The PowerFade is proud to announce a new contributor to our group – the Anonymous Mini-Tour Pro. JK and I have known this fellow for some time now. In the course of sharing our experience with the PowerFade with him, we discussed the possibility of including his thoughts on life on the Mini-tours and in the trenches of professional golf in a segment on our blog.
The Anonymous Mini-Tour Pro is currently in the top 1/2 of the money list on the PGA Latin American TOUR. He has finished well in events this season, and working his way to the PGA TOUR. Wisely choosing to keep his identity a secret, we hope he brings a prospective that JK and I cannot share, as well as some complimentary humor to our banal arguments over esoteric golf ideas. Without further adieu, The Anonymous Mini-Tour Pro’s “How to Make the U.S. Open more difficult:”
With the 2015 US Open fast approaching, many are wondering how the USGA will set up the course in the year’s most grueling test of golf. Make the greens firm and fast? Grow out the rough? Tuck the pins? Here is a list of other – and better – ideas to make 72 holes near Mr. Par a tremendous feat worthy of victory.
On the course:
Fairways
With the longest hitters seeming to dominate this era in golf, hitting the fairways has always been put at a premium by the USGA. But as every recreational golfer has experienced at their local public golf course, there is nothing more depressingly hilarious than hitting a ball slightly off line and having it careen off the cart path deep into the trees. Why limit having one of the most terrorizing obstacles only on the most poorly designed munis? Install cart paths down the left and right side of every single fairway. Trying to lay up at the corner of the dogleg? Boing! Time for a provisional.
Added bonus: The scuffs on your brand new Titleist will reintroduce you to the banana slice you thought you lost years before your first PGA Tour start.
Bunkers
Jack Nicklaus believes that bunkers should be a hazard, and thus reinvented the design of rakes at his tournament at Memorial to create small trenches in the sand where a player would encounter a partially embedded ball instead of a perfectly flat lie. I would like to take this concept one step further. And then six steps further after that. Drill holes in the bunkers all the way to China. It’s a long carry over the Pacific Ocean I hear.
Flags
Ever wonder why 99.9% of golf uses flags and one course – Merion – uses wicker baskets? Apparently flags are not a requirement, which is why they should be removed entirely. “But then how would the players know where to hit the ball?” asks a skeptic douche. What, you don’t believe the best players in the world can “will the ball into the hole”? Ever watched Tiger in 2000? Your skepticism sickens me.
Greens
The most difficult greens are hard as rocks and so fast and slick that downhillers are terrifying. Or at least, that’s what the USGA wants you to think. Actual golfers know that the most difficult greens are covered in the poop of the Canadian geese that somehow recently migrated to the exact GPS coordinates of greens 1 through 18. Importing an army of geese and their inevitable droppings to the course will make the greens extraordinarily difficult to navigate unless you are 2000 Tiger, who could ‘will’ his ball in a zigzag around a minefield of goose caca and into the hole. Even on the rare occasion where no poo is present, you will still need to make a half swing with your putter in order to get your 4 footer to the hole on the greens running a 1.17 on the stimp meter, and who hasn’t pulled that putt?
Added bonus: 1/3 of the field, who does not possess the ‘will to win’, will withdraw from contracting bird flu
Pins
Despite the challenging conditions of the fairways and browns, the most experienced TOUR pros will spend hours preparing and practicing to learn every inch of the putting surface in order to gain a competitive advantage over their adversaries. I think we’re missing out on an opportunity here – the pin sheet should indicate that the pin is 34 yards on and -4 from the edge on a green 30 yards deep. The good news is that a player will reduce his risk of bird flu from not being on the green. The bad news is everyone will be penalized from slow play for taking 30 frantic minutes to find the hole in the rough off the green.
Tee Boxes
By golly, what will he come up with in regards to the tee boxes? Rusty nails right beneath the surface of the grass? Having to do battle with Goliath before teeing off? Being required to do a keg stand while hitting your drive? These are all insane/brilliant notions. What I have to suggest, however, is much worse than any of these: align the tees on the tee box toward the trouble.
You might say, “Hey, that’s not so bad!” True, for normal human beings. However, 98% of the players on the PGA TOUR have beliefs and superstitions similar to ancient Aztec shaman. “The tee box had me aimed there” is a common expression heard after a ball is hooked out of bounds. What if the tees where placed diagonally across the tee box? Mayhem would ensue because everyone knows that golf is 90% mental.
Off the course:
Informing the field that golf is 0% mental
If you thought mayhem was already in full swing (get it? hilarious pun!), imagine what would happen if a team of scientists meaning not shaman and their witch-doctor cousins the sports psychologists were to inform players that golf, unless played by Luke Skywalker using the Force, is in fact, 100% physical and 0% mental?
For example, switching from one piece of metal with a flat face to a slightly differently designed piece of metal with a flat face that you just now made a putt with will not, in fact, instill you with ‘confidence’ on the greens. “You need to be relaxed and confident out there – distract yourself by thinking of your favorite sports team or attractive women” says one sports psychologist whose boner clearly curves up and not straight out and into his swing path. “You need to have tunnel vision and be fully focused on the shot at hand because distraction breeds uncertainty and uncertainty is the enemy of confidence” says another psychologist whilst sacrificing a lamb to the golf gods. If confidence was everything, drinking on the course would make you win every major championship. Instead, only John Daly has accomplished this.
Note: 98% of the PGA Tour is confident that I am wrong about this.
Offer free Stack-and-Tilt lessons on the range
Being stacked is only a good thing when discussing breast size. Inviting Mac O’Grady, Golf Machine instructors, Stack-and-Tilt specialists, and 2011 Sean Foley before he discovered Trackman, all of whom teach players to stay on their left sides, onto the range for free lessons will truly make golf more difficult. By the weekend, everyone will be -11 degrees steep on their drivers and not only missing every fairway but not even accurate enough to hit the cart paths. In addition, only those with the wrist strength to handle using your wedges to create 20 foot deep divots/pits and the dexterity to afterwards climb out of them with rope and your wedge balanced in your teeth will be able to complete the round.
