As anticipated, the start to the 2020 Masters was rocky. I guess it only makes sense considering how the 2020 unfolded and continually assailed our sensibilities. Why should The Masters be any different…..right! I watched some of the play and noticed many players firing darts at the pins and ball not releasing. This situation set up many lower than normal scores, with the top ranked players not being able to complete their round. It leaves me wondering what today holds.
Continue readingJordan Spieth
Are You A Serious Golfer?
I would consider myself a serious golfer. Well, to a degree I do because as an amateur there are limitations to my abilities and motivation to be a better players. This is an unfortunate reality for most players who at one time in their career were too involved to realize that their “dedication” to the game was actually hurting their scores. This seems to be the case for Jordan Spieth as he recently explains during an interview.
->Jordan Spieth Analyzing a Golf Shot
Sometimes social media provides a rare and valuable glimpse into the thought process of professional golfers. This information is will help any amateur understand that stepping up and hitting their same shot without concern of the variables around them is folly. Read on and hear how Spieth works through this shot.
Continue readingThe Open 2019 – Predictions
Well it is time to put my neck on the line one more time. The Open starts tomorrow and excited to watch the action and see who will hand the the longish course at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. At just over 7300 yards, the entire field has a chance as long as they stay on the short grass. Keeping the ball in play off the tee will determine the winner of the Claret Jug. If the weather stays reasonable, then I must say that it will be anyone’s game. If it gets nasty……advantage Europe.
At this time, I am thinking that European players will have the advantage this year. Understanding links style course architecture and how to manage their unique challenges will ultimately be the deciding factor for the winner on Sunday. Additionally, the wind will blow, so having a power game to slice their ball through this hazardous condition will be a great benefit. I think this last Major of 2019 will be won off the tee!
Predicting a winner is always a roll of the dice. We have our favourites, but the reality is that picking the winner has to involve a bit of luck. This is true for all golf predictions, yet, as I must reemphasize that I feel that the Europeans have a home field advantage this year. So, here are choices as winner for The Open 2019:
Ian Poulter will finish third. I think Poulter is a surprising player this year and seems to pop up at the strangest times. I am not sure he has the legs to win, but has the ability to make a charge. He is not my dark horse, but feel that there is something about Poults this year that will make his run for the Claret Jug special. This is a pure gut-pick!
Tommy Fleetwood will finish second. Fleetwood is playing journeyman style golf this year. He is ready for a breakout tournament and The Open will be it. He is sneaky long and commands great control on his approach shots. Like all players, getting off the tee will be important, but for Fleetwood, approach shots will be the stat to watch. If he hits the green in regulation often, watch out!
Rory McIlroy will win his second Claret Jug. He is playing great golf this year and is deadly off the tee. This, and the fact that he is first in ‘shots gained’ in 3 categories (off the tee, tee to green, total) indicates that he should be a shoe-in to win. However, putting is his Achilles Heel and if he solves this….great golf will be played. Additionally, McIlroy has to remain mentally tough to for 72 holes to win, 68 holes will not cut it!
Jordan Spieth is my dark horse. I do not know how many times I can continue to pick Spieth as a potential winner. I do not understand his challenges, but feel his is one great tournament away from regaining his former successes. Spieth has to remain mentally calm to have a chance to win. This year, he is quick to ignite because of missed opportunities, so patience will be his greatest asset this weekend. His mental game will determine if he has a chance to win or not.
This weekend is going to be great fun to watch. The field is super-strong as one would expect at a Major. I left out players like Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, and Justin Rose (……I could go on and on) because the I think the above players will outplay them. Unfortunately for me, any of those players could get hot and torpedo all of my predictions…..it is going to be fun to watch!
Did you make any predictions this year’s The Open?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
2019 US Open: My Predictions
As with every Major, predicting the winner is challenging at best. The emergence of some old champions and the rise of new ones always muddies the waters. Like the PGA Championship, I believe that this weekends tournament will be dominated my the titans of golf. With one or two exceptions, Pebble Beach will be a beast to tame, but my predictions will be the ones at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday!
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