Honda Classic POTW: Billy Horschel vs. Graeme McDowell

Welcome to our Picks of the Week game! Rules are simple: Each week Bernardo and I will select one golfer entered in the current tournament. Whichever golfer finishes highest earns one of us a point. Exceptions: 3 points if our golfer wins the whole thing, Major Championships are doubled (so that's a possibility of 6 points), and tied finishes result in 0 points. Oh, and once we use a golfer, we can't use him for the rest of year. We're doing this until the TOUR Championship. Bernardo has won this 2 times in a row, so let's see if he can go for the three peat! 

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JJ: After a weird tie between Bernardo and myself, we begin the Florida swing for the PGA Tour. And since my biggest name (Rory) couldn't beat the lowest seed last week, I'm going to do some quick thinking and go with a lesser known player. I'm taking Billy Horschel this week. I first found out about this guy when he played with Tiger at Torrey, and even though he didn't have the most memorable weekend, I still liked what I saw. He has a nice swing, and obviously has the game since he started the Farmer's Insurance Open in the last group for the weekend rounds. He just needs to get used to the pressure of a big tour event, and this week he might be able to break through.

Bernardo: This week I’m going with JJ’s favorite golfer Graeme McDowell or as some call him G-Mac. I’ve been a fan of his natural swing and over the past few seasons he’s definitely proven it works.  He’s a major champion, winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach back in 2010 and its about time G-Mac returns to the winner’s circle. This lad is talented enough to be a consistent contender and hopefully we see a spark of greatness this week.

                                            

JJ's used: Brandt Snedeker, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy

Bernardo's used: Keegan Bradley, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, Aaron Baddeley, Tiger Woods

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WGC Accenture Match Play: Master Matt

After one of the weirder weeks in recent golf memory (SNOW in Arizona?!?), we finally came to a conclusion of the big week of Match Play. A valiant effort by defending champ Hunter Mahan came up just short, as he lost to 2013 winner, Matt Kuchar, with a score of 2&1.

Kuchar only trailed 4 holes all week and, like Luke Donald a couple years back, never saw the 18th hole in any of his 6 matches. He was clearly the best player this week, as each match I watched him play showed how in command of his game was. He hit his irons close, made putts, and never seemed too nervous. His game plan was executed to near perfection each match, and it was something fun to watch.

Kuch stepped up at a time where there were no top 10 players left by the middle of the weekend, and he showed us that he has the potential to be a consistent top 10 player. He's arguably the best player without a major right now, and this win adds to his case.

He's now won the PLAYERS, a WGC event, and a couple other PGA TOUR events to prove his worth as an elite golfer. At this pace, Matt will crack the top 10 and be contending at Augusta. Let's see if this step is one step closer to him reaching new heights.

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WGC Accenture Match Play POTW: Tiger Woods vs. Rory McIlroy

Welcome to our Picks of the Week game! Rules are simple: Each week Bernardo and I will select one golfer entered in the current tournament. Whichever golfer finishes highest earns one of us a point. Exceptions: 3 points if our golfer wins the whole thing, Major Championships are doubled (so that's a possibility of 6 points), and tied finishes result in 0 points. Oh, and once we use a golfer, we can't use him for the rest of year. We're doing this until the TOUR Championship. Bernardo has won this 2 times in a row, so let's see if he can go for the three peat! 

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Bernardo: The PGA Tour now heads to Dove Mountain GC for the first WGC event of the year. The Accenture Match Play is always a thrill to watch. You have the world’s best golfers going head-to-head. There tends to be a mixture of upsets and complete dominations by players throughout the tournament. This week I’m going with a former World #1, Tiger Woods. WGC events are worth more points when it comes to Official World Golf Ranking points, this surely should be an incentive for Tiger to win this week as he wishes to reclaim his title of World #1. After looking over the brackets I believe Tiger should be able to win the Player bracket but, the Snead bracket champion will determine his odds since the Snead bracket has some top contenders when it comes to match play. Good Luck Tiger!

JJ: As we head into our first and only match play stop of the PGA Tour season, we can now realize we are fully under way in regards to 2013 golf. Tiger's won, Phil's won, and Brandt's won. Now, we need Rory to win and then we'll be fully satisfied. For that reason, I'm picking him to win in his PGA Tour season debut this week. I know he missed the cut in his only other start this year in the Euro circuit, but his Jones bracket doesn't look too bad. I can see him beating Charl Schwartzel and Keegan Bradley en route to the final, where he'd take down Luke Donald. This definitely will be a fun week to watch, and I can't wait for it to start.

