Masters Week --- 2011!

The Game Room
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Next week is Masters week. YAY! One of my favorite weeks of the year! Thus far, 2011 has been pretty much of yawner on the PGATour. Mostly journeyman and rank/file players have won tournaments. Players like Mark Wilson (twice), Luke Donald, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney, Martin Laird. Looks like another journeyman in Houston this week.

The best known names haven’t won, or really even contended on the PGATour. Tiger’s best finish is T10. Mickelson finished 2nd in San Diego but really hasn’t done much else. Els is fighting his putter. Westwood has not done anything. Newly ranked #1 Martin Kaymer won a tournament in the Middle East, and finished 2nd in the match play.

Next week’s tournament should be wide open. Players that have historically played well at Augusta (Woods, Mickelson) are not playing well while players that are playing well have not historically done well at Augusta. (Donald, Kaymer).

I ran a Masters pool last year. Any interest in a similar one this year?

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Well maybe I should have waited about 20 hours before I said anything about Mickelson. Very impressive weekend from Phat Phil. 63-65 to win the Houston Open.

Ladbrokes odds went from 8/1 to 7/1 since yesterday AM. I figure they will be even smaller in the morning when the Brits wake up tomorrow morning.

Phil will climb to #3 in the rankings, ahead of Tiger for the first time since 1997. Tiger drops from #5 to #7 as Paul Casey also inched ahead of him by not playing in Houston.

No interest in a pool?

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Sure, if I can figure out Tiger.

4

I just got Friday tickets from a friend. I’m going to Mecca!

Running a pool this year also. I changed things up based on last year’s picks (20 players, 4 golfers each, 14 total golfers picked). This year, you can have 1 of the Top 25 + former champs, 2 from the field, and you must take 1 amateur.

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I will join.

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Seeing that there is only a smattering of interest, (and on going computer issues), I am not going to be running a Masters pool.

7

Too bad. I wanted to see how many people would vote for Tiger.

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I would not have picked him. Ladbrokes Odds last week were 8/1 on TW, now they are 12/1.

Mickelson was also 8/1 last week, now he is at 7/1.

I really don’t see much value in either of those two.

I see value at McIlroy at 33/1, Els at 80/1 (WTF?), VJ at 100/1.

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Except Phil is going to win.

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Minus 7 leads. That is a big start.

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It was Chamber of Commerce weather in Augusta today. Sunny 75 degrees, no wind.

Some great scores McIlroy at 65, Yang at 67. great mix of journeyman, top ranked players, veterans, young guns in the top 10.

Great Day 1. Alvaro Quiros is an relatively unknown player in the US but he is a freak of nature. He can flat out injure a golf ball with a driver. Hope he can stay in contention for the rest of week.

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Sorry Mad, I just saw this response. I’m doing lousy. As of 12p today, the only guy I had at EVEN was my amateur.

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You just need them to make the cut. it will sort itself out then.

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No thread?

This is the only golf tournament I pay any attention to at all. Other than The Masters, my golf experiences consist of scanning the headlines once in a while, and taking a soothing weekend afternoon nap with the soothing, soporific voices of the announcers offering me a lullaby.

So where is my vicarious enjoyment of posters who are actually knowledgeable dissecting every shot? How am I supposed to nap in the evening?

Tiger showed strong today. I’m picturing him and McIlroy matching shot for shot all along the way Sunday; an exciting and thrilling finish.

While I sleep.

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I didn’t get to see but a few holes today. Most of the regular golf posters are Tiger haters, so they are laying low after today.

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Mcilroy has to prove himself with the incredible pressure of the Masters on his back. He is 21 years old. I would not chalk him into Sundays last threesome yet.

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Tiger just needs to get that first win out of the way and he’ll turn things around.

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Twosome, isn’t it? Well, McIlroy either learned something at the Open, or he didn’t. We’ll find out in the next two days.

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Yes thread.

I’m not a hater, and as the Patron Saint of Redemption I’ll probably be rooting for the son of a gun. I expect Lefty to make a big run tomorrow tho. Is that McElroy guy a matinee idol in Ireland, or is he still flying under the radar there (just curious).

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OK, mods, please close or merge.