VIDEO: Tiger Woods doesn’t care what Nick Faldo thinks

Posted on June 27, 2013     Leave a Comment

Nick Faldo at 2010 Masters

Nick Faldo at 2010 Masters (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

It’s no secret that Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods haven’t always had the coziest of relationships. Faldo’s role as the lead golf analyst for CBS makes it difficult for him to have and maintain relationships with the players simply because he’s paid to critique their games, which is something that other analysts, namely Golf Channel’s Frank Nobilo, have brought up recently regarding the work that they do. It’s a tough balance for these guys, who with so much air time every week, feel the need to fill as much of it as possible with the sound of their own voice. For the most part, Faldo is considered one of the more conservative analysts out there, especially when compared to his main “competition” in NBC’s Johnny Miller.
 
Of course, everyone has an opinion on Woods though, especially when it comes to the assertion that he’s not performing at a high enough level. Here’s what Faldo had to say earlier this week to the Daily Mail:
 

‘I think Tiger’s woken up and realised this is a hard sport and he is a mere mortal after all. For so many years he was so good, he was such an amazing athlete. When he went pro he went off like a rocket. But he’s not in a good mental place. It was so easy for him before, he made it look so easy, when it is such a hard sport. But whatever he’s been through, with all his personal problems, has made an impact on his mind – and so much of this sport is all in the mind. Nerve is the bottom line.’

 
The part that is getting the most play is where he says that Woods is “not in a good mental place”. Now, I like Faldo and I always have. Working with Jim Nantz on CBS, they have become the voices of golf in North America, and they take an approach that tends to be a little less bombastic and aggressive than NBC. Having the six major championship wins on the resume that Faldo has doesn’t hurt his credibility either, especially when it comes to analyzing the on-course play, which he usually does a fairly good job of.
 
However, these comments are absolutely ludicrous on his part. For all we know, Woods might be struggling mentally, but there’s no way that Faldo can actually prove that to be true, and that point about him being “a mere mortal”? Woods has entered ten events this season to date between the PGA and European Tours, and he’s come away with four wins, which means that he’s won 40% of the events he’s entered. I realize none of them are majors, but 40% of the events entered? That’s pretty good.
 
For what it’s worth, Woods doesn’t seem to agree with Faldo either, as you can see in the video below.
 

AT&T National Betting Preview

Posted on June 26, 2013     Leave a Comment

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2013 Masters champion Adam Scott is the marquee attraction this week, as the PGA Tour heads to the mammoth Congressional for the playing of the AT&T National.
 
2013 AT&T National Fact Sheet

  • Course: Congressional CC – Blue Course
  • Location: Bethesda, Maryland
  • Yardage: 7,569 yards, par 71
  • Defending Champion: Tiger Woods *not in field*
  • Five Consensus Favourites: Adam Scott, Jason Day, Hunter Mahan, Brandt Snedeker and Billy Horschel

TV Schedule:

  • Thursday – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Friday – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Saturday – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET (Golf Channel) & 3:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET (CBS)
  • Sunday –  1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET (Golf Channel) & 3:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET (CBS)

Key Storyline This Week
 
With Tiger Woods opting to sit out this week to rest his wonky elbow ahead of the Open Championship, the tournament from a betting perspective just got a lot more open. Throw in the fact that U.S. Open champion Justin Rose pulled out earlier in the week, and a tournament that was looking pretty high in star power a few weeks ago just took a massive hit. In the six years that the tournament has been around, there hasn’t been a poor champion crowned to date, with Woods taking the title twice, along with Rose, Nick Watney, Anthony Kim and K.J. Choi.
 
Congressional
 
As mentioned above, the Blue Course at Congressional is an absolute beast at nearly 7,600 yards and only a par-71. The course played as the most difficult track on the PGA Tour in relation to par last year of any of the non-major championships, averaging more than two strokes over par. What makes it so tough? Just about everything really, as both the fairways and greens rank among the most difficult to hit on the PGA Tour. Even getting onto the greens means little, as they are expected to run as high as 14 on the stimpmeter, which means incredibly fast speeds.
 
Most of the length comes from the par-5’s, most notably the ninth, which comes in at 636 yards, but the par-3’s are all deep, ranging from 173 to 233 yards. The most difficult hole on the course will likely be the 489 yard par-4 11th, as the tee shot plays into a narrow fairway with bunkers guarding the right side and water protecting the green on a tough approach that will likely be sitting on an uneven lie based on fairway slope. Unfortunately, bad weather looks to be in the forecast again, as thunderstorms and humid weather are expected throughout the week.
 
