Am I just a golf geek or is tomorrow Christmas Day? I love the match play so much, and while it isn't exactly March Madness, the bracket thing is about as good as it gets for me in golf save the Masters in HD and early morning coverage of the British.
If you just want to see my whole bracket, you'll have to follow me on Twitter, as it is posted there. @fananswerman is the handle. Otherwise, the breakdown is below, following one aside about the Northern Trust Open.
So, I had Aaron Baddeley in my five picks last week, which was likely my call of the year, as he won the event with a world ranking worse than the likes of Mardan Mamat, Floris de Vries, and Hideto Tanihara. However, for some unexplainable reason I picked Rory Sabbatini in my one and done, not Badds. I hate Rory Sabbatini. At least I thought I did. Apparently I never knew hate until Sabbatini went SEVEN over in his last 10 holes Friday to miss the cut by one shot...in a cowboy hat, no less. Infuriating.
At least I traded Marino and Davis for Baddeley and Laird in the auction league Wednesday night.
Onto the match play.
In the Jones bracket Westwood and Watney are destined to meet in the second round, which is a crusher as these two are both potential champs. I like Watney to beat Westwood like he did last year and go on to win the bracket. Stricker and Goosen are both in the bracket and should advance a round, but I like Charl Schwartzel to meet Watney in the final eight. Schwartzel has a 2011 win and ousted Jim Furyk in the second round last year.
The Player bracket is probably the weakest of the bunch, but may feature the eventual champ. While Justin Rose and Hunter Mahan loom as threats to Martin Kaymer on the top of the bracket, Rory McIlroy should have smooth sailing on the bottom. He's a former quarterfinalist here and should do so again with the potential for more unless Kaymer gets him. I like Rory.
The Hogan bracket is the most difficult, with European giants McDowell and Poulter, the defender, in the bottom of the draw. I like the winner of that to face Mickelson, who will be sternly tested by the Fowler-Peter Hanson winner in round two. Hanson is a darkhorse and has the game to do some damage. Phil doesn't have the greatest match play record, but I just have a feeling, and like him over Poulter in the final eight.
The Snead bracket features Tiger, who's going to get all he can handle from the combination of Ogilvy or Harrington, then Dustin Johnson or Bill Haas. However, like Tiger, none of those guys outside of Haas are coming in too hot. I think Tiger's stellar match play record carries him through to a duel with Paul Casey, who has an easy draw to get to the final eight. Tiger beats Casey, though it should be noted Casey has been runner up two years in a row.
I like Rory to win the thing over Watney in a battle of two guys from oppsite sides of the pond who are destined to make big noise in 2011. Now let's just hope Yuta Ikeda doesn't bust through and ruin the party for the weekend.
Love it.
Cheers,
TFAM
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Northern Trust Open
A few random thoughts...
If I rip on some of my guys the way I did Bill Murray last week does that mean I can visit the winner's circle too? I've been playing one-and-done for a year and a half and have yet to pick a winner.
Steve Marino had terrible body language down the stretch Sunday. He just doesn't seem like a winner to me.
Match play next week! Watch out for Nick Watney and Peter Hanson, among others.
This week, it's LA, and the field is nothing to spit at despite the losses of Watney, Els and Tim Clark to withdrawals. Stricker defends and is a strong pick after a T2 the year before. Phil, like every venue on the west coast, is a multiple winner. Dustin Johnson finished thrid here last year though the state of his game is in question with his showing at Pebble fresh in our minds. Matt Kuchar returns too after a layoff, and the Euros are beginning to invade in advance of the WGC event next week. Luke Donald is a star on this course, with three consecutive top six finishes, and he is the pick this week. I love his game. JB Holmes is great here too with three top sevens in his last three tries.
Anthony Kim, Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Paul Casey, Rickie Fowler, Retief Goosen, Jason Day, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson round out a great field. Mahan has been playing particularly well, though he has just two trips to the weekend at Riviera in five tries.
Most Talent
Mickelson
Stricker
Casey
Furyk
D. Johnson
Course History
Stricker
Donald
Mickelson
Holmes
Allenby
Who's Hot?
Points
Mahan
Kuchar
Marino
Gillis
Who's Not?
Weir
Moore
Harrington
Ogilvy
O'Hair
My Picks
Donald
Stricker
Baddeley
Kuchar
Sabbatini
Cheers,
TFAM
If I rip on some of my guys the way I did Bill Murray last week does that mean I can visit the winner's circle too? I've been playing one-and-done for a year and a half and have yet to pick a winner.
Steve Marino had terrible body language down the stretch Sunday. He just doesn't seem like a winner to me.
