White's World

PGA topics, Crowne Plaza Invitational, European Tour, Champions predictions

Posted by david on May 22, 2013 at 12:04 pm

Sergio just can't seem to get out of his own way

Sergio just can’t seem to get out of his own way

Sergio Garcia now needs to keep his mouth shut and try to do something he hasn’t done so well lately: win a golf tournament. At the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, Garcia made a comment yesterday about serving Tiger “fried chicken” when he jokingly said he’ll have him over for at night during the U.S. Open. It was clearly made in jest, but you just can’t say that. I’m not a big fan of Tiger; to me he’s pretty arrogant and he bends the rules as closely as you can without cheating, and even that’s debatable. But that comment is unacceptablt anywhere. It’s the same thing Fuzzy Zoeller said before the Masters dinner a while back. Sergio needs to stop talking. Tiger just keeps pulverizing him on the golf course and Sergio looks really stupid. He needs to apologize again if asked about it, and just focus on golf. He has a lot of work to do if he wants to ever contend for a major or even win a PGA tour stop. I was kind of on Sergio’s side a little bit during the earlier controversy. Tiger’s drop during the Players when his ball went into the water on 14 off his tee shot was very questionable. There has been talk that the drop was not legal. Still, Sergio is out of line and needs to shut up. It’s got to be embarrassing to mouth off like he does and then look at his results head to head with Tiger. Tiger just destroys the guy on the golf course. It’s no contest. Time for Garcia to be quiet and play golf, though this controversy might not go away for a little while.

Rule 14-1B implemented by the USGA and the R&A yesterday will make it illegal to anchor a putter beginning January 1, 2016. It’s in place now and the PGA and the players just need  to comply with it. I don’t totally agree with the decision, but we don’t need a split by the PGA from the USGA or lawsuits by players. That would be overboard. It’s done. Time to accept it and adjust if you anchor. There are other methods for using the long putter or the belly which are legal. You can still use them if you don’t attach the putter to your body or the long one to your chin. You can put your right hand on your left arm if you’re a right handed putter. That’s a pretty good compromise. It’s not hard to not anchor a long putter. I use a belly and I don’t anchor it. I like my putter and it works fine. The adjustment can be made. It’s time to just suck it up and abide by the ruling.

 

This week:

The Crowne Plaza Invitational

Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas

Defending Champion: Zach Johnson

Purse: $6,400,000; Winner’s share: $1,152,000

TV:

Thursday: Golf Channel: 3-6 PM ET/ 2-5 CT; Friday: Golf Channel: 3-6 PM ET/ 2-5 CT: Saturday: Golf: 1-2:30 PM ET/12-1:3o CT; CBS: 3-6 PM ET/2-5 CT; Sunday: Golf: 1-2:30 PM ET/12-1:30 CT; CBS 3-6 PM ET/2-5  CT.

Weather: 

Sunny, mid-to high 80′s Thursday and all weekend. Friday has 18 MPH winds so that could be interesting.

Key holes on Colonial:

7,204 yards, Par 70

No.3 

A 483-yard, par four, this is the beginning of the three-hole stretch called the “Horrible Horseshoe,” the three most difficult holes on the course. The long dogleg left requires a perfectly placed tee shot around a large tree and bunkers. A long approach shot makes birdies rare. This ranks as the second most difficult hole on the course. Par is a good score here; birdie is a bonus.

No.4

A 241-yard, par three has an elevated green that is difficult to hold. This hole is the only par three that has not yielded a hole in one in the 62 year history of the tournament. Birdies are rare as well.

No.5

A 481- yard, par-4, this is the hardest and most famous hole at Colonial and the last hole of the “Horrible Horseshoe.” The tee shot must be precise as there is a ditch to the left and a river to the right. Even a good tee shot leaves a long, narrow approach. Par is very acceptable here.

N0.9

A 407 yard, par four. An attractive, difficult hole that can lead to some big numbers. You must hit it straight off the tee and avoid a pond that is guarding the front of the green.

No.12

A 440 yard, par 4, this is the hardest hole on the back nine. The fairway is a dogleg left and requires accuracy and length. The approach must negotiate a tightly bunkered green and usually a head wind.

N0.16

A, 192 yard, par 3,. The par threes on the last three holes of the tournament are usually key scoring or survival holes,. A good tee shot is required to stay below the hole. Could lead to some dramatics here.

No.18

A 441 yard, par 4. You need a draw off the tee here on this dogleg left with trees capturing wayward shots. A lake protects the left side of the green. Great drama here on Sundays usually.

 

Contenders:

Boo Weekley:

Boo’s been playing well all season and has been very close to breaking through. He’s 17th on the tour in driving accuracy and 10th in greens in regulation. He hits it a long way. If his putter is clicking, he’ll be right there on Sunday.

Ben Kohles:

Young guy who is a fantastic player. He dominated the Web.com Tour last year winning twice and moving up to the regular tour. He’s done pretty well this year and is 21st in driving accuracy on the tour. This course really requires accuracy to win the tournament. A player who can draw the ball well has a good shot. Like this young player.

Justin Leonard:

A native Texan, Justin has won three times in Texas on the PGA tour, all three times at San Antonio. As a matter of fact, he’s a native of Dallas and knows the course very well. Like his chances to capture the title.

Kevin Streelman:

This guys tour stats are off the charts; 22nd in driving accuracy, 23rd in greens in regulation, 28th in scrambling and 19th in strokes gained putting. Won at Tampa. I’ve been struggling with Kevin and this other guy on who’ll win this week. Really had to flip a coin, I like both of them a lot at Colonial, but I’m going with a Georgia Bulldog.

The Winner:

Harris English:

Finished tied for fifth last year and shot a 67 on Sunday. He’s been playing well all year. Like the fact that he did so well last year in his rookie season. The statistics point to Streelman, but I’m going with the guy who has a good resume’ on this course.

Like Rocco Mediate to win the 74th Senior PGA Championship this week at the 6,959, par-71 Bellerive Country Club course in St. Louis. Golf Channel carries it 12-3 PM ET/ 11 AM-2 PM CT Thursday and Friday and NBC has coverage on Saturday and Sunday from 3-6 PM ET/2-5 CT. Fred Couples, John Cook and Tom Lehman are not playing this week due to other conflicts, but Schwab Cup leader Bernhard Langer is in the field and he’ll be a factor. He’s so consistent.

 

Like Nicolas Colsaerts to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. Colsearts is a bomber–he leads thr PGA Tour in driving distance averaging 304.7 off the tee– and has all the talent to win big in Europe and maybe the U.S.. Star-studded field with Rory, Greame McDowell, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Ernie competing.

The Crimson Tide plays LSU @ 2 PM ET/1 CT on CSS. Should be a good baseball game. Alabama playing very well right now and defeated Auburn yesterday, 6-3. LSU is an excellent team. ‘Bama gave No.1 Vandy all they wanted up in Nashville last weekend. Vandy took two of three, but the games were wars.

