NFT: Masters - Round 1

fun, again.

With Rory and Scottie it is all about putting - those two's biggest bug-a-boo....

Watch out for Hideki.

koepka, thomas and a hail mary in fowler

Not the sexy pick, but I think Scheffler gets the green jacket.

just would like to see some real drama come the back nine on Sunday, that would be great. I love seeing that golf course on TV, just a beautiful and idyllic setting, that it is.

since that's the kiss of death but I'm thinking

Sheffler
Matsuyama
Hovland

Any one of these guys could win it. Let's hope for nice weather and some exciting golf.

He’s deep in the playing swing weeds.

W. Clark keeps showing up in big tournaments.

Obviously... Scottie, Rahm, Rory, Koepka would all make for a fun Leaderboard on the weekend.

Some guys I think have a shot Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama

My longshot pick/top ten finish: Ludvig Aberg

🔒.

Mickelson. He looks like he's aged 10 years.

through 16...oof.

Woof. A forgettable weekend in Augusta.

Aberg having a good Sunday thus far.

scheffler out in front of homa hunting his first major, morikawa going for his first masters but just set himself back with a double, and aberg playing in his first major but with the best final round going.

scheffler with a stroke probably at least 2:1 vs the field but not impossible. if someone eagles a par 5 this could get interesting.

homa with a birdie put coming up he may be the only one with a real chance of catching scottie.

Let’s go Scottie!

a kick birdie putt at 14. Up two looking at up 3.

Made this back 9 look like a Pro-AM course.

Good for Scottie. Best in the world right now.

In comment 16468678 JT039 said:

Quote:

Made this back 9 look like a Pro-AM course.

He kicked it around through the 8th...and then woke up.

for Scottie.

In comment 16468710 section125 said:

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for Scottie.

he's carrying golf right now. i wonder if faldo's comments re rahm arent true of more players who are hurting their games by not playing as much whether liv or otherwise.

such a big gap between #1 and whoever #2 is right now and as great as sheffler has been as a #1 is as bad as the competition for #2 is right now. hovland a mess, cantlay, and rory just 4 top 10's combined so far this year, no wins. jt off face of the earth. rahm/cam smith/koepka at liv.

In comment 16468853 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

In comment 16468710 section125 said: Quote: for Scottie. he's carrying golf right now. i wonder if faldo's comments re rahm arent true of more players who are hurting their games by not playing as much whether liv or otherwise. such a big gap between #1 and whoever #2 is right now and as great as sheffler has been as a #1 is as bad as the competition for #2 is right now. hovland a mess, cantlay, and rory just 4 top 10's combined so far this year, no wins. jt off face of the earth. rahm/cam smith/koepka at liv.

We said the same thing for most of Tiger's years - where is his competition? Argument was Jack had Arnie, Gary, Watson, Casper etc and Tiger only had Vijay.

Yes, Spieth, Thomas, Cantlay, Rory, have seemingly dropped the ball. Schauffele seems to disappear in majors. Homa is improving and I think Wyndham Clarke will be there soon. Tommy Fleetwood and Colin Morikawa are excellent, too.

Hovland is working on a swing change, no? That takes time.

And yes they are missing the big guns that went to LIV. Just had a big discussion with our teaching pro at my course. I said the LIV guys would not do well at the Masters because they don't have the level of competition that they had with the Tour and playing 3 days per week in a circus atmosphere is not conducive to playing under the pressure of majors. Would you ever expect Rahm, DJ, Koepke, Cam Smith, et al to disappear like they did this weekend? DeChambeau held his own, but after his crazy good start on Thursday went 73, 72, 73(iirc).

FWIW, I do not blame the LIV guys for taking the money and only needing to play 20 events over 2 years(IIRC) and for only 3 day events. Being on the road 26/30 weeks per year is rough while living out of a suitcase. For the Australian guys it is a godsend. European guys(most live in the US anyway) it is only about 8 hrs to fly back - Australia is about 20 hrs even in a private jet? Yuck

There will need to be a reconciliation between the Tour and LIV. LIV cannot get a foothold on TV and that is bad even if the Saudi money is limitless.
Problem will be how the Saudis payoff the Tour players to allow the LIV guys to return.