AT&T National

Ryan Moore

This week the PGA Tour visits Aronimink Golf Club for the AT&T National. My pick of the week is Ryan Moore. Moore has recently been on a good trend, playing well at the Travelers, hopefully bringing some positive momentum. Besides good play, Moore has great history at this course, finishing in second place last year. Moore does not have a textbook swing, but is able to create a repeatable motion, allowing guys like me to dream. The guy that can repeat the same swing, usually is on the leader board, so best to luck to Moore.  This year’s AT&T will not include Mr.Woods, allowing the media to hopefully focus on other players, which also deserve some spotlight. Its now been two weeks in a row that I have won the pick of the week contest, with luck on my side, the lead should increase. 

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are-  Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy,Stewart Cink, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, David Toms, Lee Westwood, and Webb Simpson.  

Pick of the Week: AT&T National

Hellllooooo everyone, and welcome to this week's edition of pick of the week. This week the PGA Tour will head to Aronomik Golf Club for the next edition of the AT&T National. This July 4 weekend event always brings a lot of big stars, and usually includes Mr. Tiger Woods himself, the host for this shindig. Unfortunately, he will not be competing in this event, and might not be competing for a while. Fortunately, he has been able to putt and is now in a walking boot. And although this event brings a lot of bigger names, you can bet that many of the commentators will focus a lot on the host. But anyway, for this weeks pick- I'm going with big time American Nick Watney. The 29 year old out of Fresno State has had a solid season this year, with a handful of top 10s and a huge win at this years WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, which included an elite field. The guy is just so consistent, it's amazing. He has a very nice swing and when he gets hot he can compete with anyone. I expect him to collect his 2nd victory of the year and help me break out of a slump that I'm in vs. fellow dude Bernardo G. Till next time, see y'all later!!!

Already used- Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rickie Fowler, Aaron Baddeley, Hunter Mahan, Ricky Barnes, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Anthony Kim, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson

A Very Swede Victory

Following a big time rout by Rory McIlroy in last week's United States Open, the PGA TOUR was looking for a little more drama this week at the Traveler's Championship. In the end, Sweden's very own Fredrik Jacobson held on to a 1 shot lead, in what was a shootout week at 20 under par. He held of the likes of Ryan Moore and rising amateur star Patrick Cantlay to collect his first TOUR victory. Jacobson is an amazing putter, and he's knocked on the door so many times on this TOUR that it was a matter of when, not if, in terms of notching that first win. This week, he accomplished that. Now he can look forward to playing the British Open and can possibly be considered a dark horse for that major.

Another golfing story on the day was that of the battle between two fellow Spaniards: Sergio Garcia and Pablo Larrazabal in the BMW International Open in Germany. Pablo defeated Garcia after the 5th sudden death hole which included many high quality shots from both of them. With them finishing 1-2, they are now both officially qualified for the upcoming British Open and may both contend as well.

Round 4 Traveler's Champ. Recap:

Travelers Championship

Webb at the Zurich Classic

This week the PGA Tour visits TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship. The current defending champ is Bubba Watson. Who is coming off a bad week at the U.S. Open, but was able to make the cut. My pick of the week is Webb Simpson. Simpson had a decent week at the U.S. Open finishing at 2-under par for the tournament. Simpson is searching for his first win, with several chances this year, but failing to seal the deal. Simpson seems to be following the trends of names like Robert Garrigus. Who also struggled to get that first win. I have confidence that Simpson will break through soon and receive his first victory.  My pick, Lee Westood, for the U.S Open, allowed me to get a one point lead over my fellow blogger. Westwood finished at 6-under par, defeating my fellow blogger’s pick, Matt Kuchar, by four shots. In other news, Mexico is going to the Gold Cup Final after defeating Honduras with a score of 2-0. Mexico will be up against a fierce rival, United States. Expect there to be elbow pushing and yellow cards flying. This game will be an intense match-up. 

Tournament Preview

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are-  Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy,Stewart Cink, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, David Toms, and Lee Westwood. 

Pick of the Week: Travelers Championship

Hellloooo everyone, and welcome to this week's edition of Pick of the week. After last week's impressive win by Rory McIlroy at Congressional for the U.S. Open, we head to Hartford, Connecticut for the Travelers Championship. We have a pretty stacked field here, with Americans Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan leading the efforts. Last week, I narrowly lost to fellow blogger Bernardo, as his pick of Lee Westwood slightly had the edge over my selection of Matt Kuchar. So, this week, I want to tie it up again, and with that said I will choose long hitter Bubba for this tourney. The guy hits is super long, has a great short game touch, and has a good sense of fashion. He reminds me of a John Daly, but without the legal problems. I will be rooting for Bubba to tear up this nice little Connecticut layout in good old Bubba fashion.

