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.

So Spieth very unlikely now to birdie 18. Reid can par it in.

Man...that putting really is awful under pressure. The difference in whole motion has been really obvious today...is it pressure? When he burst on the scene he just seemed to be very natural in his action...its become very robotic and mechanical over last few years.

Spieth has driven the ball incredibly until the last

Spieth really is a whiner isnt he?

I actually like Rahm, seems like a stone cold nutter. But he's an atletic fan and I've liked them since I went there in the late 90's

Oddly despite all the great play up until this point the tournament might be getting handed to Reed.

Sensational round Jordan!

Not handed to reed at all, if he wins this he has deserved it. Hes been the best player thisvweek.

This week Reed has been top 5 material.

Just saw the graphic that 8 out of last 11 major winners were first time winners. Tells you how hard it is to win them nowadays.

beninho wrote:Not handed to reed at all, if he wins this he has deserved it. Hes been the best player thisvweek.

That is clearly always true about the winner but wouldn't you prefer to see him tested until the last putt.

I'm no expert on golf swings, but that Rahm swing and Finau are only 3 quarter length, how do they do that?

Great play from Reed today, gutsy when he needed to be

He has been tested, he has just passed each test. How iften has he followed a drop shot with a birdie.

Reeds driving has been shaky today but he has still strung together a decent round

Where's Danny Willett when you need him?

Great job from Rickie Fowler this week!

See, isn't it a little more fun when he has to par the last?

Good performance for rickie. Great round today.

The last will be the most pressure reed will be under all day.

Great drive fron Reed on the last

I wonder if they’ve got enough fabric for the green jacket?

I was just checking what criteria ruled Reed out and it was 8) Right handers without a major. (So was Stenson!)

Deserved win.

I really hope Nike also decided Ms Reeds outfit. Otherwise we have a serious issue.

McLaren wrote:I was just checking what criteria ruled Reed out and it was 8) Right handers without a major.  (So was Stenson!)

Mac,
I wouldn't have picked Reed even after three bottles of wine.
Good for him, played the best over 72 holes, no problems with that.
V.disappointing from Rory, probably missed four putts inside 5 feet, didn't make more than 40 ft of putts all day, possibly far less.

McLaren wrote:I was just checking what criteria ruled Reed out and it was 8) Right handers without a major.  (So was Stenson!)

Stenson is lefthanded but plays righthanded. (And has a major.)

The American youngin grand slam now complete. (koepka, Spieth, JT, Fatprick)

Just think could have all vern different had rory made that early eagle. Another first time winner in the majors.

Great win for the European Tour... Pinkie Pie for the R2D crown?

Great tournament! Got to hand it to Reed, clutch putting all week really

Congrats Patrick Reed, the boy fancies himself as a top 5 player in the world and he showed real iron will to get it done on this day. Our Rory and Augusta just not at one...one day Wee Mac...

Congrats to Reed....thoroughly deserved..passed every gut check through his round. Made mistakes but came back swinging every single time.

Fantastic tournament where at least 6 players were pushing/in the mix at various points of the day.

With the win Reed at least justifies his own hype and could we see him step it up and collect another before the years out?

Spieth deserves huge praise for his final round...simply sensational and he can move forward knowing he will pick up another 1 or 2 Green Jackets in the future...the guy simply loves the place.

Rickie Fowler is the unfortunate bridesmaid this time around but given his past implosions in previous major weekends he can take a huge amount from his Sunday exploits...may just be the round that sets him on the road to a major.

Rory will get alot of criticism from fans and pundits alike...and im sure he will be dwelling on this one for quite some time...can he recover from this and win another major (im not sure he will get another)...but one things for sure..he has bounced back before ...2011 anyone...and certainly may do again.

One thing is for sure...that Reed/Rory/Spieth/Rahm/Fowler rivalry is doing great things for the game and we will get plenty more majors which are fought between these lot.

owen10ozzy wrote:
One thing is for sure...that Reed/Rory/Spieth/Rahm/Fowler rivalry is doing great things for the game and we will get plenty more majors which are fought between these lot.

