US Open 2012 Preview

Major time is once again upon us, this week we are in San Francisco at The Olympic Club for the seasons second major, the US Open.  As with previous majors, there is a lot of hype and debate around the outcome of this event, and who should be considered favourite with various other story lines thrown into the mix to ensure this years US Open will be as exciting as last years.

A hot topic recently has been, of course, the form and mental approach of defending champion and world no.2 Rory McIlroy.  McIlroy of late has been out of sorts, missing three straight cuts and last week surrendering his opportunity to win while leading on the 18^th tee of The St.Jude Classic; finding the water off the tee and making a double bogey six to finish down the field in seventh. I made a prediction a few weeks ago that McIlroy would not finish in the top 5 of the US Open, and I still stand by that prediction.

A lot has also been made of “return to form” of Tiger Woods following his victory at The Memorial a few weeks ago.  In that victory we saw all that was missing from Woods’ game for the last while, accuracy off the tee being the main positive. This allowed him more options with his second shots.  In my eyes, there was calmness and control to all aspects of his game and, for me, his performance at The Memorial event, along with the test of the course, will have served as perfect preparation as he goes in search of major number 15.  Lastly, we also saw that his confidence is back to where it was with his outrageous chip shot to birdie the 16^th at The Memorial on his way to victory.

As we know there are many other sub plots that are setup perfectly going into the US Open.  As like many times before, many people will be hoping for Lee Westwood to break his major duck, and his convincing victory at last weeks Nordea Masters will have given his followers renewed hope that this could his time to step into the major limelight.  The same can and will be said for Luke Donald, another yet to secure a major win. His supporters will be optimistic that, given his accuracy and short game which should be well suited to this course, he could cement his standing as world no.1 with a major title to his name.

These are the types of subplots / opinionated debates that I think are great for golf fans worldwide. All of us will have a different view of these various situations, which guarantees excitement for us all.

In truth there could be realistic cases made for 10-15 players to win the title at this years US Open, and as always I will give my top 5 players to watch out for. Fingers crossed the winner will be in there somewhere!

1. Tiger Woods – Given his renewed confidence and composure in his swing, he could be ready to get back on the major trail after a long wait by his standards.
2. Luke Donald – His accuracy and short game will give him a chance to contend, whether or not he can stand up to the major burden pressure remains to be seen.
3. Justin Rose – Has been in terrific form on the PGA Tour, and he will relish this test. Rose could sneak under the radar when all English eyes will be on Donald and Westwood.
4. Francesco Molinari – A straight hitter and regarded as one of the worlds best from tee to green, his putting has been coming on which if hot will put him in the ideal position to get in amongst the leaders.
5. Jason Dufner – His game is showing great consistency at present and nothing seems to faze him. He has all the attributes to go close this week. The pressure of challenging for a first major come Sunday afternoon is a totally different ball game to your regular PGA Tour events, but he has been there before (losing in a playoff to Keegan Bradley at the PGA Championship) and has tasted victory already this year, so this could well be his time.

Some big names have been left out of my Top 5, but I think form is all important going into this week and those with any holes in your game must beware, The Olympic Club course promises to expose them.

Don’t forget to follow Keith on Twitter for updates in the lead up to, and throughout the US Open – @Jinkyt15.

*This writer is not associated with mygolfsociety.ie, but has given permission for this post to be displayed here.

US PGA Championship 2011 Preview

Well, we’ve made to the final Major of the 2011 Golf Season at Atlanta Athletic Club and the US PGA Championship. Reports coming from the Deep South say the course is setup more like a US Open course but surely the good auld PGA of America wouldn’t do that to one of the best fields in golf. The following are the main contenders with some long shots that will hopefully all make ye a few quid.

Rory McIlroy – 11/1 with Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, bet365 and Victor Chandler

US Open Champ McIlroy comes into the last Major of the year in only decent form compared to the awe inspiring display at Congressional in June and I’m surprised he is again favourite although easy to back at double figure odds each way. A repeat of that performance would definitely put him in the mix but his putting just isn’t up to scratch still while his long game remains superb despite criticism in certain quarters via social media – not wanting to name any names of course!!

Luke Donald – 14/1 with Paddy Power, Boylesports and bet365 – all offering 6 places and Quarter Odds

World Numero Uno Luuuuuuuuuuuke is again one of my main pics for this week, and the fact that he did not win last week will count in his favour as opposed to The Open Championship. He is still puring the ball, probably the finest long iron player since Olazabal was at the height of his powers and I expect a big week from Donald. His Major putting performances have not been good enough so far in comparison to his regular tour events standard but I expect him to get even closer to grabbing his First Major and maintain his spot at the top of the Golfing World.

