Purely a horrible showing for yours truly last week at the Players, where I only managed to scrounge up 82 points. The only pick I made that turned out to be anything decent was Luke Donald. However, I decided to start Sergio Garcia on Sunday instead and missed out on Donald’s 66. Oh well, on to a new week, and on to Dallas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Last year rookie Keegan Bradley picked up his first career victory at the TPC Four Seasons, and in 2010 another first timer at the event, Jason Day, took home the win.

The Picks

A Group - After a grueling victory (and having to play with Kevin Na), can Matt Kuchar win in consecutive weeks? I think he can, however I’m going to put him on the bench to start the week off. Kuchar took home a solo 5th in 2011 here and is certainly on a roll. Instead I’ll be starting Adam Scott. Scott ended a mini slump last week with a decent showing (T15) at the Players. He’s also a past champion of the Byron (2008), and also owns a T3 there in 2006. Lets also not forget his T8 in this year’s Masters, where he fired a Sunday 66.

B Group - Even though Jason Day missed the cut at the Players, I definitely like him to start this week. The 2010 Byron champ lives in the Dallas area and plays the TPC Four Seasons VERY well. He followed up his victory with a solo 5th last year, where he led the field in birdies. So he knows how to score well on the track. Starting alongside Day will be John Rollins. Rollins started the season off hot, but has since cooled a bit. He leads the TOUR in total driving and is coming off of a respectable T25 at the Players, as well as a T7 at the Zurich.

C Group - Louis Oosthuizen missed the cut at the Players last week, but I’m not putting much stock in to that. He’s coming off a 3rd place finish at the Shell Houston Open, and followed that up with a solo second at the Masters. Backing him up I like my hometown boy James Driscoll. He seems to always play well in Texas, where he’s notched multiple top 10s in different events. Last year Driscoll finished T8 at the Byron and is having a solid season, despite an MC in his first Players appearance.

Starting Foursome: Adam Scott, John Rollins, Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen
On the Bench: Matt Kuchar, Ryan Palmer, Brian Davis, James Driscoll

Tour White White Full Cord

I re-gripped my driver using Lamkin’s Tour White Full Cord grip and was instantly struck by how soft the feel was. Normally I prefer a bit of a tacky feel with my grips and these don’t offer that feeling very much. So I was a bit concerned off the bat by the soft feel and wondered if they would be too slippery. After 3 full rounds and plenty of driving range sessions, I can say that is definitely not a concern. I am yet to use them in any bad weather conditions, which will be a true test on how slippery they may or may not be. But going off of feel and style, I love this grip.

R.E.L 3GEN

The R.E.L 3GEN is Lamkin’s flagship grip for 2012. Lamkin says it features a “synthetic rubber compound designed to provide golfers with the highest level of shock absorption while still maintaining critical shot feedback.”  As I stated above, my preference is for a more tacky feeling grip and the R.E.L 3GEN certainly provide that. I re-gripped both my 3-wood and 3-hybrid with this grip and found the grip to have a soft and tacky feeling that was very comfortable in my hands.

For those that like to show some style and individuality out on the course, this line comes in 12 different colors, which you can see most of in the photo to the left. This line of grips does come in four different sizes, though the larger grips are only available in standard black.

Performance Plus 3GEN Wedge Grip

The “PP 3GEN” was designed specifically with wedges in mind. Initially I wondered, how can a grip be designed for specifically for wedges? Well, Lamkin answers that with a grip that is one inch longer than standard, which can help with choking down on the club for those tricky shots around the green. The grip also features two small circles towards the tip of the grip that are designed as guides for precise hand placement. A longer grip for choking down, and 2 dots for alignment? Yup, simple ideas that seem to work very well. I’ve found both features helpful in various “touch shots” in the short time I’ve used it.

For more about Lamkin Grips and to view their full line of product offering, as well as pricing information, check out their website at:  http://www.lamkingrips.com.

The TOUR heads back to Florida this week for what some call the “Fifth Major”, The Players Championship. The Stadium course at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida is home to one of the most recognizable par 3s in the world. The par-3, 132-yard 17^th hole, known simply as the “Island Green”, is one of golf’s most recognizable, as well as difficult holes. Many a player has dunked a ball or two in to the drink here, and it’s even seen its fair share of hole-in-ones as well.

