Weird to see Weir?

Two names that the game of golf has greatly missed were both seen towards the top of the leader board at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Mike Weir was in contention all throughout the tournament, and finished in second place, two back of Brendon Todd. David Duval had a share of the lead after the first round, but after a poor second day missed the cut. These two players were once at the top of the game, but then just seemed to vanish.

Mike Weir is a past masters champion, and was once the only good Canadian and best lefty in the game. He used to be seen in contention every week, and was known for his signature waggle. But after a series of injuries, primarily to his back, he just seemed to have lost his ability to compete with the best. Weir has attempted to come back multiple times, but hasn’t succeeded. This past weekend is the best finish for Weir in quite some years. It’s good to see him back. The PGA Tour seems to be lacking players with experience, and he certainly is one with it.

David Duval is another guy with a little experience under his belt. Duval is a former number one player in the world, and is also a British Open champion. It’s sad to see someone who was the best in the world at one point, drop all the way to the bottom. It does seem like Duval is finding something with his golf game, but he is nowhere near where you think he should be. For David, I am not sure if he will ever be able to return to some success on the PGA Tour. He just seems to have lost it when it comes to competitive golf. He is approaching his mid 40’s and will soon be able to join the Champions Tour. This will give him an opportunity for success, but right now I don’t see him having success in golf in the near future.

I would not be surprised to see Mike Weir make a little bit of a comeback to the game of golf, but I will be if David Duval does. Both of these past-elites are trying to make a name for themselves again, but it will be hard with all of the young talent out there on the PGA Tour.

The Most Interesting Golfer with a year to remember

Miguel Angel Jimenez will not forget the year 2014. Known as the most interesting golfer in the world because of his giant cigars, his pony tail and goatee, and his outlandishly hilarious stretching technique. Jimenez is having one great year with being in contention in The Master's, then the next week winning his first Champions Tour event, and now winning Open De España on the European Tour in his home country of Spain. Oh, and not to mention he turned 50 this year. 

Jimenez has always been a well-recognized golfer due to his character, but this year he is finally making a name for himself for his golf game, and not the person who comes with it. He has been playing well all year, and ever since The Master's, his name seems to be everywhere. The professional tours need more guys like Jimenez because they tend to be much more pleasing to the crowds, and you never know what they will do next. Unlike the players who get mad and throw clubs and cuss, the ones like Jimenez seem to be much nicer to the gallery, and put on a smile no matter what. These are the players who make golf seem like a game, and not a job. Sometimes all of us, not just fans, but the players too, need to be reminded that golf is just a game.

Miguel seems to have found his game even late in his career, this should inspire some of the other players who seem to have lost it as they are approaching 50. Miguel not only puts a smile on people’s faces, but he impresses them as well. We will always root for the most interesting golfer in the world.

Accuracy or distance

When choosing how you play the game, you have to make the choice: accuracy or distance. Do you want to hit the ball long, and risk getting it into trouble, but also give yourself good birdie looks? Or do you want to keep the ball in play, and not risk making a big number, but not give yourself as good of birdie looks? These questions have been asked as long as golf has been around. The truth is there is no right answer, but one of these strategies will fit your game and your mind set the best. 

Distance opens many doors in this game. Distance allows you to go for par 5's and short par 4's. Distance gives you shorter clubs into greens, and promotes hitting the ball closer. Distance is the aggressive way to play golf. But there are some negative aspects to hitting the ball long. You will not be as accurate the longer you hit it. You will risk getting yourself in trouble if you aggressively play with your length. Length can be the biggest advantage in this game, if you can utilize it at the right times.

Accuracy is the smart way to play golf. Choosing accuracy means that your scorecard will become very boring. Lots of pars, the occasional birdie, the occasional double. But it will save you from making a mess on your scorecard. Accuracy won't give you many eagle chances, and therefore a ton of short birdie chances, but it will give you a lot of medium length attempts at birdie. Which means few bogeys, and many birdie looks, and a few of them will drop. There is nothing wrong with playing steady and letting the birdies come to you, and not make any mistakes. Playing smart can be very rewarding. 

