Thrash Talk's 5 Questions for The MASTERS

[mchepp]

For those of you who don't know Thrash Talk does an article before each major where the staff answers 5 questions about the upcoming event. This year we want to change it up and offer the opportunity for people in the forum to participate. Put your answers to the 5 questions in this thread and the single best answer from each question will go up in my article. Just think your forum name up in "lights". The cut off for being considered in for the article is Monday April 8th at 8AM Pacific Time. You can of course still answer after that in the thread but it will likely not make it into the article. I look forward to some good answers. 1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up. 2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year? 3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why? 4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why? 5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

[Golfingdad]

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

Lee Westwood.  The man has had the BPTHNWAM title (or at least has been in the running with Luke Donald) for some time now.  He's too good to retire with that title, isn't he?  He's played well at Augusta the last 3 years and he played well at Houston last week.  This is the year.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

Not much.  Golf seems to have taken a back seat on his priority list since the Masters last year.
3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

Phil Mickelson.  Because it's the Masters.
4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

Nah.  I'm pretty sure the best golfer in the world can hit any shot required to win the tournament, and I'm not so sure a draw even is required.  He'll be fine.
5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

Try to win!  Because, otherwise, you look like a superstitious wimp.  I don't want to be the guy that avoids the curse, I want to be the guy that breaks the curse.

[Beachcomber]

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

Tiger Woods... He is bound to win another Major on his quest to be the best golfer in the world - ever.  He's already reached the top of the world rankings, so why not add another Green jacket to his collection of tournament wins in the first leg of 2013 tournament play?  Runner-up?  I like the way Keegan Bradley is playing right now.  10 events, 9 cuts, and 5 top 10's... Not too shabby. His scoring average of 69.5 which is solid, and why he has 5 top 10's already in 2013.  But his scoring average on Sunday's is a 70.  This makes him a runner-up.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

I don't expect much from Bubba.  He is a solid professional, but he doesn't seem to have the drive that it takes to be a consistent champion on tour.  In my opinion, he has all the talent, but lacks the discipline to repeat.  I predict that Bubba will have a top 25 finish.  But nowhere near the top of the leader board.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

See answer #1.  I like Keegan... If Tiger doesn't find a way to grind out a win at Augusta... Then I think this is Keegan's tournament to win.  Especially if Keegan can find a way to go low on Sunday. Talk about pushing the long putter debate into overdrive!

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

I think this could be a challenge for Tiger.  He hasn't shown under Foley that he can curve the ball consistently with the Driver from right to left.  But Tiger doesn't need to play a draw on every hole.  Just a few key par 4's and 5's.   And lets be real... It's Tiger Woods.  The guy can shape the ball.  So he'll find a way to grind it out... Even if a stock draw tee shot isn't in his report.

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

I'd like to think that I would finish it out and win... But most likely, I'd hit 6 balls into the water.  Then tell everyone it was on purpose... When the truth is... I just suck.

[RPMPIRE]

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

Tiger Woods. His game has been consistent with each start this season. In his last win, he finally closed the weekend without giving away too many bogeys. My runner up would be Phil

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

I think he'll finish in the top 20. He hasn't shown much since his Master's win.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

Phil Mickelson. You can quickly judge Phil's game in his last few starts, but those become irrelevant when he steps onto Augusta. Aside from the 2011 Master's, Phil has always been in contention regardless of how well or how bad he played in the tournaments leading up.

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

Tiger has always had problems hitting that draw, but he's always managed to stay in contention. If his draw doesn't show up, he's always had good damage control.

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

Haha...If it were me, I'm just glad to be playing at Augusta, let alone the par 3 contest.

[newtogolf]

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

Tiger is winner, Phil is runner up.  Tiger is peaking at the right time and Phil always steps up his game for the Majors.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

I don't expect him in Top 20, he's not focused enough on golf these days to put together 4 good days in a row.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

Phil and Charl Schwartzel are the only ones close to playing decent golf right now.   VJ and Zach Johnson haven't done anything this year to convince me they can finish better than Top 50

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

I doubt Tiger isn't capable of hitting a draw he may now just prefer to hit a fade.  He'll do what he has to in order to win.  People always speculate on what Tiger can or cannot do and he always proves them wrong, this is just another way for his detractors to minimize his chances at Augusta.

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

No such thing in my book as losing on purpose.  If you work hard enough to be in a position to win, you close it out and take the win.  Curses are for people that want something other than themselves to blame when things don't go their way.

[Aquaguru]

Originally Posted by mchepp

For those of you who don't know Thrash Talk does an article before each major where the staff answers 5 questions about the upcoming event. This year we want to change it up and offer the opportunity for people in the forum to participate. Put your answers to the 5 questions in this thread and the single best answer from each question will go up in my article. Just think your forum name up in "lights".

