Who Will Master The 2013 Masters?

Its been a long time since we have posted a blog entry but what better time to get back in the mix then during masters week? The 2013 year has been full of parody with the emerging young guns shooting some incredibly low numbers while the tournament tough veterans are making it known their aren’t going anywhere down the stretch. The Masters is a a completely different story, the pressure is HUGE and the world is watching every golfers misstep.

We usually see some random guy make a run day one or two along with the perennial forerunners and fans favorites like Freddy Boom Boom, KJ Choi and some European guy that wants to stake his claim. Will this year be different? Will we witness an epic melt down a la Adam Scott at the British or a Greg Norman heart breaker? Last year was full of epic shots with Bo’s hole in one, a double eagle by Louis and Bubba defying all odds to take home the green jacket.

Our team of experts here at Golfmoolah have gathered around the round table to discuss our possible outcomes for the 2013 masters and this is what we walked out with in the wee hours of the morn: You heard it here first !!

Obviously, Tiger is the sure bet as he is running on all cylinders and has his game face on…the following list excludes Tiger as we know everyone on the planets expects him to win or be right there come Sunday.

Evil Eye Keegan – This dude is primed for the big stage and has an “eye” for the winners circle…thrives under pressure and is playing extremely well.

Westy – He is always right there and has some inner peace these days so maybe he will break through with his first…..lets go Westy

DJ – The guy dates models, crushes the ball and is ready for the green jacket so he can accompany the fellow in the most interesting man in the world commercial

Poults – Anyone who has a stable of Ferraris, dresses like a clown and has a wicked stick has a chance to win the Masters…his odds are supreme so give him a shot

A. Scott – He has the game, he has the look, he has the caddy and now all he needs to do is eliminate the demons and he can win this thing

Rory – this is a middle of the road pick as one never knows which Rory will show up…..I still can’t get that image of his spraying into the cabins with a deflated look of embarrassment on his face.

Phil – The guy is PIMP, he dresses like a champ and Augusta is one of the only places that gets him excited these days after winning it all and having a PHAT wallet

US OPEN – RUNNER UP OR RUN AWAY ?

The US OPEN has countless memories and a history that would rival that of our founding fathers!! Commencing on Fathers Day weekend  it has a special place in the hearts of families across the country with eyes glued to the TV in anticipation of what might happen Sunday afternoon. Is it our greatest major? The debate rages on with competition from the Masters but one things for sure, there will be drama and an intriguing story that you wouldn’t believe real life could produce. (cue Casey Martin)

Since 1860 Olympic Club has been giving golfers fits with its narrow fairways and equally tough par 3’s. Watson & Whiting must have had some demonic tendencies to create such a behemoth of a course. Each green is well guarded with an abundance of bunkers if you are luck enough to get past the tree lined fairways even after eliminating m ore then 600 of then in renovations.

Will this year be the charm for Phil? He has 5 runner-ups (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009) which are the most in history of the US OPEN. Will we have a run away winner like Rory pulled last year? We here at Golfmoolah believe it will be a tight race with a lot of chalk at the top come Sunday afternoon…. possible playoff as guys will come back to the field rather then pull away.

-6 will win you the trophy, the Par 3 third hole at 247 yards & par 5 hole at 498 yards we feel will be a difference maker to set the tone of each round…..train wrecks will be common place here so keep your eyes peeled.

Below are our picks to hoist it high !!

Lee Westwood - This guy has been on fire and is due to break through in a major… he has gone back to the fade which is when he has been the most successful

Phil – With 5 runner ups, you would be crazy to think he didn’t have a chance this time around.. not to mention he plays his best when paired with Tiger…last time putting up a 64 at pebble on woods

Tiger – Rounding back into form, he is poised and angry which equals wins is his book.. if he can get past the first two days within 5 shots of the lead watch out cause he will blow past the leaders on Sunday as it would only be storybook in his saga

Dufner – his game fits the course nicely with a lot of fades on the first 7 holes not to mention his unflappable emotions down the stretch

Luke Donald – Playing well, number one in the world, hits a strait ball and has been in contention all year long

Stricker – With a short game that every tour player goes to for help, he will be a beast around the greens which is what Olympic demands

We would encourage anyone to comment on who they think will win & why…winner could get a gift in the mail !! Down the road people

1946 and Still Going

The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is the longest running PGA event on it’s original course which has to say something…right? So who will be on the Wall of Champions this year and carry with them the Hogan spirit for the rest of the season?

