The Masters 2011, It's On!

pickarooney

To all the folks writing Montgomery off as a choker - would you really prefer to be a one-hit wonder fluking a major than the top earner in European golf for about 25 years running, play in 8 Ryder cups without losing a singles match then win it as captain?

The guy came 2nd in five majors - it's not as though he was shooting 90s and running into the woods to cry.

SSK

I've posted my thoughts on Rory in the other thread, but I will say that those who are writing him off are being extremely pre-emptive. Sure, he choked yesterday but his time will come, most likely when coming out of the pack with a last day burst. He could really do with getting another 15-20% of his 5-15 foot putts.

Schwartzel is a worthy champion, played beautifully all week and to birdie the last 4 in Augusta to win is someting very special indeed. I though the 2 Aussies were fantastic also, Day is a spectacular player when on form, very similar to Rory and Scott played a brilliant back 9 and just came up short. He has a major in him if he keeps putting like that.

Finally, it will be very interesting to see where Tiger goes from here. Great performance in the Masters last year but fell away after, I think he is much further on now than he was 12 months ago. His ball striking was excellent and if the putter heats up (as it did on Friday and the front 9 yesterday), he will agin very soon.

All in all an great weeks golf, pity about Rory but at least I broke even bets wise in spite of him

The_Kew_Tour

SSK wrote: »

I've posted my thoughts on Rory in the other thread, but I will say that those who are writing him off are being extremely pre-emptive. Sure, he choked yesterday but his time will come, most likely when coming out of the pack with a last day burst. He could really do with getting another 15-20% of his 5-15 foot putts.

Schwartzel is a worthy champion, played beautifully all week and to birdie the last 4 in Augusta to win is someting very special indeed. I though the 2 Aussies were fantastic also, Day is a spectacular player when on form, very similar to Rory and Scott played a brilliant back 9 and just came up short. He has a major in him if he keeps putting like that.

Finally, it will be very interesting to see where Tiger goes from here. Great performance in the Masters last year but fell away after, I think he is much further on now than he was 12 months ago. His ball striking was excellent and if the putter heats up (as it did on Friday and the front 9 yesterday), he will agin very soon.

All in all an great weeks golf, pity about Rory but at least I broke even bets wise in spite of him

Agree with all you said. I backed Woods so took more attention on his game maybe then anyone. I think had he got that putt on 12 for par he would have birdied 13 at least and who knows after that. But he didn't but you will not see him at such big odds come US Open time that's for sure.

Bruthal

Almaviva wrote: »

Pheq.

Another major wasted on a journeyman. There should be a rule against it.

There is, it says if you dont go around the golf course 4 times in fewer shots than all the worlds best players, you dont win it.

Sean Bateman

pickarooney wrote: »

To all the folks writing Montgomery off as a choker - would you really prefer to be a one-hit wonder fluking a major than the top earner in European golf for about 25 years running, play in 8 Ryder cups without losing a singles match then win it as captain?

The guy came 2nd in five majors - it's not as though he was shooting 90s and running into the woods to cry.

The Ryder Cup - Always hyped up by players who couldn't manage to win a Major. Guys like Monty, Sam Torrance etc cling to the Ryder Cup because it helps to cover up the glaring gap in their CVs.

I once heard Monty try and claim that winning a Major was like winning the FA Cup, while winning the Order of Merit was akin to winning the Premiership! Winning an Order of Merit is meaningless in comparison to winning a Major.

And yes - Any professional golfer would take a solitary Major over being top of some silly earnings list and having a good Ryder Cup record.

stockdam

Sean Bateman wrote: »

The Ryder Cup - Always hyped up by players who couldn't manage to win a Major. Guys like Monty, Sam Torrance etc cling to the Ryder Cup because it helps to cover up the glaring gap in their CVs.

I once heard Monty try and claim that winning a Major was like winning the FA Cup, while winning the Order of Merit was akin to winning the Premiership! Winning an Order of Merit is meaningless in comparison to winning a Major.

And yes - Any professional golfer would take a solitary Major over being top of some silly earnings list and having a good Ryder Cup record.

