Thursday, January 29, 2009

Helping Captain Monty




The United States' exciting victory in the Ryder Cup this past September is still fresh in the minds of many of us, but the team captains have now been selected for both teams and their attention is on the 2010 event, to be held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

Colin Montgomerie will lead the European team in '10, edging out Jose Maria Olazabal for the captaincy. Prior to missing the team in '08, the 8-time Order of Merit winner had played on 8 consecutive Ryder Cup teams, posting a remarkable record of 20-9-7 and never once losing in singles competition.

While his sometimes salty demeanor hasn't gained him many fans in the States, Monty is a Ryder Cup hero in Europe and will surely rally the troops following the loss in '08. What I would like to do today is preview those who I expect to be the 12 best players in Europe come September 2010.

1. Sergio Garcio - This is a no-brainer. At 29, he's played on five Ryder Cup teams already and posted a career mark of 14-3-3.

2. Padraig Harrington - He will be 39 in 2010, but his play has steadily improved into his late 30s. Despite a Ryder Cup record of 7-11-3, his inclusion is almost guaranteed, as he's won the past two majors and three majors in all since his 35th birthday.

3. Henrik Stenson - This Swede is entering his prime and is now ranked 7th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He has a WGC title to his name and I would expect to see the 32-year-old add some more big time wins to his resume prior to the 2010 Cup.

4. Robert Karlsson - Like Paddy, this 6'5" Swede seems to be getting better with age, winning his first order of Merit in 2008 at the age of 39. Karlsson is a steady performer, winning nine European Tour events thus far in his career and steadily climbing to his current rank of 8th in the World Rankings.

5. Lee Westwood - It absolutely blows my mind to think that Lee Westwood will be a 37-year-old veteran of six Ryder Cups come 2010. I would probably say he's been an underachiever since winning 12 European Tour events between '98 and '00, but he's returning to form since coming close to giving up the game a few years ago.

6. Martin Kaymer - If I were a betting man, I would bet Kaymer would be ranked higher than everyone else on this list except Sergio come 2010. This young German has a ton of talent, has already won a couple big events on the European Tour, and just turned 24.

7. Justin Rose - He's never lived up to the "Next Nick Faldo" expectations, but his career has been solid and he's only 28. I would be shocked if he doesn't add to his win total in the next two years, finally breakthrough on the PGA Tour, and easily make the 2010 squad.

8. Paul Casey - Captain Faldo made this 31-year-old Englishman a Capitain's choice in '08, but I think Casey will emerge as a major contender by 2010 and easily earn his spot. The 3-time Ryder cup vet played brilliantly in Abu Dhabi, earning his first win since 2007.

9. Alvaro Quiros - Last week's winner in Qatar is starting to emerge as a young player to watch. The 26-year-old Spaniard absolutely bombs it (312 yards/drive avg.) and has improved his putting in each of the last three years. Look for him to be highly ranked headed to Wales in 2010.

10. Ian Poulter - The only golfer who loves wearing pink more than Paula Creamer, Poulter hasn't won on the European Tour since '06 and has never won on the PGA Tour. Look for him to break out of his funk (on both tours!), and lock up his spot on the European team in '10.

11. Luke Donald - It's been ten year since winning the NCAA championship, and his four wins (2 in Europe, 2 in the US) have left some saying he's an underachiever. The 31-year-old hasn't won since the '06 Honda, but appears to be healthy and ready to get back in the winner's circle in '09. This is probably my least confident pick, but I think he'll be in Wales come 2010.

12. Rory McIlroy - Maybe I'm nuts, but I think McIlroy will be a top 10 player in the WORLD by 2010, with multiple victories to his name. His only glaring flaw is bad hair, and we'll chalk that up to youth. Look for McIlroy, Kaymer and Sergio be Captain Monty's top players heading into Wales.

