Here are a few things (I think) I learned from the Farmers Insurance Open
1) Bubba Watson is a heckuva player. He’s not only long, he’s got the short and putting games under control.
2) Phil has lots of fire left. And he’s playing smarter.
3) Tiger’s game is not ready for prime time. I stand by my statement that he won’t win a Major this year.
4) There is a LOT of young talent on tour this year. Look at the list of those players finishing at T9 or better. Their birth years follow each name:
Bubba Watson (1978)
Phil Mickelson (1970)
Dustin Johnson (1984)
Jhonattan Vegas (1984)
DA Points (1976)
Nick Watney (1981)
Anthony Kim (1985)
Hunter Mahan (1982)
Troy Matteson (1979)
Mark Leishman (1983)
Brandt Snedeker (1980)
Bill Haas (1982)
That’s a relatively young crowd. Most were born in the 1980s. The winner, Watson, is just three years younger than Tiger, but I still consider him part of the new generation. He’s only been on the PGA Tour since 2007. Most of the others have had similarly short turns in the Show.
5) Grouping players in threes is the way to go. All the PGA Tour events should go with that format. I think it creates more tension having more of the players in direct contact.
Add you own thoughts in the comments.
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If these young folks keep winning, maybe people will finally start thinking “Who needs Tiger?” and they will start covering the sport of golf instead of the week of Tiger. I’d much rather hear about the sport of golf. Throw in Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, and Lee Westwood and you have a very healthy sport that doesn’t need a crutch like Tiger to lean on.
As for grouping players in threes, it’s supposed to speed up play and if it that means eliminating those stupid Saturday cuts and letting people who make the friday cut play all weekend, then I’m all for it. Giving people money doesn’t help when they need to work on their game too.
I am not so sure that Bubba qualifies as a young guy. I think the cutoff might be born since Reagan = Young vs Carter or earlier = older.
I thought Bubba was younger than 32.
I wouldn’t worry about The Greatest Player To Ever Play The Game(TM) – he could lose every tournament this year the same way he did this one, and next year, they will be talking about how he owns Torrey Pines and he has won here seven times, it is his to lose, and that the other golfers might as well go home. There will be stories about how he is supposed to win, but even if he doesn’t you should give him the award for being so great. Sorry I am on a rant about this – but this weekend really got to me when there was such a story with the tight field at the top and Tiger was so not part of the story and yet he still commanded way too much of the story.
As for the 3somes. It was great. Do they usually start the back of the field on #10 on Sundays? That too I think is a good addition if it isnt often done.
I too, thought that Bubba was younger. But it’s because he hasn’t been on tour terribly long.
I like the Carter/Reagan cutoff.
What does that say about those of us born during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations?
Why do you think I am rooting for Lefty and Daly? Cause I fall right in between.
I feel like a younger golfer because I am in the youngest quartile of the 30 guys (and one girl) in my golf group. But my daughter will tell you that circle of skin on the top of my head means I am old!
I used to have a dating cutoff if a girl was born after the Nixon administration – I was born ‘67. But then I found myself dating a girl who was born during the bicentennial, and she didn’t know what Watergate was. That was probably when I started feeling old, and that was 13 years ago.
Daly didn’t do too bad at all. Mickelson looked good, and it’s nice seeing him play more ‘maturely’ though he must’ve been thinking up new tortures for Trevor Rees while he played.
I had forgotten to mention Daly. He did look good … before he had the expected meltdown.