Lee Westwood – 14/1 with Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and bet365

Up until recently Westwood was looked to as the most likely player from the Chubby stable of World Class Golf Stars to make the big break in the Majors but he has been overtaken by Messrs Schwartzel, McIlroy and Clarke. Lee has the game to win any Major but when it comes to the crunch, whether he plays well or not it seems like there is somebody better that week and I think there will be at least a half dozen of these at Atlanta.

Phil Mickelson – 25/1 with Victor Chandler, William Hill, Ladbrokes and bet365

Phil is back on familiar turf now, and the likelihood that he won’t need an umbrella, two rain gloves or a wetgear jacket or pants could well count in his favour. He surprised a lot of people at Royal St Georges, nearly taking a big bite out of Darren Clarke’s Open Championship Sandwich! Mickelson chased Toms home in 2001 here and although it may be setup a bit tougher, Phil has proven form on courses he has done well on before – Augusta and Phoenix being prime examples here. A fantastic price and, barring some hole-in-ones from his main contenders he could well claim his second PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods – 25/1 with bet365, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power

Pending me eating a huge chunk of humble pie come Sunday evening, I could not recommend anybody backing the once Greatest Golfer of his Generation. His comeback last week at Bridgestone, where he had won 7 times previous, was unimpressive although his putting seemed decent enough. His long game is still a long way off and if the course is indeed setup more US Open than PGA then he’s in for a long week, supposedly 11/4 to miss the cutt might seem a better option. I WILL STAND CORRECTED!

Adam Scott and Steve Williams – 26/1 with betchronicle

Last week’s WGC winner comes into this week in superb form, long putter working well included. I’m not mentioning any of the other factors that may help him to win because I just don’t want to see another ridiculous interview at the end of the tournament. Sorry Adam, I don’t think you’ll win and because of who is on your bag I’d prefer if you didn’t….no offence!

Jason Day – 28/1 with Stan James

I don’t think I know who Jason Day’s caddie is……….sorry I’ve gone off topic! The Aussie has been the star performer apart from the winners at the Majors this year, his poor weekend at The Open apart of course. Another Top 5 finish is expected and with odds at 28/1 it would be a solid each way bet.

Rest of the Irish
Graeme McDowell – 159 on Betfair

2010, a fantastic year for G Mac, now seems a long way away and it is an uphill task to emulate his Pebble Beach heroics this week at Atlanta Athletic Club. Would be great to see him contend but just can’t see it on recent form.

Padraig Harrington – 239 on Betfair

To recreate the photo above would be some achievement this week, hence the odds. He remains one of the grittiest competitors out there but he is unlikely to be in the shake up come the back 9 on Sunday. A Top 20 would be a step in the right direction for sure.

Darren Clarke – 399 on Betfair

When has the Champion Golfer of the Year been so easily discounted from contending at the closing Major? Having played so well at Royal St George’s it would make sense he could recreate the form but the many celebrations and also the lack of form shown in the interim would point to maybe just making the cutt for Big D.

Best of the Rest
Steve Stricker – 28/1 with Boylesports and Paddy Power

Stricker remains one of the finest players on the planet and probably one of the best putters out there. I expect a big week in Atlanta with him right up there come the end of the last Major of 2011. Take the price early because I think Stricker will be right up there from the off, and he is a fantastic front-runner.

Rickie Fowler – 33/1 with betchronicle and 28s with Boylesports

Fowler came of age at The Open Championship with a quite majestic performance in the worst of the conditions during the Third round. A serious contender who could well make the 2011 US PGA Championship his first ever tour win.

Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey – 400/1 with Paddy Power

The Two-Gloved one plays in his first Major this week and has shown very good form on tour this year. He is one of the few characters on the PGA Tour for sure and while it would be a very unexpected victory it would be some achievement.

So, that is the end of my Major previews for this year…………….yes, I’m relieved too. So, to summarise (no I’m not jinxing Luke Donald) I expect Rickie Fowler to claim his first tournament at Atlanta Athletic Club this week and in doing so win his first Major championship. Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker to be the main contenders behind the youngster.

The Open Championship 2011 Preview

Be prepared for some Sandwich puns this week for the British Open 2011! Lots of the top players in the World are in great form and apart from the non-attendance of a certain TW, who would probably not contend anyway going on form, it promises to be a fantastic four days at Royal St George’s. So, onto the main contenders and a few outsiders to whet our appetite….