Monday, January 26, 2009

The 20th Dubai Desert Classic

The third event in the European Tour's Persian Gulf swing has historically featured the best field, as hefty appearance fees have been paid to the world's best to tee it up in the Dubai Desert Classic. Tiger Woods, the 2006 and defending ('08) champion, has reportedly collected upwards of $3Million just to play in the event each year.

This year, with the $10,000,000 Race to Dubai, the stakes have been raised and more top players than ever are headed to the desert, armed with affiliate European Tour memberships, to try to cash in. Most players have already played in the first two events in the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Championship and last week's Qatar Masters.

The European Tour's swing through the Persian Gulf features prize pools that nearly double the tour norm, with another $2.5 Million up for grabs this week. The tour's best and brightest are looking to position themselves for a run at their share of the $10,000,000 Race to Dubai, as well as securing a spot in the top 60 on that list, allowing them to play in the Dubai World Championship, which will feature a $10,000,000 prize pool!

World #2, Sergio Garcia, will be in the field this week and looks to continue a strong start to the '09 season. Garcia won the season opening HSBC title in China and followed with back-to-back top tens in the U.A.E. (T-8 Abu Dhabi, T-7 Qatar). He has yet to shoot over par in his first 12 rounds, and currently sports a scoring average of 68.58. The 28-year-old Spaniard currently leads the Race to Dubai, but a long season is ahead of him, as the race runs through November 22nd and the aforementioned Dubai World Championship. As it has been in recent years with the Order of Merit, which the Race to Dubai replaces, all four majors and each WGC event will also be counted towards the final money list standings.

Jose Maria Olazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and '08 European Tour Rookie of the Year Pablo Larrazabal will join Sergio and Qatar Masters champ Alvaro Quiros, respresenting a strong Spanish contigent at this week's event.

Sweden boasts two players currently ranked within the World Top Ten and both will be in Dubai this week, as Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson ('07 Dubai winner) both try to step into the winner's circle for the first time in '09. Stenson played great in Qatar, holding the lead at one point on the back nine Sunday, but ended in a T-2 after Alvaro Quiros poured in a few late birdies.

Ernie Els has seemingly spent more time in the air than on the golf course, lately, as he flew from South Africa to Hawaii to the U.A.E. in a three week span. He stays grounded this week, making the short trip from Qatar to Dubai. Hopefully, it will bring a little stability to his game, as he only managed a T-31 last week and a T-39 at the Sony, after getting off to a good start with a T-6 at Kapalua. Dubai should bring back fond memories for Els, as he has always played extremely well, having won three times ('94, '02, '05).

Americans Mark O-Meara and Erik Compton have both received sponsors exemptions into the field. O'Meara won this event in 2004, and Compton is trying to get his career on track after TWO heart transplants have put his career on the back-burner to suriving.

Other notables in the field include a strong cast from the United Kingdom: Rory McIlroy, Paul Lawrie, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, Paul McGinley, and 2010 Ryder Cup captain hopeful, Colin Montgomerie.

Martin Kaymer entered the final round in 2008 tied with Tiger Woods and shot a fantastic 66. Of course, Tiger shot 65 and beat the young German by a stroke in a dramatic finale to last year's event. Kaymer returns, has been playing well, and is not a bad choice if you're a betting man.

This week's European Tour event should be a good one, and all four rounds are being shown in the mornings on the Golf Channel. The commentary and camerawork leaves a little to be desired, but the golf should be great!

FBR Preview & More

Phil's 2009 Debut; AK & Camilo Are Back


I honestly like Pat Perez and Steve Stricker, but must say that I am quite pleased that they are NOT the top stories at the FBR Open this week in Scottsdale.

Phil Mickelson's 2009 debut earns top billing, as we all wonder what to expect from Lefty coming off of a modest year (by his standards). It's also always fun to anticipate Phil's bra size for '09. The (less) Hefty Lefty shed a few pounds for 2008, so it will be interesting to see if he kept up his commitment to fitness for this year. If Phil shows up "in shape" and decides to listen to ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that Dave Pelz recommends, I think he could have a great year. Phil has always played well at the FBR, was runner-up last year, and a winner in '96 and '05.

Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas are both in the field this week, after AK withdrew last week with a bum shoulder and Villegas took some time off. They are both looking to continue to take their games to the next level and I look for them to both be lurking at the top of the leaderboard.

Geoff Ogilvy and Zach Johnson, our first two winners of the year, will both be in the field this week after skipping the snooze-fest known as the Bob Hope. Both men are off to great starts to the year and will contend any week that their putters heat up.

Steve Stricker will be looking to redeem himself, after losing 7 strokes to par on two holes and shooting a 77 in Sunday's final round at the Blah Hope. The stroke average for the event was 68.5 or so, and an even-par-72 would have left Stricker tied for the lead and heading to a playoff. Obviously, it's always easier-said-than-done, but I hope Strix doesn't dwell on Sunday, instead remembering the recording setting 61-62 he shot on Friday & Saturday.

Pat Perez will be in the field as well and is sure to be hovering somewhere around the cut line...

All in all, we have seven of the top 25 players in the world in the field this week. It's an improvement over last week, however, the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic, where Tiger will be unable to defend his title, features nine of the top 25. I would say this looks to be our best week of golf to date in '09, and things are just starting to heat up!

Look for the Dubai preview tomorrow...

Naps & Spaniards




Congrats Pat Perez! Sorry about your luck, Steve Stricker. Despite the five day birdie barrage, the Bob Hope proved to be no more than nap fodder. Unfortunately, the Bob Hope will never draw a decent field with the current Pro-Am setup. Arnie could give away Rolexes to every entrant and it wouldn't make a difference!

Alvaro Quiros was rather impressive in winning the Qatar Masters, which featured seven of the Top 15 players in the World. After some quick research, I'm realizing he is a player worth keeping an eye on. Historically, Spaniards have been blossomed at a young age. Everyone remembers 19-year-old Sergio dueling with Tiger down the stretch at the PGA in '99. Seve Ballesteros led the British Open after 36 holes at the age of 18, won his first British Open at 22 and first Masters at 23, en route to 5 major championships by the time he was 31 years old.

Jose Maria Olazabal finished second on the European Tour's Order of Merit at the age of 20, winning twice in his rookie year. He was nearly a senior citizen, at 28, when he won his first Green Jacket, but already had 15 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour victories to his credit.

So the 26-year-old Quiros has some catching up to do! However, he has not been slacking, despite his lack of notoriety. This is his third European Tour victory, his second in under four months. He started on Tour in 2007 and won the first event he played in with his tour card! Last October he won the Portugal Masters, and the win Sunday in Qatar moved him up to 28th in the Official World Golf Rankings. So that means he has won an event in each of his first three years, and has likely secured an invite to the Masters come April.

The lanky Spaniard absolutely bombs it, currently averaging 312 yards per poke and averaging over 308 in each of his first two seasons! He appears to hit a lot of greens, too, but his putts per round are well above tour average for both Europe & the PGA Tour. As we know, that's where the dollars are made, but he is already showing drastic improvements in the putting statistics for 2009, after improving from 2007 to 2008. If this continues, look for Quiros to keep winning and eventually make his presence felt on U.S. soil.

Although I'm always happy to see a fresh face emerge, I will say I was moderately disappointed we didn't see more fireworks from the strong, international field at the Qatar Masters. Many well known players missed the cut, including Americans Boo Weekley & Brandt Snedeker, and players like Ernie Els and Adam Scott were never a factor. Henrik Stenson (T-2) continued his strong play, perhaps showing that he will be a player to watch in '09 and propelling himself to 7th in the World Rankings. Sergio Garcia was never a threat, but played four solid rounds to finish tied for 7th and keeping his lead in the Race for Dubai. He will be in Dubai for the third leg of the "Gulf Trilogy", competing against another very strong field.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

17-Year-Old Millionaire Gets Masters Invite



In a time in which Michelle Wie & Ty Tryon both signed multi-million dollar endorsement deals before hitting their first shots as professionals, Ryo Ishikawa did it the old-fashioned way. The 17-year-old high school senior does double duty as a touring pro on the Japan Tour, and is the youngest professional to win his way to a 100 million...YEN that is (which is roughly $1.1 Million USD).