Match play next week! Watch out for Nick Watney and Peter Hanson, among others.
This week, it's LA, and the field is nothing to spit at despite the losses of Watney, Els and Tim Clark to withdrawals. Stricker defends and is a strong pick after a T2 the year before. Phil, like every venue on the west coast, is a multiple winner. Dustin Johnson finished thrid here last year though the state of his game is in question with his showing at Pebble fresh in our minds. Matt Kuchar returns too after a layoff, and the Euros are beginning to invade in advance of the WGC event next week. Luke Donald is a star on this course, with three consecutive top six finishes, and he is the pick this week. I love his game. JB Holmes is great here too with three top sevens in his last three tries.
Anthony Kim, Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Paul Casey, Rickie Fowler, Retief Goosen, Jason Day, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson round out a great field. Mahan has been playing particularly well, though he has just two trips to the weekend at Riviera in five tries.
Most Talent
Mickelson
Stricker
Casey
Furyk
D. Johnson
Course History
Stricker
Donald
Mickelson
Holmes
Allenby
Who's Hot?
Points
Mahan
Kuchar
Marino
Gillis
Who's Not?
Weir
Moore
Harrington
Ogilvy
O'Hair
My Picks
Donald
Stricker
Baddeley
Kuchar
Sabbatini
Cheers,
TFAM
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
AT & T Pebble Beach
How has there not been a full fledged Vegas-style investigation into Cristina screwing up the lyrics Sunday night? There had to be rioting in the Casinos, right?
OK, golf.
There's nothing more tiresome to watch than celebrities playing golf. Hasn't this act run it's course? Unfortunately, we have to watch Bill Murray play to the fans and cameras this week with his tiresome routine when we could be watching good golf. It's the last if these idiotic pro-ams though, so we'll live.
Up until the front nine on the third Sunday in June last year, Dustin Johnson had owned Pebble Beach. Then, predictably, his game fell apart and he lost the US Open that he'll always know was the one he was destined to win. I guess it will probably go back to Pebble in another 10 years or so. In the mean time, DJ is the favorite again this week as he goes for the three-peat in this lesser prestigious event.
Challengers to DJ include Mickelson, who has won here and is a threat every time out. It's not a spot to pick him in the one and done, but he should be around on Sunday. He's already playing better this year than he did last. Nick Watney has two top 10s in the last two weeks and you know I love his game. I also like Vijay this week, as he's gone from 57th to 20th to 3rd in his three starts this year. He has seven top 10s and a win here so he's a safe bet to keep it rolling this week.
Other than those four, no one is really standing out to me this week. I'm waiting for the Jamie Lovemark breakout, so maybe this is that week for that. Padraig is here, and JB Holmes looked good last week and T2'd here in 2010. Mark Wilson? I guess you could do worse...like Mike Weir. O'Hair, Tim Clark, Geoff Ogilvy, Furyk, Mahan....I don't really have a good read on this one and none would surprise.
My sleeper this week is Richard S. Johnson. Don't ask, he's just a hunch. I like the Swedes. Check out Tiger, Kaymer and Westwood in Dubai this week also. Time to start scouting for the match play.
Most Talent
Mickelson
D. Johnson
Harrington
Furyk
Watney
Course History
D. Johnson
Mickelson
Singh
Weir
Furyk
Who's Hot?
M. Wilson
Watney
Singh
Snedeker
Dufner
Who's Not?
Weir
O'Hair
Van Pelt
Immelman
V. Taylor
My Picks
D. Johnson
Singh
R. Johnson
Watney
Lovemark
Cheers,
TFAM
OK, golf.
There's nothing more tiresome to watch than celebrities playing golf. Hasn't this act run it's course? Unfortunately, we have to watch Bill Murray play to the fans and cameras this week with his tiresome routine when we could be watching good golf. It's the last if these idiotic pro-ams though, so we'll live.
Up until the front nine on the third Sunday in June last year, Dustin Johnson had owned Pebble Beach. Then, predictably, his game fell apart and he lost the US Open that he'll always know was the one he was destined to win. I guess it will probably go back to Pebble in another 10 years or so. In the mean time, DJ is the favorite again this week as he goes for the three-peat in this lesser prestigious event.
Challengers to DJ include Mickelson, who has won here and is a threat every time out. It's not a spot to pick him in the one and done, but he should be around on Sunday. He's already playing better this year than he did last. Nick Watney has two top 10s in the last two weeks and you know I love his game. I also like Vijay this week, as he's gone from 57th to 20th to 3rd in his three starts this year. He has seven top 10s and a win here so he's a safe bet to keep it rolling this week.
