PGA Tour Confidential
I KNOW THE suspense is killing you, so—surprise!—I'm picking Tiger Woods to win the Masters. The good news is, I'm pretty sure they're still going to hold the tournament even though everyone outside the Mickelson and Singh households expects Tiger to be wearing green.
What concerns me is something that should worry every player heading to Augusta: I've never heard Tiger speak as confidently as he has this spring. Stevie Williams, his caddie, said last year that Tiger's best was yet to come, and I think I heard Tiger say the same thing. What does that mean—another 10-stroke walloping in June at Torrey Pines? Frankly, I'd feel better about Augusta if Tiger were more like me and complaining about his putting.
If Tiger's best is really coming, maybe it's time to grab Toto and hide in the storm cellar with Auntie Em. I'm out here trying to make cuts, and this guy is winning every week. I know how hard it is to win on Tour. The other 143 guys—great players like Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh—aren't chopped liver, yet Tiger is beating us like we're five-year-olds swinging toy clubs. Winning isn't easy, but he's making it look that way.
I know one thing that sparked Tiger's once-in-a-lifetime run. (I'm trying to do what Bob Rotella says and stay optimistic.) Tiger has moved closer to the ball at address, which makes his swing plane more upright. That really tightens up his action and has helped eliminate loose shots.
I could be wrong, but I'd also swear that Tiger has shortened his driver and three-wood. Tiger's driver simply doesn't look 45 inches long anymore. (Don't forget, he used a 43-inch steel-shafted driver for years before upgrading to an oversized graphite-shafted club in 2004, when, coincidentally, he began spraying more tee shots.) It's easier to get a shorter club back in front of you, and you'd be surprised how much accuracy you gain by chopping off even half an inch. Tiger clearly has more control this year. I bet he shortened the driver and simply didn't tell anyone. At Bay Hill, I noticed that Tiger nailed a good drive at the 6th hole in the final round and was only 10 yards past Sean O'Hair.
One last take on Tiger: Who's going to putt Augusta's mean greens better? Tiger's the best putter in the world. It's as if he has robot hands—no flinching. When he misses, it's usually because of speed or a misread. One thing Tiger knows is that his putter is always going to be there for him. Every player on Tour wishes he could say the same.
As for the others, I think Vijay Singh has a chance now that he's back to a regular putter, which is what he used in 2000 when he won the Masters. If he uses his belly putter in Augusta, I give him no shot. There are too many short putts with a lot of break at Augusta, and you lose feel on them with a belly putter. Vijay isn't a great putter to begin with, but he cancels that out with his ball striking. I think he can win another major, especially a Masters.
I'm not sure that Augusta suits Steve Stricker, our annual comeback player of the year. He's a great putter but not a big spinner of the ball. Strick has kind of a flat ball flight, which might not be great if the greens are firm and fast. Plus, he might not be comfortable winning the Masters. The U.S. Open or the PGA would suit him better, and he has had chances to win both.
Ernie Els remains an enigma to me. It was nice that he won the Honda Classic, but then he drops out of Bay Hill when he has a house nearby and could've driven to the course. Ernie has a lot going on, especially given his son's autism, but I don't see his three-year plan to become No. 1 panning out. A lot of people would like to see Ernie in a green jacket, though.
Nobody talks about Angel Cabrera, the U.S. Open champion, but he plays Augusta fairly well. He's as strong as an ox and hits it nine miles and is a terrific iron player. He is terribly underrated, even after winning at Oakmont. I think Angel will finish in the top 10 and maybe contend.
I've always been a big believer in Jim Furyk, but I'm starting to think that the Augusta National course is simply too long for him.
I was warming up on the range near Phil Mickelson recently and noticed that he's a lot quieter with his lower body, which helps him drive the ball better. His right leg used to bow and run out from underneath him. With Butch Harmon's help, Phil has a more stable platform. He won the Players after a few weeks with Butch. Think how much better Phil can be now that he's had a year with him.
The only way Zach Johnson successfully defends his title is by doing what he did last year—wedge the heck out of it and putt phenomenally, pretty much the same game plan Mike Weir followed in 2003 when he won. Everything has to go right for a guy like Zach to win. I'm not saying he can't, but you get one magical week like that in a lifetime.
Sean O'Hair is one of the new breed on Tour. He's confident, has the length and has been playing well. He also has an experienced caddie—Paul Tesori, who used to work with Vijay, among others. Paul's been a boon to Sean.
When Sergio García carried two putters at the Match play, I felt his pain. His putting has let him down, and when you have a regular putter and a belly putter in your bag at the same time, that's pretty much running up the white flag. I see that he's working with putting guru Stan Utley, so there's hope.
He isn't in the field, but I hope John Daly doesn't do what he did last year and set up shop at the Hooters on Washington Road during Masters week. He's been a big enough distraction this year—drinking and causing scenes at the Hope and the PODS, where he pounded beers at the Hooters stand while his round was delayed by a storm. Then he missed his pro-am time at Bay Hill. He did take the three amateur partners he stiffed for a round of golf, but he wore jeans shorts and a T-shirt that hung over his gut. When is the Tour going to step in and suspend him and/or get him some help? His conduct is way beyond detrimental to the Tour.
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DAVID WALBERG (WOODS)
SETUP MAN Tiger took a giant step forward by simply moving a wee bit closer to the ball at address.
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DAVID WALBERG (GARCIA)
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DAVID WALBERG (ELS)
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ROBERT BECK (STRICKER)
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ROBERT BECK (SINGH)
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ROBERT BECK (MICKELSON)
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GARY BOGDON (O'HAIR)
