the return of the Belly Putter

Match Play, Ko and the return of the Belly Putter Conundrum

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko made a valiant effort 2 weeks ago to become the youngest player to record back to back victories, eventually settling for third in the Ladies Australian Open.  She had gone into the final round tied for the lead with eventual winner Jiyai Shin but failed to produce her best on Sunday. However the question on everybody’s minds surely must be when is she going to turn Professional?  It was very comforting to hear such great advice from Michelle Wie, the former teen star, who said that doing so is a very personal decision, this was matched by the less subtle tones of 7 time Major winner Karrie Webb, who tweeted “ Hurry up and turn pro already!”  criticisms over whether turning Pro is best for Lydia Ko are circulating, after all she wouldn’t be the first star amateur to win and then fade into obscurity when joining the Pro ranks ( Danny Lee anybody?).  The golfing world will simply have to wait to hear a verdict on this one.

Match Play

Last week, the PGA tour took the 64 best players in the world and put them head to head in the Accenture Match Play Championship, with American Matt Kuchar, the last one standing.  We all know that Match Play is the most unpredictable of formats, if nothing else; the Ryder Cup showed us that, but few would have bet on Bubba Watson being the only top ten player left by round three where he made his exit to Jason Day.  Ian Poulter, a proven Match Play specialist and former winner of this Tournament was the highest ranked player in the Semi Finals at No. 12 where he lost to last year’s winner Hunter Mahan.  Hot favourite, Woods, lost to Charles Howell III in round one, and McIlroy succumbed to compatriot Shane Lowry in the same round.  Mostly following the coverage on Twitter, it was surprising how many people expressed their distaste for the format especially after seeds 1 and 2 went out early, one unhappy tweeter wrote “ this is why there aren’t more Matchplay events, TV stations don’t want to lose Woods and McIlroy, there is no point in watching it anymore”.   Match Play events, while perhaps not as lucrative for TV and sponsors do make a nice change and I for one would like to see more of them.  There is more to golf than Tiger and McIlroy

Belly Putters

This week belly putters have made their way back into our golfing news feeds with some fresh incite from tours and players alike.  Perhaps the most unlikely twist in what is turning out to be a prolonged saga is that PGA Tour chief Tim Finchem has told the governing bodies that they will not support the proposed ban on belly putters.  Tim Finchem explained that studies had shown that the belly putter provides no measurable advantage and therefore there was no reason to enforce a ban on anchoring.  However, as a staunch advocate of the ban I would argue that more and more players are using them, more and more players are winning with them and no Professional golfer would change equipment unless it provided some benefit; so if there is no advantage, why are so many players changing to anchoring.  McIlroy and Poulter have already expressed fears that this announcement from the biggest and most lucrative Tour in the game may cause a rift in the sport.  McIlroy also changed his stance somewhat on the matter, claiming that he doesn’t mind if the ban goes through or not, backing away from his earlier statement “it will be a fair game in 2016, can’t wait”.  Keegan Bradley, the first winner of a Major with the controversial method has always been opposed to the ban and has now revealed that he is fed up with being called a cheat.  While the anchoring method is controversial at best, until this ban goes through, Bradley is no more a cheat than any other player on Tour. 

     The three month deliberation on the ban on anchored putting methods was set to finish today (28^th February) so the decision will soon be announced.  I for one hope that the right decision is made for the benefit of golf whatever that happens to be; my fear is that we will soon see how much influence the PGA Tour has had.     

 

 

The Accenture Match Play Predictions

Accenture Match Play Championship

It’s that time of year again, the PGA tour makes its ways to Arizona for the Accenture Matchplay Championship; the first WGC event of the year.  It goes without saying that this will be the strongest field of the year with only the top 64 players on the World Ranking list eligible but with that it is also perhaps the most difficult event to predict a Champion, not only because of the strong field but also because of the differences between Match Play and Stroke Play. 

Based on current form, Brandt Snedeker would have gone into the tournament as a favourite but he has had to withdraw because of sore ribs.  Mickelson is the only other player missing, because of prearranged family matters.  Lowry and Jacobson are their replacements to make up the 64 man field.

