PGA Tour: The Masters, Past (it), Present and Wannabe: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).But first: Ian James Poulter, you beauty.
Can't believe I wrote that, but one helluva story, like him or loathe him, what a ten days for IJP. Sure he does some stupid things, sure he behaves like an ass sometimes, but what a moment in the spotlight for him last Sunday, a spotlight that he'd pretty much turned on himself. Very happy to know there'll be at least one Ferrari on Magnolia Drive.

2).Right, where was I? That's right, bottle of plonk, a list of runners and off we go. Only 87 will come under starter's orders on Thursday, about a dozen fewer than usual, so approximately 60% will make the cut. And, of those, you can take about 20 and know only a handful have an earthly of playing the weekend.
So let's eliminate these Past Champions from the list of possible winners - Picture of some of them here:
https://www.masters.com/en_US/index.html

Nah, some of them might win, but these won't:
Cabrera, Couples, Immelman, Zach, Langer, Lyle, Mize, O'Meara, Olazabal, Schwartzel, Scott, Singh, Weir, Willett, Woods, Woosie. Apart from the ceremonial attendees, none of Zach, Charl, Adam, Willett or Woods are playing well enough to win - got to get rid of them some time. (16)

3).Amateurs: Outahere!
Harry Ellis, Ghim, Lin, Niemann, Parzialle, Redman. No amateur has reached the top ten since the 1960's - that won't change. (6)

4).Rookies haven't won since Fuzzy Zoeller last ate collard greens. This lot won't either:
Cook, Bryan, Sharma, Miyazato, Kizzire, Frittelli, Kodaira, Li, Finau, Schauffele. Schauffele probably the wild card among them. (10)

5).Outside the owgr Top Fifty:
Walker, Kaymer, Horschel, Potter, Ryan Moore, DeChambeau, Wiesberger, Ikeda, Vegas, Henley, SiWoo Kim. Though Ryan Moore punches above his (growing) weight at Augusta and Henley is a putting genius. (11)

6).Some players are inside the owgr Top 50, but are not playing as well as they were last year - when they didn't win, so why should they this year?
Dufner, Pieters, Chappell, Fitzpatrick, Berger, Fisher, Grace, Oosthuizen, Hoffman, Molinari, Rafa C-B, Perez. These are ranked between 21st & 50th - Hate to lose Chappell on that list, and King Louis could win anywhere, anytime. And no-one would be surprised to see Hoffman play well. (12)

7).Only 32 left, and time to say farewell to Asia, South America, Australia, golfers born in England. Cheerio chaps:
Cam Smith, Aphibarnrat, Poults, Hatton, Leishman, Fleetwood, Casey, Day, Matsuyama. Could make a case, each way at least, for most of them - be really interested how Fleetwood goes; playing with Tiger will inspire or intimidate. (9)

8).Right-handers who haven't won a Major:
Reavie, Stanley, Hadwin, Steele, Cantlay, Woodland, Kisner, Reed, Kuchar, Noren, Stenson, Fowler, Rahm. I like Hadwin as much as any of them, and Kuchar has a great record at Augusta with four Top 8's in the last six years and is the leading career money-winner on Tour without a Major among the under 50's. Either he's due or he's overdue and his train has long gone. (13)

9).Ten lives left.
Webb Simpson has somehow survived so far but he's not going to win. And I can't believe that lightning will strike Bubba again. Dustin plays well here when he doesn't withdraw in mysterious circumstances but he's not last year's model - not yet anyway. Whilst Spieth is not putting like Spieth. And Sergio will have too many distractions, not to mention digesting his arroz caldoso de bogavante. (5)

10).And that leaves Brian Harman (my outsider du jour), a Georgia boy and a superb putter, Phil, Rory and the Justins, Rose and Thomas. I can't easily dismiss any of the five of them, but I'm still not convinced that Justin Thomas's game fits well here and something tells me Rory might want it all a bit too much (hope not though!).
Hopefully it'll be Justin Rose's time, he has a wonderful record of consistency in US Majors, finished 2nd, 10th, 2nd the last three years and seems to have been building towards a second Major. Perhaps from Phil, while I also/always like Louis Oosthuizen at Augusta.  

Can't remember a recent Masters when so many players seemed to have a realistic chance - hope the coverage will be as good as the golf promises to be.

beninho wrote:I see lots of hatred towards Reed not juust on this site, yet I am struggling to see anything wrong with him. A bit brash maybe, but nothing that bad.

I heard that Reed once signed a golf ball at 13 years old, gave it away to someone and told them to keep it safe because one day he'll be a famous professional golfer. Confident, but an arrogant arse.

beninho wrote:Reed really has been impressive, and he isn't actually fat.