Harris English

Harris English

 

Rocco

Rocco

 

Nicholas Colsearts

Nicholas Colsearts

 

 

 

 

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A&M

Posted by david on May 21, 2013 at 11:52 am

Johnny Football primed for huge '13 season

Johnny Football primed for huge ’13 season

Wow, Johnny Heisman looked better than ever in the spring game. Coming off a season in which he led his team to an 11-2 overall mark and 6-2 in the SEC, Manziel  was 24-of-30 for 3o3 yards and three TDs in the spring game. Of course, the Aggies had some injuries on defense, so it was mostly against the second team defense and Manziel could have taken 20 minute siestas in the pocket. But he looked fantastic and will be highly formidable for opponents this year. How do you improve on a year in which you accounted for 47 touchdowns on the ground and through the air, completing 295-of-434 passes (68%) for 3,706 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine ints, while running for 1,410 yards and 21 TDs? Well, Manziel has worked with famed quarterback instructor George Whitfield to increase his accuracy. He’s stepping into his throws better and his arm strength looks better. He can really run, that we know. But his passing game looks better than ever.

A&M opens with Rice and Sam Houston State at home and then the Tide comes in for a showdown on Sept. 14 at Kyle Field. Wow, that will be awesome. S and the Tide are still pretty sore about last year’s 29-24 loss and will be out for major payback. Should be terrific. A&M then hosts SMU, a dynamic offensive group and A&M looks a little thin on defense, then the Aggies go to Arkansas and Ole Miss, play Auburn, Vandy, UTEP and State at home, go to Baton Rouge and then to Missouri. It’s tough, like all of the SEC schedules are. ‘Bama, LSU and Ole Miss look to be A&M most challenging foes, but there are some other games; AU, Vandy and State which will be tests.

What is also impressive about this team is the running back stable they have. They have two transfers, Tre Carson (Oregon) and Brandon Williams (Oklahoma), who look dynamic. Carson is 6’0″, 227, and more of a bruiser, in between the tackles runner, while Williams is 6’0″, 192 and a speedster. They join the talented Ben Malena (5’8″, 185) and Trey Williams (5’8″, 185) in what could be one of  the top backfields not only in the conference, but also in the country.

The line lost a couple of guys including the second pick in the draft, Luke Joeckel, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they look like they have some pretty good replacements. Left tackle Jake Matthews (6’5″, 305) has 33 career starts, left guard Jarvis Harrison (6’4″, 320) has 18 career starts, center Mike Matthews, Jake’s brother, is 6’3″,280, and hasn’t had a start but looks pretty powerful. Right guard Germain Ifedi (6″5″, 320) has zero starts, but his size is fantastic. Right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (6’5″, 300) has 19 career starts. They should be an effective unit.

Wide receiver will be led by MIke Evans, who caught 82 passes for 1,105 yards and five TDs last year. LeKendrick Williams had a good spring and caught five passes for 116 yards and two TDs last year. Derel Walker is another who can be a big impact player on the perimeter. Didn’t see much of their tight ends.

Defense has a lot of good athletes, but not sure if there is a lot of depth. A&M had an excellent recruiting class in 2013, so that should help immediately in the fall, particularly on defense, where they recruited very well. Kirk Herbstreit called Floyd Raven Sr., the Aggies’ free safety, their leader on defense. Linebacker Donnie Baggs (6’1″, 230) will play a major role as well. They’re not huge on the defensive line, actually small, averaging 270 across the front. But they have couple of d tackles coming in, Isaiah Golden (6’2″, 295), a four-star, and Hardreck Walker (6’2″, 280), another four star, who need to bring immediate help. They lost Demontre Moore to the New York Giants, but they have some athletes on the d ends. A&M also has five linebackers,  three defensive backs and some athletes coming in this year as well. They recruited heavily on defense in 2013. Defensive back De’Vante Harris and linebacker Nate Askew will also play key roles on the defense. They will need immediate help from these freshmen coming in and that’s always difficult in the SEC. A&M already has 10 commits for 2014 and six of  them are four-stars and seven of the 10 are on defense. At this point they have the third ranked class in the country according to Rivals.

Didn’t see much of their kicking game, but it’s fine. It didn’t stick out as a major asset or a liability, so it looks fine.

Should be a very interesting season in College Station. Johnny Football looks better than ever, and there is some explosiveness on offense with those backs and some good receivers and a pretty powerful starting O line. Tight end looks like Cameron Clear, who played at Hoover, may be a guy to look for. He’s 6’6″, 270. He’s had some off field issues, so we’ll see what develops there.

There are some new coaches. Clarence McKinney and Jake Spavital will take over the offense with McKinney calling plays. It’ll be interesting to see how Manziel adjusts to a new play-caller after Kliff Kingsbury did a masterful job last year. Kingsbury took over as head coach at Texas Tech, his alma mater, and will be in his first year at the helm there. Head coach Kevin Sumlin will also have an impact on offense and Mark Snyder will once again run the defense. Marcel Yates will co-coordinate the defense with Snyder. Snyder looks like a pretty good coach to me. He will have to develop his starters and depth.

Manziel and his teammates will have to get by the Tide if they want to be in the hunt to win it all. That’s a tall order. They could still get there with one loss, but would need some help. But they should be a good football team, and Sept 14 will be a spectacle when the Tide comes into Kyle Field.

 

Thursday: South Carolina

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Them Dawgs

Posted by david on May 20, 2013 at 11:52 am

Aaron Murray will try to get the Dawgs to the national championship game his senior year

Aaron Murray will try to get the Dawgs to the national championship game his senior year

Georgia has 10 of 11 starters returning from last year’s offense. Aaron Murray, of course, returns for his senior season at quarterback. Murray completed 249–of-386 passes last year (64.5%) for 3,893 yards and 36 TDs against 10 interceptions. He’s got a chance to have a special year. He’ll be tested early as Georgia goes to Clemson to open the season (Aug. 31, 8 PM ET/7 CT on ABC), plays South Carolina at home the next week, then gets a break against North Texas at home, before LSU comes to Athens on Sept. 28. Murray looked like he might have the Alabama game won in the SEC championship game when he led a late drive with the Dawgs needing a touchdown to win it. The Dawgs were on the ‘Bama eight yard line with no timeouts and the Tide leading 32-28. Murray motioned to the sideline to spike the ball after a completed pass to the eight, but amazingly Mark Richt and oc Mike Bobo told him to run a play. Murray attempted a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage. A Georgia player caught it was tackled and the game was over. The Dawgs took care of business in the Capital One bowl with a 45-31 victory over Nebraska. The ‘Dawgs finished the season 12-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference regular season with their only regular season conference loss coming to South Carolina, a stunning 35-7 defeat.

Georgia also plays @ UT, @ Vandy (not a cakewalk anymore), vs. Florida in Jacksonville, @ Auburn, vs. Kentucky and @ Tech. There’s another non-conferece game against App State, which I don’t know, may be an interesting game. Don’t know a lot about App State, but they’ve taken down a giant before when they beat Michigan at the Big House three or four years ago.

