Valero Texas Open: Five To Thrive

The weekly "Five To Thrive" column continues this week in the first Texas event of the year, the Valero Texas Open.

After some fun in the sun in Florida, the TOUR heads to Texas for the Valero Texas Open. This is the penultimate event before The Masters, so lots of players are heading to TPC San Antonio hone their game before Augusta. Here are the top 5 golfers you should keep an eye on this week:

5. J.B. Holmes - Long hitting J.B. finally showed some signs of life with a top ten finish last week at Arnie's event. I've always been a fan of his style, and I hope his good momentum can give him another solid tournament this week.

4. Jordan Spieth - He's quieted down a bit after his hot start, but I think this will be a good week for the young star. After a bit of rest, I think Jordan is primed for another great week, and should be in the mix on Sunday afternoon.

3. Matt Kuchar - The usually consistent Kuchar didn't make much noise in the Sunshine State, which surprised me a bit. Shouldn't be a surprise if he contends this week though; he has 2 top-25 finishes here. I expect Kooch to get back on track.

2. Zach Johnson - Zach always seems to play well at this event (2 wins), and with The Masters right around the corner, I know he wants to hit peak form. Although he might not win this week, I expect ZJ to show us why he's still one of the best Americans playing right now.

1. Phil Mickelson - Look, I know Phil hasn't had the greatest season so far, but that's just who he is. He's one of the streakiest players we have in the game, and that's what makes him so entertaining. Here's to hoping he surprises a lot of us and comes out on top!

Well, there you have it. These are my 5 players to thrive at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Let us know your 5 in the comments, or tweet at us @HTWDSports!

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Five To Thrive

The weekly "Five To Thrive" column resumes this week in the last Sunshine State event for a little while, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

It's always bittersweet to know that we are at Arnie's event. It's good to know that we are only weeks away from the Masters, but it also means the end of the Florida swing, which is one of my favorite stretches during the season. Nonetheless, we keep moving on whether we like it or not! Here are the top 5 golfers you should keep an eye on this week:

5. Ryan Moore - Defending champ of the CIMB classic, this 32 year old American will look to land another PGA Tour win. Currently 9th in the FedEx cup standings, I think Ryan is due for a good tournament.

4. Justin Rose - Although Mr. Rosie hit a terrible chunk during the final round at the Valspar Championship last week, he still managed to grab a top 10. Even though he may still not be 100% healthy, I foresee another top 10 for Justin at Bay Hill.

3. Tiger Woods - The defending champ has really had a poor season so far. He has more WD's than top 10s, which is not a good sign with the Masters right around the corner. Still suffering from a sore back, any result from Tiger is possible this week. I'm still optimistic that he can contend here, since he's won this tournament like a million times. But, a missed cut could be likely. Hopefully we get 4 full, mostly healthy rounds from Woods to really see where his game is trending.

2. Patrick Reed - A self proclaimed "top 5 player in the world", Patrick Reed will have many more eyes on him this week. Currently, he does have the right to say he's a top player, as he's one of the few with multiple wins in this early season. But, with The King watching, we will see if he can deliver with the pressure on him.

1. Graeme McDowell - G-Mac has a pretty solid track record here, with a 2nd place showing in 2012. Coming off of a top-10 at the WGC event 2 weeks ago, I think McDowell is primed for a big tournament. A win here ahead of the Masters wouldn't surprise me. He's finally looking like he is ready to challenge for his 2nd major title.

Well, there you have it. These are my 5 players to thrive at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Let us know your 5 in the comments, or tweet at us @HTWDSports!

Valspar Championship: Five To Thrive

Photo via innisbrookgolfresort.com

Our "Five To Thrive" column continues this week at another PGA Tour stop in Florida, the Valspar Championship.

This week, the PGA Tour heads to Copperhead for the Valspar Championship, aka the Tampa Bay Classic. Unfortunately, this tournament is jammed into two marquee events (WGC Cadillac & Bay Hill), so it doesn't get an elite field. But, it does always manage to bring great drama with an incrdible finishing set of holes.  Let's take a look at the 5 players to watch this week:

5. K.J. Choi - A 2-time winner of this event, Choi really enjoys the challenge that Copperhead brings. He may not be as consistent as he used to be, but some tournaments bring out the best in players. I think that this is the place for K.J. to turn back the clock and contend.

4. Kevin Streelman - The defending champ! He's been in some decent form as of late, with a top-25 finish at Doral last week. I don't think he will win the tournament, but I do think he will put up a good fight in order to defend his title.