Thoughts On The Favourites

  • Adam Scott: Scott appears to be suffering a little bit from that major hangover, as he hasn’t had a top-10 finish in the three starts since winning the Masters in April, but he could be coming to a place of comfort here at Congressional. Even though he has missed two cuts here in the past, one came at the U.S. Open, he does have a runner-up and a T3 on the resume.
  • Jason Day: Finished as the runner-up to Rose at Merion a few weeks ago, and even though he was eight strokes behind Rory McIlroy, he was the runner-up here in the 2011 U.S. Open. Throw in a T8 here last year, plus his distance off the tee, and you have a guy who should be primed to win this tournament.
  • Hunter Mahan: Mahan always plays well here, but the one thing that’s giving me pause here is his complete lack of consistency. It’s not something that’s completely surprising, but look at his result last week at the Travelers. After an opening round 62, he couldn’t finish higher than a tie for 24th. I think he’ll be near the lead again this week, but I don’t think I can trust him with my money.
  • Brandt Snedeker: Two top-10’s and a missed cut in this event previously to go along with a T-11 in the U.S. Open here in 2011 leads me to believe that he can contend. His decent week at Merion could be a sign that his rib injury is finally healed, and his putter should keep him in any event that he enters.
  • Billy Horschel: I thought Horschel would fade away, but he seems to just keep on playing well. After winning in New Orleans, he’s picked up a pair of top-10 finishes in his last four events, including his T-4 at Merion where he played solid for all four rounds. He rarely puts himself in trouble, but the putter runs very hot and cold. Missed the cut in his lone appearance at Congressional back in the 2009 AT&T.

Suggested Plays
 
Jason Day (Best Odds 14-1 at bet365)
This seems like a no-brainer for all of the reasons listed above. When Day is playing well, which he is right now, there’s pretty much nobody in the game better than him and I think he gets it done this week.
 
Graham DeLaet (Best Odds 36-1 at BETDAQ)
At this point, you might as well mark DeLaet in this space every week until he wins. Playing in the final group last week at the Travelers, DeLaet was in position to win again and ended up with a solo third, giving him his fourth consecutive top-25 finish. He’s right up there with the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour and with the run he’s on right now, get in on him while you can at this price.
 
Freddie Jacobson (Best Odds 61-1 at Betfair)
The Junkman has cooled off significantly since the start of the year, but his solid week at the Travelers is making me think that he could be on another run shortly. Previously at Congressional, he was the runner-up in 2008 and finished tied for 14th at the U.S. Open. With a field that’s short on high quality talent, the 61-1 number seems severely inflated.
 
John Senden (Best Odds 90-1 at Stan James)
If we’re talking about ball strikers, there are few better in the world than Senden, who has had an uncharacteristically poor 2013 to date, with no top-10 finishes. However, he did finish tied for 15th in his last start a few weeks ago at Merion, so I’m banking on a bit of a turnaround here, especially at a place like Congressional, which will require long irons into greens, an area where he might be the best on the PGA Tour. His previous best finish at Congressional was a T-18 at the 2008 AT&T.
 
Pat Perez (Best Odds 102-1 at BETDAQ)
Perez is one of the more electric players in the game when he gets going, and his T-8 at the Memorial a few weeks ago is making him a pretty popular pick online this week, and I completely agree, especially at this price. His previous history here includes a T-3, T-12 and a T-29, so he does seem to like it on the layout.
 
David Hearn (Best Odds 125-1 at Stan James)
Hearn is my dartboard pick of the week, and it’s based entirely on current form, where he’s finished inside the top-21 in three consecutive weeks. He’s never played Congressional before, so that does scare me a little bit, but his accuracy and putting should keep him in it for the week.

Irish Open Betting Preview

Posted on June 25, 2013     Leave a Comment

Rory Mcilroy

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell head up the field this week in Ireland, as the European Tour returns to Canton House for the first time since 2006 for the 38th playing of the Irish Open.
 
2013 Irish Open Fact Sheet

  • Course: Carton House GC – Montgomerie Course
  • Location: Kildare, Ireland
  • Yardage: 7,301 yards, par 72
  • Defending Champion: Jamie Donaldson
  • Five Consensus Favourites: Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry

TV Schedule:

  • Thursday – 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Friday – 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Saturday – 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Sunday –  8:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)

Key Storyline This Week
 
McIlroy has played in twelve events so far in 2013, and despite four top-10 finishes, he has yet to come away victorious. This of course has led many people to speculate about what is wrong with the 24-year old two-time major winner, and everything from the new Nike clubs to his relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki has been blamed for his performance. Personally, I just think he’s an inconsistent player who has arguably the biggest gap between his highs and lows of any player we’ve ever seen, but that doesn’t fall into the convenient narrative that many in the golf media like to spin, so instead, we get a bunch of “What’s wrong with McIlroy” stories. He’s far and away the most talented player in the field this week, and along with McDowell, is playing in his first Irish Open since 2011. He is the main focus this week.
 
Carton House GC – Montgomerie Course
 
As you may have been able to tell, the course was designed in 2003 by World Golf Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie, and it is considered to be one of the more difficult tracks on the European Tour schedule in 2013. In the 38-year history of the event, Carton House has played host twice, in back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006, with winning scores coming in at 9-under par in 2005 by Stephen Dodd and 5-under par in 2006 by Thomas Bjorn. In those years, the lowest score fired in the eight rounds played has been a 66, shot by Nick O’Hern, Oliver Wilson, Titch Moore and Bjorn.
 