JJ's used: Brandt Snedeker, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald

Bernardo's used: Keegan Bradley, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, Aaron Baddeley

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Amateur Analysis: Landon Donovan Returns (Sort Of)

Will Klinsmann wait for LD like Bruce Arena did?

Yesterday, the LA Galaxy announced that midfielder Landon Donovan would be returning to the team by the end of March. This ended a ton of speculation as to if/when he would return. Unfortunately, now that his return is announced, it only raises more questions about what will happen next, especially regarding his USMNT status.

Club wise, there's little doubt that once he if fully fit for the MLS season, he'll be the captain & playmaker for the Galaxy. With David Beckham gone, he's only going to be a more critical piece if they want to continue their success as 2-time defending champions. He and Robbie Keane are going to continue the fantastic run they had in the latter part of last season, and it should translate into some good results.

The questions will arise when it comes to national team duty, however. We lost at Jamaica last year when he was hurt and couldn't play. We lost at Honduras a couple weeks ago while he was on sabbatical. It's extremely clear that the USMNT desperately needs him badly. Although I feel that Brek Shea, Stu Holden, Josh Gatt, and Mix Diskerud can be players in the future to replace LD on on the right wing, none are there just yet (either mentally or physically). When Landon isn't in the USMNT roster, we miss his speed, creativity, and competitive drive. He may not be a vocal leader, but he's the greatest player we've ever had and motivates everyone else to keep fighting.

If this projection holds true, then he's expected to miss at least 2 WCQs: Costa Rica and at Mexico. Something tells me that he's not going to want to miss the game at Mexico in late March. He's always pusehd himself to another level for Mexico, and hopefully he can get fired up to play at Azteca for what might be his last time.

We just have to hope that Jurgen Klinsmann was as patient as Bruce Arena was for Landon Donovan to come back. If he was, then we should get a very motivated and refreshed player coming into our national team once again. If he wasn't patient, then the era of post-Landon Donovan might be upon us. And after getting a few glimpses at it, it doesn't look so good.

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The Northern Trust Open: Merrick

A dream come true for the former UCLA Bruin, John Merrick. The win at Riviera would not come easy. With a chance to win outright on the 18^th hole with a birdie, Merrick settled for a par, forcing a playoff against Charlie Beljan. On the 2^nd playoff hole, Beljan was unable to make his par putt to force the playoff, allowing Merrick to obtain his first (maiden) PGA Tour title. This win is both meaningful for Merrick and golf, since he is a local to the Los Angeles area and was able to win in his hometown. He definitely is a great golfer but he surprised many with he’s brilliant play on Sunday, which ultimately crowned him a champion. He did so with some clinical putts and shots, including the misfortune of others. Congratulations John Merrick!

What's next: With this newfound momentum Merrick should be able to compete fairly confident as his season continues. The ideal scenario would be a top 10 finish at a major, multiple victories, and a President’s Cup captain’s pick.

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HTWD Picks of the Week: The Northern Trust Open

Welcome to our Picks of the Week game! Rules are simple: Each week Bernardo and I will select one golfer entered in the current tournament. Whichever golfer finishes highest earns one of us a point. Exceptions: 3 points if our golfer wins the whole thing, Major Championships are doubled (so that's a possibility of 6 points), and tied finishes result in 0 points. Oh, and once we use a golfer, we can't use him for the rest of year. We're doing this until the TOUR Championship. Bernardo has won this 2 times in a row, so let's see if he can go for the three peat!  

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JJ: We're making one final stop in California for a good while this week at the Northern Trust Open. And while the Cali Swing ends, one golfer's season begins. Luke Donald, who I am picking this week, starts his 2013 PGA Tour year at Riviera; a place where he's usually either went "feast or famine" at. And although he may be a little rusty, I expect the familiarity of the course to bring Luke some good vibes for a good finish here this week.

Bernardo: This week I’m going with Aaron Baddeley. Last week at the AT&T Pebble Pro-Am I watched him practice after his second round, his ball striking quality was superb. He hasn’t missed a cut this year and is a previous champion at this event. With this momentum the Aussie should be a favorite this week.

JJ's used: Brandt Snedeker, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington

Bernardo's used: Keegan Bradley, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson

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