Rory McIlroy

Jordan Spieth Wins the 2015 Masters

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

mastersCongratulations to Jordan Spieth for winning his first green jacket. His steady play on Sunday was more than enough to put his first Major in his pocket.

Spieth’s seesaw round was a bit of a surprise to some, but not unexpected by most. His ability rebound for a bogey is what makes champions. The pundits suggested that before the round, Spieth should play more cautiously than the previous three rounds; but with 6 birdies and 3 bogies, he was playing flat-out. The question on most experts mind this morning about how the double bogey on the 17th hole on moving day would affect his game was quickly answered. It didn’t! Jordan Spieth earned his first Major Championship by winning the 2015 Masters….perhaps, the first of many.

Other notables today were all the players between 4th and 9th position. In reality after everything was all said and done, they were playing for second place. Their low scores were just a little to late. In most tournaments, one exceptional round would put a player in contention to win, but a Major, not so much. It takes at least two and usually three great rounds to win any Major. But, hats off that group for making a great showing down the stretch.

Jordan Spieth was not my first choice to win the 2015 Masters. I thought that Rory McIlroy would complete his career grand slam, but not this year. This feat is very rare, but McIlroy has plenty of time to yet. Overall, I was 50/50 selecting players to win. Here is how I made out:

  • Phil Mickelson – T2
  • Jimmy Walker – T39
  • Jason Day – T28
  • Jordan Spieth – 1st
  • Rory McIlroy – 4th
  • Dark Horse – Matt Kuchar – T46

Overall, not too to bad. I did, however, think that Jimmy Walker would have played better at Augusta this year. He only stepped on to the Major’s scene last year, so he does not have the seasoning that other players have. Although he is considered one of the hottest players in golf right now, playing in a Major is extremely difficult and he may need a bit more seasoning before he is ready to compete at that level.

It was exciting to watch Jordan Spieth rise to the élite ranks by winning his first Major. At 21 years old, he has many years ahead where he can continue to excite the golfing world. He reminds me of a young Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods; hopefully he will be able to handle the new notoriety and stay in form for many years to come.

Again, Congratulations to Jordan Spieth on winning the 2015 Masters.

Bring on The Open!

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

Masters Pairings

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Tomorrow, the long-awaited start of The Masters arrives. The entire golfing world is ready for Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer to serve as honorary starters. A tradition that goes back to 1963, the honorary starters add that bit of excitement on the first tee. Who better to start The Masters off than these three giants?

Who the participants play with for the first two days is as important as how they play. Mixing and matching players cannot be easy and I am not sure how the pairings are selected. Regardless, the following is from Masters.com and here is what we have to look forward to over the next two days:

Masters Pairings 2015

There are many great pairings to watch, but here are the ones I will pay special attention to:

Tee Times Players
Thursday Friday
8:18 a.m. 11:25 a.m. Mike Weir Ben Crane Corey Conners (a)
9:02 a.m. 12:20 p.m. Patrick Reed Keegan Bradley Ian Poulter
9:24 a.m. 12:42 p.m. Bubba Watson Justin Rose Gunn Yang (a)
9:35 a.m. 12:53 p.m. Adam Scott Dustin Johnson Antonio Murdaca (a)
10:52 a.m. 1:59 p.m. J. B. Holmes Martin Kaymer Brandt Snedeker
10:41 a.m. 1:48 p.m. Phil Mickelson Rory McIlroy Ryan Moore
1:15 p.m. 9:57 a.m. Jordan Spieth Henrik Stenson Billy Horschel
1:48 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Tiger Woods Jamie Donaldson Jimmy Walker
1:59 p.m. 10:41 a.m. Jason Day Sergio Garcia Rickie Fowler

I am sure when you look at my list, you are wondering what I was thinking. Remember these are the players I think will be fun to watch and I have an interest in. Who do you think should be added to the list?

Of these above pairings, a couple of things jump out at me: Watson and Scott are both paired with amateurs, McIlroy’s group is potentially the toughest, and the Reed, Keegan, Poulter group might see fireworks! Oh the fun of it all!

On a side note, Jack Nicklaus shot a hole-in-one at the Par 3 Tournament today…..only like Jack can!

The timings and groups are set, all that is left is 4 days of exciting Masters Golf!

I am a grateful golfer…..Watching the Masters!

My 2015 Masters Picks

/ The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

mastersMaster week is finally here! We have been waiting for this for moment and without any further adieu, it is time to reveal my picks for this year’s Masters. The field is very strong and the young guns are peaking at the right time, however so are the wily veterans!

Selecting a top 5 and a dark horse is no easy feat. Everyone has their own selection criteria and expects that they have the answer. I am no different. I do look at their current stats, performances at last year’s Majors, and their focus leading up to the Masters. All of these, plus a few other secrets, helps with my predictions. The following picks are from an article I wrote for PunditArena.com. Here we go:

Top 5 Players

Top 5 Players

Phil Mickelson. Lefty is an aging veteran who has struggled of late. However, his early performance at the Shell Huston Open could not have come at a better time. His short game has returned and his putting was solid. Additionally, Mickelson worked hard on fitness, he is mentally prepared, he knows how to handle Masters’ like pressure, and if “Phil the Thrill” shows up, anything can happen.

Jimmy Walker. His play over the past two years has eclipsed everyone. He knows how to win and handle the pressure of a Sunday afternoon. His short game is solid and his consistency is top-notch. Walker’s recent wins at The Sony Open and The Valero Texas Open must be taken into account. Although he has not won a Major, yet, he is number one in the FEDEXCUP ranks and is the most consistent golfer on tour. He is definitely a viable candidate to win the green jacket.

