Could Bubba win the Masters?

[Shorty]

He would seem to me to be more like likely to blow a 5 shot lead on the back 9 on Sunday than to win. He is incredible when he gets on a roll, but hiis momentum carries him in both directions and at this stage I don't think he has anything near the mental toughness needed. I would like him to win, though. He seems to have worked quite hard to repair his image on the course, so good luck to him. He is much more likeable now, but still pouty and sullen. His game is exciting, but I'm not seeing a major winner yet. He is too wild and courses like Augusta need a bit more finesse.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by jamo

I don't think he has any chance at the British. Bubba has played in 2 British Opens, and he has been cut twice. If  he is going to win a major I think it will be in majors where he has played well. He had a 2nd in last year's PGA, and a T5 at the 2007 U.S. Open. I think if he wins a major it will be in one of those two events.

Yeah that's great he missed 2 cuts at 2 attempts but do John Daly, Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton ring a bell? The british is the major where players manage to come out of no where to win which is one of the reasons it's a great major. I mean Tom Watson gave it a heck of a run so to think Bubba couldn't have success there is crazy.

[Ben]

Originally Posted by xxsoultonesxx

As much as I like Bubba, he sure struggles with the pressure coming down the stretch. He looks like he's about to pop going in to 18 vs. Kaymer.

This was my first impression when I read the title of this thread. But, we also have to remember that was his 37th hole of golf that day. Commentators said 9hours on the course with only a 30minute break in between.

[Ben]

Originally Posted by xxsoultonesxx

As much as I like Bubba, he sure struggles with the pressure coming down the stretch. He looks like he's about to pop going in to 18 vs. Kaymer.

This was my first impression when I read the title of this thread. But, we also have to remember that was his 37th hole of golf that day. Commentators said 9hours on the course with only a 30minute break in between.

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Of course he could.  Its just a matter of keeping his mind right for 4 rounds in a row.

I think that's the what it will come down to for him to win the Masters

[alo1984]

Originally Posted by jamo

I don't think he has any chance at the British. Bubba has played in 2 British Opens, and he has been cut twice. If  he is going to win a major I think it will be in majors where he has played well. He had a 2nd in last year's PGA, and a T5 at the 2007 U.S. Open. I think if he wins a major it will be in one of those two events.

I don't undertand this...How can you honestly say a guy of his caliber has no chance to win any tournament.  Let alone the British Open.  The British is the one major that pretty much anybody can win.  Take Louis Oosthuizen for example.  His previous results at the British were as follows: CUT, DNP, CUT, DNP, DNP, CUT WIN.  Now that doesn't exactly foreshadow someone about to win does it?  I can't get behind you on this one, guy.

[jamo]

Originally Posted by alo1984

I don't undertand this...How can you honestly say a guy of his caliber has no chance to win any tournament.  Let alone the British Open.  The British is the one major that pretty much anybody can win.  Take Louis Oosthuizen for example.  His previous results at the British were as follows:  CUT, DNP, CUT, DNP, DNP, CUT WIN.  Now that doesn't exactly foreshadow someone about to win does it?  I can't get behind you on this one, guy.

But Louis and Bubba are two different players, and (I don't have the stats in front of me but) they missed cuts for two different reasons. Louis is perennially average in most stats out there. When he misses cuts, simply one part of his game is not there. When Bubba misses cuts though, his 150th+ ranking in driving accuracy catches up to him. It's be really hard for Bubba to win if he doesn't hit fairways, and it's really hard for anyone to win the British if they don't hit fairways.

But hey, I'd love to see him prove me wrong. More power to him.

[jamo]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

Yeah that's great he missed 2 cuts at 2 attempts but do John Daly, Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton ring a bell? The british is the major where players manage to come out of no where to win which is one of the reasons it's a great major. I mean Tom Watson gave it a heck of a run so to think Bubba couldn't have success there is crazy.

Bubba doesn't have the short game of John Daly (very underrated in his prime) or of Todd "The Hybird is My Best Friend" Hamilton the week he won and he doesn't have the driving accuracy of Ben Curtis either (19th last year).

Look, I'm not saying I don't like Bubba or I don't think he will win a major. I just don't think that it will be the Masters or the British. But he's already shown that he can come close at the U.S. Open and the PGA, so I think there is a decent chance that he could win one of those.

[ohiolefty]

British Open winner isn't what comes to mind when I think of Bubba. Maybe at St. Andrews...other than that, I don't think so.

[mck]

Originally Posted by jamo

I think he has the distance and the putting to do it, but I don't know if his iron play is good enough to consistently put him in the right spots on the greens. He fits the sort of mold for Masters winner, but I don't think he'll ever win one.

Originally Posted by jamo

I don't think he has any chance at the British. Bubba has played in 2 British Opens, and he has been cut twice. If  he is going to win a major I think it will be in majors where he has played well. He had a 2nd in last year's PGA, and a T5 at the 2007 U.S. Open. I think if he wins a major it will be in one of those two events.

So you don't think he has the iron accuracy to win at Augusta...but if he does win a major you think his best chance would be a U.S. Open.  Really?

[newtogolf]

I think Bubba could, he definitely has the distance.  He might have to play a bit more conservative than he typically does to avoid blowing up on a hole.

[FenderStrat62]

I'd really love to see him do it. He's one of my favorite golfers. I think he definitely has the game, he just has to put it all together for 4 rounds.