Why don’t we just get right down to it and tell you our thoughts !!

• Geoff Ogilvy – This Aussie is primed for a great tourney and traditionally does well on this track where grinding and getting up and down is key
• Chad Campbell – Local boy with deep roots in the heart of Texas should allow for him to carry on his good play at Memorial
• Hunter Mahan – Also a local of this track, he has been MIA the last two tourneys but should show up to put on a show for his family and friends.
• Zach Johnson – This guy is on fire and is primed for a break through win….a handful of top 5’s and solid play lead us to believe he is smart money

Long Shot is William McGirt…just a solid dude so why not him? Go low fellas and remember rubbing is racing !!

DTR

The Duff 0-163 & Now 2-0

Dufner embodies the every day male golfer around the country…..not robotic or so intense at least from outward appearances that he seems likable or approachable. After more starts then i can count coming up short persistence has paid off this year chalking up two victories in a very short time span. Is it that he is unflappable under pressure, has a demeanor of not caring thus just doing his best and letting the chips fall where they may or maybe he is channeling his inner assassin going by the silent is deadly mantra !! Whatever it may be, it has certainly been paying dividends for The Duff with a lot of golf left in the season.

With that said, the media is obviously going to do there thing and go crazy for Dufner as the favorite to win every tournament and have already started the US OPEN chatter. Currently he is listed as a 50-1 shot in Vegas which the media is screaming bargain but maybe those particular media individuals have not been to the city of lights…with that experience one knows the odds are set for a reason and are usually dead on. Point being i would never bet against Vegas vs. a PGA golfer!!

This year is a contrarian of sorts with the winners coming in all shapes and sizes and having games that range from top to bottom. Who knows who will win from week to week but one thing is for sure there are a handful of guys that are playing well each week and can never be counted out. Will this year have a four time winner? A double Major winner? An epic melt down or just carry on ever keel?

One thing we see lurking in the weeds is how impressive Phil is playing from round to round…..not much chatter about him always being a couple shots back come Sunday, but we are writing it down and watching for him to charge the US OPEN with a blazing four rounds in record fashion. If he can eliminate that one average round which usually takes place Friday he would be hoisting the trophy many more times. Keep an eye on Philly people…..like a hawk.

Lord John Byron Nelson JR.

“Putting affects the nerves more than anything. I would actually get nauseated over three-footers.”

Golfmoolah is all over Jeff Overton and D.A. Points in this years Byron Nelson Championship !! Usually we don’t just come out and say it, but sometimes you have to just go with your gut and see what happens !! Once again we are at a TPC venue and letting it fly in the big state of Texas !! With the course record standing at 61 by a handful of guys including Cameron Beckman in 2010 i think we might have someone challenge that this year…guys are going low and doing it more often.

In 2011 number 15 was the most difficult hole by far with 0 eagles, 16 birdies, 259 pars, 167 bogeys, 21 double bogeys and four train wrecks !! With that said the easiest hole is number 7 which is a shorter par 5 the players have really eaten up in the past years. It gave up 14 eagles and 218 birdies allowing the players to count on that hole throughout the week. You will need to be a good ball striker as the Four Seasons course ranks 5th out of 51 in difficulty on the PGA Tour…..fairways and greens boys !!

Lord Byron will be watching and hopefully a good show at that !! If the previous handful of tournaments is any indication the field is wide open and the winner can come from the last hour on Sunday…hold on to your texas sized hat and watch out picks roll on through to the bank !!

