Whistling Past the Straits

 I love the Ryder Cup, pure and simple.  It is an event without rival on the international sports scene. (Well, maybe the World Cup in soccer, but that’s if you care about soccer.) Every two years (when pandemics don’t interrupt) 12 entirely self-absorbed American athletes must come together and in a week become a “team” to defend the honor of their country. And this year is no exception. The well-documented solipsism on display (Brooks upset about the cup upsetting his routine, Bryson just being on the team, DJ just being DJ, and so on) may well destroy any notion team chemistry by the end of the weekend,  and even perhaps ruin the Americans’ chances of wrestling the Cup from the Euros and bringing it back to American soil.  We will see.

If you think you’ve seen this movie before, well, you have.  Loaded American team of golfers about to engage the Euros with a huge home-field advantage, on  a home field course designed and presumably tricked-up to favor the home team in a big way.  How’d that work out previously? The Euros, winners of nine of the previous eleven Ryder Cup matches, apparently relish the role of underdog. It certainly seems to play into the notion that the 12 golfers on the Euro side bond and become a “team” much more effectively than the Americans.

Some interesting questions that will be answered by Sunday afternoon:

1.  Who will emerge as the star of the Cup for each team.

2. Will the firepower of Rahm and McIlroy, aided by Victor Hovland and Sergio Garcia, be enough to carry the Euros to victory at the longest course in Ryder Cup history.

3.  Will the fans (presumably limited by Covid travel restrictions to predominantly favoring the home team) influence the outcome, one way or anorther?

4.  Who will play with Brooksie, er, Bryson. And in how many matches will captain Steve Stricker utilize the longest hitter on the PGA Tour on the beastly lengthy Straits?

Will the American rookies carry the day against the old lions on the Euros?

5. Will the shorter-hitting Lee Westwood, likely in his last Cup appearance, win a point?

6. Will Ian Poulter defend his status as a Ryder Cup hero for the Euros?

7. Will the Americans win sufficient points in the four-ball and foursomes on Friday and Saturday to avoid heavy pressure in the singles matches on Sunday?

8. Will the weather coming off Lake Michigan turn the Straits into a European-style links course?

9.  Will the heavily-favored Americans triumph on a home course perfectly tailored to their strengths?

10. Which team will win the Ryder Cup in 2021? Against all odds, I believe the Euros will beat the Americans (or tie them and retain the Cup.) Here’s why.

As I have recounted in prior posts, in September 1987, I happened to be traveling in the Auld Sod.  It was Sunday night in Ireland, we were hungry and thirsty (mostly thirsty), so we stopped in a pub in Killarney for refreshment.  Expecting a quiet night before the work week started, we walked in and the place was packed and in fact, was going bonkers.  Expecting a soccer match or perhaps rugby, I was surprised to see there was golf on the telly.  All this ruckus for a golf tournament?  I asked the Irish gentlemen next to me what all the commotion was about and, looking incredulous, he informed me it was the Ryder Cup and it looked like Europe was going to win.  Now, as an American and a golf fan, it speaks volumes that I had to ask what was on TV.  But I was startled by the unbridled enthusiasm exhibited by the crowd.  Back home at that time, a golf tournament was watched on TV with all the enthusiasm of a crowd waiting at the local department of motor vehicles, not like it was the Super Bowl. 

And of course, on that date the Euros pulled off one of the great victories in golf history.  The European team won the Cup for the first time ever on American soil.  And, to top it off,  they achieved this feat  at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, a course famously designed by Jack Nicklaus, who ironically was the captain of the American team (and who had urged that the British Cup team be expanded from Great Britain to all of Europe).  And the roars were heard all over Ireland when Irishman Eamonn Darcy, who previously had failed to win a Ryder Cup match in ten tries, managed in his singles match to defeat Ben Crenshaw by one hole to gain the Europeans a critical point.