I see the ‘Dawgs in the thick of the SEC title hunt and consequentially in the national title hunt. They’ll have to survive those first three of four games gauntlet, but if they do and come out 4-0, they could be right in the title hunt both in the conference and nationally. Clemson will have quarterback Tajh Boyd and all world wide out Sammie Watkins back, and Dabo has recruited well, so that could be a pretty good tussle for the Dawgs. South Carolina should be very good and LSU will be loaded with the only problem being Les Miles making decisions on the sidelines. But they’ll be covered with talent and could overcome Miles’ questionable decision-makingc during games. But a 4-0 mark is a possibility with SC and LSU at home, and the Dawgs should be better than Clemson. Will know more about SC and Clemson when I watch their spring games. LSU doesn’t televise their spring game, but will get stats from it. Like SC and Georgia to battle it out for the east crown, with Florida in the hunt ,but behind Ga and SC. Will have my predictions this summer during media days.

Todd Gurley will return for his sophomore campaign at running back and he should have a phenomenal season. Gurley ran for 1,385 yards last year, averaging 6.2 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns. He’ll be a force in the conference. Keith Marshall ran for 759 yardsand eight touchdowns last year. He was as highly regarded as Gurley coming out of high school, and even more so, so he’ll be a major factor in the offense. Malcolm Mithcell returns at wide receiver as does Michael Bennett, who is returning from a season ending knee injury last year. Mitchell is a game changer who can go the distance any time he catches the ball. He made the play of the season for the Dawgs when he caught a short out pass from Murray late in the Florida game and took it to the house 51 yards for the game clinching TD. He’s fantastic. Bennett is an excellent possession receiver. There are others and tight ends Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome should give Murray some big time targets in the passing game as well. The offensive line returns in tact. The offense is in very good shape.

Defense lost some very key players to t he NFL in linebacker Alex Ogletree (St. Louis Rams), linebacker Jarvis Jones (Pittsburgh Steelers), nose tackle John Jenkins (Saints),  safety Bacarri Rambo (Washington Redskins)  and safety Shawn Williams (Cincinnati Bengals). Those are some key losses, but there is a ton of young talent. Cornerback Damian Swann should be the leader. Swann, a junior,  led the ‘Dawgs with four ints last year. He also had two fumble recoveries. He’s a player. There were 11 early enrollees at spring practice, so that was good for the offense and defense. True freshman safety Tray Mattews is a headhunter. True freshman linebacker Reggie Carter and true frosh cornerback Reggie Wilkerson are other guys to watch. Redshirt freshman nose tackle John Taylor is 6″4″, 335. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will have to get the group playing hard and cohesively this summer in preparation for Clemson.

It’s going to be an awesome race in the SEC East and Georgia is once again going to be a major player. If Richt loses a couple of the first four games, he will once again be on the hot seat. Coaches just have to survive in the SEC, and while Richt has done a good job, fans have short fuses on their patience meters, so he’ll need to at leastwin three of the four (North Texas for sure, and he really needs to beat South Carolina after last year’s debacle) to be in good shape vocationally.

But Georgia should be a factor in this conference title race, which, if you win the conference title, almost automatically puts you in the national championship game. They will be loaded on offense and defense should be pretty stout with a lot of young, stellar players.

Tomorrow: A&M

 

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The 40th Players Championship

Posted by david on May 8, 2013 at 11:34 am

Where: The Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl.;7,215 yards, Par 72

TV Times: Thursday: Golf Channel: 12-6 PM CT; Thursday: Golf: 8PM-!! PM CT; Friday: Golf Channel: 12-6 PM CT; Friday: Golf: 8-11 PM CT; Saturday: NBC: 1-6 PM CT; Sunday: NBC: 1-6 PM CT.

Purse: $9,500,000; Winner’s share: $1,710,000

Fed Ex Points: 600

Defending Champion: Matt Kuchar, -13; 2011: K.J. Choi, -13:

Weather: Thursday: 85 high, sunny, 0 chance of rain, wind 6 MPH; Friday: 89 high, partly cloudy, 10% chance of rain, wind 9 MPH; Saturday: 89 high, 10 % chance of rain, wind 10 MPH; Sunday: 81 high, 40% chance of t-storms, wind 11 MPH.

Key Holes:

No.2: 532 yards, par five:

This course is all about shaping shots and this one requires a right to left draw that puts you on the left side of the fairway with a look at going for it. On the right side of the fairway there is rough and a tremendously tough angle coming into the green The right side is guarded by trees then you have to hit over a pond with a bunker in front of the green. Certainly a scoring hole here, but the drive is critical.

No.4, 384 yard par 4

Driving off this tee is again critical as you need to avoid a fairway bunker and a lateral hazard on the right. A well-struck long iron or fairway wood enables the player to hit a middle to short iron into one of the toughest greens on the course. There are numerous treacherous pin placements on this undulating, two-tiered green which makes this target well protected and a difficult shot. A water hazard protects the front and the left side of the green, while small, but deep bunkers protect the green on the right and on the backside. Mounds on the back. It could be a birdie or double on this baby.

No. 14, 467 yard, par 4

You need to cut it on your drive. Considered the hardest hole on the golf course a majority of the time. There’s a lateral hazard and a fairway bunker down the left side. The right side has grass bunkers and a large mound. Between the driving area and the green is a big bunker. The green is big and has severe undulations and long slopes. A bunker guards the front left side of the green and a few bunkers hide among the large grass bunkers on the right and the back of the green. A driver and a long to middle iron are required on this treacherous hole.

No.15, 449 yard, par 4

Dogleg right begins with a drive through a chute of trees and over water. The fairway bunker extends down  the right side of the fairway to a paved path, then resumes to the left of the path and extends almost to the green. A large bunker  to the left and a small bunker on the right front protect  the green. The hole is typically played with a driver off the tee and a mid to short iron in the fairway.

No.16, 507 yard, par 5

This short par five gives the players an opportunity to reach the green in two. A fairway wood or long iron is required for the second shot, which must carry a lateral water hazard, a bunker and a bulkhead, or wooden wall going up three feet, guarding the green. All of these obstacles are on the right and start 150 yards from the green. To the left is a cluster of oak trees block a clear path to the green. Another cut off the tee is required. Players who do not go for it must direct their second shots to a narrow area protected by a grass bunker, a water hazard and a cluster of oak trees. The green has two tiers sloping left to right towards the water. Many second or third shots to the left side of the green have led to treacherous chips, some of which have gone in the water and led to disaster. Brandt Snedeker did it last year.

No.17, 137 yard, par 3

The island hole leads and has led to some of the greatest drama in golf. It’s the signature hole on the golf course. The right side of the green is protected by a small bunker and you’re carrying water the whole way. There is water behind the green, so club selection is critical. It can be anywhere from an eight iron to a pitching wedge depending on the wind. Tiger Woods’ “better than most” putt was one of the enduring images in all of golf history. Still despite those heroics and plenty of others, there have also been plenty of balls landing short in the water or going long and finding the water over the green on this thrilling, yet perilous, classic hole.

No.18, 447 yard, par 4

For all the excitement of the 17th, the 18th makes for a phenomenal finishing hole. Driving is crucial on this hole. It’s a dogleg left. Water guards the entire length of the hole to the left, while spectator mounds and large trees guard the right side. A collection of grass bunkers guard the front right section of the green, while a long, maintained bunker stops shots hit left and long. One of the premier finishing holes in golf. Maybe the best. Should be classic drama here.

Contenders:

Graeme McDowell:

One of the most accurate drivers on the tour and an excellent putter as well. Won at Hilton Head three weeks ago, so he’s playing well. Could very well be in the winner’s circle on Sunday.

