The Limerick Summary: 2018 Masters

Winner: Patrick Reed

Around the wider world of golf: For obvious reasons, there weren't a lot of other tournaments this week. The only ones I know about? Stephanie Meadow won the IOA Championship on the Symetra Tour; and Marita Engzelius won the Terre Blanche Ladies Open in the LET Access Series.



If you are a Captain America fan -- not the guy from Marvel Comics, of course -- then you got your fill of excitement on Sunday.

First there was the McIlroy-Reed rematch, which was a rather slow battle that Patrick won fairly easily.

Then there was the Spieth-Reed rematch, which took on a life of its own as Spieth roared up through the field to tie Reed, only to have the Captain do his traditional "dig deep" routine and make a birdie late to retake (and hold) the lead.

And then the newly-discovered Fowler-Reed slugfest delivered a surprise final thrill as Rickie took the clubhouse lead with a clutch birdie on 18, forcing Patrick to make tough pars on 17 and 18 to win.

Which Patrick did, much to the surprise of all. Except Patrick, that is.

But aren't we used to this by now? Patrick Reed is one player who has proven, more times than not, that he can dig as deep as any legend our sport has seen... and seemingly do it on demand. Even Tiger paid his respects on Twitter:

Congrats @PReedGolf! At worst you have assured yourself a captain’s pick for next year’s @PresidentsCup.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 9, 2018

No one seems to know how this might affect Captain America going forward. He was noticeably humble with his comments after the round, perhaps because it took so much out of him and perhaps because he surprised even himself a little. But it's likely that he'll be taken more seriously when he does speak out going forward.

Like when he said something earlier this week about a win at the Masters setting him up to win the single-season Grand Slam...

In the meantime, while he's in the mood for quiet contemplation, perhaps he'll enjoy his first-ever major-inspired Limerick Summary.

In the rematch of McIlroy-Reed
After neither could get up to speed,
Spieth and Fowler went wild.
Who was Destiny’s child?
“ME!” screamed Patrick—and he kept that lead!

The photo came from this page at washingtonpost.com.

Patrick Reed's Three Driver Swings (Video)

This Golf Digest video shows three different driver swings that Patrick Reed uses. You'll note that Patrick uses his hands A LOT, but then again he almost always draws the ball.

The key here are the words almost always. This video shows how he hits his slinger draw (a huge low hook), the high bomb (a high, long draw) and the butter cut.



You may wonder why I'm posting this today, since most of us would rather watch the Masters instead of reading instruction material... and since I'm not going to go into detail about the swings until a later time. The reason is simple.

No doubt you heard analysts talking yesterday about Patrick's Palmer-like helicopter finish when hitting a fade, and most of them said this must be something new. But this video clearly shows a helicopter finish to the butter cut... and this video is a year old!

So it appears that his improved fairway percentage this weekend is the result of club changes and practice, not some elaborate new mechanical technique. Patrick is simply "dancing with the one that brung him," and his dance partner came ready to boogie!

What Patrick Reed Did Differently This Week

Golf Magazine posted an article late Friday examining why Patrick Reed is playing better in this Masters than in past majors. It's an interesting look at how his preparation has changed after a talk with his coach, Kevin Kirk. I'm going to pull a couple of quotes for this post.



Early on, the article quotes Kirk:

"I told him in Mexico that his golf game reminds me of when someone leaves an oven on in a house," said his coach Kevin Kirk, who has grooved Reed's swing since 2011. "All you have to do is light a match."

Later on, we learn what happened when Reed arrived at Augusta:

With his swing clicking, he arrived in town last week, and rather than killing time on mechanics, he and his coach took a deeper dive on the course itself. On Reed's first practice day at Augusta, he spent eight hours on the course but played just four holes: 1, 2, 12 and 13. "We read the slopes, practiced at the pin positions, formed plans for different winds," Kirk said. "In his mind, he's ready."

