir make a huge comeback after his struggles after his Masters win. But did I see it coming?
No. This comeback was very unexpected, and very appreciated all around by the golf community. Stenson is generally known as a very nice/funny guy on the PGA Tour, and everyone loved watching this marvelous comeback.
What Stenson took home with him this past weekend was $11.4 million, 1.4 from Tour Championship victory, and 10 from winning the Fed Ex Cup. The biggest thing Stenson got was IT back. The one thing all golfers with dreams of making it big want.
I wouldn't be surprised if Stenson wins multiple times next year, including a major. But that's always said after someone has a great year, especially the Fed Ex Cup champion.
Stenson has a better chance than the others, though. That's because Stenson has already been at the top of his game, and he knows what it's like to lose it all. Stenson's one of the few that has the best chances of being around for awhile, and that's because he's still on the way up, I don't believe he's reached his peak yet. And when he does, it's going to be a bad day for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and anyone whose looking to win a major that year.
This Swede is not going anywhere soon, and he's looking forward to an even better year next year.
Stenson, who at one point was in the elite status of golfers on the planet, had dropped off the planet after he won the Players Championship "fifth" major) in 2009. Stenson battled through injuries, and ultimately had to rebuild his swing after this severe downfall.
As a golf fan, I wanted to see this happen just like I wanted to see Mike Weir make a huge comeback after his struggles after his Masters win. But did I see it coming?
No. This comeback was very unexpected, and very appreciated all around by the golf community. Stenson is generally known as a very nice/funny guy on the PGA Tour, and everyone loved watching this marvelous comeback.
What Stenson took home with him this past weekend was $11.4 million, 1.4 from Tour Championship victory, and 10 from winning the Fed Ex Cup. The biggest thing Stenson got was IT back. The one thing all golfers with dreams of making it big want.
I wouldn't be surprised if Stenson wins multiple times next year, including a major. But that's always said after someone has a great year, especially the Fed Ex Cup champion.
Stenson has a better chance than the others, though. That's because Stenson has already been at the top of his game, and he knows what it's like to lose it all. Stenson's one of the few that has the best chances of being around for awhile, and that's because he's still on the way up, I don't believe he's reached his peak yet. And when he does, it's going to be a bad day for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and anyone whose looking to win a major that year.
This Swede is not going anywhere soon, and he's looking forward to an even better year next year.
Friday, September 27, 2013
It's a wrap! (the winners and losers of this season)
Well after Stenson holed the final putt of the Tour Championship to win it, the 2013 PGA Tour season came to an end.
Stenson is one of the obvious winners of this season, mostly because he regained his status as one of the elite players in the world. But who are the other big winners? And who are the losers?
Some of the biggest winners include Phil Mickelson, the 20 year old Jordan Spieth, and Tiger Woods.
Phil was a huge winner this season, and it all started with his win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he lipped out a long lag putt to miss out on a 59 by one shot. Phil then won the Open Championship with a huge comeback during the final round, which included magnificent putting, and excellent management of the conditions. Phil who is starting to run out of years showed excellent form this season, and will be apart of another Presidents Cup team next week.
Jordan Spieth, the 20 year old sensation, was just playing this year to gain tour status without playing on the Web.com Tour. He succeeded. Spieth actually broke through with a win at the John Deere Classic, and then brought the same play to the Tour Championship, where he ended up tying for second place. Spieth has made his name, and is now the young star in golf. Spieth is hoping to keep the play next week, where he will be repping the U.S. in the Presidents Cup.
And last but not least (for sure), Tiger Woods. Tiger had a five win season, he didn't win a major, but still he had the most wins on tour. This season might not go down in Tiger's record books as being great. But the man has high standards. When Tiger reflects on his season, he should think of it as another year where he was still fine tuning his game, and its another step in the right direction for Jack's record. Tiger ended up second in the Fed Ex Cup standings, and he was leading it pretty much the whole season, until Stenson won two of the last three playoff events.
Some of the biggest losers this year were Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, and Lee Westwood. All three of these former world-number-ones had less than stellar seasons in 2013.
Rory opened the season with a new contract with Nike, and soon after the signing, when there were many lows, there was talk about him switching back. Rory stayed with Nike, but nothing really got better. Rory struggled this season with only seven top-25's of the 14 cuts he made. McIlroy, who was on top of the world after his PGA Championship victory late in 2012, didn't have anywhere near the year he has had in the past. I would like to say the future is bright for this young star, but right now it's difficult to state that.
