Now that Bubba Watson has won the Masters, what will he do for an encore?

Although millions of golf fans tuned in to The Masters tournament, it was most likely to see Phil Mickelson attempt to win his fourth green jacket. As Lefty's chances faded, another left-handed golfer stepped into the limelight to steal his thunder.

To many fans, Bubba Watson's victory in a sudden death playoff is now begging the question, "What will he do for an encore?"

Will Watson become a "folk hero" as David Letterman and the latest Sports Illustrated portrayed or will he fade away, as Devil Ball Golf queried, "with fourteen different winners in the last fourteen events and twelve of those being first-time winners, the odds are not good."

Speaking of majors, the U.S. Open being played at the Olympic Club will be a proving ground for Bubba Watson. The Lake Course will "create narrow chutes on several holes that might present a problem for Watson on his tee shots," mentioned golf writer Ron Kroichick.

Bubba Watson's goal is to have (at least) ten wins but as ESPN golf analyst Justin Ray stated, his next major may not come at the US Open. Although the 'other' Lefty may be "in the mix", "the past four Masters winners not only went winless on the world's two premier tours the rest of their green jacket seasons, but they combined for just twelve top-ten finishes the rest of the way."

I would like to think that Watson has a bright future in store as long as he can focus on golf and control his temper. Just closing your eyes and hitting it hard, as Bubba stated, doesn't win tournaments.

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Mickelson Masters Golf Marketability over Tiger Woods

When it comes down to off-the-green marketability in the world of golf, who do you think has the "swinging power", Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods? This E-Poll market research study may surprise you!

 

 

If you thought that Tiger Woods was more commercially bankable than Phil Mickelson, you would be wrong! According to Nielsen and E-Poll’s N-Score, which measures endorsement potential, Lefty has almost double the strength in being "down-to-earth", in spite of the fact that people are more aware of Woods. Fans may be more knowledgeable of the Woods brand but only seventeen percent say they like Tiger. Looks like Woods needs to improve his public image...thought he was working on it?

 

Other likeable professional golfers as rated by N-Score include Tom Watson, Fred Couples and Ernie Els. Watson actually came in second, above Tiger, in the rankings and, in my opinion, it's easy to understand. Tom and Fred have a rich history playing Augusta with sixty-seven Masters Tournaments played between them and both have not had any real negative off-the-course media pronouncements...in orther words, fans want to cheer these two guys to a win. Still, Woods did make it to third place so likeability alone is not enough.

 

Although Tiger Woods seems to be recovering from his personal issues with his first win last week in years at Bay Hill and a record of four Masters wins entering Augusta this week, he has not yet bounced back in the public eye.

 

Will a Masters victory be the turning point for Tiger Woods? “It will be interesting to see if another green jacket at the Masters this year can win back the favor of the public and corporate America," Nielsen Sports VP Stephen Master stated. 

 

What do you think? We'd like to know.

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Here is how Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research "N-Score" came up with their findings:

Using combined research expertise, the N-Score is an in-depth look at a sports figure’s overall endorsement potential, factoring in the attributes and demographic measures that align brands with endorsers. Each individual N-Score National survey is administered to 1,100 people within that panel via the Internet. The sample is representative of the general population based on gender, income, age, and education. Awareness, as noted in the Wire post above, is determined by showing half of the survey participants a picture of the athlete and half the athlete’s name. Appeal is the percentage of participants aware of the athlete who say that they like an athlete or like an athlete a lot.

 

photo credit: linkslifegolf.com

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Will Tiger Woods attend Masters after-party golf gala in Myrtle Beach?

What do Annika Sorenstam, Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk and Hootie and the Blowfish have in common? They will all be gathering at Barefoot Resort Dye Club in Myrtle Beach for the 18^th annual “Monday after the Masters” shindig. Will Tiger Woods be flying in to join his friends for the celebration?

Although Woods looked to be in decent form at the Tavistock Cup this week in spite of his Achilles injury (and the fact that his team stumbled to a last place finish), he proclaimed that he is ready for the Masters. It is understood that Tiger Woods will be performing at Augusta but a good showing in the first major of the year might make the difference between a quick jaunt into Myrtle Beach for a party or a flight home to sulk aboard his yacht.


