FedEx St. Jude’s Classic
TPC Southwind (7,239 yards, par 70)
In 2011, ranked ninth out of 51 in difficulty on the PGA tour. Not seen a 2013 ranking yet.
Zoysiagrass tees and fairways; Chaampion Bermuda greens and rough. The bermuda greens replaced the bentgrass greens in 2004 due to the bermuda being a lot more heat tolerant. It’s always hot in Memphis in the summer. Scorching a lot of times.
72 hole record: John Cook at 258, -22 in 1996; 18-hole record: 59 by Al Geiberger in 1977 at the second round at Colonial CC; TPC Southwind record: Jay Delsing (1993) and Bob Estes (2001) 61.
Defending champion: Harris English -12 last year; beat Phil and Scott Stallings by two shots.
500 Fed Ex points
TV: Thursday and Friday: Golf Channel: 3-6 PM ET/2-5 CT.
Saturday and Sunday: Golf: 1-2:30 PM ET/12-1:30 CT; CBS: 3-6 PM ET/2-5 CT.
Weather: Thursday, scattered T-storms 50%, Friday: scattered T-storms, 50%, Saturday: 30% and Sunday 40. Wind 11 each day. Out of the west and south mostly.
A tuneup for the U.S. Open for many of the players. I like the fact that many competitors next week at the U.S. are competing this week. It’s a good course with good money awarded, and a chance to tune up for the second major of the season next week at the famed Pinehurst No.2 course. Phil in the field. I really like that. Phil wants to do well this week and capture the career grand slam next week at Pinehurst if he can win the U.S. He’s won the Masters three times (2004, 2006 and 2010), the Open Championship last year, and the PGA (2005). I’m not worried about Phil’s legal issues. I’m worried about his golf game and how it translates to the course this week and next. By the way, thought Jack Nicklaus was pretty boring in his commentary last week. He’s too positive. He doesn’t critique the players when they mess up. When Rory hits it in the right bunker on 18 on Friday en route to a second round 78, Jack says what a great kid he is. I’m not positive about that to begin with, and there needs to be some commentary on why Rory can’t keep it in the fairway.I like it when Faldo and Miller get on the players when they don’t get it done. That’s a more realistic assessment.
I respect Jack for his 18 major titles, but he needs to pickup his commentary. He comes across as boring and vanilla.
Key holes:
No.1: Par 4, 434 yards:
A slight uphill dogleg to the left. There are fairway bunkers that come into play on the right off the tee. The green is small and heavily bunkered. Rated the 14th toughest on the course.
No.5 Par 4, 485 yards
Ranked the hardest hole on the course. It’s a slight dogleg right with a large tree that can impair the second shot. The left side of the fairway is lined by spectator mounds. There’s sand on the left of the tee and bunkers in front of a medium to smallish green. Getting a par here is a bonus.
No.11, Par 3, 157 yards
This hole is very similar to No.17 at TPC Sawgrass. It’s an island green with water surrounding it and bunkers on the front right, and back right and left. It’s the 10th hardest hole, and could lead to some drama on Sunday. Should be a fun hole to watch.
No.17: Par 4, 490
Long par 4. Second hardest hole on the course. Trees in the middle of the fairway can impede the players’ second shot. Green is very well bunkered and challenging. Par may be another good score here, though these guys will be playing for birdie.
No.18, Par 4, 453 yards
The 18th is a classic, an excellent finishing hole which should provide some excellent theater on Sunday. A dogleg left, water comes into play on the left side, so it’s tough to draw it unless you aim pretty far right which is risky in that there are some bunkers and one serious one on the right that will really cause the players problems if they get in it. There are spectator mounds on the right as well. The water comes into play on a players’ second shot as well. Classic finishing hole. I remember Cook hitting it two feet in his record setting round in ’96, but I’ve also seen some disasters with the water on the left and the bunkers on the right. It may sound trite, but you’ve just gotta hit it down the middle off the tee on this hole because it is not forgiving.
Picks this week:
I’m going to go with Phil, J.B. Holmes, Justin Leonard, Jonathan Byrd and Robert Garrigus. I like Holmes and Garrigus’s toughness; think they’re mentally tough guys, so I give them both a good shot. Leonard has been trending well, though he didn’t have a great tournament last year. He had an uneven tournament last week at the Memorial shooting 68, 75, 68, 78, but he’s been playing better and is a major talent when he’s got it going; he’s a really good putter. Byrd is a very good, underrated player who has won five times on the tour with his last coming in 2011 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. He finished tied 10th here last year shooting 70, 69,66, 70, -5. He’s a really good player, I like his chances.
I’m going to go with Phil to win it because it’s been such a rough week for him, and it seems like sometimes when things are not clicking for a player who has been elite, he seems to step it up. Ernie did it in 2012 at the Open Championship when he won his fourth major. Phil did it last year at the Open, as he had been having a tough season, but won the Scottish Open the week before the Open then captured the Open with some memorable play. Phil has been trending well, but has had his struggles in tourneys this year. Still been showing signs of breaking out. ‘ll say he puts it together this week and wins in preparation for a chance at his sixth major championship title next week at Pinehurst. I like his chances at Pinehurst No.2 also He finished second to Payne Stewart in 1999, and Phil will be totally prepared like no other golfer in the field.
NBA:
Spurs in 7 over Heat.
The Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan, is guaranteeing basically that this year will be different. I think Duncan is right and he retires after this season with his fifth NBA title
Belmont Stakes:
California Chrome won’t get it done and win the Triple Crown. It hasn’t been done since 1978 when Affirmed did it, and the second, third, fourth and fifth place finishers in the Kentucky Derby did not run in the Preakness. Twelve horses since Affirmed have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown only to come up short at the Belmont. The horse is good, he’s won six times, but he’s not going to be good enough on Saturday. He makes number 13 that doesn’t get it done. It’s too hard and I don’t think this horse is anything spectacular in the vein of Secretariat (1973) , Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed. Those horses were all time good, especially the amazing Secretariat, and I don’t see this horse on that level. The race is also a mile and a half, longer than the Derby, which is a mile and a quarter, and the Preakness, which is a mile and 1/16, even shorter than the Derby. That doesn’t sound like a lot, and I’m not an expert in horse racing, but for some reason the extra distance and the pressure on the jockey seems to make a difference at the Belmont. At least history tells us that. Ride on Curlin could be a horse to watch in this race. I say Chrome doesn’t get it done.
Final thought on Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick signed a huge six year contract through 2020 for 126 million that pays him $61 million guaranteed money. That’s higher than any quarterback in the league. Are you kiddin me? How about winning a Super Bowl before you get that kind of deal. Kaepernick lost the NFC title game to the Seahawks with an ill advised interception in the end zone at the end of the game when he could have thrown an underneath ball and given his team at least a couple of more chances to win the game at the end. Don’t think he’s a very good decision maker. That’s a high risk for the 49ers. They really believe in him. Don’t agree with that decision.