Kevin Streelman:

Won at Tampa Bay. Smart player- Duke graduate. Like his chances.

Jason Day:

Had the lead going into 17 at Augusta and just came up short. Long and accurate off the tee. Very good putter. He can handle the pressure. Confident and energetic.

Russell Henley:

Excellent young player. See him getting in the hunt and possibly pulling this off.

Billy Horschel:

Love this guy’s energy and passion for the game. Won at the Zurich in New Orleans two weeks ago with a clutch 25-footer on 18. He’s a competitor and a grinder, which this course requires.

Ryan Moore:

Excellent player who has been in the hunt throughout this year. Played well last week at Quail Hollow, finishing tied for 6th. Long, accurate, excellent player. Driving accuracy maybe the most important key on this course as well as putting.

The Winner

Ryan Moore

I just like the way he’s playing.

Like Horshel, Ryan,  who’a 30 years old, is ready and  is an intense competitor; a quality that will serve him well this weekend.

Ryan Moore

 

 

 

 

 

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AU spring game- a look ahead

Posted by david on April 30, 2013 at 12:37 pm

Jonathan Wallace has a good spring makes move to be starting qb

Jonathan Wallace has a good spring makes move to be starting qb

AU fans are excited for Gus Malzahn’s first season and they showed it by the attendance figure which was over 83,000, the highest attended spring game in the country. Pretty impressive.

Jonathan Wallace and Kiehl Frazier took the snaps at quarterback, and while Khiel was still inconsistent, Wallace showed he’s a pretty capable quarterback. Wallace was 18-of-26 for 191 yards with no TDs and one int, but he moved the offense pretty well. Kiehl is just not there yet. You can see he has talent, but just hadn’t put it together so far. With the arrival of heralded freshman Jeremy Johnson from Carver-Montgomery and JC transfer Nick Marshall, there should be some excellent competition at quarterback. Most of the time, I don’t love freshman quarterbacks starting in the SEC, but Jeremy is one outstanding football player. First of all, he has the size at 6’6″, 215. He threw for 3,183 yards last year with 31 TDs and seven ints. He also ran for 705 and seven TDs. I’ve watched film on him and am highly impressed with his arm strength, his accuracy and his ability to see the field and make the right throw or tuck it and run it. Awesome athlete.  Also watched an interview with him after the Army high school all-star game and he’s definitely a leader. Awesome kid. Jeremy could step in and play immediately if he has a good summer. Marshall needs to work on his arm strength and his accuracy. He threw for 17 TDs but 20 ints last year at Garden City Community College in Kansas.

There are quite a few good players on this team and a highly impressive recruiting class coming in. One of the ’13 recruits, junior college running back Cameron Artis-Payne, was a four-star player. And Artis-Payne didn’t disappoint in the spring game,. He ran for 117 yards on 18 carries and had some tough, grind it out runs and some long runs. Artis-Payne could take the starting job away from Tre Mason, though Tre is a good player himself. Corey Grant didn’t play in the spring game, but he’s got incredible speed, almost world class, and he was quite a player at Opelika High School. He should be in the mix. Four-star signee Jonathan Ford will be another guy who plays a role. These freshmen coming in are fantastic. They should be competing for many roles this fall. Another incoming freshman running back is 5.7, three-star Peyton Barber. The coaches are high on him as well.

O line looks pretty solid to me. Reese Dismukes is the leader and anchor at center, and Greg Robinson will be a force at left tackle. There is a lot of talent like Jordan Diamond and Avery Young at tackle. Both were five-star signees in the class of 2012, but were injured last year. They should make a big impact. They’re both massive. Veteran guard Chad Slade will be in the mix for starting time. 2012 four-star Alex Kozan, 2012 four-star Patrick Miller and Shon Coleman, a four star in 2012 who has recovered from leukemia, a pretty amazing story, will also be in  the mix. I really like backup center Tunde Fariyika. He’s a good player. He had a fine spring game.

At wide out, Sammie Coates will be a go-to guy. He’s quite an athlete, and at 6’2, 201, a very nice target. Also liked Ricardo Louis a lot. He can be a factor. He got belted with an illegal hit above the shoulders by cornerback Jonathon Mincy which knocked him out of the game. Looked like he suffered a concussion. I’m not sure why Mincy would do that to a teammate. MIncy looks like a really good player, but if he does that in a game, he’ll be ejected, and really, you don’t do that to an opposing player especially when it’s your teammate. Louis looked good. Jaylon Denson did some nice things also. He’s 6’3″, 216, so he’s a big, tall target. Quan Bray is kind of playing the Onterio McCalebb role this year. He’ll catch some passes and make some speed sweep runs. Quan’s a potentially explosive player. Trovon Reed dropped some passes in the game. Just don’t know why he can’t get it done, but it hasn’t gotten any better. There are a couple of talented four-stars coming in in Earnest Robinson of Pinson Valley (6’3″, 200) and Tony Stevens (6’3″, 175). Dominic Walker is 6’2″, 195 and a high three-star. Jason Smith is a four-star athlete at 6’1″, 187. Not sure where Malzahn will put him, but he could make a good wr.

What stood out on the defense to me was the play of the cornerbacks. Mincy played very well and Chris Davis had a very good spring. Joshua Holsey is a good player as is Ryan White. Cornerback looks good. Robenson Therezie and Jermaine Whitehead are highly capable safeties. Demetruce McNeil will play a role. I like him. He plays hard and has talent.  There will be some incoming frosh coming in who could make an impact. This freshmen class is fantastic.

Linebacker looks somewhat thin, but there are some very good players in the group. Kris Frost played well in the spring after being hurt all last year. He was a five-star out of high school. He could be special. Cassanova McKinzy is a beast. Justin Garrett is excellent and has had a dominant spring. Incoming junior college lb Kenny Flowers should provide immediate help. He didn’t play in spring game. Also, freshman Cameron Toney will probably be needed. Flowers is 6’2″, 225 and Toney is 6’3″, 225. LaDarius Owens (6’2′, 248) is a good player. The linebacking corps needs to stay healthy, but there are some very good players, just not a lot of them.

Dline looks pretty good but somewhat thin too. Jeffrey Whitaker hasn’t performed up to expectations so far in his career, but he’s 6’4″, 307 and maybe defensive coordinator  Ellis Johnson can get through  to him and get his motor cranking. Dee Ford and Nosa Eguae are good players at defensive ends and Ken Carter is an undersized (6’4″, 287), but talented defensive tackle. Heralded five-star defensive tackle Montravius Adams (6’3″, 290), five-star d end Carl Lawson (6’2″, 253) and four-star d end Elijah Daniel (6’3″,249) should provide some immediate help. They look physically ready to play college football.

Cody Parkey was erratic kicking the ball in the spring game, but he had a pretty good year last year, so kicking should be OK though incoming freshman Daniel Carson will give him a run if Parkey remains as inconsistent as he was in the spring game. Steven Clark will be back to punt. He wasn’t that great last year, but maybe another year will make a difference. Punt returner looks like it will be Quan Bray. He’s explosive. Auburn didn’t do any live kickoffs, so not sure who’ll be back there.

