DJ live at the Barclays

DJ 

Dustin Johnson or as many may know Mr. 54 once again prevails in 3 rounds. Coming into this week many believed DJ was not fully firing on all cylinders but this week everything seemed to go well, 19-under for three rounds is pretty darn good. 

DJ has won in 54 holes at Pebble Beach because of extreme weather conditions, which is story this week as well. 

Matt Kuchar the defending champion was not able to seal the deal this week, exhibiting that your best effort, sometimes isn’t enough. (mean haha)

Camilo Villegas seems to be able to gear up (roids haha) for the playoffs. The guy  was clearly clutch this week. Spider man came in ranked 109 in FedEx points race, but after a top 10 finish, Villegas jumped to 51, getting a spot into next’s week event. 

Jim Furyk the defending FedEx Cup Champion did not find his mojo, I guess 10 million can satisfy a man. 

The current score in HTWD points race is Bernardo (me) 14 and JJ 11. Stay tuned for an interesting video, to be uploaded during the following week 

Recap:

Pick of the Week: The Barclays

Charles Howell III at the PGA

Folks the time for the FedEx playoffs has arrived and many are anxious to continue to the final event, hoping to become the FedEx Cup Champion. This week the PGA Tour   visits  Plainfield Country Club for The Barclays. The defending champion is Matt Kuchar, which is one of the favorites this week. 

There is four playoff events: The Barclays (Top 125), Deutsche Bank Championship (Top 100), BMW Championship (Top 70), and The Tour Championship (Top 30). Each week the excitement grows as many battle to make the cut line in FedEx Points.  Current Standings  

My pick of the week is Charles Howell III, who is in a hot streak with multiple top 5 finishes throughout his 2011 season. The guy is pretty much solid right now, do not be surprised if he finishes within the top 10 this week. Seems like the change to Mizuno Golf has worked out for the Augusta born and raised golfer.  

It will be interesting to see how the playoffs will play out. Could the world #1 Luke Donald be able to seal the deal to a great season or will Steve Stricker be able to imprint his name in history, with so many great players stacked in the top 10, it is difficult to predict. 

FedEx Cup Playoffs 

Previous Selections-  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, Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore, Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Jeff Overton, Bo Van Pelt, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, and Anthony Kim. 

Pick of the Week: The Barclays

Helllooooo everyone, and welcome to this weeks Picking blogs. Whelp, while the NFL is in the preseason and the MLB is nearing the end to their regular season, the PGA TOUR has officially ended their regular season, and we are now headed into the playoffs. This week, the top 125 finishers in the season long Fed Ex Cup points standing are heading to compete in the Barclays. From here, they will try to post a high finish and see if that will be good to get them into the field for the Deutsche Bank Championship, and so on, and so forth (Bernardo explained this in an earlier blog so go ahead and read his if you are a bit confused on how these playoffs work).

This season has been a long and quirky one, with many first time winners and rookies commanding the center of attention. But, disregard that. This is the playoffs, where the pressure is higher, and the payout is greater. This is where savvy and experienced veterans take hold, and show the golf world how elite golf is played for 4 weeks. This is why I'm going with Jim Furyk for my selection this week. He hasn't had the greatest of seasons so far, but I have three main reasons I'm picking him to start these playoffs with a bang: 1) He is the DEFENDING champion of these playoffs. 2) He is starting to round into form, with some good finishes as of late. 3) He plays the Taylormade Penta golf ball, which is my favorite golf ball to use.

Jim may not win this week as he's still starting to find his game and put it together, but this guy knows how to get it done at this time of the year, so I believe his experience alone will help me grab another point 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, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney, Jonathan Byrd, Martin Kaymer, Ryan Moore, Charles Howell III, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, David Toms.

Bowling Night

Exactly two weeks ago, the HTWD crew and some other friends decided to go bowling. We went to Salinas Valley Center Bowl, a place which has a good deal on Tuesday nights. On Tuesdays, you can get a game for only 3 bucks each, with the shoes being 3 dollars to rent also. We ended up playing 2 games, and I managed to record at least one clip of Bernardo and I, AND a special guest/close friend of ours. It was a lot of fun, and we all had a few highlights by the end of the night. Both Bernardo and I bowled over 100 in one of our games, and our guest in the red jacket had a strike and a few spares to also brag about. (If you haven't guessed by now or can't figure out who it is in the video, well... our guest is Alejandro Chavez!)

