Phenomenal freshman Robby Shelton, who accepted the Phil Mickelson national freshman of the year award before yesterday’s national championship match against Oklahoma State, proved his recognition was merited as he birdied six of the final seven holes to help the Crimson Tide golf team capture its second consecutive national championship with their 4-1 over Ok State in the championship match play event at the Praire Dunes Course in Hutchinson, Kansas. While the Alabama football program has been the standard bearer in college football for the past six years, the Alabama golf team has established their own dynasty the last two years in college golf. Shelton played amazing golf and punctuated an incredible back nine with a 15-foot birdie putt for the win on 18 to clinch  the match over Oklahoma State freshman Zachary Olsen, 1 Up. Senior Bobby Wyatt won at No.1 over Talor Gooch, 3 & 2. Then in another incredibly clutch performance, Trey Mullinax, another senior, sank a beautiful side-hill, downhill 25-foot eagle putt with the pin in on No.17 to clinch his match and the national title for the Crimson Tide. The first team to three points won the match and Mullinax clinched the third point for the Tide after wins by Wyatt and Shelton. Senior Corey Whitsett won his match 2 &1 and sophomore Tom Lovelady, despite comine back from five down on the back side, lost his match to the outstanding Wyndham Clark of Ok. State, 3 and 1.

What’s pretty neat about this is that four of the five starters on the national championship team hail from Alabama. Wyatt is from Mobile, Shelton is from Wilmer, just outside of Mobile, Mullinax is from Gardendale and Lovelady is from Mountain Brook. Whitsett is from Houston.

Coach Jay Seawell has produced a phenomenal program in Tuscaloosa. He quotes S a lot in his interviews, which is interesting. It appears that he relies on S’s national championship experience in his coaching. In his 13th year, Seawell has led his teams to four SEC titles, 11 NCAA tournament appearances and seven NCAA championship berths. The top 30 teams compete for the NCAA championship with the top eight teams qualifying by stroke play to play in the eight-team match play finals. ‘Bama lost barely to Texas in the national championship match in 2012. That was a Texas team with a young 18-year old player named Jordan Spieth. We could be hearing Robby Shelton’s name in the same breath as Spieth’s in the next two or three years. Shelton is a spectacular player.

Another thing that Seawell–who is a first class man and incredibly fine coach– said was that he’s very proud that his three seniors just earned  their degrees three weeks ago. Seawell has established a dynasty in the classroom as well with many of his players earning academic awards as well as playing  awards.

Really an incredible coach and an incredible group of kids. Something Crimson Tide fans should be very proud of.

Seawell was asked after the match if he could three-peat. He was kind of taken aback by the question because his seniors and their teammates had just won a national title, so he handled it with total class saying he and his guys were going to enjoy this, honor his seniors with the victory, see them go pro as soon as possible, and start thinking about next year in a few days or a week. He also said Coach Saban might hit the reporter if he asked him that right after the game if/when he wins another national title. Let Seawell and his players enjoy it. They deserve it. Wow, what a program.

Tide baseball in the NCAA regionals this weekend in Tallahassee Regional with No.1 Florida State. The Tide, the second seeded team in the regional, will play No.3 Kennesaw State at noon ET./11 AM CT on ESPN3.  The Tide is 34-22 and Kennesaw State is 37-21. FSU (43-15) plays Georgia Southern (39-21) at 6 PM ET/5 CT on ESPN 3. The winners play at 5 PM ET/4 CT on Saturday. Coverage not announced yet, but ESPN3 will definitely have it.

The Tide football cranking up summer work as they prepare for the 2014 season. Jacob Coker will be on campus June 1st and his development will be a key topic of discussion come August.

The Tide athletic program, led by the golf team this spring, and of course, football in the fall, is elite.

Outstanding tournament with an excellent field this week at Jack’s tournament in Dublin, Ohio, just outside of Akron. Who wouldn’t want to compete in this one with this field and the prestige that comes with winning the course that the greatest player in golf history built. People can say all they  want about Tiger Woods, but Jack has the record for winning the most majors; he’s the best of all time in my book. Here’s a look at this highly prestigious tournament at  Muirfield Village  Golf Club.
Muirfield Village Golf Club (Jack Nicklaus designer); 7,352 yards, Par 72

Defending champion: Matt Kuchar

Purse: $6,200,000; Winner’s share: $1,116,000

TV coverage: Golf Channel and CBS. Jim Nantz, Sir Nick and Feherty among others on the call on Saturday and Sunday for CBS. Sir Nick on the Golf Channel Thursday and Friday.

