So Team A-Game kinda went down in flames over the weekend at Kiawah Island. I'm not sure Secretariat could have kept pace with the blossoming thoroughbred named Rory McIlroy.
It was another command performance by the 23-year-old Northern Irishman, who added an 8-shot PGA Championship victory to his 2011 U.S. Open win of the same margin and, hopefully, ended titillating speculation that his girlfriend, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, is bad for his game. For now, I'm holding off on the obvious Tiger Woods comparisons. But they're certainly worth exploring.
As for Woods himself, it was deja vu all over again at the Ocean Course. Two solid rounds and a spot at or near the top of the leaderboard, followed by a weekend of mediocrity. In a rare and welcome bit of candor, Tiger admitted to pressing in the majors this year -- exactly as I and many others suspected. Granted, it was pretty obvious...
The majors are over, the Ryder Cup coming up. And we may soon hear from the USGA and R&A on the future legality of anchored putters. How long can Webb Simpson, Ernie Els, Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley hold their collective breath?
If long wands are banned, McIlroy gains further advantage over his peers. Just what the young fella needs.
Showing posts with label Adam Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam Scott. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Open Championship: Wild Finish Raises Many Questions
Sure, I blew it by predicting Adam Scott to win heading into Sunday's final round of the Open Championship. But let's not dwell on that. What's really important is that I picked Ernie Els among my five favorites heading into the tournament.
What a finish, huh? Like most majors, this one left us pondering What It All Means:
Will Scott ever recover from his historic collapse?
Was this Ernie's last hurrah, or is the Big Easy on the verge of a Vijay-like renaissance in his 40s?
Will Tiger Woods' putter, of all things, prevent him from eclipsing Jack Nicklaus' majors record?
After missing the cut, does Elliott Saltman have what it takes to win another ham?
Ah, the mysteries of golf.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Open Championship: Scott will Finish it Off
Just wanted to get this on the record before the final groups tee off at Royal Lytham & St. Annes: Adam Scott will hold on to win his first major title. The time signature below confirms that I made this call prior to Scott's Sunday tee time of 9:30 a.m. EDT.
It won't be easy. The wind is (finally) up and forecast to grow stronger as the day wears on. I expect Graeme McDowell, who starts four shots back, to be Scott's strongest challenger. As for Tiger Woods, his history when trailing in majors is well documented, and not good. With a five-shot gap to overcome, I see Tiger pressing to make something happen, which usually sends him in the wrong direction.
So there you have it. I'm on the record -- for better or worse.
It won't be easy. The wind is (finally) up and forecast to grow stronger as the day wears on. I expect Graeme McDowell, who starts four shots back, to be Scott's strongest challenger. As for Tiger Woods, his history when trailing in majors is well documented, and not good. With a five-shot gap to overcome, I see Tiger pressing to make something happen, which usually sends him in the wrong direction.
So there you have it. I'm on the record -- for better or worse.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Open Championship: Woods Gambling on Conservative Strategy
If something seems familiar about Tiger Woods' play through 36 holes of the 2012 Open Championship, you must have watched the first two rounds of last month's U.S. Open.
Tiger shared the halfway lead at the Olympic Club after two days of methodical golf, hitting a variety of irons and fairway woods from the tees and quarantining his driver like it was infected with a flesh-eating virus. Fast forward to Royal Lytham & St. Anne's, where Woods is again content to lay back, avoid trouble and sacrifice potential birdie opps for guaranteed pars. He's hit driver just three times in 28 chances, mixing in a 3-wood here and there but mostly sticking with his trusty long-iron stinger.
Ironically, Woods' conservative strategy may be quite a gamble.
Woods heads into the weekend alone in third place, four behind leader Brandt Snedeker and three back of Adam Scott. But he's conceded each of them four shots on Lytham's two par 5s; Tiger is even par on those holes, Snedeker and Scott both -4.
I have a hunch Tiger will again play it safe on Saturday, with a goal of keeping in contact with the leaders while banking on tougher conditions Sunday. The forecast calls for the wind to finally kick up, which would seem to play right into Woods' hands.
With 36 holes remaining, give me Tiger to win. I don't see a repeat of his sloppy weekend play at Olympic. But if he fails to keep pace with the safety-first approach, Woods may wish he'd exercised a little less caution -- and discipline.
Tiger shared the halfway lead at the Olympic Club after two days of methodical golf, hitting a variety of irons and fairway woods from the tees and quarantining his driver like it was infected with a flesh-eating virus. Fast forward to Royal Lytham & St. Anne's, where Woods is again content to lay back, avoid trouble and sacrifice potential birdie opps for guaranteed pars. He's hit driver just three times in 28 chances, mixing in a 3-wood here and there but mostly sticking with his trusty long-iron stinger.
Ironically, Woods' conservative strategy may be quite a gamble.
Woods heads into the weekend alone in third place, four behind leader Brandt Snedeker and three back of Adam Scott. But he's conceded each of them four shots on Lytham's two par 5s; Tiger is even par on those holes, Snedeker and Scott both -4.
I have a hunch Tiger will again play it safe on Saturday, with a goal of keeping in contact with the leaders while banking on tougher conditions Sunday. The forecast calls for the wind to finally kick up, which would seem to play right into Woods' hands.
With 36 holes remaining, give me Tiger to win. I don't see a repeat of his sloppy weekend play at Olympic. But if he fails to keep pace with the safety-first approach, Woods may wish he'd exercised a little less caution -- and discipline.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)