Masters – Tough First Day

April 10, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Day one of the Masters is over. All the pundits are frantically justifying why their pick is not at the top of the leaderboard. They are talking about the wind, the pressure, their starting position, nagging injuries, etc, etc, etc. The performance of any professional during the Masters will vary depending on an infinite number of reasons. But, there was always one factor that never changes!

Before I go into the one constant of the Masters, I thought I would share some interesting highlights of the 2014 first round. Interestingly, it was what everyone expected and it was nothing like anyone expected. Here is what I found interesting:

Bill Haas is at the top of the leaderboard;
Bubba Watson was the only player to have a bogey free round;
Phil Mickelson had a double-bogey and a triple bogey;
Fred Couples is at -1;
Bernhard Langer is 56 years old and shot even par;
Top Amateur is Matthew Fitzpatrick (youngest in the field) +4;
Jack Nicklaus is still the greatest; and
The images at this link are excellent – Thanks PGA!

Back to the original point – the one constant of all the Masters is the course! Golf monthly has a great overview of each hole that is worth checking out. However, that is not what I noticed.

The only flat section at Augusta National Golf Club is the practice area and tee boxes!

As I watched the players navigate around the course, not one of them had a flat lie. Not one! In the fairway, the ball was above or below their feet. The hazards on the course are sculpted perfectly. The announcers constantly talked about the quick breaks and how important it is to be on the right side of the hole! The course is a monster and course management will be the deciding factor to who wins this weekend! Augusta National Golf Course is truly a gem and the next three rounds are going to be exciting.

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

It Is Masters Time Again!

April 7, 2014April 7, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

The Masters is only a few days away! The golfing world is a buzz about the first Major in 2014. Adding to the normal hype, Tiger Woods will miss this ‘must attend’ event after 19 consecutive starts. There will be many new faces vying for the Green Jacket with realistic chances to be crowned champion. “Who will win?” is always the topic of most golfing pundits and the links below will give you an idea about some are thinking.

All About Golf – Jason Day
Pundit Arena – Rory McIlroy (Dark Horse – Jordan Spieth)
Golf Week – Rory McIlroy – most votes
The Bleacher Report – Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy – same odds
CBS Sports – Brandt Snedeker

All of these fortune tellers, from a pure analysis point of view, are correct. Selecting a Masters Champion is extremely difficult and some subjectivity must leak into their decision. In six days, we shall see which oracle is correct.

The focus on Thursday does have a tendency to overshadow another important event linked to the Masters. Announced back on 07 April 2013, this new initiative of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship concluded on Sunday past. This year-long event provided young men and woman golfers between the ages of 7-15 an opportunity to compete for the thrill of playing at one of the world’s most prestigious course. These future superstars performed on the biggest stage in golf and they did not disappoint. Congratulations to all the champions!

Regardless of expectations, there is one aspect of the Masters often overlooked – the course. This course is a par 72 – 7425 yard beast that is not tamed easily. This course rewards the daring and punishes the foolhardy. If the professionals do not bring their ‘A’ game, it will be a long four days…or should I say a short two days.

Augusta National Golf Club is a sanctuary for serious golfers. Even people who do not play golf understand the reverence shown to this famous course. As a biased golfer, I am not surprised! This gem is known for Amen Corner (which will make or break a round of golf), Eisenhower Tree (well not so much any more, but it will be mentioned plenty this weekend), Rae’s Creek, Ike’s Pond, and many more. Each hole has a special name with their own unique difficulties. My favorite hole the 13th. It is the 510 yard par 5 beauty named Azalea! What a beautiful risk-reward golf hole!

These famous landmarks will play an important role this weekend. The Masters is “A Tradition Like No Other” because of the great players who continue to grace the tournament, the electrifying atmosphere, and of course – the course. Regardless of your sporting preference, the Masters transcends all barriers as on of the greatest sporting events of the year!