[alo1984]

Originally Posted by jamo

But Louis and Bubba are two different players, and (I don't have the stats in front of me but) they missed cuts for two different reasons. Louis is perennially average in most stats out there. When he misses cuts, simply one part of his game is not there. When Bubba misses cuts though, his 150th+ ranking in driving accuracy catches up to him. It's be really hard for Bubba to win if he doesn't hit fairways, and it's really hard for anyone to win the British if they don't hit fairways.

But hey, I'd love to see him prove me wrong. More power to him.

Um, Louis is at best only an average pro player who got hot one week on a relatively easy course.  Bubba is an above average player so I'd give him a fair chance to win any major or tournament he plays.  If a guy like Louis can win a tournament then I think Bubba has an even better chance in the same tourney.

Originally Posted by jamo

Bubba doesn't have the short game of John Daly (very underrated in his prime) or of Todd "The Hybird is My Best Friend" Hamilton the week he won and he doesn't have the driving accuracy of Ben Curtis either (19th last year).

Look, I'm not saying I don't like Bubba or I don't think he will win a major. I just don't think that it will be the Masters or the British. But he's already shown that he can come close at the U.S. Open and the PGA, so I think there is a decent chance that he could win one of those.

Announcers used to gush over JD's short game if I'm not mistaken.

I'm confused how if a guy has shown he can come close to winning the U.S. Open (known for extremely narrow fairways) and the PGA doesn't have a chance on a wide open British Open course.  I don't mean to beat this to death but I just don't understand the logic.

[jamo]

Originally Posted by alo1984

Um, Louis is at best only an average pro player who got hot one week on a relatively easy course.  Bubba is an above average player so I'd give him a fair chance to win any major or tournament he plays.  If a guy like Louis can win a tournament then I think Bubba has an even better chance in the same tourney.

Announcers used to gush over JD's short game if I'm not mistaken.

I'm confused how if a guy has shown he can come close to winning the U.S. Open (known for extremely narrow fairways) and the PGA doesn't have a chance on a wide open British Open course.  I don't mean to beat this to death but I just don't understand the logic.

I said Louis is an average player right in most post, but that's not really the point. Poor driving is exacerbated in the British because of the wind, which isn't usually a problem. Louis is a decent to average driver, Bubba is not.

I don't understand you point with JD? He had/has a very good short game, and that's one of the biggest reasons that he won. Bubba has an average to below average short game and putting game.

[alo1984]

Originally Posted by jamo

I said Louis is an average player right in most post, but that's not really the point. Poor driving is exacerbated in the British because of the wind, which isn't usually a problem. Louis is a decent to average driver, Bubba is not.

I don't understand you point with JD? He had/has a very good short game, and that's one of the biggest reasons that he won. Bubba has an average to below average short game and putting game.

Yeah, I get all that.  But again, as you pointed out if a guy can come close to winning a tournament with very demanding driving conditions (U.S. Open, PGA), then he has a good chance to win there in the future.  What confuses me is how you think he has less chance to win on courses that are not as demanding from the tee (most Open Championship courses)...

My point with JD was just that you said he was often underrated when it came to his short game but I recall just the opposite.

[jamo]

Originally Posted by alo1984

Yeah, I get all that.  But again, as you pointed out if a guy can come close to winning a tournament with very demanding driving conditions (U.S. Open, PGA), then he has a good chance to win there in the future.  What confuses me is how you think he has less chance to win on courses that are not as demanding from the tee (most Open Championship courses)...

My point with JD was just that you said he was often underrated when it came to his short game but I recall just the opposite.

I understand what you are saying, but I disagree that they Open isn't demanding off the tee. At the British, if you miss the fairway you're in the hay at most courses. If you miss it at the U.S. Open or at the PGA, you just play form the trees,and if Bubba is half the shot maker that everyone says he is, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

I guess I was confused about Daly because a lot of people seem to think he's a pure bomber, and that he was lost around the green. It seems that we agree that that is false, so great. I'm just saying that Bubba isn't like Daly in that regard.

But hey, stranger things have happened than Bubba winning the British. Todd Hamilton winning the British, for example.

[alo1984]

Originally Posted by jamo

I understand what you are saying, but I disagree that they Open isn't demanding off the tee. At the British, if you miss the fairway you're in the hay at most courses. If you miss it at the U.S. Open or at the PGA, you just play form the trees,and if Bubba is half the shot maker that everyone says he is, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

I guess I was confused about Daly because a lot of people seem to think he's a pure bomber, and that he was lost around the green. It seems that we agree that that is false, so great. I'm just saying that Bubba isn't like Daly in that regard.

But hey, stranger things have happened than Bubba winning the British. Todd Hamilton winning the British, for example.

I hear ya :-)

I would never suggest the British is not at all demanding off the tee.  I guess for me it would be scarier to face that 6 inch deep rough in the US Open seeing as how it's literally just off the fairways.  But I certainly don/t want to be hacking out of that Euro hay either!

JD was (is?) a stinking wizard around the greens for sure!  I'll never forget being blown away seeing him hit some flop shots at the PGA at Southern Hills a few years ago.  It was just remarkable how huge a swing he took for a 30ft shot.

[lumpuckeroo]

I think he can but it depends on his mind staying in the game and putting.  Not sure if he has the putting touch on those difficult greens.

[RichF]

WTF is all this 'Bubba-Major-Love-Fest' going on all of a sudden?

I bet he doesn't make the cut this year.

Jamo is right with his posts.