Donald was in the hunt on Sunday at this years U.S. Open, but fell short after some early miscues. Donald has won in the past two seasons on the PGA Tour, and had won the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour both years. This year Donald struggled a little more than normal, his highest finish was a T-3 in the RBC Heritage, and missed three cuts including the British Open and the PGA. Donald looks to be going in the right direction with good finished at the final two playoff events, but it's going to be an up hill battle if Donald wants to get to where he once was, now that Tiger Woods playing at full strength.
Lee Westwood was the talk of the majors going into the season, and was on everyone's list to finally win one this season. Westwood looked very good after three rounds of the British Open, holding the lead, but with Mickelson's late round charge, his efforts suddenly fell short. Westwood did not miss a cut this season, and was looking good most of the season. But with getting really nothing going late this year, Westwood missed the Tour Championship. This year showed promise out of Lee, but it also showed defeat. It's going to be interesting to see how Westwood can play next year, as once again he sits on top of the best players without a major going into the offseason.
The 2013 PGA Tour season created a lot of up and coming stars, as it did returning. But it also faced some of the worlds best with many struggles.
Stenson is one of the obvious winners of this season, mostly because he regained his status as one of the elite players in the world. But who are the other big winners? And who are the losers?
Some of the biggest winners include Phil Mickelson, the 20 year old Jordan Spieth, and Tiger Woods.
Phil was a huge winner this season, and it all started with his win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he lipped out a long lag putt to miss out on a 59 by one shot. Phil then won the Open Championship with a huge comeback during the final round, which included magnificent putting, and excellent management of the conditions. Phil who is starting to run out of years showed excellent form this season, and will be apart of another Presidents Cup team next week.
Jordan Spieth, the 20 year old sensation, was just playing this year to gain tour status without playing on the Web.com Tour. He succeeded. Spieth actually broke through with a win at the John Deere Classic, and then brought the same play to the Tour Championship, where he ended up tying for second place. Spieth has made his name, and is now the young star in golf. Spieth is hoping to keep the play next week, where he will be repping the U.S. in the Presidents Cup.
And last but not least (for sure), Tiger Woods. Tiger had a five win season, he didn't win a major, but still he had the most wins on tour. This season might not go down in Tiger's record books as being great. But the man has high standards. When Tiger reflects on his season, he should think of it as another year where he was still fine tuning his game, and its another step in the right direction for Jack's record. Tiger ended up second in the Fed Ex Cup standings, and he was leading it pretty much the whole season, until Stenson won two of the last three playoff events.
Some of the biggest losers this year were Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, and Lee Westwood. All three of these former world-number-ones had less than stellar seasons in 2013.
Rory opened the season with a new contract with Nike, and soon after the signing, when there were many lows, there was talk about him switching back. Rory stayed with Nike, but nothing really got better. Rory struggled this season with only seven top-25's of the 14 cuts he made. McIlroy, who was on top of the world after his PGA Championship victory late in 2012, didn't have anywhere near the year he has had in the past. I would like to say the future is bright for this young star, but right now it's difficult to state that.
Donald was in the hunt on Sunday at this years U.S. Open, but fell short after some early miscues. Donald has won in the past two seasons on the PGA Tour, and had won the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour both years. This year Donald struggled a little more than normal, his highest finish was a T-3 in the RBC Heritage, and missed three cuts including the British Open and the PGA. Donald looks to be going in the right direction with good finished at the final two playoff events, but it's going to be an up hill battle if Donald wants to get to where he once was, now that Tiger Woods playing at full strength.
Lee Westwood was the talk of the majors going into the season, and was on everyone's list to finally win one this season. Westwood looked very good after three rounds of the British Open, holding the lead, but with Mickelson's late round charge, his efforts suddenly fell short. Westwood did not miss a cut this season, and was looking good most of the season. But with getting really nothing going late this year, Westwood missed the Tour Championship. This year showed promise out of Lee, but it also showed defeat. It's going to be interesting to see how Westwood can play next year, as once again he sits on top of the best players without a major going into the offseason.
The 2013 PGA Tour season created a lot of up and coming stars, as it did returning. But it also faced some of the worlds best with many struggles.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Belly putter impact on Tour Championship
In the past two years, belly putters have been the talk of the town.