What Monty said is true. Winning the Order of Merit is harder than winning a major. I'm not belittling winning any tournament especially a major but most top golfers could win a major with a purple patch. However being top in Europe or the World needs much more consistency and is much harder. Granted there isn't the same kudos but it's harder and also more financially beneficial.

Milkers

In a way ye are both right. There is a difference between what is widely recognised as better/more important (winning a major) and what is probably a truer reflection of who is the better/best golfer in a given year (order of merit). It's the same in many sports, often times true performance is not as recognised as someone who happens to be on the right side of the roundabout when the music stops and wins the big event. Although of course you can also then consider the ability to "happen" to perform best at a big event...

DH2K9

Sean Bateman wrote: »

The Ryder Cup - Always hyped up by players who couldn't manage to win a Major. Guys like Monty, Sam Torrance etc cling to the Ryder Cup because it helps to cover up the glaring gap in their CVs.

I once heard Monty try and claim that winning a Major was like winning the FA Cup, while winning the Order of Merit was akin to winning the Premiership! Winning an Order of Merit is meaningless in comparison to winning a Major.

And yes - Any professional golfer would take a solitary Major over being top of some silly earnings list and having a good Ryder Cup record.

Anybody can play well over 4 days like Lucas Glover in 2009 to win the US Open but to win the money list means you have played well all year and win a few times. Plain and simple

jackal

People go on like winning a major is the only legitimate way to prove they are a great golfer. There are only four chances per year for an individual to win a major, probably of those four one or two of the courses will not suit their strengths, and then you are competing against 100+ similarly talented pro's. The game is stroke-play over 4 days, when one bad hole can undo three days of perfect play, its unforgiving and an unbelievable achievement to win more than one.

Its not that easy to win a major!

Sean Bateman

DH2K9 wrote: »

Anybody can play well over 4 days like Lucas Glover in 2009 to win the US Open but to win the money list means you have played well all year and win a few times. Plain and simple

How many money lists did Jack Nicklaus win? Who knows, and who cares? I'm sure that it's on the internet somewhere but I've zero interest in trying to find out.

He won 18 Majors (and sometimes argues that it's 20 but not so much now that Woods has 3 US Amateurs to his 2). I'd say that my Mrs knows that.

Bruthal

DH2K9 wrote: »

Anybody can play well over 4 days like Lucas Glover in 2009 to win the US Open but to win the money list means you have played well all year and win a few times. Plain and simple

The thing is though, a player enters the masters not usually to win the money list.

jacool

robbie7730 wrote: »

The thing is though, a player enters the masters not usually to win the money list.

Allow me be picky. Players don't "enter" the Masters. They have to qualify.

Three points from my armchair viewing:
1. I think Rory would want to win sooner rather than later. He has the skill now, and just needs the temperament to go with it. I wouldn't like to see him go close again soon and miss out. I also think this course is very tough and he might have a better chance in the British Open. (I will accept criticism here from more knowledgeable fans)
2. I think Scott and Day over-achieved by dint of being paired together. There were lots of high fives and stuff and I think they pulled each other along. Different pairings might have seen them struggle, I think.
3. Choi will never win a major. Plays too safe. Had an eagle possibility and rolled up for the birdie, while all round him were going for it.

Bruthal

jacool wrote: »

Allow me be picky. Players don't "enter" the Masters. They have to qualify.

Well that is picky, its invitational (worlds top 50 i think) as well as qualifying criteria for others, but a player still enters it once he is qualified. And as such, a player entering, no matter how he qualified, is entering to do as well as they can in this tournament.

The point was, some posters said the winner was a journeyman, or would you prefer to be a one hit wonder than win the money list etc, and the title is wasted on him.

I say thats a stupid statement, if the best golfers in the world cant beat him, even if its the only thing he ever wins, well then he is as worthy a winner as any other winner.

PhilipMarlowe

Hi guys.

Just like to say that I really enjoyed Sunday... managed to play golf for the first time in a couple of weeks.. had a bbq and then settled in to watch the Masters.
Decided to concentrate on the BBC coverage so no breaks and no internet to distract. Perfect.

Car-crash for Rory but thrilling finish to the back 9 - delighted for Schwartzel... have been a fan of his since seeing him up close at the Irish Open in 2008 at Adare (missesd the cut). Great to see Adam Scott back playing 'golf' too.