Here's the little vid I put together:

HTWD Outing: Santa Cruz Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

Other than going golfing, chilling, and going bowling, the HTWD crew has been up to some fun. Most notably, hitting up the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with a bunch of other friends a few weekends ago. We did a ton of things on a beautiful, sunny day by the beach, and it was just plain awesome.

Deep fried oreos

The Santa Cruz Boardwalk has a variety of amazingly delicious food but not always the healthiest of foods. To fulfill the immense appetite of a golfer or some regular dudes, we had some tasty deep fried oreos. Nowadays you can almost deep fried anything, they also offer deep fried: twinkies and pbj uncrustables. If you have not experienced one of these bad boys, I recommend you do.

Mini-golf was a must do for us, especially since our entire group of friends had a ticket to burn on a free "attraction". And since mini-golf is considered an attraction at this spot, it was were we went. We were able to get a little vid of a hole that Bernardo and I both played; it was a lot trickier than it looked on camera. All in all, there was three groups of three of us out there. We had a mixture of some holes-in-one, some nice longer putts, and some putts that we'd rather forget.

We also were fortunate to get on the Merry-go-round they have at the boardwalk quite a few times. Yeah, we all know we are nearing the end of our teen years, but we didn't care, a cool ride is all the same to us, and this was one very cool ride! The thing that makes this one different than all the other merry-go-rounds is that, if you are on an outer horse, you can grab a ring and try to get it into a Clown's Mouth. It's something that is really enjoyable to do. And even though there are bigger and faster rides at this Boardwalk, this Merry-go-round made us keep coming back for more.

Wyn-ning

Webb Simpson has easily established himself in the past 2 years as one of the top players on the PGA Tour without a victory. He has suffered close call after close call for the past 24 months.

He’s had leads, only to get called by some bogus penalty. He’s been right in the thick of things on the final day, only to come up just short each time.

Well ladies and gentlemen, he’s not on that short list anymore. You can now call Webb Simpson a PGA Tour winner.

Webb shot a final round 67 (3 under par) to claim his first victory at the Wyndham Championship by three shots. His total of -18 bested the scores of -15 and -14 that were put together by George McNeill and Tommy Gainey, respectively.

Simpson grew up in North Carolina, which was where this tourney was held, and had always had fond memories of this event. Now, his memories might get even sweeter with this win. The 26 year old Wake Forest alum makes his “solid” season turn into great. He finally gets that elusive first win, and with the talent he has, this won’t be his last. He also jumped to No. 3 in the Fed Ex Cup standings, surpassing World No. 1 Luke Donald and just behind Nick Watney and Steve Stricker. This is great for golf, and just makes the Fed Ex Cup playoffs a bit more interesting...

Pick of the Week: Wyndham Championship

The time has come for the PGA Tour’s final stop before the FedEx Playoffs. Yes thats right folks, golf has playoffs, exhibiting the competitiveness and growth of game. 

The Wyndham Championship is held at Sedgefield Country Club, known for giving up many birdies and low scores. 

With the playoffs around the corner many will compete to make the cut in the FedEx points race, but those close or within the top 10, will fight to retain their position, allowing them to have a chance to win the FedEx Cup. 

My pick of the week is Anthony Kim, which has not produced the best of seasons, but is capable to go low when the conditions are presented. Kim’s best finish this year was at the British Open and the Farmers Insurance Open, hopefully he will be able to pull thru this week. Kim is one of my favorite golfers and would hate to see him go winless. 

The current score for HTWD Pick of Week Points Race is 13 Bernardo (me) and JJ 10. Seem to have my mojo rolling. (rawr!)

Previous Selections-  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, Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore, Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Jeff Overton, Bo Van Pelt and Rickie Fowler.  

