2014 Masters Discussion Thread

[colin007]

Did anyone even notice? Word is that since Your Highness TW isn't playing, sportsfans are watching NASCAR instead.

Certainly the numbers are down since Tiger isn't playing, as has been noted already. However, the way that you make that point just reinforces your dickitude.

[RFKFREAK]

[Quote name="David in FL" url="/t/73499/2014-masters-discussion-thread/840#post_975984"] Like they have for the last 20 majors?[/quote] Well, I meant more like when Rory won the PGA in 2012, a big stage with Tiger part of the field, and rose to #1. Obviously Rory hasn't been able to sustain it and Tiger came back in 2013 to reclaim the number 1 world ranking but that's along the lines of what I meant.

[Rick Martin]

Certainly the numbers are down since Tiger isn't playing, as has been noted already.

Has been noted ad nauseam here -every opportunity.

But this might be one of the more exciting Masters- some young blood, some old blood.   Looking forward to it.

[treebound]

I'm still rooting for my pick in the driver contest to win, I figure he just might do it if he can only shoot a 55-57 in today's round. (where's that forehead slap emoticon). After him I'm pulling for Jimenez to continue his charge and take it in a three hole playoff against two lefties. 8)

[Hoganwoods]

If Bubba can calm down a bit and drive the ball like he has all week, he should win.  He was bombing it right down the middle.  Talk about leaving shots out there.  Would be really cool if speith could pull through though, or kuchar, or Ricky!  Going to be a great sunday!

[jbishop15]

Did anyone even notice? Word is that since Your Highness TW isn't playing, sportsfans are watching NASCAR instead.

[Rick Martin]

If Bubba can calm down a bit and drive the ball like he has all week, he should win.  He was bombing it right down the middle.  Talk about leaving shots out there.  Would be really cool if speith could pull through though, or kuchar, or Ricky!  Going to be a great sunday!

Brad Faxon picked up on something  Bubba was doing - spoke about it before yesterday's round. Said Bubba was lifting up the putter on the backswing. Wonder if that had anything to do with Bubba's putting difficulties yesterday and whether Bubba will be able to correct the problem. I think now that he got his ugly round out of his system, he'll play better today. His length reminds me of the advantage TW had in his '97 win.

[atb5079]

Few things:

-Kuchar's winning this. Would love to see Rickie, Spieth also. But, I think its Kuchar's time. I hate Bubba

-Is Augusta just playing abnormally difficult this year or are the player's just not playing well? To add to that, seems like a lot of tourneys this year, we have had bad scores winning and just overall not very good golf. Any merit to this observation?

-Also, did Westwood get fat?

Regardless of no TW and some lackluster play at Augusta, its still amazing to watch and so many guys pretty close. About 10 different guys could win this today. Still good golf to watch

[nevets88]

Certainly the numbers are down since Tiger isn't playing, as has been noted already. However, the way that you make that point just reinforces your dickitude.

If I was watching from the start, I would have noticed 20 minutes and switched over to one of the steaming feeds. Makes me wonder, maybe one day, all the majors may be on cable. Wimbledon is pretty much all cable. The NCAA finals was on cable.

[Rick Martin]

Few things:

-Kuchar's winning this. Would love to see Rickie, Spieth also. But, I think its Kuchar's time. I hate Bubba

-Is Augusta just playing abnormally difficult this year or are the player's just not playing well? To add to that, seems like a lot of tourneys this year, we have had bad scores winning and just overall not very good golf. Any merit to this observation?

-Also, did Westwood get fat?

Regardless of no TW and some lackluster play at Augusta, its still amazing to watch and so many guys pretty close. About 10 different guys could win this today. Still good golf to watch

Asked the same question about Westwood. Looks like he gave up on his fitness program.  I agree about Kuchar and Waston -

Don't like Watson's swing - how many kids are out there trying to emulate it?

[iacas]

Don't like Watson's swing - how many kids are out there trying to emulate it?

Why shouldn't they? All five keys, as they say… and the guy's won a major, and is in position to win another.