Rory McIlroy – 8s best with Paddy Power

Playing his first tournament back since spreadeagling the field at Congressional, Rors looks to have everything to win a British Open at this point in his career and is one of the best ballstrikers in the game these days which is definitely one of the characeristics needed to win around Royal St George’s this week. The 4 week break, however, could still come back to haunt him although with the practice facility he has at home he could well be one of the better prepared players this week.

Luke Donald – 12/1 best with Ladbrokes

The World No.1 putted the field into submission last weekend at the Scottish Open and his overall ease and patience with which he played the Castle Stuart Links bodes well for The Open at Sandwich. He has the game for any Major but on one of the tighter links courses on the Open rota , Luuuuke could well be enjoying a toasty alongside the Claret Jug on Sunday evening!

Lee Westwood – 12s best with Ladbrokes

Westwood has been knocking on the door for quite a while in the Majors with last year’s Open at St Andrews being a case in point. There is no such thing as deserving a Major because Greg Norman would probably have 20 if that theory is correct but I don’t think there would be many to begrudge Lee a Major Championship, he will have the home crowd behind him along with most other fans at Sandwich so I would expect this Nottingham Forest fan to be in the top 5 once again but, unfortunately, he may come up a sambo short of a picnic basket once more when it comes to winning a Major!

Martin Kaymer – 25/1 with Paddy Power

The German has not found the form he did in 2010, it would have been hard to repeat it to be fair – a little like G Mac. He does have the game to win around the links though as he showed to aplomb at Carnoustie, Kingbarns and St Andrews during the Dunhill Championship. His putting, when on form, is better than most so if he can get into contention early expect him to hang in there over the weekend if conditions get rough.

Sergio Garcia – 33/1 with Ladbrokes

The Spaniard would be a popular winner, after many good performances over the past 10 years at The Open including a playoff defeat to Harrington in 2007. Before McIlroy, Garcia was probably the best ballstriker out there and while he still hits the ball fantastically well his form with the putter is the big question mark over his quest for that much wanted Major. He has returned to some form recently, his US Open performance being one of note. He is a big price at 33s and should be in the shake up come Sunday.

The Irish Contenders
Graeme McDowell – 33s best with Ladbrokes

G Mac came back to some sort of form last weekend in Scotland but a quadruple bogey 9 during the Final Round definitely set him back more than he would like. Having grown up playing links golf he definitely has the game and, more importantly, the temperament to win The Open and if he gets into contention after two rounds he will need to show more steel than he did during the third rounds at Celtic Manor and Castle Stuart this year if he is to hold aloft the Claret Jug on Sunday evening. It’ll be a great party if he manages too though!!

Padraig Harrington – 40/1 with bet365 and Ladbrokes

Paddy has been driving himself and all his fans mad in recent years after the changes he made after winning 3 Majors have not resulted in the results he was hoping for. The Stackstown member, however, has the pedigree, the skills and the determination to win another Open and this course has similarities to both Carnoustie and Birkdale. If Harrington can keep the disasters off his card, that has plagued him for a long time, this week I expect him to be right in there come Sunday and down the stretch at the Open there are few better these days with a sniff of a win at the Majors.

Other Contenders and Long Shots
Steve Stricker – 35/1 with Paddy Power

Stricker is one of the form players in the world over the past month or so and if there is an American to contend at The Open, as per usual most years, I would expect it to be him. He is solid under pressure and when his putter gets hot he could find himself right in the hunt come the back 9 on Sunday at Sandwich.

Ian Poulter – 70/1 with Boylesports

Poults love The Open and he will be up for it this week, despite him not being in fantastic form he could well contend this week and go better than he did when chasing Harrington home at Birkdale a few years back. Going on what he intends to wear this weekend it could be a colour four days at Royal St George’s, expect Poulter to start well and he could be the one to lead after round 1. If he does, do not expect him to let go of a lead lightly.

Jason Day – 40s with Paddy and Ladbrokes

The Aussie has been one of the most impressive performers at the Majors this year so far, only bettered by Schwartzel and McIlroy overall really. Greg Norman shot 63 in the final round here in 1993 to beat Faldo and Langer among others and the hard hitting golfer from Down Under could again turn the tables on some of his more fancied rivals this week. A good each way chance.

Thomas Bjorn – 200/1 with Boylseports, Bet Chronicle and bet365

The likeable Dane is currently the last player into the field since the withdrawl of Vijay Singh this week. Unlike the US Open, Bjorn has been able to get some practice rounds in this week even though his place was not confirmed at The Open Championship. Memories of 2003 will of course be mentioned when he pretty much threw away the chance to win his first Major with a terrible double bogey with only holes to play with Ben Curtis stealing in to claim the Claret Jug. Stranger things have happened though and the fact that he wasn’t even in the tournament at the start of the week and with the ghosts of 2003 still lurking he could well be up for banishing these with a fantastic four round performance. His form has not been too bad but it would be a surprise if he managed to make amends for what happend 8 years ago.

