The week after the US Open is always a tough draw for any tournament, but some tournament needs to be the one, so the TOUR heads in to New England to my part of the country for the Travelers Championship this week in Cromwell, CT at the TPC River Highlands. The field is on the lighter side this week, as you would expect following a major. But Justin Rose is keeping his commitment, and will tee it up as a major champion for the first time.

The Picks

A Group – After a T4 at the US Open last week, Jason Dufner seems to be getting his game back on the right track. Not a great history at TPC River Highlands, where his last appearance was in 2008 and resulted in an MC. But that was also before his game reached the level where he’s been at the past few years. I’ll take Dufner to start over Bubba Watson this week. Even though Bubba is a past champion here, he hasn’t even notched a top 10 since January.

B Group -Starting in the B group I like two past champions of the event, Hunter Mahan and Freddie Jacobson. Mahan is coming off of a very strong week at the US Open where he finished tied for 4th, and he is also the all-time money leader at this event, with a victory, two other runner-up finishes, as well as a T4. If there’s a lock to start this week, it’s Mahan. Jacobson won the event in 2011 and then followed it up a year later with a T8. Despite missing the cut the past two weeks, I think he’ll fare well on a course he has had a lot of success on.

C Group – John Rollins get the start over Rickie Fowler this week in the C group, mostly because I’m starting to run low on starts with Fowler. Rollins has a great track record at the Travelers, which include two top 5s in the last two years. He should also be well rested after not having to grind at the US Open last week. Rollins also comes in to this week on the heels of a T6 at the FedEx and a T4 at the Crowne Plaza the week before that.

Starting Foursome: Jason Dufner, Freddie Jacobson, Hunter Mahan, John Rollins
On the Bench: Bubba Watson, Charley Hoffman, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler

In 1978 Jack Nicklaus became the first golfer to achieve a triple career grand slam, winning the Open Championship at St. Andrews. That same year Tiger Woods, the only other golfer to ever win a triple career grand slam, made his first televised appearance with a putter, appearing on The Mike Douglas Show – who could have guessed then that the child prodigy from Cypress, California would go on to dominate the sport in ways that nobody else has managed?

If the signs that Woods would go on to be a huge success were evident – many would call six Junior World Championships a sign – there was little to suggest that personal turmoil would so viciously wrench him from golf’s top table. If Woods can manage to be both predictable and someone you ‘could not rely on’, as USA Today called him after his disastrous Ryder Cup in Medinah, is it possible to assess whether Tiger is really back to his old form for good?

Decade of Dominance

By the turn of the millennium Tiger Woods became synonymous with golf. In April 1997, less than a year after turning pro, Woods won the Masters at Augusta, breaking a number of records in the process. The auspicious start would prove to be no fluke, and by June Woods had topped the Official World Golf rankings.

From August 1999 to October 2010 Woods spent an almost unbroken 545 weeks at number one; a record for most consecutive (281) and total weeks. 10 PGA Player of the Year Awards – including five consecutive wins from 1999-2003 – provide more proof of his unrivaled form. There’s no denying that Woods’ decade of dominance is unlike anything the sport has ever seen, but whether the history books will remember him as the greatest of all time is still up for question. While many once believed Woods would easily sail past the most important record of them all – Jack Nicklaus’ 18 Major Championships – those that doubt whether Woods will ever improve on his 14 have grown greatly in number.

The Golden Boy Loses His Shine

‘Isn’t Tiger Woods actually bad for golf?’ asked Bill Lyon hypothetically in 2000. While Lyon didn’t believe this to be the case, he was drawing attention to the fact that Woods was so successful other golfers were reduced to playing for second place. While Woods had his many admirers it’s fair to say that some could not support a sporting superstar that seemed to win so easily – where were the obstacles to overcome, the hurdles to jump? If Woods’ career trajectory had been too smooth that was all to change in November 2009, when the golfer would have to negotiate the media minefield that came with the revelation he had cheated on his wife. Within a few weeks, and a dozen revelations from more women, Woods announced an indefinite break from golf.

The Comeback

In the years that followed the numbers were not kind to Tiger Woods. A career-low ranking of 58, 107 weeks without a win and two Ryder Cup losses to add to his previous four defeats. Yet the climb to the top of the golfing mountain may be sweeter because of these setbacks, and there has already been tastes of success – a return to the top of the rankings after a victory at The Players Championship this past May being the most satisfying so far. With a very disappointing US Open this past week, where Woods finished at +13 and in 32nd place, he’s still in search for Major victory number 15.

