Farmers Insurance Open: Brandt for Success

Brandt Snedeker emerges a winner at the Farmer Insurance Open after a surprising finish by tournament leader Kyle Stanley. Throughout the duration of the tournament Stanley seem to have everything going his way, favoring a possible win. Stanley’s lead ceased to exist as he reached the back nine, bogeying holes 11 and 12, cutting his lead to 3 shots with 6 holes left to play. As known in sports the size of the lead doesn’t matter, the more breathing room one obtains, usually leads to more mistakes. Snedeker started the final round with a tough task of playing catch-up after a disappointing third round. Snedeker played well, birding 5 holes till he reached hole #17 were he recorded a bogey but, he fired back with a birdie on #18. Not knowing that it would get him in a playoff. 

Stanley stood on the 18th tee looking to seal the deal but, after a ball in the water and a three putt, he found himself in a playoff with Snedeker. Both would birdie the first playoff hole. Feeling the pressure of victory they both missed the 16th green, Stanley would fail to get up and down.

Definitely a terrible lost for Stanley and best of luck to him. But in the case of Snedeker this victory couldn’t have come at a better time. Coming off hip surgery in late 2011, he seems to be fully healthy and fit to compete. 

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HTWD Picks of the Week: Farmers Insurance Open

   -VS- 

JJ: What's up everyone. Let's get right to it this week! For the Torrey Pine event, I'm going with a golfer I've always enjoyed watch play ever since he turned pro. I'm going with former UNLV star Ryan Moore. I've always admired how he does things his own way, and I really look up to that. The 29 year old had one of the most successful amateur careers of all-time, and although it hasn't fully translated to the professional circuit, he's still had a superbly productive career. He only has one career PGA Tour victory, but I think this could be the time he collects win #2. Torrey always is a good springboard for some other notable Americans (ex- Tiger, Bubba, Nick Watney), and I think Ryan is due for a win. Also, he is finally settling down in his life. He just got married, so he definitely is becoming a more mature person. I just think he's due to have a stellar week.

Bernardo: For the second event on the West Coast swing, I’m going with Ben Crane. Many of you may know him for his humorous personality off the course, notably his appearance in “Golf Boys”, staring Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, and Hunter Mahan. Besides his dashing moves off the course, Crane can definitely back it up with some solid play. The Portland native has played well at the Farmers Insurance Open, winning back in 2010 with a respectable 13-under par. His most recent win was at the 2011 McGladrey Classic, defeating Webb Simpson (One of the hottest players in 2011). I feel pretty confident Crane will perform this week, especially after a few good runs these past few weeks.

Recap: Last week at the Humana Challenge, Bernardo's choice of Bill Haas made the cut and finished the tournament, whereas JJ's selection of Bryce Molder had his hopes ended with a "9" on cut day.

Already used: 

JJ: Jonathan Byrd, Keegan Bradley, Bryce Molder

Bernardo: Martin Laird, K.J. Choi, Bill Haas

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HTWD News: Rickie Fowler Joins Cobra Golf

This is something newsworthy - up and coming American golfer Rickie Fowler has changed his main equipment manufacturer from Titleist to Cobra. Although this is an in house move (Titleist and Cobra are owned by the same company), it is somewhat of a significant change. Many golfers who have tried both brands realize the different feels they offer. Rickie will be playing this week at the Farmer's Insurance Open, so we will immediately see how his game is affected by this change. Hopefully, it's not much, and he goes out and plays well like he normally does.

Check out this ad-spot that Cobra has already created with Rickie:

Humana Challenge: Leaving A Mark

Wilson with the trophy in hand

Mark Wilson is a very hot player on the West Coast Swing, and in early PGA Tour seasons. He now has accumulated 3 total wins on this swing in the past two years, including taking this week's Humana Challenge, in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. He finished at a -24 total, 2 shots better than last week's winner Johnson Wagner. This is one of the harder events on tour to win, for a few reasons. It is played on 3 different courses, which makes it very difficult to get a feel of any course since you can't hit the same shots and see the same holes everyday. It is also played with amateurs, which can slow down the pace of play more than it already is slowed down.

But Mark plowed through these challenges and came out on top. His fifth total win on the PGA Tour, this will continue to push Mark up the Official World Golf Rankings. Hopefully he'll be able to continue his success for the rest of the season, and he slowed down considerably as last season moved along.

NOTE: Everyone should be watching the NFC Championship battle that is going on right now!!! Go go! Read this blog later! Watch football now!

