RBC Canadian Open: Piercy Does It

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Scott Piercy is this year’s RBC Canadian Open champion after displaying some great golf at Hamilton Golf Club. To start the tournament off Piercy tied the course record with a 62, which included a pair of eagles. Sunday’s leaderboard exhibited a handful of talented golfers just a few birdies away from obtaining the lead. Piercy got to a quick start on Sunday after carding four straight birdies on the front nine, starting on hole two. But bogeys on hole eight and fourteen would set him back. Piercy got things back to contention after chipping in on hole fifteen for birdie, retaining the lead from Robert Garrigus and securing the win with consistent play in the closing holes of tournament play.

What’s next: Piercy has had a bumpy 2012 season, but a third place finish at the John Deere and a win at the RBC Canadian Open can definitely be a game changer. With a 13^th place standing in the FedEx Points Race, I predict he will shoot for a possible spot at the Tour Championship and possibly a win or top five finishes.

HTWD Picks of the Week: RBC Canadian Open

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JJ: I'm going to make this short and sweet, so I'll go right out and say it: I'm picking Vijay Singh this week. He just finished with a top 10 at last week's ridiculous Open Championship, and has posted many low numbers this year. Although he may be turning 50 within the next few months, I think Vijay has at least one more PGA Tour win in him. Hopefully it's this week at the RBC Canadian Open, and hopefully he can help me inch closer to Bernardo.

Bernardo: This week I'm picking Ernie Els who is coming off a victory at the British Open. Els is a consistent player when he starts to play well. He had a great week in England, which included solid play from tee to green.  We see how he reacts on the course after coming off one of his biggest wins. At the age of 42 Els might be entering his prime like players like Steve Stricker who had breakout seasons in their early to mid forties. In summation I believe Els will play well if not be in contention on Sunday afternoon.  

Already used: 

JJ: Jonathan Byrd, Keegan Bradley, Bryce Molder, Ryan Moore, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hunter Mahan, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Bud Cauley, Jeff Overton, Steve Stricker

Bernardo: Martin Laird, K.J. Choi, Bill Haas, Ben Crane, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Aaron Baddeley, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Bud Cauley, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Robert Karlsson, Lee Westwood, JB Holmes, Brendon De Jonge, Frederick Jacobson, Zach Johnson, Padraig Harrington

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The Open Championship: Un-Easy Finish

Incredible.

If I had to sum up this year's Open Championship in one word, that would be it. This year's Open was "Incredible" for so many reasons. An incredible course, an incredible comeback, and an incredible collapse are the main ones that come to mind.

Royal Lytham and St. Annes put on a heck of a golf tournament, and for that, we thank them greatly. They definitely showed us why they're a major championship golf course, and why they'll definitely be back soon for more. With that said, let's move onto the final round and it's historic drama.

It all started with Australian Adam Scott and his nice 4 shot cushion to start the day. He held the lead over Graeme McDowell, Tiger Woods, and Brandt Snedeker, all who were within 5 shots and the most likely candidates to catch Scott.

However, that didn't happen at all. Each of the aforementioned players struggled, and never really put any pressure on Scott, until Ernie Els crept into the picture and started to wreck havoc.

Sure, Ernie only ended up with a 68, but on a day where everyone went backward, he shot up the leaderboard. Els played brilliant and smart golf, methodically moving around Lytham just like a major champion needs to do in a final round. He lurked and lurked until he holed a 20 footer on 18 to put REAL pressure on Adam.

Unfortunately for Adam, what many thought he had in the bag, was gone in an instant. After making a birdie on 14, he proceeded to make 4 straight bogeys, or basically the opposite of what Charl Schwartzel did at Augusta 2011. The fact that Ernie moved up while Adam moved down didn't help Scott's psyche. He had to press, and it just led to more and more mistakes. It ended up with him missing an 8 footer on 18 to force a playoff with Ernie, and it led to big time heartbreak.

Honestly, as much as I (and many others) was happy for Ernie to win at this point in his career, I was just as disappointed for Adam. He played fabulously for 68 holes and then it all went south so quickly. I really hope that this not only springboards Els' career for a few more years, but that it also helps Adam become a better golfer overall (i.e. Rory at Augusta). I hope they both can play this level of major championship golf in the upcoming majors, because they definitely gave us a week to remember.

Congratulations, Ernie!

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HTWD Picks of the Week: The Open Championship

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JJ: Awww yee, Open Championship week! This is gonna be awesome. There are gonna be some stellar first and second round pairings, a tough test in Royal Lytham, and tons of pressure on the world's best to claim this year's Claret Jug. With that said, I'm going to go with a guy who should have one a major last year: Jason Dufner. Jason has had a superb season this year, and all is missing is a major title to cap it off. He got married, finally is now a winner on the PGA Tour (twice, actually), and is coming in with supreme confidence. He'll definitely be a player to watch this week and hopefully he can navigate through all of the 200+ sand traps on his way to a possibly victory.