In November, Ishikawa won the Japan Tour's mynavia ABC Championship as a professional, after having won the Tour's Munsignwear Open KSB Cup as a 15-year-old amateur in 2007!

After being a part of Team Asia in the recent Royal Trophy competition, in which Asian players competed against and BEAT European players in a Ryder Cup-like team event, Ishikawa has garnered a lot of attention.

Earlier this week he received invitations the the Northern Trust Open, where the defending champion is Phil Mickelson, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, which Tiger Woods won in stunning fashion last year. As if he wasn't already going to be playing in two great tourneys against the PGA Tour's elite (unlike this week's event!), his third invite of the week is to play in the Masters!

Ishikawa is apparently elated and I'm excited to see how he will fare. He has risen to 60th in the Official World Golf Rankings, currently ahead of such notables as Woody Austion, '08 Ryder Cupper Chad Campbell, Scott Verplank, DJ Trahan and current 2nd round leader at the Bob Hope, Pat Perez (who is 90th).

I couldn't find much on Ishikawa, except for the clip above, but obviously he has caught the attention of the right people. It will be very interesting to see how a 17-year-old, however talented, handles himself against the best in the world.

Stars in Qatar; PGA Tour LITE; Captain Monty

While the PGA Tour Lite hit La Quinta, the best players in the world made way to the United Arab Emirates.

With the withdrawal of Anthony Kim due to injury, 16th ranked Steve Stricker is the top player in the field at the Bob Hope Classic. The top active players in the world this week all made way to the Doha Golf Club for the Qatar Masters, which got started today. Seven of the World's Top 14 players are in the field, trying to earn points for the Race to Dubai and get the winner's share of $2.5 MIL.

Many top players got off to a tough start, as Boo Weekley shot a 2-over-par 74, last week's winner in Abu Dhabi Paul Casey shot 76, Rory McIlroy also carded a 76, Justin Rose posted 74, Darren Clarke: 73, and defending champion Adam Scott hit the ball 73 times. Hopefully, some of these guys will bounce back and help give us an exciting weekend of golf.

Sweden's Henrik Stensen, who is currently 11th in the Official World Golf Rankings, sits atop the leaderboard with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (#26 OWGR), and Scotland's Andrew Coltart, who won here in 1998. All three shot 66 on the par-72 Doha Golf Club.

Just a shot behind is Lee Westwood, followed by the American-born/Australian-raised Aaron Baddeley (-4), Sweden's 2008 Athlete of the Year - Robert Karlsson (-4), and 2007 Qatar Masters champ Retief Goosen (-3), who is fresh off a win at the Africa open.

Current Race to Dubai leader, World #2 Sergio Garcia shot a 2-under-par 70 and is tied with Ernie Els, among others, in 23rd place. Rising star Martin Kaymer has been playing some great golf and carded a 71 today, as did Colin Montgomerie.

Monty appears to be the new favorite to be awarded the Ryder Cup captaincy for 2010. Jose Maria Olazabal, who was a late withdrawal from Qatar this week with arm and wrist pain, was long considered the favorite but is now looking to be the pick for 2012. Personally, I think they will both be great, and would love to see JM make a push to make the team in '10. I think he still has the game to do it, and then captain the team in '12. Monty, love him or hate him, is a bulldog in the Ryder Cup and is always good for quotables. He is probably America's favorite player to hate and his captaincy would make for some good competitive drama.