I believe I was representative of most American golf fans at that point in time, who simply weren’t concerned about losing to a bunch of Europeans in an exhibition match.  At that time the Ryder Cup had all the significance of Der Bingle’s annual Clam Bake at Pebble Beach, the Publinx Open or your local club championship.  But on the other side of the pond, you would have thought the Second Coming was about to happen.

Of course, all of that has changed.  Perhaps the turning point was the War at the Shore, the unforgettable ending of the American victory in the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island.  Whatever the catalyst, now Americans pay attention, and patriotic, if not jingoistic, feelings abound among the fans at the tournament site.  But those feelings will never reach the fervor exhibited in an Irish pub in 1987, and which still prevails across Ireland, Great Britain and Europe today.

And that’s why should always be favored to win the Ryder Cup.  Europe always has, and always will, WANT IT MORE.

Enjoy!

                                                                        AMDG

                                                            R.E. Kelly 2012 - 2021 

 

 

I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Again, Redux

This blog post was first published  on May 16, 2012.  It retains its sentiment as strongly today, on what would have been Gene Kelly's 97th birthday, as it did some nine years ago. Make sure to let someone know you love them today, and hold that person's hand if you can.

Gene Kelly, Amherst College circa 1944

 

 

This one is personal.  My father, Eugene E. Kelly, Jr., departed this mortal coil on St. Patrick’s Day Eve  eight weeks ago today.  He was 88 years old.  Gene loved music, he loved golf, he loved to write.  I guess this blog was genetically preordained.

My dad was suffering from a rare and aggressive form of carcinoma, so in many ways his passing was a blessing.  But not in all ways.

I spent the last day of his life with him and family, and I held his hand most of the evening as he neared his death. Sadly, I hadn’t held my father’s hand in decades.

Before my own experience with the passing of a loved one, I had saved a news article I had read when George Harrison was nearing the end of his life.  (My dad also loved to clip news items.  Go figure.)  Several years ago I wrote this observation in my Golf Album notes:

When George Harrison was dying of cancer, Paul and Ringo went to visit him at the hospital on Staten Island in New York City where he was being treated.  After the visit, Paul and Ringo spoke to reporters.  One of the things that Paul said was that they each held George’s hand as they spoke to him.  Paul observed that it was the first time he could remember that he ever held George’s hand.   It was so incredibly poignant.  They had been through so much, for so many years,  and never held each other's hand.  Not that men do a lot of that, but still.  It brought a tear to my eye, and I haven’t thought about saying goodbye the same way since.

All Things Must Pass, Indeed

Little did I know that these words, describing a Beatles’ goodbye, a member of the greatest band ever and a force in my young and adult life, would prophetically describe almost exactly my goodbye to the person I was closest to in my life.  

I can’t parody here.  The finality of death is too sobering.  John Lennon’s death was heart-rending in many ways, most of all because it meant the Beatles would never be again.  Paul and Ringo will never hold George’s hand again. I will never hold my father’s hand again.  So, here’s a tribute to the great George Harrison, and the even greater Gene Kelly.  Let’s try to be happy and sing one of the Beatles’ greatest songs, as joy-inspiring as any song ever written, with lyrics which now resonate with new meaning for me, and perhaps for Paul and Ringo, too.   And, please, sometime today please hold the hand of someone that you love, and feel happy inside.

God Bless You, Dad.  I love you.

Gene At His Beloved Ballybunion

I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND

Songwriter/Composer;

John Lennon  

Paul James McCartney

Publishers: Songs Of Universal Inc.

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something
I think you'll understand
When I'll say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

Oh please, say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please, say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
I'll let me hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you've got that something
I think you'll understand
When I'll say that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you I feel happy
Inside
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide

Yeah, you've got that something
I think you'll understand
When I'll feel that something
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

AMDG

R.E. Kelly 2012 - 2021

Happy, Happy Birthday, Geno!!

 Our dad loved golf.  He loved his family.  He loved life.  And his family loved him.