There had been talk about them being outlawed, but it all really started when Tiger opened his mouth, and said how much he hated them. I mean, why wouldn't the movement start when the greatest player in the world says he hates them.
There have been four majors won with belly putters in the last couple years, and that also led to the ban.
Starting in 2016 you can not anchor a putter above the waste, and forearm. This has caused a lot of controversy recently because some of the influential players, such as Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley, have spoken out about the rule. The controversy will most likely continue up until the ban goes into effect.
This week at the Tour Championship there were only three players anchoring putters, and they were Adam Scott (2013 Masters winner), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open winner), and Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship winner). These are probably the most notable players to anchor, and it isn't a shock any of them were playing this week.
All three of these players finished in the top half this week, and Simpson had the high finish of fourth.
There wasn't a huge impact from belly putters this week, but Adam Scott with his long putter had a chance early in the week. And sitting third in the standings going into the week, with a win he would of taken the Fed Ex Cup home with him.
Personally I am not a fan of the belly putters, mostly because I putt better with a standard non-anchoring putter. But I am also not a fan of the ban because I see it as the players getting creative to improve weak parts of their games, and I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't see it as cheating.
At the Presidents Cup in a couple weeks, there will be the same three players, and Ernie Els being the fourth, who anchor. Two on each side, which really doesn't make either side cheating, right?
In the next couple years there will be much more controversy, and we will get to truly see how the putters affect the players when they have to switch in a couple years.
There had been talk about them being outlawed, but it all really started when Tiger opened his mouth, and said how much he hated them. I mean, why wouldn't the movement start when the greatest player in the world says he hates them.
There have been four majors won with belly putters in the last couple years, and that also led to the ban.
Starting in 2016 you can not anchor a putter above the waste, and forearm. This has caused a lot of controversy recently because some of the influential players, such as Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley, have spoken out about the rule. The controversy will most likely continue up until the ban goes into effect.
This week at the Tour Championship there were only three players anchoring putters, and they were Adam Scott (2013 Masters winner), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open winner), and Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship winner). These are probably the most notable players to anchor, and it isn't a shock any of them were playing this week.
All three of these players finished in the top half this week, and Simpson had the high finish of fourth.
There wasn't a huge impact from belly putters this week, but Adam Scott with his long putter had a chance early in the week. And sitting third in the standings going into the week, with a win he would of taken the Fed Ex Cup home with him.
Personally I am not a fan of the belly putters, mostly because I putt better with a standard non-anchoring putter. But I am also not a fan of the ban because I see it as the players getting creative to improve weak parts of their games, and I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't see it as cheating.
At the Presidents Cup in a couple weeks, there will be the same three players, and Ernie Els being the fourth, who anchor. Two on each side, which really doesn't make either side cheating, right?
In the next couple years there will be much more controversy, and we will get to truly see how the putters affect the players when they have to switch in a couple years.
President's Cup Preview
In just a couple of weeks, the top 12 United States golfers will take on the top 12 International golfers (excluding Europe) in the Presidents Cup. The Presidents Cup is the second biggest team event in golf, to the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup just lacks the intensity of the Ryder Cup, probably due to the history of the Ryder Cup, and being a close copy of it. But still the Presidents Cup is a very glorified event in golf, and is something we will all be watching intensely to see how it unfolds.
The U.S. has eight returning veterans, and the International team has five. Considering the U.S. has only lost once to the Internationals, and also tied them once, I would rank them as the favorites. I wouldn't rank them by too much though, considering the International team has the two men who were in the playoff at Augusta this year, and last years British Open winner. But it will definitely take a lot for the global team to win.
Heres a list of the teams:
United States:
Tiger Woods
Brandt Snedeker
Phil Mickelson
Matt Kuchar
Jason Dufner
Keegan Bradley
Steve Stricker
Bill Haas
Hunter Mahan
Zach Johnson
Webb Simpson
Jordan Spieth
International:
Adam Scott
Jason Day
Charl Schwartzel
Ernie Els
Louis Oosthuizem
Hideki Matsuyama
Branden Grace
Graeme Delaet
Richard Sterne
Angel Cabrera
Marc Leishman
Brendon de Jonge
Some of the names that I believe could play huge impacts on how this ends up for the United States are Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, and Jordan Spieth. It's going to be interesting to see how J-Duf performs after his win at the PGA Championship. Since the PGA, Dufner's made all three cuts in the Playoffs, and had a T-9 finish at the Deutsche Bank. He currently sits 20th in the Fed Ex Cup standings, meaning he most likely win the Fed Ex Cup, but he's in line for a high finish.