That's all for now. I'm currently watching the Blah Hope, which features a leaderboard of Pat Perez, followed by Richard Johnson, Jason Dufner, Brad Adamonis, and Tom Pernice Jr. These guys are all extremely talented, but I can't pretend that I'm the least bit interested.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Top Players Head To Persian Gulf



As I was getting ready to do the preview for this week’s Bob Hope Classic, an interesting thing happened… I fell asleep. Waking up, I thought, “Where are all the PGA Tour stars that I know?” I see Anthony Kim (#8 Official World Golf Rankings – O.W.G.R.) and Fred Couples (#182 O.W.G.R. - #1 in our hearts) are both in the field, but is that really it?

I then made the decision to do the preview for this week’s PGA Tour event tomorrow, while today I’m going to take a look at this week’s tournament featuring seven of the top 14 players in the world: the European Tour’s Qatar Masters held at the Doha Golf Club.

Defending champion Adam Scott is returning to top form, coming off a tie for second in last week’s Sony Open and looking to extend his perfect record in Qatar. He has won his only two starts in the event (2002 & 2008), and last year’s victory was especially dramatic, as he shot a final round 11-under-par 61 to overtake Henrik Stenson, who entered the final round with the lead, shot a 7-under-par 65 and still lost!

Another notable player to watch this week will be Boo Weekley, who is the European Tour’s newest member. Having taken up an Affiliate Membership to hopefully take part in the $10,000,000 “Race to Dubai”, Boo brings a style all-his-own to the Middle East and the European Tour. What he also brings is perhaps the best ball-striking on the planet, so look out if Boo’s putter heats up. When this guy is making putts, he is tough to beat.

Nine of the 12 players from the European Ryder Cup team will be in the field, including last week’s winner in Abu Dhabi, Paul Casey, as well as World #2 and current Race to Dubai leader, Sergio Garcia. Soren Hansen, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson will all be a part of the pseudo-reunion.

Ernie Els is making the trip from Hawaii to the Persian Gulf to tee it up this week, and will be joined by fellow South African and fellow two-time US Open winner, Retief Goosen. Goosen, the 2007 Qatar Masters champ, might be a player to watch! Fresh off his win at the Sunshine Tour’s Africa Open last week, Goosen is playing well and obviously likes the setup at the Doha Golf Club. Retief turns 40 in just a few weeks and may be looking to make one last run as an elite player in the world.

Probably the least known player in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, Martin Kaymer, is also in the field this week and is my pick to take home the victory. Kaymer made his first appearance of 2009 last week, finishing in a tie for second place. He has finished T-2 three times in his last six starts, and I predict that this will be the week he breaks through.

19-year-old Rory McIlroy has played four events during this 2009 European Tour season and has three finishes inside the top five. The second-year pro from Northern Ireland is currently in 7th place in the Race to Dubai standings and has moved up to 35th in the O.W.G.R. Don’t be shocked to see him win his first tournament before he turns 20 (this coming April). And although I picked Martin Kaymer to win this week’s event, I wouldn’t be surprised to see McIlroy win. I also expect to see him near the top of the Dubai Desert Classic next week.

I think that the European Tour regulars always looks to play well during the Persian Gulf swing, due to the increased prize money, strong fields with PGA Tour players, and elevated international press coverage. Look for this week to be a good one!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Zach Johnson Wins Sony Open




After the devastation of watching my Ravens go down to the hated Steelers in this evening's AFC Championship game, I returned home to watch the Sony Open, which I had recorded.

As the final pairing of David Toms and Zach Johnson completed the 7th hole, the leaderboard was shaping up for a great finish. Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, and Charles Howell III all tied at -10 with David Toms just one shot back. The action picked up, and when the final pairing made the turn all four men were tied at 11-under-par (Howell was through 12 holes & Scott through 13).

Zach Johnson took control on the back nine, and while he never had a lead of more than one stroke until the 18th, there was definitely a feel that the tournament was his to lose.

CH3 made a late surge with birdies on 16 & 17, but a badly pulled 2nd shot into the grandstand at 18, followed by a mediocre recovery and three putts, left him in fourth place. Chuck played quite well, carding 66, but the gimmie he missed on 18 might leave a sour taste in his mouth - it cost him about $150,000.