I'm sure the fairways in heaven are lush, the greens perfectly manicured and very slow on the Stimp,  and no one ever loses a ball, or three-putts.  Play away, Geno!  We miss you and love you.

Love you, Dad!

                                                        R.E. Kelly Copyright 2012-2021

                                                                       AMDG

The Titleist Challenge – PGA Championship Style

As you readers have probably noticed, the leaderboard on PGA Tour.com helpfully provides the identifier “Titleist” after the name of each golfer.  This notification serves many purposes, many of which are obvious.  Yes, most of the pro golfers play the Titleist brand.  But does quantity equal quality?

The Titleist Challenge will resolve that burning question.  Let’s see how many golfers using the Titleist brand made the cut at the PGA Championship this weekend at the famed Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, and how many did not:

Number of Titleist golfers who made the cut:                        52 (of 81 – 64%)

Number of Titleist golfers who did not make the cut:           35 (of 75 – 47%)

Winner:  Titleist, but the evaluation is qualified.  On the one hand, the Titleist cream rose to the top this week, as Titleist users dominated those who survived the cut. On the other hand, neither Lefty nor Brooks play the Titleist brand.

Notables who did not make the cut:

-Perhaps the most notable is Dustin Johnson, who seems to have fallen off the proverbial cliff after running away from the field in the 2020 Masters last November.  He failed to make the cut while defending his Masters title in April, and now has failed to make the cut in two consecutive majors in the same calendar year for the first time in his 14- year professional career. Despite this disappointing performance, Johnson does retain his World #1 ranking.

-Another surprise cut was Justin Thomas, who ranks #2 just behind Johnson in the world rankings. .Since winning the PGA Championship in 2017, Thomas has finished T6, T37 and now missed the cut. (Thomas did not play in the 2019 PGA Championship due to a wrist injury.)

-Xander Schauffele, #4 in the world rankings, picked by many golf pundits to contend for the Wanamaker Trophy. 

-Xander Schauffele, #4 in the world rankings, picked by many golf pundits to contend for the Wanamaker Trophy. 

The Winner Hoists This

 

-Former majors winners and household names Sergio Garcia,  Adam Scott

-Former  PGA champions (who, by virtue of their past victory earned a perpetual exemption to play in the tournament) Martin Kaymer, Rich Beem, Jason Dufner, Shaun Micheel, Jimmy Walker and last, but certainly not least, the ever-popular John  Daly, who finished dead last in the field at 27 over par for two rounds.

Given the fact that Daly was not within shouting distance of the cut line at +5, he most likely will not be heard singing the following sad refrain this weekend:

 

ONE STROKE OVER THE CUT

Original song:  One Toke Over The Line

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke Over The Line Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

 

Whoooo does golf love, I hope it's me
I've bin a struglin', as you can plainly see
I felt the joy and I learned about the pain missing the cut did
If I should choose to make this  part of my game surely fix my head

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I hit the ball a country mile,
But no strokes gained  and I don’t smile

I played all the shots and loved myself a few
Taken by surprise all the rough I've cut through
I ended over par  and now I'm
One toke over the line sweet Jesus

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I don’t want  to be
One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke over the Line lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

© 2012-21 R.E. Kelly

AMDG

The Titleist Challenge

As you readers have probably noticed, the leaderboard on PGATour.com helpfully provides the identifier “Titleist” after the name of each golfer.  This notification serves many purposes, many of which are obvious.  Yes, mot of the pro golfers play the Titleist brand.  But does quantity equal quality?

The Titleist Challenge will resolve that burning question.  Let’s see how many golfers using the Titleist brand made the cutr at the Valspar Champions ship this weekend in Palm Harbor, Florida, and how many did not:

Number of Titleist golfers who made the cut:                        51 (of 69 – 74%)

Number of Titleist golfers who did not make the cut:           57 (of 87 – 66%)        

Winner:  A lawyer’s answer: It depends.  From a pure quantitative perspective, the number of Titleist golfers who did not make the cut outnumbered those Titleist golfers who did make the cut.  On the other hand, the percentage of Titleist golfers making the cut exceeded those who did not. So, this week’s winner is (drum roll, please)…. Titleist!! 

