Having dug out from a lengthy blogging To-Do list, shall we join the Sports Illustrated gang for our weekly Q & A feature? Ummm...that was a rhetorical question....
Joining the usual suspects this week is Mark Broadie, whom we've met at length here, here and here. Broadie, as I'm sure you'll recall, is the Columbia Business school professor and author of Every Shot Counts Using the Revolutionary Strokes Gained Approach to Improve Your Golf Performance and Strategy.
1. Adam Scott looked like he was cruising to a win at Bay Hill this week until he stumbled in the final round and lost to Matt Every. How do you feel about Scott’s chances at the Masters after watching him this week?
The Pros: Not much linkage is seen between coughing one up at Bay Hill and what happens at Augusta. Only Mike Bamberger thought it would spill over to Adam's detriment.
Best Line: From Travelin' Joe, who stll needs to be working on his resume, "He went ugly early in Round 4, and the meltdown continued pretty much unabated, but it wasn't because of nerves. He just stunk up the joint, and it has happened to every great player, except to a healthy Tiger Woods in his prime. Scott is still the pick for Augusta. He's just the prohibitive favorite now, rather than an overwhelming one."
My Take: Joe, I don't think the words overwhelming and prohibitive mean what you think they mean, and if you're sure of that I'll take the field even up. There's a profound tendency to over-interpret what happens week to week, and I'll agree with the majority that your view of Scott's chances at ANGC shouldn't be affected by Bay Hill, though I'm probably not quite as high on Adam as some of these gents.
2. Tiger Woods was unable to play at Bay Hill due to back spasms and is unlikely to play again before the Masters. Will Woods’ lack of competitive rounds so far this year hurt him at the year's first major or does he have so much experience at Augusta National that it doesn’t matter?
The Pros: The lads are all over the lot, bemoaning his lack of form and "reps," though many also noted his T4 in 2010 after hydrant-gate.
Best Line: From Gary Van Sickle, "I am not assuming that Tiger will definitely be able to play the Masters. We all hope so. What will hurt him is the endurance factor and whether his body and his back are up to walking and swinging through a spasm-less 72 holes."
My Take: Nobody has a clue, which is why we'll all be glued to the telly. I do believe that Tiger gets far too much credit for his play at the Masters, as he's been far less consistently competitive since the course was substantially lengthened in the early aughts. At least he won't be hitting from deep rough, which can take a toll on a hurtin' back.
3. What did you think of Bubba Watson withdrawing because of allergies after shooting 83 at Bay Hill on Thursday? Is Watson's WD all that different from Rory McIlroy’s much-criticized withdrawal from the Honda Classic last year with a toothache?
The Pros: Lots of criticism for both, though only Alan Shipnuck mentions the damning video of Bubba and Rickie Fowler clowning around after the WD and the fact that Rory's was mid-round.
Best Line: From Eamon Lynch, "The biggest surprise was that Bubba didn't blame the 83 on his caddie's allergies."
My Take: There's really no justification for either, though Rory's was worse both because it was mid-round and he was the defending champion at the event. How much mitigation is warranted due to his tender years, I'll leave for the reader to decide.
4. Jack Fleck passed away on Friday. Is his victory over Ben Hogan at the 1955 U.S. Open still the greatest upset in golf history?
The Pros: Most agree with the premise, with only Josh Sense making the case for Frances Ouimet. Joe Passov goes off on a tangent of huge upsets in sudden death playoffs, an oxymoron if I've ever seen one, and Y.E. Yang comes up a surprising amount.
Best Line: From Mike Bamberger, "It must be. When I met John Updike 40 years after the fact, he was still talking about it."
My Take: The greatest upset has to be Frances Ouimet taking down the two Brits and putting American golf on the map. Vardon's stature was easily that of Hogan's, and Fleck was at least a professional. But Fleck is a solid No. 2, and for many other reasons it's a great tale on its own merits. As for Y.E. Yang, that can't be such a great upset, because yours truly called it over Sunday lunch.
5. The World Golf Hall of Fame finally announced its new criteria for Hall of Fame admission, changing the categories and imposing a 15-wins or two-majors requirement, A 16-person panel will vote, comprised of mostly administrators, plus three golf writers, and some other folks, and 75 percent of the vote is required for admission. Is this an improvement, a step back, or a yawn?
The Pros: Most see it as an improvement, though there's not a ton of passion in the answers. Do click through for an epic Van Sickle rant on Ponte Vedra seizing control of the voting, a concern I has as well in this post.
Best Line: From Josh Sens, "An improvement. Glad to see them raise the bar. Used to be almost anyone with a pulse and a private jet could get in. But please don't wake me for any additional Hall questions."
My Take: I wrote at length on this in the above-linked post, so let me just note one other thought. I continue to believe that it's quite weird to have players eligible at age 40, still in the midst of their careers. I don't see what's gained by not waiting until careers end, as with all other major sports. Oh, and I'd like to second Mark Godich's nomination of Eddie Lowery.
6. Of all the stats compiled for PGA Tour players, what's the one that best corresponds to year-end success?
The Pros: They know a trick question when they see it, though a couple are astute enough to cite proximity to the hole on approach shots.
Best Line: Who else? Mr. Broadie, the floor is yours, "Perhaps this question was a softball for me? It's clearly strokes gained in the approach shots which best explains year-end success. This season after Bay Hill, Matt Every is ranked 8th on the PGA Tour with his approach shots."
My Take: What, I'm going to take on Broadie in an away game? They even let him insert a table, which I find highly unusual.
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