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CanadianGuitarist

The Golf Thread

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Late again, but, meh.

 

May 8-11: The PLAYERS Championship, TPC at Sawgrass, Orlando. Phil Mickelson

May 15-18: AT&T Classic, TPC at Sugarloaf, Atlanta. Zach Johnson

May 22-25: Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial, Colonial Country Club, Dallas. Rory Sabbatini

May 29-June 1: the Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio. KJ Choi

 

Interesting leaderboard at the Stadium Course. Kenny Perry is at -6, in first alone. There was a period in 2003 where he looked he was going to be really, really big. Provided he doesn't win this week, he'll probably be best remembered for not hitting the range before the playoff he lost at the 96 PGA. Someday, he'll be an answer on a sports trivia show - he won the 2003 Colonial, when Annika teed it up.

 

At -5 are Paul Goydos, Sergio Garcia, and Bernhard Langer. Last week's winner, Anthony Kim, could prove a lot of writers right if he wins - he's two back.

 

If Garcia wins, can we call him the best without, even with Adam Scott's world ranking? (#3)

 

Also, I really really wish the logo for the Memorial would be corrected, and 'the' would become capitalized.

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There isn't a person alive I love cheering against and am glad to see screw up more than Sergio (except maybe Alexei Yashin, but he's halfway around the world now). I really can't stand the guy.

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Well Goydos was the first player to find the drink on Thursday and was the last one to find it on Sunday. Sergio desperately needed this win after last year's loss to Padraig Harrington at the British Open. If Sergio can get his putter going I'd say that makes him a threat for the U.S. and British Opens this summer.

 

By the way, what is the story with Greg Norman this year? I see that he's been entered in some TOUR events. Did he use the money list/past champions exemption to get his card this year? Just nice to see the Shark teeing it up even though he doesn't have the bite that he used to.

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Norman - He probably got some sponsors' exemptions. He can still draw crowds, even if he has virtually no shot at contending.

 

Sergio - Bah. I really wanted to see Goydos or Quinney win. Did anyone stick around to watch his interview after the trophy presentation? He basically turned it into a giant Taylor Made advertisment. Although, "First, I want to thank Tiger for not being here" was pretty funny.

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Anika is retiring at the end of this year, ready to start a family. She's only 16 wins from tying Kathy Whitworth's all-time record of 88; I thought she'd stick around for that.

 

Still, she probably did as much for women's golf as Tiger did for golf in general; There was a span of about 18 months in which you could watch, in six hours on Sunday, the two most dominant athletes of all time in any sport, at their peak.

 

 

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Speaking of Tiger, sounds like he's going to play the The U.S. Open.

 

So, who's the favourite at Torrey Pines now? Mickelson's got a good record there, but could be to the U.S what Norman was to the Masters - plus he hasn't been stellar the last little bit.

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This one I'm right on. Tiger's skipping the Memorial, but will be back for Torrey Pines.

 

Who's the favourite? Especially keeping in mind Phil has the lead at Colonial, and a decent record at Torrey, including a win over Tiger in 2000. I know that contradicts everything I said two days ago, but there was a period where I really really wanted Greg Norman to win a Green Jacket.

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To answer my own question (and the batting around of it over a period of four-and-a-half days), Tiger still has to be the favourite, but I think we can call Phil 1A.

 

He's now one of 11 players with multiple wins at Colonial. Only Ben Hogan won more than two (an impressive five).

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Agreed in principle, but a two-month layoff, especially with the U.S. Open being his first event back, is a formidable task. Additionally, I'm still not convinced he's not rushing his comeback for a major.

 

Having said that, if anyone can do it, it's Tiger. I maintain my "Tiger #1, Phil #1A" position.

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Honestly, I think Phil's best chances to win the Open are behind him. He should have won at Winged Foot and Shinnecock, and probably should have won at Pinehurst too. I think CG is right on with the Norman comparison.

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Honestly, I think Phil's best chances to win the Open are behind him. He should have won at Winged Foot and Shinnecock, and probably should have won at Pinehurst too. I think CG is right on with the Norman comparison.

 

Yes to Winged Foot (I still haven't forgiven him for that). Maybe to Shinnecock - I was thinking about this other day, but I remembered it more for Retief's clutch putting moreso than Phil's 17th double bogey.

 

I don't remember Pinehurst, with the exception of Payne's putt on 18. So I can't comment entirely fairly, but I don't remember Phil giving it away. On the other hand (to re-iterate the Norman comparison) he didn't give away the 87 Masters or 86 PGA either.

 

Here's a tidbit: In an opposite of Mick following Palmer's even-yeared Masters wins, Phil has run-up the US Open in even-numbered years since 2002.

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Retief's putting was more than clutch that week -- it was otherworldly. No one was making those putts on those greens. It looked as though he'd made a deal with the devil. Actually, that would explain the meltdown at Pinehurst in 2005, wouldn't it?

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Retief's putting was more than clutch that week -- it was otherworldly. No one was making those putts on those greens. It looked as though he'd made a deal with the devil. Actually, that would explain the meltdown at Pinehurst in 2005, wouldn't it?

81 on Sunday? That Sunday morning, I told everyone I know that Retier was the guy to beat. I was very, very wrong.

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Kenny Perry is your winner, his third at the Memorial. Others came in 1991 and 2003. That's a hell of a stat, actually, that much of a stretch between wins at a course.

 

Two things I need to wikipedia having made that comment: Gap between Sam Snead's wins at Greensboro and Peter Jacobson's in Hartford.

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Did you see Jerry Kelly's putt at 17 to get within a stroke? Blew a four footer six feet by the hole. Nice guy, but just a bundle of nerves.

 

He's one guy that I'm confident will never win a major.

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Did you see Jerry Kelly's putt at 17 to get within a stroke? Blew a four footer six feet by the hole. Nice guy, but just a bundle of nerves.

 

He's one guy that I'm confident will never win a major.

No, my 40 minute bus ride took nearly two hours today. Every street in Calgary is having construction done on it.

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