Rory Open

Rory Mcllroy

Hello everyone. This week the PGA Tour headed to Congressional for 111th U.S. Open, crowing a new champion: Rory Mcllroy. Now two years in a row for Northern Ireland, first Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach now Mcllroy. Mcllroy started the final round with a eight shot lead, a dazzling 14 under par, setting the 54-hole record at the U.S. Open. With such a huge lead the 22-year Northern Irishman learned from his past mistakes at the Masters, converting this opportunity into a victory, winning by 8 strokes over Jason Day. Mcllroy now becomes the second youngest player to win a major since the era of World War II. If Mcllroy wasn’t in field the scoring would have been considered normal for the U.S. Open but Mcllroy played a bit better than great, revealing that no course is too tough for great ball-striking. Golf commentators  have called his game unusual and confident. Saying that if losing at the Master’s was the worst thing that could have happen to him, that in reality that wasn’t that bad. I won’t be quick to say he will be the next Tiger-like but I will say this guy is tremendously skilled and will become a great player. 

Besides striking the golf ball beautifully this week, Mcllroy's success with the putter lead to the win. Many golf critics believe his recent putting trend is the result of his short game sessions with the famous Dave Stockton.  Stockton also has great history at the Blue course at Congressional, winning the 1976 PGA Championship. Mcllroy is transforming into the complete golf machine, hitting basically every fairway and green,  converting those great shots to birdies. Many are quick to say that Mcllroy will reach the #1 position in the world or become the much needed Tiger-like star. I believe it is too quick to assume such a big statement. Yes he has contended in most of the past majors or at least posted some low scores, but sometimes thats not enough. He certainly portrays himself as the next tiger-like star with some of the words exchanged with sports media, expressing his self-confidence and goals to reach Tiger. Assumptions like these place pressure on the young star to progress, we saw this with Westwood and Kaymer, which once held the #1 position. 

Y.E. Yang

The U.S. Open is a clear example of the transformation of the game of golf into a world sport. With more than a dozen countries being represented in the field. With so much youth in different countries excelling in the game of golf, it certainly looks like the future for golf is bright and exciting. Some notable players this week were Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, and Y.E. Yang. Garcia fired 3 rounds under par enough for a 5-under finish for a T7. Day once again proving why he is such a great player, a third round 65 got the Aussie in the mix going into the final day. Day finished in solo second place, adding another second place finish at a major. Yang seem to be the one that had the game to catch up to Mcllroy but a final round of even par was not enough. Overall this was a great tournament even though it was a one man show, it provided for some excitement.  On the other hand, Lee Westwood out played my fellow bloggers pick of the week, Matt Kuchar, giving me a one point lead. 

Final Round:

Pick of the Week: The U.S. Open

Here we are folks, the biggest tournament of the month (and one of the year): THE US OPEN!! This Father's Day weekend will be played at the very difficult and very long Congressional Country Club "Blue Course". Although it has been lengthened quite a bit, many players call it to be fair and not ridiculous, so that's a good thing. Regardless, it's a major, and will require utmost mental and physical preparation. For this reason, I'm going with elite American golfer Matt Kuchar. "Kuch" is the model of consistency- the guy can roll out of bed and card a top ten for crying out loud. Although he doesn't win that often, he is often in contention. He hits it a good length, has a consistent swing, and can be deadly with the putter at times. His true consistent play is what you need to have to win a US Open. Grinding over the par putts can make or break a championship, and I believe he can do that. Plus, he's going against top flight Englishman in Lee Westwood, as he's Bernardo's pick this week, and I fully have trust that he can outplay him. It will be an amazing week regardless, even though it's unfortunate that American Tiger Woods will not be able to play. In the end, I expect a player that many people know about to come away with a victory. And even though this tournament is very wide open, I feel that it will unfold quite well.