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HTWD Pick of the Week: The Humana Challenge

Molder vs. Haas

JJ: Wheeeeeew!! Finally got the monkey off my back, and won my first point of the year. Thank you Keegs! Alright, now that we are on the West Coast swing, for an event that has gotten some new life in it thanks to Bill Clinton. With this new life, I'm going with a player who has been pretty rock solid as of late. I'm choosing Bryce Molder for my pick this week. Why am I going with Bryce? Well, he hasn't had a finish outside the top-11 since the JT Shriner's tournament last year, and he's an excellent putter. He put that on display in his Frys.com Open victory. And with a pro-am field set to have bumpy greens and impatience, I have a strong feeling that he will be able to get it done.

Bernardo: This week I’m going with Bill Haas for my pick. Haas has come a long way these past few years becoming the youngest FedEx Cup Champion. Haas also plays well here in the sunny California desert, winning this event in 2010. Many are not firm believers of Haas’s  ability to become a great player, maybe because they rather see other players win. Haas plays golf in a manner of simplicity, no bright colors here, just good stats. So far in 2012 he is ranked first in a variety of stats, notably driving accuracy and greens in regulation. The Wake Forest Alumni has experienced feelings of greatness, hopefully igniting some hunger to keep winning. I believe he will play well this week from tee to green.

Recap: Last week, JJ's pick of Keegan Bradley finished the tournament at an -8 total, which put him in a tie for 13th place. This was enough to beat Bernardo's choice of K.J. Choi, who finished at -4. JJ earns his first point of the year.

Already used:

JJ: Jonathan Byrd, Keegan Bradley

Bernardo: Martin Laird, K.J. Choi

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Photo Editing Done By Ian Kyle Contreras

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SpotLight: BlackHawk Putter

Ever since Matt Every used the BlackHawk putter at the Sony Open, buzz around its design is circling different golf media sites. The bigger head allows the golfer to produce a good stroke, since it will be more visible when the putter is flaring open or the direction of the stroke. Its massive size also allows the golfer to hit more solid putts, promoting consisting in your speed and leaving putts short a thing of the pass. I currently use a Scotty Cameron Studio Select 2.6, which I really like but, its sweet spot is very small, making the Blackhawk putter very appealing. Overall the putter makes golf easier, which will be very easy to market to the public, hopefully it will find its way into your local Golf Mart or pro shop. 

Sony Open: Wag-ing

Wagner wears the Mario mustache well. (Getty Images)

Johnson Wagner flirted with the leader board all week, finding himself in the winners circle at the Sony Open. Wagner has not won since the Mayakoba Golf Classic in 2011, which allowed him to play last week at the Hyundai TOC. If you were to have predicted Wagner to win this week, I wouldn’t have agreed but, as we know golf is just as reliable as your wife’s/gf mood. Waialae Country Club favors short hitters, as evident in the tournament’s history. Connecting that  fact with Wagner’s current driving average of 262.3 yds, definitely favors a victory. 

The Virginia Tech alumni put on a gun show, firing four straight rounds in the 60s, never making a sufficient mistake to score a large number. This win will bring some media approval but, many will ask if this great play is short lived. Its always great to see old or new faces win but, many lack what is needed to be consistent. 

Wagner is 31, joining the thirty something club, which for many golfers can be the prime years ( ex. Luke Donald) . Whether Wagner wins again this year or the next, he has proved he has what it takes to win. Hats off and good luck Johnson Wagner.  

HTWD Picks of the Week: Sony Open

Choi vs. Bradley

JJ: Alright, so now that the first leg of the Hawaii run is over, let's get onto this week for the Sony Open! I'm going to go with Keegan Bradley for this Hawaiian tourney, simply because I feel like it. Keegs played okay last week, but his last round, an 8-under 65 is a great springboard for this week. Finishing strong will definitely motivate him to get a W this week. It also helps that Keegan's Clan came over to help cheer him on. That, and the great amount of Vitamin D given by the sun, will surely help Keegan this time around.


Bernardo: This week the PGA Tour continues its run in Sunny Hawaii for the Sony Open. This week my pick is K.J. Choi, as mentioned in Bold Predictions #2, Choi has a high possibility of winning or coming close at this event, relying on his great success back in 2008. Maybe the sight of the ocean, allows Choi to reminisce of  his practice sessions he had on the beach in South Korea as an inspiring amateur, bringing pleasurable memories, allowing him to play some great golf. Whatever the case may be, Choi plays well in the Hawaii. Choi comes into this week with a T5 finish at the Hyundai TOC, matching that with a great season in 2011.


Recap: Last week, Bernardo's pick of Martin Laird bested JJ's selection of Jonathan Byrd by 1 stroke. Laird birdied the last hole to finish runner up, and one position better than Byrd. So Bernardo starts off the season with the first point.

Already used:
JJ: Jonathan Byrd
Bernardo: Martin Laird

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Photo Editing Done By Kyle Contreras
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Stricker Starts off Sizzling

Steve Stricker sure got off to a fast start this year.