What makes it so tough? From the tees, there are very few shots that play straight away, so the players will have to draw and cut the ball off the tee quite a bit. Miss the fairway, and they will be in trouble, as the rough is very thick, especially in the deepest areas. The most difficult part of the course though is dealing with the greens, which have tons of undulations and slopes, where the balls will feed into some very deep bunkers. Keep it on the green and they’re expected to roll at around 11 on the stimpmeter, so they will be playing very fast. The Montgomerie Course plays even more difficult when the wind gets up, which it is supposed to do steadily as the week rolls on, and there is a chance of showers towards the weekend. You can watch a quick preview of the course from Shane O’Donoghue in the video below:
 

 
Thoughts On The Favourites

  • Rory McIlroy: McIlroy played this event at Carton House back in 2005 when he was just 16 years old, and after a 1-under par 71 to start the tournament, he blew up with an 81 on day two. Obviously he’s a much better player now than he was back then, but this event hasn’t been overly kind to him, as his best finish to date is a tie for 34th back in 2011.
  • Graeme McDowell: McDowell has yet to produce an under-par round at Carton House in two events, leading to a pair of missed cuts. Like McIlroy, he hasn’t had a ton of success in this event, with his lone top-25 coming in 2011, but in a tournament lacking a star studded field, he stands out.
  • Thomas Bjorn: We talked about Bjorn above, and you could argue that he should be the favourite this week based on current form, as well as his prior performances at the venue. He won in 2006, bouncing back after an ugly opening round 78 and his last three finishes read T4-2-2.
  • Padraig Harrington: Paddy’s got a good track record on both the course and in the event, and has had a commendable 2013 season to date with five top-10 finishes. He was looking pretty good last week at the Travelers too until he played the weekend in 12-over par, finishing ahead of only Lee Westwood at the end of it.
  • Shane Lowry: Two things make Lowry the number five favourite this week: first, he won the event as an amateur back in 2009, although it was at County Louth and not Carton House, and the fact that he’s actually a club member here, so the thought process is that he has a big advantage on the field. He says he’s looking forward to the pressure, but with his hit or miss play style, I don’t see how it’s worth it at the price he’s at.

Suggested Plays
 
Thomas Bjorn (Best Odds 16-1 at Paddy Power)
As I mentioned above, things seem to be coming together for him right now, and with his track record here, it’s really difficult to ignore him. The combination of being a good ball striker and a great putter should serve him very well this week.
 
Ross Fisher (Best Odds 25-1 at Coral)
We talked about Fisher last week, and he did end up playing pretty well in Germany with four rounds at par or better and ending up tied for 18th. There, he was third in driving accuracy at 78.6% of fairways hit and fifth in putts per green at 1.62. This is the type of player that we saw emerge a few years ago, and his track record in the event is solid, winning it back in 2010 and finishing tied for 5th at Carton House.
 
Francesco Molinari (Best Odds 33-1 at Ladbrokes)
Yeah, he missed the cut in his last start at the U.S. Open, but a lot of quality players did that, so I’m not reading too much into it. He’s also not a great putter, but outside of McIlroy and McDowell, Molinari is probably the best ball striker in the field. He doesn’t have a single under par round at Carton House in his career, but he’s a much better player now than he was then, and I don’t understand why he’s available at this kind of price.
 
Eddie Pepperell (Best Odds 143-1 at BETDAQ)
Pepperell has never played the course or even in the event, but his skills are a good fit, as he prides himself on his control from the tee and a solid short game. Before missing the cut at Merion a few weeks ago, he played very well at Wentworth, ending up tied for 6th. On an each-way bet, this makes a ton of sense.
 
Robert-Jan Derksen (Best Odds 150-1 at Spreadex)
Derksen is coming off of a top-10 finish in Germany, and played decently in his last trip to Carton House, ending up tied for 12th. He’s pretty short from the tee, but usually hits a ton of fairways. Derksen and Pepperell both make up decent value as dartboard picks.

Golf GIF Roundup: June 24th

Posted on June 24, 2013     Leave a Comment

The suave and debonair Miguel Angel Jimenez.

The suave and debonair Miguel Angel Jimenez.


 
The PGA and European Tours couldn’t have crowned more opposite winners this week, with the legendary Ernie Els triumphing for the 66nd time in his career in Germany, while 44-year old journeyman Ken Duke was finally able to get his first career PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship. Let’s take a look at the best GIFs of the week.
 
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Ken Duke wins the Travelers Championship

Posted on June 23, 2013     Leave a Comment

Ken Duke

Ken Duke (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

Ken Duke was able to defeat Chris Stroud on the second playoff hole at TPC River Highlands to win his first PGA Tour event at the 2013 Travelers Championship.
 