Added bonus: the rope is technically considered a club which is a two stroke penalty
Having to watch the Golf Boys video before teeing off
What greater adversity could there be? Maybe having to watch Ben Crane slap himself with a foam covered paddle again? I guess golf is 90% mental after all.
BONUS: the AMTP’s U.S. Open Predictions:
Winner: Check back on Sunday night for my prediction of the winner.
Winning Score: Would be much higher if only the USGA heeded my advice.
Runner Up: Asserting that the word “run” has anything to do with golf is yet another ploy by the golf media to falsely portray golfers as athletes in an attempt to compete for ratings against LeBron being in the NBA Finals.
Low Amateur: Some guy whose name ends in (a) and has to go through life being angry every time he tries to save an eponymous document in Microsoft Word and it rejects having parentheses in the title.
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Currently unknown.
Last Year’s Winner (Martin Kaymer) Will … : Carry on his tradition of sinking the dreams of American golfers, a practice that began with the 2012 Ryder Cup and continued with the 2014 US Open.
How many prior US Open winners will be in the Top 10: This category would have been much easier to predict if Phil Mickelson had just won his first US Open so that it would count when we pencil him in for 2nd place.
Masters Champion (Speith) will …: Withdraw from the huge brain freeze he got when doing that PGA Tour commercial.
British Open Champion/PGA Champion (Rory) will …: be seen in a commercial hitting a drive into the horizon while wearing a watch, which will initially make people want to do the same until they remember how incredibly uncomfortable that is for your wrist.
Sergio Garcia will…: dominate the headlines with a hilarious faux-pas.
Dustin Johnson will…: host a party on Wednesday night.
Rickie Fowler will…: inspire a generation of young golfers to dress very conservatively.
Jimmy Walker (current 2nd Fedex points) will…: cause brief but repeated confusion as to why the broadcasters are discussing whiskey.
Adam Scott will…: contend in the US Open for the last time.
What will be the major storyline of the tournament: this US Open will be remembered as the dramatic last stand for players using long putters until they all see their careers wither away.
Tiger Woods will…: Oscillate back and forth between he’s definitely going to win!/he’s back!/he’s the best ever!/Chris Como is a genius! and he’ll never get back to where he was!/he’s finished!/Chris Como sucks!, with every birdie and bogey that he makes throughout the week. He will also only hit 60-80 shots per round but will have over 100 slow-mo analyses of his swing during the coverage.
Bold Prediction?: The tournament gets rained out without a single shot being hit and the USGA bans Washington from its list of future US Open sites.
Quick Review: Slaying the Tiger by Shane Ryan
June 15, 2015
Over the last few days, I’ve spent time here and there reading through a bit of Shane Ryan’s Slaying the Tiger. I picked it up after reading a short excerpt on http://www.golfwrx.com about the Masters and the membership at Augusta National Golf Club, and even though I’ve only managed to get through a couple of chapters, I don’t think there is a single golfer that follows the PGA TOUR at all that would not be fascinated by the stories in this book.
Ryan does an incredible job (thus far) of researching his subjects, creating a storyline that feels like it has progression, and telling the story in a way that is relatable to the average golfer. In short, he posits a more clear picture of life on TOUR than we get from your average Golf Channel broadcast and associated advertising.
From the book: “As the golf writer for Bill Simmons’s Grantland, Shane Ryan is the perfect herald for the sport’s new age. In Slaying the Tiger, he embeds himself for a season on the PGA Tour, where he finds the game far removed from the genteel rhythms of yesteryear. Instead, he discovers a group of mercurial talents driven to greatness by their fear of failure and their relentless perfectionism. From Augusta to Scotland, with an irreverent and energetic voice, Ryan documents every transcendent moment, every press tent tirade, and every controversy that made the 2014 Tour one of the most exciting and unpredictable in recent memory.
Here are indelibly drawn profiles of the game’s young guns: Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish ace who stepped forward as the game’s next superstar; Patrick Reed, a brash, boastful competitor with a warrior’s mentality; Dustin Johnson, the brilliant natural talent whose private habits sabotage his potential; and Jason Day, a resilient Aussie whose hardscrabble beginnings make him the Tour’s ultimate longshot. Here also is the bumptious Bubba Watson, a devout Christian known for his unsportsmanlike outbursts on the golf course; Keegan Bradley, a flinty New Englander who plays with a colossal chip on his shoulder; twenty-one-year-old Jordan Spieth, a preternaturally mature Texan carrying the hopes of the golf establishment; and Rickie Fowler, the humble California kid striving to make his golf speak louder than his bright orange clothes.”
Pick it up today for only $11.84 on your Kindle (or your iPhone) at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Tiger-Year-Inside-Ropes-ebook/dp/B00N6PD1WK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1434414898.
Predictions: 2015 U.S. Open
June 15, 2015
It’s that time again. It’s hell week. It’s our national championship, the ultimate test of golf, this year at a new site – Chambers Bay. More so than most years, the story prior to the championship has been the course, and the lack of a clear favorite. To help definitively resolve this issue, JK and I provide you with our picks:
Top 10
1 Jordan Spieth -5
T2 Louis Oosthuizen -4
T2 Dustin Johnson -4
T4 Adam Scott -3
T4 Cameron Smith -3
T4 Branden Grace -3
7 Charl Schwartzel -2
8 Brandt Snedeker -1
T9 Rory McIlroy E
T9 Shane Lowry E
T9 Jason Day E
T12 Kevin Kisner 1
T12 Matt Kuchar 1
JK:
Winner: Kevin Kisner (Jordan Spieth; Kisner T-12)
Winning Score: -1 (-5)
Runner Up: Justin Rose (Louis Oosthuizen and Dustin Johnson)
Low Amateur: Beau Hossler (Brian Campbell at T27, +5. Hossler made the cut, finishing T58 at +12)
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Billy Hurley III (MC with an 80 on the first day. Cameron Smith T4 at -3)
Last Year’s Winner (Martin Kaymer) Will … (Win, Top10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Top 10 (MC)
How many prior US Open winners will be in the Top 10: 2 (1 – Rory McIlroy)
Masters Champion (Speith) will …: Make the Cut (ha….)