TV times: Thursday-Friday: Golf Channel: 2:30-6:30 PM ET/1:30-5:30 CT.

Saturday and Sunday: Golf: 12:30-2:30 PM ET/11:30-1:30 CT Saturday;  12-2 PM ET/11 AM-1 PM CT on Sunday.

CBS: Saturday: 3-6 PM ET/2-5 CT; Sunday: 2:30-6 PM ET/ 1:30-5 CT.

Weather: About perfect

Thursday: 79, few showers (30%), no problem, wind NNE 9 MPH.

Friday: Sunny, 81, wind: NNE 9 MPH.

Saturday: Partly Cloudy, 82, 10% chance rain, wind NE 6 MPH.

Sunday: Sunny, 85, wind SSE 6.

Featured groups:  Thursday:

8:15 AM ET/7:15 CT: Bubba, Keegan and Furyk;

8:26 AM/7:26 CT: Kuuuch, Justin Rose, Stricker.

1:05 PM ET/12:05 CT: Jordan Spieth, Phil, Bill Haas.

1:16 PM ET/12:16 CT: Adam Scott, Jason Day, Rory.

Key Holes:

No.2: Par 4, 455 yards

The second hardest hole on the course with a creek that runs along the right side of the fairway from 100 yards out and at the backside of the green. If a player hits it too far left off the tee, he will have to deal with trees on his approach. There are bunkers on the front right and back left. The player must drive it to the right side close to the water. Accuracy is at a premium.

No. 4: Par 3, 200 yards

The third hardest hole on the course, this par three is downhill slightly and has a long green which is heavily covered by bunkers on the right side and in the back. The disaster area is the left  of the green with trees and jail in play. This is a strong test of longer iron play.

No.10: Par 4, 471 yards

The fifth hardest hole on the course, sand guards both sides of the driving zone, and there is a large bunker in front of the green that stretches in different directions that threatens an under-hit approach shot. This hole requires length and precision and of course a good putter.

No.12: Par 3, 184 yards

The most picturesque hole on the course, the player’s tee shot is played from the trees, entirely across the water to a two tiered green that in golf terms is “kidney shaped.” Bunkers flank the right front and back left of the green. If a player misses the green he will likely find either sand or water. This is the sixth hardest hole on the course.

No.17: Par 4, 478 yards

This is the fourth hardest hole on the course. Off the tee, there are two bunkers in the fairway that could cause problems for a player’s tee shot. A shorter, lay-up shot off the tee to avoid the bunker, leaves a player with a mid-iron, or, depending on the wind, a long iron approach to the green. The green is slightly elevated and on the edge of a bank above a creek, which, if you catch your approach heavy, could cause problems.There are bunkers on the right side of the green and back left. An approach to the left side of the green gives the player an easier putt.

No.18: Par 4, 484 yards

The hardest hole on the course, the players will have a downhill drive to a large fairway, but bunkers threaten the left corner of the dogleg right. A long drive hit too far left can find the creek or he can find himself blocked by trees on his second shot if he’s too far left. The approach is an uphill across a swale to a large, two-tiered green that has bunkers on the front left, front right, and back left and right. There could be as many as 20,000 spectators at the hole as this tournament draws very well. There will be a lot of pressure and there have been some spectacular finishes on this hole. Will be pressure packed on Sunday and will make for some stellar drama.

Contenders:

Jason Dufner:

Duf is not only playing excellent golf, he’s also not missing too many meals. Lost in a playoff to Adam Scott last week at the Crowne Plaza; Scott claimed the No.1 spot in the world with the victory. Duf is a terrific ball striker and can really knock  it close when he’s clicking. The only issue to me with Duf is, can he make the clutch short putts in crunch time?  He can many times, but he’ll have his occasional hiccups from short range. Like his chances though with his good length and outstanding accuracy. It’ll come down to the putter for Duf.

Justin Rose:

Won here in 2010. Playing pretty well right now and seems to love this course. His length will certainly help. Another guy that, if he can sink putts, which he can be inconsistent at, then he can claim the title. Like his major winning experience at last year’s U.S. This tournament is right there almost with The Players in importance to players after the majors. This is one the guys really want to win.

Kevin Chappell:

Chappell is a 28-year old from Fresno, California, who is making some splashes on the tour. Finished second here last year at -10, two shots behind the winner, Kuchar. Finished tied for 10th last week at the Crowne Plaza in Fort Worth, and is on the verge of capturing a title. Isn’t tearing up the stat sheet, but getting it done. Has a good shot.

