Bunker’s Dozen: March 2007

The world’s best, an LPGA Tour young gun, a spitting Spaniard, and more in this month’s list.

Thrash TalkThe West Coast Swing ended in February, and The Florida Swing began shortly thereafter. Now it’s the beginning of April, and The Masters is here. The 2007 season is well underway, and it has been very exciting to say the least. On top of that, the LPGA Tour’s first major championship is in the books, and the Nationwide Tour is in full swing.

Tiger Woods had an up-and-down month of February. Woods completely lost focus at Bay Hill in the final round, shooting a lofty 76 on Sunday at Arnie’s place. In true Tiger fashion, however, he bounced back by winning at Doral, and he also won the individual scoring title at The Tavistock Cup.

How did all this affect the world’s best in this month’s Bunker’s Dozen? Also, did Vijay move up any after winning his second PGA Tour event of the season? Finally, where will LPGA young gun Morgan Pressel find herself after becoming the LPGA Tour’s youngest ever major winner? These three and others can be found in the March edition of Bunker’s Dozen. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

Will Tiger Tame Augusta for the Fifth Time?

The 2007 Masters is a week away, and it’s time to list some contenders, pretenders, etc.

Thrash TalkTiger Woods played in The Tavistock Cup this past Monday and Tuesday and won his third consecutive Payne Stewart Award in the process. The award goes to the golfer with the lowest 18-hole score on the final day. Woods’ team lost, but that’s not the point. The world’s best birdied seven holes in a row for crying loud and let the world know he wants a fifth green jacket next week.

Not only will Tiger try to win a fifth green jacket next week, he will also try to continue towards another Tiger Slam. Woods won the 2006 British Open Championship and 2006 PGA Championship, so he needs to win this year’s Masters and U.S. Open to close the deal. It’s definitely tough to bet against the guy, but I usually do anyway.

Blue Monster Unworthy of the WGC?

The season’s second WGC event starts today, but is Doral the right course for it?

Thrash TalkIt’s pretty weird not having The Players Championship in late March, but at least we get a World Golf Championship (WGC) event in its place. The fields for WGC events are always just as strong as they are for major championships, so it’s definitely an added bonus. On top of that, we still get The Players Championship and Sawgrass in May.

Like I mentioned above, the fields are very strong for WGC events. The golf courses are usually equal to the task, but this week may be a little different. I was watching “The Approach” on The Golf Channel last night, and one of the topics really piqued my interest. The topic centered around whether or not The Blue Monster at Doral is worthy of having a World Golf Championship event.

Golfers Missing in Action

A few household names have been struggling to find their games in the past year or so.

Thrash TalkTiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Charles Howell III, etc. have had great starts to their 2007 season. Their names have been in the headlines all year and will be favorites to win the season’s first major championship next month. Other top golfers like Jim Furyk, Geoff Ogilvy, and Ernie Els haven’t won any events in 2007, but they have still contended a little.

Now it’s time to turn to the bad side of the spectrum. There are a few household names that have showed up to play golf in the past year or so, but they haven’t played very well. Camilo Villegas almost made the list, but he snapped out of his slump at The Honda Classic two weeks ago. I’m going to list the struggling golfers, talk about their reasons for struggle, and make some predictions regarding their future.

Bunker’s Dozen: February 2007

This month’s list features a new number one, a rehashed reality show, and a Pink Panther.

Thrash TalkThe month of February has come and gone, and it’s hard to believe it’s almost time for The Masters. This time next month, the PGA Tour’s first major championship will be in full swing, and the LPGA Tour’s first major championship will be in the books. The Super Bowl may be big for most people, but there is nothing bigger to me than PGA Tour majors.

As far as last month’s golf is concerned, there were some interesting occurrences. Henrik Stenson outlasted Tiger and Ernie overseas and followed that up by winning the first World Golf Championship event of the season. Charles Howell III picked up his first win in over four years, and Paula Creamer returned to the winner’s circle. Tiger’s PGA Tour win streak ended, and an old reality show debuted a new season.

All these things and more had a profound impact on this month’s Bunker’s Dozen. Without further ado, here is this month’s list. And if you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

Young Guns Finally Reaching Potential

Several PGA Tour young guns are finally starting to reach their unlimited potential.

Thrash TalkThe WGC Accenture Match Play Championship was very fun to watch as usual. Some people may have been bored with the final between Henrik Stenson and Geoff Ogilvy, but it was actually one of the most exciting championship matches in the event’s history. Both golfers are very calm under pressure, and both are now ranked inside the world’s top ten. Don’t be surprised if both of these guys win a major championship this season.

2007 Accenture Match Play Predictions

Find out who will contend, pretend, and surprise at this week’s Accenture Match Play Championship.

Thrash TalkIt only took Charles Howell III four and a half years to win his second PGA Tour event, but the long wait was well worth it. Howell III caught and outlasted one of the world’s best golfers, and he did it at one of the best courses. He had flirted with victory twice this season, and the third time was definitely the charm. I’m glad I never hopped off the bandwagon!

Now that the personal boasting portion of the article is out of the way, it’s time to get down to business. One of my favorite events on the PGA Tour is the Accenture Match Play Championship, and it starts tomorrow. All the big guns are in the field this year, and it should be a shootout to the finish. All eyes will be on Tiger Woods as he attempts to win his eighth consecutive PGA Tour event.

Bunker’s Dozen: January 2007

A very familiar name starts off the season in style and also tops this month’s list.

Thrash TalkIt’s hard to believe the 2007 PGA Tour season is already a month and a half old, but it’s the truth. It’s been a year of close calls for many of the world’s top young golfers. On the other hand, Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods have already found the winner’s circle. The inaugural FedEx Cup is off to a great start, and it will be interesting to see how things work out throughout the season.

The European Tour is also in full swing, while the Champions Tour and LPGA Tour are dragging behind a little. How will all of this impact the first Bunker’s Dozen of 2007? Keep reading to find out. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

Early Season Disappointments

The FedEx Cup is off to a solid start, but a few things have kept it from being even better.

Thrash TalkAfter Phil Mickelson missed the cut at The FBR Open, I was ready to write his season off. Lefty bounced back this past weekend at Pebble Beach and proved he still has what it takes to seal the deal. He is obviously in better shape physically and mentally, and it was nice to see him win his 30th career PGA Tour event.

Mickelson officially put his name near the top of The FedEx Cup standings and will more than likely be a contender most of the season. After six events, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Lefty have all found the winner’s circle. That is great for ratings, and it will keep fans more involved throughout the inagural FedEx Cup season. It’s just unfortunate all three won’t be in the same field until the Accenture Match Play Championship in two weeks.