Archive for the ‘PGA’ Category
Mickelson to Return at St. Jude Championship
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Two weeks after announcing that his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer and he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson is already planning his return. Lefty will play in next week’s St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn., and then head up to Bethpage Black for the U.S. Open.
The last time he played the St. Jude Championship was in 2001, when he missed the cut.
I consider this to be great news but it certainly happened sooner than expected. Fortunately, everything we have heard about Amy Mickelson’s condition since the diagnosis has been very positive. It sounds as if the cancer was caught early enough to be treated effectively. And, it was originally thought that Amy’s surgery would happen relatively quickly but that has now been pushed back for another month.
The rest of Mickelson’s summer schedule will depend on how well Amy’s treatment and recovery progresses.
2009 Masters: Some Final Thoughts
Photo from Reuters Pictures
Where do I begin? The final round of the 2009 Masters was just about as good as it gets.
First of all, congratulations to Angel Cabrera. With the win “El Pato” elevates himself from a player who had the US Open title fall into his lap to a two time major championship winner and an Argentinian golfing legend.
Then you have the two best players in the world battling head-to-head. Not only are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson trading punches like two heavyweights, they look as if they might just be able to pull off the impossible. Going to the tee box at 17 it looked as if one of them was actually going to win… then the wheels came flying off.
Woods couldn’t stay out of the trees and Mickelson could not find the hole with his putter. And that was that, but it sure was fun while it lasted.
Meanwhile, you have Kenny Perry, Cabrera, and Chad Campbell just grinding along. Perry just kept making par after par while Cabrera struggled at times but regained his composure and stayed within striking distance.
When Perry teed off on 17 with a 2 stroke lead it looked as if he had it in the bag. Then the pressure of Sunday at Augusta clearly got the best of him. After his bogey-bogey finish on 17 and 18 led to a three-way playoff with Cabrera and Campbell I didn’t think he had a chance. By that time, Cabrera had regained his composure and Campbell had looked solid all day.
I feel bad for Perry. It would have been neat to see someone that age win a major. I was pulling for him and really thought he was going to hang on. In the end, it was not to be but one thing is for sure… the roars were back at Augusta for this Sunday.
Campbell Makes a Run at Course Record
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Chad Campbell made a serious run at the Masters scoring record before bogeying the last two holes to finish with a 7-under-par 65. He started strong with five straight birdies and later poured in four in a row on the back nine to get to 9-under.
Chad went to the 17th tee needing one more birdie to break the tournament record of 63 held by Nick Price and Greg Norman. Unfortunately, Campbell failed to get up and down from a bunker at 17 and then three-putted from 50 feet at 18. Still, his 65 was good enough for a one shot lead over Hunter Mahan, and Jim Furyk.
Conditions were about as good they get and most players took full advantage. A masters record 38 golfers finished with under par rounds and there were 354 birdies and six eagles on the day.
Tiger Woods failed to take advantage of the prime scoring conditions but did manage to put together a string of three straight birdies at one point. He finished 5 shots back with a 2-under-par 70.
Here is a look at the first round leader board:
1. Chad Campbell 65 -7 2. Hunter Mahan 66 -6 2. Jim Furyk 66 -6 4. Larry Mize 67 -5 4. Shingo Katayama 67 -5 6. John Merrick 68 -4 6. Todd Hamilton 68 -4 6. Aaron Baddeley 68 -4 6. Sean O'Hair 68 -4 6. Kenny Perry 68 -4 6. Tim Clark 68 -4 6. Angel Cabrera 68 -4 6. Mike Weir 68 -4
2009 Masters Preview
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It’s time for the Masters. Honestly, this one of my favorite weeks of the year because in just a few days we get to watch the greatest golfers in the world compete on one of the most beautiful golf courses ever built. I don’t know about you but I will be glued to the coverage all week…. from the Par 3 tournament on Wednesday right through the 72nd hole on Sunday.
Let’s take a look at a few of the golfers that I will keeping an eye on this week:
Tiger Woods
If Tiger Woods is teeing it up, he has a chance to win. History is also on his side, having already won this tournament in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005. If he is not the favorite heading into this wee I don’t know who is.
Padraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington has been on quite a roll of late. Harrington won the British Open and the PGA Championship last year and comes to Augusta hoping to keep his major streak alive. Harrington has never won a Masters, but obviously has the game and the experience needed to withstand the pressure.
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson may not always win but he sure does make it interesting. Phil has won at Augusta before (2004, 2006) and has already won twice this season. I look for Lefty to play well but the big question is, can he keep it together on Sunday?
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia has proven in the past that he has the game to compete at Augusta. However, since 2004 his performance has been… well… terrible. I wouldn’t be surprised to his name on the leaderboard and he has to win a major at some point. Right?
Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas has been invited to the Masters twice and has not made it to the weekend yet. That being said, he has three top 10 finishes already this year and comes in playing very well.
Kenny Perry
Kenny Perry does not have a very good history at the Masters and will be making his appearance since 2005. So far in 2009, Perry has five top 10 finishes, including a win at the FBR Open, and has not missed a single cut. It will be interesting to see how he handles his return to Augusta.
Geoff Ogilvy
Geoff Ogilvy comes into the week playing just about as well as anyone. The only problem is… no player from Australia has ever won the Masters. Stuart Appleby thinks that could change this year and Ogilvy is his pick.
Robert Karlsson
Robert Karlsson has proven that he can play well in the majors. He posted top 10 finishes in the Masters, British Open, and the US Open last year. I really expect Karlsson to be in contention on Sunday and who knows, this could be his year.
Who will you be following this weekend?