The cut off for being considered in for the article is Monday April 8th at 8AM Pacific Time. You can of course still answer after that in the thread but it will likely not make it into the article.

I look forward to some good answers.

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

Rory. I just think now is the time where he will forget about what he has done this season so far, which is nothing, and start to just play free and relaxed. He is still a great golfer nothing has changed because our know Nike made his clubs to the exact specs of his Titleist.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

A top 20. Nothing real exciting, but he will contend.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

No reason not to go with Phil.

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

It doesn't, he is Tiger. He would tell you that.

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

No I would want to be the one to break the curse

[boogielicious]

1. I wouldn't bet against Tiger the way he is playing.  For runner up, I think Adam Scott will come close again.  He has played well here a few times in a row.

2. Bubba will play well, top ten, but fall a bit short.  Defending brings out the best in players.
3.  Charl Schwartzel.  He has a beautiful swing and the mindset for this course.

4. tTiger always plays well at Augusta regardless of his swing.

5. Curses are for the weak.  I would want to be the first to win both!

[dfreuter415]

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up. - Matt Kuchar - a Georgia Tech grad and I think that it is his time to break through.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year? - Because of his length he will have a chance, but only if his putter is hot.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why? - Believe it or not, Bernhard Langer. He's played very well on the Champions Tour and I think that he makes the cut and finishes in the top 15.

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why? - Tiger can hit it both ways when he needs to, so there is no issue here. Besides, it is the player with the hot putter that usually comes out on top.

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse? - Winning takes care of everything. -Eldrick Woods

[mchepp]

Folks, only a few days left to get your answers in. Some really good ones so far, but still room for others.

[JetFan1983]

Wassup, mchepp! Thanks for extending this questionnaire to the community this year!

Originally Posted by mchepp

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

1. Who is your winner and why, and if you pick Tiger who is your runner up.

The only player I can realistically pick to win is Tiger, and honestly, I feel like even that is a crap shoot. It's golf, guys. No one seems to be very good at predicting this game. I think we all know how good Tiger's been this season though. But if I want to nitpick it a bit, the only thing that marginally concerns me about him is that he's "limped" to victory all three times this year; granted, he had a huge lead and thus could play that way and still take home the gold, so maybe that point is moot. Awww, who am I kidding, I've been chugging the Kool-Aid on Tiger winning the Masters since Doral.

For runner-up, I'll go with Graeme McDowell, who finished T12 last year at Augusta. This of course was followed by a T2, T5, and a T11 at the next three majors. He's been solid this year, and I could see him putting his rally cap on and giving El Tigre a run for his money come Sunday. I'd probably be picking Brandt Snedeker for 2nd place if not for his injury earlier in the year. Since he's returned, he's missed the cut in both events he's played.

2. Last years winner Bubba Watson has not won since his first major at this event last year, what do you expect from him this year?

At first glance, I want to say not much. But looking at his record for the past twelve months, the guy has been quietly in the hunt a lot. Just this year alone, he's finished T4, 15th, T9, T18, and T14 with one missed cut. That's really not as bad as I thought. Sure, he's had a lot on his plate, but it's not like he's completely lost his Austin Powers mojo out there. And yea, he has concentration issues and what not, but for some reason, I think he'll show up this week and play well. Nothing is ever a lock with Bubba, but I think he'll top ten the event.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

It's a boring answer, but I don't think I can pick anyone other than Phil Mickelson. Just when this guy seems to have lost his game and fallen off the radar, he wins. He's kind of like the bad guy in a horror movie who just when you think he's dead, his bloodied body pops up and attacks the busty heroine one last time. If someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to correctly pick one current player to win the Masters or I'd get shot in the face -- and I couldn't pick Tiger -- I'd go with Phil hands down. I'd probably die because like I said, the golf prediction business is pretty brutal, but at least I'd feel like I had a chance to live.

4. Augusta is famous recently for setting up better for players who play a draw, now with Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances, and why?

You know, I've always heard this about the draw being the preferred shot shape at Augusta National. I've never played the course before, so I wish I had a better opinion on this matter, but still: let's take a look at the layout and see how much this really matters.

#1 Tea Olive -- Augusta's opening hole is a dog-leg right. No problems there for Mr.Vonn. For his approach, if you're going to miss, you want to miss right, so again, that's probably okay for him. He's aiming for the middle of the green here anyway and will take his chances at 20-25 feet for an opening birdie.