While Tiger Woods and PGA Tour/Euro Tour players are making their way through the very treacherous yet beautiful Augusta National, many amateurs will happily be converging nearby in South Carolina to play golf in Myrtle Beach. This is the perfect time of year to hop a quick flight to this golf and beach destination; the weather couldn't be any better! Myrtle Beach also recently reached its three-millionth tee-time booking milestone and, with one-hundred finely manicured golf courses to play, the choices seem endless.

Among Golf Digest’s choices for America’s top-100 public golf courses in Myrtle Beach are Grande Dunes Golf Club (rated #46) and Tidewater Golf Club (rated #94), which I had the pleasure (?) of playing on a cold, rain-soaked day. Tidewater showed me early on in my golf learning curve that there are some golf courses that are meant for more serious golfers. Myrtlewood Palmetto Course was more for a beginner as I was when I played there several years ago, but I now think I am ready to take on Tidewater.

Tidewater




For golfers who want to "grip-it-and-rip-it", John Daly's Wicked Stick Golf Links may be your dream golf course. There are no fairway bunkers so players can hit from the "Daly tees" without being penalized for landing in (or around) the fairway while the shorter hitter will be encouraged by a wealth of shot-making opportunities.

 Wicked Stick Golf Links



For players seeking a resort feel, Barefoot Resort features four golf courses created by Norman, Love Fazio and Dye, each creating a unique golf experience. The Norman course features seven holes spread along the Intracoastal waterway. The Love course is lowcountry style is set among the ruins of an old plantation and features wide open fairways. Fazio also incorporates a lowcountry design while Dye's "semi-private design" is considered "beautiful yet treacherous." This is where the Monday after the Masters golf gala will be held so make sure to get your round in advance!


Here's a great idea... Why not fly into Myrtle Beach, rent a car, play a few rounds of golf, drive down to Augusta for the Masters, then drive back to Myrtle Beach and enjoy the big after-party with Tiger Woods and the gang! How often do you get this opportunity?



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photo credit: Myrtle-Beachgolf.com, Golfnow.com

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Tiger Woods not among some Masters golf picks

I entered into a Masters Pool in which I had to assemble a "dream team" of eight golfers: if my "team of eight" racks up the most prize money, I win the golf pool. Although I cannot say who started the pool, I can show you who I chose as my top finishers (not in any particular order). As an interesting note, twenty entries out of fifty-four did not include Tiger Woods which is this particular golf pool's record.

Here is my dream team of top money winners with quotes relating to how they feel going into The Masters.

 

 

1. *Phil Mickelson:  After shooting weekend 63-65 win the Shell Open.
 “It was a big confidence-booster,” Mickelson said. “To have that performance heading in here feels really good. It reminds me of 2006.”

*My pick to win the Masters

2. Tiger Woods: "Been using my new app to prepare. I’m loving it – what do you guys think?" http://t.co/Qw8VEEe (Another sales pitch...ahem)

"Logging so many hours heading into Augusta this week. Nervous, excited, hoping the hard work pays off."  5 days ago, Tiger Woods on Twitter

3. Martin Laird 

4. Hunter Mahan during par-3 contest, talking about Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, It doesn't get better than these legends!!

5. Dustin Johnson: "I've had a few opportunities to go play (Augusta), just a casual round. I didn't really want to because I wanted to earn my way into it."

6. Bubba Watson "A little rusty on the golf course today. Need to hurry up & get good before next Thursday!!"  Twitter, 1 Apr

 

7. Ryo Ishikawa:  "My goal is to be in contention here at Augusta National," Ishikawa said Tuesday, after being grouped with three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and Bill Haas for the first two rounds.

‘‘But I don’t want to just contend. I want to fight it out with Woods for the title some day."

8. K.J. Choi:  "I just need to be 100 percent focused to the very last shot and the last hole on Sunday and stay patient," said Choi.

"There's no room for small mistakes and I'm not just referring to the shots you hit on the golf course. The Masters is more than that. I failed to do that last year during the final round." Choi finished in 4th place at the 2010 Masters.

 

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What are the odds that Mickelson or Laird will don the Masters Jacket?

Two weeks ago I wrote an article about how the next Masters champion may come from a win at either Bay Hill or Redstone based upon what I believed to be circumstances of "fate". With Mickelson coming from behind to win at the SHO this week, a green jacket reality moment at Augusta National is settling in with oddsmakers as well.