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

The Shell Huston Open

April 1, 2014April 6, 2024 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Recently, I wrote two articles for Pundit Arena; one called Valero Texas Open – The Most Important Tournament of the Year. For journeyman golfers, winning two weeks before the Masters has the potential to vault them into the first Major of the year. The second outlined how Professional golf stats are useless when trying to predict a winner. Just ask Steven Bowditch – he won an invitation to the Masters. He was no where on any statistical list and shot a smooth 4-over on the last day!

So how important is the Shell Huston Open? With Tiger Woods withdrawing from the Masters today, this tournament becomes even more important because of the potential to bounce the bubble guys around! The field will be tough and world-class. Some of the top 10 are resting, but notables like Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Steve, Stricker, and Matt Kuchar will be out to lead the charge. The Shell Huston Open is important, but given the field, the Valero Texas Open was the tournament for journeyman.

If the Valero Texas Open is the most important tournament of the year; then the Shell Huston Open is the most pressure packed tournament of the year! Many pundits will say no, no, no! It is definitely the Majors or the Ryder Cup. Conceding that playing in the Majors is like a pressure cooker; try being one of 50 guys fighting for the last invite to the big dance. These professionals will be riding a roller coaster of emotions, try things that only superman should try, and watching the leader board as if it was a lottery draw. The pressure will continue to build until like a balloon – POP – they are all done!

The Shell Huston Open is not just another professional event – the press to win has the potential for players to erupt like a volcano. The journeyman players will be dialed-in, ready to play, and shaking in their boots all at the same time. Should be fun to watch!

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

Whats Wrong with Phil Mickelson?

March 28, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

Phil Mickelson is usually a beast on the golf course. He is steady, focused, and a fierce competitor! So what is wrong with Mickelson in 2014? Is he sick? Are there outside influences affecting his mental game? Is he getting old? Is he trying too hard? Does anyone have the answer?

Currently, Mickelson is struggling to make the cut at the Valero Texas Open, he only has 4 top 25 finishes in 25 events and his stats do not have him leading in any category. He has had sparks of greatness, but nothing consistent. With approach shots like below, he may be starting to turn things around just in time for the Masters!

Phil Mickelson is an enigma. His style of play is loved and hated by the golfing pundits. As a younger player he was fearless. Unfortunately, some of his devil-may-care attitude cost him tournaments. As he matured and learned from some mistakes; Mickelson understood the importance of picking the moments to press a situation, but never to shied away from the tough shots – as seen by his shot in 2010 Masters from behind the tree. It truly was legendary!

So what is wrong with Phil Mickelson in 2014? The short answer is nothing! He has had a tough start this season; he is not playing to his potential, but in all fairness he has not placed the same emphasis on the PGA Tour’s Western Swing as in year’s past. He adopted new strategy to focus on the Majors and many experts are questioning his decision; however, only success in the Majors will be the true test of his 2014 strategy.

In years past Mickelson played around 20 events a year. Likely, he will play around the same amount this year. As a golfing pundit, I predict he will win two events this year: the US Open and one other. Additionally, much to the disagreement of my European friends the US will win the Ryder Cup at GLENEAGLES, Scotland, on 23-28 September 2014.

2014 will be a banner year for Phil Mickelson. It may not seem that way right now, but just wait, the season is just starting. What do you think?

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

PGA Fantasy Golf League

March 4, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Recently, I signed up for the fantasy golf league at the PGA Tour. It is very easy to use and the program is intuitive and anyone can choose four players each week for the upcoming tournament. Always trying to learn new things, I thought it would be a great way to understand trends, stats, who is hot, and who is not. So far, all is going well, but I am not learning too much yet.

The biggest challenge for the first three weeks (including the World Match Play event) was my lack of knowledge about many of the journeymen players. Each week, some always steps up and throws a wrench into the standings. Personally, it is fun for the tournament, but not so good for my scores. As an example, I took Phil Mickelson last week at the Honda Classic. We all know that was a bust because he did not make the cut. My other players finished a high 54th and a low 35th. Can’t win with picks like that. That stellar performance had me 74th place at the Honda Classic.

This week is the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship. The players will compete on a newly renovated “The Blue Monster“. It is longer and has more holes with playable water. But for the golfing élite, it is a challenge they all relish.

This week I picked –