Already used- Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rickie Fowler, Aaron Baddeley, Hunter Mahan, Ricky Barnes, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Anthony Kim, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood

Pick of Week: U.S. Open

Lee Westwood 

Happy Wednesday everyone. This  week the PGA Tour visits Congressional Country Club for the 111th U.S. Open. What an exciting week, besides the Masters tournament which is also a major championship, the golf community waits nervously until this tournament rolls around. It attracts the world’s best professionals and amateurs, competing for a large purse and title. The U.S.G.A is responsible for setting up the golf course, resulting in extremely difficult conditions. For example, narrower fairways bordered by thick rough. Most players struggle to hit greens in regulation when they miss the fairway, resulting in higher scores. Usually a few under par can do the job for a victory at the U.S. Open. The defending champ is Graeme McDowell aka G-Mac, who shot a final round 74 to win by one stroke. My pick of the week is Lee Westwood. Westwood has great history when it comes to major championships, finishing within the top 5 in six of his past eleven appearances at majors. That clearly reveals why the Englishman was once world #1. In the pick of the week points race, me and my fellow blogger are currently all squared, hopefully this week I can recover and win a point. In other news GO MEXICO!!, currently competing in the Gold Cup. 

U.S. Open Preview 

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are-  Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy,Stewart Cink, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, and David Toms  

Breaking Through

Another PGA TOUR event, another playoff, another tense victory. This has been the norm for the last two months in the golfing world. This week again delivered great golf and great drama at this year's FedEx St. Jude Classic. It was so awesome that 72 holes wasn't enough; in fact, 75 holes were needed to end this tournament. In the end, Harrison Frazar defeated Robert Karlsson in overtime to claim his first ever PGA Tour Victory in over 300 starts. It was a bit of a disappointment for Karlsson, who had a chance in this event in a playoff last year but was unable to pull through then. He also held the 36 and 54 hole leads, which could have been bigger had he not made some mistakes towards the end of his rounds. But he did redeem himself, by making a par on the last hole to actually force the playoff. Alas, it was the gritty Texan who prevailed, finally claiming a win after 4 previous runner-up finishes in his career. Injuries and other health problems had derailed him early on in his career, but he always had the talent to show that he could compete out here. Karlsson will get his win eventually. The Swede is way too talented to not be able to win on the PGA TOUR one day. It'll happen. Heck, it might happen next week at the US Open at Congressional. We shall see. But if that Open is as entertaining as the last 2 months of golf has been, then we're all in for a wild ride. Until then, keep hacking!

FedEx St. Jude Classic

David Toms at The PLAYERS

Hello everyone. My fellow blogger, JJ, has caught up in the pick of week points race, the flaunting got the best of me. Hopefully this week I can regain some confidence. The current score is 7 to 6, leading by one. This week the PGA Tour visits TPC Southwind for the FedEx St. Jude Classic. The defending champion is Lee Westwood but I will put my money this week on David Toms. Toms has positive history at this course and most importantly the momentum , T2 finish at the PLAYERS and the win at Colonial. Besides this week’s tournament, there is a growing urge for the upcoming U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club. With big news of Tiger not playing and Sergio Garcia qualifying for the major. The critics will have much to  assess coming into this major. For example, will Graeme McDowell defend, or will a young star come out a major champion.  Some players to also consider this week are Sergio Garcia and Brain Gay. Has anyone noticed that Sergio has actually been playing well, the guy has not missed a cut this year, and has been in contention for most of those tournaments. Some critics set the standard too high for the talented spaniard, failing to see the positives and the slow progression. Brian Gay, fresh off a top 15 finish, enjoys playing at TPC Southwinds. Gay won on this course back in 2009, while Gay lacks some consistency, he certainly can score when playing well.  May the best man win. Till then "Hack Till We Die". 

David Toms Interview:

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are-  Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy,Stewart Cink, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose 

Pick of the Week: Fed Ex St. Jude Classic

Hello once again to everyone, and welcome to another edition of Pick of the Week, brought to you by Hack Till We Die. This week, the TOUR heads to Memphis for one final tune up before the 2nd major of the year- the US Open at Congressional. Playing the week before a major championship has been hotly contested by many players. Some prefer to take the week off the rest their games before the big challenge ahead, while others try to get a good tune up right before the important week. Each strategy shows moderate success, and it really just does depend on preference. And it's not like none of the top players buck the trend- some liket o play the week before and others don't. This week I'm going to go with an "elite" player of sorts. I'm choosing the experienced Englishman Lee Westwood. Currently at No. 2 in the world, Lee has been in good form lately and would like to get his game ready for next week and try to regain the #1 spot over Luke Donald sometime soon. This week might help him on his way to both of those goals. Lee doesn't play much in the States anymore because he isn't exempt, so it's always a treat to see him play on the PGA TOUR. He is a extremely good ball striker of the ball, and that is demanded at this tournament. Oh and also- he won this tournament in a play-off last year- no big deal or anything. Hopefully he can repeat as a champion and help me tie the year long competition with fellow blogger Bernardo G. Alright, until next time, I will see you all later.