Pick of the Week: Wyndham Championship

Hellllooooo everyone, and welcome to another edition of Pick of the Week. This week the TOUR stops for the Wyndham Championship, the final event before the Fed Ex Cup playoffs! Aww yeah, so there is gonna be a ton of storylines on the bubble boys this week. Some big names that are trying to vie for a secure spot into next week's tournament are: Ernie Els, Paul Casey, and Justin Leonard. These three are right on the cusp of missing the 4 tournament playoffs, which can cost them a good chunk of money and a good amount of pride. There are also quite a bit of golfers trying to get a higher spot heading into the playoffs. This includes my pick for the week, David Toms. David has had a super solid season, with a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS, a win the following week of that runner-up, and a top-5 finish at the PGA Championship. He also finished second here last year; that was a good sign that his game was beginning to come around once again. I have a lot of faith in David this week, and since I'm falling behind in the points, I REALLY need him to do 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, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney, Jonathan Byrd, Martin Kaymer, Ryan Moore, Charles Howell III, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods.

Rookie of the Year

Bradley with the Wanamaker Trophy

The leader board was filled with some familiar and unfamiliar names, but at the end of the day, a winner was born. It would take a three hole playoff to decide the PGA Champion. Jason Dufner held the lead while standing on the 15th tee, but exhibited that with golf nothing comes easy, he would lose his lead after multiple bogeys. Dufner was the only player in the field to have not made a bogey on the last four holes, but the pressure to win a major, can get to anyone. Keegan Bradley in the other hand was given a second chance, after a triple-bogey on #15, finishing birdie, birdie, par, enough for a spot in a playoff. 

Bradley would come out victorious and become a MAJOR CHAMPION. What a great win for a rookie on tour, that already has a win this year. Bradley is one out of a selective few that have won a major during their rookie year. Below is the score of the playoff. 

Sergio Garcia finished at 1-under par for the tournament. Garcia fired three rounds of 69. Is it me or does he love the number 69 (hahaha). Though the talented Spaniard has not won a major, he exhibited that he can be ranked among the top players in the world. 

Tiger who? This certainly was an interesting week of golf. Once again the cameras were on Mr.Woods for another week of nonfulfillment. After shooting a first round 77, Tiger declined a post-round interview. Failing to miss the cut after finishing at 10 over par after two days of play, Tiger found himself packing his bags and on route home. It has only been two tournaments since he has been back, but will this be the common trend to come. The apprehensiveness grows and many are dubious to say that “El Tigre” will be back to major champion shape. 

Steve Stricker was one shot short of breaking a record, after firing a tasty 63 on Monday. Seems like the forty club is on the move, revealing that they will not fall short to the 20 and 30 somethings that are currently making a name for themselves.

Besides Tiger missing the cut, the golf world was surprised by Rory Mcllroy’s play on hole #3 during the first round. Instead of simply chipping the ball out to the fairway, he risked hitting the ball which nested next to a tree root. Mcllroy would injury his wrist and struggled throughout the tournament. Mcllroy’s injury represents the difficult decisions endured by golfers and risks that are involved.

Pick of the Week: PGA Championship

Hello to all, and welcome to the fourth and final major of the year, the PGA Championship, a.k.a. "Glory's Last Shot". This is the last week where the best golfers in the world can stake their claim in history and capture their dream victory: a major championship.

Since this is a major, it is an elite field and will contain bigtime names. You name 'em, they'll be here. Heck, even the top PGA professionals (not touring pros) are giving it a go this week, because you'll never know what can happen (See Darren Clarke; British Open 2011).

For this PGA, it will be held at the Atlantic Athletic Club (or AAC), which also hosted it in 2011, when David Toms claimed victory. This can be a tough test. Although there are 2 driveable par 4 holes out there, it won't be easy. This par 70 layout has been described as "stout", especially on the back 9. A majority of the par 3 holes here are quite long, and might not see many birdies. Many experts see 8,9, or 10 under par as the winning score here, which is what I predict as well.

Now, for my pick. I'm going with the unpredictable, roller-coaster-esque, Tiger Woods. Yes, I wrote it, I'M GOING WITH TW!!! I mean heck, this might be his last tournament (as he's 129 FedEx standings- top 125 only get in), he's a 14 time major winner, AAAANNND, I havne't picked him yet, so might as well take him. I don't care of the positives or negatives or whatevers, he's one of my favorite golfers, so I'm going to pick the dude and just roll the dice. I know he might miss the cut, but oh well, I'll hope for the best, and hope for a great week overall!! Make sure to tune in like Bernardo and myself!