British Open Champion/PGA Champion (Rory) will …: Top 10 (correct)
Sergio Garcia will…: Make the cut (correct, T18)
Dustin Johnson will…: Top 10 (correct, T2)
Rickie Fowler will…: Make the cut (not exactly)
Tiger Woods will…: Make the cut (uhh)
Jimmy Walker (current 2nd Fedex points) will…: Miss the cut (made it, T58)
Adam Scott will…: miss the cut (T4 with a scintillating 64 on Sunday)
What will be the major storyline of the tournament: the course (pretty much. course was awful. Although it could easily be Spieth’s second, or DJ’s blunder).
Bold Prediction?: i just told you Kevin Kisner was going to with the US Open. That’s not bold enough? (not a bad guess)
LG:
Winner: Dustin Johnson (so close)
Winning Score: -4 (but yet)
Runner Up: Rickie Fowler (so far away)
Low Amateur: Bryson DeChambeau (MC)
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Kevin Na (first off, T48 at +8. But second off…no, Kevin Na is not “unknown.” He’s a TOUR winner, LG)
Last Year’s Winner (Martin Kaymer) Will … (Win, Top10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Miss the Cut (correct)
How many prior US Open winners will be in the Top 10: 0 (1 – Rors)
Masters Champion (Speith) will …: Make the cut, but fade on the weekend (Fade into the fairway on 18, securing the trophy)
British Open Champion/PGA Champion (Rory) will …: Top 10 (correct)
Sergio Garcia will…: Top 10 (close)
Dustin Johnson will…: Win! (close)
Rickie Fowler will…: Second! (not close)
Tiger Woods will…: Play at least 2 rounds. (“least”)
Jimmy Walker (current 2nd Fedex points) will…: Make the cut (yup)
Adam Scott will…: Make the cut (Top10)
What will be the major storyline of the tournament: DJ holds on to win at a ridiculous course. He is paired with Rory in the final group, but Rory becomes a non-factor. Fowler, playing one group ahead, makes a run, but ultimately, DJ wins with a solid par on 18. (would have been cool. maybe next time)
Bold Prediction?: See storyline. Also, Fowler wears orange on Sunday. (hard to confirm what fowler was wearing, since he was absent)
Course Review: Blackheath Golf Club
April 28, 2015
Preamble: I have been sitting at my computer for roughly 15 minutes now trying to figure out how to start this review. I feel like this used to be easier, or maybe I just used to be better at this… Also, I apologize in advance for the lack of photos in this review. The photos I took do not do the course justice, so I decided not to use them.
Let’s just rip the bandage off and start writing. For the last several months, I have been living in the Detroit, MI area and attempting to keep my hands warm enough to hit a few balls. See LG on golf in the tundra. One great takeaway I’ve had from my time here is to learn just how excellent Michigan golf can be. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure Michigan has 3.2 golf courses for every golfer that lives in this state. Northern Michigan also has some of the most breathtaking courses I’ve ever had a chance to play. Later, I’ll post a review of my 9 hole round at Arcadia Bluffs. The pictures cannot begin to show the elevation change and character of that amazing property. More to come there. Another added benefit of having so many amazing courses – tons of selection, quicker rounds than I’m used to in California, and excellent courses are highly affordable!
Now for the good stuff. Today, I review Blackheath Golf Club located in Rochester, MI. So, I was sitting on the couch last night trying to decide where to play. Not having a set of golf buddies in Michigan, any sense of which courses are worth playing, and no last minute access to the Red Wings game, I decide to tool around on golfnow.com and golfadvisor.com to book a tee time for Saturday morning. Blackheath catches my eye for a few reasons: 1) bent grass greens 2) links style course 3) $37. That might be enough to sell me alone, but the reviews on golfadvisor confirm that the course is generally kept in very good shape. Anyone that knows JK and me knows that this is a no brainer. I book the 10:18 am spot through the course’s website because it’s cheaper than golfnow.com. (Sorry to out you, golfnow, but hey, you weren’t the cheapest).
Upon arrival, I know I’m coming to a place that is purely about golf. The only visible structure on the course is the pro shop/maintenance shed. To the right is the practice facility where you can take your mish-mash bucket of balls and warm up, or just head straight to the first tee. Don’t expect a large menu in the grill, mainly because there isn’t a grill. The staff will happily make change for you for the vending machine, however. No bells, no frills, just golf. I love it.
While the course had not grown in entirely from the winter, I can confirm that the bent grass greens were in immaculate shape. These could be the best greens I’ve had a chance to play in Michigan, and they definitely rival the condition of many I’ve played in California. My deepest thanks to the greenkeeping staff!
As far as the layout is concerned, my immediate impression was that this Par 71 is a true links style course. Don’t let the yardage fool you. 6700-6800 yards here will play much longer than the scorecard yardage when the wind is blowing its normal pace. That 73/137 is no joke. The gentleman in the pro shop told me it is more of a “heathland” style course (see definition found via the Google), which was a fascinating new term for me to learn. In either case, this is truly one of the courses any golf trip to the area should include, and residents of the area should play regularly. For a course located in an area that is generally flat, there was a surprising amount of elevation change built into the course. While most of this must have been manufactured by the architects, it did not have the “cookie cutter” quality that is generally off-putting about those types of courses. Moreover, the architect took care to fabricate run up and collection areas with these elevation changes that play the way these features are meant to be played – fast and firm, but penal if shots are not executed well.