What Happened
 
At various points throughout Sunday’s final round, five players were around the lead of the tournament. Charley Hoffman, playing in the final group with Graham DeLaet, was the first to fall, bogeying three of his first six holes, ending up with a 2-over par 72. DeLaet was pretty steady most of the day and was 1-under on his round as he approached the par-3 16th. His tee shot landed short of the green and nearly rolled into the water, but after a poor chip, he would end up making bogey and his birdie on the 18th was only able to get him within one of Duke and Stroud. Bubba Watson was even on his round heading to the back nine and had the lead after birdies on 10, 13 and 15. His triple bogey 6 on the 16th, where he chewed out his caddie Ted Scott twice, knocked him out of contention. With Duke in the clubhouse after an incredible par on the 18th, Stroud needed a birdie to force the playoff when his approach landed on the green, and rolled off, meaning he needed a chip in, which he would get, and he would head back up to the 18th tee with Duke to start the playoff.
 
Both players would make par on the opening playoff hole after Stroud got up and down from the greenside bunker. Both men found the fairway on the second hole, and with Duke having roughly 120 yards left to the green, he struck the best shot of the tournament with his sand wedge, stopping just two feet away from the cup. Stroud’s approach from 97 yards out stayed on the green this time, but left him a long putt, and when he missed and Duke tapped in, it was all over. Ken Duke had his first career PGA Tour win at the age of 44.
 
Final Leaderboard

  • 1. Ken Duke -12 *wins in playoff*
  • 2. Chris Stroud -12
  • 3. Graham DeLaet -11
  • 4. Bubba Watson -10
  • T5. Webb Simpson -9
  • T5. J.J. Henry -9

What The Win Means For Duke
 
Duke is the ultimate journeyman, playing on mini-tours for most of his career before finally getting to the PGA Tour in 2004. He would lose his card, and get it back again, and repeat the cycle a second time before returning to the PGA Tour again last season. He’s had a good year in 2013, but couldn’t close the door to this point. Now, the potential of him going back to the smaller pro tours around the world is gone for the next two years, with his PGA Tour card guaranteed through the 2015 season. He will also jump back into the top-100 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and get him into the Masters, where he’s only played once. Wins for these guys don’t happen often, and when we look at the PGA Tour, we often think of players like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson padding their totals, but these wins mean the world to guys like Ken Duke, who now has job security for the next two years.
 
Bubba Watson and Ted Scott
 
I mentioned the Watson/Scott situation at the top of the post, and you can watch the embedded video below, but here’s my take. This sort of thing happens a lot more than we realize, but it becomes so much bigger because Watson is involved and it was on TV on a Sunday where he could have came away with a win. With that said, Watson is still the one hitting the shots and even if the yardage given to him by Scott was incorrect, it probably could have been handled differently.
 

 
The importance of club selection
 
The last three tee shots of Chris Stroud were all taken on the 18th, and they all split the middle of the fairway, but they also seemed to cost him the tournament, even if they looked perfect at the time. All three left him with downhill lies and downwind, with less than 100 yards to the green. Getting a ball to stop from there in that situation is nearly impossible, even for the pros, which he proved with his first attempt in regulation, which rolled to the fringe. The second approach was short and in the greenside bunker, probably because he didn’t want to do the same thing that he had done about twenty minutes prior. His last approach was the best of the bunch, but it still didn’t hold the way he would have liked, and it rolled nearly to the back of the green again. Yeah, he split the fairway, but the 347 yard drive just because he could get it down there didn’t make any sense, especially after he knew how it played out the first time. One of Stroud or his caddie should have known that and taken a lesser club in the playoff, and because he didn’t, it cost him the tournament.
 
Ugly scorecards of the week
 
Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood didn’t have the best rounds on Sunday…
 
Picture 1
 
Other Notes

  • Notables to miss the cut: Y.E. Yang, Jason Dufner, Davis Love III, Bud Cauley, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Carl Pettersson, Sang-moon Bae, John Daly, Kyle Stanley, Robert Garrigus, Nicolas Colsaerts, Mike Weir, Kevin Streelman, Lucas Glover and Johnson Wagner.
  • Other notable finishes: Angel Cabrera (T9), Rickie Fowler (T13), Justin Rose (T13), Keegan Bradley (T18), Hunter Mahan (T24), Freddie Jacobson (T30), Bo Van Pelt, K.J. Choi, Ian Poulter, Harris English and Vijay Singh (T43), Zach Johnson and Tim Clark (T58), Padraig Harrington (T72), Lee Westwood (74th).
  • This won’t get a ton of play elsewhere, but congratulations to Craig Stadler for winning his first event on the Champions Tour in nine years at the Encompass Championship.
  • It’s only a matter of time now for DeLaet, who will win a tournament before the 2013 season is over. Hoffman on the other hand really needs to stop his Sunday blowups.
  • Interesting tidbit from Ian Baker-Finch on the broadcast: J.J. Henry is one of only ten players to hold his PGA Tour card every year since 2000. Definitely couldn’t have told you that.
  • Great tweet from Gary Christian, who was paired with Fowler on Sunday:

Ernie Els gets 66th career win in Germany

Posted on June 23, 2013     Leave a Comment

Photo of golfer Ernie Els at the 2009 Presiden...

Photo of golfer Ernie Els at the 2009 President’s Cup at Harding Park in San Francisco (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ernie Els went wire-to-wire this week in Germany, leading to his 66th career professional win at the BMW International Open.
 
