Moving Day

FEDEX Cup – The Tournament within a Tournament

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Today is moving day at the BMW Championship! All eyes are on the top players as they slug it out for the top spot. Most of the media focus for Saturday will be on Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson (ok I threw Phil in because I always watch his progress). And why not, these are the leading contenders for the FedExCup championship! But, little focus is actually on the tournament within a tournament!

The race for the top 30, in order to advance to the Tour Championship, is just as heated as for the top spot. There is much riding on advancing to the next stage of the playoffs and right now, 10 players are in a battle to improve their position in the FedExCup standings.

The list below is of the current FedExCup standings of positions between 26 and 35. The first number is the predicted position if nothing chances between now and the end of the tournament. The second number is their current standing  within the FedExCup. And the last number is the movement up or down the standings at the end of the tournament if nothing changes.

Moving Day at the BWM

These players are all within striking distance of fall out and making their way to East Lake GC in Atlanta, GA. I would suggest that these players have just as much, if not more, pressure on them to succeed than the top players! The payoff for moving on to the Tour Championship is tremendous and none of these professionals want to left out in the cold.

There are two tremendous battles going on at the BMW Championship! The battle for the top spot and the battle to make it into the top 30! Which do you prefer? Any predictions?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The Masters – Day 3 – Catch Me If You Can

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Jordan Spieth

Catch Me If You Can!

At the start of moving day at the Masters, the theme was ‘catch me if you can’! Jordan Spieth’s 6 shot lead going into Saturday’s round had many pundits gazing into their crystal ball predicting a record-low winning score. Expectations of another 5 or 6 under par round from the second round leader grew exponentially as his tee time approached! However, as the day unfolded, the real story came from past Major champions who live and die on moving day.

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were the players to watch during the third round.  Having giant-slayers and tenacious competitors zeroing in on your position is unnerving for most players. Added to that, having Mickelson race up the leaderboard early, must have had Jordan Spieth looking over his shoulder. Bogeying the last hole dampened Woods charge, but his play was reminiscent of the Tiger of old.

Lest not forget Rory McIlroy; his play for the first 15 holes was spectacular. But, dropping two stokes in the last three holes basically eliminated him from winning unless he shoots a course record on Sunday. But that is unlikely given he is 10 strokes back.

With all the hoopla and focus on the big three, Spieth seems to have learned his lesson from last year, kept his composure until the last two holes, but still finished comfortably atop of the leaderboard at 16 under par.

A just for fun fact, Jordan Spieth made 22 birdies in the first 54 holes! How good is this guy?

We will find out tomorrow when he goes head to head against Justin Rose. Wait, where did he come from? With a birdie on the 18th hole, the 2013 US Open Champion carded a solid 67 and outright second place. Tomorrow, Rose will definitely test Spieth at every opportunity and hopefully close the 4 shot gap.

There is one player who very few golfing experts picked to be in the mix on Sunday at Augusta. Charley Hoffman is surprising the masses by his consistent play and no-fear approach to playing against the world’s best. A classic journeyman player, Hoffman has a few moments in the spotlight since earning his card in 2006, but for the most part, he has worked hard and played to the middle of the pack. (Wikipedia)

YEAR EVENTS ROUNDS FEDEX
PLAYED 1ST 2ND 3RD TOP 10 TOP 25 MADE CUT CUT WD STANDING
2015 13 1 1 — 2 5 9 4 — 7
2014 25 — — 1 5 10 21 4 — 53
2013 23 — — 1 5 8 19 4 — 61
2012 27 — 1 — 2 6 18 9 1 69
2011 27 — 1 — 2 6 20 7 — 41
2010 24 1 — — 5 8 18 6 — 4
2009 27 — 1 — 4 11 22 5 — 37
2008 29 — — — 3 6 19 10 — 70
2007 30 1 — — 2 7 18 12 — 50
2006 29 — — — 5 10 21 8 — —

Hoffman’s record at the Majors would be considered poor by most standards. However, if he was to go on and win the 2015 Masters, his life would change for ever. This year, Hoffman is demonstrating that he can play under Masters’ pressure, it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

Tournament 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Masters Tournament DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T27 DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open T48 DNP DNP DNP DNP T45 DNP T45 DNP
The Open Championship DNP T35 DNP CUT DNP CUT DNP DNP T67
PGA Championship DNP CUT DNP CUT DNP CUT CUT T40 CUT

Charley Hoffman is a perfect example of how any journeyman can compete or even win on any given day! The top 100 players in the world are separated by so little, that the number of first time winners this year on the PGA Tour should not be a big surprise to anyone. Solidly in 4th place, Hoffman will play with Phil Mickelson on Sunday. Good luck tomorrow Charley!

