Texas 3 Step

How about the weekend that Rory Sabbatini put together in Fort Worth? Shooting a final round 64 at the Bryon Nelson to win for the first time in two years shows the tremendous upside to a player who has been famous for his temper & not his game. Without a doubt the South African has alot of game and by showing his emotions after holing his final putt, & before by wearing a pink shirt w/ ribbon in honor of Amy Mickelson, it maybe the break through with golf fans. I have always thought that Rory had an opportunity to compete in the majors as the five tournaments that he has won have been at great golf courses. He is a very accurate & grity player who works very hard out on the golf course to get the most of his game that day. Yet, the most impressive thing to me is his pace of play as Rory makes a decisive decision & hits his ball quickly! He has been very vocal about the tour standards and for that I applaude as it takes too long for players of their caliber to finish a round of golf.

This week, one of my favorite tournaments on the PGA Tour, the Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club. This event is played on a classical course and is known for being “Hogan’s Alley” as the great Ben Hogan won the tournament 5 times in his prime. The field this week is obviously better as alot of european players are back in the USA playing a great stretch of golf courses leading up to the US open in 3 weeks.

Advertisement

The Swedish Playa!

Go ahead Henrick, talk swedish to fannie….. The european ryder cup member who was solid at Valhalla has now added a big tournament win to his already impressive european tour record. In what was a very solid 6 under par score of 66 on the final day at the TPC of Sawgrass moves him quickly up the ranks of the world order and provides him with a belief that he can now compete & WIN a major championship of golf.

Speaking of major winners, how about Tiger Woods not challenging the lead as he watched his fellow competer and third round leader Alex Cejka come right back to him. Tiger struggled with his driver and could never really make that run that the world was waiting for. I feel like he is really still trying to change his swing and piece it together as the season is early and when you are doing that, the longest club in your bag is where yo usually see the faults. He should be fine by father’s day weekend. Kentuckians Kenny Perry Tied for 11th and Steve Flesch tied for 65th at the fifth major….

The Players Championship

Big week on the PGA Tour as the show comes to Jacksonville, FL. The TPC Stadium Golf Course is a Pete Dye design that is famous for the 17th hole par 3, which plays under 145 yards, but is surrounded by water with a lone bunker gaurding the green. A short iron shot for these guys are usually money yet so many have found themselves throwing money away as the tournament is either won or lost on how you play this one hole throughout the week. The stadium course is a fantastic design that challenges players with visual bunkers, sloping greens & as with all course in Flordia, water. Yet what really makes this golf course difficult is the constant wind that comes of the Atlantic ocean as the golf course is less than a mile away. The wind and the demanding shots that are required to play this course make this tournament a must watch.

Another reason the Players Championship is a must watch is that the field is as good as there is all year on the PGA Tour, featuring all but one of the top 125 players in the world (absent Lee Westwood). This event is considered a major from everyone that has never won a major and is the jewel event for the PGA Tour as it is their championship. Sergio Garcia defends this week and despite his shaky start to the season has to be considered a favorite as his record over the past five years is impressive. Speaking of past five year records, Tiger has not had any top 10 finishes here since his win in 2001, but I like him this week to get the W.

The 5th Major

I have to begin by giving props to Sean O’Hair for his great playi in the Quail Hollow Championship this past weekend. Sean was able to put together a two solid rounds on the weekend and win a tournament for the first time with the best players in the world (Tiger, Phil & Oglivy) in the field. Sean has obvious game, is only 27, and may begin to now find himself in contention on the weekend of a major after this confidience boost. On to the TPC of Sawgrass………

This week the Players Championship. Sergio Garcia defends his championship and Tiger Woods is in the field were he hasn’t had a top 10 finish since his 2001 victory at the famed golf course. I believe that this is one of the most challenging golf courses on tour, very penal if you are slightly off line, and has the best three closing holes in golf as there is an opportuntiy to win or lose depending on how the player handles the conditions. Check back for an in-depth look at the TPC of Sawgrass and a complete breakdown of the field.

Tiger, Goose & Bubba

The freakishly long Bubba Watson posted a 7 under par 6, including a front nine score of 30, to share the lead with Retief Goosen at 8 under par in the Quail Hollow Championship. Bubba is leading the field in driving distance for the week at 337.5 yards as well as ranking first in greens in regulation for the 2 rounds played. First round leader, Tiger Woods, bogeyed 2 of his last 3 hles to play in posting a round of 72 leaving him 1 stroke of the lead going into the weekend. Looking at the leaderboard one can see that there are numerous players inthe field who are capable of putting back to back rounds in the 60’s and win this event as 22 players are just four strokes back. Anthony Kim,the defending champion, Phil Mickelson, world #2, & Noth Carolina alumn, Davis Love III, are included in the field of 22 stated above and all are very comfortable on this golf course. These guys are good & golf this weekend shoud be too.