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.
Play of the Week 24
September 26, 2011
The POTW this week…or maybe for the whole year…is Bill Haas.
The Tour Champion and proud owner of $11.4MM is none other than son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas. Like Jim Furyk last year, Haas had a 3-shot lead coming down the back 9 Sunday of The Tour Championship. Like Furyk, Haas bogeyed down the stretch. However, Haas’s bogeys gave Hunter Mahan a shot at a win–if Mahan could’ve birdied the extremely difficult 18th hole. Mahan par’d to force a playoff. The first hole was a replay of the 18th hole. Both players hit their shots short and right, Mahan in the sand, Haas in the far more difficult bermuda rough. Haas hit his ball to about 15 feet, Mahan to about 5 feet. Haas stood up and hit the 15-footer with 2 feet of break to the bottom of the cup. Mahan made par.
While Haas’s putt could’ve been enough for the POTW, it was the second playoff hole–the 17th–where Haas showed his metal.
Haas put his drive into the bunker on the right side of the fairway. Now, I’ve hit the drive at 17. It’s tough. Just look below. However, I’ve never hit it in a PGA Tour event, so I can only imagine what it must feel like. I certainly don’t blame the guy for bailing right.
Unfortunately, from the bunker, Haas hit his ball over the left of the green, which has a steep slope leading to water. Mahan put his drive in the fairway and his approach to the center of the green. It looked all but certain–Mahan was the champion.
In a stroke of luck, it hasn’t rained more than 2 inches in the last 2 months here in Atlanta, and the East Lake was a little low. There is a rule that, if you can see more than half of the ball in water, you should be able to hit it out. Haas’s ball found ground under the surface of the East Lake, and he had a shot. That is when Haas took the tournament.
Did you see that? Let’s look again.
No way.
One more time.
The playoff ended on the next hole, when Haas made par and Mahan bogeyed from the front-right bunker. Haas won the tournament without hitting a single green-in-regulation for any of the three playoff holes. A tremendous tournament capped off by an amazing playoff and a heroic shot.
To you, Bill Haas, you have earned this POTW. We salute you. And your enormously bloated bank account.
The Power Fade Golf Blog 