Adam Scott didn't make a single bogey on Sunday and shot 30 on the back nine en route to a 64, but simply ran out of holes to catch Johnson. Striking the ball magnificently, Scott came up just short on a couple birdie putts down the stretch which landed him in a tie for 2nd with David Toms.

David Toms' round reminded me of David Toms. Nothing flashy or spectacular, just really solid and all-around good. The 2001 PGA Champion couldn't make any magic happen down the stretch, but I'm sure he will be happy to get his season started off on the right foot. The $475K couldn't hurt too much either!

Zach Johnson birdied the final hole to win by two strokes, finishing off a 65 and four round score of 265 (-15). The '07 Masters champ took home $972,000 and takes over 1st place in the FedEx Cup standings. Congrats Zach!

Tadd Fujikawa couldn't carry over Saturday's magic and was never a factor down the stretch. However, he made his first PGA Tour cut as a professional and captured just under $30,000 for his efforts. Not too shabby for an 18-year-old with a long career ahead of him. I'm sure he'll take away plenty of great memories, as well as plenty of experience to build on for the future.

A couple final thoughts:

- While the European Tour events they air leave a lot to be desired in terms of commentary and production quality, The Golf Channel really does a very good job with their coverage of PGA Tour events. They provide some excellent technical data with the launch monitor stats, I really like when they provide the distances for the players different irons on par 3s, and the duo of Kelly Tilghman and Nick Faldo provide enjoyable commentary.

- Ask the guys at my club and I'm sure they'll say that I push the fashion envelope. I like to look good on the course and am not afraid to try a new look. However, the neon magenta pants that Brian Gay wore during Sunday's final round will definitely land him in the running for one of Smackdown Golf's vaunted year-end "Smacky" awards; as in someone should have smacked him when he tried to leave the hotel with those pants on!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Not Exactly Tiger, Phil & Sergio, but...



The leaderboard has shaped up to produce what should be an interesting final round at the Sony Open in Hawaii. With only two of the top ten players in the Official World Golf Rankings (#6 Geoff Ogilvy, #10 Ernie Els) in the field for this week's PGA Tour event, I would say that the tournament has shaped up for about as exciting a final round as we could have hoped for.

The story of the day was certainly 18-year-old, 5'1" 110 pound spark plug, Tadd Fujikawa going on a birdie bender en route to a magnificent 8-under-par 62 in today's 3rd round. He is just two shots back and is currently tied for sixth place. I think the Sony Open is Fujikawa's Holy Grail, and wish him the best heading into tomorrow's final round. He played great two years ago, in making the cut as a 16-year-old and finishing T-20, but shooting 62 in a PGA Tour event is entirely different, putting him in position to take a run at winning the tournament! I think it's safe to say that the entire population of Hawaii is pulling for their hometown hero to pull it out and capture the $972,000 first place prize!

The cream has risen to the top following the third round, as several of the more well-known players in the field began to make their way up the leaderboard. While names like Zach Johnson (1st; -10) and David Toms (T-2; -9) don't exactly make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, they are both major winners, who have been there before and know how to get the job done down the stretch.

Boo Weekley shot his third straight round in the 60s (66-69-67; -8; T-6) and could be a serious threat tomorrow should his putter heat up. Boo hits the ball as well as anyone on Tour and when he's making putts, he is tough to beat.

Former can't-miss prospect Charles Howell III is apparently still playing on the PGA Tour and is also tied for sixth, as he also shot his 3rd consecutive round under par. CH3 cut ties with longtime swing coach David Leadbetter recently and apparently the work he's been doing with new coach Todd Anderson is paying off. We'll see if he can find his way back to the winner's circle for the first time since his playoff victory over Phil Mickelson at the 2007 Nissan Open. Howell will turn 30 in June of this year, and only has two PGA Tour wins to date, which I think is far below the total expected by most after his storied college career and first win at the Michelob back in 2002. His talent has never been in doubt, so maybe this will be the year he finally breaks through. I think we'll get a good idea based on his performance in tomorrow's final round...

