Category: PGA

Go figure: another tournament affected by Mother Nature.

The Masters, first delayed to 10:30, will now move to a two-tee start at 12:30pm. Gates will open at 11:30am, and television coverage is still expected from 4-7pm on USA Network.

With rain and thunderstorms forecast for the rest of the day, it’s likely the tournament may be further delayed. Fortunately, with only a 92-man field, it will be somewhat easier to make up rounds than it has been for standard PGA Tour events, which feature 130-man fields.

The last time a day of play at The Masters was completely rained out was in 2003. Mike Weir, the eventual winner, played 30 holes on Friday, 24 on Saturday, and 19 – including a single playoff hole – on Sunday.

Update: Tee times have once again been pushed back to 1:00pm.
Another Update: Make that 1:30pm.

The tee times have been made, and the groupings have been set. This year’s Masters tournament start at 8:06am on Thursday morning with Jonathan Kaye, David Howell, and Ted Purdy. The last group – John Daly, Shigeki Maruyama, and Jesper Parnevik – tees off at 1:55pm.

Ian Poulter will play with Craig Stadler and Joakkim Haeggman at 9:16. Padraig Harrington follows him at 9:27. Retief Goosen and Stewart Cink play alongside Tiger-slayer Nick O’Hern at 9:49. Nicklaus goes off at 10:11. Phil Mickelson, last year’s winner, plays with Ryan Moore at 10:38 and is followed immediately by Vijay Singh at 10:49.

Davis Love III, Luke Donald, and Charles Howell III go off in the 26th group at 1:00pm sharp. Tiger Woods will play with Darren Clarke and Carlos Franco, and will be followed by one of the most exciting threesomes on the grouping sheet: Ernie Els, David Toms, and Adam Scott kick off their 2005 Masters at 1:44.

Continue reading “Masters Tee Times”

For many people, the opening day of baseball season marks the beginning of spring. But for people who play golf, The Masters Tournament is the truest indication that even Old Man Winter is ready to trade his snow shovel for a sand wedge. As the world’s top golfers not named Annika spring into action at Augusta National, who will don the green jacket this year? Here’s your guide on what to expect from the 2005 Masters.

Continue reading “Masters Preview: Four-Shadowing the Winner”

Looking to place your bet at the Masters? Could you retire on a $50 bet if David Duval wins the Masters? Not quite&hellipp; but at 1000:1 odds, you could probably take a comfortable year of unpaid vacation from your vocation.

How does Ladbrokes see the tournament? Unfortunately, they see another win for Tiger Woods, who has the best odds at 5:1. Following closely behind are Phil Mickelson (7:1), Ernie Els (8:1), and Vijay Singh (9:1). Retief Goosen (16:1) and Adam Scott (25:1) may not feel they’re getting the respect they deserve, but Davis Love III (40:1) and Tom Lehman (100:1) may be wise to bet on themselves. Our best pick mirrors Ladbroke’s own: Stewart Cink, at 66:1, looks like the best chance for a quick score. A simple bet of $15,200 on Stewart Cink will net you a cool million. You can live off the interest for the rest of your life.

The longest odds? Amazingly, they’re not on David Duval. That honor goes to Ben Crenshaw and Raymond Floyd, at 5000:1.

Continue reading “Betting Odds for The Masters”

Jack Nicklaus reminisced about the Masters Tournament today in a ceremony held in his honor. He took the opportunity to make a startling announcement: he’ll be playing this year.

A month ago, following the tragic death of Jack’s grandson in a pool accident, Nicklaus announced that he would probably skip The Masters, saying that he’d rather spend time with his family in these trying times.

Of his change-of heart, Nicklaus said “It (Augusta National) is a place that’s meant a lot to me in my life. I’m coming up here to play and fulfill a request by Hootie (Johnson, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club) and a desire on my part. I feel like I can play so I’m going to play.” Nicklaus made the remarks at the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Botanical Gardens, where he received a key to the city during ceremonies that also honored Lee Elder for breaking the color barrier in The Masters 30 years ago.

Continue reading “Jack to Play at The Masters”

The rain-shortened BellSouth Classic was only supposed to go 54 holes, but it took 58 for Phil Mickelson to come out on top. Phil birdied the fourth playoff hole to take victory away from the resurgent Rich Beem and José Maria Olazabal as well as Arjun Atwal and Brandt Jobe.

Scott McCarron, who held the second-round lead at -6, fell apart with a final-round 76. Arjun Atwal, who began the day at even par, took all of McCarron’s shots (and then some) on his way to a tournament-low 64. Finishing early, Atwal had to wait two hours to see if his final score of 8-under par would hold up. It did, but his bogey on the first playoff hole in the five-man sudden-death playoff – did not.

Continue reading “Mickelson Outlasts Four in a Bellsouth Playoff”

Weather was a factor during round one at the BellSouth Classic today as temperatures hovered below 40 degrees and winds gusted to 40 mph. Play was halted for nearly two hours as freezing rain and snow fell on the course. It was reminiscent of a ski slope with all the beanie caps worn today. Billy Mayfair said, “The hardest part is when it’s cold and you have delays, it’s hard to stay warm.” The delay prevented 63 players from finishing the first round including frontrunner Mayfair.

Billy Mayfair summed up his day by saying, “I made some nice putts.” He started with a 14-foot putt to save par on the second hole and continued with four birdie putts between 10 and 20 feet. He sits at four-under par after 13 holes. He’ll have to get out and finish his round on Sunday morning.

Continue reading “Day Three Brings Round One At the BellSouth Classic”

Last week at The Players Championship, fans wondered if the tournament would ever end. This week, the questions seem to center around whether or not the tournament will ever begin!

Play was once again suspended today before any golfer had a chance to hit a single shot. Play is set to resume Saturday morning at 7am ET. Right now, the schedule is to play 18 holes on Saturday, 18 holes Sunday, and then finish by with 36 holes on Monday. A Monday finish looks to be in the cards again, but this week is much different than last week. The Masters is scheduled to begin next Thursday, and you can bet all participants in The Masters will want to be at their best when the first major of 2005 rolls around.

Continue reading “Rain Rain, Go Away! Still no Shots at the BellSouth”

TPC at Sugarloaf couldn’t take what nature dealt it Thursday as tournament officials cancelled play because rain fell for nine straight hours during the morning and early afternoon. Phil Mickelson said “What a surprise. We’ve had such great weather all year.” The “good weather” Mickelson spoke of could very well delay the tournament further as the forecast is calling for more thunderstorms on Friday. About the only good news is that Saturday’s forecast is clear.

The Players Championship may have finished on a Monday, but a Monday finish for the BellSouth Classic could be deadly: The Masters is next week, and Mickelson and others are certainly going to want to be well-prepared.

Continue reading “Throw Me A Life Ring!”