To recap the ESPN.com analysis:

There have only been six instances since 1960 when a player won an event either one or two weeks prior to winning the Masters. It's happened just twice since 1990 and in five year increments: Tiger Woods in 2001 (The Players Championship) and Phil Mickelson in 2006 (won the BellSouth the prior week).

This next five-year increment is at hand and so it stands to reason that either Mickelson or Martin Laird could become the 75th Masters Champion.

Humble Phil feels confident after a SHO-ing this week that he can win the first major of 2011. "It feels really good for me to have played well and gained some momentum heading into next week," Mickelson said. "I needed to have a week where I kind of put it together."

But even Mickelson mentioned after his round that there were a few holes in which he lost "focus". Focus and rolling in the putts are the keys (in my opinion)  to winning any golf tournament.

If in fact rolling in the putts is any indication of a win, then according to Colin Montgomerie, Laird has the potential to be a "world star."

 

Martin Laird with Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill

 

Monty said, "He (Laird) had a putting lesson from Dave Stockton and it's clearly worked because if you saw those last four putts he holed at Bay Hill, every one was dead centre. If he can putt half as well as that at Augusta he has a chance."

In spite of Montgomerie's "cooing" over Laird's ability on the golf course, Mickelson's odds currently stand at 5-1; Laird's odds are at 66-1.

Traditionally, the winner of the Masters had assistance with putting on his green jacket. Phil won last year so if he wins again the question is, "Will Mickelson don his own Masters jacket?"  It certainly would be memorable but, in the old-world tradition of the event, other likely candidates to give Phil a hand would be:

 

Angel Cabrera (2009), Trevor Immelman (2008), Zach Johnson (2007) or Tiger Woods (2005).

Photo credits: ESPN.com, GulfDailyNews.com

 

As in past years, live coverage of the Masters Tournament, April 4-10th, will be available from Amen Corner holes No 15 & 16, the Practice Range and the par 3 contest on Masters.org.

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Will a Bay Hill win determine the Masters Champion?

Tiger Woods' six Bay Hill victories makes him the odds-on favorite among fans and gamblers despite a drought. The long-shot of becoming a Masters champion after a win at this event is ripe to happen. Will it be Woods, or perhaps an up-and-coming golfer on the PGA Tour, that creates their opportunity at Bay Hill... and dons the Green Jacket?

Although I do not gamble on sports events (except for my $5 bet on the Kentucky Derby), I enjoy reading how analysts and betting parlors determine golf odds and event winners. Golf is a gambling game, from playing a two-dollar Nassau right down to selecting a Fantasy Golf Team and the internet is flooded with scenarios based upon performance and standings.

But, does fate (la forza del destina) sometimes play a hand in the outcome?

One statistic that caught my eye while sifting through the "information super-highway" was Justin Ray's analysis on ESPN.com. He noted that there have only been six instances since 1960 when a player won an event either one or two weeks prior to winning the Masters. It's happened just twice since 1990 and in five year increments: Tiger Woods in 2001 (The Players Championship) and Phil Mickelson in 2006 (won the BellSouth the prior week).

Could 2011 be the year that the winner at Bay Hill will also take the green jacket at Augusta?

Since this is an "Invitational", the field will be limited to one hundred and twenty golfers. There are thirty-four "under thirty" golfers and twenty-six "grizzled vets" over forty years old. A changing of the guard? Perhaps.

Here are a few possible picks to keep your eyes on at Bay Hill:

Mark Wilson is the leader in the FedExCup standings and two-time 2011 winner but has been "fading" since his early back-to-back wins.

Gary Woodland's breakout victory last week at the Transitions Championship was a learning experience for him but he could have the same fortunate bounce as Wilson.

Jhonattan Vegas is another relative newcomer with most of his events played in 2011. He has made seven cuts, his finishes are good and his scrambling stats are better than the average tour player giving him an advantage at Bay Hill.

Dustin Johnson is already a veteran on the PGA Tour and most recently placed second at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Johnson has a better 'greens in regulation' percentage than the average Tour player. With four top-ten finishes this year, Hunter Mahan also has a better-than average 'greens in regulation' percentage.

Playing the 18th hole at Bay Hill, where errant shots will be met by rocks and water, the ability of both Johnson and Mahan to land on the green in the height of competition could could provide the fans with a climactic four-day event.