Steve Stricker who shares a similar game with Jason Dufner, isn't just looking for a high finish in the Fed Ex Cup Standings this week, currently sitting in 6th place, Stricker is in line to win the Tour Championship, and take home the Fed Ex Cup. Stricker decided to play a limited schedule this year on the PGA Tour, and still he had no issue qualifying for the Presidents Cup. I think Stricker could have a huge impact on how the Presidents Cup plays out. Stricker had a less than stellar Ryder Cup performance last year, and that's what makes me wonder if he's still got the intensity for these things as he once had. I don't think the number one nicest guy on the PGA Tour lives and dies by these events, but it would be nice to see him have another good week because he's running out of how many more he can play in as he gets older.
Hunter Mahan, not only my personal favorite golfer, but also one of the most fashionable players on the PGA Tour. It's going to be interesting to see if he's going to break out the flat-bill for the Presidents Cup. Mahan who is making his fourth appearance in the Presidents Cup, went 4-1 at the last Presidents Cup, and has improved his play greatly since. Mahan had a multiple win season last year, and barely missed the Ryder Cup Team. This year, Mahan had a second place finish at the WGC match play, and had four other top tens. I think he will be a big part of this team because he was a huge part the last time around, and he has a lot to prove after not being a Captains pick at the Ryder Cup last year, when he really should have been, and there was a lot of talk after he was to blame after a chunked chip and loss at the last Ryder Cup he played in. It's going to be interesting to see how these three Americans impact the result of this years Presidents Cup.
The U.S. has eight returning veterans, and the International team has five. Considering the U.S. has only lost once to the Internationals, and also tied them once, I would rank them as the favorites. I wouldn't rank them by too much though, considering the International team has the two men who were in the playoff at Augusta this year, and last years British Open winner. But it will definitely take a lot for the global team to win.
Heres a list of the teams:
United States:
Tiger Woods
Brandt Snedeker
Phil Mickelson
Matt Kuchar
Jason Dufner
Keegan Bradley
Steve Stricker
Bill Haas
Hunter Mahan
Zach Johnson
Webb Simpson
Jordan Spieth
International:
Adam Scott
Jason Day
Charl Schwartzel
Ernie Els
Louis Oosthuizem
Hideki Matsuyama
Branden Grace
Graeme Delaet
Richard Sterne
Angel Cabrera
Marc Leishman
Brendon de Jonge
Some of the names that I believe could play huge impacts on how this ends up for the United States are Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, and Jordan Spieth. It's going to be interesting to see how J-Duf performs after his win at the PGA Championship. Since the PGA, Dufner's made all three cuts in the Playoffs, and had a T-9 finish at the Deutsche Bank. He currently sits 20th in the Fed Ex Cup standings, meaning he most likely win the Fed Ex Cup, but he's in line for a high finish.
Steve Stricker who shares a similar game with Jason Dufner, isn't just looking for a high finish in the Fed Ex Cup Standings this week, currently sitting in 6th place, Stricker is in line to win the Tour Championship, and take home the Fed Ex Cup. Stricker decided to play a limited schedule this year on the PGA Tour, and still he had no issue qualifying for the Presidents Cup. I think Stricker could have a huge impact on how the Presidents Cup plays out. Stricker had a less than stellar Ryder Cup performance last year, and that's what makes me wonder if he's still got the intensity for these things as he once had. I don't think the number one nicest guy on the PGA Tour lives and dies by these events, but it would be nice to see him have another good week because he's running out of how many more he can play in as he gets older.
Hunter Mahan, not only my personal favorite golfer, but also one of the most fashionable players on the PGA Tour. It's going to be interesting to see if he's going to break out the flat-bill for the Presidents Cup. Mahan who is making his fourth appearance in the Presidents Cup, went 4-1 at the last Presidents Cup, and has improved his play greatly since. Mahan had a multiple win season last year, and barely missed the Ryder Cup Team. This year, Mahan had a second place finish at the WGC match play, and had four other top tens. I think he will be a big part of this team because he was a huge part the last time around, and he has a lot to prove after not being a Captains pick at the Ryder Cup last year, when he really should have been, and there was a lot of talk after he was to blame after a chunked chip and loss at the last Ryder Cup he played in. It's going to be interesting to see how these three Americans impact the result of this years Presidents Cup.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
2013 Tour Championship Preview
The biggest individual cash prize in sports.
