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10 Things I Think & More

1. It goes to show you…you never know in this game. While all of us are crowning the twenty-somethings as the new Big 3 Adam Scott comes through and shows us what a 35 year old can do on a tough course. On Saturday with a quadruple bogey on fifteen he looked to have lost his chance. But a determined attitude and a new confidence with his putter allowed him to fight back and win for the first time since the ’14 Colonial.scott honda putter

2. Many pundits had written Scott off due to the anchored stroke ban. True, Scott needed to make a major change in his game after putting with his broomstick since 2011 but putting wasn’t the strength of his game even with his anchored stroke. Adam should send the USGA a fruit basket or something for making him change up his putting. He looks comfortable and while he still has some room for improvement his putting is so much better.

3. Consider this, Scott’s strength is long accurate drives and superb iron play. He leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained Total, is second in Strokes Gained Tee to Green and while his 50th ranking in Strokes Gained Putting needs improvement last season he placed a miserable 158th in that category. The new putter and putting stroke is working.

4. With The Masters only 37 days away and with two former champions Scott and Bubba Watson capturing wins recently the chase for the green jacket doesn’t look like it’s a toss up between Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

5. Watching Scott and Sergio Garcia trade blows coming down the stretch was a bit of ‘old school’ golf. Even though they’re just mid-thirties it seems that they have been around for ever. Scott has always been the epitome of class and decorum and while Garcia has had his less than perfect moments his growth as a person is obvious.

6. While most of us were sleeping on Saturday night Lexi Thompson was busy winning in Thailand and in doing so laying claim to the new American face of the LPGA. Yes, Michelle Wie is the only real needle mover in a skirt and Stacy Lewis is a former world number one but it is Thompson that is the best and most exciting golfer for the good old USA right now.lexi throphy

7. Thompson moved to number three in the world and has her sights set on Lydia Ko’s top spot. The two couldn’t play a more different game. Ko is more Fred Funk with center cut short drives while Thompson is more Tiger Woods, the good Tiger of old, who attacks the course. If Thompson manages to strengthen her putting game it will be total domination.

8. Rickie Fowler played the first 38 holes at The Honda without a bogey. Then the wheels fell off and he couldn’t hit a green or buy a birdie. Back to the drawing board…at least for this week.

9. On Saturday Jimmy Walker was one shot back of leader Fowler and playing with him in the final group. On the first tee he was embarrassingly introduced by the starter as “Jimmy Fowler.” He went on to shoot a horrid 79. Talk about bad luck.

10. The course at PGA National just looks too tough for me, actually I should say too “wet.” Sixteen of the eighteen holes have water and it seemed every par the was a full carry over water, ouch. Now, the Bear Trap caught plenty of victims as players struggled to hit those greens. For the week there were 99 balls that found the water on just those three holes.

11. I can’t imagine being a member and playing PGA National regularly. There aren’t enough Titleists in the world to get me through that layout.

12. We all saw the pictures from the Ryder Cup team building dinner at Jack Nicklaus’ home. And I think it is wonderful that Jack and Barbara took time to entertain the hopefuls. As far as it having any effect on the team…I’m not so sure, even Jack has his doubts, “I can’t imagine how them coming over to have dinner at an old man’s house is going to help any” he said.

13. But I will say this, what a treat it had to be for those players to hang with Jack at his home, and tour his trophy room, have a nice dinner and pick his brain. You don’t get one on one time with the greatest of all time too often. That should rank up there with making the Ryder Cup Team.  He’s still the greatest, in so many ways.jack dinner

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