There's a lot more to Reed's preparation than just focusing on four holes, of course. He arrived at the course last Friday and has been at work ever since. The article goes into a fair amount of detail about the strategic work he did, as well as his mindset for using that strategy this weekend.

But, as you no doubt have guessed, you'll need to read the article to get all that. And in the process, you just might pick up a few pointers you can use in your own game.

Here's Your Masters TV Coverage Guide

This is the most complete listing of this week's Masters coverage I could find. There are numerous viewing outlets available at differing times during the day, and I've included links to the various broadcasters later in the post.

ESPN and CBSSports.com are the main coverage for the Masters today and tomorrow. Those outlets are where you'll see the actual play during the day.

All times are ET.

GC
6am-8am Morning Drive
8am-3pm Live from the Masters

CBS
8:30am-10:30am Master on the Range (CBS Sports Network & CBSSports.com)
9:15am-7:30pm Live Masters Stream (CBSSports.com)

ESPN
10am-3pm SportsCenter @ the Masters
3pm-7:30pm Live Masters coverage

Masters.com
3pm-7:30pm TV simulcast live stream

GC
7:30-9:30pm Live from the Masters

That should get you through today. The following links will help you find the Masters coverage for the rest of the week.

• Here's the page with GC's TV schedule.
• Here's a page with the listings for the ESPN Masters programming.
• And here's a page with all the CBS listings, including the CBS Sports Network.

I'm guessing CBS might also do some late night updates, at least today and tomorrow. In the past, those have run at 11:30pm on the main commercial CBS network, but that's not listed.

Now go get your Masters fix!

My "5 to Watch" at the Masters

Well, after continuing my amazing track record with my ANA picks last week -- at least Inbee made the playoff! -- I'm ready to try again, this time with my picks for the Masters.



Let's be clear on this one. There are SOOOOOO many good picks this week that you could take just about any five players in the field and have a decent chance of picking the winner. And the Masters has a way of giving us unexpected winners. How many of you picked Sergio to break through last year?

After some personal debate, I have decided not to include Tiger in this list. While he has improved much faster than I expected and I won't be surprised if he does win, he doesn't make my "5 to Watch" list. Why? Because I still see him making strategic errors coming down the stretch in regular events, and I suspect he's still learning how his body reacts to adrenaline after the fusion. That can only be amplified in a major, and he hasn't even teed it up in a major in two years. You have to go all the way back to the 2015 Masters just to find a major when he played the weekend!

For the record, I do expect Tiger to contend this week and I expect getting a "major rep" will help him start winning the regular tournaments soon. But I feel that he's still one, perhaps two, majors away from being a serious favorite in the big ones. So, barring any wins before the US Open, I'm targeting Carnoustie as a realistic chance for a Tiger major.

In the meantime, who are my frontrunners for a Masters win? They might not be the ones you would expect. Here's my list:

• With three Masters in his pocket and a WGC win already this season, Phil Mickelson seems ready to get back in the mix. Phil generally plays well here, no matter what his game looks like coming in, but he's shown steady improvement in all areas of his game through the early part of this year. He might not be my top pick, but he's definitely Top5.
• Rory McIlroy seems to have finally found his putter, which should worry the rest of the field. And if any of his competition hopes that's a fleeting thing, Rory's win at the API should have them shaking in their Footjoys. When Rory's firing on all cylinders, he can seduce a really low score from Augusta National's sensuous greens. Look for him to make a good run at the career Grand Slam this week.
• Bubba Watson has two Masters already, but he's never come into Augusta with two other wins in his rear view mirror. His putter is rolling well, his driver is seeking fairways better than it has in a long time, and his mind seems free from the boogeymen that have haunted him at times. And like Phil, Bubba has a special relationship with Augusta. I like his chances as well.
• Last year Justin Rose came up just short in his duel with Sergio -- not as a result of bad play, but simply because Sergio was "on." Justin has since rebounded from that loss, posting a couple of wins in the past few months and Top5s in the Valspar and API, so he's also in good form. He's somewhat under most people's radar, and I think that's a shame.
• And my flier is... Ian Poulter. I've already written about how I think the last couple of years have changed Ian's perspective, and I think he's primed to play well this week. It's easy to forget that he has a pretty good record around Augusta, and I think he's in a good frame of mind to make a push for his first major this week.