As I tend to do in my reviews, I focus on the par 3s and par 5 holes because I tend to enjoy those the most. Blackheath has five par 3s and four par 5s, and they contain my favorite and least favorite holes on the course. My favorite hole was the par 3 12th. I wish the picture had turned out better, but today, it played 214 yards with a steady left to right wind. The pin was cut in the front and framed between two massive heather-faced bunkers. I drew 4 iron with the holes of holding up a draw into the breeze and softly landing 3 feet left of the flag. 4 additional shots later, I’m walking off the green with a spoiled round and a giant smile on my face. Golf does that some times. If there’s a criticism of this course, it must be the design of the par 5 11th. The 600 yard hole bends sharply around the outside of the course’s par 5 8th. Without any real penalty for missing the drive, the prudent way to play this hole is up the 8th fairway to take a large bite out of the yardage. While I believe that courses should always allow for some creativity off the tee, the play should always be to the fairway that the hole is designed around.
All in all, for a true links (heathland) style experience, I would highly recommend Blackheath golf club. Towards the summer when the course firms up and the run up areas play as they are designed to play, this will be a true test of a complete set of golf skills. The course is kept in immaculate shape, and the lack of trees on the course will keep the greens and fairways firm, fast, and playable throughout the season. If played from the appropriate tees, this would be an excellent course for players who may not carry the ball very far or who may be newer to the game. This style course lends itself to “ground play” and can help build confidence of players who may have trouble getting the ball into the air. Moreover, only 3 or 4 holes have water or hazards that may come into play, so if you’re trying to figure out where your driver is going, this could be a good test round.
That’s all for now, folks. If I get a chance to play again, I’ll update this post with pictures.
Play of the Week #….?? (JK, let’s stop numbering them)
April 25, 2015
This err.. week’s… play of the week goes to…. the PowerFade!
Golf Top 18 recently named The PowerFade as one of the top 100 course reviewers online! Here’s what they had to say about the PowerFade specifically:
“The Power Fade Golf Blog by JK and LG. Fun golf blog written by friends LG, a California lawyer and JK, who just loves golf. The purpose of the blog is to share some new opinions with the golfing world– though we love the golf course reviews, some conversations they record on their main blog are highly entertaining as well.”
Honestly, JK and weren’t even sure anyone else read the blog. I was pretty sure people were just being misdirected here when they were trying to find a new putting tip. All kidding aside, we’re very humbled to receive this honor and hope that our blogging has been entertaining and useful for those of you who take the time to read our thoughts. If nothing else, this award has shamed JK and me into thinking of new items to post and into digging through old scorecards and iPhone pictures for courses to review.
Thank you, Golf Top 18, and to all of our readers.
Full article here: http://www.golftop18.com/golf-course-review-awards.html. Check out the other honorees, but don’t read their stuff instead of ours.
-LG and JK
The PGA TOUR schedule, according to the PowerFade
March 15, 2015
Frys.com Open
LG: “Meet the newest first time winner on tour” I have a soft spot for this tournament because it was the first TOUR event I ever attended outside of the Presidents Cup. However, since it moved from CordeValle, not sure I care that much.
JK: “Rocco Mediate, 4 hole-out eagles in one tournament (one of them an ace), and he wins by one. That should tell you all you need to know.”
PGA Grand Slam of Golf
LG: “hardest tournament to get into, but even if you do, no one’s watching”
JK: “Seriously? We’re talking about this?”
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (TPC Summerlin)
LG: “the PGA TOUR teaches you how to play hungover”
JK: “It’s like I’m a mirror; I’m bringing sexy back. But I need to get iN SYNC with what goes around. Catch my drift?”
The McGladrey Classic (Sea Island)
LG: “Unreal course, but I’m still not watching”
JK: “The McNoName FTW.”
CIMB Classic (Kuala Lumpur)
LG: “I thought this was a European tour event”
JK: “aka no television coverage during the hours we watch golf.”
Sanderson Farms Championship (Jackson, MS)
LG: LG’s Dad: “that course looks like crap on TV”
JK: “The White Supremacist Tour stop”
WGC – HSBC Champions (Shanghai)
LG: “Rory’s playing? I’ll watch”
JK: “Look, Rory is going to win if it’s in Dubai or Shanghai. Just give him the trophy and let’s move on.”
OHL Classic at Mayakoba
LG: “I think they played the big break there once?”
JK: “WTF is OHL? I thought this was an LPGA major?”
Hero World Challenge
LG: “18 man field? Hard to call this a TOUR event, but worth watching”
JK: “TIGER’S TOURNAMENT (that Zach Johnson wins most of the time).”
Franklin Templeton Shootout
LG: “pretty sure I’ve never watched this”
JK: “hey, guys…our tournament is crap. How can be create more buzz? OH, I KNOW! Let’s call it a ‘shootout’ instead of ‘championship.'”
Hyundai Tournament of Champions (Kapalua)
LG: “one of the most fun tournaments of the year to watch”
JK: “400 yard drives and ridiculous winds make this one of the most fun events of the year, if you can manage to catch one of the rare times it’s televised.”
Sony Open in Hawaii
LG: “golf porn for midwesterners/anyone that doesn’t live in CA”
JK: “it’s like a preview of a retirement community in florida, but with PGA Tour-level golf being played. BOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRINNNNNG”
Humana Challenge (PGA West)
LG: “over under on -22 to win?”
JK: “I can’t believe that guy shot that number on that course. un-freaking-believable. These guys really are good”
Waste Management Phoenix Open (TPC Scottsdale)
LG: “Frat party, meet golf”
JK: “Nothing says booze like Charlie Hoffman and a frat party. Allllllll-right!”
Farmers Insurance Open (Torrey Pines)
LG: “Tiger’s first win of the year”
JK: “Hey, let’s randomly play one round on this really easy course right next to the US Open venue. That’ll be fun!”
