PGA Tour: The Masters: Will a European Win for Once?: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Well, the Aussie DID rule and this sudden burst of relevance from the land Down Under is getting rather tiresome. Or at least, the US Media pointing out, quite accurately of course, that the Tour scoreboard this season so far reads:
US: 17
Australia: 4
Rest of the World: 0
And it's not much different in Augusta, this century at any rate:
US: 8
Europe: 0
Rest of the World: 6
 
2).This year, the Masters runners and riders look like this:
US: 44
Europe: 29
Rest of the World: 24
The Rest of the World have plenty of quality to make up for the lack of quantity, whereas the Europeans, like the Americans, have more than their fair share of dead wood and dead beats. Let's look at the Europeans and see if they can finally win a Green Jacket or whether the conspiracy that began when Germany, Spain and GB dominated - introducing rough for a start, lengthening the course for a second - can finally be put to rest.
 
3).England:
Fitzpatrick and Porteous are living a dream just being there.
Luke Donald has to be at his very best, a la Zach Johnson, to win here, and Zach Johnson outlukes Luke these days.
Poulter's ADD won't allow him to make the cut in a regular stroke-play event. If he gets in contention, he'll wobble like one of Thatcher's wets.
Lynn has lost whatever it is he had for a brilliant 15-month spell: No chance.
Rose may have had a bad shoulder but his putter looked even sicker in Tampa and Bay Hill. Perhaps a rest has done it good, but can't see it. Ain't gonna happen, not this year anyway.
Westwood has lost it: All the facets of his game that are traditionally strong have been average at best. All his usual weaknesses are still weak. Great recent record at Augusta, four Top 11's in his last four trips, but can't see better than 11th this time around.
 
4).Wales, Scotland and Ireland:
Woosie and Lyle are just having a larf; must be odds on both will miss the cut, tho' Lyle has played well in recent fits and some starts.
Donaldson has played really well this year, became only the 5th man to register a hole-in-one at Augusta's 6th hole last year, and it would be no surprise to see a Top Ten finish. Can't see him in the final shake-up though.
Gallacher: First-timer, but manages his game well enough to make the cut - a Top 20 finish would be a terrific result.
Harrington: Didn't qualify due to cramp in his finger. (True)
 
5).France, Germany, Holland:
Dubuisson and Luiten: Two "rookies" who could make a splash in the early rounds, but not on the weekend.
Kaymer: Oh Martin! You changed your swing to better suit Augusta and now it doesn't work anywhere.
Langer: What a story that was last year when he contended during the early rounds before fading on Sunday. Bernhard may well win a Major this year - but only on the Senior Circuit.
 
6).Northern Ireland, Sweden, Denmark:
Clarke wasn't fit enough to contend here when he was one of the World's best. Ceremonial appearance.
McDowell: Six appearances and four missed cuts. I'd think a Top Ten would be a very good result.
McIlroy: Could win by a dozen, or just file another middle-of-the-pack finish. Don't see much in between.
Blixt: Only played 2 Majors, 26th at Muirfield, 4th at Oak Hill. 1st at Augusta? Don't see it, but his brilliant short game could have him contending here one day.
Hanson: Injured much of last year but I've a hunch he's a live outsider. Too good a golfer to be down too much longer.
Stenson: Not a great record here, but 7 x Top Tens in the other Majors these past 6 years. Time to step up from Match Play Champion, Players Champion and FedEx Champion? I'd say he has a very good chance, and we know he's not scared to win.
Olesen: In terrible form but still only 24. 6th on his Masters debut last year, but can't win playing the way he is now.
Bjorn: Plenty of Major heartbreak for Thomas, but never played well here. Top 20 would be a good result.
 
