Kuchar Has Chance To Move To Top Of Masters Favorites List

Ryan Lavner on Shell Houston Open third round leader Matt Kuchar, quietly improving his game each week in the build up to Augusta. But first he has to finish off the Shell. He leads Sergio Garcia by four.

On the parity that has things so wide open heading into the Masters.

The PGA Tour has endured a months-long power outage. Only one player, Zach Johnson, has won an event while ranked inside the top 10 in the world. Jason Day is the only other top-15 player to win an event this season.

“There’s a lot of depth in the game of golf,” Kuchar said.

There’s little doubt that parity is the PGA Tour’s new reality, but it poses a problem for both the casual fan, who has little interest in rooting for the 100th-ranked player in the world, and the elite player, who prefers having a dominant stud to measure his game against.

Kuchar, with a nice track record at Augusta, is currently a very attractive 20-1.

Bubba Watson Overpowers Riviera

We all know Bubba Watson hits it a long way, but it was how he used that length to overpower Riviera this weekend that proved so impressive.

Though Watson’s scoring breakdown for the week was pretty balanced--Par-3s (-3), Par-4s (-4), Par-5s (-8)--ShotLink told a more complete story of Watson's ability to use his distance to separate himself.

Watson noted his accuracy for the week (35/56 fairways, 62.5%, T8), which combined with his field-leading 304 yard driving distance to overwhelm Riviera. Watson confirmed after the round that he hit a wedge into teh 18th, even with the hold having been lengthened to 480 yards and playing severely uphill. The fairways were firmer and faster, but even then this is a kikuyu course and there is only so much roll. (There was almost no helping wind.)

Check out these screengrabs of key drives which set up short approach shots, the most important coming at the 17th where a deadly fairway bunker had to be cleared. When Bubba drove it past that deep hazard, the tournament was in hand barring a strange mistake.

 

 

Update on Monday, February 17, 2014 at 10:05 AM by Geoff

**We talked Bubba on Morning Drive:

The Year In Viral Golf Videos

Alex Myers posts his top 25 viral videos of the golf year 2013 and while I'm not enamored with his top two selections, the overall effort is admirable. He mixes the top commercials that went viral along with the telecast and homemade clips grabbing our attention. Though none are as subtly satisfying as Jerry Jones' reaction to the Cowboys' playoff elimination or as cringe-inducing as Anderson Silva's fateful kick this weekend, it was a pretty good year in golf videos.

Though it's hardly a homemade job, the EA ad with Tiger, Palmer and Trevino made for a nice way to cap off the end to Tiger's 14 years with the company:


And Golf Channel posts their top viral videos of the year based on views, topped by Chi Chi's ricochet shot to the midsection, which edged out Holly's revealing of her midsection.

The Best Golf Images Of 2013

As we wind down a superb year in golf, golf.com has compiled an outstanding gallery of 2013's best tournament images from a variety of sources.

Off the course, Golf Digest captured the best shots of players and people in the sport and posts the best of their portraits from '13. 

Offbeat In Review: Annika's Starbucks Name, Padraig & Sergio

Doug Ferguson annually takes out the miscellaneous anecdotes from a year on the road and puts them into an annual AP column.

In this year's edition he reveals Annika Sorenstam's name at Starbucks, Padraig Harrington's passion for Sergio hating and Steve Stricker's incredible restricted-schedule year.

This Week In Golf Channel Ratings: Friday Shark Shootout...

...outpaces the final round ratings of PGA Tour's wraparound schedule events. I know, it's getting painful to see that just about anything beats the new-look PGA Tour's opening events. But it could be worse, you might be  a sponsor putting up millions for a PGA Tour event and having fewer eyeballs for your weekend coverage than a silly season event. Even events as silly as the seemingly moribund Franklin Templeton Shootout.

Son of the Bronx posts the latest numbers, which showed a slight increase overall for Golf Channel compared to last year at this time, with the top show a .2/256,000 viewers for Friday coverage of the Shark Shootout. (NBC aired the weekend play and those numbers are not posted.)

We discussed the concept that is Tim Finchem's year-round PGA Tour golf on the 19th Hole, though Mr. Sands' comment about "needing to miss" the sport did not make this edit:

Video And Poll: Who Is Your 2013 World Player Of The Year?

We discussed the player of the year on the Grey Goose 19th Hole and I was outvoted 2-1 with Mssrs. Fay and Feinstein picking Adam Scott on the strength of his great run in Australia. While I admire all things Australia, those wins weren't enough to catapult Scott above Phil Mickelson's win at The Open as the defining victory of the season. Throw in his Scottish Open win and near-miss at the U.S. Open, and Phil got my vote.