Other than those four, no one is really standing out to me this week. I'm waiting for the Jamie Lovemark breakout, so maybe this is that week for that. Padraig is here, and JB Holmes looked good last week and T2'd here in 2010. Mark Wilson? I guess you could do worse...like Mike Weir. O'Hair, Tim Clark, Geoff Ogilvy, Furyk, Mahan....I don't really have a good read on this one and none would surprise.
My sleeper this week is Richard S. Johnson. Don't ask, he's just a hunch. I like the Swedes. Check out Tiger, Kaymer and Westwood in Dubai this week also. Time to start scouting for the match play.
Most Talent
Mickelson
D. Johnson
Harrington
Furyk
Watney
Course History
D. Johnson
Mickelson
Singh
Weir
Furyk
Who's Hot?
M. Wilson
Watney
Singh
Snedeker
Dufner
Who's Not?
Weir
O'Hair
Van Pelt
Immelman
V. Taylor
My Picks
D. Johnson
Singh
R. Johnson
Watney
Lovemark
Cheers,
TFAM
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Super Props
Love Super Bowl Sunday. From the dogs to the dip, to the peeps and the props. Nothing quite like it in our culture today. I'm excited for the game of course, where I'm taking the Steelers, but I'm also excited about the props, which seem to have gained more and more attention as the years go by.
Last year, I was rewarded for my fiath in Carrie Underwood, as she held the last note of the anthem so long, it pushed the time over the number and allowed me to cash in on my first wager of the day. Trust me, that's about as good as it got that day, but I'm back for more, starting again with the anthem.
Christina's number is set at 1:54, which is 12 seconds more than it took Underwood last year. Seemed like an under today until my father-in-law said that she;s usually around two minutes on the anthem. Hmmm.
Other props I like?
Will a team score three consecutive times in the game?
Yes (-160)
No (+120)
You take the no here, right? You are getting odds and this should be a back and forth affair.
Super Bowl XLV Specials - Who will FOX show first on TV during the game? Wager is on who will be shown on TV first during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only, Any Taped Pictures or Past Video does not count towards wager.
Jessica Szohr (Aaron Rodgers’ Girlfriend) -140
Ashley Harlan (Ben Roethlisberger’s Fiancee) EVEN
I'm going with the controversial Roethlisberger angle to overcome the odds here. Harlan is the choice.
Super Bowl XLV Specials - Who will the FOX announcers say has better hair on TV during the Game? Must be a direct reference on TV during the Game comparing the 2 players hair or wagers will be graded as No Action (from kick off until final whistle). Live commentary only, Any Taped or Past Video does not count towards wager.
Troy Polamalu -150
Clay Matthews +110
I think Polamalu clearly has the better hair, so I'm going with the favorite here. Let's hope they mention it.
Who will catch a pass first in the game?
Hines Ward (PIT) WR -115
Donald Driver (GB) WR -115
I'm citing Ward's declining numbers and the Packers motivation to get their veteran involved early in his first Super Bowl to carry this one. Driver is the pick.
Total Receptions – Heath Miller (PIT)
Over 3.5 (-125)
Under 3.5 (-105)
The Packers are not good against the tight end (I know they ranked in the bottom half of the NFL this year). I love this one, and I like the over.
Enjoy the game folks. Should be a good one, and we'll next see football in 2012!
Cheers,
TFAM
Last year, I was rewarded for my fiath in Carrie Underwood, as she held the last note of the anthem so long, it pushed the time over the number and allowed me to cash in on my first wager of the day. Trust me, that's about as good as it got that day, but I'm back for more, starting again with the anthem.
Christina's number is set at 1:54, which is 12 seconds more than it took Underwood last year. Seemed like an under today until my father-in-law said that she;s usually around two minutes on the anthem. Hmmm.
Other props I like?
Will a team score three consecutive times in the game?
Yes (-160)
No (+120)
You take the no here, right? You are getting odds and this should be a back and forth affair.
Super Bowl XLV Specials - Who will FOX show first on TV during the game? Wager is on who will be shown on TV first during the Game (from kick off until final whistle). Live pictures only, Any Taped Pictures or Past Video does not count towards wager.
Jessica Szohr (Aaron Rodgers’ Girlfriend) -140
Ashley Harlan (Ben Roethlisberger’s Fiancee) EVEN
I'm going with the controversial Roethlisberger angle to overcome the odds here. Harlan is the choice.
Super Bowl XLV Specials - Who will the FOX announcers say has better hair on TV during the Game? Must be a direct reference on TV during the Game comparing the 2 players hair or wagers will be graded as No Action (from kick off until final whistle). Live commentary only, Any Taped or Past Video does not count towards wager.