Well, there it is! Plenty of options there and I’m sure there are plenty of players ye think will contend outside of these. I would look to Luke Donald to claim his first Major Championship this weekend, having come close at the Masters earlier in the year and also if he continues his superb putting form that was displayed at Castle Stuart. It would be great to see McIlroy win back to back Open Majors although the 4 week break is still something that is tough to look past. I expect Poulter to be in there along with Westwood, Jason Day, Stricker and Harrington but the current World No.1 should prove too good for all of them this week at Royal St George’s!

Odds correct as of 10.21pm via bestbetting.com. Keep in mind that certain firms are offering 8 places so keep this is mind although it has affected some of the prices they are offering. Enjoy the golf!

The Celtic Manor Resort – A Must Play and Stay Venue

I was lucky enough to play The Twenty Ten course at Celtic Manor on Saturday 25th June 2011 and also stay at the Resort itself, Celtic Manor is a phenomenal place and for any golfers that love his or her golf is a must play and stay venue. With 3 golf courses – The Twenty Ten, Roman Road and Monty courses – and 2 hotels, the Resort and Manor, on-site this is one of the ultimate golf venues in the British Isles.

The Twenty Ten course is simply superb – a fantastic, fair and challenging layout, in excellent condition and they even managed to organise the weather for the weekend. The course keeps you thinkings on every single shot and the greens are well protected with deep bunkers while the greens themselves are undulating and test each and every part of your short game. Roman Road and the Monty course look the part as well, the only good thing about not having played them is that I will have an excuse to come back, and soon!!

It’s also the little things that make Celtic Manor what it is – a phenomenal venue with a first-class service provided. Having got on an early flight from Dublin to Bristol we arrived before the group and the welcome we received was second-to-none! Extremely helpful staff, from the concierge team through the front desk and beyond, we really were treated like royalty. Breakfast was arranged for us and we got an extremely early check-in also which was great! We then had a meet and greet with the group at The Twenty Ten Clubhouse followed by us being brought into the locker rooms where we were given our own locker, name assigned, and also beside some of the heroes from last year’s Ryder Cup. Slightly before our tee off time we were then driven down to the road range/putting green area which is located beside the first tee. The 18 holes on The Twenty Ten course was thoroughly enjoyable and although we didn’t quite perform like we hoped we still had a great time. A delicious dinner followed and festivities continued on into the wee hours of the morning at the magical Merlin’s Bar!

Another brilliant breakfast buffet followed the next morning and when we had collected our car from the excellent concierge team we were amazed to see it had been valeted and also fitted with an air freshener, there was also some provisions to help us on our way back from the hangovers! It's just a pity the car was a rental!!

Celtic Manor is a fantastic venue and is very accessible from Ireland – a 40 minute flight into Bristol followed by about a 40 minute drive from the airport. There are also the options of flying into Cardiff or any of the other local airports along with taking the ferry too. With stay and play packages from £99, bookable directly via http://www.celtic-manor.com, it is one of the venue you should have on your "To Play" list in the very near future.

For enquiries or further details on other Play & Stay packages at the Celtic Manor Resort please contact Tom Kennedy on 087-6644344 or email tom.kennedy@mygolfsociety.ie.

US Open 2011 Preview

The second Major of the year is upon us and it’s off to Congressional again 14 years after Ernie Els won a thrilling finish to gain what was his second Major in 1997. Going through the leading contenders, here is a run-down of them…..hopefully the winner will come from these!

Lee Westwood – 12/1 best price with Ladbrokes, Bet365 and Boylesports
Another nearly Major for Westwood and one which I would not be surprised to see him win. His strengths lie in the fact that he makes very little mistakes from tee to green, a must for any potential US Open Champion. The main issue will be when he gets into trouble greenside will he be able to recover sufficiently to keep him in the run in? I think he will be right up there come Sunday night and it would be great to see him be crowned US Open Champ 2011. A serious contender.

Phil Mickelson – 16/1 best price with Ladbrokes and CORAL
Mickelson has not been in great form for most of 2011 and it would be a huge surprise to see him contend this week. As a annual backer of him at the Masters I would steer clear of him in this Major although he did contend a few times just coming up short, not for me this time around. Sorry Phil!