As already stated, predictions for this event are tricky, Woods has failed to make it past round two since 2008, he has lost to Nick O’Hern twice in his career and few would have expected Mahan to triumph over McIlroy in last year’s final.  Matchplay is of course different for a number of reasons, most importantly the players are not looking to make a score so a 7 is not so destructive so long as your opponent makes an 8.  Because of the nature of Matchplay in this respect, players tend to be more aggressive and this suits some players more than others. Here are my 6 people to watch next week.

 

Ian Poulter

A proven match Play expert in both this event and of course the Ryder Cup, Poulter is one of those players who will strive when he is forced to play aggressively and his win here in 2010 will fill him with confidence (as if he needed any more).  Though he hasn’t been seen much this year, he followed up his Ryder Cup record with a win in China and second place in Australia so hopefully he will have retained some form.

Rory McIlroy

In his first appearance in the States this year McIlroy will be looking to make a good impression and perhaps dispel the notions that he is struggling with his new Nike equipment.  Runner up place last year, while not the result he would have been hoping for will still give him some confidence going into this week.  Hopefully he can regain that form that allowed him to win 3 times in 6 starts at the end of last season. 

Charl Schwartzel         

A steady player with some big wins to his name already, Schwartzel is consistent enough to grind out most players but always seems to have gas in the tank and could easily switch his game to a more aggressive style if the situation demanded it.  He might not win it but expect him to cause an upset or two.  He is coming into form at the right time too, with a second place in Joburg last week and a strong showing in Riviera to back it up. 

Luke Donald

Difficult to overlook Donald in a Match Play situation, runner up at the Volvo when Poulter won it and a steady showing at the Ryder Cup, Donald will go in at number three seed, based on World Ranking and so expect him versus McIlroy in the semi finals.  It would take a real upset to knock him out before then, however he never really gets aggressive; he is more of a grinder which may be his downfall against a star studded field.

Hunter Mahan  

We haven’t seen much of Mahan since his win in this event last year but the memories and confidence will come flooding back next week so expect him to make a good defence of his title.  A very streaky player, if he gets the putter working or if he gets a few big wins early he will almost certainly make a charge for back to back wins. 

Tiger Woods

While a win at Torrey Pines will fill him with confidence, it is difficult to overlook the fact that he has failed to make round three since the venue was changed in 2009.  However 4 wins in 14 months is difficult to argue against and if the commentary was right at Torrey pines then we should expect big things from Tiger following that early victory.  On the other hand, his wedge play is not good at all and the putter isn’t what it used to be so it simply depends on what sort of week he is having.

 Match play is too difficult to call and I would advise against placing bets in events like these but I think the above 6 are more likely than a lower seed such as Henley or Gallacher.  I’m hoping for Poulter but my gut says McIlroy or Woods. 

 

 

 

    

Is Snedeker the best golfer in the world right now?

Week 8 on Tour

It’s all about Tournament News this week as there were big winners in all forms, from 15 year old amateurs to 50 year old rookies.

                On the European Tour, the Joburg open attracted its usual mix of stars including former Masters Winner Charl Schwartzel.  However, Schwartzel could only manage 2^nd as Richard Sterne went one better than last week to claim the title by 7 shots.   Sterne entered the final round tied for the lead with the relatively unknown South African, Trevor Fisher Jr at -19.  While Fisher was unable to capitalise on his position, Sterne went on to shoot an 8 under 64 and claim the title.  Sterne is part of a strong contingent of South Africans, no doubt led by Major winners, Oosthuizen and Schwartzel and inspired by Els and Goosen, who have started to dominate the European Tour.   Thomas Aiken, George Coetzee, Jbe Kruger and Branden Grace are but a handful of South Africans who have made themselves known on Tour, this is not to mention the equally strong presence in the States, Sabbatini, Tim Clark and Trevor Immelman being the choice few. 

Lydia Ko appears to be forever smashing records wherever she goes, and this last week was no exception.  Ko, still only 15 and an amateur claimed her 3^rd Tour Victory in her home nation of New Zealand, at the New Zealand Open.  Ko is now the youngest ever winner on the European Ladies Tour, as well as the youngest winner of any event (when she claimed her first event at 13 years old!).  Last week the LPGA asked on twitter, who was most likely to challenge Yani Tseng at the top of the rankings? At first I thought Stacey Lewis but now I’m thinking Lydia Ko; maybe that’s a bit premature but she appears to have the game and the mentality to go far on Tour.  I predict Major things for Lydia Ko in the future. 