Last year KJ Choi defeated David Toms on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. It was Choi’s first victory since 2008. McIlroy is coming off of a playoff loss to Rickie Fowler at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, and his game seems as sharp as ever. Tiger? Not so much.

The Picks

A Group - Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy have been taking turns with the World #1 for most of the season, with McIlroy regaining the position after last week’s showing in Charlotte. Even with a win at the Transitions Championship, Donald’s season didn’t start as many had expected. He’s beginning to turn it around, and had a great showing at the Zurich Classic, where he placed 3^rd. The TPC Sawgrass places a premium on precise iron play and there’s not many that can compare to Donald on that list. He also ranks 2^nd on TOUR in strokes gained putting, as well as scrambling. Backing him up I really like Sergio Garcia. Garcia is well rested, not playing since the Masters, and is also the all time leading money winner at TPC Sawgrass where he’s only missed the cut twice in 12 trips.

B Group - Within the B group there are a lot of options to choose from again this week. The popular choice will again be Rory McIlroy, who lost last week in a playoff to Rickie Fowler. With only 6 starts left on the season for him on my roster, I’m going to keep him on the bench as a safety net to begin with. To start I like Lee Westwood and Ernie Els. Westwood leads the TOUR in GIR and placed T5 last week in Charlotte. He’s played TPC Sawgrass a ton in his career and placed T4 just two years ago. The Big Easy returns to competition after a couple weeks off, following his playoff loss at the Zurich. His game is sharp, the putter is starting to come around, and he also owns four top 10s in his career at The Players.

C Group - For the C group I’ll be starting Jason Dufner. The club waggling, extremely laid back 35 year old just notched his first PGA TOUR victory two weeks ago at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Dufner had been knocking on victory’s door many times, but finally got over the hump in New Orleans. He currently ranks 5^th in the “all around” category, and also finished T6 at the Players last year.

Starting Foursome: Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, Jason Dufner
On the Bench: Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell

Both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are making their first appearances since their dismal showings at the Masters a few weeks ago. Tiger says that he’s fixed his swing issues from then, but we’ve heard this before, so it will be interesting to watch. McIlroy won the event back in 2010 with an impressive final round 62. There are a lot of big name players in the field this week, as they seem to be getting tuned up for next week’s Players Championship.

The Picks

A Group - Jim Furyk’s game seems to be firing on all cylinders as of late. His last four starts go like this: T2, T11, 11, T8. Add to that, Furyk is a former champ at Quail Hollow (2006) and he’s also finished 2nd once, and 7th two other times. He also is currently leading the TOUR in GIR. Backing him up I like Wake Forest alum and Charlotte native Webb Simpson. Even though Simpson’s track record here hasn’t been great on this track (2 MCs and T21 in 2011) he had a strong showing in New Orleans last week.

B Group - The B group is absolutely stacked this week. It’s almost impossible to avoid Rory McIlroy. Yes, his Masters appearance wasn’t anything to write home about, but the 2010 Wells champ lit up Quail Hollow on Sunday that week with a 62, which was a course record that he still holds. He’s still the #1 player in the world and there’s a reason for that. Joining McIrloy to start will be Hunter Mahan. Mahan is the only multi-winner on TOUR this season and has notched top 25 finishes in each of his last four starts at Quail Hollow. I’m leaving Tiger off the roster this week, just don’t have any faith in his swing until I see some consistent positive results. He’s burned me a bunch this year.

C Group - Starting in the C group this week is Cameron Tringale. His game is very hot right now with top 10s in each of his last three starts. Despite a T59 at the Wells in 2011, he hit 14 greens in each of his rounds for the week, which tells me he had some putting woes on the week. Going off of his last three starts, it seems maybe he’s fixed that a bit.