#2 Pink Dogwood -- This 575 yard par-5 is one of the easier holes on the course, like all the par-5s at Augusta seem to be. A dogleg left, this hole really favors the draw because there's a bunker on the right where most tee shots land (unless there's wind in your face, in which case, you can't reach it). If you can hit a good draw though off that bunker, you can catch the downhill and really set yourself up for your second shot. Unfortunately, because it is a downhill, you'll be left with a downhill lie on a shot you're trying to hit high and soft so it can hold the green.

The miss on Pink Dogwood's green is either middle or right, so hitting a fade here for Tiger is a pretty good shape to be using. Honestly, Tiger can lay up on this hole and still birdie it all four times, as a perfect wedge shot isn't necessarily required because of the green's contours.

#3 Flowering Peach -- This short par-4 is a slight dogleg right. Tiger's good to go here with his shiny new red 5-wood.

#4 Flowering Crabapple -- 240 yard par-3. This hole is brutal no matter what shape you play.

#5 Magnolia -- And the brutality continues as Magnolia is a 455 yard dogleg right par-4 that everyone is just trying to survive. It plays over par every year. Tiger's likely not taking driver on this hole, so he's probably fine with the fade, and then aiming for the middle of the green.

#6 Juniper -- It's a 180 yard par-3 that plays shorter than its yardage because it's downhill, but the green isn't too friendly and you're fine just making par here. Since long is basically dead, Tiger just needs to hit a tight fade with a short iron if the wind isn't too hairy.

#7 Pampas -- This is a tough 450 yard very slight dogleg right that's perfect for Tiger despite its Tiger-proofing. The fairway is extremely tight, so his power fade with a 3-wood can give him an edge on most of the field who are forced into hitting driver because of the length. You need a lot of loft to hold this green (good luck if you're hitting 4-iron), so Tiger should be good to go here as long as he keeps it in play off the tee.

#8 Yellow Jasmine -- The tee shot on this 570 yard par-5 is perfect for Tiger because you can basically miss as far right as you want and still have a shot for your second. That said, your second really favors a draw. My guess is Tiger will use a draw here and pull it off. Just a hunch.

#9 Carolina Cherry -- Cherry's a 460 yard dogleg left, but really trying to hug a draw here is pretty risky. The miss here is also right, so I would expect Tiger to just smooth-fade a 3-wood out there and then take his chances.

#10 Camellia -- Yea, okay. On this one, hitting a draw is pretty much gold. But it's not a birdie hole anyway, so I figure Tiger just wants to keep it in play, make his par and move on.

#11 White Dogwood -- 505 par-4 dogleg right. Again, you're just trying to survive here until you get to #13. Tiger's line is perfect for down the left tree line and fading it back into the fairway. Since the second shot is as brutal as it gets on this course, Tiger is probably just trying to hit the center of the green and making his four.

#12 Golden Bell -- Ahhh, #12 at Augusta! What a rat bastard little par-3 beauty. I think we all know that this brutal 155 yarder is just a "make your par and get out of dodge" kind of a hole.

#13 Azalea -- Alright, fine. This one is a big time drawer's hole. Whether it's the crazy dogleg left tee shot or the ball above your feet second shot, it's certainly a bit more challenging to fade the ball here. Still, the hole is so short by tour standards that Tiger can take 3-wood off the tee and still have a 5-iron or something as his approach.

#14 Chinese Fir -- The fairway slopes from left to right, so hitting a fade on this dogleg right potentially leaves you with a trickier second shot if you fade the ball. That said, long hitters have a big advantage because they can attack the green with a lot of loft. I think these two factors off-set each other for Tiger, and he'll be fine. This hole typically plays under par, so he should be okay here.

#15 Firethorn -- Right center of the fairway is ideal because of the trees that potentially block your second shot. This is perfect for Tiger, and he's gotta make up ground on this hole if he wants to win another jacket, no question about it.

#16 Rosebud -- No excuses anymore, Tiger. This hole is just brilliant, and you can use any number of strategies here. Just a hit a good one, buddy!

#17 Nandina -- This hole is pretty darn tough for everyone, and I think it always plays over par. I think a fade or draw works equally well here off the tee, but I could be wrong.

#18 Holly -- This famous dogleg right finale seems to be perfect for Tiger's 3-wood stinger fade. Hit the green, sink the putt and pump your fist like it's 1997!

I dunno. Going through the entire course -- albeit, a course I have never played -- it seems to me that Tiger's fade -- assuming he controls it -- will be just fine, guys.

5. If you were leading the par 3 contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit 6 balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

A plague on anyone's house who says they would intentionally throw this little event for fear of the curse! Seriously, someone will break this thing eventually. It's inevitable.