Should I Buy or Sell My Jordan Spieth Stock?

Jordan is at the top of his game, but does he win more, or has he peaked?

Thrash TalkIn today’s economy it seems that one of the key indices of a healthy market is how the stock market is performing. Currently as China stock market underwent a crash it got me thinking about prospecting. I mainly wonder “If Jordan Spieth were a stock, would I buy or short him?”

There is no question his price in this Golf Street market would be extremely high. Two major wins and two extremely close calls; there is no other way to describe it than to measure it against Tiger’s 2000 season. It was not as good as that season, in fact, not really even that close but it is the closest comparison one can make in recent history. You need to go back to Ben Hogan’s 1953 season to find another to compare it to. Add to this the fact that the 2015 season isn’t over, a win at the season-ending Tour Championship would only add more fuel to a season already full of big fireworks.

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Volume Four Hundred Forty-Seven

The old Tiger shows up as does the Davis Love, and math is hard.

Hittin' the LinksIt seemed like it was going to be a fairy tale ending to the regular season for Tiger Woods. In second place after the third round, it just felt like Woods would finally break out of his slump and get his first win since 2013. Instead, a triple-bogey seven on number 11 was a fitting coda to Tiger’s 2015 campaign. But the old Tiger just might maybe be back.

Another old guy, Freddy Couples shot 59… on Wednesday. And yet another won the Wyndham Championship. Let’s hit the links.

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PGA Tour Live App Review

PGA TOUR LIVE carries every event of the PGA TOUR live and on demand as well as the Web.com and Champions Tours and the Presidents Cup.

PGA Tour Live App 4
Last month the PGA TOUR released a new app called PGA TOUR LIVE. The app allows you to watch live coverage of two concurrent featured group pairings during morning competition prior to the start of the regularly scheduled television coverage. It is available for iOS and Android.

The app also offers live-streaming coverage from select holes after early-round group coverage has concluded, as well as on select weekends. In addition, the app includes video-on-demand content such as subscription-only highlights as well as feature and historical videos in an easy-to-access environment.

The Basics
PGA TOUR LIVE, a subscription-based digital platform service, debuted in the first round of the Quicken Loans National. It’s available on desktop, iOS, and Android devices. Other devices like Smart TV will follow soon.

The coverage is be available first as a seven-day free subscription when you register. After that, the subscription costs $4.99 per month.

The only live golf streaming I’ve previously done has been during the Masters. The Sand Trap.com has partnered with the PGA TOUR LIVE team for the review and after a few days with PGA TOUR LIVE I experienced plenty of pros and a few cons. I reviewed this app based on my experiences with the iOS version on an iPhone 6 and a fourth-geneeration iPad.

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Volume Four Hundred Forty-Six

Day triumphs, Spieth rises and Daly shows off his arm.

Hittin' the LinksWith nine top 10s in majors over six years, Jason Day has been on a lot of short lists to finally win one. On Sunday, on the shores of Lake Michigan, it happened.

His final round showdown with Jordan Spieth was great theater, but Day’s six-under 66 proved too much on this day for even the young Spieth who shot 68. The 2015 PGA Championship provided great story lines on a Dye course where birdies seemed about as likely as double bogeys (and where Dustin Johnson made a double-par eight on his opening hole Sunday).

Elsewhere, Brooke Henderson won the LPGA’s Cambia Portland Classic in an eight-stroke romp. And Tiger Woods, who missed the cut at Whistling Straits, announced that he will play the Wyndham Championship in a bid to extend his season.

Let’s hit the links.

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Leupold PinCaddie 2 Laser Rangefinder Review

The $200 laser rangefinder you’d pay double for.

PinCaddie 2 HeroThe debate between GPS systems and laser rangefinders hasn’t ended, and probably won’t for some time. GPS is convenient for a quick glance, and the course mapping is nice, but I always feel a little dissatisfied whenever I use a GPS unit. The touchscreens are generally poor, the distances take a few precious seconds to update (particularly annoying when you’re driving in a cart), and you’re still at the whim and mercy of whoever mapped the course in the first place (not to mention GPS accuracy, cloud cover, etc.).

The GPS systems in use for golf simply cannot match the accuracy of a laser rangefinder, and I’ve yet to come across a GPS unit constructed as well as even an entry-level laser rangefinder. (And that’s without mentioning smartphone app GPS systems, which I find virtually unusable due to the massive amounts of cellular data and battery they gobble up.)

Oh, and did I mention membership fees? What about battery charging? Or course data syncing?

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2015 PGA Championship Staff Preview

The PGA Championship is headed to Wisconsin! The TST staff looks into their crystal balls to preview the 2015 event.

Thrash TalkWhistling Straits has hosted two previous PGA Championships. 2004’s edition was won by Vijay Singh in a very exciting three-man playoff, and in 2010 Martin Kaymer nipped then-majorless Bubba Watson in a playoff after Dustin Johnson failed to recognize a bunch of sand as a bunker. Knowing the course offers very exciting finishes we should probably expect to have just as many fireworks as in past events. Rory is claiming he is healthy and has raised expectations he is ready to defend his title. Tiger is coming off his best finish in 2015 and also his swing is looking better as well. Jason Day has recently won, and don’t forget about the guy who won the season’s first two majors and then missed the playoff for the third by a single shot – Jordan Spieth.

It seems that anybody who is anybody in golf is playing well and ready to tackle the event. So lets see who the TST staff thinks has the hot hand, and what other expectations they have for the event.

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TaylorMade AeroBurner Driver and 3 Wood Review

TaylorMade introduces their new Aeroburner Driver and Fairway woods with a more aerodynamic design and larger sweet spot for a more forgiving, higher launching performance.

taylormade_aeroburner_driverTaylorMade’s new Aeroburner Driver and AeroBurner Fairway Woods feature new advanced aerodynamic shapes with hosel fins creating a reduction in drag for faster swing speeds. The new Speed Pocket increases the size of the sweet spot and reduces spin for longer, more forgiving shots on off-center hits. A new raised crown with matte-white finish and alignment aid give a great overall look.

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Volume Four Hundred Forty-Five

Will Rory play, will Spieth take three of four, will Tiger be maitre d’?

Hittin' the LinksWill he or won’t he? All signs point to a return to play for Rory McIlroy next week just in time for the PGA Championship. He has a tee time with Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson. He’s been posting photos and video of himself working out and hitting shots. Indications certainly favor Rory teeing it up Thursday, though he doesn’t have to commit until his official tee time.

Even if the World No. 1’s ankle won’t let him play, the field will be plenty loaded with Speith, the two Johnson’s, Mickelson, Furyk, Watson, Day, Garcia, and, yes, that Woods guy. Plus, oh, about 10 or 20 who could win without totally shocking us, and the rest of the field who we might be surprised to see win, but are fully capable of doing so including, if the stars align just right, the club pros.

Let’s hit the links.

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New Irons and Wedges from PING

PING updates the G and the i series of irons while adding to the Glide wedge line up.

Bag DropOver the last handful of years, PING has followed a fairly predictable pattern of releasing the new “i” series iron one year followed by the “G” series the next. This has pretty much been their pattern since the i10/G10. This time around, the company is shaking things up with the new i and GMax irons. Both sets feature new technologies and should help add distance and accuracy to your bag. On top of the two new sets of irons, the company also announced the Glide ES wedges.

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