Troy Polamalu -150
Clay Matthews +110
I think Polamalu clearly has the better hair, so I'm going with the favorite here. Let's hope they mention it.
Who will catch a pass first in the game?
Hines Ward (PIT) WR -115
Donald Driver (GB) WR -115
I'm citing Ward's declining numbers and the Packers motivation to get their veteran involved early in his first Super Bowl to carry this one. Driver is the pick.
Total Receptions – Heath Miller (PIT)
Over 3.5 (-125)
Under 3.5 (-105)
The Packers are not good against the tight end (I know they ranked in the bottom half of the NFL this year). I love this one, and I like the over.
Enjoy the game folks. Should be a good one, and we'll next see football in 2012!
Cheers,
TFAM
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Waste Management Phoenix Open
I'm going to need the title sponsor to chase after what I've been dumping on you golf readers the last couple of weeks. I was feeling pretty good about Tiger after Thursday, then he fell apart...kinda like....John Daly. Maybe Tiger should try and bomb a couple over the falls?
This week, we head to Phoenix, where Tiger won't be seen, but many of the top Americans will be in play. Watney, Mickelson, DJ, Kim, Fowler and Bubba are all in the field. Mahan is the defending champ, and Sean O'Hair is making his season debut. I was huge on O'Hair last year, and still think he has a lot of game. 2011 is likely a bounceback. The international field isn't as strong, though it does feature major champions Angel Cabrera, Vijay Singh, Steve Elkington, Trevor Immelman, YE Yang and Geoff Ogilvy. Other contenders include the surprisingly entertaining Johnny Vegas, Jeff Overton, and JB Holmes, who has won twice in Phoenix in the last four years.
Who do I like? Basically all the Americans listed above. You can't go wrong with any of them and the whole first group I listed is playing well, but I'm going Dustin Johnson. DJ has no meaningful history in Phoenix but length plays well here and DJ has top tens in his last two starts. He's the man to beat this week. Mickelson has also won twice here and looked really good as the runner up to Watson last week. Fowler placed second here last year too and Watney is coming off a Sunday 63. It's going to be an American landslide Sunday prior to the Super Bowl.
Sleeper picks include Kevin Na, who has three top fives in five starts here, Robert Allenby, who has become very undervalued for someone of his talent, and Elkington, who just may have a little left in the tank afetr a solid showiug at the Hope and a great finish to last year at Whistling Straits.
Most Talent
Mickelson
D. Johnson
Watney
Kim
Mahan
Course History
Holmes
Mickelson
Mahan
Na
Singh
Who's Hot?
Vegas
Watson
D. Johnson
Haas
Mickelson
Who's Not?
Petterson
Glover
Leonard
Toms
Sim
My Picks
D. Johnson
Watney
Mickelson
Kim
Holmes
Cheers,
TFAM
This week, we head to Phoenix, where Tiger won't be seen, but many of the top Americans will be in play. Watney, Mickelson, DJ, Kim, Fowler and Bubba are all in the field. Mahan is the defending champ, and Sean O'Hair is making his season debut. I was huge on O'Hair last year, and still think he has a lot of game. 2011 is likely a bounceback. The international field isn't as strong, though it does feature major champions Angel Cabrera, Vijay Singh, Steve Elkington, Trevor Immelman, YE Yang and Geoff Ogilvy. Other contenders include the surprisingly entertaining Johnny Vegas, Jeff Overton, and JB Holmes, who has won twice in Phoenix in the last four years.
Who do I like? Basically all the Americans listed above. You can't go wrong with any of them and the whole first group I listed is playing well, but I'm going Dustin Johnson. DJ has no meaningful history in Phoenix but length plays well here and DJ has top tens in his last two starts. He's the man to beat this week. Mickelson has also won twice here and looked really good as the runner up to Watson last week. Fowler placed second here last year too and Watney is coming off a Sunday 63. It's going to be an American landslide Sunday prior to the Super Bowl.
Sleeper picks include Kevin Na, who has three top fives in five starts here, Robert Allenby, who has become very undervalued for someone of his talent, and Elkington, who just may have a little left in the tank afetr a solid showiug at the Hope and a great finish to last year at Whistling Straits.
Most Talent
Mickelson
D. Johnson
Watney
Kim
Mahan
Course History
Holmes
Mickelson
Mahan
Na
Singh
Who's Hot?
Vegas
Watson
D. Johnson
Haas
Mickelson
Who's Not?
Petterson
Glover
Leonard
Toms
Sim
My Picks
D. Johnson
Watney
Mickelson
Kim
Holmes
Cheers,
TFAM
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