I know I've left out a lot of players who are getting much more media attention, but this year has given us a cornucopia of surprise winners and I see no reason this week should break that trend.

As for my pick, I've already written in past posts that Bubba Watson moved to the top of my list when he got his second win in Austin, and I've seen nothing since to change my mind. Given Bubba's current form, I think my picks may fare better this week than they did at Rancho Mirage.

Today's Two Biggest Storylines

After several weeks of older players breaking winning droughts, we have a couple of interesting storylines to watch today.



Pernilla Lindberg turned pro in 2009 and has never won a professional event, although she was quite the amateur player. She won the 2008 Amateur World Championship, was the 2007 NCAA West Regional champion and was a First-Team All-American in 2007 and 2009, in addition to her wins at Oklahoma State University.

But even though she hasn't won a pro event, you wouldn't know it to watch her play this week at the ANA. Like Dannielle Kang last year, she could make her first pro win a major. She's got a three-stroke lead going into today's final round and, while there are some proven major winners like Inbee Park, Ariya Jutanugarn and Sung Hyun Park just four strokes back, Pernilla's game seems pretty solid and she still seems pretty relaxed despite sleeping on the lead for days now.

Ian Poulter, on the other hand, has won 16 times as a pro... but not since late 2012 at the WGC-HSBC Champions, which I usually just call the WGC-China. Ian shot 73 in his first round, so far back that he'd already packed his bags. But after two bogey-free rounds of 64 and 65, he's tied with Beau Hossler at -14, two strokes ahead of the field at the Houston Open.

And Ian has something to play for as well. He needs a win to play at Augusta next week.

Pernilla at 31, Ian at 42. Both considered "veterans" on their respective tours, both in need of a win for different reasons. Both playing some of the best golf they've played in a long, long time.

And I refuse to bet against them today. This year has already been so weird, I see no reason why either should fail to get it done. I'll sure be pulling for them!

Some Final Masters Thoughts

So let's take one last look at the Masters and put this baby to bed.

The lack of pursuers: While everybody seems worried about Jordan and Rickie and other assorted players who couldn't seem to post scores on Sunday, I'm not really surprised. It's hard to make anything happen at Augusta National, especially on the front nine when the greens have firmed up. And once Sergio went 2-under in three holes, the rest of the field felt the need to press. That plan is almost always guaranteed to fail.

Jordan's struggles: Likewise, I'm not worried about Jordan going forward. We've got this crazy idea that Jordan's swing is always going to be perfect... or just perfect crap. There's no in-between in our expectations. But Jordan's swing was only a bit off -- not a lot, but enough to be a problem at Augusta -- and he was trying to do something he's never had to do at the Masters -- CHASE. The results were what we should have expected.

BTW, the shots that went in the water on 15 Thursday and on 12 Sunday? Both were headed straight for the hole. They just came up short, which was a problem he had all week (and of which he was aware). I think part of that was just the result of trying to get too cute with his short irons. Sometimes you just have to accept a 20-footer and move on. Jordan will learn that sooner or later.

Changes for Sergio: Trevor Immelman made an interesting point on Golf Central Monday. While we normally expect a major win to change a player's life, he didn't expect that to happen to Sergio, simply because he's been in the limelight all his life.

I do think he'll see one change. Finally getting a major -- and getting it the way he did -- will probably result in more supportive American galleries. His attitude wasn't gloating but grateful, especially toward the people who have helped him. It might even be appropriate to say he was humble, and that will go a long way here in the States.

Finally, on opening the major season: Admittedly, we never know exactly what we'll get each year. But if the Masters truly sets the tone going forward, this season will likely be full of surprises. DJ's health in question, Sergio finally breaking through, some unexpected shuffling among the dominant young players coupled with a reemergence of the 30-somethings, and the completely new venue of Erin Hills means we have NO clear direction for the foreseeable future.