Here is Lee's interview before action gets underway:

Already used- Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rickie Fowler, Aaron Baddeley, Hunter Mahan, Ricky Barnes, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Anthony Kim, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Steve Stricker

photo courtesy of: uk.reuters

Refined with Age.

Steve and Jack 

Hello everyone. This week the PGA Tour played out for an exciting finish at the  Memorial  Tournament, hosted by none other than the legend Jack Nicklaus. For those loyal golfers out there, you can understand the great feeling of observing a fellow golfer win after experiencing extreme low points in their career, as a golf professional. That was the story for Steve Stricker, Stricker has been back on the scene for a few years now, but once only relied on sponsor’s exemptions. Stricker was certainly firing on all cylinders this week, the only player in the field to produce four rounds in the 60s, including a hole-in-one during the 2nd round, on the par 3 #8. Stricker was tied for first in eagles, tied for third in driving accuracy, and tied for third in putts per round. Revealing that it was no surprise, that Stricker would come out a champion on Sunday. Stricker started his final round with a 3 shot lead and an impressive front nine 30, 6-under par for nine holes,  nearly perfect golf if not better. Clutch par saves on #12 from the bunker and mid-range putt on #16, displaying the great talent and urge to win his 10th professional title. Jack Nicklaus was there to greet Sticker on the 18th hole, memorable moment. Tied for 2nd was Matt Kuchar, also firing a hot front nine 31, Kuchar would produce a bogey free 65, allowing to obtain the T2. Brandt Jobe played well this week, searching for his first win on tour. Jobe  fired a final round 65 leaving him one shot behind Stricker. Overall this was a great event, with many great players like world #1 Luke Donald. 

Besides the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance, this was a sports filled weekend. Rafael Nadal, king of the clay, defeating Roger Federer in four sets, for his sixth French Open title. Mexico defeating El Salvador 5-0, in the first round of matches for the Gold Cup.  

Round 4 Recap:


French Open Final:


Mexico Vs. El Salvador: Gold Cup 2011

Gearing Up

Hello there golf fans, and welcome to a special blog from us. In this blog, I won't be talking about golf or anything related to it really; I'm going to write about a different sport. More specifically, soccer (or what the rest of the world calls football). I'm gonna be profiling the team you see in the photo above- the United States Men's National Team, or the USMNT for short. Since their memorable run in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa last year which included a Hollywood-style ending in their game against Algeria, a win in a group that included soccer powerhouses England, and a near run to the quarterfinals, the hype for this team has begun to snowball. They followed up that World Cup performance with a solid tie against a strong Argentinian team that included the likes of the World's best footballer in Leo Messi. This upcoming Saturday, they host World Cup champions spain in Massachusetts and then begin their 2011 Gold Cup prospects on Tuesday against Canada. In this post I'm gonna talk about their chances against the WC champs, and how they might be able to do in the Gold Cup. (Slight Warning: I have only been seriously watching soccer for a little over a year now, and I mean serious as watching it as much as I watch golf or football when I have the chance. So, my knowledge of this game is still growing and I might not be as fluid in my writing as if I were to write about golf or the NFL. Oh well, here goes...)

On Saturday, June 4, 2011 in Foxborough, Massachusetts (where the New England Patriots play) the USMNT hosts "La Roja"for a high profile international friendly. It will be a good tune up and test for the Yanks, as they see where they stack up against them this year. The last time they faced was in the 2009 Confederations Cup, and quite a shocker went down there. Many people were surprised by the result, and it showed how the USA does show the grit to be able to compete with the best out there. They are set for kick off at about 1:30 PST, with the US wearing their new Red kits and the Spaniards wearing white kits with red trim on them. The weather is set to be at about a nice 70 degrees and sunny, which should make for excellent conditions. As far as the line-ups go, both teams look to be fielding their "A" squads (Spain will be without Carles Puyol to injury, and their midfield madman Xavi is not listed for this game as well). All in all, I believe this game will come down to how the US can crack the amount possession Spain usually has. They will also need to create scoring opportunities and not start slow like they have shown for the past year now. If they can salvage at least a tie against the best team in the world, then I believe they can ride this confidence into the Gold Cup. If not, then at least they'll know their true weaknesses.