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
LG: “golf porn for everyone everywhere all the time ever”
JK: “still not exactly sure how this tournament works, but a guy wins it every year.”
Northern Trust Open (Riviera)
LG: “JK, when are we going to play Riviera?? Also, Fred Couples is on TV again, and hey, there’s a video of Ben Hogan”
JK: “‘LG, can’t you get us on at Riviera?’ is stated every. single. year.”
The Honda Classic (PGA National)
LG: “first tournament of the year where you know there’s going to be a lot of big names jammed at the top”
JK: “I keep waiting for one of the NBC announcers to slip up and say ‘WELCOME, TO AMERICA’S WANG!'”
Puerto Rico Open
LG: “Hey, I thought they were playing in Florida this week?”
JK: “You’re so B-string on this TOUR that you have to go to another country to play a US event. That should tell you something. (well, I guess it is a US Territory, but still…it aint a 50 state…)”
WGC – Cadillac Championship (Doral)
LG: “fewest water balls wins”
JK: “Look, Donald Trump is going to inject his faux hair into golf at some point. Let’s just make it here, before the season gets going, and then we’ll be good.”
Valspar Championship (Innisbrook)
LG: “let’s see if we can make up another stupid name for a set of three hard holes”
JK: “How many commercials can you sit through about paint? Readddyyy….go!”
Arnold Palmer Invitational (Bay Hill)
LG: “Tiger’s second win of the year…Also, an amazing venue and fun tournament to watch”
JK: “Wish LG didn’t talk about Tiger so damn much. Oh, wait, it’s Arnold Palmer handing a trophy to Tiger Woods…that’s pretty cool.”
Valero Texas Open
LG: “uhhh… not sure who to pick for fantasy golf for this one”
JK: “Alright amateurs….here’s your chance!”
Shell Houston Open
LG: “I love that this tournament basically admits that people only care about the Masters next week”
JK: “If you missed last week, here’s your chance again!”
The Masters
LG: “Best week of the year”
JK: “I have no words for how happy I am right now.”
RBC Heritage (Harbour Town)
LG: “I’m still talking about how awesome the Masters was this year” This tournament should be moved to attract a better field because this venue is amazing and somewhat unique for the TOUR.
JK: “Jim Furyk’s revenge. I’m with LG–this is a neat venue. I wish it was more isolated from the big tournaments.”
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
LG: “Meet the second/third first time winner of the year”
JK: “Bubba and a bunch of guys you’ve never heard of. Guess who’s gunna win?”
WGC – Match Play
LG: “One of the coolest tournaments of the year… Also, one of the best gambling opportunities of the year for golf fans”
JK: “Cool to review on ESPN. Horrible to watch in real time.”
The Players (TPC Sawgrass)
LG: “Pete Dye abuses the PGA TOUR – no one wins this tournament”
JK: “THE MOST DIFFICULT PAR 3 ON TOUR! NO, SERIOUSLY, WE’RE GOING TO TELL YOU THIS 1 MILLION TIMES UNTIL YOU BELIEVE IT. (btw, it’s not)”
Wells Fargo Championship (Quail Hollow)
LG: “I’m still reeling from the Players”
JK: “F – U Wells Fargo!”
Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial
LG: “Cool venue, but im probably not going to watch the weekend unless Rory or Tiger are in contention”
JK: “Fun to watch how much Zach Johnson’s swing looks like Ben Hogan’s in still frame and how diametrically opposed Zach Johnson’s game is from Ben Hogan’s.”
AT&T Byron Nelson Championship
LG: “An “important” tournament, but same answer as Colonial”
JK: “Too bad this has become what it is. They never would’ve let it be like this while Byron was alive. Makes you wonder what will happen for Arnie’s and Jack’s when they pass on.”
The Memorial
LG: “Jack’s place – also pretty much the only reason to go to Ohio ever”
JK: “Incredible golf course. Amazing field. Not worth watching until Sunday.”
FedEx St. Jude Classic
LG: “I’m running out of clever ways to say that someone new wins this tournament”
JK: “Robert. Garrigus.”
U.S. Open
LG: “Golf is hard”
JK: “I hate the USGA.”
Travelers Championship
LG: “I’m not even sure I can watch golf after the U.S. Open”
JK: “this is a tournament?”
CVS Caremark Charity Classic
LG: “I didn’t know there was a tour event in Rhode Island!!”
JK: “can we watch something else besides golf right now?”
The Greenbrier Classic
LG: “Tom Watson comes to mind for some reason”
JK: “Who can get out of West Virginia the fastest. GO!”
John Deere Classic
LG: “Steve Stricker teaches the TOUR how to putt”
JK: “-27 finishes second here.”
Barbasol Championship (RTJ Grand National)
LG: “Like the name of its sponsor, this tournament is taking a back seat to the premium product”
JK: “BARBASOL! BARBASOL! BARBASOL!”
The Open Championship
LG: “Golf isn’t fair, but damn it’s fun”
JK: “Let’s let the weather decide who’s going to win one of the four most important tournaments of the year.”
RBC Canadian Open
LG: “Tiger hit a crazy good 6 iron here once”
JK: “It’s Peter LeFleur.”
Quicken Loans National
LG: “I think there’s one more major left this year?”
JK: “TIGER’S TOURNAMENT. Wait, wasn’t that the thing at Sherwood? Why does Tiger have two tournaments?”
Barracuda Championship
LG: “Seriously, I thought there was another major??”
JK: “PGA meets Web.com Tour”
WGC – Bridgestone
LG: “Tiger’s third win of the year – I’m actually surprised when he doesn’t win this one”
JK: “Tiger emerges from the ashes of injury and self-denial to lap the field, shooting -20 to the next best score of +9”
PGA Championship
LG: “It’s a major…I’m watching.”
JK: “The most boring major in golf…except all five LPGA majors.”