Rory:

Rory is coming off an interesting week, where he broke off his engagement to tennis star Carolina Wozniacki, then won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in England in what is considered a major on the European Tour. He looks to be primed to make a run on tour the rest of this season with a major win definitely in sight . He hits it a ton and is pretty accurate, and his approaches are excellent when he’s playing well. So it’ll come down to his putting. Rory’s kind of a streaky putter and when he’s locked in, he can win tournaments with his putter. He’ll be a factor at the Memorial.

The winner:

This young man averages 288 off the tee, which is good enough, as Kuuuch averaged 282 off the tee last year in winning this event. He’s very accurate and his scrambling and putting stats are outstanding. He’s eighth in scrambling, 35th in strokes gained putting– though he was 23rd heading into last week and fell off a little bit at the Crowne Plaza, but  finished T-14 and shot 68 on Sunday. He’s fifth in putts per round (28.14), and fifth in one-putt percentage. I’m expecting this young guy to break out this week at Jack’s tournament. He’s threatened mightily at the Masters and at the Players this season; he was right there on Sunday in both. He plays a lot, which is huge, and I love his mental makeup; he’s tough, controlled and focused. I say this 20-year old phenom from Dallas gets it done this week with his pretty good length, his accuracy in the clutch and his fantastic short game.

Jordan Spieth

Russell Knox.

Another very well done job by Shoal Creek at the Champions Tour’s first major of the season, The Regions Tradition. The course was fantastic despite some rain, head pro Eric Williamson and assistants Curtis Ohrn and Blanton Tessin did their usual stellar work and course superintendent Jim Simmons and his staff had the course in mint condition with the greens rolling perfectly, the tee boxes looking immaculate and the fairways plush and firm. Kenny Perry captured the title and will shoot for the “Perry Slam” this week at the Senior PGA Championship at the Harbor Shores course in Benton, Michigan as Perry tries to capture his fourth straight major he’s played in. He skipped the senior British Open last year, but won the Senior U.S and the senior Players Championship around the Open and along with the Tradition yesterday is now gunning for his fourth major  in a row. Very impressive. Perry carded a 7 under par total of 281 on the par 72 course at Shoal. Perry went 72, 68, 69, 72 and sank a huge 20 foot birdie putt on the Par 3 16th that got him to -7 and then grinded out pars on 17 and 18 to capture the $330,000 first place prize money and the 660 Schwab Cup points that came with the victory. His approach on the par 4, 18th from 145 yards stopped 12 feet above the hole and he two-putted for par for the victory. Perry now is in fourth place in Charles Schwab Cup standings with Bernhard Langer still leading the race. Perry now has 774 points and Langer has 1,267. Jay Haas is second at 842 and Fred Couples is third at 781. The Senior PGA this week will also allot 660 points to the winner, so if Perry wins that, depending on how Langer does, Perry could take over the lead. He won the Cup last year. The winner of the Cup at the end of the year gets a $1 million dollar annuity, a fixed amount over several months. Something to definitely strive for.

Anyway, excellent tournament, though there were some Chinese fire drill situations during the final day, which was not the fault of Shoal Creek at all; it was all on three players and the Champions Tour officials. First, and this is all on the player, Fred Couples failed to show up for his tee time Sunday. Don’t know what was going on with Couples. It was reported that he may be having back issues; he’s struggled with a bad back through the years. He could have been hungover, too. He was not doing well in the tournament, he was 8 over after Saturday, and he’s known to be a playboy. He could have had a late night at Highlands Bar and Grill and decided he didn’t want to play on Sunday. I’ve always thought Couples is kind of soft. When he was enshrined into the World Golf Hall of Fame, during his speech he started crying and said, “This is really cool.” What 53 year old man (at the time) says that? That’s something a teenager might say, though there are plenty of intelligent teenagers who would say something better than that. Just always have thought Couples is kind of overrated and he acted  like a somewhat of a punk. Friday during his round, he hit his drive on 18 by the trap on the right side out of  the fairway and the marshall told him where the ball was. Couples told him to get the blank out of there. Not a big fan of Freddy Couples.

The second situation was with John Cook. On No.14 with a one shot lead, Cook drove it into the lip of the sand trap on the par four. When he hit his second shot out of the trap he double hit it. He didn’t know he did it, but somebody caught it on their phone. Really, that was that. There was no question he double hit it and it was a shot penalty. Cook’s round went downhill from there and he finished at -4, tied for sixth.