Luke Donald – 14/1 best price with Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Stan James
Luuuuke has the game for any Major as he showed at the Masters in April, one bad swing away from what could have been his first Major Championship. He has the short game to get himself out of trouble and his long game is usually spot on although he has been a little off lately while still producing the results on the leaderboard. Would be amazed if he wasn’t in the running on Sunday, along with a few of his Ryder Cup colleagues.

Rory McIlroy – 22/1 with William Hill and Victor Chandler. Rory looks to have the game for Congressional, although the hangover from his Masters Meltdown could have an effect if he gets into contention. He seems not to have felt many ill affects, though, as he contended the very next week with another Top 5 finish in Malaysia. His long-game prowess should stand him in good stead and I would think of him as a bet-to-nothing at 22/1. Good luck Rory!!

Matt Kuchar – 25/1 with Paddy Power and Ladbrokes

The nice guy with the no-so-orthodox swing has the game to win at Congressional. Solid off the tee and pretty darn good from the fairway to the hole as well, he is one of the most solid players on tour these days. Could be the main contender from the US contingent this week.

Hunter Mahan – 25/1 with Ladbrokes

Hunter is again somebody who has shown decent form this season but I think his propensity (very big word so must be right!!) to fold a little under pressure could again rear its ugly head. Ryder Cup and the Matchplay against Kaymer are prime examples here of when his chipping seems to just desert him. I would hate to see it happen but it is because of this that I would shy away from putting a few quid on Mahan.

Martin Kaymer – 28/1 best price with Paddy Power
Kaymer has yet to hit the headlines like he did for most of 2011 yet but the man with the new caddy, Christian Donald I believe, could have a great week at Congressional. The harder the course the more likely I would expect to see the German atop the leaderboard. A big chance and a big each way price.

Steve Stricker – 25s with Ladbrokes and bet365

Stricker is one of the form players on tour and is as solid as they come. He has been down the stretch in Majors before coming up short on a few occasions. Expect a big week for Steve but he may come up a bit short at Congressional again.

Dustin Johnson – 25/1 best price with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power
I really enjoy watching DJ play but he just does not have the game for a US Open, Pebble being the only exception because he loves it around there. Not one for me, would love to be proved wrong and for Dustin to gain revenge for his Major disappointment last year.

The Rest of the Irish
Padraig Harrington – 129/1 with Betfair.
Harrington’s 2011 has been very disappointing so far and it would take something exceptional for him to contend this week at Congressional. He does have the game but he would need to find that 2007 and 2008 Major form to make an impact. If he gets into contention I expect Paddy to remain there and he is probably the grittiest competitor, apart from maybe the Tiger of old, down the stretch. We look on in hope rather expectation though.

Graeme McDowell – 64/1 with Betfair.
G Mac produced a superb performance to come out on top at Pebble Beach and the fact that he is defending champion will be a big motivation for him. His game is not quite at the level that it was back in June of 2010 but there have been flashes of brilliance of late and if he can find a rhythm then you never know what McDowell might do in Maryland.

Pick of the Outsiders
David Toms – 74/1 on Betfair, 50/1 with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power

I’m amazed that David Toms is this price, he is one of the best players on tour when hitting it well and he is one of the Top 5 form players in the World at the moment. One of the streakiest and best putters out there I expect Toms to be right in the shake up on Sunday at the 2011 US Open.

Ernie Els – 100/1 with Ladbrokes

The Big Easy won here back in 1997, hitting some truly wonderful shots down the stretch. He has still got the game although his form is well behind that of 14 years ago. A sentimental choice but I think he could still do the business in a Major he has excelled in in the past.

To make a long story short – Luke Donald to win the 2011 US Open at Congressional with David Toms, Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els to run him very very close.

**Prices accurate as of 14th June 2011 via http://www.bestbetting.com**

The My Golf Majors 2011

mygolfsociety.ie, in association with the La Manga Club, Spain is delighted to launch The My Golf Majors. There will be 3 events this year and a playoff final that will take place at The Heritage Golf & Spa Resort in September. You can play as many of these majors as you want. There will be great prizes on offer at all Majors but the overall My Golf Major Champion will get the following:

The My Golf Majors Overall Winners Prize

As the My Golf Majors Overall Winner, you’re off to Spain for a 2 night stay for 4 people in the La Manga Club Hotel (2 twin/double rooms), including breakfast with 2 rounds of golf per person and 2 shared buggies along with VIP access to the Spa.