Starting Foursome: Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan, Cameron Tringale
On the Bench: Webb Simpson, Bill Haas, Bo Van Pelt, John Huh

I’m going to try and forget about my showing last week at the Valero. I think I’ll use a mulligan in fact. Due to being sick all weekend, I completely forgot to make any weekend changes to my roster, hence only 60 points. Which can easily happen when you have two guys starting that actually missed the cut. Oh well, we’ll move over to the bayou and hope for better things all around. Last year Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson battled it out in a playoff with Bubba ultimately taking home the victory. Bubba is back to defend and fresh off his Masters victory. Since his victory last year, the TPC Louisiana added an overall 26 yards to an already long track and ranks as one of the toughest on TOUR in terms of proximity to the hole. So look for guys with good GIR rankings for this week.

The Picks

A Group - Keegan Bradley is back after a few weeks off following the Masters, where he had his worst finish of the season.. a ho-hum 27th (for his first go at Augusta mind you). Bradley continues to have a fantastic sophomore season, despite no victory on the year… yet. His game sets up well for TPC Louisiana, and his length will be a great asset on the long track.

B Group - Some say TPC Louisiana is a bombers course. If that’s the case, there’s not another bomber I’d want on my squad than Masters champion Bubba Watson. He’s well rested after his victory a short few weeks ago, and got to spend some time with his new little guy (and even had a matching green jacket made for him). And oh yeah… he’s the returning champion. Teaming up with Bubba in my B group is Justin Rose. Rose doesn’t have a great track record at this event, but he’s coming off a T8 at the Masters and also ranks 5th on TOUR in GIR.

C Group - Jason Dufner is still in search for that elusive first PGA TOUR victory. He’s been close oh so many times, and his game is too solid to go much longer. Dufner has chalked up three top 10s in his last three trips to this event, including a T3 last year. His game has been consistent all season, and he’s currently ranked 8th in the all-around ranking. I look for him to have another solid week on a course that seems to obviously be well suited for his game.

Starting Foursome: Keegan Bradley, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Jason Dufner
On the Bench: Luke Donald, Charley Hoffman, Rickie Fowler, Matt Every

The TOUR heads back to the big state of Texas this week for the Valero Texas Open. No offense to Carl Petterson, but his four stroke victory last week at the RBC Heritage was a bit of a yawn fest. Not a ton of big names in the field this week, and the A group only features five players. TPC San Antonio is one of the longest courses on TOUR, measuring just over 7,500 yards, so look for long hitters to potentially fare well this week.

The Picks

A Group - As I mentioned above, long hitters will have an advantage on this lengthy track, and there’s not really any longer in the field than JB Holmes.  Holmes finished T11 at last year’s Valero, where he led the field in driving distance. He’s also well rested after his T8 at the Shell Houston Open, not teeing it up since then. Holmes currently ranks 9th in Driving Distance on TOUR.

B Group - Fredrik Jacobson and Charley Hoffman get the start for the B group this week. Fellow Swede Carl Petterson took home a victory last week, so why not make it two in a row with Jacobson right? Freddy last three years at this event shake out like this: T5, 2nd, T5. So if history is any gauge, I think he likes the TPC San Antonio. Charley Hoffman, who was a co-runner up at the Valero last year, is coming off a solid finish (T8) at the RBC last week, where he ranked T7 in GIR. Hoffman also gets the ball out there (20th in Driving Distance) and his length will be an advantage.

C Group - James Driscoll, my lock to start the C group, has backed out of the tournament.  The Valero is the only tournament where he’s posted multiple top 10s and he always seems to play well in the state of Texas. But alas, he’s not in the field this week. Instead, I’ll be starting Johnson Wagner who’s chalked up four top 10s on the season. He’ll be well rested after his MC at the Masters, and Johnson posted a T15 here last year.

Starting Foursome: JB Holmes, Fredrik Jacobson, Charley Hoffman, Johnson Wagner
On the Bench: Matt Kuchar, Justin Leonard, Jimmy Walker, Harris English

Check out the video below:

This week will certainly be tough to live up to, after the drama of the Masters over the weekend. Bubba definitely gave us all a show, and as always, it was fun to watch. But the TOUR moves on, up the East Coast this week for the newly sponsored RBC Heritage (formerly the Verizon Heritage) at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, SC. Many of the top players who tee’d it up at Augusta are taking the week off, but there are still some plenty of names to choose from, as Harbour Town is a beautiful stop on TOUR.

