With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, some PGA Tour members are scrambling to qualify for the Playoffs, which begin August 8 at Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J., and conclude with the Tour Championship at East Lake August 22-25. The Playoffs events preceding the Tour Championship have been reduced from three to two, with the tournament in Boston … [Read more...]
Golf’s Elite Look Strong Heading into U.S. Open; So Does Matt Kuchar
After the run of problems encountered by the USGA with the U.S. Open in recent years, they return to the one site seemingly immune from the recent snafus regarding course selection/set-up or application of the rules. This year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach features multiple story lines featuring the game’s elite players, starting with Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka and … [Read more...]
Woods Rallies for First Time in a Major to Take Fifth Masters Title
While he was winning 14 majors between 1997 and 2008, Tiger Woods established a 100 percent predictable model for divining whether he was going to win a Grand Slam event going to the final round. When leading or sharing the lead after 54 holes, Woods was 14-0 in Grand Sam events. When he was trailing going to the final round, he was 0-for-everything else. His spotless … [Read more...]
Masters preview: McIlroy the Favorite, No Green Jacket for Tiger or Phil
The list of potential 2019 Masters champions is long, with a clear but not overwhelming favorite who comes into the tournament as the game’s hottest player, but who does not have the best relationship with Augusta National. Everything points to a Rory McIlroy victory in Augusta next week. He has finished sixth or better in each of his six starts in PGA Tour stroke play … [Read more...]
Masters Memories: Woods, Mickelson dominated for 2 decades
For more than two decades from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s, golf fans could count on seeing the names of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson on the leader board at the Masters on an annual basis. From 1995 to 2013, either Woods or Mickelson (and frequently both) finished at least seventh in the Masters. After that streak ended when Woods did not play and Mickelson missed the … [Read more...]
Masters Flashback: Johnson’s 2007 victory has unique place in tournament history
A study of Masters history reveals some interesting patterns related to the annual winning scores. Over the past three decades, the winning 72-hole total has been higher than 280 on only four occasions. Three of those Masters – 2003, 2007, and 2016 – produced three of the most surprising Masters champions since Augusta native Larry Mize toppled two of the game’s giants (Greg … [Read more...]
Kisner Defeats Kuchar in Finals of WGC Match Play
For the second straight year, former Georgia Bulldog golf team member Kevin Kisner found himself in the finals of the WGC Match Play Championship against a familiar competitor. Last year it was fellow ex-UGA golfer Bubba Watson, who used his considerable distance advantage to put a 7&6 beating on Kisner in the title match. This time, Kisner drew a player whose style … [Read more...]
Kuchar Tops Large Field of Georgians in Players Championship
A large contingent of golfers with Georgia ties will compete in the Players Championship, which will be played March 14-17 at TPC Sawgrass outside Jacksonville, returning to its early Spring date after being held in May since 2007. Of the 144 players in the field, 22 have Georgia ties, led by Matt Kuchar (Georgia Tech/St. Simons resident), who won the Players in 2012 and … [Read more...]
Georgians Fill Leader Boards on PGA, Web.com Tours
Golfers with Georgia ties were all over the leader boards on both the PGA and Web.com Tours this past weekend, combining for six top-10 finishes, with three others placing among the top 15. Charles Howell, Michael Thompson and Vaughn Taylor posted top 10s on the PGA Tour in Los Angeles , with Luke List and Bubba Watson both coming up one shot shots of a top-10 showing. J.T. … [Read more...]