#1 Ball in Golf

Notables who did not make the cut:

-Phil Mickelson, who needs several top-three finishes the next few weeks to qualify for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June. (The issue of FIGJAM -  see here - accepting an exemption to play in the Open  is unresolved at this time; The Golf Album Blog says, Of Course He Will!)

-Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open Champion, who has failed to make the cut in 7 of 14 tournaments in the 2021 PGA season.  This from a man who made 21 consecutive cuts in 2018-2019.

-Justin Rose, another majors winner and member of the Masters’ “Close But No Cigar” Club (6 top ten finishes, with two seconds, in 16 tries.)

-other majors winners Graeme McDowell and Danny Willett

-and the ever-popular Patrick Reed, another major winner.

Given the quality of these golfers who missed the cut this week, they most likely will not be heard singing the following sad refrain very often in the weeks to come:

ONE STROKE OVER THE CUT

Original song:  One Toke Over The Line

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke Over The Line Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Whoooo does golf love, I hope it's me
I've bin a struglin', as you can plainly see
I felt the joy and I learned about the pain missing the cut did
If I should choose to make this  part of my game surely fix my head

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I hit the ball a country mile,
But no strokes gained  and I don’t smile

I played all the shots and loved myself a few
Taken by surprise all the rough I've cut through
I ended over par  and now I'm
One toke over the line sweet Jesus

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I don’t want  to be
One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke over the Line lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

© 2012-21 R.E. Kelly

AMDG

The Masters' Green Jacket or Sir Willie's Plaid Jacket?

 The RBC Heritage is the traditional stop on the PGA Tour the week after the Masters, and this year is no exception. After two rounds, Stewart Cink, who, at age 47, has revitalized his career with two top-ten finishes and one victory on the 2021 Tour already, has posted double 63s and has a 5-shot lead on the field heading into the third round.

In the “Horses For Courses” category, the RBC Heritage has been played with different sponsors and names since its inception in 1969, but always played at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  As it turns out, Cink has won this tournament twice before, in 2000 and 2004.  While Cink would likely prefer a green jacket someday, he will gladly slip on the tartan plaid jacket, in honor of Sir William Innes, who was captain of the Society of Golfers at Blackheath in Scotland in the 1790s, awarded to the RBC Heritage winner late Sunday afternoon should the occasion arise.  

Sir Willie Then

Sir Willie Now

In that case, given his career renaissance, he most likely will not be heard singing the following sad refrain very often this season.

 

ONE STROKE OVER THE CUT

Original song:  One Toke Over The Line

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke Over The Line Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

 

Whoooo does golf love, I hope it's me
I've bin a struglin', as you can plainly see
I felt the joy and I learned about the pain missing the cut did
If I should choose to make this  part of my game surely fix my head

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I hit the ball a country mile,
But no strokes gained  and I don’t smile

I played all the shots and loved myself a few
Taken by surprise all the rough I've cut through
I ended over par  and now I'm
One toke over the line sweet Jesus

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I don’t want  to be
One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s  on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke over the Line lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

© 2012-21 R.E. Kelly

AMDG

 

 

Lightning In A Bottle Or Horses For Courses

 What is it about the Masters, anyway?  After a record-setting romp through the field at Augusta National last November, defending champ Dustin Johnson failed to make the cut after two desultory rounds the past two days.  CBSSports reports that Johnson joins some unfortunate company by becoming the third defending Masters champion to miss the cut in the last five years.  The two others were Danny Willett in 2016 and Sergio Garcia in 2017. And in fact, Garcia has now failed to make the cut in the three Masters he has played after his 2017 victory, including this year’s, and Willett has missed the cut in four of the five Masters in which he has played, including this year’s, after his 2016 victory.  Wait, What?