AU opens at home with Washington State, Arkansas State and Miss. State in the first three, then go to Baton Rouge in week four. Ole Miss and Western Carolina are at home, then the Tigers go to College Station to face A&M. The Tigers are at home vs Florida Atlantic, then go to Arkansas and Tennessee before playing the Dawgs and the Tide at home to finish the season.

@LSU, @A&M and Georgia and Alabama@ home will be tough. There are some tossups with Ole Miss @ home and Arkansas and UT on the road, though I believe AU can beat a rebuilding Tennessee team and Arkansas too. Ole Miss looked pretty good in their spring game, so that’ll be a tough one. Eight wins looks possible though it could be a game better if AU can upset Georgia or any of the other three. Seven, six or five wins is also possible. Just need to get the qb position cemented by Washington State, though that may not happen, and stay as healthy as possible on defense. The freshmen will have to make an immediate impact as well.

 

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Bama looks stout…again

Posted by david on April 25, 2013 at 3:18 pm

T.J. ready for a massive year

T.J. ready for a massive year

T.J. Yeldon looks like he can run for over 2,000 this year if S will let him. Backup at running back looks pretty stacked also. Derrick Henry, the early enrollee freshman who looked very good in the spring before breaking the tibia bone in his leg, could be the heir apparent as backup to Yeldon. A Yeldon-Henry combo would be much like the Ingram-Richardson, Richardson-Lacy, Lacy-Yeldon combination. Could be pretty lethal. Henry’s 6’3″, 240 pounds. A potentially dominant running back. Trent Richardson-type. And there are plenty of others in the wheelhouse. Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart will be back from injuries. Coming in are four-star freshmen Tyren Jones, Alvin Kamara and Altee Tenpenny. Running back is fine.

A.J. looked pretty sharp Saturday completing 19-of-30 passes for 223 with a 40-yard TD pass to Kenny Bell and two ints. Vinnie Sunseri and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix each picked off McCarron. Clinton-Dix also recovered a fumble and returned it 55 yards for a TD to put the Crimson team up on the White, 14-10, with 2:01 left in the game. But McCarron brought the Tide back on the next drive hooking up with Christion Jones for 50 yards which set up a Yeldon seven yard scamper for the decisive touchdown to put the White over the top as they won 17-14. Behind McCarron, the best player looks like redshirt freshman Alec Morris. Morris was 10-of-18 for 141 yards. He has a very good arm and good mechanics. Blake Sims just doesn’t look like he’ll get it done at least at quarterback. Maybe in a wildcat package, but he can’t throw it accurately. He had two passes picked off. The defenses forced seven turnovers, which was good for the defense, but not so swift for the offenses. There were six passes picked off. Freshman Cooper Bateman, an early enrollee, had his struggles, but is highly touted. We’ll see how he develops over the summer. Phillip Ely, Parker McLeod and Luke Del Rio need some more reps. Del Rio actually looked like the best one behind McCarron and Morris.

Wide receiver is loaded, much like running back. Kenny Bell had a very good game. Amari Cooper is going to be an All-American, Christion Jones, Chris Black, Raheem Falkins (an early enrollee), DeAndrew White, back from injury, and tight end O.J. Howard, an early enrollee and a five-star recruit, have this position extremely well-manned. The Tide has so many good wide receivers that S moved a couple over to the secondary. Cyrus Jones is in the secondary now.

O line looks like they haven’t missed a beat. Ryan Kelly will be an excellent replacement for Barrett Jones at center. Kelly is listed at 6’5″, 290, but should be over 300 by the time the season starts. The Kuoandijo brothers will man the left side of the line. Cyrus will be an All-American and a top five draft pick if he goes out in the 2014 draft, and Arie has been hurt in previous years, but looks like an NFL player too. Cyrus is 6’6″, 310 and Arie is 6’5″, 315. They’ve got a handle on the left side. Anthony Steen will be back for right guard duty. Pretty underrated player last year because of Barrett, Chance Warmack and D.J. Fluker, but he’s fantastic. Steen is 6’3′,309. At right tackle, Leon Brown, a 6’6″, 313 junior college transfer, and Austin Shepherd, a 6’5″, 315 pound junior, will battle it out. Both looked good in the A-Day game. Tide will need to develop some depth on the line. Freshmen Grant Hill and Brandon Hill will help. Grant is 6’6″, 301 and Brandon is 6’7″, 290.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing Jonathan Allen play college football. The five star defensive end signee out of Virginia is a destroyer. One of the most physical high school players I’ve ever seen. He’ll be dominant. Defense looked very good to me. Inside linebacker Trey DePriest was hurt so he didn’t play, but he’ll be there in August. C.J. Mosely is another All-American at linebacker in the string of great linebackers Alabama has produced. C.J. has been doing it for three years now. It’s pretty impressive he came back for his senior year rather than go out for the draft. He made a wise decision because with a huge senior year, C.J. will be a first rounder in ’14; possibly a high first rounder. Ryan Anderson also impressed me at linebacker. Like him a lot. Reggie Ragland was a five-star two years ago, so he should make a pretty big impact at lb. There’s plenty of depth. Xsavier Dickson is going to be fantastic at a hybrid linebacker/dend position. He’s terrific and will dominate. Also really like Denzel Devall, another hybrid lb/dend. Line looks pretty powerful. Adrian Hubbard is another lb/dend hybrid who should have a huge year and see his draft status go to first round. Brandon Ivory is a guy who stood out to me at defensive tackle. Ivory is 6’4″, 310. Some guys need to step up in the interior; it may be a position that will need to develop as the summer progresses and the season starts. Jeoffrey Pagan has all the physical tools (6’4″, 290) to be an All-American and first round pick;  just needs to put it together this year. He could be dominant. Darius Page, a four star freshman out of Foley, could help  early in the season. A’Shawn Richardson, a five star out of Fort Worth Texas, could bring in some immediate help at dtackle. He’s 6’4″, 320. He had committed to Texas originally, but switched to ‘Bama late in the process. Looks like a beast.

The secondary looks very good. Cornerback Deion Belue had an excellent A-Day game and is primed for a huge year. The other corner is not settled totally yet. There are some injuries right now. Nothing major; just some guys nicked up. Geno Smith looks like the favorite at the other corner. He should be stellar. He  played last year and performed  well. Will need to develop some depth at corner, but there is plenty of potential there. The Tide has four NFL safeties. Ha Ha, Sunseri, Landon Collins, who looked awesome last Saturday and was a five-star in 2012, and John Fulton, are all big time players. They’ll be some help with Nick Perry and others, but safety absolutely looks like one of  the strongest positions on the team along with running back and wide receiver. Ha Ha is terrific and Sunseri is stellar, but Collins and Fulton look ready to make a run at a lot of playing time. Should be pretty interesting competition this summer though nobody is going to beat out Ha Ha. He’s high first round material. Top 10 in my opinion. There’s going to be some NFL talent coming out next spring. I could see Cyrus Kuoandijo as the top pick in the draft.

Kicking game is fine with Cade Foster now handling place kicking and kickoffs and Cody Mandell punting. Those two are good. Looks like Christion Jones will get first dibs at returning punts. Kickoffs were basically half speed in A-Day, so nothing revealing there. Could see maybe one of the incoming freshmen returning kicks. Heard great things about four-star athlete ArDarius Stewart. Also Cyrus and Christion Jones should be involved.