The 3 My Golf Majors are as follows (format of each day is 18-holes Single Stableford):
Knightsbrook – Friday 17th June – €25 per person
Bunclody – Friday 15th July – €40 per person
Old Head Golf Links – Thursday 18th August – €75 per person
The My Golf Playoffs will take place at the Heritage Golf & Spa Resort on Friday 9th September 2011 where the Top 3 Qualifiers from each Major will contend to win the title of My Golf Major Champion and also win the Grand Prize.

If you have any queries or would like to book your place at any of the My Golf Majors please contact Tom on 087-6644344. Further details are on our website – http://www.mygolfsociety.ie. Hope to see you at one of the My Golf Majors in 2011!

US Masters 2011 Preview

Well, we’re nearly there…..Augusta and the US Masters are almost upon us! Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner, the Green Jacket – it’s all good and every player will be doing their darndest to come away with the First Major of the Year. Going through the leading contenders, here is a run-down of them…..hopefully the winner will come from these!

Phil Mickelson – 7/1 best price with Ladbrokes
Mickelson has hit form at precisely the right time, in particular around the greens. He continues to drive the ball all over the golf course but he has been the best player at Augusta over the past 10 years and I expect Phil to be rounding Amen Corner on Sunday in the lead or at least close to down the stretch.

Tiger Woods – 12/1 best price with Paddy Power
Tiger goes into the US Masters in the unusual position of second favourite. This may indeed fire Woods up but it has yet to be seen whether his work with Sean Foley is bearing fruit, apart from a few decent rounds here and there. I would not expect Tiger to win but it might be the only time you may get him at double figure odds at a Major for a long time to come, great value all the same at a course he usually excels.

Lee Westwood – 16/s best price with Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, Stan James, Bet365
Westwood has been there or thereabouts in recent years and could well be forgiven for thinking he is owed something by Augusta. Unfortunately, a lot of other great golfers have been nearly men at Augusta down the years – Els and Norman come to mind among others. Looks like his short game may let him down when push comes to shove on Sunday so I would not latching onto the Englishman to win his First Major – he should feature in the Top 10 though.

Nick Watney – 18/s best price with Paddy Power
Watney ticks all the boxes of a potential winner ar Augusta, hit the balls a long way, a terrific putter and has Butch Harmon as a coach (has coached the vast majority of US Masters winners over the past decade and more). His slide down the leaderboard at the USPGA, however, is worrying and Augusta is not the place to find hiding places in any round. Not one for me but has performed well in recent years, could be a winner in the future but there are more with better claims this time around.

Martin Kaymer – 22/1 best price with Paddy Power
The Snood-Wearing German has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Bernhard Langer this year after his phenomenal last 12 months. His apparent discomfort with hitting a draw, however, could prove his downfall around a course that has generally favoured players who can hit a draw down the years (of course there are times when the ability to hit a fade also comes into play). Kaymer is one of the finest putters and exponents of the short game around but I don’t think he knows the course well at this stage to put up a good enough go to add to his Major tally. Expect him to contest a lot of the Majors this year again but not at Augusta.

Luke Donald – 28/1 best price with Paddy Power
The Englishman has a fantastic chance at Augusta this year, having started the year in such good form including the win at the Accenture Matchplay where he did not see the 18th hole all week. He is one of the most accurate players on tour and a wonderful wedge player to boot, the big thing will be whether he can continue the form with the putter. Big chances, expect Luke to be in the shake up come Sunday night.

Dustin Johnson – 28/1 best price with Stan James
DJ comes to Augusta with indifferent form this year, up one week and down the next. He may think 2011 owes him after his Major trials and tribulations in 2010. His relative inexperience at Augusta and also his propensity to “go for it” rather than playing a bit more sensibly could well be his downfall in his quest for the Green Jacket.

The Irish
Padraig Harrington – 63/1 with Betfair.
Paddy came into better form last weekend at Houston but I wouldn’t expect him to feature as much as I would like to see it. He has a long way to go to get back to his best and his current tendency to throw in a mid-round disaster does not bode well for Augusta.
Rory McIlroy – 33/1 with Ladbrokes. “Little Mac” goes into Augusta with not much form behind him at this stage, he has the game to win at Augusta and is one of the purest ball strikers in the field when on his game. A top 20 finish would probably be the best he will achieve this time around though.
Graeme McDowell – 53/1 with Betfair.
G Mac looked to be the best hope within the Irish contingent a few months ago but some poor performances, particularly at the Matchplay have affected his preparation. His pedigree as a World Class player is not in question though and should he find his game and motivation at the Masters I would not be surprised to see G Mac putting in a good performance, this time around however there are a lot of players ahead of him in better form.