What Happened
 
Els entered Sunday’s final round in a three-way tie for the lead with Sweden’s Alexander Noren and Alexander Levy of France at 15-under par, with two-time BMW International champion Thomas Bjorn just one shot back. Els was playing with Bjorn in the second last group on the course, while Noren and Levy played together in the final pairing. Els started out hot, firing a three-under par 33 on the front nine, which was matched by Bjorn and Levy, while Noren struggled with a 2-over par 38. The back nine was slightly different, with both Els and Bjorn bogeying the par-5 11th, opening the door for Levy, but he couldn’t get hot down the stretch, alternating between bogeys and birdies before ending his back nine with a 2-over par 38. After Bjorn double bogeyed the 14th, Els parred out until the closing hole where he made birdie to finish one clear of Bjorn at 18-under par.
 
Final Leaderboard

  • 1. Ernie Els -18
  • 2. Thomas Bjorn -17
  • 3. Alexander Levy -16
  • T4. Bernd Wiesberger -15
  • T4. Martin Kaymer -15
  • T4. Alexander Noren -15

What The Win Means For Els
 
It’s another notch on the belt for Els really, who now has a ridiculous 66 career professional victories on his resume. Els was coming off of a great performance at the U.S. Open, finishing tied for 4th at Merion, leading him to jump all the way into the top-20 in the Official World Golf Rankings. This win will move him further up the list inside the top-15, depending on the results of this afternoon’s final round at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship. There was some talk last year that the only reason he won the Open Championship was because Adam Scott choked it away to him, and that Els was pretty much done in terms of winning golf tournaments, seeing as how his last win previous to that was back in December of 2010. In a tournament that had a pretty stacked field and on a course where the winner had to go low, Els proved that he is far from done as a winner, and that swing still looks absolutely gorgeous.
 
06.21.13-ernie-els-swing-super-slow-mo
 
Other Notes

  • Notables to miss the cut: Thomas Aiken, Colin Montgomerie, Thorbjorn Olesen, Tom Lewis, Alvaro Quiros, Simon Dyson, Jeev Milkha Singh, Jose Maria Olazabal and David Lynn.
  • Notable finishes: Sergio Garcia (T7), Henrik Stenson (T10), Peter Uihlein (T10), Dustin Johnson (T18), Matteo Manassero (T22), Miguel Angel Jimenez (T28) and Paul Casey (T53).
  • It’s the 25th anniversary of the event, and the tournament celebrated in a traditional German way, so here’s a picture of Dustin Johnson in lederhosen.

06.21.13 dj lederhosen

Travelers Championship Betting Preview

Posted on June 19, 2013     Leave a Comment

Justin Rose 2007 MASTERS

Justin Rose 2007 MASTERS (Photo credit: pocketwiley)

One week after winning his first major championship at the U.S. Open, Justin Rose is back in the field this week as the PGA Tour heads to the TPC River Highlands for the 2013 Travelers Championship.
 
2013 Travelers Championship Fact Sheet

  • Course: TPC River Highlands
  • Location: Cromwell, Connecticut
  • Yardage: 6,841 yards, par 70
  • Defending Champion: Marc Leishman
  • Five Consensus Favourites: Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood, Jason Dufner and Bubba Watson

TV Schedule:

  • Thursday – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Friday – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Saturday – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET (Golf Channel) & 3:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET (CBS)
  • Sunday –  1:00 PM to 2:30 PM ET (Golf Channel) & 3:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET (CBS)

Key Storyline This Week
 
Everyone will be watching to see how Rose performs after finally breaking through to win his first major championship, and rightfully so. Rose committed to the event before winning the U.S. Open, and usually after winning a major, the guy who wins will pull out of the next event on the schedule if it’s being played the following week. Nathan Grube, who is the tournament director for the Travelers, said that his heart dropped when he received a phone call on Sunday night, fearing that Rose, who was one of his big draws this week, was going to pull out. Justin’s wife Kate was on the other end of the line and confirmed that Rose would still be coming, which means a lot for these mid-level PGA Tour events. Outside of that, my focus will be on Bubba Watson this week, who hasn’t had a top-10 in a stroke play event since the first tournament of the year at Kapalua. He won here back in 2010, and was the runner-up to Marc Leishman last year, so this could be a breakout spot for him.
 
TPC River Highlands
 
Originally designed by Robert J. Ross and Maurice Kearney in 1928, the course was given the name Middletown Golf Club and since then, it has seen several name changes and redesigns, most recently by Bobby Weed in 1989 when it was officially given the name of TPC River Highlands. The course features a tough stretch of four finishing holes, which Stewart Cink called “four of the most exciting finishing holes in a group anywhere in the world.”