Possibly invigorated by his time spent on the beach earlier this week with actress/super-hottie Kate Hudson, Adam Scott bounced back from an opening round 71 with back-to-back 66s to position himself just three shots off the pace heading into Sunday. Scott has fallen to 18th in the Official World Golf Rankings following a lackluster second half of 2008, but the young Australian is poised to get back to top form in '09. In January of last year, Scott fired a final round 61 to capture victory at the European Tour's Qatar Masters. He is obviously comfortable early on in the golf season and I would not be surprised to see his name on the big check come Sunday evening.

Geoff Ogilvy (T-10; -7) will play Sunday's final round with fellow Aussie Adam Scott, and there is no doubt that this is the pairing that I would want to follow if I were in attendance at Waialea Country Club. Whether you want to see two ultra-talented golfers or countless ultra-talented ladies in the gallery (or both!), following Scott & Ogilvy will be the place to be come Sunday. Ogilvy really showed an extra gear on the back nine last Sunday at Kapalua, and if he catches fire like that, I think the rest of the field is playing for second place.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a great sports day for me, as I plan to hit the gym early to continue my offseason "Core Performance" fitness program, then catch the European Tour at 9:30AM on the Golf Channel, and then head off to the range before settling in to watch the Eagles-Cardinals. As a native Baltimorean, the main event will then follow as the Ravens take on the hated Steelers, and I'll wind down my day with the final round of the Sony Open on DVR. Life is good!

Future MAJOR Winners

Does Rory McIlroy have the game to win a major?

For those who live and breathe golf, the current Golf Channel schedule works out quite well. Since Thursday, I have been watching the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Championship in the mornings, and then catching the PGA Tour's Sony Open in the evenings (either live or during the late night replay). After giving myself a mental break from the game in December (and only thinking about golf for about 23.5 hours per day), it's nice to dive into the 2009 season with both feet!

And while I think the Sony Open has been more or less a snooze fest, I am really enjoying watching the Abu Dhabi and think there are four young players in the Abu Dhabi field (at least) who will go on to win major championships in the future.

I think it goes without saying that Sergio Garcia (#2 Official World Golf Rankings) is on this list, and I would venture to say he is the youngest player to ever be saddled with the "Best Player To Have Never Won a Major" title. It is possible that NOBODY on either tour hits the ball as well as he does, and it seems as though his putting and demeanor have both begun to improve (though he struggled yesterday with putts in the "throw-up-zone"). I would imagine he will win a major in the very near future, although everyone not named Padraig Harrington missed a tremendous opportunity this past year!

One player whose name I have noticed at the top of many European Tour leaderboards lately is Martin Kaymer (#25 Official World Golf Rankings). The 24-year-old German was the European Tour's Rookie of the Year in 2007 and won two tournaments in 2008 (Abu Dhabi & BMW Int'l Open). The world really took notice when, during last year's Dubai Desert Classic, Kaymer nearly caught eventual winner Tiger Woods with an amazing birdie-birdie-eagle finish, only to come up one shot shy and finish in 2nd place.

As an 18-year-old amateur, Rory McIlroy caught the golf world's attention when he shot an opening round 68 at the '07 OPEN Championship, going on to make the cut and finish as the low amateur in the field. The former top ranked amateur in the world, McIlory, who hails from Northern Ireland, is now a wiley veteran at just 19 years of age! He turned pro in September of '07, and was able to earn enough money in just four starts to secure his European Tour card for 2008. His first full year on Tour saw some ups-and-downs, but McIlory played very well overall and finished 36th on the Order of Merit. He has started '09 off on the right foot, is currently 6th on the Race to Dubai (Euro Tour Money List) and I suspect his first professional victory is not far off.