Pick of the Outsiders
Ian Poulter – 50/1 with Ladbrokes
Poults, sartorial elegance to fit nicely with the Green Jacket intact, has threatened over the past years but some bad finishes down the stretch in early rounds have scuppered his chances. He does have the game though and is a fantastic clutch putter under pressure. Has big places claims and would not be afraid to give it a go on the Back 9 on Sunday.
Stewart Cink – 125/1 with Ladbrokes
The 2010 Open Champ remains one of the games leading players despite not lighting up World Golf of late. A streaky and awesome putters at times he is wonderful value at the price when compared to some other notables in the market.

Well, there it is! To summarise, I expect Phil Mickelson to win yet another US Masters title with Luke Donald, Stewart Cink and Ian Poulter close behind.

**Prices accurate as of 4th April 2011 via http://www.bestbetting.com**

Accenture Matchplay Preview

Bobby Jones Bracket – Round 1 Matches

Some fairly straightforward matches by the look of things, most of the matches should go on form and others with experience for players like Stricker who haven’t hit great form yet but still has the class. The bracket winner could well be Luke Donald as he is probably the most solid players there, going on his power play though it could finally be the year for Lee Westwood to emerge in this format. He is a great matchplayer in the Ryder Cup although his Singles record does have a bit of improving.

My, ahem, predictions for this pool….
DARK HORSE – NICK WATNEY
POOL WINNER – LUKE DONALD

Ben Hogan Bracket
Fittingly it seems like there are some fantastic ball strikers in this pool, along with some that hit the ball a country mile such as Mickelson, Quiros and Ross Fisher. Match of the tournament could be the Round 1 meeting of Ian Poulter and Stewart Cink, both unfortunate to meet each other so early. Swede Peter Hanson could well spoil the prospect of the Ryder Cup team-mates Fowler and Phil going head-to-head in Round 2, does anybody expect Brendan Jones to beat Mickelson?!?!

Pool predictions
DARK HORSE – LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN
POOL WINNER – STEWART CINK

Gary Player Bracket
Have to say this looks a bracket that Martin Kaymer could cruise through if he hits any sort of form, the only banana-skin could be a second round match with Zach Johnson (he should beat Rose). McIlroy has yet to sparkle in this sort of matchplay and with his putting sometimes letting down his stellar long game he could find himself out after Round 1 – sorry Rors!! Jim Furyk is a gritty competitor whether it’s strokeplay or matchplay and I expect it will a USA v Germany final for this Pool. Let’s not forget Hunter Mahan, who will no doubt be up for making amends for his Single match against G Mac in the Ryder Cup and is a fantastic matchplayer when on form.

Player Pool Predictions
DARK HORSE – HUNTER MAHAN
POOL WINNER – MARTIN KAYMER

Sam Snead Bracket

The meeting of Ogilvy and Harrington should rival the Poulter – Cink meeting for match of Round 1 with the prospect of DJ vs Bubba in Round 2 being something to look forward to, of course the form of Bill Haas and Mark Wilson could mean both of them don’t make it past the First Round in the desert. Bjorn has a great chance against what seems to be an out-of-form Tiger and, going on past rounds together, the Dane seems to relish playing in the company of Woods. Having said all this, I would be very surprised not to see a Casey vs Ogilvy final in this Pool with the Aussie taking the spoils.

DARK HORSE – MARK WILSON
POOL WINNER – GEOFF OGILVY

**Please note that the above are just the opinions of somebody who thinks he knows a lot about golf, have no base in fact and may not be an accurate prediction of future events**

Time for a Change of Rules?

Markergate or maybe Dimplegate has provoked some differing opinions on whether Padraig Harrington should have been disqualified and whether a television viewer should be permitted to call a ruling on a player. What are your thoughts on this? Modernise the rule, bring in a TMO for golf?!?! It’s all gone a bit crazy!

2010 and the start fo 2011 has seen some of the stupidest, craziest and harshest rulings and here are just some of them:

Verizon Heritage, Brian Davis – Davis, in a playoff with Jim Furyk, touched a weed in his backswing and called the penalty on himself. The television cameras hardly caught it but David earned acclaim around the golfing world for his honesty. Furyk won the playoff, tough break!

Michelle Wie, Kial Classic – Wie was very much in the hunt at the Kia Classic. In the final round Wie hit a shot into a hazard on the 11th hole. In trying to hack the ball out of the hazard she only moved it a yard or so and hit the ground with frustration, in the hazard though! Then came the final round, when Michelle hit a shot in a hazard on the 11th hole. This error cost her a two-shot penalty and a resulting $110,000 for her fall down the leaderboard.

Juli Inkster, Safeway Classic – Anothe trial by televison. In contention, Inkster was seen on live television using a swing-weight during a round and was promptly disqualified.