The word is that DJ plans to play THE PLAYERS in a couple of weeks, so we'll get some idea how his back is. Sergio has a good record there, of course, and a good attitude to go with it -- a potentially dangerous combination! Justin Rose has an uneven history there but is clearly on-form going in. We can say the same about Rickie Fowler, and the field is the first truly deep one of the season.

If the Masters is a taste of what we might get this year, my mouth is watering!

The Limerick Summary: 2017 Masters

Winner: Sergio Garcia

Around the wider world of golf: Hyemin Kim got her first win at the POC Med Golf Classic on the Symetra Tour. Everybody else was watching the Masters!



The crowds were chanting his name. He was doubled over with joy, crouched down, fists clenched... and beside the 18th green, his fiance Angela mirrored his body language.

To me, that will probably be the lasting memory of this Masters. That, and Sergio and Angela walking off together, arm-in-arm, to Butler Cabin.

Yes, the seemingly impossible finally happened. Sergio Garcia finally got a major -- the one that he probably wanted most, since it's the one his two idols (Seve and Jose Maria) share -- and words just seem inadequate to describe it. In one afternoon Sergio gave his fans everything they ever wanted, and did it with all the drama and exuberance they could have asked for.

I'm not going into any great detail summing it up, for the simple reason that if you didn't see it, you'll see all the highlights at some time or another in the next few weeks. Let me just make one observation.

Sergio Garcia has, like Dustin Johnson, grown up and found out who he is. He spoke in his presser about having done stupid things before, having let his emotions get the better of him, and having accepted the help and love of those who care for him most. He spoke of encouraging notes stuck to the bathroom mirror by Angela. He spoke of friends who never gave up on him. He smiled a whole lot.

And, oh yes, he went to a playoff and played just one hole. Perfectly. Just the way we knew he could. Piped the drive, flagged the iron, and made the longish birdie putt to end everybody's doubts.

I don't know if this will "open the floodgates," as they say. But if this win does for Sergio what the US Open win did for Dustin, we may be in for another seismic upheaval in the Tour's competition.

In the meantime, perhaps Angela will stick this Limerick Summary on the bathroom mirror for Sergio, along with her love notes. This one has certainly been a long time coming and boy, are we glad it's here!

That fun-loving, high-jumping teen
Has long been away from the scene
Of professional golf…
But now Sergio's off
To a land where his dream's everGreen.

The photo came from this page at theguardian.com.

So Who's the Favorite?

After listening to the Golf Central crew Saturday night, I thought I'd see who Masters history says is most likely to win today.



GC provided several stats, most of which I can't remember exactly! But as I recall, one of those stats says the winner comes from the last group about 72% of the time. Clearly, that would be either Justin Rose or Sergio Garcia.

At some point in the past -- I can't remember when or where -- I heard that the winner almost always comes from one of the two final groups. In that case, we can add Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth to the list.

Some commentators say it's the Top5. That would add Ryan Moore and Charley Hoffman to the list. And I can see that, as Moore and Hoffman are tied with Spieth. If Spieth has a chance, so should the other two.

But how far back is too far? The three players in fourth place are at -4, only two shots off the lead. Is three shots too far back? Four? Five? There are only ten players under par, so let's add:

• Adam Scott three back at -3
• Charl Schwartzel four back at -2
• Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters five back at -1

I don't see how it could go much farther back UNLESS the lead group -- perhaps the three lead groups -- fall back. Not very likely, in my opinion.

So where do we draw the line?

An interesting article at golfdigest.com might help. Called Masters 2017: Is 'Moving Day' at Augusta a myth or a reality?, it has a couple of interesting facts about how eventual winners perform in the THIRD round. It says:

The average position of eventual champions after 36 holes is 3.95, with it improving to 2.28 after 54 holes. The average third-round score of eventual winners is 70.19, and the average number of strokes picked up on the lead (or having the lead increase) is 1.16 strokes.