There are many tour professionals that choose to use each of these strategies. So they can't even decide which is better. Take Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson for examples. All of them just pound the ball out there, and scrape off some birdies. But they also are notorious for getting the ball into trouble, and making a big number. All of these players have put themselves in contention at tournaments, and taken themselves out of tournaments due to there length. 

Players like Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, and Steve Stricker all play a game of how accurate and precise can they be. None of them worry about how far they can hit the ball off of the tee because they know that they are just as good with a 7 iron as others are with a 9 iron. They don't need the length for an advantage. They are all really good putters as well. This helps because when they have a lot of 15-20 foot putts, they can make a fair amount of them. These are the type of players who are always in contention, and seem to be right there day in and day out with a chance to win.

Traditionally, all of the greats have been able to combine both distance and accuracy to climb to the top. The ones who have been the of all time aren't the longest in the game, and they aren't always the most accurate. but they have found a way to hit the ball decently far, and know where to put the ball, so that they don't make a big number. Tiger Woods, Jack Nickalus, Gary Player, Greg Norman, etc. were never the most powerful player on the tour, and they didn't hit every single fairway. But for some reason the combination of the two creates the all time best.

Jordan Spieth fumbles down the stretch

Jordan Speith had made it through the first three rounds of competition with out a bogey. And then it all came crashing down mid way through the fourth round. Jordan missed about a 20 foot par putt on the sixth hole, and then proceeded to finish his round with four more bogies on the scorecard. It was a rough day for Jordan today, but none the less he is still a 20 year old kid who is living all of our dreams. He will push through one of these days, and all of us will just be shaking our heads in amazement when he does.

Watching him, I can't help but think we haven't even seen him at his best. There has got to be a whole other level that he can go to, and someday in the near future we will see it. Do all of you remember when Rory went off at the US Open and the PGA, and blew everyone out of the water? Well I think Jordan can probably go farther than he did. It will be exciting to watch and find out. One thing is for certain, the kid has game.

Kaymer holds strong throughout

When we discuss clutch putting when it matters the most you have to mention Martin Kaymer's name. When he won his major (the 2010 PGA Championship), he made a ten foot par putt on the 18th hole to get himself into a playoff. Remember the 2012 Ryder Cup, when the European team made that insurmountable comeback to beat the Americans, Kaymer made the clinching five footer. And now the 2014 Player's Championship, Kaymer made another five footer to hold on and escape a playoff with Jim Furyk. Not to mention the 30 footer he made on 17. The German started the week out hot, and didn't stop.

Kaymer opened the week with a course-record tying 63. He then was able to hold onto apart of the lead the rest of the week. Kaymer played very well on the final round, and looked as if there was no looking back. But due to a thunder-storm delay, he was forced to. Jim Furyk finished well before him at 12 under, and going onto the 15th hole, he was 15 under. Then by some act of fate for Jim, Kaymer made a double. After his double he made a par on 16, and then came to the dreaded 17th island green. Kaymer hit what looked like an okay, but not up to standards shot, and found his ball spinning with-in inches of the water. After a very poor chip, all Kaymer had left of his lead was a 30 footer. You know what? He made it. Then marched on to the 18th and made his par to claim the trophy.

After watching the trophy presentation, you can't have thought that this victory couldn't have come to a more deserving and good guy. Kaymer has faced some tough issues with his golf game after once being on top of the world. As a golf fan it is good to see him back because he is truly one of the greatest guys on the PGA Tour, and we are all wishing him the best of luck.

Getting in the right fit

In the world of golf there are so many different choices for how to play the game, and for what styles of clubs to use and trust. You can use a belly putter (not for much longer) or a traditional style putter, you can use cavity back irons or blade irons, you can use a shorter driver or a longer driver, the main thing that is important is finding the clubs that best suit your game. There are many ways to do this, you can get fit by a professional, go to a demo/fitting day, or just experiment with different choices. You just have to find the right fit to play your best golf.

