2009 Masters Staff Predictions

Check back in a week to see who has egg on their face and who has the bragging rights.

Thrash TalkThe 2009 Masters is about to begin, and as we’ve done in the past, we’re here with our staff predictions.

This year we’re changing things up a little bit. We’ll still predict the winner and the winning score, but beyond that, we’re looking at Greg Norman, the younger contingent, and the course setup, as well as a few other things.

Check our predictions, post your own in the comments, and come back for bragging rights – or to eat a little humble pie – when the Masters concludes this year.

P.S. Check back Sunday for our live blog of the final round of the 2009 Masters!

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George Promenschenkel Analysis

I compare George’s golf swing is to the swing of Tiger Woods… but that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Swing CheckGeorge Promenschenkel is about a nine-handicap golfer, but his scorecard can include anywhere from birdies to snowmen. We need to change that – at least the snowmen part. His goal is to become a five handicap and based on his swing, I think he is a lot closer than he realizes.

After analyzing his swing I have identified two problems – one which we have seen before and one that we haven’t – which must be dealt with simultaneously.

Read on to see George’s swing and the fixes I’ve outlined for him.

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Nine Holes with Bobby Jones

There has only ever been one true Grand Slam of golf.

ProfilesBobby Jones is one of the truly legendary figures of golf. Among other things, he helped found Augusta National and the Masters, but he will always be best known for the Grand Slam of 1930.

Jones was successful on and off the course, but it was his play that has made him immortal. There are really just three names that come up in a discussion of the greatest golfer of all time: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Bobby Jones. While Jones may be trailing in comparisons these days, it’s difficult to dismiss all he did in a short (and amateur) career.

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An Open Letter To All Anti-Tigerites, Part One

I’ve been called a Tiger lover; I might as well be out with it.

Thrash TalkTo Whom It May Concern:

I am not an entirely shameless and uncritical worshipper of Tiger Woods. There are things about the man that I don’t like, both on and off the golf course. On the course, it annoys me when he refers to himself as “Woody,” when he insists on two possible hat and shoe combinations (white and white or black and black), when he and Steve Williams interact like they are angry school teachers, when he blows snot rockets or expels worse: an unbelievably generic post-round interview.

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Golf Talk [Episode 110]

If you didn’t know Tiger would make that putt on 18, well, you haven’t been watching much golf the past decade.

Golf Talk PodcastTiger Woods wins Bay Hill in dramatic fashion and no, this isn’t a repeat of last year’s event. Plus Michelle Wie, microphones on caddies, Davis Love III, and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 110 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

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Scorecard Beta Testers Wanted

Do you think you’ve got a knack for finding bugs? Want a sneak peek at Scorecard 2?

I’ll keep this short. Scorecard 2 – software I’ve helped to develop for tracking your golf game with simple but meaningful statistics – will enter private beta testing shortly for Mac OS X and Windows.

If you’d like to beta test Scorecard 2 and you’re a member of the forum, please check here. If you’re not a forum member and you’re interested, please see the brief note on my personal blog.

P.S. Yes, it’s April Fool’s Day. No, this isn’t a joke at all. It wouldn’t be a very funny one, now would it?

FootJoy Releases SYNR-G Shoes

FootJoy has some new stable hitting platforms for you to try.

Bag DropFootJoy has long been the dominant player in the golf shoe industry and in 2009 is looking to continue that tradition with the release of their SYNR-G golf shoes.

Boasting a number of pretty nifty features and some serious technology, its safe to say that these are some pretty sweet rides for your feet and look to be seriously comfortable to make your round just a bit more enjoyable.

Let’s take a look under the leather at the latest from FootJoy.

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Volume One Hundred Eighty Four

Tiger is back in the winner’s circle. We didn’t even have to wait long.

Hittin' the LinksHello, and welcome again to Hittin’ the Links. Well Sandtrappers, I think its safe to say, Tiger Woods is still good. How about that last putt? Anyone else have a sense of déja vü? If nothing else it definitely sets the stage for the Masters.

In this latest edition of HTL we look at why Tiger’s non-political stance is not a bad thing, take a peek at his new international playing schedule, and investigate John Daly’s recent lawsuit. Also, we find out what the PGA Tour wants to do to the caddies, meet the pro who turned amateur to make it to Augusta, and do a wrap-up of the PGA events of the week. Read on!

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What Caddies Might Say

A mic and a caddy: a recipe for disaster?

Trap Five LogoAt next week’s Shell Houston Open, the PGA Tour and NBC will experiment with putting microphones on caddies to capture the dialogues between caddies and players. The Tour and the network are interested in learning if the audio quality and, more importantly, the conversation quality are worth putting on the air.

You and I won’t hear any of it, most likely. It is just an experiment, after all. The Tour isn’t very comfortable with trying something in front of an audience. If it is a success, it will probably be a few weeks before we get to listen in. The Masters is not about to allow mics on the caddies. After McCord got banned from Augusta by saying that they used bikini wax on the greens, can you imagine what might happen if the caddies had mics?

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