Pick of the Week: 93rd PGA Championship

Fowler during a practice round at Atlanta Athletic Club 

Its time for “Glory’s Last Shot”, nickname for the final major of the year, the PGA Championship. The PGA will be held at Atlanta Athletic Club, also known as Bobby’s Place, revealing the history of the course and the beloved Bobby Jones.

Many tend to perceive the PGA as least favorable compared to the other three majors (Masters, U.S. Open, and British Open). But it has played out for some great finishes, 2008 we saw Padraig Harrington defeat Sergio Garcia, 2009 the world watched Tiger Woods be gunned down by Y.E. Yang, 2010 was the beginning of Martin Kaymer’s race to becoming #1 in the world. 

Tiger Woods is back for the second week in a row (cliche haha). Tiger needs a break from the media, but I guess it is permanent with the fame. The guy just needs to get multiple tournaments under his bag, I find it unreasonable for many to presume he  can come out and win an event. Adam Scott winning with Steve Williams on the bag, Tiger’s previous caddie, does not help ease the effort to win.

My pick of the week is Rickie Fowler. Fowler reflects that effortless and unique swing once seen in Bobby Jones. The young star is also on a hot streak, finishing in a tie for second place last week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. The golf community has patiently been waiting for Fowler to get that first win, this could be his chance to be holding the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. 

Preview:

Previous Selections-  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, Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore, Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Jeff Overton, and Bo Van Pelt.

Great Scott

And with that, Stevie Williams helps a 30-something golfer to a dominating and flawless victory at Firestone for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Except this time, it isn't Tiger Woods. It's Adam Scott.

The Adam Scott who, up until this year, HATED putting inside from 10 feet. The Adam Scott who changed caddies from Tony Navarro to Stevie W. The Adam Scott who is starting to show all the talent he flashed at the world about 8 years ago.

Adam has definitely been reborn this year, with a runner up at Augusta National and an elite performance at this week's PGA Tour event. His putting looks reinvigorated, and his caddie situation seems extremely stable now. The swing still looks amazing, and the potential remains sky-high.

He owned a field that is arguably one of the best in golf, by 4 shots. His 65 on Sunday was very impressive, considering it took him a little while to get things going (in terms of birdies). He was also in the top 5 in putts per GIR; a key stat for the pros and a big stat for him considering he's had struggles with the putter his entire career.

Regardless of what his caddie said post-round (and we'll get to that later), this was a GREAT win for Adam. A player with this much talent is now going to be considered a big favorite heading into next week's PGA Championship, the last major of the year. It is well deserved, and let's see how he'll do.

A Work in Progress

3 months later, it's still the same for Tiger Woods. The same questions, the same answers, and (apparently) the same golf game, the same results. It's still what many are calling "a work in progress".

Only now, it still might NOT be the same.

Call me crazy, but in the midst of all this "non-progress" from Woods, I see positives. The potential of the "Old Tiger" is still hidden within him (see 1st Rd. 3 wood from rough, 3rd Rd. 2nd shot on 18). Those two shots still show he has it in him. It's just going to take some time to see shots more often like those. Another positive I see is his health. He said he was going to take time off until he's 100%, and that's just what he's done. He has no limp at all, and even looks a little more fit than last time we saw him in May. Finally, the guy says he's hitting it straighter, of all things. He's not used to seeing shots not curve as much, so that obviously is gonna take some time to get used to.

So anyways, I dunno, say what you want about his negatives, whether it be rust, putting, or just sheer hate, I'm one of the optimists in the Tiger camp. Even Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan see the improvements coming along well. So I can't be the only lunatic here. Tiger will most likely not get it done next week at the PGA, but as long as he's healthy and on a forward track, that's the only thing that can be hoped for as of right now.

Seven Days in Utopia

Finally a great movie targeted at golfers. For those of you that considered yourself a golfer, you can relate to the challenges felt on the course and the many struggles to find a level of satisfaction with your game. “Seven Days in Utopia” depicts the hardships endured by golfers all over the world, disclosing that if you can not look beyond the image you wish to portray to others, you will never find your game, because your not playing for yourself, but for them. Luke Chisolm, the main character, clearly reveals how  easy it is it to lose your game, from one day to another. This film also serves as great motivation for many inspiring golfers out there. 