Shi Hyun Ahn and Ilmi Chung, CN Canadian Women’s Open – Bit of a strange one here. These two players were disqualified after the first round for playing the wrong ball yet signing the scorecard as if nothing happened. Reports were flying around about this from all sides, but nobody really admitted anything.

Jim Furyk, The Barclays – The eventual FedEx winner Furyk missed out on the first tournament of the Playoffs for missing the Pro-Am due to oversleeping! That particular rule was eventually changed after the Furyk disqualification.

Ryuji Imada and Nick Faldo, Mission Hills Star Trophy – Local rules are just that and Imada fell foul of them this time around. Imada was leading the tournament when a playing partner noticed he was actually following the clean and place rule incorrectly. The local rules were to clean and place within a scorecard length, not the normal club length used on the PGA Tour. He ended up being penalised 26 shots for his error and called himself “an idiot” for his mistake! Sir Nick, in a move unlike him ever before picked up his ball on the eighth green before holing out, forgetting it was a stroke-play event. He was swiftly disqualified.

Ian Poulter, Dubai World Championships – The last big rules violation of 2010 came when Ian Poulter dropped his ball on his marker on the first hole of the playoff with Robert Karlsson, causing it to move. That resulted in a one shot penalty and Poulter lost the playoff on that hole, it may not have made too much of a difference as Karlsson was quite close for birdie on the first playoff hole.

Dustin Johnson, PGA Championship – One of the most bizarre and now well known rules violations of them all. Johnson in the hunt for the last Major of 2011, and his first Major title, with only one hole to play drove his ball right into a sandy area that the crowd had seemingly trodden down. Johnson hit a very ambitious shot from what seemed like a sandy waste area which ended up left of the green. A phenomenal pitch to 7 feet seemed to give DJ a putt for his first Major title. Johnson missed and, in the aftermath of Bunkergate, was eventually told he would also miss out on the playoff as well for grounding his club in one of the many many bunkers at Whistling Straits (LOCAL RULE)!!

And in the two main events on either side of the Atlantic since the start of the 2011 season, Camillo Villegas was penalised and eventually disqualified for moving a loose divot from out of the way of his ball when rolling back down a green in round 1 at Kapalua. This penalty shot was not incorporated on his scorecard so he was technically disqualified for signing for the wrong score. This was followed by Padraig Harrington at Abu Dhabi on Thursday for also signing for a wrong score due to not penalising himself for moving his ball after replacing it on a green in round 1. Both these infringements were broughts to officials attenton by television viewers, not on-course officials, officials monitoring the coverage or the players’ playing partners.

Surely something needs to be done here, rules need reviewing! Regulations for golf clubs have changed to keep up with technology, surely the some of the now archaic Rules of Golf needs looking at as well.

G Mac off to Srixon

Tournament Professionals are a fickle bunch! As if winning the US Open, Wales Open, Andalucia Masters, Chevron World Challenge and sealing the winning point at the Ryder Cup with what is now his old equipment wasn’t enough, Graeme McDowell MBE is changing all his gear for some shiny new Srixon and Cleveland stuff!

It does remind me slightly of a well-known Limerick amateur golfer that on seeing you hit a good shot with a certain club would turn up the very next day with the same club in the hope it would take him to the next level. I’m sure G Mac has done some more homework than that on his new clubs, balls, etc though and hopefully they will help take him to the next level on tour.

McDowell will play Srixon irons, Cleveland wedges and the new Srixon Z-STAR XV ball, which will be officially launched at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando at the end of January. He will also wear a Srixon hat and glove and carry a Srixon bag.

When asked “Coming off the biggest year of your career, what made you switch to Cleveland Golf/Srixon?” He answered:

“I was a Cleveland Wedge player most of my amateur career and my college days.  I had a relationship with the guys on and off throughout the years, it was just the right time.  Obviously the Srixon golf ball was a ball that appealed to me, I had heard so many good things about it.  Let’s be honest, nowadays the golf ball is a huge part of the whole deal and it was a ball I wanted to try out.  Instantly I really loved the ball.  I was at a stage my career where it is great to come on with a company like Cleveland/Srixon and have input of energy into my career.  Obviously, I am trying to get to the next level and become one of the world’s best players.  I just think this equipment is what can get me there”.

Graeme added: “I am really excited about my decision to join Srixon. There is a great energy amongst the team at Srixon regarding my signing with them and I am looking forward to feeding off this energy going into 2011.”

Will we all be playing Srixon balls in the morning with our new Cleveland wedges?!?!