2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Discussion Thread

[mvmac]

Bubba's returns to competition this week as the defending champ.  In this new world for him a few questions come up:  How will Bubba hold up to a new set of expectations? How will he handle the relentless requests that come with newfound fame?

As we know he's had a pretty great year so far, Bubba leads the PGA Tour in driving distance with an average of 313.1 yards per drive and is #1 in money with $3,124,000. Nobody has ever led the Tour in driving distance and also won the PGA Tour money title, not since the Tour began keeping detailed stats in 1980.

Check out Bubba's interview today at 2pm est HERE

[pumaAttack]

Go Bubba go!

[boogielicious]

Wait a minute! I was just in Zurich (Switzerland) last week! Didn't see Bubba there, but had some fondue and saw a yak at the dairy farm near the hotel. I hope Bubba just relaxes and plays his game. The cameras are going to follow him very closely.

[Beachcomber]

Going to be a pretty solid field.

Expert picks: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Expert Pick order Player selected Lauren Deason BUBBA WATSON . Bubba was having a big year on TOUR even before he won the Masters. He has got to be a great frame of mind ahead of his title defense. I like his chances. Mike McAllister LUKE DONALD . In six starts this year, Donald has four finishes outside the top 30 -- very uncharacteristic for the reigning Player of the Year (of course, he's also won this year too). Expect Donald to be in contention at a course in which he finished T8 last year. If McAllister had the top pick ... Donald John Swantek STEVE STRICKER . Forget the "TPC Louisiana is for bombers" talk. I know Watney, Romero and Bubba won there, but so did Jerry Kelly and Jason Bohn. Stricks didn't play well at the Shell Houston or the Masters, and that is exactly why I like him. He's due. If Swantek had the top pick ... Stricker Amanda Balionis HARRIS ENGLISH . English may be the second rookie to win in the 2012 season, with a top-10 finish at the RBC Heritage and four other top-25 finishes this season, English could knock down the door in New Orleans this week for his first PGA TOUR victory. If Balionis had the top pick ... Donald Brian Wacker JASON DUFNER . He finished third at TPC Louisiana a year ago and has contended at one point or another almost every week he's teed it up this season. Dufner also tends to play well on courses in the South. If Wacker had the top pick ... Donald Ryan Smithson GRAEME McDOWELL . I loved how he struck the ball at Bay Hill, and he was decent at Augusta National (tied for 12th) despite not having the ball flight for that track. Missed the cut in his only start here in 2011, but that is easy to ignore. He's definitely back. If Smithson had the top pick ... Watson John Schwarb WEBB SIMPSON . Remember Simpson's bizarre one-stroke penalty here on Sunday at the 15th hole last year when his ball moved at address? You won't see that again; the unfair rule has since been changed. He was runner-up but might have won if not for that penalty. Maybe the golf gods pay him back this year. If Balionis had the top pick ... Stricker Chris Dunham KEEGAN BRADLEY . I think at least one panelist was being too kind in leaving me Keegan this week. It's taken me a while to come around and I'm still not sure where he fits among the game's best, but this year he's been as good as anyone. Had a good showing here last year when he was still just a rookie, not a TOUR winner and major champion. If Dunham had the top pick ... Bradley Helen Ross CARL PETTERSSON . His record at TPC Louisiana is a bit hit or miss but you have to be impressed with the way Pettersson is playing right now. The Swede has finished second and first in his last two starts, with the win coming at another Pete Dye course. If Ross had the top pick ... Pettersson Anne Szeker CAMERON TRINGALE . Same pick two weeks in a row? Hopefully this doesn't ruin my made-cuts streak. He's finished T8 in his last two starts, and was T18 here last year. If Szeker had the top pick ... Watson

Power Rankings: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Rank Player Comment Graeme McDOWELL Ends a two-week break since a tie for 12th at the Masters where he scored progressively better each round (75-72-71-68). Logged four top 15s in six starts on TOUR this year. Currently 21st in greens in regulation and 11th in adjusted scoring. Steve STRICKER He's finished inside the top 15 in three of his last four starts at TPC Louisiana, including a T13 last year. Already a winner this season at the season-opener at Kapalua, he's 12th on TOUR in greens hit and 23rd in the all-around ranking. Keegan BRADLEY Returns to action after a two-week respite following a T27 at the Masters. That was his first result outside the top 25 in 10 starts this season. Leads the PGA TOUR in the all-around ranking and sits seventh in adjusted scoring average. Luke DONALD Tied for eighth place here last year in his only appearance, ranking T3 in greens hit and T5 in birdies for the week. Overall in 2012, he's second on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained-Putting, 20th in adjusted scoring and 40th in the all-around. Bubba WATSON Back in action since his major breakthrough at the Masters. Carded just six holes over par en route to his playoff victory here a year ago. Leads the TOUR in distance off the tee, ranks second in greens hit and ninth in adjusted scoring. Jason DUFNER Top 10s in each of the last three years at this tournament. He's finished inside the top 25 in his last four starts this season. Ranks 32nd on TOUR in greens in regulation, 20th in adjusted scoring and eighth in the all-around ranking. Cameron TRINGALE Coming off his second straight share of eighth place (Shell Houston Open; Valero Texas Open). Ranks 16th on TOUR in total driving and 35th in both greens hit and Strokes Gained-Putting. Tied for 18th at last year's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Carl PETTERSSON Arrives in the bayou red-hot after a solo second in Houston and a five-stroke victory at Harbour Town. Sits 51st on TOUR in greens in regulation, 17th in Strokes Gained-Putting, sixth in adjusted scoring and 14th in the all-around. Justin ROSE First start since a T8 at the Masters, his third top 10 in his last five events. Since a T17 at TPC Louisiana in 2005, he's missed two cuts and finished T43 (2010) at the host track, but he's fifth on TOUR in greens hit and third in adjusted scoring. Peter HANSON Makes the trip from the Volvo China Open where he was low man on Sunday with a 65 to finish T14. Inside the top 50 in all relevant stats on the PGA TOUR, including 14th in greens hit, 27th in adjusted scoring and sixth in the all-around.