Read people saying rory getting luck, I've not noticed any of that!

Yes he is, most definitely.

I'm never wrong wrote:I hope Suoer is cheering on Top 5. If only because he wears his lucky red shirt on Sundays

Ah Ha!
Not so fast:

https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/masters-2018-leader-patrick-reed-not-allowed-to-wear-traditional-red-during-final-round-sunday/

Assuming Woods did not comply with this strangely bizarre directive . . . . . any one know for sure?

Webb Simpson has just gone eagle, eagle!

super_realist wrote:Only because a friend of mine stands to win 2k if Fatprick wins.

A far better reason.

So who wins it and what score.

I think Reed gets the job done at -16

Woods is wearing a red shirt with a black sleeveless sweater.

Rory to win at -14....

I'm never wrong wrote:Woods is wearing a red shirt with a black sleeveless sweater.

What is Nike's reasoning for not allowing their players to wear red on a sunday?

Five out of seven completed rounds have been under par.

I like Rory at -16.


super,
Read the CBS link I posted earlier. Rules don't apply to your buddy Tont of course.

Read it Kwini, just couldn't see a justification for it.

What was Bubba thinking? Putting into a bunker?

Okay, who was the more nervous over that tee shot!

Unforgivable from Rory, having just seen Fatprick give him self a nightmare shot he HAD to hit the fairway.

That was one shaky start from Reed

Come on Spieth!!!

Game over

That’s a hell of a shot in on 2 after Reed stuffed it in the bunker

Shaky putt from Rory

Two shots gained over the first two holes for Rory, I'd say he would have been happy with that before he started....

sirbenson wrote:Shaky putt from Rory

7 ft downhill is always a 50/50

super_realist wrote:Read it Kwini, just couldn't see a justification for it.

Pink is also red..

For me the 3rd is the worst hole on the course, very mickey mouse for such a prestigious course.

Pinkie Pie 3 up again...

Casey also looking pretty in pink, Nike uniform.
But also -8 for the day. Four holes to play.

Rahm's beard is bizarre.

A little dig at how Reed marks his ball from the Sky commentary...don't often hear anything like that. Interesting.

I've switched to BBC DIggers. What did they say?

Some round from Casey

How much would Reed or Rory pay for that SirB?

That’s twice the leaderboard has been ahead of the coverage. Stenson’s birdie on the first and Rose’s double on 9. I expect better

Casey needs birdie + a par or better for a 62

Fowler doing his standard final round flop.

Wouldn’t call Rory a clutch putter so far.

kwinigolfer wrote:Casey also looking pretty in pink, Nike uniform.
But also -8 for the day. Four holes to play.

Can’t imagine how this will not backfire for Nike.

Watch out Jordan Spieth,.............

Come on Spieth!!!

Please not Boredan Spieth.

Diggers wrote:A little dig at how Reed marks his ball from the Sky commentary...don't often hear anything like that. Interesting.

Can you elaborate?

Rory not swinging it well, looks really quick and off balance for him.. needs to calm that down..

GPB wrote:

Diggers wrote:A little dig at how Reed marks his ball from the Sky commentary...don't often hear anything like that. Interesting.

Can you elaborate?

Sure, basically said that he really likes to get his coin under the ball on the green, Harmon said that's how it's meant to be and that's how it should go back, commentator said that's my point...implying it didn't. All very subtle but to me a definite suggestion he liked to steal a cm or 2.
Funnily enough, my wife asked me a minute earlier if players ever did that. I'm also not suggesting Reed does, just stating it was an uncharacteristic comment.

McIlroy’s just about played himself out of this. Failing to make the eagle putt on the 2nd was crucial (just put a lift into a nervous looking Reid) and his driving has been all over the place since. I think it’s probably between Reid, Spieth and Rahm now.

Nice humour from Spieth, a bit of self deprecation is always welcome.

Pinkie Pie’s driving hasn’t impressed either. A couple of bogies from him and it’s wide open.

I can’t say I noticed the Reed marking comment but Sky are definitely rooting for Rory

Reckon Spieth will set -13 as a target.

Do it Jordan!!

Rory is putting like a spaz

Reed wins this still.

Spieth is being boring as usual.

Mcilroy not quite on it.

pedro wrote:Pinkie Pie’s driving hasn’t impressed either. A couple of bogies from him and it’s wide open.

Oh yeah - I think Reid could potentially collapse but it won’t be Rory who catches him. I’d be surprised if Rory finishes better than -8.