But the story of the day outside of Perry’s victory, was Tom Pernice’s situation on 17. Pernice went for it on his second shot on the par five as he was -4 and in contention, three strokes back of Perry after Perry’s birdie on 16. If Pernice gets on the green or can be chipping, he’s got a shot at eagle to get to -6 and be one shot back of Perry going into 18. He lost the ball when it got over the water hazard and thought it was in the drink. He dropped and then walked over the other side of the hazard and didn’t see it. The rule is if he drops s second ball before he finds his original ball, it’s as if you hit it in the hazard and it’s a one stroke penalty. Finally, he saw the ball sitting by a rock and dry but in the hazard line. He thought he could still play the ball and not incur a penalty. That’s when it got to be a cluster. The Champions Tour Rules officials had no clue what the rule was. There were about three or four guys on the walkie talkies saying “I think” this is what happened. Nobody knew the answer. It was a joke the way they handled it. Pernice was at fault for not trying to locate his ball and dropping before he looked for it. Pernice thought somebody in the TV crew could have pointed it out, but the camera was very high behind the green and nobody in the crowd could see the ball as the ball was on the downslope and not able to be seen by the rock it was sitting next to. Pernice kind of made an idiot of himself, but so did the Champions officials. Nobody knew the rule. It was a joke.

Besides that, it was an excellent tournament, on, in my opinion, one of the best golf courses in the country. I wish Shoal Creek could get another shot at the PGA Championship. The Hall Thompson fiasco happened in 1990; that’s a long time ago. It’s time to give a highly deserving venue another shot at the PGA Championship. Shoal Creek is worth of another major on the PGA tour. It proves it time and time again with its performance at the Regions Tradition.

TPC Sawgrass-Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra, Florida (Designer: Pete Dye)

7,215 yards, Par 72

Purse: $10,000,000; Winner’s share: $1,700,000

Fed Ex points: 600

First winner: Jack Nicklaus (1974, Atlanta Country Club, called the Tournament Players Championship)

Defending champion: Eldrick Woods (-13): out this year with micro-whatever surgery on a pinched nerve in his back

Key groups tomorrow: 8:18 AM ET/7:18 CT: Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Graeme McDowell; 8:29 AM ET: Harris English, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy; 8:39 AM ET: Dustin Johnson, Phil, Sergio; 1:18 PM ET: Webb Simpson, Jonas Blixt, Keegan Bradley; 1:39 PM ET: Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Steve Stricker; 1:49 ET: Matt Kuchar, Bubba, Jimmy Walker.

Weather: Thursday: High 85, sunny, 0% rain, wind SSE @ 12 MPH; Friday: 85, partly cloudy, 0 rain, wind, SE 12 MPH; Saturday: 82, 0 rain, wind, SSE 12 MPH; Sunday: 82, 30% isolated T-storms, wind, SE 10 MPH.

TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-7 PM ET/12-6 CT on Golf Channel; Saturday-Sunday: Noon-2 PM ET/11AM-1 PM CT on Golf; 2-7 PM ET/1-6 CT on NBC.

Key holes:

Nos. 1 and 2:

No.1 is a 423 slight dogleg right par 4 that requires an accurate tee shot with drives favoring the right side of the fairway giving a better angle to the green.The tee shot is tight, like out of a tight chute with water and a bunker on the right and trees lining the left side of the fairway. There is a large bunker and smaller bunker guarding the front left side of the green. The green is long but narrow. Pretty precise play leads to a solid par, and a good drive and second shot could lead to a birdie, but it’s a demanding first hole. No.2 is a 532 yard Par-5 and can certainly be reached in two though there is trouble if you don’t draw it from right to left as there is water and a long bunker on the right.  The green is triangular and is pretty narrow, so accuracy is required on the second shot. Shorter hitters may make it a three shot hole and play for birdie. While  the first hole favors a left to right drive, the second is the opposite favoring a right to left drive.

No.5

A 471 yard par 4, this is the hardest hole on the front nine. This hole is a dogleg right where favoring the right side of the fairway–even going into the bunker on the right–often makes for an easier approach.The green is a mixture of waste bunkers and traditional sand traps along with a lot of mounds all surrounded by palm trees. Many hole locations are best navigated from the left side of the putting surface.

No.8

A par-3, 237 yards, this hole is surrounded by bunkers, 11 of them, and some are barely large enough for a player to take a stance. The putting surface is narrow with several slopes in it. Although not the make-or-break test like the 17th, this hole can cause some problems for the players who don’t hit a good tee shot.