Despite being ranked #1 on the Official Miguel Angel Jimenez Worst Hair in Golf list, I can definitely see MAJOR success in Rory's future. He has a ton of talent, a tremendous swing, and time is definitely on his side!

31-year-old Englishman Paul Casey (#42 Official World Golf Rankings) is the oldest player of the four listed here, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wins the most majors of the group. I have never paid much attention to Casey, but in watching him closely over the past three days, I can't help but be very impressed. His swing is compact and very efficient, and he hits the ball a mile. I think some minor improvements in his short game and with the flat stick, and you will see Paul Casey have Paddy Harrington-like success, emerging to win multiple majors in his mid-30s.

As a golf fan, I love having the two options for catching some great golf on television, as well as the chance to see a little more of the guys who I usually only see during the majors, WGC events, and Ryder Cups. With the Race to Dubai and more participation from PGA Tour regulars, the European Tour is going to have some exciting golf this year and I am really looking forward to it.

Friday, January 16, 2009


Ever flip on the Golf Channel and catch a few minutes of the European Tour at some absurd hour, only to wonder who in their right mind could possibly be watching? Well, the answer is me And quite possibly you Seeing as how you're the type of person who spends their time reading a blog about golf!

It is quite possible that the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Championship, being held this week in the United Arab Emirates, has a better field that the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii. From top-to-bottom, I would have to concede that there is much more depth at the Sony Open, but there are only two of the top ten players in the world rankings in attendance in Hawaii (#6 Geoff Ogilvy & #10 Ernie Els).

Meanwhile, back in the U.A.E., Sergio Garcia (#2 in the Official World Golf Rankings) makes his 2009 debut, as does the reigning OPEN & PGA Champion, 2008 Player of the Year, Padraig Harrington (#3 O.W.G.R.). 2008 Masters champ, Trevor Immelman will also be teeing it up in the desert, as will this year's United States Men's Amateur Champion, Danny Lee (competing as an amateur, under a sponsor's exemption). Basically, anyone who won a significant tournament in 2008 is either hurt (Vijay, Tiger) or playing in Europe this week!

Defending champion Martin Kaymer is joined by the usual cast of Euro Tour regulars: Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, Colin Montgomerie, Rory McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Paul Lawrie ('99 OPEN Champion), Soren Hansen, Niclas Fasth, and Miguel Angel Jimenez, among others.

Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby of the US tour are also in the field, and throughout the year, we will be seeing many more stars from the US playing in Europe. The reason so many PGA Tour stars also signed up for their Euro tour cards is that they trying to cash in on the $10,000,000 Race to Dubai (formerly the Order of Merit - aka the money list). The Race to Dubai culminates back in the United Arab Emirates with the Dubai World Championship in November. The top 60 players will vie for the $10 million in prize money that is up for grabs in the event itself, with an ADDITIONAL $10 MIL being split among the top 15 finishers on the money list. With so much at stake, the eventual winner of the tournament may very well be looking at a shot down the stretch that will be worth $3.66 million.

Thursday, January 15, 2009


Adam Scott is in Hawaii, played four rounds of golf at 9-under-par on one of the top courses in the world (The Plantation Course at Kapalua was #19 on Golf World's "Top 100 You Can Play" list), made $77K for his efforts (a middle of the pack T-18), and then spent Monday on the beach with actress Kate Hudson...

FUCK YOU ADAM SCOTT!!!

Welcome to Smackdown Golf!

In his 2004 book, Johnny Miller calls "Smackdown Golf" the "decline of etiquette in today's game". I prefer to think of it as the evolution of golf being looked at more and more like a sport, by those who play it and those who watch it, and inspiring fans the same way that the other major American sports do.

That is what inspired the name for my blog, which will be a fresh take on all the tours, golf news, random golf thoughts, golf fitness, game improvement, and plenty of other random nonsense...

Hit it straight!

Matt Spence
Baltimore, Maryland
January 15, 2009