Category: Thrash Talk

The Art of Choking

The PGA Tour’s brightest young stars can’t seem to finish the job on Sunday.

Thrash TalkForgive me if I sound a little hasty this week. It’s no secret by now that Charles Howell III is far and away my favorite golfer in the world. Howell III had The Sony Open trophy well within his grasp this past Sunday before crumbling like an Oreo cookie. I had my victory celebration planned out, but I should have known better. Just when CH3 looked to be getting over the hump, he let himself and his number one fan down yet again.

I’ve watched the PGA Tour since the early-to-mid 1990s, and I can’t recall being so disappointed in a tournament finish as I was this past Sunday. Even after Howell III lost his lead, he still had a chance to birdie the 72nd hole to force a playoff. An awful chip and putt later, and he finished in a tie for second with fellow young gun, Luke Donald.

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The FedEx Cup is Off and Running

Vijay Singh and The Golf Channel started 2007 off in style.

Thrash TalkFans of the PGA Tour have been waiting for the start of the FedEx Cup since the official announcement nearly a year ago. It has only been two months since the 2006 PGA Tour season ended, but the start of the 2007 season couldn’t have come too soon. I’m glad the new era in golf has finally arrived, and it looks like things will be very interesting all season long.

Stuart Appleby failed in his bid to win four consecutive Mercedes Championships, and Vijay Singh took full advantage of the situation. Singh has been denied his win at Kapalua in recent years, but he finally got his win on the island this past weekend. The Fijiian obviously jumped to the top of the FedEx Cup standings with his impressive win in the season opener, and he will be tough to beat in 2007.

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Bunker’s Dozen: December 2006

The Bunker’s Dozen ends 2006 with a bang and a new number one!

Thrash TalkThe 2006 season has been a long one, but golf fans have been treated to another exciting year in the world of golf. The past month has also been a crazy one, mostly outside the PGA Tour. The Tour Championship wrapped up in early November, and the golf spotlight then shifted towards the LPGA Tour and European Tour.

Lorena Ochoa held off Karrie Webb to win the LPGA Tour Player of the Year award, and Julieta Granada won a million dollars in the season’s final event. Padraig Harrington, coming off his recent European Tour Order of Merit title, beat Tiger Woods in a playoff to win the Dunlop Phoenix. How high will these golfers be in the latest edition of Bunker’s Dozen? You know the drill, so keep on reading!

If you have anything to add, feel free to comment below or discuss it in the forum. I hope you enjoy this month’s list.

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Top Storylines for 2007: Part Two

Part two of the top storylines for 2007 discusses The Golf Channel, Lefty, and more.

Thrash TalkWith the 2007 golf season right around the corner, I’m previewing some of the top storylines that will garner attention in the coming weeks. Last week, I published part one of the top storylines for 2007, so check that out if you haven’t already. It’s time to talk about five more golf questions that are on my mind heading into the new year.

The Golf Channel is going to be the new home for PGA Tour opening-round action starting in 2007 and will be for at least 14 years beyond that. Will the two make a great team, or will it be a struggle from the beginning? Also, it has been over two years since Ernie Els won a PGA Tour event, and it’s been over a year for Retief Goosen. Finally, Phil Mickelson hasn’t been the same since his collapse at Winged Foot this past June. Can Els, Goosen, and Lefty bounce back in 2007? You will read about all this and more in this week’s article.

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Top Storylines for 2007: Part One

It’s never too early to talk about 2007, so that’s what I’m going to do for the next couple weeks.

Thrash TalkThe start of the 2007 PGA Tour season is only a month away, and the LPGA Tour season will start shortly thereafter. It’s good to have a break every once in awhile, but I’m already getting excited about 2007. The silly season has been okay, but it just isn’t the same as the real deal. The Mercedes Championship can’t come soon enough.

With the new season right around the corner, many questions instantly come to mind. Some are pretty self-explanatory, and some seem to be neverending. How many majors will Tiger win next season, and can he possibly improve on his spectacular 2006 season? Also, will Michelle Wie finally win something of importance, or will her résumé remain winless?

I’ll dive into these questions and more in this first of two installments of the top storylines for 2007. Let’s get this party started!

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2006 PGA Tour Season Review

The 2006 PGA Tour season left golf fans with a lot of memories, some good and some bad.

Thrash TalkThe 2007 PGA Tour season will begin in a little over a month, and The FedEx Cup will be in full swing. Before that, it’s time to officially put the 2006 season to rest. As usual, there were a lot of great memories mixed in with some bad ones. New golfers emerged onto the scene, while some of the big guns limped their way throughout the season.

Tiger added two more major championships to his trophy case, and Phil added one more as well. A young Aussie stepped up in a big way to win a major championship of his own, and the Europeans once again had their way with the United States in the Ryder Cup. All these memories and more made 2006 a great season. I’ve picked out some of the most memorable storylines from the past year, and I hope you enjoy!

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Silly Season Excitement

The LPGA Tour spiced things up at the ADT Championship, and Tiger lost in a playoff. That’s a pretty solid week of golf.

Thrash TalkFootball season is entering crunch time, and many golf fans have gone into hibernation until 2007. That’s usually the case for me as well, but it’s been a little different this year. I’ve realized there are a lot of quality tournaments around the globe to keep me excited deep into the calendar. This part of the golf season is usually referred to as the silly season, but that can’t be farther from the truth.

I’ve never watched the LPGA Tour in November prior to 2006, but I’ve watched the last two events this season. The ADT Championship this past weekend was one of the most exciting LPGA Tour event I’ve ever watched. It seemed like I was watching a major championship instead of a regular event, and that’s a bonus this time of year.

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Move Over Annika

Annika Sorenstam wasn’t necessarily ready to pass the torch, but Lorena Ochoa took it anyway.

Thrash TalkAnnika Sorenstam decided to play golf with the men this past weekend. The world’s number one female golfer teamed with Fred Couples at the Merril Lynch Shootout and finished in last place. While Sorenstam was playing a silly season event, Lorena Ochoa was winning her sixth LPGA Tour event of the season in dominant fashion (by ten shots to be exact).

The win was Ochoa’s third in a row, and she clinched the LPGA Tour Player of the Year title in the process. Annika and Karrie Webb have combined to win every player of the year award since 1996 which definitely blew my mind. I figured at least one golfer would have snuck in there and stolen the award in that ten-year time period. That makes Ochoa’s 2006 season even more impressive.

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Bunker’s Dozen: November 2006

The PGA Tour season may be over, but The Bunker’s Dozen rolls along!

Thrash TalkThe 2006 PGA Tour season is in the books, and it’s time to start looking forward to 2007. The Bunker’s Dozen takes no vacations, however, so the show must go on. The golf world didn’t see Tiger or Phil in October, but there were still a lot of things going on around the world. Golfers made their final charge towards the top 30 and top 125 on the PGA Tour money list. Some were successful, and some came up short.

The European Tour also wrapped up their season in October, and the Order of Merit wasn’t decided until the last few holes of the final event. The LPGA Tour hasn’t concluded for the season quite yet, but a certain golfer won again and moved one step closer to becoming player of the year.

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