The club you as a golfer want to become the closest friend with is your putter. You need to be able to get the ball into the hole in order to score. In today’s age of technology, the golfing world offers you many options. You can putt with a normal sized grip, and just use it traditionally. You can experiment with different ways to hold the club (left hand low or the claw). You can try the new counter-balance method, which offers a longer grip and overall a heavier putter. You can anchor in multiple different ways: belly putter, “Matt Kuchar style”, or use a long putter. Then comes the grip. You can use a traditional, a midsized, an oversized, a Super Stroke, a Winn, a belly putter grip, when it comes to putter grips the options are endless. There are many options into today’s world for how you choose to putt, it is vitally important that you find what works best for you, and put that to good use.

One of the hottest areas in golf technology is the driver. There are endless options when it comes to the club you use off the tee. When getting fit for a driver, first you should pick out the head you want. You can choose a 430cc head, or a 460cc head, you could even use a 260cc head (Taylormade SLDR Mini). Depending on the brand you choose, you could have a traditional black headed driver, or white, or silver, or red, or blue, or orange, etc. Whichever company’s driver you choose will lead to a modern and innovative form of technology. Then it is ideal to get the right shaft in your driver, like all of your clubs, you want the right shaft, but for the driver it is extra important to have the right shaft. This is because it is the longest club in your bag, and it has the most room for error when it comes to crookedness. The driver if not the most important, one of the most important clubs in your bag to get fit right for.

Above is the Nike Covert 2.0. This driver offers the golfer many different lofts to choose from, and it is the only current driver out there with cavity back technology.  http://www.mygolfway.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Nike-Golf-VRS-Covert-Tour-Driver.jpg

When it comes to irons you just want to make sure you don’t go for too much in the direction of not forgiving enough. You want to make sure you have irons that are forgiving enough for your game, so that way you won’t lose shots that are unnecessarily lost. Many avid golfers think that since Tiger Woods and Adam Scott choose to play with blade irons that they must as well. Well Tiger and Adam have two of the best swings in the game’s history, and they rarely miss hit a shot, which I don’t believe is the case for many avid golfers. It is also ideal to make sure your shafts aren’t too stiff because then you can lose many unnecessary shots, just because you can’t get the club in the right spot. I can’t stress enough how much of importance it is to have the right clubs for you, not someone else.

One thing I’ve noticed when picking out the right clubs for myself is that you can’t be playing with a club that is too long. Many drivers that come out have stock shafts that are 46 inches long, and that is ridiculous. The only reason for that is because a longer shaft promotes length, but also crookedness. A club that is perfectly fit for you will go longer and straighter, than one that is not. Most golfers should be using a driver that is 44 inches in length, not one that is 46. I suggest to anyone who wants to get the right fit for themselves to go see their local PGA Professional, and set up a club fitting. This will promote the ideal club selection for themselves, and lead to lower scores. 

Ko wins the week after Wie returns

Seventeen year old sensation Lydia Ko has stepped up big on the spotlight she had. Ko has already won three times on the LPGA Tour, one if them being as a pro. She claimed this weeks Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic by one shot over American-star, Stacy Lewis. Ko was able to build up a couple shot lead down the stretch, but found herself with only one shot over her nearest competitors on eighteen tee. After a birdie by Lewis, Ko was able to make her five-foot birdie putt to win her first event as a professional.

Her win came the week after Michelle Wie got into the winning circle after a five year drought. Wie was the Lydia Ko of the 21st century. Wie was the teenager who could do everything, she was going to be the first girl to play in the Master's. Wie had been given all of these expectations as soon as she stepped onto the scene, and now Ko is the "golden girl." Wie did not repeat her victory, but she did settle for a top ten finish, so she keeps showing signs of progress, and that maybe the old Wiesie is back.

It's always weird to see a girl win her third LPGA event when I'm older than her. I happen to be almost two months older than Ko, and she is already winning professional tournaments. It definitely inspires me that I can one day fulfill my dream. Lydia Ko is an inspiration to not only young women golfers, but also to the guys.

Society today

Many people grow up in today's society always being told what to do, and always answering for others. Few are picking up the sword and carving their own paths. And frankly that's sad to see.