But is Tiger really back? His dominance in the early 2000’s as we’ve already mentioned can’t really be questioned and whilst he has returned to the top of the world rankings (and also recently Forbes list of the highest paid athletes in the world) many people would argue that Woods has not, and will never, return to the universally superior force that he once was.

The Numbers

Speculation and commentary is all well and good, but what do the numbers have to say on the issue? Cold hard facts always help straighten out an argument right?

The chart below shows Tiger’s average scoring each year since 1996 (including the 2013 season so far) and also the amount of top 10 finishes and wins that he recorded in that calendar year.

As you might expect, the lowest recorded average (68.17) coincides with the highest recorded number of wins and top 10 finishes in 2000 the year in which Tiger won a record 6 consecutive tournaments including destroying 9 competition records on the way to a legendary US Open victory that Sports Illustrated called, “the greatest performance in golf history.”

In comparison, 2013 Tiger boasts a rather ugly 70.3 (updated after US Open) scoring average which, as the graph illustrates, is nowhere near his best.

However Woods has already racked up 5 victories this season, and it’s still only June – meaning that it’s quite realistic that Tiger could challenge his previously mentioned 2000 season record for wins in a single season.

So while Tiger might not be playing the sharpest golf of his life, he’s still collecting as many trophies and checkd as he’s ever done previously. Following a disastrous statistical 2010 -quite understandable given the circumstances – Tiger’s scoring average each year following has declined (not counting the as yet unfinished 2013).

There were few golfing experts who argued that Tiger was incapable of returning to his peak from a talent stand point, the man is a golfing prodigy after all, with a stunningly industrious work ethic. Surely if there was anyone who was capable of returning to the summit of world golf, it was Tiger Woods? What many suggested that Tiger would never retain, is the factor of intimidation that he would previously cast over the entire field when all of his competitors considered him nigh unbeatable.

But if Woods continues at the heady pace he’s established already in 2013, who’s to say this air of invincibility won’t return?

Nicklaus won his 18th and final major at the age of 46. Woods, 37, has plenty of time to reassert himself as the most dominant force the game has ever seen. Whether he will – well, who could say? But he’s well on the way…

Many were giving Woods a mulligan on that last performance and still thought he was the man to beat this week. However, after just finishing his first round on Friday morning with a 3-over 73, Tiger Woods is in danger of missing the cut at the U.S. Open. In fact, many of the big name players seem to be struggling under the conditions. Both Keegan Bradley and Jim Furyk opened with 77′s, and Matt Kuchar at 74. All of those players entered the week with decent odds to win. The major championships will always bring out the betting spirit in the golf fanatics, you can place your bet on golf at Top Bet. It’s still early in the action at Merion, and as we’ve seen in years past, anything can happen. Although, those players like Furyk and Bradley will need some magic just to make the cut.

Tiger Woods on the other hand is no stranger to magic. At the time of this writing, he’s already chipping away that +3 score, and is currently -1 on his second round. If you’re like me and stuck in the office and can’t find your way in front of a TV to catch the action, you can track your favorite players scoring at www.majorschampionships.com.

The Pennsylvania layout has been heavily criticised in the build-up to the tournament due to its lack of length, prompting the USGA to make it significantly tougher by growing the rough, tightening the fairways, and quickening the greens.

As one of the most accurate players in the game, these changes should benefit the Englishman, especially when you combine his incisiveness off the tee with his ability to get up and down from almost anywhere, and he is understandably feeling confident.

“[It's a] course where I’m only hitting five drivers, a course where I’m hitting a lot of wedges in my hands, playing to my strengths, where I feel like from a hundred yards in I’m pretty good,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “This course demands a lot of good wedge play.

“Obviously you’ve still got to do what’s pretty important in US Opens; hit fairways, hit greens. That will be a big key for me if I want to be successful.”

However, despite his talent, question marks still linger over whether or not he can produce when the pressure is really on, especially in the majors.

Donald went into last year’s US Open as one of the favourites with Betfair.com but failed to make the cut, a trend that has plagued him throughout his career, with a tied 12th finish at Winged Foot in 2006 his best finish in 11 appearances in the competition.

His history means the 35-year-old still has something to prove in the game; he will never be regarded as a great if he does not manage to win a major.

Merion could prove his best chance though and, if he makes a good start in his first round on Thursday, he may well turn out to be the man to beat at the 113th US Open.