The schedule looks pretty favorable. Open with Virginia Tech, August 31, a Saturday at 4:30 PM CT on ESPN. Don’t know a lot about Va. Tech except that they had a down year last year. They should be pretty good, but Tide will take care of business in the second half. Will get more on Hokies and try to find their spring game for a more detailed opinion.  The Tide then goes to College Station on Sept 14 to try and extract revenge against Johnny Football and the Texas A&M Aggies. That will be a classic. Pretty good to have a week off before that game. Will have more on A&M the first of next week. Manziel had a big spring game. At home vs. Colorado State and former oc Jim McElwain in week three. Ole Miss comes to Ttown in week four. Should be interesting to see if any of Hugh Freeze’s five star freshmen play significant time and contribute. Looking forward to seeing if Robert Nkemdiche can be the dominant player everyone is expecting him to be at defensive end for the Rebels. He was the number one ranked high school player in the country in 2013 by both Rivals and 247 sports.  At home vs. Ga. State, @ Kentucky, vs Arkansas, vs. Tennessee, vs LSU, @ State, vs Chattanooga and @ Auburn to close it out. Looks like it could be another special season. A&M is pivotal in week two and Ole Miss and LSU are no gimmes, but they are at home so  that’s a huge bonus. Auburn on the road will be interesting now that the Gus Bus is in command. But I like the Tide to get it done again this season and see South Carolina in the SEC Championship game. That should be a classic there. Not going to predict that one yet because I want to see South Carolina’s spring game. But I can absolutely see the Tide going all the way again and winning national championship number 16 and four in five years. Incredible stuff there if it happens. Three in four is amazing already.

In the draft tonight, four Tide players are potential first rounders. Todd McShay of ESPN has Dee Milliner going 10th to the Titans, Chance Warmack going 12th to the Dolphins, D.J. Fluker going 15th to the Saints, and Eddie Lacy going 22nd to the St. Louis Rams. I wouldn’t be surprised if Warmack doesn’t go higher. Other projections have Warmack going to the Buffalo Bills at eight. I’m positive Eddie should be a first rounder. Some are not sure, but after his performances against Georgia and Notre Dame he is a no-doubt first rounder in my mind. He’s struggled with some injuries, but a lot of running backs do. He’s stellar and should be picked in the first round. I like D.J. Fluker with the Saints at 15. Honestly, I think he should go higher. Milliner at 10 to the Titans is valid. He runs a 4.37, 40 and is so strong and is a playmaker at corner. I could see him going a little higher. Maybe seventh to the Arizona Cardinals or ninth to the Jets.

Will have plenty more spring games coming up. Auburn tomorrow morning.

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Baseball wallops Louisville

Posted by david on at 11:58 am

Tony Kemp is phenomenal

Tony Kemp is phenomenal

The No.3 Dores (Baseball America) blasted No.12 Louisville 10-2 on Tuesday Night at Louisville. We pounded out 14 hits. Redshirt freshman Zander Weil and sophomore Vinnie Conde both went deep. Wiel hit a two-run shot, his third in three games, and Vinnie had a three-run shot. Freshman Walker Buehler went 5.1 innings giving up four hits, one run wtih two walks and no strikeouts. Not worried about the lack of strikeouts by Walker. He can bring it in the mid-90′s. He’ll strike out his fair share of hitters. Phillip Pfeifer, Carson Fulmer and Jared Miller finished it off on the mound for the Dores, who moved to 36-6 on the season.We are 16-2 in the conference and host Mississippi State this weekend for a three-game set. Friday Night’s game is at 6:30 PM CT, Saturday’s game is @ noon CT and will be televised by CSS, and Sunday’s game is at 1 PM CT. Kevin Ziomekwill be on the hill Friday Night, Tyler Beede on Saturday and most likely, T.J. Pecoraro on Sunday. Would like to see our three starters have good weekends.

State is 33-1o overall. They lost two of three to LSU in Starkville in March, lost two of three to Kentucky in Lexington, lost two of three to Arkansas in Fayetteville. took two of three from Florida in Starkville, beat Ole Miss on April 9, 5-1, swept A&M at College Station, April 12-14, and took two of three from Auburn at State last weekend. They defeated Memphis Tuesday, 12-1. State is ranked No.16 by Baseball America. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe is knocking the cover off the ball hitting .410 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs. State hitting .298 as a team. Ross Mitchell is a long reliever out of the bullpen who is 8-0 with an 0.97 ERA. Luis Pollorena is their Friday guy. He’s 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA. He has 24 walks and 41 Ks. Their closer is Jonathan Holder. Holder has 12 saves and a 1.61 ERA. He has walked only seven and K’d 52.

Tony Kemp is leading us in hitting @ .387. Tony has stolen 22 bases in 31 attempts. He has 63 hits in 42 games. Playing fantastic second base also. Made a beautiful catch Tuesday Night going into foul territory and a beautiful snare of a line drive Sunday against Georgia. Just an amazing player.  Connor Harrell’s catch in right center Tuesday Night was Willie Mays-like. It was beautiful. We’re playing awesome defense, found some good power with Zander Wiel, Connor (8 homers, 52 RBIs), Vinnie (six homers, 33 RBIs) Rhett Wiseman and Kyle Smith, who has been hurt ever since he collided with the wall a couple of weeks ago against Mizzou. But Kyle should be back, maybe this weekend. He suffered a bad cut on his chin (requiring something like 18 stitches), and suffered a concussion. So Kyle needs to take his time coming back. He’ll be OK soon though. Yaz can hit it out, Spence Navin can hit it out and Conrad Gregor can show some power at times. That was the one area I thought we might be not as strong at, but we’re fine in the power department. Tyler Beede is showing us why he was a first round draft pick out of high school in 2011. He is 10-0 with a 1.52 ERA. He has walked 38 and K’d 67. He’s been awesome the last two games. Zo just needs to keep improving and T.J. would give us a big lift on Sundays if he can return to his 2011 form. Certainly has it in him. Looks like we’re developing some fourth and fifth starters for the postseason as well.

Like where this team is at. I’m sure Corbs is pleased. Can’t rest on our laurels though. Have a tough test coming into town this weekend. Need to be honed in for State. Always have to be focused for SEC series.

Dave Price lost a tough one to the Yankees Tuesday Night. Pitched against Phil Hughes of the Yanks, who pitched very well. Dave went eight, giving up eight hits, three earned runs, with no walks and five K’s. Thought he battled hard. Went into the ninth tied at two, but gave up a single to Robinson Cano, maybe the best hitter in baseball, and Joe Maddon pulled him. Fernando Rodney couldn’t hold’em, but had what looked like a strike three called a ball which really hurt him and the team, and allowed the Yankees to score two on a single by Ichiro. Dave now 0-2 with a 5.52 ERA. I’m a little concerned about him, but he threw a lot of strikes Tuesday Night. Dave threw 99 pitches, 71 for strikes. Hopefully he’ll get it back in his next start Sunday against the ChiSox. Rays did take two out of three from Yanks in Tampa. Beat C.C. Sabathia on Monday Night, 5-1, and Andy Pettitte last night, 3-0. Rays now at 10-11 after a tough road trip that saw them go 2-7. Four back of BoSox, who are 14-7. Orioles are 12-9 and the Yankees are hanging tough without A Rod, Jeter, Tex and Granderson. They are 11-9. Rays hitting the road again for a pretty lengthy time starting tonight @ Chicago (White Sox) for a four-game set, followed by the KC Royals for three beginning next Tuesday and Colorado next weekend.