According to this stat, the eventual winner starts the third round around FOURTH place, and enters the final round around SECOND... and to make that move, they shoot around 70 and gain one stroke relative to the lead.

Of course, stats are nothing but numbers, and while it may be true that "numbers never lie," it's also true that numbers mean nothing until they are interpreted... and interpretations lie all the time!

And none of these numbers match what has happened this week. (Okay, Sergio shot 70 in the third round, but that's as far as it goes.) So I've decided to chuck the historical stats. Instead, here's my take on how this plays out.

I don't see all of the leaders struggling today, so it's probably a stretch for anybody more than three strokes back to win. That gives us SEVEN potential winners, with Adam Scott (-3) being the long shot. Of those seven players, ONLY ONE PLAYER HAS BEEN UNDER PAR EACH ROUND.

• In addition, that player has more pars and fewer bogeys (or worse) than his closest competition.
• And despite these numbers -- which indicate playing safe -- he's still made enough birdies to compete.

Believe it or not, that player is Sergio Garcia.

Folks, we just might see history made today. That's all I'm saying.

The Changeable Winds... or the Winds of Change?

Everybody expected the weather would be tough on Masters Friday, but I'm not sure anybody expected the results.



I guess we all expected Charley Hoffman to come back to the field. Not that Charley played badly, but even he said he got a bit lucky on Thursday. He didn't get the same breaks Friday and ended up shooting 75, which was the average score of the field. Still enough to keep a piece of the lead.

The shocks began when Sergio birdied the first three holes. Birdies were virtually non-existent on #1! Then Rickie Fowler and Thomas Pieters started going low and, by the end of the day, we had a four-way tie for the lead.

I'm not sure anybody expected a 4-under lead -- at least, not unless Charley made a deal with the devil. The winds were just too strong. Will McGirt -- alone in fifth place at -2 -- chalked it up to the way the winds swirled, saying that they would often completely change direction.

In the end, only 9 players finished under par. But that group includes players as diverse as Jon Rahm and Fred Couples. And the three players at even par -- Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth -- virtually guarantee a wild weekend at Augusta.

The changeable winds of Thursday and Friday may give way to the winds of change this weekend. It's a healthy mix of veterans and fresh faces, of major winners and major possibilities. And while each of the most-likely contenders right now will garner attention, it's probably safe to say that Sergio and Rickie will be the most-watched of the bunch.

At any rate, it's shaping up to be one of the best Masters weekends we've seen in a while. Pardon the pun, but something major is likely to happen Sunday afternoon.

Looks Like the Freakish Week Came After All...

In yesterday's "5 to Watch" post I wrote:

And so, buoyed by last week's winning pick of So Yeon Ryu -- after that freakish ruling totally changed the final round -- I'm going to bet on another freakish week. I'm taking Westwood to get his first major this week in a low-scoring Masters plagued by bad weather.

I didn't have anything like this in mind!



Tim Rosaforte posted this report at golfdigest.com, and it's about as up-to-date as any full article I can find as I'm writing this (after midnight on the US East Coast). I did find this tweet from Matt Ginella, sent roughly 3.5 hours ago:

Checked in with @CoachJoeyD...An optimistic update: "@DJohnsonPGA is moving better and headed to bed." #themasters

— Matt Ginella (@MattGinellaGC) April 6, 2017

The trick, of course, is that nobody knows exactly whether this is a bruise or something more serious. At least DJ has the last time of the day today, so he's got the maximum amount of time to get healthier.

Add this little accident to the bad weather that's expected -- and for those of you outside the US, this is part of a front that has already caused serious damage not far from Augusta -- and we could have a truly strange brew of circumstances converging this weekend.

Who knows what new strangeness might emerge from Augusta National today? Depending on how DJ fares, maybe Lee Westwood isn't such a bad bet after all!

My "5 to Watch" at the Masters

We have finally reached the first men's major of the year. The Masters may get a rough start because of the expected weather, but at least we're underway!



