Patrick “Patty Ice” Cantlay put on a putting performance for the ages Sunday at the BMW Championship outlasting the great Bryson DeChambeau in an epic sudden death playoff that will be remembered for quite some time.

They say in football that defense wins championships, and while it hasn’t totally seemed to be the case in college football lately, with the defense the Crimson Tide is fielding this season, that tried and true axiom will once again prevail as the Crimson Tide is loaded on that side of the ball. The offense isn’t too shabby either. There are challengers, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Florida, you can even throw Oregon in there, and Iowa State has 19 of 22 players returning from a stellar team last season, but this Tide defense is going to be spectacular and could carry the Crimson Tide all the way to the top of the mountain once again at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday, January 10th, 2022.

Much like the tried and true mantra about defense, golf, while power and distance are superb weapons to have in your arsenal, you still win by chipping and putting. Patty Ice proved that Sunday in his 6 hole playoff victory over the stellar DeChambeau.

Ica sank 537 feet, 5 inches of putts and gained over 14 shots on the field in putting for all 4 rounds. His strokes gained putting number for the 4 rounds was +14.577. That’s the most strokes ever gained on the field in putting since the strokes gained stat has been in place in professional golf. He broke the record that Kevin Na set when he ironically defeated Cantlay in a playoff at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in 2019. What’s more remarkable is that Cantlay sank over 65 feet of “must make” putts on 18 in regulation and in the 6 playoff holes just to stay alive against Bryson, who was blasting the ball 355 yards down City Hall on 18 fairway time after time, some 45 to 50 yards further than Ice. But Ice kept converting on the greens. He canned his 21 footer on 18 for birdie in regulation to send it into a playoff, and DeChambeau missed from 12 feet to win it in regulation. He sank 7 to 10 footer time and time again in the playoff to stay alive. On 17 in regulation, with the tournament tied between the two players, DeChambeau hit his tee shot on the par 3 into the rough off the green in front. Cantlay hit his in the water and the tournament looked over. But Ice chipped it to 8 feet, DeChambeau only chipped to 10 feet missed his putt, and Ice sank his 8 footer for bogey to stay just one back. It just went back and forth and on the fourth playoff hole, No.18, Bryson drove his ball into the water, his first mishit in what seemed like forever off the tee. Ice hit it 300 down the middle. Amazingly, after a drop, Bryson hit his shot to 4 feet and Ice hit his 20 feet. Ice missed his birdie putt and Bryson sank his par putt to send it to a fifth playoff hole, which was incredible in itself. Looked like advantage DeChambeau after that. Then, Bryson hit a wedge on the 180 yard 17th to 5 feet (are you kiddin me, a wedge?). Ice came right back and knocked and 8 iron to 2 feet 4 inches away. Both players sank their birdie putts to setup a 6th sudden death playoff hole. Bryson, once again, 355 down the middle. Ice 305 down the middle. Ice hit his approach to 17 feet, an excellent shot, but then Bryson hit it 6 feet and looked to be in command. NBC longtime course commentator, the cagey veteran Roger Maltbie, said, amazingly, he thought Ice’s putt was more makeable than Bryson’s because Patrick’s was uphill and straight, while Bryson’s was downhill with some right to left break in it. Sure enough, Ice converted. Bryson missed and Ice captured the BMW Championship and the all important No.1 spot in the Fed Ex Playoffs heading into this week’s Tour Championship at East Lake with the top 30 players in the Fed Ex Cup rankings contending for the Cup and the $15 million winner’s check that comes with it. In this interesting format, Cantlay will start out with a two shot lead at -10, with Tony Finau next at -8. Bryson will be at -7 as he’s third in the standings. Jon Rahm will be at -6, 4 back. Cam Smith will be at -5, five shots back. The remaining 25 players will be staggered between 6 and 10 back. No.’s 26-30 will be at even par.

So, what a performance by the 29 year old from Long Beach, Cali, by way of UCLA. Quite a performance by the 27 year old from Modesto, Cali by way of SMU as well. A memorable putting performance by Patty Ice and a memorable playing performance by both competitors. It was historically great. As good as any major you’ve ever seen.

U.S. Open Predictions

In the Big Apple, Flatter, Flatter, Flatter, Flatter, Pile it up, on the Platter

TV

Monday, Aug 30-Sunday, Sept. 12th, ESPN and ESPN 2. Tennis Channel with replays in the morning.

Men’s Final, Sunday, Sept.12th 3-6 PM CT, ESPN

Women’s Final, Saturday, Sept. 11th, 3-6 PM CT ESPN

Men’s Predictions

Semis

I’ll take the upset , the 24 year old from Hamburg, Germany defeats the top seeded and overwhelming favorite, the 34 year old Serb who is seeking to sweep the Slams this year after winning the Australian, the French and Wimbledon. He’s going for his record setting 21st major supplanting Roger and Rafa as the all time major winning champion, but this German defeated Novak in the Olympics and he just won the Western and Southern Open in Cincy. He’s hot. Give me the upset.

Alexander Zverev over Novak Djokovic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (9-7)

In the other semi, I’ll take

Give me the Russian over the other Greek Freak.

Daniil Medvedev over Stefanos Tsitsipas, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4

Final

I like the German to earn his first major in an epic, just like the semis were.

Zverev over Medvedev, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

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Women’s Final

I’m going to take the 17 year old emerging American phenom to capture the first of potentially many Slams in a “major” upset of the Number one seed and Wimbledon champion who looks to be on a roll. But give me the phenomenal young player from Atlanta over the stellar 25 year old Australian.

Coco Gauff over Ashlieigh Barty, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6)

Wednesday

College Football Week 1 2021 season, Previews/Predictions

Promises to be an Extraordinary with superb teams this year with a lot of older players who came back from the COVID year to reach the apex of College Football

Thursday

Tour Championship Preview and Predictions