How soon do we forget the guy who has won 7 times in the last 18 months including the 2017 PGA,

Well done Patrick!
You beat a quality leaderboard.

GPB wrote:

owen10ozzy wrote:
One thing is for sure...that Reed/Rory/Spieth/Rahm/Fowler rivalry is doing great things for the game and we will get plenty more majors which are fought between these lot.

How soon do we forget the guy who has won 7 times in the last 18 months including the 2017 PGA,

Inbee Park?

Hope you get a drink or two from your mate Super.

I knew I was missing someone....its been a long day, my brain couldnt think of the last guy..Justin Thomas of course deserves and will be amongst those names

Not a golfer I particularly like to follow but you have to give credit where it is due. Reed deserved his win.

Best performance of the week. Woods. Love it when all the pre tournament hype proves to be hot air.

Well do Fatrick. Always seemed to have it under control, was hoping Ricky would force a playoff but not to be. Storming round by Spieth.
£23 win for the wife so she's happy!

Fair play to Fatprick Reed.

I don't understand why people insist on calling players names. There are plenty of players I may not particularly like, but I don't feel/understand the need to call them names.

Well done to Patrick Reed, deserved winner

And also to Rickie and Jordan for making a right go of it

Well done Mr Reed, a superb week's work and well deserved in the end. Cap doffing to Messrs Spieth and Fowler. Bad timing for one of those days for McIlroy. Sh*t happens but Saturday was superb.

Honourable mention to Watson for putting in to a bunker on 2.

Right. US Open please.

had a £10 each way on fowler (18-1 was a great price)

made money but it was very close to being a lot more

Wow the American's don't like Reed do they.  Polite applause only when he won, but apoplectic for the Speithbot coming up the last few.

I don't have a problem with Reed, I like a bit of cockiness and fair play have to hand it to him.    Tommy let me down a bit after getting him at 50-1 e/w, almost cashed out before he started yesterday too

Well, the Golfchannel headline says: "Like it or not, Reed a Masters champ". Take that Pat.

I have nothing against Reed, on the contrary, think he comes across quite well. But I also acknowledge he may not have been the crowd favourite, especially when up against Rory, Fowler and The Golden Boy.

Fowler also comes across quite well, and despite his "fashion" sense and the hype surrounding him (which finally seems to have faded a bit), I've started to warm a bit more to him.

But Spieth, can't warm to him. Don't really know why, maybe he's just lacking some "edge", both personally and in his play.

And then there's Rory.. Was rooting for him, but man, did he not play well. I think he shook off the bad drive on 1 well, but the missed eagle putt on 2 must have hurt. Btw he seemed to have missed all of his putts to the right. Faxon, you won't be without a job just yet. Or maybe Brandel Chamblee could fix it in 10 minutes?

Is the caddy change working for Rory? Looked to me like he needed someone a little more in his ear?
Well done Patrick Reed - quality golf and real grit and determination.

Well played Patrick Reed. I know he has his detractors (and a little voice in my head says surely I should be one of them!), but for some reason I quite like him. Has made the odd daft statement, but I really like his gunslinger style of golf. Reminds me of Lanny Wadkins quite a bit. Not sure Reed will give a 4X for lukewarm celebration of his win.

Some amazing golf elsewhere, so a good Masters overall I reckon. Spieth was almost unreal yesterday - shame about 18 but Friday's 74 more of a problem.

McIlroy must feel a bit of a plumb - "The pressure's all on Patrick blah, blah, blah". Just talk us through your opening Sunday tee shot again could you? He has the game, but I wonder if he'll win another of these big ones? There's quite a few capable of going toe-to-toe with him on a Sunday now.

This golf.com article by Alan Shipnuk tries to explain some of the bad vibes around Patrick.

http://www.golf.com/knockdown/2018/04/08/masters-patrick-reed-estranged-family-complex-mix-emotions


Without knowing what his parents did to provoke Reed and his wife's family abandon his mother and father it is hard to know if those actions were reasonable. The way the facts are presented it doesn't seem reasonable, but who knows?