Do I really need to give you a "preview" of the event? The Masters is the only major held at the same venue every year, Augusta National was the pride and joy of Bobby Jones, Danny Willett is the defending champ, first-timers rarely win the event, blah, blah, blah. You folks know all of this, so let's get on with it.

This year we may see the most wide-open field ever. I know I often say that about the Masters, but this year it could be true. After all, the top of the world rankings are in flux, we have a number of other players who have seen their games return to form over the last few months, and there are decent reasons not to pick the most obvious suspects. So I've chosen an unusually large number of flier picks this year.

The wild card here is the weather. If players see the 20mph+ winds, with 35mph gusts, that have been predicted, the draw could play a much larger part than normal. The shorter hitters have generally performed better in bad weather, despite the lack of truly penalizing rough at Augusta which would put a premium on accuracy. And if the winds get really swirly, the veterans in the field could gain a distinctive advantage.

Several players don't make my list, not because I don't think they can win, but simply because I question their mental readiness right now.

• For example, I suspect Jason Day's mind will still be on his mom, and that may be enough to accentuate his lack of practice. However, if his mom's health improves enough for her to come down for the weekend, all bets are off. I think the emotional boost of playing in front of his mom at Augusta for the first time could actually make him the favorite. I can't bet on that, though.
• Rory McIlroy's best major performances have come in bad weather. Still, with the inward pressure he's putting on himself to complete the career Grand Slam, I think the winds might prove too much for his concentration. I do believe he'll eventually win the Masters... just not this year.
• Rickie Fowler is playing some of the best golf of his career right now, he has a win coming into the Masters for the first time, and he has played well in bad weather Opens before. But I'm a bit concerned about his consistency right now, even though my inclination is to put him on the list.
• And while Paul Casey has a T6 and a T4 in his last two Masters, his Open record is nowhere near as good. I don't like his chances in the predicted conditions.

So I wonder who I should pick? I've decided to use results from the recent Opens to help me, as several have been played in bad weather.

• I can't find a good reason not to put Dustin Johnson at the top of the list. Can he make the Masters his fourth win in a row? It's hard to believe that he could, yet DJ's current form is unlike anything he's had coming in to past Masters. And when you consider that DJ has played well in bad weather Opens, added to his newfound accuracy with driver and wedges, he has to be at the top of the list.
• Likewise, Jordan Spieth's short but impressive record at Augusta puts him high on the list despite a few cautionary thoughts. The dip in his putting stats is troublesome. And save for his T4 in 2015, Jordan has poor showings in the Open. Since we all know that Jones and MacKenzie modeled aspects of Augusta after links courses, the bad weather could give him an unusually tough time. Nevertheless, it's hard to bet against him.
• My fliers start early. First on the list is Phil Mickelson, who is playing well. Given his play in the Open over the last few years -- three Top2s in his last six starts -- often in poor weather, and the well-known "magical touch" that Augusta seems to have on him, I can see him finding the touch again for a fourth Green Jacket.
• Flier #2 is Jon Rahm. I don't care what the odds against a first-time winner are, Rahm has convinced me he could pull it off. He's a quick learner, and he's in such good form that he might be able to handle the weather.
• Finally, I go for my biggest flier of all: Lee Westwood. Lee has been slowly getting his game back in shape. But it may have gone unnoticed that, in his last 7 starts at Augusta, he has posted two runner-ups (one was last year), a third, a 7th, an 8th and an 11th. His record at the Open over that time hasn't been nearly as good, and he hasn't played much this year. (He's focused on the Euro Tour now.) But that recent record has to be taken seriously.

And so, buoyed by last week's winning pick of So Yeon Ryu -- after that freakish ruling totally changed the final round -- I'm going to bet on another freakish week. I'm taking Westwood to get his first major this week in a low-scoring Masters plagued by bad weather.

Yes, I know. Power and success have gone to my head. But I'm still smiling. ;-)