But what an incredible year it was to have four players with such stellar resumes. A case could be made for each, which brings me to the ultimate tiebreaker: who was the Champion Golfer of the Year (winner of The Open)?

Here's our discussion:

Cast your vote here:

Who is the 2013 world player of the year?
	Mickelson
	Scott
	Stenson
	Woods
pollcode.com free polls

Video: Jason Dufner Shanks A Putt

Seeing that it's already at 875,000 views I feel late to the game seeing Jason Dufner's shank-whiff putt at last weekend's Shark Shootout. Tip of the cap to Kevin Cunningham for spotting it.

The best part may be Chad Campbell's immediate reaction. Or Dufner swatting the ball into the lake.

The video:

Video: Top Hole-In-Ones From 2013

PGA Tour Entertainment has put together their favorite hole-in-ones from the 2013 season and several are definitely more exciting than others. What do some have over the others?

This compilation provides no better example of why golf is a more interesting when we watch the ball moving on the ground instead of the air. Shawn Stefani's Sunday ace at Merion provides the best example here, with Jordan Spieth's a close second. No offense to Tom Kite, Loren Roberts, Mark Anderson, Kevin Chappell, Andrew Putnam, Chris Stroud, Hunter Mahan and the #1 choice of back-to-back group acers KJ Choi/Greg Chalmers:

Valuing A Sense Of Place: R.I.P. World Challenge At Sherwood

After 14 years at Sherwood Country Club, Tiger Woods' World Challenge event heads east in 2014 for a likely one-year stop at Isleworth. The event is then expected to go elsewhere after that--likely the Bahamas--a factoid an exhausted Woods accidentally noted in his post round press conference Sunday.

On a positive note, the grotesque Tavistock Cup will be retired as a result of this move, while Tiger and his mostly Florida-based friends get a shorter trip to the warm weather golf courses that are never as interesting on television as cool season grass layouts.

Northwestern Mutual, a presenting sponsor in 2012 and title sponsor this year, evidently signaled they are not interested in returning as a sponsor. This was evidenced by the number of thank you's Tiger issued to this year's sponsor: zero. Zilch. Nada.

At his Wednesday press conference, Woods never thanked the sponsor even with Northwestern Mutual execs standing in the room. And this, after Woods put up $4 million of his own money last year because no title sponsor stepped up until Northwestern Mutual took the lesser presenting sponsor role at the last moment.

Even 2013 champion Zach Johnson managed an immediate thank-you to the sponsor in his press conference, giving them a tip of the cap before thanking anyone else, including the foundation, the tournament director or the big man upstairs.

While it's a small point, the lack of public gratitude toward the sponsor by Woods speaks to a point-missing which is awkward at best, potentially fatal at worst, threatening to doom this event upon its move east. Besides showing up the sponsor for not coming back next year, a little praise for the big check writers says to potential suitors for the 2014 title sponsorship: we love our sponsors.

But to a larger point about the end at Sherwood: most golf tournaments and their sponsors are fighting for attention on the over-saturated schedule long for a sense of permanence and continuity--"value creation" in modern day jargon. As Sunday's record crowd of 24,922 displayed, this event has not grown stale. It never hurts that the "place" was the lavish Sherwood, a treat to visit even if it's not a particularly spectator-friendly course. The meticulously-presented grounds and exclusive ambiance provide just two reasons players enjoyed coming here. Pile on stellar player hospitality, easy World Ranking points, a Four Seasons across the freeway offering a healthy player discount, proximity to manufacturers in Carlsbad and potential LA-based corporate clients based and it's no surprise that the event attracts an incredible field.

From an operations standpoint, Sherwood has never been in better condition, there is a wait list to volunteer and the staff has the event on cruise control without it feeling tired.

Yet for reasons only they can grasp, Team Woods felt the time was right (or required) to move the event east. Woods's foundation has reaped over $25 million from the event. They've made an enormous impact on the lives of children in the area, many of whom were in attendance again and enjoying once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But the risk of undermining the "value" they've accrued in southern California apparently is worth an untold greater reward, or perhaps just a better chance of landing enough financial support with Tavistock and an eventual title sponsor.

Should the event not find a title sponsor or fail to find its footing in warmer environs, the successful run at Sherwood will be forever cited as an example where too little value was ascribed to a sense of place and continuity. Especially when the place in question is the tournament founders' home. And especially where, even after this short-sighted move, he will always have a welcome place to play with his friends should he ever decide to come back.

Quick Roundup: Zach Johnson Edges Tiger In Sherwood Finale

Doug Ferguson recounts a wild finish at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge that saw Zach Johnson overcome a four shot deficit with eight holes to go, highlighted by a dramatic hole out.

The win moves Johnson to No. 9 in the world. After the round Johnson described the shot that set up the hole out: his drop-kick almost-shank into Sherwood's 18th hole pond.