From 15 year olds to 50 year olds, the other end of the spectrum.  Some big names become eligible for the Champions Tour this year and 2008 U.S Open runner up, Rocco Mediate, has opened up his account early with a 2 shot victory in the Allianz Championship.  Still showing he has the game to compete, Mediate opened up a huge lead going into the final round when he scorched round in 61 on the second day.  This is an impressive round by anyone’s standards and to win on his debut is something very special.  Perhaps Rocco can build on this early season victory and claim a Champions Tour Major.

Is Snedeker the best golfer in the world right now?

                Snedeker, potentially reeling from only getting silver medal in his last two events, went one better and claimed the AT and T Pro Am.  This jumped him to a career high ranking of 4 and means he now leads the FedEx Cup standings.  In fact he has more points than anyone else has had at this stage since the FedEx points system was introduced in 2009.  If anyone was wondering what the cause of this meteoric rise is, then look no further than these two things.  His putting is second to none; much is spoken about his putting stroke, often described as a “pop” stroke, very short and handsy, but it is so efficient and he thrives on courses where the greens are good.  Whilst being a very good putter, he is also a very streaky putter, which is to say that if he starts holing putts he starts knocking them in from anywhere and everywhere.  Second of all is confidence.  I personally believe that confidence is the most important factor in winning, we see it so often.  A player will win one week and then their career seems to take off, always putting themselves in contention and in Snedeker’s case, nothing fills you with more confidence than winning the FedEx Cup.  That win at the season ender last year will give him enough confidence for the rest of the year, and adding another win so early can only be good for him.  Last week I predicted he would win the Masters in 2014, I wondered whether he was ready to win a Major quite yet, but the way he is playing, smart money goes on him winning a Major this year.  My New Bet – Masters or Open 2013.    

  

 

The Stars of Tomorrow

Major predictions

 

Last week I harped on about why Tiger won’t win another Major and I know not everyone will share these views but the fields are getting stronger all the time so here are six people who I think are going to win Majors in the next 2 years. (In no specific order)

Brandt Snedeker

Snedeker is growing from strength to strength on the PGA Tour and will only grow in confidence winning the FedEx last year.  Already 2 second place finishes this season and I suspect he will add a few more trophies to his cabinet this year too.  His major record is already quite impressive, with strong placing in the Masters and the Open.  Putting is strength and this can only be a positive when it comes to competing in Majors.  I suspect the Masters or the Open will be a good bet for him where more emphasis is placed on putting but as a straight hitter, maybe the US Open. 

My Bet – 2014 Masters (after some near misses this year)

Dustin Johnson

Big hitting Johnson, already with a W this season, and with the most PGA titles for someone under 30 (7).  Strong performances in Majors a few years ago where he held the lead in the final round of US Open in 09 before crumbling to a horrible Sunday Round, and if it wasn’t for a unfortunate Bunker ruling, would have won the 2010 PGA Championship.  Also back to back top ten finishes in the Open in the last two years.  Just like McIlroy bouncing back from his horrendous Masters Sunday, these near misses will give him the confidence and nerve to clinch a Big One if he manages to contend come Sunday.  His one weakness might be driving accuracy which was very evident in Hawaii where he still managed a win. (Might not get away with missed fairways quite so much at a Major venue) 

My Bet- 2013 PGA Championship   

Justin Rose

With the exception of McIlroy, Rose is the only person that I truly believe will achieve greatness in the next two years.  He has been improving rapidly in the last few years, claiming one of the playoff events on the FedEx and then a WGC event.  Rose appears to have no weaknesses; a gutsy performance in the Ryder Cup where he birdied the last two to beat Mickelson will only bolster his confidence.  He could win any of the Majors, he has the game but perhaps his one fault will be that he hasn’t really put himself in contention before and therefore as of yet no one is sure how is nerves will hold up.  Even if he has a few near misses to begin with, Rose will definitely win one eventually.