No.14

A Par-4, 481 yards, this is the second most difficult hole on the course. There are mounds on the right side landing area if you’re a little off the fairway and there is a very long waste bunker on the left. A left to right drive is required on this hole. It’s the second toughest driving hole on the course. The green is huge and has plenty of slope on it. There is sand and trees surrounding the green. Could be a key hole on Sunday with the tournament in the balance. A bad hole here could be the start of a demise of the player’s chances of winning.

No.16

A Par-5, 523 yards and the start of three of the most exciting holes in golf. The drive must be right to left to avoid trees on the right. Most players go for this green in two though some may choose to lay up. If you hit it right on your second shot, you’re wet. If you hit if left you have a large tree and a very difficult up and down for birdie on the left side of the green. There is a large, hanging tree on the left that could cause some problems. Players can chip it into the water with a right side pin placement on Sunday. I’ve seen it and it can be costly.

No.17

The  classic island hole. Many championships have been lost on this hole. Sergio did it last year on this hole as he was tied with Tiger, who was on 18 tee and watching, as Garcia plunked two balls in the water and finished tied for eighth. Tiger proceeded to rip a right to left stinger off the tee on 18 and finish 17 and 18 par, par as Sergio suffered a triple on 17. Sergio did win here in a playoff over Paul Goydos with a classic shot on 17 to six feet in 2008. It’s a treacherous hole despite only measuring 137 yards. Wind is a huge factor and it’ll be blowing 10-12 on Sunday from the South, so it should be behind the players making club selection critical. A 54 or 56 degree sand wedge may be the club for the longer guys, a pitching wedge for the shorter guys and some guys may use a 52 degree gap wedge.

No.18

While 17 gets all the publicity, this hole is the hardest hole on the course and key to winning the tournament just as much as 17 is. The drive is tremendously challenging. There is water running all the way off the left side of the fairway. If you hook it, you’re in the drink. There are trees on the right that cause major problems if you hit it too far right. Some players may be bold and cut it left to right to hit the middle of the fairway, though that’s risky. I loved Tiger’s drive here last year. He hit a three wood with a low draw stinger on it. The pressure had let up as Sergio was gagging on 17, so it wasn’t as tough as it could have been, but that was the ideal shot for this finishing hole. The second shot still has water in play on the left side and there is sand and rough on the right that can cause problems as well. Getting off 18 with a par is a good score. If you have the lead by a shot and you’re in the last group, you par, you win. Getting out of here with par is very good. If you’re not in the lead on Sunday, you’ll need to be more aggressive.

Guys who will contend for the title:

Harris English

This 24 year old Georgia Dawg, is third on the tour in greens in regulation. That’s an extremely important stat on this course. He won in November at the OHL Classic in Mexico, which is a tour event, and three weeks later at the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Florida playing with Matt Kuchar. He’s a stud and I like his Dawg toughness. English will be right there with a chance to win on Sunday.

Jordan Spieth

He is so close to breaking through and this 20-year old phenom may do it this week. He is 23rd in stroked gained putting on the tour which is the most critical stat in golf in my opinion. He does everything well. Like his toughness very much as well. He’s going to get a major, and this “fifth major” could be the one to get him jumpstarted on what should be a stellar career.

Graeme McDowell

Hasn’t won this year and didn’t make the cut last year here, but his stats are terrific. He’s 15th on the tour in driving accuracy, tied for 14th in proximity to  the hole and second on the tour in strokes gained putting. If he can keep it together on Sunday and bring back that U.S. Open fortitude he had in 2010 where he won at Pebble Beach, this could be the 34-year old former UAB player’s week.

Angel Cabrera:

He always performs well in majors. He’s just built for majors. Drives it extremely well and when his putter is on, he’s lights out. If the 44-year old Angel can be accurate off the tee, he’s got a good shot.

The winner:

This young guy finished tied for second with Jeff Maggert and David Lingmerth last year in this event. He finished -11, two back of Eldrick. He shot 67 on Sunday last year. He finished tied 14th last week at the Wells Fargo. He’s trending well. He’s 21st in driving accuracy, but doesn’t blow you away with his stats. I just like his trends coming into this week. I picked him last week to win and I’m going to do it again.The 35-year old Duke graduate is my pick to win again this week.

