THE MASTERS

[Robert@]

Play begins today in what I hope to be an exciting 75th edition of the Masters tourney.

Who`s your pick?

[Stan Nehilla]

I hope Phil does it.

[Indy Anna Jones]

The guy I would be pulling for didn't make it: Bubba Watson. So, I really don't have an "overwhelming" personal favorite but I'd like to see Furyk win his first jacket or Phil do a 4-peat.

On paper it looks like a strong field, but there are an awful lot of Augusta "newbies" playing this year. Only two newbs have ever won the Masters, IIRC, Craig Stadler and Fuzzy Zoeller (?) and Stadler said he just did everything his veteran caddie told him to do, so I'd say that might favor some of the older guys a little bit. Kaymer had the audacity to say "this is just another tournament." Heck even when we play one of our Augusta versions (along with St. Andrews) it seems like more than "just another course."

A good tight finish after a hard fought tournament like those in the late 80s would suit me just fine. ABTW.

Just one question, though, how did Davis Love III qualify? Definetely not knocking, I like Davis, but he never won there and he doesn't have a top ranking, so I'm just curious about how he got into this year's event.

[Stan Nehilla]

Bubba Watson is in. So, you can pull for him, Judy.

Davis Love qualified for this reason:
The first 8 players, including ties, in the previous year's US Open Championship.

Here's a link to all players:
http://www.masters.com/en_US/players/invitees_2011.html

[SteveHorn]

OK ! Its 12:15 eastern as I type this. I went to PGAtour.com to check out whats happening. Retief Goosen is RED HOT to start. He's -5 thru the first 8 holes. I don't know if he's my pick though. Bubba is in the field Judy. Although I like Bubba I don't like him at Augusta. He loves to shape every shot he hits. This can be good at times but also unnessasary at times and at Augusta mistakes seemed to get magnified. Spiderman, Kuchar and McIlroy are all also off to good starts and Fisher is on #18 at -3. Fujita is also at -3 but I can't see him putting on the Green Jacket. Jason Day who won for my Masters is at +1 thru 9 but he's not going to win. Sergio is trying to revive his game and he also is at -3. Ryo Ishikawa has GAME I think he'll stick around the leaderboard but won't win it. I'm going out on a limb and picking either Phil or Charl Schwartzel to win.

[Indy Anna Jones]

Oh, duh, I scanned the leaderboard 3 or 4 times and didn't see him. Thanks Stan.
Davis Love... well good for him. I had forgotten about that. I still miss seeing Greg Norman, and still can't forget his collapse in '96. What a heartbreak.

[bryce]

My friend, Mike, and I always pick 2 or 3 players in the majors to see who has the best picks. This year he chose Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter. I chose Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney. So far he is doing 7 shots better cumulative. I almost took Rickie Fowler, because it seems as though players who are aggressive, like him, seem to do well at Augusta. So I'll go with him this week. He even wore the green outfit today to go with the jacket!

[Robert D. Wagers]

I posted this in the "Off Topic / GOLF" forum:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=147

[SteveHorn]

Are we seeing the last of Tiger? I know most are probably thinking "WTF are you talking about". Here me out. I watched Tiger on #15 at the Masters yesterday. Tee shot avg. length and just off the fairway on the far left. Forced to lay up puts it in the perfect layup postion far left, wedge to the green. The moment he hit his wedge he starts walking to the bridge and didn't even watch his shot. Normally this is the body language of a golfer who hit a lousy shot or is about to miss the cut. The wedge shot landed 6 to 8 feet past the hole and backed up and missed going in by inches. It backed up another 10' and he missed his birdie. He looked completly disinterested on the wedge shot and for the most part ( just going thru the motions.) If he isnt fired up playing the Masters WHAT TOURNY IS He GOING TO BE FIRED UP TO PLAY?
He's used to winning 1 out of 4 tournys he entered from 1999 thru 2009. He has been making appox 75 to 100 mil.(If not more) a year over that time period so he doesn't need the money. Its not like he has a bunch of buddies he hangs with on the tour. If he isn't winning and is'nt having fun playing why should he continue to play? I think he may go into a semi early retirement within the next year or 2 tops if he continues playing mediocre golf.

[Stan Nehilla]

There are people now questioning whether Woods' new swing coach, Sean Foley is doing him any good.
His old coaches and golf "experts" feel there was nothing wrong with his swing, just that he lost his mental edge.