In 2012, our expert will be publishing his list of players who didn't quite make the top 10 for that particular week. Here are five other players Rob Bolton likes at TPC Louisiana:

11. Matt Every ... Shared runner-up honors at last week's Valero Texas Open where he established the course record (63) in the opening round. It was a career-best finish on the PGA TOUR and his fourth top 10 of the year. Ranks 27th in adjusted scoring.

12. Charles Howell III ... Hasn't missed a cut in nine starts at this event, including four at TPC Louisiana. Co-runner-up in 2009; placed T13 last year. Sits 40th on the PGA TOUR in greens in regulation, 51st in Strokes Gained-Putting and 29th in the all-around.

13. Bud Cauley ... The first-timer at TPC Louisiana has recorded top 20s in four of his last five starts, including a T18 at the Valero Texas Open where he ranked T8 in greens hit. Overall, the rookie is 51st on TOUR in GIR, 22nd in adjusted scoring and 28th in the all-around.

14. Webb Simpson ... Victim of an unfortunate penalty at the 15th green in his final round here last year, and ultimately lost in a playoff. Struggled a bit lately with zero top 35s in his last three starts, but ranks 39th in adjusted scoring and 33rd in the all-around.

15. David Toms ... Can't omit the Louisiana State product and former champion at the event (2001). Shared fifth place at TPC Louisiana in 2009 and placed T18 last year. Last played at the Masters, where he finished T50. Hasn't scored par or better in his last six rounds.

[kathybhylton]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Going to be a pretty solid field.

Expert picks: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Expert

Pick order

Player selected

Lauren

Deason

BUBBA WATSON. Bubba was having a big year on TOUR even before he won the Masters. He has got to be a great frame of mind ahead of his title defense. I like his chances.

OMG Bubba is Number 1. Very much excited for this year's tournaments.

[mvmac]

Boo Weekly is out and John Daly is in,  he received a late invitation to play the Zurich Classic this week.  Boo withdrew Tuesday due to medical reasons. Because he was a sponsor's exemption, the tournament offered the exemption to Daly.  Daly has made the cut in his last two PGA tour event, finishing 51st and 52nd.

[nevets88]

GMac, Donald and Fowler. Dunno who the guy way over on the right in grey is.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by nevets88

GMac, Donald and Fowler. Dunno who the guy way over on the right in grey is.

It's Justin Rose, I believe.

[Beachcomber]

I saw some tweets which confirmed it was Rose.

[uttexas]

Just took a peek at the leader board. Late bloomer Ken Duke leading. Never surprises me to see Stricker playing well, that guy is so consistently great--not much style/charisma but lots of game. Oh look, Ben Curtis continuing his hot streak, closely followed by Simpson (Stricker 2.0)

[mvmac]

Did anyone see this?

Quote:

Masters champion Bubba Watson has struck one of his fans in the head with a hooked drive.

Watson's tee shot on the second hole during Friday's second round of the Zurich Classic drew blood from the back of Radd Leonard's head.

Leonard, who was reached quickly by medics, says he's fine and found it incredible that he was hit by the player he came to see. The 52-year-old motorcycle shop owner from Baton Rouge also was glad he was able to help Watson back into the fairway, where the ball landed after striking him.

Watson walked over to Leonard, shook his hand and gave him a signed golf glove.

[Zeph]

I find it a bit hazardous at times to spend time in the landing zone of their drives. If you are really unlucky, it could get you killed. You sometimes hear players or someone around them yelling "fore", but do someone at the tee enforce this? People indicating the direction of the ball, are they told to yell fore? Distance is of course an issue. Not easy to hear a yell from 300 yards away in the middle of the course. No use if people don't take cover of course.

[bodeman1329]

i was watching some of the coverage on Golf Channel today and Bubba was really struggling with his short game. His play around the greens from the rough and bunkers was really bad. Last i saw he was -3.

[WWBDD]

TGC never showed the playoff holes?

WTF?

[brocks]

TGC never showed the playoff holes? WTF?

CBS showed them. TGC doesn't have live rights, but it will show them tonight in the replay.

[scratcher]

Dufner finished off Els. Without taking anything away from Dufner, Ernie just cant finsh like he used to. Maybe next time.

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by brocks

CBS showed them. TGC doesn't have live rights, but it will show them tonight in the replay.

Ahhhh ... thanks.

[zipazoid]

WAR EAGLE!!!