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.

Rory's putting is so bad at the moment it almost looks like he is trying to miss, especially the one on nine.

Paul Azinger is driving me mad.

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

CBS were on the Rory bandwagon to start with also. Quickly switching to Spieth.

Rory needs a Faxon fix, otherwise he's putted himself out of it.

Jordan for eagle, what a shot. So dull.

Pretty much Spith vs Reed now.

Today at 21:46
by beninho
Paul Azinger is driving me mad.

That’s why I’m on Sky

But Sky have Harman and McGinley.

True although fortunately never at the same time

Andrew Cotter is the best golf commentator on either channel

beninho wrote:Andrew Cotter is the best golf commentator on either channel

Yes, he is very good.

Allright Rory, get your finger out. Amen.

Rahm and Fowler not out of it either.

pedro wrote:Rahm and Fowler not out of it either.

I think for anyone other than Reed to be in with a shot, he needs to start making some errors. Even when out of position today he has looked like he would rescue the par.

Yeah I agree with that Cotter is very good, as is Brown. Allis and Zinger even it out

McLaren wrote:

pedro wrote:Rahm and Fowler not out of it either.

I think for anyone other than Reed to be in with a shot, he needs to start making some errors.  Even when out of position today he has looked like he would rescue the par.

He can’t continue his shaky driving without consequences?

Reed is just doing what he needs to do, and doing it well.

Reed can probably win this by parring it in. Spieth would have to hit 63 to tie and no one else is making a significant enough move. Of course someone could do a Schwartzel

Utter s**te from Rory.

I like Rory, and I still stand by him being the best when he is on. But when hes a bit off, he cant serm to put it together.

No faith that rory makes that par

Fowler perhaps?

beninho wrote:No faith that rory makes that par

God or science Rory?

I wonder whether Rorys decision to stick with a pal as his caddie is one he may be ruing now...

Again easy to point at the flat stick today but his approach play has been woeful too. Another horror sunday when in contention at the masters will only add to the pressure when he goes back.

Got to make Spieth favourite now and Fowler looks like he may well have found the mental fortitude to go get this also.

Come on Jordan!!

Rory gone

Rory shot 65 yesterday with the same caddie.....

Yeh Rory definitely out of it....

Im not a fan of Spieth in the sense cant root for him (not sure why to be honest) however the man doesnt half know how to play Sundays at majors (save for the 1 meltdown)

He may well have done...but his caddie has never been in this position on a sunday and when things havent been going right for Rory one has to wonder whether a young lad with no experience at this level as player or coach or caddie is the right man to have on the bag

Can’t see Reed losing shots on 13 or 15.

Really don't believe that rorys performance today is down to his choice of caddie.

Reed keeps bouncing back. Every mistake he has responded. He should win, and ge deseves to.

Re Rorys caddie: JP didn’t do it for him either. Maybe he needs a Steve Williams type.

Wouldn't be surprised if speith holes out on 16

I just think we have to accept that Rory will sometimes be amazing and sometimes not so good. As frustrating as it may be.

Only two players in the top 30 are over par today. I don’t think it’s plausible to blame the caddy for Rory’s wayward driving, approach play and putting.

Born Slippy wrote:Only two players in the top 30 are over par today. I don’t think it’s plausible to blame the caddy for Rory’s wayward driving, approach play and putting.

Rory needs a Roy Hodgson.

beninho wrote:I just think we have to accept that Rory will sometimes be amazing and sometimes not so good. As frustrating as it may be.

I think we’ll see him be very good from time to time on the tour but I think he’s probably won his last major unfortunately.

For sone reason I want to buy a new pink golf shirt.

Rory with another horrible drive...man oh man...his driving looks ready for another 2011 repeat! So so poor...

And regards Caddie...there isnt a chance that choice of caddie isnt important on days like this regardless of whether has been in the position before or not. I think mentally Rory isnt the strongest by a long chalk and thus I think his caddie choice is more important than other mentally stronger players.

Reed getting the luck now

Think we can say Reid has this won - that type of luck is usually reserved for the winner!

Boring old jordan

Omg Spieth, can that man putt....

Wow! Jordan Spieth!!!

Spieth showing why he will dominate the game for years to come. If anyone gets near Tigers let alone Jacks record its this boy!

This can't be far of tge greatest major round of golf ever, even if he doesn't win.

Holds it together through the next 3 I think he wins this. I can see Reed letting shots go over the last few

There is nothing boring about Jordan Spieth today

Azinger called stenson a ball striking jessy. Wtf?

Says a lot that the final pairing are combined +1 so far today....seems like one of those occassions where they havent dragged one another along

owen10ozzy wrote:Says a lot that the final pairing are combined +1 so far today....seems like one of those occassions where they havent dragged one another along

Wouldn’t want to drag Reed anywhere..

Rahmbo out. So close...