Wyndham Championship
LG: “Arjun Atwal won this tournament once”
JK: “go watch football”
The Barclays
LG: “THE PLAYOFFS!”
JK: “sweet tournament. Fun field.”
Deutsche Bank Championship
LG: “I still don’t understand the point system…”
JK: “boston. the most confusing tournament of the year.”
BMW Championship
LG: “Steve Sands spends an inordinate amount of time going through various scenarios about who can win the FedEx Cup”
JK: “Look, if you finish well here, you’re awesome.”
The TOUR Championship (East Lake)
LG: “Screw it, whoever wins wins it all” (Also, classic venue and great tournament)
JK: “oh, shit. golf is almost over. Hey, I put 3 balls in that lake on the sixth hole, remember LG?”
Musings on real winter, and what I learned about golf in the tundra
February 18, 2015
No reasonable golfer would ever choose to live in an area that for half the year is ungolfable. After spending the majority of one winter in Detroit, I am only further entrenched this view, but with maybe one small caveat. Below is photographic evidence of this craziness in real life.
If it wasn’t obnoxious, I’d repost the same image again just for emphasis.
Rather than move to a place with real sunshine and grass, someone decided this was a better idea. The above image comes from the heated tees at a golf shop in Bloomfield Hills, MI. This Sunday was the warmest day of the winter thus far, registering a balmy 37 F on the comically large thermometer next to the range. I wasn’t the only hacker who decided to take advantage of the “sunshine.” Indeed, I waited for patiently for 35 minutes to get one of 40 or so mats that were all teeming with eager beavers shanking away. It was one of the few times I can say I was actually happy waiting in line because it was the first time I’d even heard a golf ball being hit in over a month. All of this being said, the conditions on the heated tees were actually very nice. Despite the tundra in front of me, It got so warm under the heaters that I had to take off my jacket and sweater! I was never worried about my hands being cold, but the range balls were a different story.
Range balls have their own inherent issues – limited ball flight, low compression, but in these conditions the balls and air are so cold that distances and, indeed, ball flight become all but irrelevant. Sure, the direction still tells you something about your swing path, but spin (peak height), compression (ballspeed), and general body temperature all become somewhat fluid and not meaningfully measurable in these conditions. There was a kind of serene obliviousness to hitting balls this way. Who cares where it lands? I’m not going to see it anyway. The targets are basically meaningless. Honestly, I’m more concerned with just making sure the balls I’m hitting are not so frozen that they’re going to crack the hosels on my SLDR irons.
100 balls in, I find the bottom of my swing. I’ll blame that on the conditions too. But after the next 100, I feel as though I’ve had one of the best range sessions I’ve had in the last 6 months. Why, you ask?
The conditions forced me to detach from my (totally unreasonable) expectations of my golf game. Once I realized that I wasn’t going to see the ball land, that my 7 iron wasn’t going to go 165 yards, that my driver wasn’t going to rise beautifully to 2.5x the height of the net at the back of the range, and that generally any expectations I have of those things happening with any regularity were probably just as ill conceived, it became much easier to focus on the one thing that I actually could control and measure – contact. Focusing purely on the quality of the contact I was producing for 100 balls did wonders for my confidence and allowed me to test various setup positions and tweaks to see how I could adjust this one facet of my game.
Focusing on a single measurable and focusing on improving that one element of my game was far more satisfying and likely helpful to my game than worrying about a host of interrelated issues and results. The snow helped me realize a truth about practice I hear all the time, but rarely act upon in my own game: focus on one measurable at a time. I hope the lesson sticks, but who ever heard of digging their game out of the snow?
-LG
Bonus:
If you’re a true PF-er, you might understand why this photo makes JK and myself crack up every time we see it:
Predictions: 2014 Open Championship
July 15, 2014
It’s time for the playing of one of greatest and oldest championships of all time – the Open Championship. Known in the states as the British Open, the Open Championship was first played on October 17, 1860 at Prestwick in Scotland. The inaugural tournament was restricted to professionals and attracted a field of eight golfers who played three rounds of Prestwick’s twelve-hole course in a single day.
This year’s contest will take place at the site of Tiger’s last Open victory in 2006 – Royal Liverpool, more commonly known as Hoylake. Often called one of the greatest displays of iron play in the history of the game, Tiger’s two-shot victory (-18) over Chris Demarco (-16) on the baked-out links involved him hitting driver once and not hitting a single one of Hoylake’s notoriously penal bunkers all week! The PowerFade is excited for Tiger’s return to Hoylake, but our picks may suggest a different outcome that TW taking a swig from the Claret Jug. On to the picks!
ACTUAL (updated 8/11/2014)
1 -17 MCILROY, Rory
T2 -15 GARCIA, Sergio
T2 -15 FOWLER, Rickie
4 -13 FURYK, Jim
T5 -12 LEISHMAN, Marc
T5 -12 SCOTT, Adam
T7 -11 SCHWARTZEL, Charl
T7 -11 MOLINARI, Edoardo
T9 -10 LOWRY, Shane
T9 -10 MCDOWELL, Graeme
T9 -10 DUBUISSON, Victor
LG:
WIN: Miguel Angel Jimenez (MC)
PLACE: Rory McIlroy (Win -17)
SHOW: Tiger Woods (solo 69th, +6)
Winning Score: -8 (-17!)
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Kevin Streelman. Seriously. (T54, +2. Marc Leishman or Shane Lowry were the choices)
Last Year’s Winner (Phil) Will … (Win, Top 10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Miss Cut (T23, -5)
The Master’s Winner (Bubba) Will …: Miss (Correct)
The US Open Winner (Kaymer) Will …: Make cut (correct, solo 70th at +8)
The current PGA Champion (Duf) will …: Miss (T51, +1)
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 1 (0)
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? MAJ takes it in a playoff with Rors. (Rory won it. played great)
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? Rory breaks the Major scoring record of 63, but posts an 80 to bring the field back. Surges on the weekend to come up short. Takes away a lot of positives from the experience. (close, but no)
Who is most likely to “Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie” it? No one. (correct. no one yakked)
Will you watch on Sunday? Yes. (?)