7).Spain, Italy:
Olazabal: There was a time when his short game could bail him out here, but no longer. Sadly.
Gonzo: Seems out of sorts. Has the ability but not the form. 20th last year, and not likely to improve.
Miguel-Angel: Played so well at Doral until the 72nd hole - 5 x Top 12's here and don't rule out a 6th.
Garcia: Great each-way chance but don't see him winning. Putting like he's 19 but he's destined to be a very, very good nearly man, at Augusta at least.
Fran Molinari: Not a great record in the States. Would love to see him in the mix but no form to suggest it will be this year.
Matteo: Augusta may be too long for him right now and he's not putting his best. Top 30?
 
8).So that's how it looks after a couple of bottles of Malbec. My top three Europeans are probably everyone else's top three: Stenson and Garcia with a hope that the stars might align for McIlroy to redeem himself for past disappointment. Best outsiders Peter Hanson and Jamie Donaldson.
 
9).Who else do I like? Mickelson of course! Dufner and Kuchar of the other Americans with Billy Horschel a live outsider.
Always fancy this crop of South Africans to pull out a Masters win - Immelman, Oosthuizen and Schwartzel could all play well this week; sad that Els probably feels the Green Jacket has slipped away.
And then there's El Pato. 6 top tens here and who'd bet against another one?
 
10).But let's go for a European win. Stenson!
 
10a).And let's hope JAS completes his London Marathon in good enough shape to enjoy the coverage!

On the subject of Bubba and untutored swings, it reminded me of this video. Anyone seen this before? Classic and a pretty good trick shot at the end too...

Spoiler:

Seems Garcia has also been beaten by Knox.  Sadly Garcia refused to shake his hand and who knows if he paid up for loosing the side bet they had on?

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/apr/14/the-masters-jeff-knox

Does anyone actually like Sergio these days?

It seems only negative stories surround him.  But then again, we are willing to forgive homophobia if the player has a vaguely different looking swing....  :headscratch: 

I like Sergio.
Next.

But I don't understand why The Masters feels the need to send a marker out with every singleton. Doesn't the PGA Tour offer an option? Perhaps Knox is the d1ckhead??

Why don't they just make a three ball in those situations? Not like anyone that far back is going to challenge, and professional golf is so glacial in it's pace that it wouldn't slow it down.

I like Sergio as well. Favourite golfer. Mac - what do you make Tiger's old comments re putting 'like a spaz'?? He apologised right enough. Just like Sergio did for his comments.

How long were the players taking with second guessing the swirling winds?? Ridiculous. Takes about 5 minutes from player A hitting their shot to player B hitting theirs. They dont even seem to start analysising the situation until the other boy hits...

I am also in the Like Sergio camp. He seems ok to me. no GFC though, in fact most spaniards "seem" ok. The playing with a marker thing seems a bit pointless, why dont they just bring all the times forward and send the last group of on a 3 ball, or the first group off as a 3, and leave a bigger gap to the next 2.

Surprised by Sergio's antics? Good Lord, no.

World class tool.

Yeah, it was someone else's fault he didn't shake hands, threw his shoes, spit in the hole ...

I like Sergio, followed him a few times at the Open and he was great to watch. And what a ball striker!

Lairdy

Pretty insensitive thing for tiger to say, I hope it doesn't mean he has a discriminating attitude towards the disabled.

Spaz in America is used all the time, even heard it in a few feature films. It usually connotes a lack of coordination as oppose to spasticity as it does in the UK. I believe Mr Woods has apologised and given himself the appropriate number of lashes.

Those lashes probably provided by a blonde porn star...

Masters trivia quiz;
What did the following golfers have in common at The Masters last week?
Senden
Jimenez
Walker
Blixt
Gallacher
Kirk
McIlroy
Stadler?

They all made the cut, but what else did they "achieve"?
No clues!
Answer in this week's thread.

If you add all their weights together do they still not weigh as much as Stadler?

Close.

super_realist wrote:If you add all their weights together do they still not weigh as much as Stadler?

Fool.  Stadler is in the group so the answer is clearly: If you add all their weights together they still don't weigh as much as twice Stadler on his own.  What have I won?

Alternatively, was it being level for the par5s?

Stadler gives me great hope