Bernardo: It’s Claret Jug time and I’m picking Padraig Harrington who knows a thing or two about winning the Open. The British Open is a difficult tournament for American players due to their lack of experience on link style courses, which in all honesty don’t have the best course conditions and weather can also be a factor. Paddy plays well in these tough conditions and it is evident since he has won this event twice. I predict Paddy will have a routine week at the Open, possibly adding another Claret Jug to his collection. 

Already used: 

JJ: Jonathan Byrd, Keegan Bradley, Bryce Molder, Ryan Moore, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hunter Mahan, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Bud Cauley, Jeff Overton, Steve Stricker

Bernardo: Martin Laird, K.J. Choi, Bill Haas, Ben Crane, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Aaron Baddeley, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Bud Cauley, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Robert Karlsson, Lee Westwood, JB Holmes, Brendon De Jonge, Frederick Jacobson, Zach Johnson

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John Deere Classic: Zach is Back

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The John Deere Classic has come to a completion, crowning a new champion Zach Johnson at 20-under par. Coming into the week Steve Stricker was the favorite, but after a slow final round he was unable to chance Zach. The last few holes of tournament play, including the playoff definitely made this event one to watch and exciting since there were numerous players just a few birdies from obtaining the lead.

Standing on the tee on hole #16 Zach had a one shot lead over Troy Matteson after he carded double on the previous hole. At this point Zach probably pondered that all he needed was to par out and he could possibly win.  Surprisingly Matteson would reach the par-5 hole #17 in two shots and make a 59-foot putt for eagle, tying Zach at 20-under and atop of the leader board. Both players would par the 18^th and continue onto a sudden death playoff.  

This was where things got interesting since both players doubled the first playoff hole that included a handful of drops by Zach, which stirred up some debate within the commentators. The players would return to the 18^th tee box and give it a second chance. Zach found the left-hand bunker and would hit one of the tournament’s best shots of the week, a solid iron from 194 yds. to just under 2-feet from the hole. And as the storyline goes Zach would birdie and Matteson would fail to match Zach.

What’s next: Zach now has two wins for the year. He will be searching for more wins on tour. Zach already has proven he can win a major as well. It is evident he will be remembered as a fine striker of the ball due to his green jacket. I also liked that his swing coach was on the bag this week, a clear advantage over the field.  

Congratulations Zach Johnson!

HTWD Picks of the Week: The John Deere Classic

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JJ: Since I'm getting back on track, I'm going to continue my aggressive picks for points so I can close the gap on Bernardo. This means I'm going with 3 time defending champion Steve Stricker. The dude absolutely owns this course, and even though he's had a modest season at best, familiar tracks bring out confident and pleasant memories. This is why I think he'll have another solid week here, and possibly go for the Strick Slam. Good luck Steve!

Bernardo: This week I’m picking Zach Johnson. This tournament has been dominated by Steve Stricker, but  I believe Zach will have a great week, possibly winning or atop of the leader board on Sunday afternoon.  Zach has had his fair share of high finishes at the John Deer Classic, revealing some comfort at TPC Deere Run. Some other positives are Zach already has a win under his belt this season and should be in the hunt for win #2. 

Already used: 

JJ: Jonathan Byrd, Keegan Bradley, Bryce Molder, Ryan Moore, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hunter Mahan, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Bud Cauley, Jeff Overton

Bernardo: Martin Laird, K.J. Choi, Bill Haas, Ben Crane, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Aaron Baddeley, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Bud Cauley, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Robert Karlsson, Lee Westwood, Freddy Jacobson, JB Holmes, Brendon De Jonge

Make sure to “like” our Facebook page! Either by going to the page itself (fb.com/hacktillwedie) or clicking on the “like” button on the right side of our home page.

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Wimbledon Championships, 2012: The Return of the King

An image that will forever be remembered

Most critics have written off Roger Federer since circa 2010. They considered the then 28 year-old "washed up" and too old in tennis years. They also noted that Nadal was a much better player than him, and that the rest of the tennis world had caught up to his tennis play. 2011 only strengthened their case, as Federer didn't win a major for the first time in about 8 years. He was the current #3 player in the world, and supposedly his fall down the ranking was imminent.

Others had hope. They felt that with Roger's new coach, Paul Annacone, and with his newfound hunger (not having won a major since early 2010 really motivated him), it was only a matter of time before he reasserted himself among the true elite in the men's game. This meant he would have to prove to all the doubters that he could 1) win major championship again AND 2) regain the number 1 ranking. Both were obviously tough tasks, but Roger contained the belief and confidence to get the job done.

He started off Wimbledon this year by openly saying he'd like to win the tournament and get back to No. 1. A pretty bold statement, but for Roger, it was doable. His first two matches were as easy and swift as they come for him. Then, things got interesting.

Longtime rival Rafa Nadal was shocked by 100th ranked Lukas Rosol, and the tennis world was flipped upside down. He may never admit it, but Roger probably had that in the back of his mind as he faced Julian Benneteau the day after that huge upset. He lost the first two sets and was soon on his way to a 3rd round exit, until things turned around in classic Federer-like fashion. Roger soon found his form, and won the next 3 sets to escape disappointment.