Tiger Woods will: Top 10 (guessing 3rd, but two strokes back) (incorrect. wildly incorrect)
Sergio Garcia will: Top 10 (correct – T2 at -15)
Dustin Johnson will: Make (correct, T12 at -9)
Jason Day will: Make (correct, T58 at +3)
Jordan Speith will: Miss (incorrect, T36 at -2)
Rory McIlroy will: Second. (almost)
JK:
WIN: Justin Rose (T23 at -5)
PLACE: Jonas Blixt (MC)
SHOW: Matt Kuchar (T54 at +2)
Winning Score: -1 (-17)
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Yasaku Miyazato (MC)
Last Year’s Winner (Phil) Will … (Win, Top 10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Make cut, probably just outside the top 10 (correct, T23)
The Master’s Winner (Bubba) Will …: MC (Correct)
The US Open Winner (Kaymer) Will …: Make cut (Correct)
The current PGA Champion (Duf) will …: MC…dude is having some real short game issues right now (Incorrect)
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 0 (correct)
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? J Rose plays consistently all week while everyone else folds under the pressure (incorrect)
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? uh, basically the same as LG–Rory goes nuts and then yaks all over the place (close)
Who is most likely to “Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie” it? Sergio Garcia (no, he played tremendously)
Will you watch on Sunday? unlikely. i’ll be driving home from waygus (watched a little)
Tiger Woods will: Make the cut, but barely (correct, with incredible precision)
Sergio Garcia will: Make the cut (T2…much better than making the cut)
Dustin Johnson will: Make the cut (correct, just outside top 10)
Jason Day will: Top 10 (nope. Thumb injuries).
Jordan Speith will: Top 10 (incorrect, T36)
Rory McIlroy will: outside Top 10, but make the cut (sure…)
Predictions: 2013 PGA Championship
August 8, 2013
Updated with actual 8/11/2013
1 — -10 — Jason Dufner
2 — -8 — Jim Furyk
3 — -7 — Henrik Stenson
4 — -6 — Jonas Blixt
T5 — -5 — Scott Piercy
T5 — -5 — Adam Scott
7 — -4 — David Toms
T8 — -3 — Jason Day
T8 — -3 — Zach Johnson
T8 — -3 — Dustin Johnson
T8 — -3 — Rory McIlroy
T12 — -2 — Graeme McDowell
T12 — -2 — Boo Weekley
T12 — -2 — Marc Leishman
T12 — -2 — Roberto Castro
T12 — -2 — Marc Warren
T12 — -2 — Kevin Streelman
T12 — -2 — Steve Stricker
Yep, that’s right. Tiger’s return to the winner’s circle. JK takes the title for the Open Championship, but let’s see him top these picks. Here they are, folks:
LG:
Winner: Tiger Woods -Nope, DUFNER!
Winning Score: -10, Dead on!
Runner Up: Jason Dufner, Jim Furyk, close though!
Low PGA Professional: Bob Sowards, nope, but none of them made the cut, and my guy beat JK’s by a shot, so I’m calling it a win.
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Jason Kokrak, nope. Only person that would have qualified would be Jonas Blixt
Last Year’s Winner (Rory) Will … (Win, Top10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Make the Cut, correct, but also Top 10.
The Master’s Winner (Scott) Will: Make the Cut, correct, but also Top 5.
The US Open Winner (Rose) Will: Top 10, incorrect – T33
The Open Champion (Philly) Will: Make Cut, Correct – T72
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 2, Correct! David Toms and Rory
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? Tiger dominates. Possible 63 watch. 1/2 right, 63 watch was correct, and Dufner definitely won it.
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? Duh.. , #dufnering
Tiger Woods will: Win. wrong – Duf!
Zach Johnson will: Top 10, Correct! T8
Steve Stricker will: Miss Cut, sadly., incorrect – T12
Dustin Johnson will: Make Cut, correct, but also T8
Woody Austin will: Miss Cut, correct – 4 strokes for having 15 clubs didn’t help much either…
Gary Woodland will: Make Cut, CORRECT, Taking down solo 74th.
Shaun Micheel (last PGA winner at Oak Hill) will: [[LG to supply answer before tournament starts]] I didn’t see this one earlier, but definitely would have said MC.
Who is most likely to “Jason Dufner” it on the 17th hole on Sunday? Jason Dufner, well we’re going to have to redefine this term, but Dufner was the only person who had a chance to blow it today. Well done, Jason.
JK:
Winner: Hunter Mahan, Incorrect – T57
Winning Score: -6, Incorrect – -10.
Runner Up: Tiger Woods, Incorrect – Furyk.
Low PGA Professional: Rod Perry, see above. LG takes down the W here.
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Rod Perry (a la Mark Brooks, maybe?), Definitely not.
Last Year’s Winner (Rory) Will … (Win, Top10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Miss the cut, Incorrect – T8.
The Master’s Winner (Scott) Will: Top 10, Correct!
The US Open Winner (Rose) Will: Make the Cut, Correct!
The Open Champion (Philly) Will: Make the Cut, Correct!
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 4, Incorrect – 2.
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? Mahan plays solid while everyone else falls away, Definitely not.
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? Mahan gave away victory for his baby–he wins the big one, Definitely not.
Tiger Woods will: T-2, Incorrect.
Zach Johnson will: Miss cut, Incorrect – T10.
Steve Stricker will: Miss Cut, Incorrect – T12.
Dustin Johnson will: Top 15, I’m not sure this is a valid category, but correct!
Woody Austin will: Miss Cut, Correct!
Gary Woodland will: Make Cut, Correct!