And if you look at golf history, 142 male golfers have notched one majors’ victory.  Of those, only 19 have won the Masters as their only majors’ victory. With one exception (Fred Couples) none of them are in the WGHOF nor are likely to be enshrined in the future. Lightning in a bottle for sure - just ask Larry Mize.

Then on the other hand, there are horses for courses.  One level up, there are 17 golfers who have won two or more Masters, led by the GOAT, Jack Nicklaus, with 6 green jackets. Of those 17, there are five whose only majors’ victories are in the Masters, four who played in the modern era:  Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw and Bubba Watson.  All save for Watson are in the WGHOF.  While Olazabal and Langer  had extremely distinguished careers abroad, between them they only won 5 PGA Tour titles here in the United States aside from their four Masters’ wins. And Watson, who has 12 Tour victories, has won 8 of them on three golf courses, winning at Riviera Country Club 3 times. 

Name That Golfer - And His Sponsor!

So what will it be, lightning in a bottle for a rookie Masters winner, veteran (Rose with 24 professional wins including a major) or actual (Will Zalatoris in his first Masters’ appearance); long-shot (Bernd Weisberger, best Masters finish T24 in 5 tries, cut in 10 of 19 other majors’ tournaments); historic (Jordan Spieth completes his historic career comeback by winning his 4^th major; close but no cigar (Tony Finau, 8 top-ten finishes in 18 majors), or somewhere in between.  We will find out tomorrow evening as the sun sets over the loblolly pines in Augusta.

BTW, I’m still taking the field.

 

© 2012-21 R.E. Kelly

               AMDG

 

 

I’ll Take The Field

I have a confession to make. I am not much of a gambler. In fact, that’s an understatement.  I have never sat at a card table in a casino.  The last time I played poker for stakes (nickel, dime, quarter) was in a cozy game with friends three decades ago. I have somehow resisted the online gambling revolution and the constant assault on the senses through advertising by DraftKings,  William Hill, MGM and other assorted online gambling platforms that make it so easy for you to gamble. Just bet a dollar and you can win $100; it’s just that easy.  Right.

I do have one gambling weakness, however. I have been indulging in rotisserie baseball and fantasy football for at least 30 years. That satisfies my gambling itch. Of course, since fantasy sports are games of skill, not chance, perhaps that participation doesn't qualify as gambling in certain circles.

Which brings us to the Masters Tune-a-ment, which starts tomorrow.  I must say that I have never been as disinterested in arguably golf’s crown jewel (at least on this side of the pond) as I am this year. While I am no fan of no fan of Tiger Woods, his absence makes this year's tournament much less interesting both from a golfing and historical perspective. 

Speaking of history, Lee Elder, who in 1975 became the first Black man to play in the Masters, will be an honorary starter tomorrow morning alongside the sport’s elder statesmen 85-year-old Gary Player and 80-year-old Jack Nicklaus. That’s swell, but let’s remember how many Black golfers played, i.e., were invited, to play in the Masters between Elder in 21975 and Woods’ first appearance in 1995 at age 19.  The answer?  Precisely two, Calvin Peete and Jim Dent. As Clifford Roberts, one of Augusta National’s co-founders, said, “As long as I’m alive, all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be Black.”  And the caddies were black, until the pros demanded they be allowed to bring their own caddies to the tournament in 1983. (But the overalls, still required to be worn by each player’s caddy, remain white.  Oh, the irony.)

 

I have reviewed the so-called Masters’ story lines on sports websites this week, and pardon me if they inspire a huge “ho-hum”. Some of the so-called big story lines:

1.  Can Dustin Justin repeat as champion?

This is mildly interesting.  Only three golfers have won back-to-back Masters since the tournament began in 1934; you may have heard of them Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02).

