Predictions

One reader has already expressed his breathless anticipation for what will undoubtedly be dubious selections for this year's tournament.

First a couple of thoughts heading into Thursday:

1. I am so sick and tired of people making a big deal about Phil's two drivers. First of all, who cares? Some guys carry four wedges, some guys have different degree increments between their irons. Phil has 14 clubs, just like everyone else. I understand that there is a slight novelty factor to having two drivers, but Phil himself has admitted that it's more like a driver and a two wood, in terms of how far the ball travels with each club. Phil's doing whatever he can to win, and is certainly playing within the rules. Let it go. Besides even with seven drivers Phil would be hard pressed to beat Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy, were Cup playing with his farm tools.

Quick sidebar: Golf movies are awful. The Bobby Jones Story was a joke. The Greatest Game Ever Played was okay, but the golf wasn't authentic. Bagger Vance was poor to very poor. Tin Cup was completely ridiculous in plot, but I thought a sense of love for the game of golf permeated the whole movie which excused its more ridiculous plot points. There was an era of authenticity even though the wrong network was broadcasting the US Open and it had the most ridiculous closing sequence in any sports movie, ever. That authenticity came from so many tour pros being involved, and from Kevin Costner really liking golf. Happy Gilmore is in a class by itself and I don't have enough time to discuss it at length. Suffice it to say, I love Happy Gilmore. (I've never seen Dead, Solid, Perfect...but I know that it is a movie about golf).

Back to the Masters...
2. Overall, this has been a fairly calm Masters week so far. No major controversies; no Martha Burk vs. Hootie, no complaints about course changes, not even any concern about the weather. I can only hope this means that the Masters drama will be confined to the golf this year. That's a good thing.

Now onto the predictions:

Winner: Tiger Woods
I'm not going to be stupid and not pick him. No rational person can argue that someone else has a better chance of winning.

Top 5 guys: Mickelson, Ogilvy, Singh, Casey
No explanations needed. Casey is a bulldog and will be the first of the "young guns" to step up and contend in a major.

Disappointments: Els, Stenson
Ernie's press conference scared me a little, I have to confess. And Stenson's been playing well for over two months. His form faded a little at Doral. All good things must come to an end.

Sleeper: John Rollins
He's played really consistently this year regardless of the venue. I think he'll do well.

Euro Sleeper: Thomas Bjorn
This is a hunch pure and simple.


Okay. I can't wait to get started. I'll be posting fairly regularly during the day, and will give a summation after play is completed tomorrow night.

Fore, Please. Arnold Palmer now driving. Let's hope Arnie doesn't kill a "patron" with a snap hook, and prematurely end his honorary starter tenure.

Billy Payne: Uh Arnold...you killed that guy with your honorary starter tee shot.

Arnold: I don't know what to say...

Billy: Arnold, you're fired.

Arnold: But...

Billy: No, Arnold. Your golf swing looks like someone dry heaving in a straight jacket, and we can't find a single patron who really remembers when you were any good.

Arnold: But...

Billy: We're just kidding, Arnie old boy. Kill as many patrons as you want. It's great to have you back.