The second major of the year gets under way this week, as Merion Golf Club is set to host its fifth U.S. Open Championship. Merion GC is located in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, just 11 miles west of Philadelphia. The East Course at Merion has hosted its share of championships, including six U.S. Amateurs, the five U.S. Opens, and a Walker Cup, since it was established in 1896.

Measuring at only 6,996 yards, many pundits are expecting Merion to take a beating from the long hitters on TOUR.  However, with no par 5s over the last 14 holes, and the typical thick U.S. Open rough, Merion may just stand up to the bombers.

The Picks

A Group – It’s going to be hard to avoid selecting Tiger Woods to start in the A group at the U.S. Open. Three victories and a T4 in his last five starts are all the evidence you should need. He didn’t look as sharp a couple weeks ago, but I’m giving him a mulligan there. Will this be Tiger’s 15^th major, and get him out of his major championship slump? Watching how Tiger has maneuvered his way around golf courses the past couple months, he’s displaying the creativity and shot making skills that his game was lacking the previous few years. Tiger gets the obvious start this week, with another guy who’s name always seems to be near the top of the leaderboard at majors, Graeme McDowell, on the bench.

B Group – Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar will get the starts in the B group. We all witnessed Furyk’s heartbreaking loss at last year’s Open, where he threw away the Championship over the final few holes. With Merion being the short track that it is, this can play in to Furyk’s favor, who’s not known as one of the longer hitters on TOUR, but who also ranks 4^th in Driving Accuracy Percentage. Matt Kuchar is coming off of a great win at the Memorial just a couple weeks ago, and before that had a victory slip through his fingers at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, where he ultimately finished with a solo 2nd. Kuchar has four top 10s on the season, as well as two victories, but is still in search of his first major victory. Kuchar ranks 4th in Scoring Average on TOUR and 13th in Strokes Gained-Putting.

C Group – At 40 years old now, time is ticking for Lee Westwood to capture his first major title. He’s having a solid year on both the PGA and European Tours so far this season. On the PGA Tour he’s riding a streak of five consecutive top 10 finishes (before his WD at the Memorial), which includes a T8 at the Masters. I like Westwood to start this week, with Adam Scott on the bench.

Starting Foursome: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Lee Westwood

On the Bench: Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott

The FedEx St. Jude Classic serves at the last TOUR stop before the US Open next week at Merion. The field is somewhat light this week, as many players are opting to rest this week and go in to the grueling US Open conditions on the fresh side. While some others use the week as a tune up. TPC Southwind is a track where players have difficulty finding the fairway, which is also a US Open prerequisite.

The Picks

A Group - Nashville native Brandt Snedeker gets the start in A group this week. He missed the cut last week at the Memorial, but TPC Southwind is a course he can be successful at. He’s 10th on TOUR in fairways hit and also ranks 11th in GIR. He’ll be using this week as a tune-up for the US Open next week, which is a major I can definitely see him winning, even this year. Backing him up I like Boo Weekly who’s coming off a victory at Colonial a few weeks ago. Weekly, always the great ball striker, ranks 4th in GIR.

B Group - Getting the start in the B group this week is Scott Stallings and Freddie Jacobson. Stallings is riding a hot streak at the moment, coming in to TPC Southwind after consecutive T4 finishes the previous two weeks. He’s a player who always has the potential of going very low on any given day. He should also feel right at home in Tennessee, where he grew up and went to college. Jacobson has only missed one cut in 10 tries at TPC Southwind, and if he gets his flat stick rolling, he will be in contention. Jacobson ranks 21st in strokes gained-putting on TOUR.

C Group – Ryan Palmer gets the nod in the C group this week, along with John Rollins as backup. Palmer comes in to this week with some rest after not teeing it up at the Memorial. He opened the Crowne Plaza Invitational with a 62 and cooled to finish T14. He also tied for 3rd last year at the FedEx.

Starting Foursome: Brandt Snedeker, Freddie Jacobson, Scott Stallings, Ryan Palmer
On the Bench: Boo Weekly, Jimmy Walker, Dustin Johnson, John Rollins

The field is stacked with the big names this week for the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance. The Memorial takes place at Muirfield Village, designed by Jack Nicklaus, in Dublin, OH. Many players from the field this week will be back in just a few short months for the Presidents Cup, which Muirfield Village is the host course for.

With such a deep field, it will be tough to make up ground in your leagues this week, unless you ride a dark horse to try to make a splash. But many gamers will be going with the usual suspects. My suggestion is to have somewhat of a dark horse or 2 on the bench, ready to go for the weekend if it makes sense.