 Kevin Streelman

The Wells Fargo Championship

Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, NC (7,442 yards, Par 72)

Defending champion: Derek Ernst (-8 winning score last year)

Winner’s share:$1,206,000

Fed Ex Cup points: 500

Weather: Today: 30% showers, wind SW 14; Friday: Partly cloudy, high 70, 0% rain, wind WSW 8; Saturday Sunny, 76, wind W 4; Sunday: Sunny, 82, wind WNW 8.

TV: Today-Friday: Golf Channel: 3-7 PM ET/2-6 CT; Saturday-Sunday: Golf: 1-2:30 PM ET/12-1:30 CT; CBS: 3-6 PM ET/2-5 CT.

Featured groups:

7:50 AM ET/6:50 CT: Seung-yul Noh (last week’s champion at Zurich Classic), Jimmy Walker (leader of Fed Ex Cup),  Bill Haas

8 AM ET/7 CT: Jonas Blixt, Rory (2010 champion), Rickie Fowler (2012 champion in playoff over Rory and D.A. Points

1:15 PM ET/12:15 CT: Zach Johnson, Webb Simpson, Ernie

1:25 PM ET/12:25 CT: Phil, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood

Key Holes:

Without a doubt the Green Mile: 16, 17 and 18; considered the hardest three stretch hole in non-major golf since 2007.

No.16: 508 yards, Par 4

The hole was modified by Tom Fazio in 2013 and the green was moved 80 yards to  the left and sits on the edge of  the lake. What used to be a straightaway par 4 is now a dogleg right which demands an accurate drive and a tough mid iron shot into  the green. A good drive will leave the player about 200 in. If you drive it right there is a trap and a tree that blocks the green. Keeping it out of the water is critical when it comes down to cases on Sunday. Moving the green to the left has lessened the amount of balls in the water. There were 38 in 2010 and 19 last year, so it’s not as tough, but the hole is longer and very, very challenging. The players will be happy to get out of here with a par.

No.17: 221 yards, Par 3

This is the signature hole at Quail Hollow. It’s nearly an island hole like the players will see at TPC Sawgrass next week in the Players Championship on No.17. The player will have to carry it 195 yards, but it could be a much shorter carry if one of the forward tees is used. With all the different pin placements, this hole can be very dangerous and can lead to bogeys or worse can outnumber birdies. Should be some classic drama here on Sunday with the leader and challengers needing possibly a birdie to win this thing.

No.18: 493 yards, Par 4

The last hole of the “Green Mile” and consistently one of the toughest finishing holes in golf. On the tee shot, players must avoid a bunker on the right and a creek that runs down the entire left side of the narrow fairway. An uphill second shot must avoid the water hazard on the left of the green and bunkers on the right. If you hit it in one of the right bunkers, your sand shot will be very tricky because if you catch it thin out of the trap you’re probably going in the drink, which would be catastrophic to contenders on Sunday. The green is deep and sloped to the left. If a player needs a birdie to win here, he’ll really have to earn it. Fowler birdied the 18th two years ago on the first playoff hole to beat McIiroy and Points.

Greens:

Last year was pretty tragic for the greens at Quail Hollow. The bent grass greens were in  terrible shape and there were brown patches on many greens. They took out the bent and put in Mini Verde Bermuda which is more conducive to the climate. The players like it, they are championship greens, they roll well. They’ll probably be a little firm as they are knew, so players will have to be concerned where they land the ball on their approaches and when they are chipping.

Contenders:

J.B. Holmes:

J.B. is 12th on the tour in driving distance which helps on this long course. He’s playing well lately and finished T-11th last week at the Zurich. He’s a pretty clutch player. I see him in the hunt on Sunday.

Zach Johnson:

Very accurate off the tee though not real long. Excellent putter. If Zach has the putter going, he’ll be right there competing for the title.

Rory McIlroy:

 Won his first PGA event here in 2010. If he’s putting well and is accurate off the tee with his length off the tee he should be right there.

Kevin Na:

This guy will drive you crazy watching him with all his pre-shot shenanigans and his tiresome time he takes to get ready to hit a shot and putt. But he’s a good player and has been close many times. This week could be the week he breaks through.

The winner:

This guy is a very good player who won the Tampa Bay Championship in 2013, now the Valspar, and finished fifth here last year shooting five under. He’s got a good overall game and played at Duke. He’s got the brains and has played this course quite a bit. I’m going with this 35-year old who had two extra tickets to this year’s Masters when his parents couldn’t make it and gave them to a young high school player and his mother. Like that karma.

Kevin Streelman