Should Johnson win this week, he will perhaps solidify his Hall of Fame credentials: he will move into a tie for 23^rd in most PGA wins with legend Johnny Miller and two others (no current active PGA tour golfer other than Phil Mickelson has more than 18 (Rory)); he will also have accumulated 3 majors victories; of active golfers, only Mickelson, McIlroy and Koepka, all sure-fire HOFers in waiting, have more. But if he does win, it will be hard to top the Champions Dinner menu chosen by “Mr. Johnson” for Tuesday night’s dinner: Pigs in a Blanket – Yum!  Lobster & Corn Fritters – a tip of the hat to his South Carolina roots; Entrée:  prime filet mignon or miso-marinated sea bass – Sign Me Up!

 

 

Certainly a DJ repeat would be historical,  but it won’t get me jumping off the sofa if he wins. (Gonzaga still has time to do something….!)

 

2.  Jordan Spieth is back:  yes, he has been on a statistical roll lately, especially with his iron play.  And his victory last week in the Texas Open certainly provides momentum going into Augusta.  But the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course is no Augusta National, and only four golfers, two since 1960, have won the <asters the week after triumphing in a Tour victory, and Mickelson was the last in 2006.  Admittedly, a fourth major would be extremely cool.  I could root for him; but I will root for one other golfer more…

 

3.  Rory McIlroy.  Yes, my Irish is showing.  And a victory at the Masters in 2021 would close his career Slam as well as lift him to 5 career majors; only 12 golfers have more, all of them legends. But to paraphrase the great philosopher Yogi Berra, "Golf is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." Between the ghosts of his historic collapse at Augusta in 2011  and his puzzling chase of Bryson DeChambeau to be the longest driver on the tour (Rory is only one yard behind BdC in average driving distance – go figure). I don’t give Rory much of a chance.  If he can escape his traditional slow start, i.e., crashing and burning in Round One, perhaps he has a chance to wear the green jacket on Sunday.  I hope so.

 

Other story lines that just don’t interest me:  Brooks Koepka (hope he’s healthy, but I doubt it); Jon Rahm (baby delivered, now on to Augusta); do old golfers like Sergio, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey have a chance (No); and so on.

 

One story for which I actually have an affirmative repulsion: can Bryson “Big Science” DeChambeau wreck Augusta National with his booming drives and wedges into the part-fives.   Now let’s get something straight, long drivers have always had a distinct advantage at Augusta National (see Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, whose 18 under par 270, leading the field by 12 strokes, in 1997 required immediate “Tiger Proofing” of the azaleas).  And Johnson has traditionally been one of the longest hitters on tour. But DeChambeau’s obsession with so-called “science” and with driving distance is, frankly, nauseating.  So I will be actively rooting against Big Science this weekend (which mean he will do extremely well.)

 

So, back to the gambling.  Here are the moneyline odds for some of the top players (according to Fanduel):

• Dustin Johnson: +950
• Jordan Spieth: +1150
• Bryson DeChambeau: +1150
• Justin Thomas: +1250
• Jon Rahm: +1250
• Rory McIlroy: +1900
• Patrick Cantlay: +2050
• Xander Schauffele: +2600
• Brooks Koepka: +2800
• Collin Morikawa: +3150
• Viktor Hovland: +3500
• Paul Casey: +3500
• Tony Finau: +3500
• Patrick Reed: +3500
• Webb Simpson: +3500
• Cameron Smith: +3500
• Matthew Fitzpatrick: +4000
• Daniel Berger: +4000
• Sungjae Im: +4150
• Tyrrell Hatton: +5000
• Hideki Matsuyama: +5000
• Lee Westwood: +5000
• Jason Day: +5500
• Scottie Scheffler: +5500
• Joaquin Niemann: +5500
• Tommy Fleetwood: +6000
• Sergio Garcia: +6000

Notables not in the above group: Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, Will Zalatoris, Bubba Watson, Matthew Wolff.  Hmm..

It would seem logical that the winner of the 2021 Masters would have to originate from the group of golfers with a money line of +3500 or less. I’ll take the field below +3500 and hope Rory or Jordan Spieth prove me wrong.  

Enjoy the piped-in birdies chirping on CBS.

 

© 2012-21 R.E. Kelly

AMDG