Assignment deadline yesterday so resisted the temptation to log-on because I knew I'd get f'all done so only checked in this evening. Let's just say it wasn't easy to read some of the ****e just now either, can't have been easy at the time.
I like the idea (heavyballs?) of having a bouncer rather than a mod although the best way to deal with some of the comments might be a deLorean, a doctorate in genetics and a Burdizzo.

Anyway, roll on the two Open Championships and no doubt we'll have more people telling us what they always knew...

abouttobebanned

http://betting.betfair.ie/golf/masters-2011---the-breakdown-130411.html

Masters 2011 – What did we learn?
I don’t remember a golf major arriving with such a fanfare as the 2011 Masters. That probably has something to do with SKY enjoying four full days of coverage this year, and I must say, it was a joy to be able to access different groups and holes via the red button – if only we had that every week. So, before we get to the obvious headline of the week, what else did we learn from this year’s Blue Ribband golfing event?

Henrik Stenson is having some problems
I have to believe that something immensely negative is happening in Henrik Stenson’s life at the moment, maybe he’s upset with Fanny seeing Martin Kaymer on the sly, maybe it’s something completely unrelated to golf, but whatever it is, it’s reduced his golf game to that of a Sunday Afternoon sprayer. Henrik bogeyed his first hole on Thursday and then the third, and then shot an 8 on the par 3 4th hole, after that things got a little blurry and Stenson ended up 13 over for the tournament. He hasn’t won since 2009 and one would have to wonder whether his career as a professional Golfer is coming to an end.

It’s not easy to win 2 weeks in a row
In fact it may be one of the hardest things to do in Golf. Phil Mickleson looked like a golfing magician in Texas last weekend and practically in his own backyard everyone thought that he’d continue to ride on that victory wave. He was allowed to go off at around 7.2, a ridiculous price, not only in hindsight, but for any golf event. Phil struggled with his putting all week and more than anything looked very tired. It’s always a good idea to steer clear of a winner if he plays again the following week.

Tiger is on his way back
There were moments of sheer brilliance from Tiger on Sunday, like the eagle on the 8th, or the almost eagle on 15. In fact it was that 15th hole that highlighted two things about his game at the moment – 1. He’s still got game, that second shot was sublime. 2. His putting is not good at all right now. His driving is still suspect at times but he was 100 times better than lefty so there’s probably not too much to worry about there. The crowd seem to love him and barring the finding of some bodies in his basement I think that will continue to be the case for years to come. Maybe Tiger is on his way back, or maybe he just loves playing Augusta – horses for courses and all that!

Rory Mclroy is almost the best player in the world
I was almost blue in the face from telling people that a 4 shot lead going into the final round of a Masters was nothing at all. I told people that it can all change in just one hole, especially when the person with that lead was just a kid who has never proven that he handles pressure well. His win at Quail Hollow last year was done from the cut line – no butterflies in his stomach preventing him from sleeping, no big fanfares before he teed off, he could just go out and play a Sunday game of golf, letting his talent do the work. When pressure has been applied to Rory in the past it’s not unfair to say that he buckled and I dare say he will never again face the pressure that was enforced upon him last weekend. Nerves can do horrible, horrible, things to golfers, and what it did to Rory on Sunday was unforgivable.
So, what can he do? Shut down his Twitter account, inject ice into his veins and become more like Tiger? NO. Rory has the potential to be the most likable multi major winner in the history of golf. Tiger is like that punter in the bookies who grunts at you when he loses, but when he wins he can’t wait to fist pump all over the place and tell everyone how he won. Rory has proven himself to be a gentleman when he wins, loses and everything in between.
Without a doubt, Rory is the most talented Golfer alive today, I mean for three days he led a major field on a merry dance – nobody can tell me that he’s never going to win a major. But getting over the manner of the defeat will take some time, and I do believe he would benefit from the assistance of some kind of mentalist, afterall, if that’s the only problem with his game, wouldn’t you try anything to fix it?

Forgetting Rory’s collapse for a second, Charl Schwartzel’s win was tremendous, and he deserved that green jacket. Would he have won if he led by four shots going into that final round? No chance.