My Bet- 2013 US Open

 Louis Oosthuizen

In my opinion Oosthuizen has the best swing on tour, a putting touch to match and I’m sure he will add to his Major tally in the next two years.  When some critics might have expected him to struggle in the final round of the 2010 Open, having never been in such a position before, he proved himself as he went on to seal a huge victory, winning by 9 shots.  He has only improved since then, almost claiming a second Major at last year’s Masters if it wasn’t for Bubba Watsons stunning shot from the trees.  Last year’s near miss will spur him on and he will have good memories of Augusta where he made an Albatross at the Par five 2^nd hole. 

My Bet- 2013 Masters

Charl Schwartzel

Schwartzel is yet another class act to emanate from South Africa with a Green Jacket already in the wardrobe, he will be itching t add to it.  Although a relatively poor season last year, with just one win coming late on in the year, he still has the game to add to his Majors.  Some players are good enough to win Majors and yet their games might only suit Links golf for the Open or impeccable driving accuracy for the US Open, Charl Schwartzel is not one of those players; he has the game to compete at any event.

My Bet- 2014 US PGA

Rory McIlroy

 No predictions list would be complete anymore without McIlroy.  Already two Majors in the bag and we all know he has the game and the desire to challenge Nicklaus’ record but I think this will be a slow year for McIlroy.  He had such a great year last year, winning the money lists on both sides of the Pond and the Nike equipment change has yet to produce results however he will bounce back and resume his dominance of the game in 2014.

My Bet- 2014 US Open

 

A lot of you will have noticed that I have not predicted any Open winners and there is a reason for this.  The Open is the hardest one to call as it is so dependent on the weather; McIlroy is quoted as saying that it will take a perfect week of weather for him to win one.  If the weather is perfect ( no rain, little wind) than it becomes like any other event but if the wind blows, then the field becomes even more open and can produce winners such as Lawrie, Curtis and Cink. 

Outside predictions for the next two years

Ian Poulter- a world class act, if he can produce his Ryder Cup form in tournament play then I see no reason why he can’t compete every week- but he needs to tap into that form which he always produces against the USA.

Adam Scott- 2 second place finishes at majors (2011 Masters and 2012 Open) are the highlights of a multitude of top ten finishes in Majors but his reaction to losing the Open will be a tell tale sign.  If he finds confidence in coming so close, he will be able to push on and contend again but if he is still reeling from losing then he will struggle to put himself in that kind of position again.   

 

 

 

 

 

Lefty, Lyle, Sexism and Deer Antler Spray Pt 2

Lefty, Lyle, Sexism and Deer Antler spray Pt 2

Sexism

Golf is full of traditions and some are more appropriate in today’s society than others.  Sexism, for example is still rife in the game, although lessening in recent years and there are several events in the past few months that have triggered me to write about it.  2 weeks ago, Karen Stupples, a former Women’s British Open champion, lost her contract with long time sponsor Wilson.  On its own this doesn’t seem a big deal, players switch equipment all the time however the reason for this rather sudden drop of one of the games greats was that they were going to place less sponsorship in the Women’s game because there was less money to be made there.  Unfortunately it is attitudes like this that are the reason the Women’s game cannot compete with the male tours. 

                Sexism in our sport has been a topic of discussion for some time now, since Augusta opened its doors to Condoleeza  Rice and Darla Moore, which was swiftly followed by the Rand A’s frank refusal to follow suit.  There are fewer women playing Golf, memberships of lady golfers across the country are dropping and while the economic climate is no doubt playing a bigger part, sexism must be considered a factor, and that is something that needs to change.