Tiger Woods' Sunday 66 at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and golf instruction from Sean Foley are positive improvements towards an eventual win. On the flip side, Woods has not competed on this course since its renovation and, with current stats at 101st in putts per round (usually the deciding factor in a tournament), he's going to need to grind and hope to rejuvenate the fear factor he instills in other players.

As for my personal favorite, Phil Mickelson, he came in second place at the Farmers Insurance Open, is tied for 25th in scoring average and has made every cut so far this year. Anything can happen and usually does when Phil is in the field!
Possibilities or percentages? Fate or odds?

The 50th anniversary milestone of Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge could very well transform a win in Orlando into a golden opportunity at Augusta.


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Tiger Woods Masters preview on Late Night Show?

A noticeably matured yet whiskerless Tiger Woods allowed himself to be the butt of Jimmy Fallon's jokes last night on 'Late Night' in order to push the latest EA Sports Game, "Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters" to a somewhat accepting audience.


Fallon used golf terms with double entendres such as "shaft" and "foursome" to force the seemingly stiff Woods into a smile. Tiger's tired eyes said much to his fans even though he appeared to remain a good sport all the while.


"And we laughed at your pain," needled Fallon. "I mean, not even making jokes. It kind of wrote itself."


It was the following segment, a demonstration of "PGA Tour 12: The Masters" on Wii, that was the real purpose of Woods' appearance. Tiger was there for the money shot, to be a walking billboard for EA Sports and to sell 'Late Night' viewers on the new game, not to talk about his personal life golf instuctor catfights or how his own golf game is coming round (although Woods was truly proud of his recently remodeled Jupiter estate, complete with four golf holes and four different types of sand in the bunkers.)


Amy Poehler, who looked as if this was the first time she ever picked up a golf club, was there to loosen up Woods (which she did when she swung the Wii controller) and to add further comic relief to Fallon's innocuous barbs.


The three played the 12th hole at Augusta National: Golden Bell. The shortest hole on the course and one of the three holes included in Amen Corner, Golden Bell is a deceptive par-3, 155 yard hole in which accuracy is key as winds and a narrow green complicate the shot.

Both Amy and Jimmy were feeding off of each other, trying to take Tiger out of his game while waiting for the big money shot to occur, perhaps for birdie or par? They hoped to see Woods loosen up and boogie down a bit but Tiger remained as stolid as if he were in real competition, game face on, not taking any prisoners.


After what seemed to be a hundred shots from Poehler who was desperately trying to get over Rae's Creek and with Fallon using his putter like a baseball bat, Woods finally got his chance to claim victory.


Standing over a three-foot putt, Tiger Woods confidently holed out...for a bogey.


Preview of things to come?


Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) related his feelings on Twitter:

First win of the year, unfortunately it was against @jimmyfallon.



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Bizarre Headlines from Tiger Woods to John Daly Cheapen Masters Ambience

Each year during Masters week, the game of golf has been reflected upon in its purest form. Golfers of days gone by were revered, statistics and quotes of incredible shots were remembered and everyone was deciding on the "right" way to make a pimento cheese sandwich.

Do a Google search this week for "Masters" and a more bizarre and less "Southern" feeling emerges.

John Daly has set up his RV directly across the street from the Augusta National parking lot conducting his own business by selling and signing memorabilia to fans. Daly was not invited to Augusta National as a guest but decided to show up anyway, hoping to make more money in sales than from an appearance fee.

There is more Tiger Woods chat than you can shake a stick at since he is the big draw this week and the reason for an 82-person security detail. Partnering with Woods will be K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar. The big scoop, however, is that former(?) mistress Joslyn James will be headlining her own act in nearby Atlanta.

James is making a special appearance at the Pink Pony strip club during Masters week. The Pink Pony is playing up the Tiger Woods/Joslyn James scenario by offering directions from Augusta National to (another good ole boys) Club and the tag line, "The former porn star will be dancing on the bars while Tiger is hitting pars!"

Two greats of the game are also making their appearance in the news, Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd. Couples thinks he still has a chance to win and Floyd realizes that it's the end of the line and is calling it quits after 45 Masters Tournaments. Couples should consider sticking with the Champions Tour because even though he has won three times this year and placed second, no fifty-year old golfer has ever won The Masters.

This year at Augusta National will certainly NOT be your father's Masters!