  • Par-4 15th: It’s drivable at 296 yards, but depending on the wind, players tend to opt for an iron off the tee and play for an easy birdie. Stroke average of 3.69 over the last five years.
  • Par-3 16th: Just 171 yards, but it’s all carry over the lake and the bunkers behind the green prevent players from taking an extra club.
  • Par-4 17th: One of the toughest holes on the PGA Tour schedule, as the lake from 16 comes into play again, taking up the entire right side of the fairway. Go left and you run the risk of being on a sidehill lie, or landing in the bunkers. The green is tough too, with undulations that can roll the ball back into the pond if the approach isn’t high enough. Hardest hole on the course last year, playing to an average of 4.26.
  • Par-4 18th: The closing hole doesn’t look like much from the tee, but the fairway is pretty narrow, with bunkers guarding both sides in the landing area. Putting the ball in the fairway might not even mean much considering how it slopes, as players will most certainly find an uneven lie with their approaches. Huge undulations on the green too, which has made this a swing hole in previous tournaments.

In general, the course isn’t long, playing under 7,000 yards and the players usually take advantage. The winning score here hasn’t been in single digits since Nick Price won in 1993, and since the course started hosting back in 1984, the winner has been at least 10-under par in all but three years. Not surprisingly, rain is expected on Sunday, which could cause tee times to be moved up for the final round. Otherwise, the weather is looking great for the event.
 
Thoughts On The Favourites

  • Justin Rose: Rose has a good history here, with four top-20 finishes in seven starts, but you always have to be wary of the major championship hangover. He’s too consistent to fall completely out of it, but I’ll be staying away this week, especially at the number.
  • Hunter Mahan: If Hunter Mahan had any kind of a short game, he’d have a couple major championships at this point. Watching him blow another chance on Sunday at the U.S. Open wasn’t a surprise, but someone who’s as talented as he is needs to figure that out. Fortunately for him, he’s coming to a place of comfort, with four top-4 finishes here in his career, including his first PGA Tour win in 2007 when he defeated Jay Williamson in a playoff.
  • Lee Westwood: Speaking of guys who haven’t won a major because of their short game…Westwood has only played here once before, ending up tied for 51st back in 2005, and on a course where putting tends to be of the utmost importance, I don’t think it’s wise to be laying any money down on him.
  • Jason Dufner: Dufner is hoping that his Sunday round at Merion is a sign of things to come, as he’s had a dreadful 2013. His T-4 at the U.S. Open was his first in America all season, which was definitely not what was expected of him after his breakout of 2012. He could be worth a shot here, but considering his track record of T44-T67-MC, I’m staying away.
  • Bubba Watson: I mentioned it above, but it’s going to be interesting to watch Watson this week, who much like Dufner, has been very underwhelming in 2013.

Suggested Plays
 
Hunter Mahan (Best Odds 18-1 at Stan James)
Mahan is one of the streakiest players in the world, and he’s on one of those good runs right now. After missing four consecutive cuts from Houston to the Wells Fargo, he’s had top-30’s in each of his last four events, culminating with his T-4 at Merion. Combine that with his track record here and it’s easy to see him near the top of the board on Sunday.
 
Rickie Fowler (Best Odds 28-1 at SkyBet)
Finished tied for 13th the last time he was here in 2010, and much like Mahan, he’s coming off of a good week at the U.S. Open. The much maligned putting of Fowler has been pretty much a non-issue in 2013 and he’s pretty much always in the middle of the fairway. 28-1 seems like a no-brainer to me this week.
 
Ian Poulter (Best Odds 50-1 at bet365)
Poulter has had the same kind of season that Dufner and Watson have had, which is surprising a lot of people after his dominant Ryder Cup performance at the end of 2012, but I think this is a good spot for him. He gave himself a chance to win last week at Merion until a 76 on Sunday derailed his chances, and I think he’s going to be motivated by Rose’s win.
 
Nicolas Colsaerts (Best Odds 55-1 at Stan James)
Colsaerts has been relatively quiet this year after he committed to playing on the PGA Tour instead of in Europe, but things have been turning around in recent weeks. He’s the longest hitter in the game and is coming off of a T-10 at the U.S. Open. I still think he’s going to win a tournament this year, and even though he’s never played the course before, this could be the spot.
 
Graham DeLaet (Best Odds 66-1 at Coral)
We’ve talked about DeLaet before. He’s a tremendous ball striker who can’t seem to figure out how to putt, but he’s been close in recent tournaments, finishing inside the top-25 in each of his last three starts. 66-1 just seems like a nice price on a guy who is trending in the right direction, despite his poor track record at the venue.
 
Mike Weir (Best Odds 455-1 at Betfair)
The fact that we’re even in a position to talk about Weir in a betting preview is a good thing after the last couple of seasons he’s had. His lone appearance here saw him miss the cut in 1998, but I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen out of Weir in the last couple of weeks, having to qualify in sectionals for the U.S. Open and then actually playing well on a tough track. He’s made three consecutive cuts for the first time since 2010, and even though I don’t think he wins this week, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that he finishes high on the board. Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking, but at 455-1, why not, right?

BMW International Open Betting Preview

Posted on June 18, 2013     Leave a Comment

Martin Kaymer

Martin Kaymer (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

One week after the U.S. Open, a top-heavy field heads to Germany for the European Tour’s BMW International Open at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried.
 
