Category: Thrash Talk

Staff Predictions: 2011 Season Preview

High hopes for Tiger Woods, little expected from Mickelson, and the bar is set high for Kaymer. And remember Sergio? You might be hearing from him again this year.

Thrash TalkWith a full offseason to put his off-course woes even further in the rear-view mirror, the golf world is bracing for Tiger Woods, the golfer. Not Tiger the partier, the cheat, or the punchline. Wood finished 2010 winless, and each time he tees it up in 2011, the question will surface: when will the losing streak end? If you believe The Sand Trap staff consensus, Tiger’s slump is all but over. But will he return to dominate, or just look like an ordinary Top Ten player?

As for sleepers, there’s more than a little love for Sergio to surge. As for players of the year, will the Europeans build on their gains of 2010? Or can the Americans find the magic atop to rankings again?

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Ten Questions for 2011 #4: Which Golfers Will Win for the First Time?

Which golfers will get their big breakthrough victory in 2011?

Thrash TalkThe holidays have come and gone, and it’s time to see some PGA Tour golf. The 2011 season starts this weekend in Hawaii, and it’s going to be one of the most intriguing years in recent history. One of the things that happens every season is golfers picking up their first PGA Tour win. Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Rose are three golfers who broke through and won for the first time on American soil in 2010.

Which golfers will get their PGA Tour breakthrough win in 2011? Keep reading to find out. I’ve put together a list of five golfers who will find the winner’s circle for the first time this season. Some are probably more obvious than others, but it’s a strong list nonetheless. Enjoy!

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Hoping, Praying for Tiger to be Tiger

Whether rooting for him or against him, the game’s not the same without Woods at his best.

Thrash TalkThis time a year ago it was hard to fathom what laid ahead for Tiger Woods. Would his personal problems be a blip on the radar? Would he have renewed focus on his game? Would he even play in 2010? We got all those answers, and most of them were quite ugly. So rather than venture a guess at how he’ll return with a fresh start in 2011, I’ll just cling to the hopes that he’s back to being the Tiger Woods that we’ve grown to know, and love, and hate.

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Five Stories From the World of Golf

Silly Season golf mixes with serious stories. Here are the top five.

Trap Five LogoEven though the season has been over for a while now, there is still a lot going on in golf. Q-School just wrapped up, and the PGA Tour has a bunch of new members. Tiger’s Chevron World Challenge provided one of the most exciting finishes of the year, and the pick of Rickie Fowler as PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has provided some controversy (in the form of “Why not Rory?”). Speaking of controversy, it has been almost a year since the groove rule kicked in for pros, and we’ll take a look back on just how well it worked.

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Ouch! A Look Back at My Pathetic 2010 Predictions

Year in Review: Mickelson didn’t dominate, no solace on the course for Woods, Daly couldn’t shake the duldrums, and so much more.

Thrash TalkWhat’s the point of making predictions if you’re not going to own up to them after the fact? Especially when your predictions are as far off as mine?

But with 2010 wrapping up, it’s time to review the season’s highs and lows … and when it comes to my prognostications, it was pretty one-sided. How lousy? Let’s call it Tiger Wood ’10 bad.

There were a few gems mixed in, however, such as Dustin Johnson’s arrival. Before I get too excited, I also thought it would be the year of John Daly’s resurgence.

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Ten Questions for 2011 #3: Which Golfers Need a Comeback Year?

These four golfers need to bounce back in a big way in 2011.

Thrash TalkThe 2010 golf season saw the rise of several golfers including Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, and the Molinari brothers. These golfers have had success in the past, but they are all inside the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking after breakthrough 2010 seasons. On the other side of things, there are several golfers who fell out of the spotlight in a big way this past season. It’s something golf fans don’t always see because they are so focused on the golfers having success on a weekly basis.

I’ve put together a list of golfers who struggled to find their way in 2010 and will be looking to have a bounce back year in 2011. All but one are Major Championship winners, and three of the four were in the top 20 this time last year. In addition, the game of golf is a better place when these guys are playing well. Without further ado, here is the list.

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Ten Questions for 2011 #2: Will Lee Westwood Win His First Major?

Will the new number one break through and win his first major in 2011?

Thrash TalkThe 2010 season was a crazy one for many different reasons, but the craziest thing of all is the fact Tiger Woods lost the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in over five years. It’s no surprise Woods had his worst year as a professional, but who would have predicted he would fall out of the top spot? I sure didn’t.

Lee Westwood took over the top spot in the rankings after playing really well the past couple years. He has won several events worldwide and has been in the hunt in more majors than anyone. With all his recent success, however, he is still looking for his first major victory. Will he finally break through and win a big one in 2011? Keep reading to find out.

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Sun Setting on 2010 Playing Season

Keep your warm cider, pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving. I’ll be out, trying squeeze in one more round before winter.

Thrash TalkSome of my best memories in golf come on the short, crisp, leaf-strewn days of fall in the Northeast. The grass is always greener, the oppressive heat of the summer is a distant memory and the crowds have thinned out.

So as most of the country bids farewell to the 2010 playing season, packs up their gear and cleans out the trunk, I say, “welcome to fall, embrace it, and enjoy it.”

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Ten Questions for 2011 #1: Who Will Win More Events, Tiger or Lefty?

Which popular golfer will find the winner’s circle more often in 2011?

Thrash TalkIt’s November, and that means it’s time to start looking forward to the 2011 golf season. The PGA Tour wrapped up its Fall Series last weekend, and the players won’t play competitive golf again until early January with the exception of Tiger’s tournament in California. Over the next month or so, I’m going to discuss and break down ten questions I have for 2011.

The first question focuses on the two most popular figures in golf, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The 2010 season wasn’t great for either, although Lefty did win The Masters. Nonetheless, both will be looking to perform much better next year. Which golfer will win more events in 2011? Keep reading to find out.

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