That is what awaits the winner of the overall points for the Fed Ex Cup. Whoever wins the Tour Championship will most likely win the Fed Ex Cup, but that isn't for certain.
Right now, the leaders of the Fed Ex Cup are:
1. Tiger Woods (points 4,352)
2. Henrik Stenson (points 4,229)
3. Adam Scott (points 4,122)
4. Zach Johnson (points 3,843)
5. Matt Kuchar (points 3,330)
The scenario. If any of these players win the championship, they win the Fed Ex Cup. Now the numbers might not prove it, but if any of the top five points leaders win the Tour Championship, they take it all.
To get to this point, you will of had to finish in the top 30 in the point standings. These players have gone through the first three of the four playoff events to get here. The first playoff event (the Barclays) cut from the top 125 to 100. Then the next (the Deutsche Bank), 100 to 70. Then finally (the BMW), 70 to 30. Some of the notable players that didn't make it this far are Bubba Watson (finished 37), Rickie Fowler (38), former world number one's Lee Westwood (41) and Rory McIlroy (50), and Ryder Cup sensation Ian Poulter (53).
Some of the notables that squeaked into the top 30 are Dustin Johnson (30), former world number one Luke Donald (29), and Sergio Garcia (25). These players will need to win the event, and have a bit of luck that the top players in the standings don't have a high finish in the tournament.
The people outside the top five that I believe have the best chances of winning are British Open Champion Phil Mickelson, who sits at eighth in the points standings.
Also the U.S. Open Champion Justin Rose, Rose overtook Mickelson down the final stretch of the U.S. Open. Rose sits in ninth place right now in the points standings.
And finally, the 20 year old sensation, Jordan Spieth. Spieth is tied for second in the field for most top 10 finishes. The 20 year old broke through this year, in the John Deere Classic with a playoff win over the hometown boy Zach Johnson, and David Hearn in a playoff after holing a bunker shot on his last hole for birdie. Spieth will also play in this years Presidents Cup, due to being a captains pick.
The 2013 Tour championship is currently underway, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out, and there will certainly be a lot of math done this weekend.
For points standings go to: http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.02395.html
That is what awaits the winner of the overall points for the Fed Ex Cup. Whoever wins the Tour Championship will most likely win the Fed Ex Cup, but that isn't for certain.
Right now, the leaders of the Fed Ex Cup are:
1. Tiger Woods (points 4,352)
2. Henrik Stenson (points 4,229)
3. Adam Scott (points 4,122)
4. Zach Johnson (points 3,843)
5. Matt Kuchar (points 3,330)
The scenario. If any of these players win the championship, they win the Fed Ex Cup. Now the numbers might not prove it, but if any of the top five points leaders win the Tour Championship, they take it all.
To get to this point, you will of had to finish in the top 30 in the point standings. These players have gone through the first three of the four playoff events to get here. The first playoff event (the Barclays) cut from the top 125 to 100. Then the next (the Deutsche Bank), 100 to 70. Then finally (the BMW), 70 to 30. Some of the notable players that didn't make it this far are Bubba Watson (finished 37), Rickie Fowler (38), former world number one's Lee Westwood (41) and Rory McIlroy (50), and Ryder Cup sensation Ian Poulter (53).
Some of the notables that squeaked into the top 30 are Dustin Johnson (30), former world number one Luke Donald (29), and Sergio Garcia (25). These players will need to win the event, and have a bit of luck that the top players in the standings don't have a high finish in the tournament.
The people outside the top five that I believe have the best chances of winning are British Open Champion Phil Mickelson, who sits at eighth in the points standings.
Also the U.S. Open Champion Justin Rose, Rose overtook Mickelson down the final stretch of the U.S. Open. Rose sits in ninth place right now in the points standings.
And finally, the 20 year old sensation, Jordan Spieth. Spieth is tied for second in the field for most top 10 finishes. The 20 year old broke through this year, in the John Deere Classic with a playoff win over the hometown boy Zach Johnson, and David Hearn in a playoff after holing a bunker shot on his last hole for birdie. Spieth will also play in this years Presidents Cup, due to being a captains pick.
The 2013 Tour championship is currently underway, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out, and there will certainly be a lot of math done this weekend.
For points standings go to: http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.02395.html
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