The theme of today was ‘catch me if you can’! Several players moved up the leaderboard, but Jordan Spieth repelled all challengers. Sunday at the Masters is the toughest test of all. To win at Augusta National, playing well on Sunday is a must; it is what defines the champions who wear the green jacket!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The Masters – Day 2 – Moving Day?

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Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth Masters Leader after Day 2.

Today felt like “moving day” at the Masters! The number of players jockeying for position reminded me of the Kentucky Derby! Well, halfway through the race anyway. Jordan Spieth carded another stellar round and by all accounts, he just might be wearing his first green jacket. But hold your horses everyone, we are only just getting started.

Great rounds by Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Ryan Moore and Kevin Na have caught everyone’s attention. Their low rounds have vaulted these players into the top 10 and the golfing world is abuzz with the possibilities of what will happen tomorrow! Let us not forget Charley Hoffman; his round of 68 keeps him within striking distance of, the now perennial favorite, Jordan Spieth. Any other year, Hoffman would be leading the Masters and would be the focus of all the attention.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Mark O’Meara show why veterans cannot be counted out at any time. In true Masters fashion, their slow and steady approach kept them in the hunt for another day. Mickelson’s 4 under currently has him sitting in 6th place, 8 strokes back. A big shout out to Mark O’Meara who shot 68 today and is sitting tied for 12th. At 58 years-old, O’Meara was never in the picture, but he is competing against the world’s best and succeeding. Surprised?

Ernie Els shot even par today. His score did not hurt him, but did not help him either. With the leaders shooting sub-par rounds, Els will have to shoot a 68 tomorrow to keep pace and have any kind of chance at winning this year’s Masters.

There were plenty of surprises today. The biggest was three rounds of 66. Normally, 6 under par will happen once or twice over the Masters’ weekend, but three in one day! Additionally, I was impressed by the composure of Jordan Spieth. At 21 years old, he is demonstrating the wiles of a seasoned veteran. As I mentioned before, we are only at the half way point and whether he or any other contender can keep focused will remain to be seen.

Tomorrow is the real “Moving Day!” The weather forecast calls for 80 degrees and 10 mph winds for Saturday and Sunday. For the Masters to become a closer tournament this year, two things must happen: Jordan Spieth must take off his superman cape, then give it to one of the players chasing him. Anything can happen on ‘Moving Day”, so stay glued to your TV and watch all the action!

I am a grateful golfer. See you on the links!

The Masters – Moving Day

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Day three at the Masters could not have been better.  The leader Bubba Watson moved backward and the most of the field moved forward.  As a result, the field is close and about 15 players have a chance to win the first Major of 2014.  There are many highlights to moving day and the golfing world is abuzz with excitement.  This hype is normal for most Masters Tournaments and as a result, there will be some who will have a tough time sleeping tonight!

The two players of day 3 that caught my eye are Jordan Spieth and Miguel Angel Jimenez! Both these players have provided some exciting golf and have set the media circus on fire with back peddling and speculation.  It is amazing to see how quickly the tides change and the pundits change their spots.  Regardless, these two players have differing approaches to the final round of the Masters which makes it even more interesting.

Here are a couple Tweets that sum up my thoughts.

Jordan Spieth will likely be up most of the night nervous as he zeros in on his first green jacket.  This response is totally understandable.  His meteoric rise in the golfing world was not unexpected, but a bit of surprise.  The golfing experts realized early that Jordan Spieth would be a force on Tour, but not this quick.  After turning pro in 2012, very few would have predicted that just two years later he would be ranked 13th in the world and the leader after 54 holes at the Masters. He is a great player and has a great future.  However, for tomorrow, his nerves will be like the video below!

Miguel Angel Jimenez will be a different case.  He is a cigar smoking, fun-loving professional who is beloved by the average fan.  At 50 years of age, his golfing career later in life is better than when he turned pro in 1982.  This Spaniard has 23 wins world-wide and never seems to change his demeanor regardless of the tournament!  He has the ability to shoot another low round and being only 2 strokes back makes the final day of the Masters more interesting.  Of all the players in the last three groups, he has the most to gain and the least to lose!

Regardless, the final day of the Masters is going to be exciting.  The player wearing the green jacket will be the one who steps up and takes it.

I am a grateful golfer!  See you on the links!