The Picks

A Group - Still sitting atop the World Rankings, Luke Donald makes a return trip to Hilton Head. I like Donald to start this week in the A group. In his last three appearances at Harbour Town he’s finished 2nd twice and 3rd once. The course favors ball strikers and there’s not many better than Donald when it comes to that. Hard not to like his chances this week.

B Group – Last year Brandt Snedeker shot a Sunday 64, making up six strokes heading in to the final day, and beat the aforementioned Donald in a playoff. Snedeker’s year so far includes two top 10’s and a victory at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier in the season. Along with Snedeker, Bo Van Pelt gets the start. Van Pelt shot a final round 64 at the Masters, which included an ace on the 16th hole. He is again a top 10 machine this year, already chalking up four of them. Van Pelt also ranks first in the “all-around” category.

C Group - Aaron Baddeley has a very solid history at Harbour Town, which includes a victory (2006), a runner-up, and another top 10. Add to that he’s never finished worse than T22 at the event, and it’s safe to say the course sets up well for him. I’m willing to write off his so-so Masters last week, and hope that he’ll have the putter rolling this week.

Starting Foursome: Luke Donald, Brandt Snedeker, Bo Van Pelt, Aaron Baddeley
On the Bench: Matt Kuchar, Brian Davis, Ernie Els, James Driscoll

The first Major of the year is upon us and all seems to be right in the golfing world. Tiger seems to be back, or at least closer than ever before. Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald have been duking it out for the World #1. And we had quite a warm month of March, allowing many of us up here in New England to hit the course sooner than we normally would.

Is there a better week on the PGA TOUR than Master’s week? I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of one. It always seems to have that extra layer of excitement. The first Major of the season, the beauty of Augusta National, and the exclusiveness of the tournament all add to the drama.

Last year’s Masters saw Rory McIlroy squander the lead and shoot an 80 on the final day, leaving the door open for Charl Schwartzel to claim his first Major. This year’s tournament is sure to have its own drama, with the state Tiger’s game and his recent victory, Rory’s continued consistent play worldwide, and Luke Donald and Lee Westwood both vying for their own first Major. No question it will be fun to watch as usual.

The Picks

A Group - Phil Mickelson has had a bit of an up and down start to the year. He almost had back to back wins back in February before losing in a playoff at the Northern Trust Open to Bill Haas. Since then he’s been so-so, but it’s hard to deny Phil’s track record at the Masters (3 victories). Backing him up I have to go with New England native, and Masters rookie Keegan Bradley. Bradley hasn’t finished outside of the top 25 at a tournament all year, and has two top 10s in there as well. His length (currently ranked 13^th in Driving Distance) will certainly help him at Augusta. Bradley also ranks 7^th in scoring average, as well as 22^nd in strokes gained – putting, a stat that will certainly come in handy on Augusta’s slick greens.

B Group – I’m going out on a real limb here and taking Tiger and Rory to start in my B group (please sense my sarcasm). All signs point to Tiger’s game being back to form with a dominant victory two weeks ago at Bay Hill, and Rory continues to impress with a victory earlier in the year at the Honda, a runner-up at the WGC Match Play, and a 3^rd place at the WGC Cadillac Championship. Rory will be looking for redemption after that historic collapse on Sunday last year.

C Group - Last year Charl Schwartzel amazingly birdied the final four holes at Augusta to beat Jason Day and Adam Scott by two strokes. In 2012 Schwartzel has continued his stellar play despite a couple of MCs in his last two events. That being said, I’m instead going with some nostalgia and starting Freddy Couples in my C group. Couples always shows up for Augusta (T15 in 2011) and continues to light up the Champions Tour.

Starting Foursome: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Fred Couples
On the Bench: Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel

Two weeks ago Tiger got his first official win in more than  3 years, and he enters this week as the favorite. Regardless of the state of Tiger’s game, he always seems to show up for the Masters. He’ll have some pretty tough competition this week between World #1 and #2 (Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy), as well as Hunter Mahan who catapulted to #4 in the world with his second win of the season yesterday in Houston. With all that being said, how do you think Tiger will fair this week at Augusta?

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