Q.  What did you think walking back to the drop area had to happen for you to be sitting here today?

ZACH JOHNSON:  Well, I was upset.  You know, I mean I had I don't want to say an awkward yardage, but I had‑‑ I was in between clubs.  And certainly saw his shot.  You know, very hard shot.  End up in the bunker down there.  I assumed it was in the bunker and then when I walked up there it was.  It looked to me like it was going to be a very, very difficult 4 for him.  So once my ball was in the hazard, my whole process was just, I mean I'm trying to get somewhat around the hole and make a 5.  You know, it wasn't exactly a full‑wedge shot, but it was one that I could be aggressive with.  And 58 yards, trying to hit it about 52, 53, and we saw what it did.
Shouldn't have been in that position, but I'll learn from it.  I didn't complete my back swing on my second shot, and as a result, miss‑hit it and everything.  It was just bad.  Just bad.  (Laughs).  I mean that was the worst shot I hit all day.  Wasn't even close to being‑‑ there was no question.  It was probably the worst I hit all week.

Q.  Keep going.

ZACH JOHNSON:  Worst shot I've hit in a long time.

Bob Harig says the takeaway for Tiger was improved driving heading into 2014.

 Perhaps more important is that he seems to have found a driver and a shaft he likes. Although he was not as strong off the tee Sunday, Woods hit 75 percent of his fairways for the week and 81 percent of the greens. That will always be a strong combination.

"I'm very pleased to find something off the tee there," he said. "The shaft has definitely made a big difference. Putting comes and goes. It is what it is. You have your good days and your bad days. Friday I made everything and a couple of these days I made a lot of midrange putts for pars. Today was one of those days where I just didn't make a lot."

More alarming though was his putting. It didn't take more than a casual observer to notice that Woods looked horribly uncomfortable over the ball Sunday. Woods explained it was a battle all week, even when with a 62 in it. Jason Sobel reports what Woods said:

“I was struggling blocking putts, and today was a perfect example of that,” he explained. “I blocked a lot of putts today and just had a tough time finding my release point, and I just could not find my release point, no matter what I tried to do to adjust and just wasn't there.

“So the last hole, you know, being left‑to‑right and just didn't want to block that one, and I didn't. I over‑released it.”

Weekends are still an issue for Woods as well, something Brandel Chamblee pointed out after Saturday's 72, and something John Strege notes was a positive sign for those worried that Chamblee would change his style.

Chamblee, meanwhile, is still employed and still opining on Woods. When Tiger followed a round of 62 on Friday with a 72 on Saturday, Chamblee said, "Thursday and Friday he is one of the best, but on the weekend you scratch your head. Yesterday he had the read and the speed on the greens. He was clinical when the rest of the field was doubtful. Today [Saturday] was a different Tiger Woods. The golf course was certainly playing harder today, but he is not the same guy on Saturday and Sunday that he is on Thursday and Friday."

For its part, Golf Channel included the quote in an email, a welcome development that suggests it hasn't muffled him.

Steve DiMeglio noted Tiger's comments following the round about the final Sherwood stop for the World Challenge.

Another change in 2014 will be the site of the World Challenge. After 14 years, the tournament is heading east to Florida. The event has raised $25 million for Woods' foundation and was instrumental in building a learning center in Anaheim. Woods has donated his winnings from the tournament, more than $9 million, to the foundation.

"It is pretty sad to leave Sherwood, because there are so many great memories for me," Woods said. "This was the last (place) my dad ever got a chance to watch me play live, and this event had always had special meaning for me and my father."

Woods's mother, Tida, was on hand to watch the finale.

The YouTube highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment.

Video: Zach Johnson's All-World Challenge Hole-Out

Stellar stuff today at the final Northwestern Mutual Challenge at Sherwood Country Club, with Zach Johnson holing out this 65-yard shot from the drop area to make par. That forced a playoff which Johnson won over Tiger Woods on the first hole of sudden death.

Update on Sunday, December 8, 2013 at 08:34 PM by Geoff

**From Doug Ferguson's game story, writing about the 18th hole of regulation:

"It looked to me like it was going to be a very, very difficult 4 for him," Johnson said about Woods' bunker shot. "I'm trying to get somewhat around the hole and make a 5. It wasn't exactly a full wedge shot, but it was one that I could be aggressive with - 58 yards, trying to hit it about 52, 53, and we saw what it did."

The ball took three bounces, the last one just beyond the hole, and it stopped and spun back a few inches into the cup.

"A little too dramatic for me," Johnson said.

Woods hit a bunker shot just as exquisite to about 2 feet for a par that gave him a 70 and forced a playoff. They finished at 13-under 275.