Jason Day. Fighting an injury for most of 2014, Jason Day is a forgotten player. His win at the Farmers Insurance Open in February shows he is back to form. Finishing 2nd and 3rd in previous Masters, Day knows how to play Augusta National. He did not play in the Shell Huston Open and I think taking 2 weeks off will give him time to rest and prepare for the crazy week ahead. Although he may be considered a long-shot by many, he has the game to win. A strong start is very important; gaining confidence early will make him tough to beat.

Jordan Spieth. This young superstar has done everything but win a Major. Although he has only 2 wins in 66 professional events, Spieth is always in the mix. He has the game to win, except he is light on experience. His heart-breaking loss to Bubba Watson last year at The Masters was a lesson he will not soon forget. Spieth is the whole package, he is playing exceptionally well of late, and his chances of claiming his first Major are very good.

Rory McIlroy. Given McIlroy’s not played to everyone’s expectations this year and he is not as obvious a choice as some would suggest. He is the number one golfer in the world, hits the ball a country mile, has the green side touch of a surgeon, and is hunger to complete his career grand slam. He has taken three weeks off competitive golf to work on his game. He stated that he wanted to be mentally and physically ready for the gruelling Masters week. Although is play to date is spotty at best, he will be ready at the first tee on Thursday!

Dark Horse

Matt Kuchar. Kuchar is always around because of his great all-round game. Some consider him mister consistency; however I disagree with that statement. I would assess Kuchar as a streaky player. It is now time for him to step up to claim his first Major! Kuchar performance in the past 3 Masters is exceptional. If he gets hot this weekend, I am not sure anyone will be able to stop him. He is a fan favourite and is due for something spectacular to happen.

So there you have it, my top 5 pics and my dark horse. All of these, plus many more, make great candidates to win the green jacket this year. However, there is only one who will rise to the top.

This year, I pick Rory McIlroy. I selected him back in October as the man to beat and I stick to that prediction.

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

The New Normal in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

The new normal in professional golf is here. The younger players have forced their way to the top of the golfing world with no regrets. The fear of competing against players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson is long gone. The only thing left for these aging superstars is a healthy respect from for the path they blazed in helping to create the new normal.

It is all over the news that Tiger Woods is not playing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend. Much to the chagrin of legend Arnold Palmer, Woods admits that his game is not ready for the PGA Tour. Only Woods knows for sure, but something tells me that he is right. Woods’ focus is on the Masters in a couple of weeks and I for one believe that is where his focus should be; I hope he is healthy and ready to compete in the first Major of 2015.

Phil Mickelson has not played well for over a year. He has sparks of greatness, but the consistency is just not there. I am a huge Mickelson fan and I am not sure if his game is in as bad a shape as Woods, but he is definitely not the Mickelson of old. I guess I cannot expect him to play like he is 25, but old thoughts die slow.

Not a year ago, I wrote that the old guard were not ready to relinquish the top spots in golf. I am here to say that times have changed; and changed quickly. The new younger players have come out from the shadows of the aging veterans quicker than expected. Each week, a new player rises to the top of the leaderboard to claim the top prize. Maybe this is what we have to look forward too; a different winner each week.

I will have to say that the last nine holes and the four hole playoff last week at the Valspar Golf Championship was extremely exciting. Just when everyone thought Spieth, Reed or O’Hair was out of contention, they made a fantastic shot to recover. It truly was exciting and hopefully we will see more finishes like that one in the future!

It seems every week, there is a new player popping up on the leaderboard. The return of Dustin Johnson is another example of a great young player standing up to be heard. His play since returning to golf has been outstanding and he is now considered a top contender at all the Majors this year. Is it possible that this trend of resurging players can continue through the entire 2015 professional golf season?

Let’s not forget about Rory McIlroy. With a slow start on the PGA Tour this year, he is too talented not be step-up and slay all comers! With only three weeks left before the Masters, the golfing world will see the real McIlroy return to form. I predict it will not happen this weekend at Bay Hill, but within the next three weeks he will start to peak at the right time for Augusta. As per my predictions at the beginning of the year, Rory McIlroy will win the 2015 Masters!

The new normal has arrived in professional golf. Although a few players will continue to win more than most, the days of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson crushing the field for years is over. We can expect to see many new winners and even greater challenges for professional golfers to stay at the top of the world rankings.

Personally, I’m excited about the recent changes in golf. Although I will always cheer for Phil Mickelson, I cannot help but embrace the new normal in professional golf!

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

The Dark Horse of 2015

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

I could not see the first for the trees!

The strength of field in professional golf continues to grow. Each year a new player appears to separate themselves from the pack in a flash of brilliance. Last year two players seemed to take the golfing world by storm. These players would not have been chosen prior to the start of the season, but at the end of 2014, they we standing beside the world’s best as players to beat.

These two dark horses are now household names, but only time will tell if they will remain in the spotlight. Jimmy Walker and Billy Horschel proved that at any time, anyone can emerge from the forest.

The focus on the world’s best often overshadows players who continuously compete to be crowned champion of a professional golfing tournament. The ability to compete day in and day out with the best golf has to offer is a goal of all golfers. It is not ego, but desire. And for those who follow sports, you will immediately understand the difference!

So this year, while the golfing world focuses on Rory McIlroy, the possible return of Tiger Woods, and the stellar play of players like Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia, one or two players will pop out of the shadows. They will be considered rising stars and will create the media hype normally reserved for the elite players of golf.

As the season slowly unfolds, I thought it would be interesting to predict my dark horses of 2015 and hopefully hear who you would choose as a player to beat. My intent is to write them down and compare our crystal ball gazing later in the season.

My dark horse for 2015 is Graham DeLaet. He is slowly making his way back from injury a few ago and is poised to break through to the top of the golfing world!

I am laying down the gauntlet! Who is your dark horse of 2015?

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