Tiger Woods not among some Masters golf picks

Dustin Johnson

I entered into a Masters Pool in which I had to assemble a "dream team" of eight golfers: if my "team of eight" racks up the most prize money, I win the golf pool. Although I cannot say who started the pool, I can show you who I chose as my top finishers (not in any particular order). As an interesting note, twenty entries out of fifty-four did not include Tiger Woods which is this particular golf pool's record.

Here is my dream team of top money winners with quotes relating to how they feel going into The Masters.

 

 

1. *Phil Mickelson:  After shooting weekend 63-65 win the Shell Open.
 “It was a big confidence-booster,” Mickelson said. “To have that performance heading in here feels really good. It reminds me of 2006.”

*My pick to win the Masters

2. Tiger Woods: "Been using my new app to prepare. I’m loving it – what do you guys think?" http://t.co/Qw8VEEe (Another sales pitch...ahem)

"Logging so many hours heading into Augusta this week. Nervous, excited, hoping the hard work pays off."  5 days ago, Tiger Woods on Twitter

3. Martin Laird 

4. Hunter Mahan during par-3 contest, talking about Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, It doesn't get better than these legends!!

5. Dustin Johnson: "I've had a few opportunities to go play (Augusta), just a casual round. I didn't really want to because I wanted to earn my way into it."

6. Bubba Watson "A little rusty on the golf course today. Need to hurry up & get good before next Thursday!!"  Twitter, 1 Apr

 

7. Ryo Ishikawa:  "My goal is to be in contention here at Augusta National," Ishikawa said Tuesday, after being grouped with three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Bill Haas for the first two rounds.

‘‘But I don’t want to just contend. I want to fight it out with Woods for the title some day."

8. K.J. Choi:  "I just need to be 100 percent focused to the very last shot and the last hole on Sunday and stay patient," said Choi.

"There's no room for small mistakes and I'm not just referring to the shots you hit on the golf course. The Masters is more than that. I failed to do that last year during the final round." Choi finished in 4th place at the 2010 Masters.

 

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Will a Bay Hill win determine the Masters Champion?

Dustin Johnson

Tiger Woods' six Bay Hill victories makes him the odds-on favorite among fans and gamblers despite a drought. The long-shot of becoming a Masters champion after a win at this event is ripe to happen. Will it be Woods, or perhaps an up-and-coming golfer on the PGA Tour, that creates their opportunity at Bay Hill... and dons the Green Jacket?

Although I do not gamble on sports events (except for my $5 bet on the Kentucky Derby), I enjoy reading how analysts and betting parlors determine golf odds and event winners. Golf is a gambling game, from playing a two-dollar Nassau right down to selecting a Fantasy Golf Team and the internet is flooded with scenarios based upon performance and standings.

 

But, does fate (la forza del destina) sometimes play a hand in the outcome?

 

One statistic that caught my eye while sifting through the "information super-highway" was Justin Ray's analysis on ESPN.com. He noted that there have only been six instances since 1960 when a player won an event either one or two weeks prior to winning the Masters. It's happened just twice since 1990 and in five year increments: Tiger Woods in 2001 (The Players Championship) and Phil Mickelson in 2006 (won the BellSouth the prior week).

Could 2011 be the year that the winner at Bay Hill will also take the green jacket at Augusta?

 

Since this is an "Invitational", the field will be limited to one hundred and twenty golfers. There are thirty-four "under thirty" golfers and twenty-six "grizzled vets" over forty years old. A changing of the guard? Perhaps.

Here are a few possible picks to keep your eyes on at Bay Hill:

Mark Wilson is the leader in the FedExCup standings and two-time 2011 winner but has been "fading" since his early back-to-back wins.

Gary Woodland's breakout victory last week at the Transitions Championship was a learning experience for him but he could have the same fortunate bounce as Wilson.

Jhonattan Vegas is another relative newcomer with most of his events played in 2011. He has made seven cuts, his finishes are good and his scrambling stats are better than the average tour player giving him an advantage at Bay Hill.