Shaun Micheel (last PGA winner at Oak Hill) will: Not even sniff the cut., Correct!
Who is most likely to “Jason Dufner” it on the 17th hole on Sunday? Jason Dufner, See above.
From the PowerFade team, Congrats, Jason. Though your winning reaction was not as great as your grabbing your wife’s rear end after the win, we’re still amazed by the ball-striking display you put on.
Predictions: Open Championship 2013
July 12, 2013
Updated with actual 7/23/2013
Ahh… Time for the Open Championship. If you’re like me at all, you’ve probably stopped watching professional golf and have been trying to play as much as possible. I honestly forgot the Open was coming up, but am very excited to see another playing of the oldest major!
ACTUAL (basically, just look at JK’s):
Winner: Phil Mickelson
Winning Score: -3
Runner Up: Henrik Stenson
“Unknown” in the Top 10: There really wasn’t one, closest was Hideki Matsuyama, but if you watch any golf you’ve seen this guy.
Last Year’s Winner (Ernie Else) Will … (Win, Top 10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): T-26, +8
The Master’s Winner (Scott) Will …: T3, +1
The US Open Winner (Rose) Will …: MC
The current PGA Champion (Rory) will …: MC
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 1 (Tiger Woods)
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? Both
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? Phil’s comeback from Merion
Who is most likely to “Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie” it? No one
Jason Dufner will: T26, +8
Tiger Woods will: T6, +2
Sergio Garcia will: T21, +7
Paul Casey will: Not in the field, LG
Ian Poulter will: T3, +1
Dustin Johnson will: T32, +9
Top 15:
1 — -3 — MICKELSON, Phil
2 — E — STENSON, Henrik
T3 — +1 — POULTER, Ian
T3 — +1 — SCOTT, Adam
T3 — +1 — WESTWOOD, Lee
T6 — +2 — MATSUYAMA, Hideki
T6 — +2 — JOHNSON, Zach
T6 — +2 — WOODS, Tiger
T9 — +3 — MOLINARI, Francesco
T9 — +3 — MAHAN, Hunter
T11 — +4 — SNEDEKER, Brandt
T11 — +4 — CABRERA, Angel
T13 — +5 — LEONARD, Justin
T13 — +5 — JIMENEZ, Miguel Angel
T15 — +6 — DE LA RIVA, Eduardo
T15 — +6 — ENGLISH, Harris
T15 — +6 — SCHWARTZEL, Charl
T15 — +6 — WILLETT, Danny
T15 — +6 — KUCHAR, Matt
T15 — +6 — BRADLEY, Keegan
LG:
Winner: Graeme McDowell (Mickelson)
Winning Score: -8 (-3)
Runner Up: Sergio Garcia (Stenson)
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Bud Cauley (Close, T-32 at +9. Good call, though, LG)
Last Year’s Winner (Ernie Else) Will … (Win, Top 10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Top 10 (T26, +8)
The Master’s Winner (Scott) Will …: MC (T3, +1)
The US Open Winner (Rose) Will …: Make cut (MC)
The current PGA Champion (Rory) will …: MC (MC)
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 3 (1 – Tiger Woods)
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? GMAC gets it done. (both)
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? Tiger doesn’t win another major. (Phil’s return from Merion)
Who is most likely to “Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie” it? …Sergio. (No one–maybe Dustin Johnson, 76-77 on the weekend, but that wasn’t uncommon…or maybe snedeker, who shot 79 on day 2. He wins if he shoots E on Friday)
Will you watch on Sunday? Yes. Live? no. (?)
Jason Dufner will: MC (T26, +8)
Tiger Woods will: Top 10 (T3, +2)
Sergio Garcia will: runner up – Top 10 (T21, +7)
Paul Casey will: Make Cut (uhhhhhh….not in the field)
Ian Poulter will: Make Cut (T3, +1)
Dustin Johnson will: MC (T32, +9)
JK: wait…before we get started….are you really not picking Tiger, LG?
Winner: Phil Mickelson (YES)
Winning Score: +1 (-3)
Runner Up: Luke Donald (MC)
“Unknown” in the Top 10: Bud Cauley was a nice call LG. I’ll go with Josh Teater (solo 82nd at +17)
Last Year’s Winner (Ernie Else) Will … (Win, Top 10, Make the Cut, or Miss the Cut): Make the Cut (YES, T26)
The Master’s Winner (Scott) Will …: Top 10 (YES, T-3)
The US Open Winner (Rose) Will …: BE AWESOME AT EVERYTHING but still miss the cut (YES)
The current PGA Champion (Rory) will …: top 10 (MC)
How many prior winners will be in the Top 10: 1 (YES, Tiger Woods)
Will someone win it, or will everyone else lose it? This is usually one that is a combination of both–a guy who plays OK, but not lights out, while everyone else gets thrashed by the conditions. I’m going with Phil coming back from Merion to win it. (YES)
What will be the biggest story of the tournament? Phil Rebounds from Merion (YES)
Who is most likely to “Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie” it? We could also call this “Phil Mickelson at Merion,” but…I’ll go Jim Furyk (MC)
Will you watch on Sunday? Unlikely Live? if it’s happening then it’s live, so unlikely (yes, actually…while on a plane. Third time I’ve watched a major championship on a plane this year).
Jason Dufner will: choke on his dip. MC (T26)
Tiger Woods will: probably pull out with injury, but if not, top 10–in the running all week, but unable to close. (YES, exactly right, actually…except the injury part)
Sergio Garcia will: show up well but never be in the discussion. Make the cut, likely top 15. (YES, almost exactly right–one shot from top 15, but T21 at +7)
Paul Casey will: who? MC (well, he wasn’t even in the field)
Ian Poulter will: sad to say, he’ll make a run, but he’ll just make the cut. Likely top 20. (YES, exactly…except T3 is better than top 20 for sure)
Dustin Johnson will: (meh)
The Power Fade Golf Blog 