Now a day's all we see are people who take orders from others, and people who expect to be given everything in life. Everyone hears the old joke growing up "Do you want to flip burgers for the rest of your life?", but now that is the case with many teenagers. A good number of them get jobs at McDonald's or Burger King and never grow out of it. Our society now is molded around "What's the most I can get with the least amount of work", and there needs to be a serious change in the attitudes of our youth.

We don't see youth dreaming of being astronauts, the next president, or really just dreaming. Many of them just choose to play video games and be lazy. They expect for their parents to provide for them as long as possible, and when they finally have to move out, they finally do. They aren't choosing to go to college, or get a high paying job, no that's too much work. They just want to smoke weed, get drunk, and get the most out of their youth before they have to put on big boy pants. The issue is their big boy pants are what used to be the last generations teenager pants. And this causes a serious issue with where our society is headed.

Due to the lack of motivation by our youth, our society is not headed in the direction as hoped. I'm not saying there aren't youth out there who still dream, and are still motivated to go far in life. There are many that still do. But the increase in our youth that are not motivated is much higher than the ones who are. As a high school student I get to watch our societies youth from a first person view, and I do see many programs that are out there to encourage students to go far in life. But those programs are always viewed as either for the "nerds", or boring. I think the area in which the most progress could be made would be in our schools, and with our teachers. As a student I have had teachers who are very inspirational, but I've also had teachers who prefer to not even be at school. Many of them just hand out a packet and then sit on their computer or cell phone, and watch the clock just like the students for when they can leave. The teachers who are inspirational always try to push their students to their maximum potential, and encourage them in positive directions with life. We need more of them.

We need more teachers to become role models and inspirations to our youth. This will encourage our students to go far in life, and chase a good future. As a society, we need our youth to start taking responsibility, and even though it can be more challenging, carve their own paths.

Your choices, not others

Right now in my AP Lang class we are discussing the topic of sexism and inequality still in America. This whole thing has got me thinking a lot. Do we still have sexism in this country?

I will agree that women are pushed into thinking they have to be sexy and attractive. Or that most powerful positions are held by men. Which infers that women are looked at not so much for there brains and accomplishments, but as a sex object or care taker. But equal rights do exist. Women are more powerful than ever now. The video "MissRepresentation" states that women have the least amount of power they have ever had, which is so unbelievably false. Maybe it's tougher for a female to grow up to the perfect figure we like to think, than it is for a man, but that doesn't mean this is the least amount of power girls have ever had. Women have tremendous power, and just as much as men, they just have to seize that power.

As a male, maybe my views are slightly biased, and no I don't know what it is like to grow up in this day and age as a female. But I do know and understand how a majority of men view women, and their capabilities with power. Most men view women as being smarter than them to be honest. And a majority of them see girls as having the capability for lots of power. So this conceived notion that men can't stand women with power, and that guys want all of it and discriminate girls out of it is a lot of bull shit. Yes, some men do think this way, but not most. I get annoyed easily with these complaints and women's marches about how little power and rights they have. According to our constitution it's the same, so take advantage of that and put down your sign's and get some power. Men are allowing women to take up powerful roles, but very little of them choose to do so, and then blame that on the men. In this day and age, women and men are responsible for their own life's and their own roles in society. Maybe it is a little more challenging for a female to gain power than a man, but the only way to prove you are equal is by PROVING it, not by complaining and pointing fingers. So I challenge all the women who want to make a difference for all women, to make that difference. You choose your own fate, others may influence it, but ultimately you have the say.

I change my challenge. I challenge everyone (male, female, black, white, Asian, etc.) to make a difference they want for themselves, and the only way you can do that is by making your difference in this world.

Kuchar gives it back to the tour

Matt Kuchar has been all over the leaderboards these past few weeks, with three straight top five finishes leading up to this weeks RBC Heritage Championship. Kuchar found himself four back of former number one in the world, Luke Donald, entering Sunday. He quickly got himself into the hunt Sunday, and was able to hold himself on top of the leaderboard by the end of the tournament. Kuchar finished with a final round 64, to just pass Donald for a one shot victory. That's just the beginning of the story.

