Sleepers

I’ve got 2 this week.

The 29 year old from Daytona Beach, FL. by way of the University of Alabama. He tied for 4th at the Amex last week and tied 13th at Torrey last year.

Bud Cauley, 5’7”, 150 more of a scatback.

The other one is a 6’3”, 235 linebacker looking player, who tied with Cauley for 4th and tied Cauley for 13th at Torrey last year. I’ll also take the 26 year old from Vienna, Austria by way of the University of Georgia.

Seth Straka

Torrey Pines South Course: 7,765 yards, Par 72. North Course, Thursday-Saturday, 7,258, Par 72. San Diego, CA.

Defending champion: Justin Rose, shot 267, -21, to win it by 2 shots over Adam Scott.

Last week’s winner at the American Express in La Quinta, CA. Andrew Landry. Shot 262, -26 to win by 2 over Abraham Ancer.

FedEx Cup top 5

1. Justin Thomas, 1,162 points-won the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in Korea in October and the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui Jan. 2nd-5th.

2. Brendon Todd, 1,041 points, won the Bermuda Championship Oct. 31st-Nov. 3rd and the Mayakoba Classic in Playa De Carmen, Mexico Nov. 14-17th.

3. Sebastian Munoz, 904 points, won the Sanderson Farms Championship in Sept.

4. Lanto Griffin, 887-Won the Houston Open in October

5. Cameron Smith, 740, won the Sony Open 2 weeks ago.

Majors this season:

The 5th Major, The Players Championship, March 12th-15th, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra, FL. NBC, Golf Channel, defending champion Rory. Also player of the year with 3 victories last season. The RBC Canadian in June, and the Tour Championship in late August. Fed Ex Cup winner.

The Masters, April 9th-12th, ESPN, CBS, Tiger Woods defending.

The PGA Championship, May 14th-17th, TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, CA. CBS, Brooks Koepka (won at Bethpage Black)

The U.S. Open, June 18th-21st, Winged Foot GC, Mamaroneck, NY. FOX, Gary Woodland (Pebble Beach)

The Open Championship, July 16th-19th, Royal St. George’s GC, Sandwich, Kent, England, GC, NBC, Shane Lowry (Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Northern Ireland)

Also The 43rd Ryder Cup, Sept. 25th-27th, Whistling Straits, Straits Course, Haven, Wisconsin. 7,790 yards, Par 72. Defending Europe-Won the 42nd Cup with a 17 1/2 to 10 1/2 victory over the US Team at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, just outside Paris.

This year’s American Captain: Steve Stricker

European Captain: Padraig Harrington

TV: Golf Channel, NBC, should be epic.

Storylines this week

Tiger Woods shoots for his 83rd PGA victory which would break a tie with Sam Snead for most of all time. Quite a feat. The way he’s playing, he’s got a very good shot this week. That 18 footer he sank in the Presidents Cup to seal his victory over Abraham Ancer was phenomenal. He was walking to shake Ancer’s hand when the ball was 3 feet from the hole on No.16 and won 3 and 2. Pretty spectacular. He was 3-0 in the Presidents Cup and captained the American team to a huge comeback victory. Jack Nicklaus had 73 victories, Ben Hogan had 64 and Arnie had 62.

He’s also shooting for his 9th title at Torrey Pines. He’s won the Farmers 7 times (‘99, ‘03, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘13). He also won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey with an 18 hole playoff victory over Rocco Mediate on a Monday. He played other worldly golf that weekend. He’s back. Jack’s 18 majors is still in the balance as Tiger is in spectacular shape and homing his game for the majors. That’s what he told Golf Channel, that he wants to win this week like every week, but that he’s really getting his game tuned up for April.

Jack turned 80 yesterday. 18 majors including the 1986 Masters in what was one of the greatest sports events of all time. Maybe the most memorable. He finished in the top 3 in majors 46 times. Wow. He completed 3 career Grand Slams. He won the Masters in 1963, ‘65, ‘66, ‘72,’75, and ‘86. 6 Masters. He win the U.S. in ‘62, ‘67, ‘72, ‘80. 4 U.S. Opens. He won the Open Championship in ‘66, ‘70, and ‘78. 3 times. He won the PGA Championship in ‘63, ‘71, ‘73, ‘75, and ‘80. 5 times. 18 Majors.

He’s still going strong and has forged an amazing legacy with his play and his golf courses all over the world. Quite a guy.

Torrey Pines South Course

Rees Jones did a redesign on the South Course and lengthened the course more than 500 yards for the 2021 U.S. Open. That’ll be a classic.

Jones added fairway bunkers throughout the course, narrowed fairways to intimidate the long hitters. Tightly mowed areas were added or expanded around the greens on the 7th, 9th and 15th. Holes lengthened. The 10th went from 415 to 454.

Hole 9 is 614 yards long, par 5, hole 13 is also 614 yards, par 5. Hole 16 is a 223 yard par 3. Bunkers on both sides. The strategy is to par it and move on. No. 17 is a 442 par 4. Fairway bunker right and canyon, Pacific on the left. Small green protecting the front of the green. In 2008, Tiger sank a phenomenal bunker shot on this hole for birdie when he was playing on a broken leg. No. 18 570 yards, Par 5. The big hitters on Sunday will be using their fairway woods or long irons to try to clear the pond in front in 2 and play for an eagle. Many dramatic moments on this hole. Tiger’s 15 foot birdie putt in the 2008 Open that sent the tournament into an 18 hole playoff is the most memorable.

Winner

I’m going to take the 44 year old from Cypress, California. He’s won here 8 times along with 8 times at Firestone, 5 times at Augusta National and 5 times at Muirfield Village, Jack’s tourney, the Memorial. I like this to be number 9 on the South Course. Give me Eldrick.

Tiger Woods