Mike Minor battled 20 degree weather in Denver and beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Tuesday. Mike went six, giving up five hits, three runs with two walks and five K’s. Mike moved to 3-1 overall with a 1.80 ERA. His only loss came to the Royals last week, 1-0. Man is Justin Upton crushing the ball. Eleven deep ones on the season. He’s leading the bigs. Braves playing great ball at 15-6 on the season though they lost to the Rockies in extras yesterday, 6-5. Rockies pretty good though. 14-7 on the season. Braves took two out of three from Rocks. Braves go to Detroit Tigers this weekend, starting tomorrow night, in what should be a classic series, then host the Nationals next week.

 

 

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Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Posted by david on at 9:29 am

Where: TPC Louisiana, New A’hlins

Course: 7,341 yards, Par 72

Architect: Pete Dye

Purse: $6,600,000;

Winner’s share: $1,152,000 

Defending champion: Jason Dufner

TV: Today: Golf Channel: 2-5 PM CT; Golf: 7:30-10:30 PM CT; Friday: Golf: 2-5 PM CT; Golf:7:30-10:30 PM CT; Saturday: Golf: Noon-1:30 PM CT; CBS: 2-5 PM CT; Golf: 5:30-10 PM CT; Sunday: Golf: 12-1:30 PM CT; CBS: 2-5 PM CT.

Key Holes:

No.8: A Par-4, 372 yard hole that may be reachable downwind. A little risky since mounds are in play and the green difficult to hit. There are some bunkers which the players had asked to be put it back in 2005, so they’ll be a factor on this hole.

N0.9: A tough 210-yard par 3 that plays over water. There is trouble on the left side, so shots left of the green could be a bogey.

N0. 15: A tough 480 yard par-4 that favors a slight draw off  the tee. There are no bunkers on this hole, but slopes make chipping and pitching difficult. Par is considered a good score here.

No.17: A 215 yard, par-3. No bunkers on the left, but a pot bunker on the right that comes into play. Another hole where par is considered a victory.

No.18: A 589 yard, par 5. Pete Dye put the water into play more on the second shot. Bunkers in play, mounds close to the green making going for it and even laying up difficult due to difficult third shot and risky go for shot. Should make for great theater on Sunday.

Contenders:

Jason Dufner:

Gotta like the defending champion to do well here. Awesome ball striker. If his putter is working, like his chances.

Nick Watney:

Another excellent ball striker. When does the putter ever not come into play in any tournament? It’ll be key for him as well, though this course does put a premium on ball striking. Won The Barclays last year. Excellent player when he’s on and keeps an even keel.

Boo Weekley:

Like the way he’s been playing. See him getting in the hunt this week. Kind of a character. It would be fun to see him get in there.

Justin Rose:

Waiting for him to get over the top this year. He’s been close. He’ll be a factor. His putter is a struggle for him at times and that keeps him from winning more. He’s probably been focusing on it though, and should be better with flat stick this week.

Winner:

Rickie Fowler

I’m a believer in Rickie. I think he’s clutch and has all the shots. Very good, clutch player. Excellent putter when he’s got it going on the greens. See Rickie getting it done this week.

See Rickie as the man this week at Zurich

See Rickie as the man this week at Zurich

 

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Preview and Predictions for the best tournament in golf

Posted by david on April 10, 2013 at 3:55 pm

The 77th Masters

Augusta National Golf Club; 7,435 yards, Par 72

Purse: 8,000,000; Winners’ share: 1,440,000

Defending champion: Bubba; 2011 champion: Charl Schwartzel; 2010: Phil; 2009: Angel Cabrera; 2008: Trevor Immelman

TV: Thursday: ESPN: 2-6:30 PM CT; Thursday Night: ESPN: 7-10 PM CT; Friday: ESPN: 2-6:30 PM CT; ESPN: 7-10 PM CT; Saturday: CBS: 2-6 PM CT; Sunday: CBS: 1-6 PM CT.

Weather: Thursday: 83; 30 % chance of isolated T-storms; wind South 13 MPH. Friday: 79; AM Showers; 30%. Wind 13 MPH West, Southwest. Saturday: 77; Sunny; wind: 6 MPH from west. Sunday: Cloudy; 79; 20 % chance of rain. Wind 6 MPH East Southeast.

Key Holes:

Most of you know the holes pretty well. Amen Corner (11-13) will be as usual, critical on Sunday, but with windier conditions, these holes Thursday and Friday could be very important as well as far as making the cut.

 

No.10

A dogleg right to left, 495 yards, par-four. If the drive catches the slope in the fairway you will have a six or seven iron to the green, maybe even eight or nine for the bombers as opposed to a three, four or hybrid for some shorter hitters. The right front bunker is treacherous and can lead to a bogey. Putting surface slopes from right to left. Some pretty difficult putts on this hole. Pin placement front right is a tricky one. Always an interesting hole particularly on Sunday. This was where Bubba hit his 165 yard draw in the playoff versus Louis Oosthuizen last year that led to his victory. Rated the toughest hole on the course.

N0.11

A 505 yard, par-four. The second toughest hole on the course. A big tee shot is required to have a good look at the green. There’s a pond to the left that guards the green and a bunker to the back right. The safest shot is a bail out short and to the right. This is where Larry Mize sank his 140-yard chip shot that beat Greg Norman in a playoff in 1987. Rated the second toughest hole on the course.

No. 12

This 155 yard, par-three is a key hole on Sunday with the wind shifting sometimes severely. Two memories come to mind on this hole. Fred Couples tee shot in 1992 that came up short and looked like it was going to roll back into the pond guarding the front of the green. But the ball amazingly held up and Couples chipped to four feet and saved par. A bogey would have been costly and a double catastrophic. That par save helped Couples capture the ’92 Masters. A more downtrodden memory was Greg Norman on this hole in the final round of the 1996 Masters. After having a three-shot lead heading into 9, he collapsed on the next four holes and hit his ball in the water on 12. The wind was tricky without a doubt. He went from a three-shot lead to a two-shot deficit and shot a final round 78 to lose to Nick Faldo by five shots. Faldo shot a 67 and captured his sixth major and his third green jacket. That was the sixth time Norman held the lead in the final round of a major and lost on Sunday. He had a six shot lead going into the round. Norman was not known as a closer.

No.13

A 510 yard, par five. Exciting theater here. An accurate, pretty lengthy tee shot will lead to a go for on the second shot with a reasonable middle iron. Rae’s Creek guards the front of the green and there are four bunkers behind the putting surface. Good eagle and certainly birdie opportunity. Makes for some awesome drama on Sunday. Phil Mickelson’s gutsy six iron through the trees to four feet in 2010 is a lasting memory. Phil missed the putt but sank his birdie putt and went on to capture his third green jacket.