The pride of Wisconsin started his year very strongly, capturing the first event of the year, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He now has his ticket back to Kapalua for 2013. Strick ended the tournament with a -23 under par total, besting runner-up Martin Laird by 3 shots.

Steve didn't cake walk through this final day, however. A rough front 9 brought many contenders into play, including Webb Simpson, Jonathan Byrd, and Laird. He was hovering around even for much of the front, until he made a nice up and down on the par-5 9th hole for birdie to get things going. He played much better after that, not making a bogey on the back side with 3 birdies to boot.

Will this be the year Stricker comes through with a major? It could be. He's 44 and some say the window could be closing on him soon. If he can play like this though, he definitely will have a chance.

Photo via AP

Tiger Announces 2012 PGA Tour Debut

Tiger with Joe LaCava 

If you haven't heard yet, Tiger Woods finally ended speculation as to where he would start of his 2012 PGA Tour season. We all knew that he would be making his worldwide 2012 debut later this month at Abu Dhabi, for the HSBC World Championship.

However, we didn't know where he was going to begin his season in America. Well finally, Tiger announced on his website that he'd start his season off at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which runs from February 9-12. He hasn't played in this event in a decade, but I think we all know how well he plays Pebble. 

It'll be interesting to see how he'll do, and who he will be paired up with. My immediate guess is he'll top-10 the event and be paired with Dallas QB Tony Romo for his amateur partner. What do you guys think?

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HTWD Bold Predicton: #1 (!) - Tiger Woods Wins PGA Tour Player of the Year, Finishes as World No. 1

Here is the final HTWD prediction before the golf season finally kicks off in Kapalua!! And of course, the No. 1 Boldest prediction for us has to do with the greatest golfer of his era; Tiger Woods! Check down below to see what we have to say about Tiger's upcoming 2012 season.

You all should have known that we were gonna save Tiger the number one spot on our list! I mean, you had to figure he was gonna make the list, and he was gonna be high up there. That's because we have some high expectations and predictions for Mr. Woods. I predict that this year, he's going to have a BIG comeback year. I think he will start off strong by taking this years Masters, while taking 3 other regular PGA Tour titles, en route to a PGA Tour Player of the Year, and possibly Comeback Player of the Year, award. I also think that he will be consistent enough this year to finish the year as the No. 1 golfer yet again. Yep, I said it. Tiger Woods will be the highest ranked player in golf by his next birthday, and he will have earned it by having a classic Tiger season.

Sooooo, there you have it, folks! There are our predicitons. Now we have to see how they will hold up as we go through this long golf season. Make sure to watch the season opener that begins today! Coverage starts on the Golf Channel, with Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller co-commentating.

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HTWD Bold Predictions #2 - 2012, The Year Of The Choi

The Tank utilizing his favorite weapon,  R11 driver

HTWD Bold Prediction #2. The number 2 is a great score on the golf course but it also signifies a 2nd place finish, which can be hard on those that are searching for their first win or a career comeback. Reaching par 5s with 2 shots, is definitely a confidence booster but, missing the eagle putt is not. 


For Bold Prediction #2, I'm predicting KJ Choi, the "Tank", will experience his best career season on the PGA Tour. Choi is currently ranked 15th in the Official World Golf Rankings, coming off his biggest win, at the unofficial major, The Players Championship. Choi has come a long way since his beginnings in Wando, South Korea, transforming into a world class player. I believe Choi is capable of defending at the Players Championship. He has a high chance of winning at these events: AT&T National (won in 07) and Sony Open (won in 08). BOLDEST part of this prediction, is I believe the Tank will win the PGA Championship, where fellow countrymen Y.E. Yang defeated Tiger Woods. Overall the guy is a solid player, the way he carries himself on and off the course is one to admire. Comeback tomorrow for Bold Prediction #1, written by fellow blogger, JJ. Till next time, Hit 'em long and straight.

HTWD Picks of the Week: The Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Photo via bp.blogspot.com

Here it is, everyone! The debut of the 2012 PGA Tour Season starts tomorrow in Hawaii! To kick things off, we will begin our season long "Picks of the Week" segment at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. If you have forgotten the rules we go by, or have never seen us do this type of blog before, just go ahead and read the description we have on the side of our homepage. We've done a bit of a format change for this year, as we will now just share our pics off one blog to create less confusion. Also, at the end of this competition, the losing blogger has to buy the winner dinner. So, It'll definitely make each pick count. Here we go, and enjoy!!!