Pick of the Week: WGC- Bridgestone Invitational

Hellooooooo everyone, and welcome to the latest version of our Pick's of the Week. This week the TOUR and big boys head to Ohio for the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational. This 76 man field is LOADED with talent, so much so that both of last years' Ryder Cup squads are all here. The top 50 ranked golfers in the world will be participating. This event has the feel of a near major. AAAAAANNNDD, the highly talked about Tiger Woods is finally back!! Oh, you know this will definitely be a Tiger week, since there is no cut and that's what many fans would want to see.

But off to my pick of the week. This week, I'm going to go with Dustin Johnson. This supremely long hitting American should be considered a favorite this week, for a few reasons. One- he is just CRAZY talented, and can win any given week. Two- He has top-25'd Firestone both times he's played here. Three- He's coming off the heels of a British Open runner up, so that would have to boost his confidence. I know he does have trouble closing tournaments at times, but I still believe he has the ability to win this week. Heck he almost won the WGC- Cadillac Championship earlier this year. So he can do it, it's just a matter of if he can get there and finish it off.

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, Nick Watney, Jonathan Byrd, Martin Kaymer, Ryan Moore, Charles Howell III.

WGC Bridgestone Invitational

Bo Van Pelt at The Masters

Hello ladies and gentlemen. This week the PGA Tour visits Firestone Country for the World Golf Championships- Bridgestone Invitational. Big news coming into this event as noted by my fellow blogger, Tiger Woods will be returning to professional golf this week. I hope Tiger will play well, because this appearance can either help his image or harm it. This week my pick will be Bo Van Pelt, relying on his great play last year at this event, shooting multiple rounds in the 60s. Bo Van Pelt is also crafting a great season with a top 10 at the Masters and numerous top 25s, resulting in a desirable income. 

Preview:

Previous Selections-  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, Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore, Steve Stricker, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, and Jeff Overton. 

Return of the King

Aaaaaaanddd just like that, he's back. Tiger Woods has finally returned from his nearly 3 month hiatus from the PGA Tour. Leg and ankle injuires are what plagued Woods this time, so much so that the last time he teed it up at an event, he only lasted 9 holes before he withdrew. After that chaos ensued, one thing led to another, and many speculated on when he would return. Some thought he'd be back by the U.S. Open. Nope. Others thought the British is when he would tee it up again. Wrong. A bit of people even thought he'd just shut it down for the season. Nuh-uh.

Turns out Firestone for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational would be his place of choice to return. “Oh, yeah, the knee is better, no doubt. The Achilles is better, as well.” is what a confident Woods told the media earlier this morning. So yeah, his confidence is there. His health is (according to him) as good as its been in "years" as well. But how's his golf game, you ask? That's as good a guess as anyone else's.

Apparently, his coach doesn't even know. Last week his swing coach Sean Foley admitted that he hadn't had a range session with Woods since the injury. But, Tiger told the media he has been hitting balls for a few weeks now, and was super close to playing the Greenbrier last week, but wanted to hold off for a bit longer. Well, that bit is now and the world will get to see how the former No. 1 will play for a full 4 days (there is no cut, so barring a DQ or WD from him, he'll get to play all 72 holes, regardless of success or fail).

So, although "El Tigre" is back and ready to go, that's all we know about him for now. Even though he will be playing with good buddy Darren Clarke for the first two rounds and has his design president on the bag for him, the questions are still very much with him. Anything from "How healthy is he really?" to "Was playing here the right decision?" will be thrown around by the announcers this week. Trust me. They'll ask these and MANY more. Why? Because it's Tiger Woods, one of the most famous athletes ever to play a sport. If he does well, then that's awesome for golf and sport in general. That'll mean a global star is on the upswing. But if not... then we'll have to wait a little while longer to see if he can get to his prime form once again. Regardless, we'll all be (to quote a Jack Johnson song) sitting, waiting, wishing for something to happen.

Here is the ENTIRE Tiger Woods press conference from this morning (Wednesday), courtesy of pgatour.com :