Kuchar finished second place at the Valero Texas Open, and he had lost in a playoff to Matt Jones. Jones chipped-in in the playoff to beat Kuchar, and get into the field at Augusta. Kuchar found himself with a share of the lead on the 18th tee box. When he was in the green side bunker, all he was hoping for was an up and down, and then to face Donald in a playoff. The golfing gods had other plans for Kuch. Matt's bunker shot, was perfect. No literally, he holed it. Kuchar made his bunker shot to pull ahead by one over Donald, and to finally get that win in 2014. This victory was long awaited for Kuchar after the great start he has had to his season.

Donald on the other hand has been struggling of late. This week's event was a good one for Luke, and it showed signs of the player he once was coming back. Luke once was at the top of the game, building all of his success off of his short game and good iron play. But after an attempt to gain distance and win more, he quickly slipped down the rankings. It is nice to see him back and in contention, hopefully we will see more of these kind of performances from Donald in the near future.

Donald and Kuchar are two of the household names in golf, everyone knows who they are. So for the two of them to be battling it out down the stretch the week after a major was a treat for golf fans. It would be nice to see these kind of performances every week on the tour.

Bloody Love

I have an older brother. And just because we grew up in the same house, have the same parents, and share the same last name, I am expected to love him. I have been yelled at by my parents for not loving him, and people always tell me you should love your brother. When I ask them why, they respond: because he is your brother. Some reason. Just because we have the same blood, I'm expected to love him. I don't really know if I agree with this expected custom. Do I really have to love him because we are related?

Now I will give the nay-sayer's this. I should at least attempt to love him and be friends with him because he's my brother, and I won't argue that there should be more of an effort for family. But it is not like I haven't tried to get along with him, and love him like "family should". I have attempted to get along with him and be friends with him, but every time it comes down to him thinking he's cooler, tougher, or smarter than me (which isn't the case). Most of the time he will just throw out some insult to make himself look superior. I don't go around saying how much better I am than him, so why must he do it to me? I really don't know. He acts as if I was born with all the talent, and is super jealous of me. I was born with a good mind, and a good work ethic, that's all. I have worked much harder than him to receive the things he is jealous of. So he should blame himself, and not me. For me to love him I have to be able to put up with his shit, and not be bothered by it.

In my eyes, I am always blamed for not loving him. He isn't questioned. I don't really know why he isn't. Because to me it seems like I'm the one making an effort and not him. As I hinted at earlier, I should at least give him a chance, and make the effort. And I have and will continue to. Returning to the original topic, do I really have to love him because I am related to him? I think the answer is no. But I do think that I should treat him like family should treat family, and I should care about him and be there for him. But I do not need to love him.

The Dream

Every year amateur and professional golfers gather together in early May, and compete for a chance to play their way into the US Open. Some of them hoping to shoot the rounds of their life with the hopes of possibly being competitive in the first qualifier. While some are past success stories on the tour, with hopes of getting their name back into the spotlight. No matter what the story is, or the motivation behind it, they all have the same dream.

We've seen dreams come true, and we've seen them shattered. A couple years ago, most golfers remember, there was a heavy set club-pro named Dennis Miller, and he made this putt in extra holes to buy himself a trip to the Open. The 42-year-old hit a great putt that stopped right on the edge, and as he turned around in despair the ball dropped in the cup. He didn't even see it go in. Stories like that are what inspire and amaze all of us golfers. It's what motivates us every day. It is possible.

This year on Tuesday May 6th, I will try my hand in the first round. I will attempt the dream. It is possible for 17-year-old kids to make it there, and even possible for them to be competitive. A couple years ago, a young man by the name of Beau Hossler found himself competitive in the US Open. Hossler had already been committed to the Texas Longhorns, who happen to be one of the top golf schools in the country. He held the lead part way through the Open, and faded off a little by the end of the tournament. But for a 17-year-old kid to hold the lead in one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world, it inspires all of us to give it a try, you just never know what will happen. Beau achieved the dream.

