Author: Cody Thrasher

Bunker’s Dozen: June 2008

Take a wild guess at who is number one this month.

Thrash TalkThe U.S. Open and McDonald’s LPGA Championship are in the past, and the rankings this month are weighted heavily by both. Tiger Woods played for the first time in two months, and he picked up his 14th major. His playoff win over Rocco Mediate provided more memories than golf fans can count.

Yani Tseng won the McDonald’s LPGA Championship in a playoff as well, although her victory was a little more surprising than Tiger’s. How high will Tseng be ranked after her impressive victory, and how will the rest of the rankings shake out? Keep reading to find out. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

Continue reading “Bunker’s Dozen: June 2008”

Random Thoughts from Torrey Pines

It’s time to pay respect to some of the underrated stories from this year’s U.S. Open.

Thrash TalkTiger Woods’ performance at the 2008 U.S. Open this past weekend was incredible and showed once again why he is the best golfer on the planet. Rocco Mediate played great and had his chances, but it was pretty obvious Woods wasn’t going to let the tournament slip away. If he would have needed an eagle at the 72nd hole or in the playoff, he would have gotten it. He is that damn good, even when he isn’t at his best.

Other than Woods and Mediate, the other guy that has been mentioned most is Phil Mickelson. Lefty made a couple questionable decisions this past week, and he paid the price. In the end, it wasn’t his week.

Now that the popular stories have been discussed, it’s time to talk about some of the underrated stories from this year’s U.S. Open. I had a chance to watch nearly every minute of television coverage this year, and I jotted down a few notes along the way. Enjoy!

Continue reading “Random Thoughts from Torrey Pines”

2008 U.S. Open Predictions

The staff weighs in on the season’s second major championship.

Thrash TalkThe 2008 U.S. Open starts today, and the world’s best will attempt to tame Torrey Pines en route to major championship glory. The two best golfers in the world, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, both have a great history at this golf course. They have received the most headlines going into the event, and they will be paired together the first two rounds at least.

Tiger and Lefty will be the favorites, but who else has a good shot at winning the second major of the year? Also, who might be a dark-horse pick, and who might disappoint? Sand Trap staff members predict these things and more in this week’s article. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

Continue reading “2008 U.S. Open Predictions”

2008 U.S. Open Storylines

This week, I give my take on a few hot topics heading into the year’s second major.

Thrash TalkThe world’s best will head to Torrey Pines (South Course) next week for this year’s U.S. Open, and there are numerous storylines worth talking about. Tiger Woods finished second at The Masters a couple months ago and then had knee surgery two days later. He hasn’t played a competitive round since, and it will be interesting to see how things go when he tees it up in the season’s second major.

Any time a U.S. Open is played, the golf course gets a fair amount of attention as well. Often times the course setup is borderline unfair for the golfers, but how tough will Torrey Pines play? Also, can Phil Mickelson finally recover from his collapse at the 2006 U.S. Open? Can an International win this event for the fifth year in a row? All these topics and more will be covered in this week’s Thrash Talk.

Continue reading “2008 U.S. Open Storylines”

NCAA Division I Men’s Championship Preview

Which teams and individuals have what it takes to be National Champions?

College GolfThe Division I Men’s NCAA Golf Championship starts today, and it’s time for a few predictions. The event will be played at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana. There were three separate regionals a couple weeks back, and the top 10 teams from each advanced to the NCAA Championship. In addition, six individual golfers (their teams didn’t advance) will be battling the rest of the field for individual supremacy.

Which teams and individuals have what it takes to win an NCAA Championship this season? Keep reading to find out.

Continue reading “NCAA Division I Men’s Championship Preview”

Is it Still Camilo Time?

Is Camilo Villegas’ future still as bright as it once was?

Thrash TalkDuring the Florida Swing in early 2006, the majority of golf fans were introduced to Camilo Villegas. Villegas’ flashy look and style took the golf world by storm. On top of that, his unique way of reading greens entertained the masses. The young Colombian had the look of a star, and he seemed to have the game to contend immediately.

After a great start to the 2006 PGA Tour season, Villegas struggled as the year progressed. Those struggles continued in the early parts of 2007, with the exception of an occasional strong finish here and there. He found his game the last month of the season and recorded three top-10 finishes in a row to end the season.

This year, it’s been a mixed bag once again for Villegas. After quite a few mediocre finishes to start the season, he has a couple top-10 finishes in the past month (including a third-place finish this past weekend at Sugarloaf). With all the inconsistency, is Villegas still a relevant figure in the golf world? Also, does he have what it takes to get things right and become a multiple-time winner on the PGA Tour? Let’s take a look.

Continue reading “Is it Still Camilo Time?”

Early 2008 Ryder Cup Talk: Europe

The Europeans have won the last three Ryder Cup matches, but how are they looking for 2008?

Thrash TalkA few weeks ago, I broke down the current status of the United States Ryder Cup team, and now it’s time to take a look at the team from across the pond. The European side will enter this year’s matches as the three-time defending champions, and regardless of what the media says, they will definitely be the favorites this time around.

The European Ryder Cup team is selected using three different methods. The first is based on the players’ standing in the European Tour Order of Merit over a 12-month period. The second is based off the players’ Official World Golf Ranking points won in the same 12-month period. These two methods will qualify ten members for the team, while the remaining two golfers will be selected by captain Nick Faldo.

Continue reading “Early 2008 Ryder Cup Talk: Europe”

Bunker’s Dozen: May 2008

This month’s list has some Masters, Players, and LPGA Tour flavor.

Thrash TalkThe 2008 Masters and Players have come and gone, and this month’s list is weighted by both. Trevor Immelman won the green jacket last month at Augusta but has struggled badly since. Sergio Garcia, on the other hand, silenced the putting demons long enough to win The Players this past weekend. The media has been waiting for the young guns to step it up, and both Immelman and Garcia did just that in the past month.

It’s been a great past month for the PGA Tour, but the LPGA Tour has also made waves. In fact, three ladies have completely dominated things in 2008. Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, and Paula Creamer have accounted for 10 wins in 11 events so far this season. That’s an amazing stat to say the least.

All five mentioned above are in this month’s Bunker’s Dozen, but where will each of them end up? Continue reading to find out. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

Continue reading “Bunker’s Dozen: May 2008”

2008 Players (Championship) Predictions

With Tiger away, who will come out and play at Sawgrass?

Thrash TalkThe four major championships are obviously the biggest tournaments each season, but “The Players” is next in line. The field is always one of the best, and the course is always a tough test for the world’s top golfers. The TPC at Sawgrass is also one of the most recognizable layouts in the world thanks in part to its great finishing stretch. The 16th hole is a risk/reward par five, the 17th is the famous island hole, and the 18th is one of the toughest finishing holes in golf.

Continue reading “2008 Players (Championship) Predictions”