2013 BMW International Open Fact Sheet

  • Course: Golfclub Munchen Eichenried
  • Location: Munich, Germany
  • Yardage: 7,073 yards, par 72
  • Defending Champion: Danny Willett
  • Five Consensus Favourites: Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson, Ernie Els and Martin Kaymer

TV Schedule:

  • Thursday – 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Friday – 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Saturday – 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET (Golf Channel)
  • Sunday –  8:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET (Golf Channel)

Key Storyline This Week
 
The BMW International Open signals a new run of important tournaments on the European Tour schedule, and it usually attracts a good field. In the coming weeks, the European Tour will play host to national opens in Ireland, France and Scotland before Muirfield hosts the 142nd Open Championship. The tournament also returns to Golfclub Munchen Eichenried after a one-year hiatus when the event was held in Cologne and won by Danny Willett. It usually provides a quality winner as well, with names like Paul Azinger, Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Thomas Bjorn, John Daly, Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer on the list as former champions. Broadcasters Frank Nobilo and David Feherty have also won this tournament, with Feherty winning the inaugural event back in 1989.
 
Golfclub Munchen Eichenried
 
Golfclub Munchen Eichenried will host the event for the 21st time this week, and it typically plays as one of the easier tracks the players see on the schedule. The greens aren’t too fast and it’s a relatively flat design, with little to speak of in the way of undulations and hills. The only defense the course typically has are the tree lined fairways and water hazards, which come into play on ten of the eighteen holes. Historically, the players have gone low, with 13-under par being the worst winning score here in the last decade, and Daly coming away victorious after posting a 27-under par 261 back in 2001. The weather is looking good to start the week, but it will get progressively worse as the tournament goes on, with thunderstorms expected before the weekend is through.
 
Thoughts On The Favourites

  • Sergio Garcia: Garcia’s ridiculous run of form had to come to an end at some point, right? His 45th place finish at the U.S. Open last week ended a run of eighteen consecutive top-25 finishes. I think he gets back into the top-25 this week based on a less than stellar field, but I’ll be staying away at 14-1, despite his runner-up finish here last year to Willett.
  • Henrik Stenson: Stenson won this event back in 2006, and always seems to play well here, with three top-10 finishes in his last ten events. Coming off of a decent showing at the U.S. Open where he finished tied for 21st.
  • Dustin Johnson: Johnson has battled injury and consistency issues so far in 2013, and underwhelmed at the short Merion last week ending up in a tie for 55th place, never breaking par on the tough layout. In his lone showing on the course back in 2011, he finished tied for 18th and considering the track record of previous winners and their ability to go low, Johnson needs to be considered a threat this week.
  • Ernie Els: Before missing the cut here in his last appearance in 2010, Els was usually a good bet to finish at the top of the leaderboard, as he wasn’t outside of the top-26 in any of his prior entries. Coming off of a T-4 last week at Merion where he was one of six players under par in Sunday’s final round.
  • Martin Kaymer: Pretty sure that the only reason Kaymer is listed this high is because of his victory here back in 2008, as there really isn’t any reason to consider him at this point. He’s struggled badly after ascending to the top of the world rankings a few years ago, and outside of making the clinching putt for Europe in the Ryder Cup last year, he hasn’t really done much of note. Four top-10’s this season, but a boatload of bad finishes as well, so I’ll be staying away until we can see something a little more consistent.

Suggested Plays
 
Henrik Stenson (Best Odds 14-1 at bet365)
He’s got a good track record here, and in a lesser quality field, I think he is the odds on favourite. Great ball striker who doesn’t usually put himself into too much trouble, and the putter is coming around a little bit too. Considering the greens here aren’t too difficult, it could be a great spot for him.
 
Dustin Johnson (Best Odds 20-1 at Paddy Power)
Speaking of players who stand out in a lesser quality field, nobody here stands out more than Johnson. He’s going to pound the ball all over the place here, and he says he’s healthy, so I’ll take a chance on him at 20-1, even though the form hasn’t been anywhere near what we would have expected at this point.
 
Bernd Wiesberger (Best Odds 28-1 at Betfair)
This is a bet on pure form alone, as Wiesberger hasn’t finished outside of the top-14 since April, including a win in Indonesia in early May. He’s got the rare combination of power and putting ability, and the number seems just right even though he’s only got one round in the 60’s here in two appearances.
 
Ross Fisher (Best Odds 28-1 at bwin)
The complete opposite of a form bet, as Fisher only has two top-10’s all year, but his track record on the course is solid, finishing no worse than 26th in four of five events, including back-to-back top-10’s. I’m hoping that the 64 he fired in Sunday’s final round in Sweden a couple of weeks ago was a sign of things to come.
 
Thomas Bjorn (Best Odds 35-1 at bet365)
Former two-time champ hasn’t played that well here in a few years, but he’s finished inside the top-10 in three of his last four events, including a runner-up last week in Austria. Does just about everything well, including on the greens, so the combination of that and his track record is enough for me.
 
