Posts Tagged ‘Tiger Woods’

The PGA is expecting record numbers to come to Augusta for the 2009 Masters Tournament.  This years Masters will run from April 8-12 with many other PGA promotions on April 6-7.  The quest for the green jacket is probably my favorite golf event of the year because I absolutely love Augusta National.  This course seperates the men from the boys and proves that you have to have a set and try to make shots the other golfers will not to succeed.  The course will play shorter, a whopping 10 yards, than last year.

Trevor Immelman, the 2008 Masters Champion will try to defend his championship against a loaded field which includes a pressured Phil Mickelson, and favorite Tiger Woods.  Tiger is the person people will watch television for.  Woods remains the man to beat in any event he plays in.  He is the golfer who will take chances and do things everyone else is afraid of.  Don’t get me wrong, others will take chances, Mickelson does frequently, but the reward usually yields positive results for Tiger.

Golfers MUST take chances on this course and not be intimidated.  The mistake I have seen in the past is the course in a players head before the tournament starts.  As a result, they overthink everything and collapse.  Making putts on these greens is essential.  These are probably the fastest greens in the world and there are so many breaks.  The greats playing in this tournament have an advantage over first-year guys who will have to spend a couple of days learning how to putt again.  To compete, a player must birdie all four par-5 holes, and maybe even sneak a daily eagle in there.  The par 5s at Augusta are not that difficult, it is the par3s and 4s that most win or lose the tournament on.  If a player blows a couple of par3s a day, don’t look for him to make the cut.

The tournament doesn’t really start until the back nine on Sunday.  Holes 11, 12, and 13, aka Amen’s Corner, are usually the holes to succeed on to have a chance to win.  If a player can par 11 and 12 and birdie 13, they have as good a chance as anyone to win.  Rae’s Creek that runs in front of the green on 13 has swallowed many leaderboard balls in the past.

This years field is filled with an array of familiar names and international greats, past champions and future winners.  It would be easy for me to pop out and say Tiger will beat Phil on Sunday to win.  To qualify for play at Augusta, a golfer had to win a PGA Tournament Event.  This field is loaded with multiple winners.  If you want a couple of longshots to keep an eye on, I like Hunter Mahan and Ben Curtis.  Neither has done well at this tournament in the past, but both have improved greatly over the past couple of years.  I also will be watching for Camilo Villegas, Padraig Harrington, and Stewart Cink to do well.

Ultimately, I feel as though Tiger Woods will have a dramatic Sunday.  I figure him to be down about three strokes going into the final round and blow up to win the tournament by 3 strokes.  Let me know what you think.  Who will win?  Who is the dark horse of this years tournament?

Here Is A Look At Some Great Stuff From Sites of Friends:

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Michael Jordan Challenges James Worthy To A One-On-One Game * NESW Sports
Where They Stand For 2009: Milwaukee Brewers * Sharapova’s Thigh
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I will start by saying Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer in the world.  I have spent many warm Sunday evenings watching this guy walk down the final few fairways with the lead in any given tournament.  I sit with my mouth open and wonder how he does it, in a game of consistency and precision, be that consistent and precise.  Whether it is knocking down the long putt, wedging one in from the trap, or just killing the ball on a clutch tee shot.  No one is better, no one was better, he is rewriting the record books.

What confuses me though is how Tiger can remain the number one ranked golfer through such a long period of inactivity.  Has the PGA opinionized their rankings to try to keep ratings?  Love him or hate him, Phil Mickelson has played in almost every tournament Tiger has missed and even won a couple.  He has finished in the money and has had a decent start to this season.  I am no Mickelson mark, although I have watched him choke up leads in the past, but wonder how he hasn’t overtaken the name Tiger Woods atop the rankings.   Because if you think about it, Tiger’s name holds the spot, for now.  Tiger, the golfer hasn’t done anything to distance himself from the field lately.

I’m sure Woods will play well at Augusta in a couple of weeks, he will probably even be favored to win.  Not many bookmakers will have him as the underdog, ever.  Jack Nicklaus still plays once in the while, maybe the PGA can make him number two in the rankings.  He accomplished plenty in the past.

My point is simply that inactivity creates demise.  I am not sure what criteria makes one the best, but I am sure that not competeing is not weighed in.  Maybe golf is going to use a BCS formula, quality points + endorsements divided by green jackets.

I am a  Tiger Woods fan and hope that he earns that spot over the next couple of months.  Until then, his name is the best golfer in the world.