After this encounter things become a bit more high-stakes, as the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup begins. The US starts off things with 2000 Gold Cup champion Canada on June 7th. Canada, Panama, and Guadeloupe are all in the same "Group C" with the US. And although these teams aren't necessarily considered big time threats, you never know what may happen. For the Yanks to have a successful Group stage, they have to do as Clint Dempsey said, which was "start fast and score a lot of goals". This theme is going to have to stick with them if they want to go far in this tournament this is because besides the hybrid midfielders/forwards that Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan are, the attacking options are pretty slim for the States. Jozy Altidore is talented, but hasn't shown much for the national team lately. Juan Agudelo has been shining, but is still very young. Freddy Adu has been out of the spotlight for many years now, and its a question as to whether how he'll be able to contribute or not. So, although the defense can get a bit shaky at times, big time goalkeeper Tim Howard usually can hold down the fort pretty well. It will just come down to the ability to score goals from the forwards/strikers. If they can score, then the United States should be able to make it far into the tournament, setting up a possible showdown with border rival Mexico.

The Memorial

Justin Rose at the 2011 Masters 

Its that time of the week, HTWD pick of the week face-off. This week the PGA Tour visits Murifield Village Golf Club for the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance. My pick of the week is none other than  Justin Rose, the defending champion this week. Rose has had three top 10s, eight top 25s, and currently within the top 30 in the FedEX Cup. Murifeild Golf club tends to fit well with Rose’s game, producing a win and multiple top 10 finishes. The buzz this week, Luke Donald is World #1. Before his win at the WGC, Donald was ranked 10th in the World , surprising since he has less than 10 wins combined on both the PGA Tour and European Tour. The key to the Donald’s success is his consistent play, holding a top 10 position  in the World Rankings, for over a 100 weeks at one point. The englishmen would become the new face of golf with his biggest win  in February, defeating Martin Kaymer, during the final round of matchplay. After his win at the WGC- Accenture Match Play Championship, Donald has been on a hot streak, never finishing outside the top 10 on the PGA Tour. 

       The Honda Classic                       T10

WGC-Cadillac Championship            T6

Masters Tournament                       T4

The Heritage                                   2

Zurich Classic                                T8

The PLAYERS                               T4

Now this weekend defeating Lee Westwood in a playoff at the European Tours’s premier event, BMW Championship. Westwood came in as World #1. Some have commented on Donald being a selective player, lacking distance hinders the englishmen to over power long courses. Donald is only the third englishman to achieve this #1 ranking. Interesting that only three europeans have obtained the #1 position within this year. Who do you believe will have the longest streak as #1? He certainly deserves the top spot with such great play, revealing that anyone within  the top 10 world ranking, can reach the #1 position with a great season. 

World #1 Bag

Note: So far the golfers I have used this year are-  Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy, Stewart Cink, and Dustin Johnson   

Pick of the Week: The Memorial

Hello all, and welcome to another edition of Pick of the Week. This week the PGA TOUR heads to Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio for The Memorial tournament. This tournament is one of the more well known events on tour; as it's hosted by the greatest golfer that's ever played- Jack Nicklaus. Stop and think about this- the last 3 weeks we've had the Crowne Plaza Invitational (a tribute to Ben Hogan), the HP Byron Nelson (a tribute to Byron Nelson himself), and we have The Memorial this week (the Golden Bear's event). Some of the greatest golfers to ever play, in back to back to back weeks. That is just plain awesome. Many high profile golfers come here to compete and try to win his event. This tournament, besides the majors, is usually one of the more interesting ones to watch because of the high profile names that come over to play. It also usually requires a lot of experience to win at this course. That's why I'm choosing Steve Stricker this week to grab me another point. When you think of consistent golfers, this guy has to come to mind. In fact, in 9 events this year, he's only finished out of the top 20 two times. He also had a tie for 17th here last year, so he knows this course fairly well. Hopefully he can snatch me a point and get me to 1 within Bernardo, I need to keep riding my momentum from last week. This is because my pick of Jason Day had 2 subpar days in the beginning of the HP Byron Nelson Championship last week, but finshed on the weekend extremely well for a top 5 finish, which allowed him to catch and overpass Bernardo's choice of American Dustin Johnson.

Here is a video, courtesy of pgatour.com on what to expect this week:



Already used- Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rickie Fowler, Aaron Baddeley, Hunter Mahan, Ricky Barnes, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Anthony Kim, Adam Scott, Jason Day


photo courtesy: sportinglife