 

Dustin Johnson is already a veteran on the PGA Tour and most recently placed second at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Johnson has a better 'greens in regulation' percentage than the average Tour player. With four top-ten finishes this year, Hunter Mahan also has a better-than average 'greens in regulation' percentage.

Playing the 18th hole at Bay Hill, where errant shots will be met by rocks and water, the ability of both Johnson and Mahan to land on the green in the height of competition could could provide the fans with a climactic four-day event.

 

Tiger Woods' Sunday 66 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and golf instruction from Sean Foley are positive improvements towards an eventual win. On the flip side, Woods has not competed on this course since its renovation and, with current stats at 101st in putts per round (usually the deciding factor in a tournament), he's going to need to grind and hope to rejuvenate the fear factor he instills in other players.

As for my personal favorite, Phil Mickelson, he came in second place at the Farmers Insurance Open, is tied for 25th in scoring average and has made every cut so far this year. Anything can happen and usually does when Phil is in the field!

Possibilities or percentages? Fate or odds?

 

The 50th anniversary milestone of Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge could very well transform a win in Orlando into a golden opportunity at Augusta.

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Mingle with PGA Tour Golfers and Wives at Green Carpet Event

Dustin Johnson

The PGA Tour Wives Association has partnered with Sentient Jet and the Bergen County's Children's Aid & Family Services for a charity "Green Carpet Affair" tomorrow.

This exclusive invitation-only cocktail party is scheduled to have about thirty PGA Tour players and their wives in attendance at a private home in Saddle River, NJ on Tuesday, August 24th from 6:30 - 9:30. I understand that "lavish" hors d'oeuvres and cocktails will be served.

There will also be a silent auction of "experience" items such as a Ryder Cup flag signed by the entire winning team.

Additional auction items include:

• a day of golf with Dustin Johnson in Myrtle Beach
• a weekend with Sandy & Kenny Perry in Kentucky with 2 rounds of golf with Kenny and a lesson from his coach
• VIP tickets to Tory Burch's Fashion Week show including a meet & greet with Tory and the models backstage
• a Bobbi Brown makeup experience
• the naming of a character in a Harlan Coben novel
• a wine experience in Tuscany
• a day at The Kingdom from Taylormade.

Tickets start at a very reasonable $275 and I understand that there are a few still available for purchase!


Visit www.cafsnj.org for more details.

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The Monday Caddie

Dustin Johnson

PGA Tour:
Dustin Johnson defends his title at the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro - Am with a birdie at the 72nd hole. Although he shot 74, he was able to hold off charges by David Duval and JB Holmes who both finished one back. Johnson is off to a great start in his career with one win in each of his first three years on Tour and now moves into 2nd place in the Ryder Cup Standings. Excellent tournament for David Duval, who shot four rounds in the 60s for the first time in almost a decade. He played well all week, and came up one shot short of his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2001 British Open.

Notes:
The announcement was made that the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach this June will be seen in prime time, finishing around 10pm Eastern Time. They did the same thing for the 08 Open at Torrey Pines and this is a great idea. Hopefully the will also do what they did with the player groupings by putting #1, #2, and #3 in the world rankings together. As of now, that would mean Tiger, Phil, and Stricker.

Next on the PGA:
The World Match Play begins this week in Arizona. No Tiger or Phil but there are some really good matchups. Print your brackets here.

Tiger Note: Last weeks tournament was sponsored by AT & T, who dropped Tiger. This week is sponsored by Accenture, who dropped Tiger as well. It will be interesting to see if he ever plays for the sponsors who dropped him again. He could completely ignore them in the future or he may use it as extra motivation to win.

Champions Tour:
Fred Couples wins his first Champions Tour event at the Ace Group Classic by shooting 64 in the final round. He was able to hold off Tommy Armour who shot a course record 61. Couples Champion Tour record is not bad so far. He now has a win and a 2nd place in two tournaments. As long as his back holds up, he should have a monster season.

AP photo - Jeff Chiu