All golfer's, no all athletes, hope to have their moment of glory at one point. Whether that's making a game winning basket, or getting a clinching interception late, and for us golfer's it can be to qualify for the US Open. There are many dreams out there. Many find their moments of glory at one point. I have had multiple, but that doesn't prevent me from the continuous grind to achieve more. All golfer's dream, some achieve their dreams, and some keep working to achieve them. Golf is a game of dedication, if you are not dedicated, you might as well not play. It's a game you always have to keep refining to get better, you can't really ever take a break. If you are dedicated to your game, then your dreams become much more of realities.

Bubba claims second jacket

Bubba Watson is wearing another green jacket. Bubba had remained in the hunt during the whole week, and never was figured out of it. He shot three-under to start the tournament, and found himself only one back after day one. He then held a three shot lead after shooting four-under on Friday. But after a stumbling two-over, 74, on Saturday, he found himself with a share of the lead tied with 20 year old, Jordan Spieth. Spieth got off to a hot start Sunday, but stumbled and found himself falling quickly behind Watson, and Bubba didn’t look back. Bubba did not slip up and give Spieth any room, he made good birdies on 8 and 9 to slide past Spieth, and played a good even-par back nine to secure the jacket.

The 2014 Master’s was really a two man race on the final day. Matt Kuchar made some noise early, but after a four-putt double on the fourth hole, his name was never really of relevance for the rest of the tournament. Jonas Blixt did find himself making a charge throughout the final round, but he couldn’t really catch Spieth or Watson. The most the Swede got to was five-under, and ended up sharing second with Spieth at that. Other than these two names the only ones you really heard were Spieth and Watson.

At the end of golf’s Christmas, Bubba Watson found himself with his second green jacket in three years. Bubba who is known mostly for his long drives, and passion, found himself relying heavily on his putter. Bubba made many putts during the final round, and that usually means a good outcome for the tournament. For some reason he just really fits this golf course. Most people would think that due to his inaccuracy off the tee and his shaky putting, that he would not be a good fit for Augusta, but Bubba finds his home here, and that’s a pretty good thing to find. This is the second win this year for him, and you have to think there will be more to come. He has been putting very good all season, and when you’re putting good and driving the ball a country mile, then that usually means success. Plus the first major victory drama will not be a factor this time, and he will be able to get right back on the grind and keep the peddle down this year. There are not many guys on the tour as good at heart as Bubba, so from a fans perspective we are all very proud of you Bubba.

Day one recap of The Master's

After the first round of play, we have a pretty competitive Master's, as was expected. Bill Haas, son of Jay Haas and past Fed-Ex Cup Champion, finds himself sitting atop the leader board with a one shot lead. He leads the past two champions, Bubba Watson and Adam Scott, as well as two years ago runner-up, Louis Oosthuizen, by one. So far The Master's is setting up for an exciting weekend.

Some other player's that find themselves in the hunt are K.J. Choi and Brandt Snedeker at two-under, as well as Fred Couples, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy all at one-under. Today will be a big day for the tournament because if some of these bigger names at even or a couple over can make a charge up the board then we will have one exciting tournament. Right now we have a lot of big names right there, and if more could get up there then we will be in for a treat.

Day two of the Master's is underway. Please visit: http://www.masters.com/en_US/ for live coverage of today's round.

The Master's is underway

With the commemorative tee shot's form Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player the 2014 Master's Championship is underway. There have been numerous players making early round charges, but there seems to be a pattern of receding shortly after. Webb Simpson birdied his first three holes to start the day, but then made a double bogey mid way through his front nine. Reigning champion Adam Scott had a two shot lead at four-under par, but then also followed that up with a double bogey. We saw the fifty year old Spaniard, Miguel Angel Jiminez, make a charge up the boards to get to four-under, but that was also short lived. At the moment, we have four players finished at two-under par, and Bill Haas holds a one shot lead over Louis Oosthuizen at four-under. Past champion, Fred Couples, who currently resides on the Champions Tour shot a nice one-under par round. The theme so far for this year has been a magic number of four, and some old timers who are showing they can still compete on the biggest stage.