 

Deer Antler Spray

Whilst sexism appears to be somewhat confined to golf, drugs in sport has been and is still a growing problem across a whole range of professional sports.  Golf has more or less gone unaffected ( or at least those involved have not been caught) but Vijay Singh has admitted to taking a banned substance, Deer Antler Spray, presumably something that was going to allow him to be more competitive in his twilight years.  He claims to have not known that it contained a banned substance.  Drugs has become a bigger issue in other sports, most noticeably in professional cycling where it has now come to light that Lance Armstrong was taking performance enhancement drugs when he claimed his 7 Tour de France titles.  In light of that, Tennis star, Andy Murray has argued that in tennis there needs to be stricter doping regulations, stating that Armstrong is an example for all sports so is it time to go that way in golf?  Vijay Singh is only the second player to be caught taking banned substances since new regulations took hold back in 2008.  Vijay is now under investigation and will almost certainly face a tournament ban of some length, not his smartest move considering he becomes eligible for the seniors Tour later this year.   I think drugs are less of a problem in golf than they are in other sports but it would probably not hurt to become a little stricter so that that remains the case.  Vijay is a good player and consistently competes on the PGA tour despite his putting struggles; I just hope he is still remembered for being a former number one and winning three majors and that this relatively minor drug scandal does not become a career defining moment.          

Lefty and Lyle, Sexism and Deer Antler Spray Part 1

It all Happened last week; Lefty and Lyle

So much happened in the world of Golf in the past week it is difficult to know where to start and I'm going to have to make 2 posts to fit it all in. 

Tournament News

On the European Tour, Stephen Gallacher held off Sterne and Olesen to claim the Dubai Desert Classic, his first Title in 201 starts!  He held a three shot lead going into the final round following a Saturday 62 but a shaky start allowed Sterne to catch him in just three holes.  He steadied the ship and all but claimed it with an Eagle at the par five 16th.           

Mickelson claimed his 3^rd wire to wire victory and his 41^st PGA title last week in Arizona at the Waste Management Open.  He opened up in style, lipping the cup for a 59 on day one and never really looked back leading all the way and eventually winning by 4.  Brandt Snedeker claimed his second 2^nd place finish of the season but in the words of Keegan Bradley “No-one was going to catch Phil this week, he was too good”.   Mickelson cited his new driver as the key to success; his new Calloway Razr spins the ball less allowing him to have less loft and makes it easier to hit.  He led the field in GIR and proximity to the hole, while holing a multitude of putts with his relatively new “pencil” grip.

A Brilliant Hole with some Added Twists; The 16th

The 16^th at TPC Scottsdale is perhaps one of the best known holes on Tour; attracting huge crowds, this short par three puts even the top players under the spotlight as any missed green will result in a surge of boos and laughter.  This is a refreshing hole in golf, there really is nothing like it anywhere else in golf and nothing makes that crowd go wilder than a hole in one, the most recent of which was Jarrod Lyle in 2010 and the most famous of which was probably Tiger back in 1997.  But good golf and crowds is not all we are entertained by on this hole; this year was particularly special with the caddie races (which as I understand it occurs when 2 or more players birdie the previous hole) Padraig Harrington kicking an American Football into the crowd and James Hahn treated us all to a Gangnam style Celebration following a birdie on Sunday.  All in all a fantastic hole, what a pity we only get to see it once a year.

Lyle gets back in the spotlight

Remember, you heard it here first!

Sandy Lyle has made golfing headlines twice in the last week for varying views and opinions, one of which I hinted at a couple of weeks ago.  Lyle has once again expressed interest in captaining the European Ryder Cup, a position he had thought was lost because of age and a disgraceful performance in the Open a few years back.  Tom Watson’s appointment as USA Captain for 2014, when he will be 65, has proven to Lyle that age is no longer a constraint and he was told by Thomas Bjorn on the night of Mcginleys appointment that he was one of five people also under consideration.  As you would expect he still very much dreams of such a selection but has stated he will not campaign for it. 

                Lyle has also said that he fears McIlroy’s equipment change will have disastrous consequences on the young Northern Irishman’s success and has described it as a potential “Duval like meltdown”.  While I can see where Lyle is coming from, I think it’s too early to say and one missed cut doesn’t really say much either.  It seems to me that people are always looking for reasons why McIlroy might not be successful.  He had a bad start to the season last year and critics cited his relationship with Tennis Star Wozniacki as the cause.  McIlroy bounced back to win the Race to Dubai, equal Donald’s feat of winning the money lists on both sides of the Pond and then claimed his second major.  I too am looking forward to see how McIlroy deals with his new equipment but I think it’s a bit early to say he will have a Duval like break down.  We shall see. 

 

part 2 coming soon Sexism and Singh's Drug allegations!