JJ: Welcome to the new year, everyone!! Boy that off-season was long, wasn't it? Almost felt like it never happened! Anyways, here we are at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and back at our Picks of the Week! In case you don't recall, Bernardo took down the inaugural Pick of the Week race last year, winning many picks in a row to never really lose his lead. Well, that's going to definitely change this time around, because there is no way I'm going to lose this year! I definitely don't want to pay for a dinner, and I'm going to be much craftier on my picks this year. That's why I'm starting off this season by selecting defending champion Jonathan Byrd (right). Why, Byrd, you ask? Well that's simple. For one, the dude is the defending champ. Obviously, he is a fast starter and shakes rust off easily. And secondly, he has had good success in years past too, collecting a couple of high finishes in this "winner's only" field, so he knows how to beat good talent on a great golf course. So there it is. The Byrd is the word! (My apologies for that bad and overused pun, just had to do it)

 VS

Bernardo: My fellow blogger seemed to sum up the previous year nicely, so I’ll move on to my first pick of year! The PGA Tour kicks off the season in beautiful Hawaii for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Show casing only players who won in the 2011 season. This week I’m picking Martin Laird (left), mainly to start the season pretty quiet. Laird has some positive history at Kapalua, finishing top 5, back in 2010. The guy has a beefy stick and by that I mean driving distance, which at the Plantation course is very favorable. Obviously, he knows how to win,  so it wouldn’t be surprising to see his name on the leader board on Sunday. With such a stacked field it is difficult to predict a winner but, this will be a preview what is to come. 

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HTWD Bold Predictions #3 - Phil Mickelson Wins The U.S. Open

Can Phil finally win the major that has always eluded him?

Here lies the 3rd Bold Prediction, and boy is it BOLD. The number 3 is a respectable score on any hole on any course, including executive courses. Pars or better are always awesome. 3 woods are always solid. Check below for what we have to say about Phil.


So as the Bold Prediction's get closer and closer to #1, they get more and more bold. This is why I am predicting that mighty "Lefty" will get it done at this year's U.S. Open, held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Yes, we all know that he has never won the National Open title, and that he's been close before, but I think this is the year he breaks through and solidifies his already Hall of Fame career even more. Why do I think this? Well, it's simple- he ALWAYS surprises us. Whether it be with greatness or stupidity, Phil never ceases to amaze and shock. One moment you think he is the best golfer on the planet, the next moment he is missing the cut at a regular PGA Tour event. This is why Phil WILL win the U.S. Open. He will shock us all after he finishes Sunday with the lead and is holding the trophy in his arms.

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HTWD Bold Predictions : #4- Rory Mcllroy will become world #1.

HTWD continues with Bold Prediction #4. Four or 4.0 is a great number if it reflects your gpa. It also takes four years to complete your undergraduate studies but, like in golf, it is difficult to get par on some par 4s. Four can be good or bad, we'll let the golfer decide.

For Bold Prediction #4, I believe Rory Mcilroy will overcome fellow Ryder Cup teammate Luke Donald, becoming world #1. The prediction might be very bold but, Mcilroy is currently #3 in the Official World Rankings, as evident in the case of Donald, it is possible with some consistency. In 2011 we saw Mcilroy win twice, at U.S. Open and UBS Hong Kong Open. Mcilroy experienced a meltdown at the Masters, which should not be used against him, failures are common in professional sports. I believe Mcilroy will contend in every major, racking up multiple wins both on the PGA and European Tour. So make sure to keep an eye on the Northern Irishmen as we paves his way to legacy. Till next time 10-4.

HTWD Bold Prediciton #5 - Luke Donald Wins A Major Championship

Here lies the 5th Bold Prediction for the 2012 season. 5 is a bit of an odd number, an acceptable score for par 5's, yet horrifying for par 3's. Check out this prediction that we have below.


For this prediction, I'm going to say that Luke Donald finally claims his first major championship. The current world No. 1 and Player of the Year will have another stellar season by claiming his first major. He's accomplished so much in the past year that this victory will only help his case for the best player in the world. I predict that he will hold off a charging Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods to win the tournament. The most likely places he will win at are either The Masters or the Open Championship. With that said, you heard it hear first! Stay tuned for the 4th Bold Prediction.

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HTWD Bold Predictions : #6- 2012 PGA Tour Rookies

Happy New Year!!! The HTWD Bold Predictions continues with #6. Everything is always better in evens but, not when it comes to speeding tickets. The countdown begins for the first tee shot of the year on the PGA Tour.


For prediction #6, I predict that the new rookie class of 2012 will match or overcome the success of the  rookie class of 2011. The class of 2011, certainly set the standard of what is expected of the young talent entering the life of a professional golf. Keegan Bradley was named Rookie of the Year, after winning the HP Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship. Winning a major as a rookie is rare. Here is a link exhibiting the names of the 2012 class, with some notable names.Along with the prediction, I believe Danny Lee and Jamie Lovemark, will be the players to watch, battling to become ROTY.