N0.16

170 yards, par-3. Should be primed for some major drama on Sunday. Tiger’s chip in in 2005, his last Masters win, was a memory that’ll last a lifetime. The final revolution of the ball allowed it to drop in the cup. Tiger was interviewed earlier this week and said it wasn’t his favorite shot because even though it gave him a two shot lead, he had to win in a playoff over Chris DiMarco. I’ll always remember Jack on this hole for some reason.  I will never forget his ’86 victory at age 46.

No.18

A 465 yard par-four. Maybe the toughest tee shot in golf on Sunday. An uphill dogleg right which features massive trees on the right, so a wayward right drive is most likely in jail and could be fatal for someone in contention on Sunday. There are two deep bunkers on the left elbow of the dogleg. It would be recommended to avoid those. A middle iron is required for the second shot to the green which has a bunker in front and to the right. Phil’s memorable 25-footer to win the 2004 Masters is one of those epic images of this tournament. That was maybe the best Masters I’ve ever watched. Should be another classic starting tomorrow.

 Featured groups:

8:17 AM CT Thursday, 11:24 AM CT Friday: Brandt Snedecker, Ryo Ishikawa and Justin Rose.

8:39 AM CT Thursday, 11:48 AM CT Friday: Charl Schwartzel, Webb Simpson and Peter Hanson.

9:45 AM CT Thursday,  12:41 PM CT  Friday:Tiger, Luke Donald and Scott Piercy.

11:57 AM CT Thursday, 8:28 AM CT Friday: Angel Cabrera, Sergio Garcia and Y.E. Yang.

12:30 PM CT Thursday, 9:23 AM CT Friday: Phil, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer.

12:41 PM CT Thursday, 9:34 AM CT Friday: Rory, Keegan Bradley and Freddie Jacobson.

12:52 PM CT Thursday, 9:45 AM CT Friday: Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar and Bill Haas.

 

Contenders:

1. Matt Kuchar:

Just been consistent all year. Hits it long, accurately and a very good putter. Everything is solid. Like Kuuuch to be in the hunt for sure. Has all the tools to get it done this weekend.

2. Keegan Bradley:

Leads the tour with five top 10s this year. Another very consistent player who doesn’t have a victory this year to show for it, but he’s pounding on the door. Has the iron toughness to win at Augusta. Could see him in Butler’s Cabin late Sunday afternoon.

3. Charl Schwartzel:

Averages 299.5 off the tee, good for 14th in the driving distance rankings. Being a bomber really helps on this course, if you’re accurate of course, and this guy is very accurate. If he’s got his putter going, I like his chances.

4. Louis Louis:

Oosthuizen almost won last year and was epic in 2010 at the British Open. He’s a bomber too, and a terrific player. Again, if he’s got his putter going, he could be in the cabin trying on the jacket for size late Sunday afternoon.

 5. Rory

I was tempted to pick him. Really was. Playing last week at San Antonio in the Valero Texas Open was a very smart move to get his game back in shape heading into this week, especially with how well he played finishing second and shooting a final round 66. He’s got all the tools, we know that. He has the mental game. Rory almost gets over the hump this year at Augusta. He’s have a couple maybe more before his career is done.

Winner:

Tiger:

I’ve been trying to figure out a reason why I would not pick him, but I can’t. He’s back, he’s ready to win his 15th major, and his fifth green jacket. It’ll be an awesome tourney though.  Rory and these other guys will give him everything he wants, along with some others like Brandt, Angel Cabrera (a darkhorse and past winner in 2009), Phil and Lee Westwood, but he’s going to go to that clutch gene he’s always possessed and end his major drought. His last major victory was at the U.S. Open in 2008 at Torrey Pines. That drought will end on Sunday. Like Tiger to continue his pursuit of Jack’s record with a win at Augusta National.

Greatness returns to Augusta National

The greatness returns to Augusta National

 

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Now that’s the way it should be

Posted by david on April 9, 2013 at 9:52 am

Luke Hancock shoots his team to a national title

Luke Hancock shoots his team to a national title

Louisville 82, Michigan 76 was one for the ages. So many fantastic basketball players in the Georgia Dome, maybe the all-time greatest coach in college basketball not named Wooden and one of the best championship games I’ve ever seen. Wow! That was fantastic.

Little known Spike Albrecht of MIchigan played like Michael Jordan in the first half. He was just dominant, all 5’10″ , 170 pounds of him. 17 points. Four-for-four from trifecta. Spike was unstoppable. Then Luuuuke Hancock took over the game from the 2:59 to the :59 second mark of the first half with four trifectas himself. It was a spectacle. In the second half, Peyton Siva and Chane Behanan took over for the Cardinals. Siva with his beautiful drives to the rim and finishes. It was like great art. Behanan was the ultimate warrior on the boards. If that put back from the three offensive rebounds he got wasn’t NBA material those scouts are smoking pot. Somebody said last week that this Louisville team might win it all without any NBA players. Are you kiddin’ me? Siva, Behanan, Hancock, Gorgui Dieng and even Russ Smith. All of those guys will play in the NBA even though Smith was a total liability for the Cards last night.

Hancock was named MVP of the tournament and he deserved it. While Behanan and Siva were the key players for Louisville in the second half, Hancock carried the team throughout the Final Four. He was brilliant Saturday against Wichita State and he was brilliant in that first half stretch where he literally took the team on his shoulders, brought them back from a 12 point deficit and would not let them lose. In the second half the other guys got the Cards over the hump.

What else needs to be said about Rick Pitino’s coaching ability? It’s other worldly almost. The guy is a master motivator and strategist. I love watching his teams play. I love watching him coach on the sidelines. The beauty of it all is that Pitino is signed up with Louisville until 2022. We’ve got nine more years of this. I hope he and S stay in as long as possible because there is some brillance ahead with both those gentlemen coaching football and basketball respectively. It’s interesting though. John Calipari has six five-stars coming to Lexington next year and this is a spectacular group of players he’s recruited. There are twin brothers who are phenomenal guards mixed in with some power forwards and a center. Kentucky will be back in a big way next year. Three or four of the freshmen from this year’s class will be back next year at UK as sophomores. So they are going to be stellar. Pitino has four, four-stars coming in. It’ll be interesting to see who comes back onhis team. Dieng may go. Siva is a senior. Smith is a junior, but he needs another year in my opinion. Hancock is a junior. Behanan is a sophomore. Wayne Blackshear is a sophomore. Kevin Ware will be back, hopefully fully recovered from his injury. Montrezi Harrell will be back. Depending on who comes back, the Cardinals should be in the hunt for the national championship as well next year.

For all the negative talk about college basketball and lack of scoring this year, I really enjoyed the season. Thought it was thrilling. I enjoyed the SEC. Just like it all. And what an ending. College basketball is back in a big way and with Pitino around for a long time, and Coach K not planning on leaving any time soon, with Kansas, Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Florida under Billy D. and now teams like Wichita State, it’s going to keep up this awesome momentum. The SEC should be good next year with teams like Florida, Vanderbilt, and others trying to take down UK. The ACC adds Syracuse and Pitt next year then Louisville in 2014-15. The league that has broken off from the Big East with Gtown, ‘Nova, Marquette and adding Butler and Xavier should be excellent. The state of college basketball is very healthy in my opinion and will be just as electric next year as it was this year. Wow, what a year.

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