3. Luke Donald - His tournament at Doral was nothing short of ridiculous; shot an 82 and still managed to finish in the top-25! If that's not pure grinding, then I don't know what is. The 2012 winner should carry that momentum into a good week here.

2. Justin Rose - J. Rose has been dealing with a shoulder injury for a while now, but after some adequate treatment I think he should be okay for this week. He's never missed a cut at Copperhead, and I don't expect that streak to end this year.

1. Jordan Spieth - This American phenom has been nothing short of sensational this year. He's arguably been the most consistent player on the PGA Tour in 2014. He hasn't collected a win this year yet, but that should change this week. I see Spieth winning the title and giving experts a lot to consider when making their Masters predicitons in about a month.

Well, there you have it. These are my five golfers to thrive this week at the Valspar Championship. Let us know who you think will thrive this week in the comments below, or tweet us @HTWDSports!

BNP Paribas Open: Five To Thrive

Photo via: BNP Paribas Open blog

We continue our "Five To Thrive" series this week by analyzing the upcoming ATP tennis tournament in Indian Wells, the BNP Paribas Open. 

Last year, Rafa Nadal defeated Juan Martin del Potro in a great 3 set final. With Stan Wawrinka playing his first tournament since his breakthrough victory at the Australian Open, and Roger Federer taking the title in Dubai last week, this year's tournament should bring a lot of drama and additional story lines. Let's take a look at 5 players who I think will make the most noise at one of the best Masters 1000 tournaments of the year:

5. Grigor Dimitrov - A player who used to only be known for his incredible similarities to Roger Federer is now making a name for himself. Dimitrov won a title last week in Acapulco by defeating Andy Murray and Kevin Andersen. Just 23 years old, Grigor also made a deep run in Australia, eventually losing to Nadal in the quarterfinals in 4 tight sets. I envision a quarterfinal run (at the very least) for him in Indian Wells.

4. Stan Wawrinka - The newest Grand Slam champion has surprisingly not played since his victory. That's okay though, as he probably needed the time of to rest and adjust to his new life. The world No. 3 has had a fair amount of success at IW, with a 13-6 singles record. Even though some argue that he may disappoint after such a huge victory, I don't think that's the case. I think Stan will continue to show why he now belongs with the elite, and I expect a semifinals appearance from him.

3. Roger Federer - Like Dimitrov, Federer won last week to increase the expectations of his 2014 season. As expected, he is the current record holder for most titles at this tournament, with 4. I do not expect him to win this tournament, but I do think he will give the tennis world more indication that 2013 was an aberration, and that he is poised for a big 2014.

2. Rafa Nadal - Rafa gave us all a scare at the Australian Open final when he hurt his back. With his history of injuries, at that moment it seemed like it was going to be one where he would be out for a while. Luckily, it wasn't serious, and he resumed to his winning ways in Brazil a few weeks ago. Although he's the defending champ, I don't see Rafa defending his title. I see him making the final, but I think he will eventually lose to...

1. Novak Djokovic - Novak hasn't won a title heading into IW for the first time in a while. That is very strange, considering that in years past he'd win either the Australian Open, the tournament in Dubai, or both. So going into Indian Wells without a title is a bit weird, but I expect that to change this week. The Djoker, when focused, is the most lethal tennis player on the planet, and I think it is time for him to really lock into 2014. My prediction: Nole will win the title and jumpstart his season after 2 mediocre showings.

Well, there you have it. These are my five to thrive this week at the BNP Paribas Open. Agree/disagree? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us @HTWDSports!

LPGA HSBC Champions: Paula Creamer's Crazy Putt

I don't normally get a chance to post anything LPGA related, but thankfully, that has changed today thanks to Paula Creamer.

My favorite female player sank an incredible 75 foot putt yesterday evening to beat Azahara Munoz in a playoff at the HSBC Champions tournament.

They both trailed Karrie Webb at the start of the day, and eventually overtook her to head into the sudden death battle.

On the 2nd hole, that's where the magic happened. Paula had an eagle putt which a lag to within 5 feet would be superb. Initially, I think that's what she was going for,  as she played a ton of break to cozy it up there. But, with a little luck, the ball found the right line and dropped perfectly into the cup. Naturally, she went crazy when she realized she made it, and is now a proud tournament winner once again.

I hope this win jumpstarts her career again. In my biased mind she's one of the best players on the tour, but her results don't always show up in wins. Maybe it'll change now with this victory and her upcoming marriage.

Congrats Paula!

Video of the awesome putt: