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Zach Johnson makes his case for a Ryder Cup selection

Sep 3rd, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

You have to know scoring conditions are good when your threesome group shoots a combined -23. Think about that for a second… -23 from 3 players! The players that made up that ridiculous score were Jason Day (63), Zach Johnson (63), and Ryan Palmer (64). 

Johnson drained putts from all over the place to make a very strong statement to Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin, who I’m sure has been watching the action closely. He will make his four captain selections on September 7th. Johnson finished ranked 11th in Ryder Cup points, with only the top 8 receiving automatic selections. His game has started to show signs of life over the past few weeks, with a T21 last week at the Barclays and a T3 at the PGA Championship. The finish at the PGA, this scorching opening round, along with his experience in both the President’s Cup and Ryder Cup “should” make him an easy selection for Corey Pavin. But Captains have made crazier moves in the past, so we’ll see.

Who do I think the 4 picks should be?

I’ve been thinking about who I think Pavin should select for a while, and it’s fluctuated week to week. Which I guess is a  good reason why they wait until the deadline (hello Monty??). In any event my picks would be:

  • Zach Johnson – For the exact reasons I stated above
  • Rickie Fowler – He hasn’t been as hot as he was earlier in the season, but he’s still having an incredible rookie season, and I think his youth and exuberance will be a welcome trait to the team.
  • Stewart Cink – His game has been coming around and he has the Ryder Cup experience and can handle the pressure
  • Sean O’Hair – O’Hair had a great showing in his first President’s Cup and despite a couple MC’s in the past few weeks, I think his game is there. Also despite his opening round of 74 earlier today…

Who I THINK Pavin will ACTUALLY select:

  • Zach Johnson
  • Tiger Woods
  • Stewart Cink
  • Sean O’Hair

I just don’t see Pavin NOT picking Tiger Woods, due to pressure from many different angles.

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Deutsche Bank to remain title sponsor of Playoff event through 2012

Sep 2nd, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

At a press conference during today’s pro-am event at the Deutsche Bank Championship, it was announced that the global banking firm will extend it’s sponsorship of the event through 2012. There has been much speculation in recent weeks if their name would remain attached to the event. There were event rumblings that EMC Corporation was slated to take its place.

EMC, who has been a “Founders Club  Partner” since the tournament began in 2003, is now elevating its involvement with the tournament to now become the local presenting sponsor for the next two years.

Is that a loving gaze or what?

“We are extremely pleased to continue our title sponsorship of the Deutsche Bank Championship over the next two years,” Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, said during a press conference at TPC Boston, “The Championship has been an instrumental part of our brand-building efforts over the past eight years and remains a critical part of our overall brand strategy.” If you can read between the lines, what Waugh is really saying is, “I look forward to my pro-am day and having Tiger Woods as my partner every year, and I don’t think my life could go on as normal without that.”

I, for one, am happy that Deutsche Bank is remaining the title sponsor. They’ve put on a good show here in New England for the past seven years. It’s not that I was necessarily worried that the event would fall by the waysides without them, but Massachusetts went 5 years without a PGA Tour event after the departure of the New England Classic at Pleasant Valley Country Club and I’d go in to some serious withdrawals without a local event here in the Bay State to look forward to.

The event will live on, for now, but if the “Playoffs” actually survive is up for debate right about now.

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Fantasy Golf Picks for The Deutsche Bank Championship

Sep 1st, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

FINALLY the Tour makes a stop in my home state of Massachusetts! If you can’t tell I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time. With the making of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and this tournament being one of them, this has become a marquee event and now obviously draws the biggest names on Tour. I was there for one of the Pro-Ams yesterday and will be headed back for 2nd round action on Saturday… all the while cheering on the boys from my squad!

Palopoli vs. Emerson (steel cage match)

Jeff Palopoli

Current Points: 5188
Last Week: 118 points
Current Percentile: 98th

Last week I was on the fence about using up one of my last starts for Matt Kuchar. I opted to not pick him and save the remaining 2 starts I have for him. Well that certainly paid off well for me didn’t? I won’t be as stupid this week and I’m rolling with him. Odds for a back to back win are slim, but how can you bet against a guy with 10 top 10s and a victory this year?

For my A squad it was a tough choice but I’m going with 2 prior champions here at the TPC Boston. Steve Stricker is the returning champion but for now I’m leaving him on the bench and I’m going to see what Tiger brings to the table. He came out with guns blazing last week in the opening round and I’m hoping he’ll do the same.

Dustin Johnson continues to show he can’t really be phased and puts himself in contention week after week. I was having a talk with an equipment rep at the Pro-Am on Tuesday and he made a great point of saying Dustin either has a great mind, or no mind at all… either, are perfect given his drama this year. I also like Adam Scott, who’s game is starting to come around again, and is also a returning champion to this course.

My Thursday starting squad includes: Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar

Riding the pine at least until Friday is: Steve Stricker, Nick Watney, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose

Patrick Emerson

Current points: 4942
Points last week: 137
Current percentile: 89th

On the A list I am very tempted to pick Tiger Woods.  He certainly looked more like the old Tiger.  There are more steady players who you can count on to play well, so I’ll stay away from Tiger.  I’ll start Steve Stricker who is the defending champion and posted a T3 last weekend.  Jason Day seems to be riding a hot streak and will be on the bench.

This week’s B list is tougher to pick.  I’d go with Matt Kuchar if I had any starts left for him.  Instead I’ll start Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy.  DJ had another top ten last week.  In spite of never having played the TPC Boston, I like McIlroy’s chances.  On the bench I’ll start Jim Furyk, who won’t sleep in this week, and JB Holmes.

I like the options on the C list.  I was tempted to pick both the Ryder Cup selection runners up with Paul Casey and Justin Rose.  I’ll start Casey because he has something to prove and has been playing better than Rose over the past few weeks. On the bench I’ll pick Ryan Palmer who is trying to earn a spot on the American Ryder Cup team.

Starting foursome: Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey
Bench players: Jason Day, Jim Furyk, JB Holmes, Ryan Palmer

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Photo Gallery – Deutsche Bank Championship Red Sox Legends Pro-Am Day

Aug 31st, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

I took a little time away from the day job to make good use of my first press pass (thanks to New England Golf Monthly!) today and was able to check out the opening day of the Deutsche Bank Championship. For all of us New England Golf nuts this is long awaited and has become a Labor Day tradition in the area. To kick off the week the tournament held the Red Sox Legends & Friends Pro-Am, which featured local sport legends from across Baseball, Football, and Hockey. Names like Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Dennis Eckersley, Dwight Evans, Andre Tippitt, and Ray Bourque, to name just a few, came out to tee it up. I was thoroughly impressed by the games of Jim Rice and Dwight Evans. Rice unsurprisingly hits a very long tee ball, and Evans has one of the smoothest swings I’ve seen on an amateur. I also paid a visit to the Scratch Golf Tour Van and got a little tour from their reps. Check out some of the pictures I took from the event below. I have some more that I’ll load up from my camera as well.

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Matt Kuchar is leaving players “Kuch-lashed”

Aug 30th, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

After nine top 10s so far this year, Sunday Matt Kuchar (“Kuch”) got his first win of the year at The Barclays, and with that he jumped to the top spot in the FedEx Cup rankings. With three events left, it’s anybody’s guess if he’ll hold that spot at the end of it all, but he’s tough to bet against, given the season he’s had.

cush-lash, cush-lash, cush-lash...

On a more humorous note, I’ve been hunting the web pretty hard in search of the great clip from ”Jerry Maguire” of Jerry O’Connell (aka Frank Cushman), the NFL prospect singing his infamous “Cush-lash” song. I’m coming up empty though.

We’ll see how Kuch does this week at the Deutsche Bank Championship and if he leaves anybody else “Kuch-lashed” in his wake.

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Colin Montgomerie fills out his squad – among much criticism

Aug 29th, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

Lets face it, Colin Montgomerie has never been one to do things the conventional way. Always the news maker, he decided to keep with that theme today and announced his Captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team in the middle of the final round at The Barclays.

Both the European and the U.S. teams had until September 7th to officially announce their Captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, which begins October 1st. Corey Pavin has said many times, as well as gotten in to heated words with Jim Gray, that he would not announce any selections until the deadline. Today’s announcement by Monty has left many scratching their heads. To do something in the middle of a round, with many of his potential players playing today, it was a bonehead move in my mind.

He did however have a solid five guys to choose from and could only select three, making it a very difficult choice. Among those players was Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Edoardo Molinari, Paul Casey, and Justin Rose. If you haven’t heard, he selected the first three out of that list, leaving #9 in the World Paul Casey off the list. Casey has played in the last three Ryder Cups and has a stellar record in match play events. Justin Rose has won twice on the PGA Tour this year. Molinari was a solid pick, who earlier today won the Johnnie Walker Championship and has been on fire as of late. He’ll also make a great partner to his brother, Francesco who is already on the team. The brothers won the World Cup last year.

The pick that has left some scratching their heads is Padraig Harrington, who’s game hasn’t been the same as it was a couple years ago.

Who knows though, if it pays off for the Euros, Monty will be a genius. If not, I suspect Mrs. Doubtfire will have a lot of explaining to do.

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Post Divorce Tiger – A new man? A new player?

Aug 26th, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

Earlier today Tiger Woods posted his best round of the year. Could it be just a coincidence that this falls just days after the official announcement of his divorce from Elin Nordegren?

Tiger lit up Ridgewood Country Club this morning, missing only one fairway and two greens en route to a 6 under 65. At the time of this posting, he’s in the clubhouse with a share of the lead.

One has to wonder if this sudden turnaround in his game is due to the divorce becoming official and his life moving on. Perhaps somewhat of a weight lifted from his shoulders? Or is it his new swing coach Sean Foley? It’s been well known for a few weeks that Tiger has been working with Sean Foley, even though no official word of their relationship has been announced. It’s hard to argue with the performance and some of the stats we see today, especially watching Tiger’s game just a couple weeks ago at the PGA and Bridgestone. Maybe it’s a combination of the two. But one thing is for certain - he’s beginning to again look like the Tiger of old. As Jason Sobel so poetically put it on Twitter earlier, “Tiger Woods posts opening-round 65. Takes the lead. That weird sensation you’re feeling? It’s the world spinning on its axis again.”

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Fantasy Picks for The Barclays

Aug 25th, 2010 by Jeff Palopoli

The FedEx Cup Playoffs kick off this week in New Jersey for The Barclays and Tiger Woods just barely eeked himself in, which is odd to even think. However, there are 124 other guys teeing it up this week in the chase for the Cup. I made a post yesterday about the FedEx Cup and got some feedback that people don’t like it and that the “playoffs” are a joke compared to other sports. This is true, however I still like the idea of them. It certainly gives us something to look forward to at the end of the season where before most of the marquee names took the rest of the year off after the PGA Championship.

Palopoli vs. Emerson (steel cage match)

Jeff Palopoli

Current Points: 5070
Last Week: 138 points
Current Percentile: 98th

Early in the weekend last week I was feeling pretty good about my picks. Lucas Glover looked well positioned and on Sunday had it in his hands before a back 9 choke job. Brandt Snedeker couldn’t make a putt on the back 9, and my “reach” with James Driscoll produced some great results. I’m currently 3rd (full season rank) in both of my leagues, and with a few more good weeks I could be well positioned to take home some hardware!

This week I’m riding the hot hands of the boys from the PGA Championship. Bubba Watson is playing the best golf of his career and he seriously got a jolt from his PGA Championship finish, along with making the Ryder Cup. I’m going to roll with Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy as well, figuring that Johnson is looking for some redemption.

Also playing some great golf right now and trying to make a point to Captain Pavin is Lucas Glover, who with another solid finish this week makes a great case for a Captain’s pick. I’ll leave him on the bench for now, but he’ll be great to have in reserve. Brandt Snedeker is another hot hand right now and played 4 great rounds last week and had the tournament in his hands if he could have made a putt or 2 on the back 9. I also like John Rollins as a backup, he had a huge week last week at the Wyndham.

My Thursday starting squad includes: Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Brandt Snedeker

Riding the pine at least until Friday is: Ernie Els, Lucas Glover, Retief Goosen, John Rollins

Patrick Emerson

Current points: 4805
Points last week: 114
Current percentile: 89th

The Fed Ex playoffs start this weekend with the Barclays.  The picking should be easier this week with a more interesting field.  There are plenty of questions.  How will Tiger do in his first post-divorce tournament?  How is Phil coping with his health issues?  Will Dustin Johnson shake off bunkergate?

This week’s A list is full of good choices.  I’m not taking a chance on Tiger or Phil, too many issues.  Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson are good choices, but I’ll go with Steve Stricker for the start.  He’s done well in the playoffs before and I could see him winning it all.  Ernie Els will ride the bench.

The B list has a lot of talent.  I was very tempted by Furyk, Overton and O’Hair, but I will save them for a later tournament.  I’m going to bet on Dustin Johnson will rebound and play well and he gets the start.  Bo Van Pelt has been too hot not to start.  The bench will include two players who did well at the PGA, Nick Watney and Rory McIlroy.

It is tougher to pick the C list.  Matt Kuchar is the best player on the list, but I have used up all of his starts, so he can’t play for me anymore.  I’ll start Paul Casey who has shown some flashes of brilliant play this season.  Brandt Snedeker gets the bench thanks to some recent high finishes.

Starting foursome: Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Bo Van Pelt, Paul Casey
Bench players: Ernie Els, Nick Watney, Rory McIlroy, Brandt Snedeker

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