Multiple players have only been able to reach four-under par and cannot go further, and then they dip back down. This is showing us viewers that Augusta National is still holding up its reputation. The course always has given up some birdies, but it always finds a way to take many of those shots. There are plenty of birdie holes at Augusta, but there are many holes where the player gets onto the tee, and is wishing to just get to the next hole with the same ball. This great feature allows for makes and breaks on final rounds, and it allows for an exciting finish down the stretch. That is what makes this arguably the greatest tournament in the world, and the one I look forward to every year. The Master's is a golfer's Christmas.

for Master's coverage visit:   http://www.masters.com/en_US/index.html

Matt Jones takes down Kuch and buys ticket to Augusta

Matt Jones started Sunday at -9, six shots back of the leader Matt Kuchar. Kuchar has won The Players and a WGC event, so his lead was not to be caught. But Jones had other plans. Matt Jones who had never won on tour fired a final round 66 (6-under) to match Kuchar's even par round, and force a playoff. Jones ended up taking the playoff by chipping-in in dramatic fashion, and punching his ticket to the Master's.

Jones had not already qualified for the Master's, and this victory bought him an invitation. He had to chase down not only Kuchar, but he also had to pass Sergio Garcia. Garcia, who is also a past Players champion, was the closest to Kuchar entering Sunday. He ended up two behind Kuchar and Jones. This was a good finish for Garcia. He has been lacking confidence these past few years, and has lacked a lot of success on the tour. So hopefully this third place finish will give him some confidence with the major season starting next week. Sergio has been close in many majors over the years, and maybe this year will be the year.

Past number one in the world, Rory McIlroy had a great finish to the event with a final round 65 to give him some confidence going into the Master's. Rory, like Sergio, has struggled on the PGA Tour these past years after being on top of the game at one point. This finish should carry over some momentum going into next week, and maybe both McIlroy and Garcia will be back and in contention in majors this year.

Jones' victory was huge to a small time name like himself. He through his name out there, and is now a PGA Tour champion and will be playing at Augusta National. This next week's major should be a suspenseful one, especially with Tiger not in the field.

Tiger to not compete in Master's

Tiger Woods announced earlier this week that he will not compete in this year's Master's. This came as a shock because I don't think anyone believed his injury was as severe as it ended up being.

Tiger withdrew at the end of WGC Cadillac Championship due to a pinched nerve. He then withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and has now had back surgery and will not play at Augusta. This shocked the whole country because this is known to be the one Tiger wants the most, and he has rarely missed it. Tiger's absence this year really opens up the tables to who is the favorite. Most people will have to take Adam Scott, who is the defending champ and number two player in the world, behind Tiger. This is just adding to the suspicion that Tiger's body is wearing down, and his time is running out quickly to catch Jack. He has gone from injury to injury, and still manages to be the best player in the world. So I don't think he's done yet, but I do think that this is just showing how easily he can break down now. There is no doubt Tiger's time is limited.

This year's Master's might be a very good show, now that Tiger will not be competing. There is no clear favorite now, and there are many guys that have a great chance to win. It's all up in the air now. The guys to look for now are Jason Day, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, and Jordan Spieth. Jason Day is coming off of a win at the WGC Accenture Match Play, and has finished in the top 10 multiple times at Augusta. Scott, as I said earlier, is the defending champ and the number two player in the world. Garcia is having a good week right before Augusta, and has one multiple times this year on the European Tour, and has had multiple top 10's this year on the PGA Tour. And finally the 20 year old Spieth already has one win on tour, and can play anywhere, so what's stopping him from winning at Augusta? With Tiger not in the field, there is not a favorite for this year's Master's. Anyone could take home the green jacket this year.

UConn and Kentucky both advance

Connecticut and Kentucky both entered the Final Four being looked at as teams who did not deserve to be there. The Huskies dominated the Florida Gators and ended up beating them by double digits. The Wildcats were able to pull off a down-to-the-wire victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, and were able to win by just one point. The seven seeded Huskies and the eight seeded Wildcats could only have dreamed of being in this spot entering the tournament, the visualization would have been tough.