The Picks

A Group - Really difficult to stay away from taking Tiger Woods to start in the A group this week. He’s the defending champ and has five wins at the Memorial. Hasn’t played since the Players Championship (which he also won if you hadn’t heard), so should be well rested. Tiger also leads the TOUR in strokes gained-putting.

B Group - Getting the start in the B group this week is Webb Simpson and Justin Rose. Rose is a prior champion at the Memorial (2010) and also has a solo 2nd (2008) and a T8 (2012) to go along with that victory. He also ranks third in Total Driving and eighth in scrambling on TOUR. Simpson comes in to this week well rested after taking two weeks off following his T15 at the Players. Still looking for his first victory of the season, even though he came agonizingly close at the RBC Heritage. Simpson placed T8 in 2011 at Muirfield as well.

C Group – Adam Scott is playing on a very reduced schedule this year. He seems to be focusing on the majors and other big tournaments. He tied for 19th at the Players and hasn’t tee’d it up since. Scott has to top 5s at the Memorial and seems to be in the mix every time he tee’s it up lately.

Starting Foursome: Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Justin Rose, Adam Scott
On the Bench: Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson, Lee Westwood

His career has been far from a flop having won 24 professional titles since dropping his amateur status in 1999 but a look back at his history at the majors paints a slightly different picture of the 33-year-old. Twice he had a career-defining win in the palm of his hands and on both occasions he let it slip. His implosion at TPC Sawgrass a few weeks ago may not come as much of a surprise to anyone who had seen his meltdown at the 2007 Open Championship.

Garcia took a three shot lead into the final round at Carnoustie that year and even managed to extend his lead to four strokes before capitulating and losing in a play-off to Padraig Harrington. The Irishman was to overhaul Garcia again at the PGA Championship a year later and after a substantial dip in form in 2009 it appeared as though his major ambitions were over.

Garcia has enjoyed something of a revival this year though and was even up to his old trick with a unique shot out of tree at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Four top ten finishes in eight PGA Tour events this year would suggest Garcia is primed to finally challenge for a major again, with the US Open and Open Championship just around the corner. However, his implosion at the 17^th hole of the Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass was all too familiar and leaves the Spaniard having to prove his metal before even entering the equation for a major win again.

His back nine collapse, coupled with his recent spat with Tiger Woods, means Garcia may be one to avoid when making your betting picks for the summer.

It’s not a very long commute between events this week. The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is just up the road in Fort Worth from last week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship, a mere 31 miles to be exact.

Colonial Country Club, also known as “Hogan’s Alley” due to Ben Hogan’s five victories there, is a ball strikers course with tight fairways, which places a premium on keeping it in the short grass. The course seems to also favor players who have a bit of experience playing on the track and isn’t as kind to first comers.

The Picks

A Group - The A group is a very deep or strong pack this week. Tim Clark has fared well at Colonial in the past with two runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009. Plays well on tracks that are considered “target golf” where he can plod along and continue to find fairways. He gets the start this week with Martin Laird on the bench. Laird himself has two top 10s at Colonial.

B Group - I’ll continue my campaign for Marc Leishman who again gets the start this week in the B group, along with defending champion Zach Johnson. Leishman has been on a tear, despite a T12 finish last week at the TPC Four Seasons, it was his first finish outside the top 10 in his previous four starts. Zach Johnson hasn’t exactly been his usual form this season. He has yet to notch a top 10 finish, but given his success at Colonial he’s a logical choice to start this week. Johnson’s last four starts at Colonial went like this: T9, win, 4th, win. He’s another player that seems to do well on tight tracks where you need to keep it in the fairway to succeed.

C Group - Henrik Stenson will start this week in the C group. The Swede has three top 10s on the season, most recently a T5 at The PLAYERS. He leads the TOUR in fairways hit, as well as GIR. Backing him up will be Charl Schwartzel who’s coming off of a very strong 3rd place finish at the Byron Nelson last week. He is a first-timer at Colonial however, but if he can get his putter going, which let him down last week, he could do very well. Schwartzel also ranks 2nd in Scoring Average on TOUR.

Starting Foursome: Tim Clark, Zach Johnson, Marc Leishman, Henrik Stenson
On the Bench: Martin Laird, Jim Furyk, Charley Hoffman, Charl Schwartzel

Below is an info graphic that explains Rule 14-1b and outlines what is permitted within this rule, as well as what is prohibited and considered an anchored stroke. What’s your take on this rule? Good or bad?