Down the Road

Don’t Be A Playa Hater @ The Players Championship

If you’re a true PLAYA then you won’t have any problems with The Players Championship and the dreaded 17th that separates the men from the girlie-men. This year it has become increasingly difficult to pick a winner with the immense amount of talent on the tour…last week we nailed it but what about this week. If you look at the list of past winners it ranges all over the map from the big guns, to no names to everyone in between. Will there be a great story to emerge from the pack…possibly Ernie winning to secure a Masters bid next year and close out what he has been so close to doing in several tournaments all year. Maybe it will be someone who is always close but has never been able to close the door on the win like Dufner & Fowler already did this year…….Bud perhaps. Or, could the run of the “OH BOYS” be complete with a Ben Crane win this week? Karma seems to be on their side with an avalanche of wins coming from the other guys and Ben’s solid play this year.

Stats show that the winner will need a lot of starts under his belt and have a great GIR average to come away with the win at the TPC…..does this carry any weight? We like a combination of familiarity, solid play this year & the ability to be cool under fire.

Golfmoolah’s TPC Players Championship picks:

Ernie Els

Ben Crane

Bud Cauley

Rory Mc

Luke Donald

Wells Fargo @ Quail- Who To Follow Club

The Wells Fargo Championship will be blazing into town at Quail Hallow this week and traditionally boasts one  of the most difficult par 72’s on the PGA TOUR. With the exciting green mile of 16, 17 & 18 giving the players the opportunity to really display their talents for the gallery who will be front and center hoping for an exciting tournament.

It seems to be one of the favorite stops for most players and conjures up a lot of good memories of recent winners who grace the tops in the game: Rory, Tiger, Phil, Bubba, Hunter and the list goes on. The speculation is how does this course set up for the wild tee shots as the fairways are tough to hit with trouble lurking around each corner. Luckily, the rain this week might minimize some of the errant shots but the winner will need at least 14 fairways hit and 12 GIR.

With that said, this is who GOLFMOOLAH likes to win:

• Rory
• Rickie (go time) Fowler
• Some guy named Tiger
• Stricker
• Phil
• Cameron Tringale

SLEEPER – Vijay

It should be a star studded field this year…..if the trend is right and who wants to fight the trend? One of the Tweeters will win.

Down The Road

Masters Eve

Santa Claus beware – Masters Eve is closing in on your turf !! This week is seriously the real holidays for adults…..what person wouldn’t want a Masters hat or some sort or paraphernalia from the hallowed grounds? Nobody i want to know…that’s for damn sure !!

Today marks the start of the par three tourney which as we all know comes with much superstition and voodoo to the winner. Maybe we should be turning the odds on who will break through with a win in the par three and the main tourney…it will happen eventually just not sure when or who will give it a real shot without tanking the last couple holes to avoid the jinx. I say make the par three worth a butt load of money and then you will see guys making a real run at winning both events.

OK, this is a follow up entry to last weeks predictions as many things have changed, players have dropped out, pairings have been published etc. Not much has changed at the top of our picks…the chalk we truly believe will just run away with it this year…no first timer or out of the blue player doing a one and done job.

We want to know if you can pick who will come in 7th place? Try that on for size why don’t ya? Send us an email balls@golfmoolah.com with your pick and if you are correct you will receive a splendid prize at your doorstep !! Don’t all jump at once

Tiger wins

Phil comes in 4th

7th place goes to stricker

Down the road people

Green Jacket Off The Rack or One In pursuit Of Jack?

Golfmoolah can’t believe it’s that time again? The Masters seems to creep up on you each season even with their commercials running during the NFL season. We will be doing two entries for the Masters this year: One with our predictions and Two a follow up saying “i told you so”, haha

In all seriousness, this Masters has the making of becoming the most interesting and most viewed in history with all the stories that surround it. The obvious story: Tiger coming off a win at Bay Hill with a steam train full of momentum right down magnolia lane to his favorite place on tour. What about Rory? does he still have visions of a complete melt down spraying shots into every hazard on the course? Phil….does he have the mojo to grab another major despite his up and down play in the last 8 months? Will a relative nobody come out of the grass to grab the green jacket from the chalk on the Vegas sports books?