When you look upon the championship game tomorrow, think about the all the really good teams from this season, and then look at the two that are still standing. The Big Ten Champions, gone. The Big 12 Champions, gone. The lone undefeated team, gone. Two teams whose regular seasons had been considered a disappointment are the teams who remain. Kentucky started the year as the number one overall ranked team, but quickly fell through the ranks and was not ranked for a large part of the year. Even with those poor regular seasons, the Huskies and the Wildcats found ways to advance throughout the tournament.

For Kentucky, they have been riding on the back of the Harrison twins, and they have stepped up big. Aaron Harrison has it to big game winning shots to eliminate Michigan in the Elite Eight, and Wisconsin in the Final Four. Julius Randle and James Young stepped up against Wisconsin both scoring over 15 points. It seems to be that the Kentucky's five freshman starters are finally starting to play like the team they were expected to be.

UConn did not enter the season with as big of expectations as the Wildcats. The Huskies were expected to be a good team and have a good seed in the tournament. But they were not supposed to be the best team in the country. Their starting point guard, Shabazz Napier was a freshman on the 2011 championship team, so he will lead his Huskies into Monday night with experience. This should be a good game of two teams who have ended up where they wanted to, but with a different path than what was expected.

Connecticut and Kentucky survive to make Final Four

When talking about UConn and Kentucky basketball you normally think of teams that are in contention in the tournament, and teams who are usually ranked in the top 10 for the AP polls. Not this year. Kentucky opened the season being ranked number one in the nation, but immediately dropped out of the top 25. UConn had some success through out the season, but never lived up to the standard the standard they hold for basketball. Entering the tournament neither of these schools were projected to make it through the second round, and some predicted them to lose in the first round. But as we now enter the final four, the two teams are still alive.

UConn was a seven seed starting the tournament, and had to beat Villanova, then Big 12 champs Iowa State, and then the Big 10 tournament champs in Michigan State. Their road was not easy, considering both Michigan State and Iowa State had been picked by a lot of people to win the whole thing. They will face the number one overall seeded Florida Gators on Saturday, and this will be an even tougher test than the ones they have already had. Most experts are picking Florida to win this game, but do not be surprised if Connecticut is with them the whole way, they did dominate MSU and ISU for practically the whole game.

Kentucky started the tournament as a eight seed, and had to face an undefeated Wichita State in the second round. After they handed the Shockers their first loss, they then had to play last years champions, the Louisville Cardinals, and after the shocking win over the in-state rivals, they faced the Big 10 champions, Michigan. So, just like the UConn Huskies, the Wildcats faced a very tough road to get to the final four. On Saturday the Wildcats will face the Wisconsin Badgers, who just knocked out the one seeded Arizona Wildcats.

Both Connecticut and Kentucky do not have easy roads to winning the tournament, but with their seeds, adn the teams they had to face, it is impressive that they are even in the Final Four.

Cyclones fall in tourney

The Iowa State Cyclones coming off of a great Big 12 performance were looking to make a tourney run this March. That is until they met a hot Connecticut team.

Connecticut came into Friday's game after a big upset over the #2 seed Villanova, and they kept the momentum going all throughout the game. Connecticut got up to 16 point lead before the Cyclones were able to get within five, but they were never able to catch them. Connecticut kept the momentum going into Sunday's game when they defeated one of the tourney favorites #4 seed Michigan State.
They will face the number one overall seed, Florida, Saturday night.

Iowa State did have a good run for their past performances, even if it was not what the Cyclone's players had in mind. The Cyclones were able to defeat the North Carolina Central in the first round pretty handily, and then faced a tough opponent in the second round with North Carolina. The Tar Heels looked as if they were going to send the Clones packing, but with a late game charge by the seniors Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane, the Cyclones managed to survive.

With the season coming to an end, the Cyclones will wave goodbye to Melvin Ejim who was the Big 12 player of the year, and DeAndre Kane who was the Big 12 tournament MVP. These are two major losses for the Clones, but there is definitely some potential for next years team. Naz Long and Monte Morris definitely arose as potential stars, and Georges Niang is already a star for the Cyclones. This was a great year for Iowa State basketball, and hopefully the success will continue.