[ChrisP]

Few things:

-Kuchar's winning this. Would love to see Rickie, Spieth also. But, I think its Kuchar's time. I hate Bubba

-Is Augusta just playing abnormally difficult this year or are the player's just not playing well? To add to that, seems like a lot of tourneys this year, we have had bad scores winning and just overall not very good golf. Any merit to this observation?

-Also, did Westwood get fat?

Regardless of no TW and some lackluster play at Augusta, its still amazing to watch and so many guys pretty close. About 10 different guys could win this today. Still good golf to watch

I think it's playing abnormally difficult because there has been no rain to speak of at all (besides Monday) and these greens are running at top speed. Very dry with a lot of breeze on Thursday and Friday. The greens at Augusta are usually quick, but not this quick, and almost every year there is some rain to slow them down. The other year where there was no rain and it was this dry was 2007 and over par won. It was also frigid cold that year.

Not having Tiger hurts the game, no doubt. But we have to get used to it because Tiger doesn't have a lot of time left where he's going to be a consistent factor. Golf needs a dominant force. I personally think parity hurts the game. It needs a player who can rack up the majors. I'm losing more and more faith that it's going to be Rory. Jordan Spieth could be that guy, particularly if he wins today. He's only 20 and he's already consistently showing up on leaderboards week in and week out, not just once in a while.

[jbishop15]

I think it's playing abnormally difficult because there has been no rain to speak of at all (besides Monday) and these greens are running at top speed. Very dry with a lot of breeze on Thursday and Friday. The greens at Augusta are usually quick, but not this quick, and almost every year there is some rain to slow them down. The other year where there was no rain and it was this dry was 2007 and over par won. It was also frigid cold that year. Not having Tiger hurts the game, no doubt. But we have to get used to it because Tiger doesn't have a lot of time left where he's going to be a consistent factor. Golf needs a dominant force. I personally think parity hurts the game. It needs a player who can rack up the majors. I'm losing more and more faith that it's going to be Rory. Jordan Spieth could be that guy, particularly if he wins today. He's only 20 and he's already consistently showing up on leaderboards week in and week out, not just once in a while.

Rory's only 24 and he's won two majors. Pretty sure it's too early to call or lose faith.

[eich41]

Asked the same question about Westwood. Looks like he gave up on his fitness program.  I agree about Kuchar and Waston -

Don't like Watson's swing - how many kids are out there trying to emulate it?

You sound like Faldo.  More concerned with having a textbook swing than the results of the swing.

IMO today's golf world is far too obsessed with the swing.

[tmac20]

You sound like Faldo.  More concerned with having a textbook swing than the results of the swing. IMO today's golf world is far too obsessed with the swing.

Exactly. Bubba Watson, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus and Jim Furyk have all won majors and they don't exactly have "textbook" swings.

[Rick Martin]

Why shouldn't they? All five keys, as they say… and the guy's won a major, and is in position to win another

it's a very difficult swing to teach and since Bubba is self-taught, he knows the idiosyncrasies of it - don't think a student could learn it ---any pro that teaches this swing will probably starve to death because he won't find many return customers.

-------------

~~Quote: Originally Posted by tmac20 View Post Exactly. Bubba Watson, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus and Jim Furyk have all won majors and they don't exactly have "textbook" swings.

You don't see too many books written on Furyk's, Palmer's, Watston, Mickelson's swing -----and Nicklaus's book was written by Nicklaus himself.  Mickelson's book is on the short game, not full swings.

[jbishop15]

You sound like Faldo.  More concerned with having a textbook swing than the results of the swing. IMO today's golf world is far too obsessed with the swing.

Faldo won six majors so I'm not sure how that's relevant. The world is more obsessed with the swing and handicaps keep dropping. Don't think it's a coincidence.

[k-troop]

Maybe we've discussed it here already but I don't think Bubba had a bad putting day yesterday. He had two 3-putts, one coming from outside 50 feet. Most of his putts were finishing inches from the hole. He made 3-4 six footer second putts. He wasn't jamming them 6-10 feet by like most of the field. He didnt make a lot, but his first putts were good, and he made more 2nd putts than anyone else I saw yesterday.