Preparation comes in many different forms for Augusta…each player has their own version of what works best for them and will ultimately give them the best chance down the stretch as all anyone wants is to be in the hunt on the back nine sunday afternoon with a gallery transfixed on their every move. So, will Dustin Johnson’s two week stint away from competition help his knee and mentally prepare him for a run? Maybe Phil and Keegan playing together last week is the answer …wait…what about whispers of Tiger going out last sunday to bang out a round pre- Bay Hill..thats gotta do something for the good feelings of past greatness…right? However you prepare, however you deem ” I’m ready”, However you process the fact that you are about to tee off in the greatest golf tournament know world wide…one things for sure; You better get ready for the crowd cause one mishap, one tip of the ca at the wrong moment or one glorious shot could be the difference between wearing a custom fit green embroidered jacket and going back to your rack suite until next year.

GOLFMOOLAHS 2012 MASTERS PREDICTIONS:

TIGER - the guy is on some roll in the last couple of weeks and coming of a solid final round of putting he looks primed to absolutely crush the field in an embarrassing fashion…just CRUSH them.

RORY – We have no idea what his mental capacity is for Augusta…he seems to be stripping them all over the world but will the ghosts of the past rear their ugly heads…we think so, he will play great all weekend but there will be that one hole that shakes his confidence like a 7.5 earthquake squashing his hopes of a win

DUSTIN JOHNSON – He is the X factor in this…we think he could be great but he could also be one of those guys that just never breaks through. We think he will make a good run at it this year and smart money is with him…Go Low and play Slow DJ !!

BUBBA WATSON – Love his game, his attitude and his flair for the treasured game of golf…but his distance could get him in trouble here .

FREDDY – Couples is just a solid dude and player when it comes to the Masters….we don’t care what his state of game is we like him and will be with him all the way through.

LUKE DONALD – Not a chance in hell he sniffs this jacket…NO WAY NO HOW

STRICKER – He is our sleeper cause the guy can putt on concrete and get it close if it was downhill on Laguna Secca…..watch him to be there.

ONE EUROPEAN PLAYER – One of these guys always makes a stab at it but can’t seem to deal with the pressure….we think this trend continues, Westwood, Clarke, Rory etc

CRAZY WHACKY CANT BELIEVE IT HAPPENED – Hunter Mahan is the recipient of this time honored tradition….when you scratch your head and say WTF was that guy thinking

TIGER WINS BY A LOT, SOMETHING CRAZY WILL GO DOWN, RECORD NUMBER PUT UP & IT WILL BE HOT AS HELL

The list of odds will change after the Shell Houston Open but these are the current odds to win the 2012 Masters which we will update come next week.

Twitter or Pinterest for Athletes?

Social media has obviously brought the professional athlete and the fan closer together then ever before. Do you think Jack or Arnie would have imagined shooting chats back and forth with some random that is following their career from half a world away? Today, Athletes and more specifically the pro golfers have embraced what twitter can do for their fan base and endorsements having the ability to go directly to the fan bypassing the retail store.

Pinterest in the new kid on the block and while it is most appealing to the female demographic it’s starting to gain steam in users and Athletes who want to create a brand around their career. Forecasts have Pinterest ready to explode in popularity so the question begs who has the upper hand with the golfers today and moving forward?

After polling 10 well know athletes its clear that twitter is the overwhelming favorite but Pinterest is starting to creep around the corner coming into the eyesight of some. So, get your fingers warmed up, hit the socila sites and start hammering your favorite golfer with questions, thoughts, concerns or opinions cause you might just get a reply !!

Next entry will entail our Masters predictions