Miguel Angel Jimenez (Best Odds 45-1 at Betfred)
The Mechanic is playing in his fifth event since coming back from knee surgery, and since he missed the cut in his first event in Spain where he probably came back earlier than he should have, he’s been solid with three top-20’s, including a T-4 at the BMW PGA. Five top-10’s here in the past, including a win back in 2004.

Final Round U.S. Open GIFs

Posted on June 17, 2013     2 Comments

You're not supposed to eat your clubs, Rickie.

You’re not supposed to eat your clubs, Rickie.


 
Justin Rose came away victorious Sunday at the U.S. Open, and he got quite emotional about the whole thing. He will be heavily featured in the final round U.S. Open GIF Roundup.
 
For previous U.S. Open GIF posts, see Rounds One and Two here and click here for Round Three.

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Justin Rose wins the U.S. Open

Posted on June 16, 2013     2 Comments

Justin Rose

Justin Rose (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

Justin Rose was able to outlast the competition and the brutal layout of Merion as manipulated by the USGA to win the 2013 U.S. Open.
 
What Happened
 
Several players had control of this tournament on Sunday, but as usual at the U.S. Open, that didn’t mean anything until the final stretch of holes. That final stretch by the way was playing tougher than any of the previous twenty U.S. Open’s. Phil Mickelson led the tournament by one shot coming into the round, and was near the top of the leaderboard all day, even after a double bogey-birdie-double bogey stretch from 3-5. His holeout on 10 for eagle got him back to even par, but bogeys on 13 and 15 knocked him back down. Jason Day and Hunter Mahan made runs at it, but Rose’s round of even par, after great approaches on both 17 and 18, gave him his first major championship.
 
Final Leaderboard

  • 1. Justin Rose +1
  • T2. Phil Mickelson +3
  • T2. Jason Day +3

What The Win Means For Rose
 
Since he first came on the scene back in 1998 at the Open Championship as a 17-year old amateur, big things have been expected of Justin Rose, and the payoff for him here and now is obvious. No matter what happens now, he’ll be forever known as a major champion, having mastered the USGA’s diabolical layout of one of the world’s most revered golf courses. This has been coming for Rose, who has been one of the best players in the world now for a few years. Of course, many people, Rose included, would find that meaningless until he won that major. Known as one of the best tee-to-green players in the world but with a slightly wonky putter, Rose finally putted well enough to win the big one.
 
What The Loss Means For Mickelson
 
Another U.S. Open, and another heartbreak for America’s favourite golfer. He already held the record with the most runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open with five, and now he’s added one more to his mantle. If you ask me right now who I thought played the best four days of golf, it would definitely be Mickelson, but at the U.S. Open, that rarely matters, and he knows it. The putter let him down on Sunday, as he had 36 strokes with the flatstick. What I will say is that any doubt that people had in regards to his ability to still play at a high level should have been alleviated with his performance in the last couple of weeks, but make no mistake, Mickelson lost this tournament at least as much as Rose won it.
 
The USGA
 
Coming into the week, many people predicted a slaughtering of Merion, as the weather was going to make a short course play even softer. Mike Davis and the USGA must have taken major offense to this, as the course was set up to be even more penal than I thought was possible. Look at the pin placements again on Sunday, and you’ll see that most were cut as close as possible to the fringe and rough. Miss the fairway by a yard or by ten yards, and the penalty was the same. Steve Stricker said that he doesn’t mind the challenge once a year, but that definitely wasn’t a consensus opinion, as many of the players and the media thought the course simply played too hard. All I can say to that is that the USGA got what they wanted, as par was protected.
 
Merion
 
Regardless of what people think of the USGA setup of Merion, there’s no question that the course not only held its own, but it was the star this week. The USGA claimed that it would make roughly $10 million less this year because of the lack of space for patrons, but they were okay with that in return for coming back to Merion. Did this just open the door for other courses to get a future U.S. Open? I don’t think we’ll ever see Pine Valley or Cypress Point get into the rotation, but the success of Merion has allowed for discussions to be had.
 
Other Notes

  • Man, the finish at Merion was tough, especially the 521 yard par-4 18th, which wasn’t birdied by anyone in the last two rounds.
  • I did think it got a little unfair at certain points with the yardage, especially at the par-3 3rd which played at 266 yards today. I’m sure other players did as well, but I saw at least Mahan and Donald hit driver into the green, which seems ludicrous at a par-3.
  • Still think we will see Donald win a major at some point, and the same goes for Day. Can’t say the same for Hunter Mahan, who desperately needs to improve on his short game, especially at a U.S. Open.
  • Also still think that Johnny Miller is the single worst thing about any golf broadcast.
  • I’ve always been a big fan of Mickelson, but sometimes the American golf media make it really difficult to stay that way. Watching the Golf Channel prior to the coverage made it seem like he was the only father trying to win this event on Father’s Day.
  • Not much to say about Tiger Woods, except that both the putter and short irons looked off again this week, like they did at points last year. For him, he’s now looking toward Muirfield for the Open Championship in a few weeks.
  • Cal’s Michael Kim took home low amateur honours with a T-17 finish at 10-over par.
  • Great final round of 1-under par for Mike Weir, ending at 12-over par and tied for 28th.