Author: Cody Thrasher

Young Guns Gone Bad

For every Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott, there are other young golfers who have struggled to live up to the hype.

Thrash TalkI am always excited to see young talent make their way to the PGA Tour. There are always going to be young guns that overachieve and young guns that unfortunately underachieve. Tiger Woods obviously burst upon the scene in late 1996, and he has elevated the sport to new heights ever since. In the past five or six years, there have been a handful of golfers with the “next great challenger to Tiger” stamp on them. This group has included names such as Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott. These two golfers haven’t won a major yet, but they have still had very solid careers and have lived up the hype.

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U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee Preview

Carlos Franco will be defending at this week’s PGA Tour stop.

usbank_logo.gifThe British Open is in the past, and as always, the show must go on. The PGA Tour stops in Milwaukee this week for the US Bank Championship. As usual, the field for this event is not nearly as strong as most on tour, but there are still some very capable golfers teeing it up. Kenny Perry will be the top-ranked golfer in the field in Milwaukee, and he has already won twice so far in 2005. Perry came into this event in 2003 with two wins that season as well, and he walked out of this event with his third victory that year. He will be looking to repeat that feat this time around as well. Perry finished in a tie for 11th at St. Andrews last week.

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It Hasn’t Been Easy for the Big Easy

Has the extended traveling finally caught up to the Big Easy?

Thrash TalkThe British Open has come and gone, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The Old Course was once again the site of history. Tiger Woods won his second Claret Jug and completed the career grand slam for a second time. He and Jack Nicklaus are the only two golfers in history to accomplish that feat. Speaking of Nicklaus, the Golden Bear said farewell once and for all to major championship golf. He missed the cut by two strokes, and his walk down the 18th fairway on Friday will be remembered forever.

Those two stories will stick out in most people’s minds for years to come, but one other thing really caught my attention this past weekend. A certain South African once again struggled in a major championship, and I’m talking about Ernie Els. The “Big Easy” was plagued by inconsistent play once again, finishing at -2 overall and in a tie for 34th. Els started off with a shaky opening round and then bounced back with a 67 on Friday. He then shot a 75 on Saturday and finished with a 70 in the final round. This is definitely not the same Ernie Els we are used to seeing.

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British Open Preview

The oldest major championship in golf returns to the historical Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews where Tiger Woods lapped the field in 2000.

british_open_logo.gifJust a few weeks removed from the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, it is now time for the British Open. The Open Championship will be played on the Old Course at St. Andrews, one of the most famous courses in all of golf. The list of winners at St. Andrews reads like a “who’s who” list of golf greats and includes names such as Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus (twice), Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, and most recently Tiger Woods.

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The British Open Breakdown

This week’s article talks about everything you need to know but may not want to hear about the British Open at St. Andrews.

Thrash TalkThe old course at St. Andrews is often referred to as the home of golf, and it’s always special when the Open Championship is played there. This year will be no different, and I am here to tell you who will contend and who will pretend. When St. Andrews hosted the British Open in 2000, the players got the best of the course throughout the week. Tiger Woods etched his name into the record books with his brilliant performance. Woods finished with the lowest score in relation to par in British Open history (-19). He also won by an astounding eight strokes. Who will walk away British Open champion this Sunday? You are going to have to keep reading to find out what I think.

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John Deere Classic Preview

Michelle Wie tees it up with the big boys for the third time in her career.

john_deere_logo.gifThe British Open is only one week away and the top golfers in the world are either at St. Andrews already or are on their way. The John Deere Classic is the last stop for some of the PGA Tour players before heading to the British Open themselves.

But the British Open is not the story this week. That honor belongs to Michelle Wie as she makes her third career start on the PGA Tour. She has missed her two previous cuts, the most recent being at the Sony Open earlier this year. The appearance by Wie will definitely make tournament directors happy because the ratings will surely get a nice boost.

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One-Hit Blunders

Are one-hit wonders really that good for the PGA Tour?

Thrash TalkWith the British Open fast approaching, I can’t help but think about some of the major suprises in recent years. The thoughts aren’t all positive, that’s for sure. The last two British Open champions, Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton, have done nothing worth noting since their triumphs across the pond. Add 2002 and 2003 PGA Champions Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel to that list as well. These four golfers have gone downhill in a hurry since their major championship victories, and I really don’t think that is very good for the PGA Tour to be honest.

I know that suprise winners in major championships is just a part of golf’s great history, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I definitely find myself pulling for the top golfers in the world when the majors roll around. I don’t enjoy seeing no-name golfers win the biggest tournaments in golf, and I believe a lot of people share this veiwpoint as well. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed watching Jason Gore put himself in contention a few weeks ago at the U.S. Open. That was a great story, and I wish he would have held it together on the final day. But I never wanted him to win it.

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Cialis Western Open Preview

Tiger and Vijay will do battle once again this week at the Cog Hill Golf and Country Club.

western_open_logo.gifThe Western Open is the oldest non-major golf tournament on the PGA Tour. That being said, it’s always a special tournament when the top two players in the world are in the field, and that is the case this week at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club. Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh played in the same tournament just two weeks ago at Pinehurst for the U.S. Open, and both players finished in the top 10. Tiger was the runner-up to Michael Campbell, and Singh finished in a tie for sixth. Just last week at the Barclays Classic, Vijay followed up his strong U.S. Open finish with a tie for seventh at Westchester.

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These Girls Really Do Rock

The LPGA has finally proved to me that there is more to it than just Annika Sorenstam.

Thrash TalkI’ll admit that I have never been a big fan of the LPGA. I know a lot of people who aren’t, but they shy away from the question. I have enjoyed watching the PGA Tour since I started playing golf around 1996. The PGA Tour is the home of the best golfers in the world. I always believed the LPGA was just a sideshow like the WNBA is to the NBA. Don’t get me wrong, I have always respected the women that play the LPGA Tour, as many of them are just as athletic as their male counterparts. The LPGA Tour just didn’t have anything that set it apart from other sports. It was too easy for me to watch something else on television when the LPGA was on.

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