After a mild back scare against Xavier Malisse, he was soon awaiting a semi-final showdown with top seed Novak Djokovic. This was where Federer's truest test was, because if he could get past Nole, he could get past anyone. And surely enough, he dispatched Djokovic in 4 sets to reach a record 8th Wimbledon final against the British hero Andy Murray. Murray was fighting for UK history and lore, while Federer was trying to prove that he still belonged.

Unlike their previous 2 finals, Murray got off to the fast start, winning the first set, 6-4, and broke Roger's serve twice. Federer soon found his footing in this gigantic final, however, as he started to loosen up and look like the dude who dominated tennis for the last decade or so. He took the second set with a clutch break of Murray's serve, and continued his momentum even through a rain delay that took up an hour. His serve wasn't broken for the rest of the match, and looked pretty much unbeatable. Murray played superbly, yet Roger was just too much for him on this day.

On Roger's second championship point, a Murray forehand that was sent long sent Federer into the ground and into tears, as his dream was fulfilled once again. Gone are the doubters who said he'll never win again. Gone are the critics saying he'll never be #1 again and is closer to his retirement than his prime. Gone are the naysayers of him being the GOAT (Greatest of all time). The case is now closed. With this win, Roger Federer continues to show us why he's the greatest, and why he still has the hunger to come back for more.

Congratulations, Mr. Federer.

Greenbrier Classic: Breakout Week

What a surprise we had this week at The Greenbrier Classic. We had the two biggest names in the sport (Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson) miss the cut, we had a US Open Champion in Webb Simpson falter down the stretch, and we had two journeymen players fighting for their first win in a playoff.

Very unknown players Ted Potter Jr. and Troy Kelly gave us a duel that many expected to be held by Tiger and Phil.  Potter overcame a 4 shot deficit with 4 holes to play to force the playoff with Kelly, whom many thought that was going to claim his first PGA Tour title (Ted shot his second straight 64 to put himself in this position, by the way). Potter and Kelly had to go to 3 playoff holes until Potter drained a birdie putt on the 3rd to snag the trophy.

With the W, Potter receives an invitation to the 2013 Masters Tournament, over $1 million in earnings, and a jump to 51st in the FedEx Cup standings. Not too shabby for a dude who missed 24 straight cuts 8 years ago on the Nationwide tour.

Congratulations, Ted!

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HTWD Pick of the Week: The Greenbrier Classic

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JJ: Happy 4th, everyone! For the Greenbrier Classic, I'm going with Jeff Overton. Not only can he rep the red, white, and blue well this week since he's American, he can also have a good chance to go low for this tournament. He's 22nd this year in birdie average, so let's hope he can drop a few putts and stick a few irons to get that average up a little bit. It'll be interesting to see how he'll do with a high quality field this week (Woods, Stricker, Mickelson, Johnson, and Simpson are just some of the big names competing here).

Bernardo: Happy 4th of July!!!! This week I’m picking Zimbabwe native Brendon De Jonge. He is coming off a bad final round, but overlooking that hiccup he played a solid tourney. Most individuals that are paired up with Tiger tend to lose focus due to the hype surrounding the group, a possible reason for his disappointing final round. Now for the good stuff, De Jonge has played well at the Greenbrier, leading me to believe he should bounce back this week. De Jonge also has played a full schedule, which shows he can perform consistently after only missing 3 cuts.

Already used: 

JJ: Jonathan Byrd, Keegan Bradley, Bryce Molder, Ryan Moore, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson, Johnson Wagner, Hunter Mahan, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Bud Cauley

Bernardo: Martin Laird, K.J. Choi, Bill Haas, Ben Crane, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Aaron Baddeley, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Bud Cauley, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Robert Karlsson, Lee Westwood, JB Holmes, F.J.

Make sure to “like” our Facebook page! Either by going to the page itself (fb.com/hacktillwedie) or clicking on the “like” button on the right side of our home page.

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AT&T National: Tiger Magic Part 3

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Tournament host Tiger Woods is the 2012 AT&T National champion. This win will be marked down as his 74th victory, needing only 9 more to surpass Sam Snead’s record of 82 wins. Many are still critical to say that Tiger is back, but after winning 3 times this year it is evident the Tiger we once knew is back. 

A fairly stacked field was no match for the difficult Congressional GC and a surging Tiger. On his way to winning the tournament Tiger shot rounds of 72-68-67-69, revealing the tough conditions players had to endure after a cut line of 6-over par and a storm that nearly halted the tournament from completion. 

Tiger’s play today definitely impressed me and reminded me why he is consider to be best player in the world. Standing on hole #18, instead of hitting a 3-wood, (he had a 1 shot lead going into 18 over Bo Van Pelt) he opted for the driver, challenging himself to be clutch (Tiger can be iffy with the big stick). After hitting a 345 yd drive, he struck a 9 iron within feet of the hole, not to mention the pin place was probably the toughest all week.  Bo would go on to bogey the hole, allowing Tiger to take a 2 shot lead and the win. 

What’s next: Well now that we know Tiger has the ability to win multiple times, our next guess is he will win a major. I believe he has a chance of winning the PGA Championship. The PGA will be held at a tough course (Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina) which is usually Tiger’s key ingredient for success. Tiger will certainly go on to win at minimal another event this year.