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Achieving The Perfect Golf Swing Drill
The perfect golf swing drill is a joy to behold. And yet it is not too hard to achieve. The perfect golf swing drill starts with a proper back swing with the golf club swung right back to the limit of your body. At this segment of the perfect golf...
Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
The real benefits of aerobic exercise are achieved by increasing your heart rate and breathing hard for an extended period of time. During this aerobic activity your body produces more energy and delivers more oxygen to your muscles. Your heart...
Short Story: Take a Trip To The Temple Of The Great Tomato
Jimmy Jenkins Jr. is not an adventurer, traveler, or pioneer. Far from it, Jimmy has had the same job, in the same office for 15 years. He's got about 2 years of holiday time built up because he never, and I mean never, goes anywhere, not...
The 3 Most Common Workout Mistakes
When you invest the time in exercising, you want to see the best
results possible but sometimes exercisers unknowingly handicap
themselves by hidden mistakes. These errors are typically
undiscovered until pointed out, which is why it is important...
The Origins of Ti Chi
The Origins of Tai Chi The principles of Tai Chi were established by Taoist hermits and evolved as a martial fighting art called Tai Chi Chuan. The early Tai Chi teachers were mystical figures however; the exception was Chang San-Feng, who was the...
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Sony Open: Will Wie Do It?
From the To the (Previous Seasons') Victors Go the Spoils
department: Jason Gore averaged 80 in four rounds at last week's
season-opening Mercedes Championships and still walked with
$70,000.
Among the discussion points one week into the 2006 PGA season:
players griping about the wind at Kapalua, some threatening to
skip the guaranteed paycheck event next year even if they
qualify because of said conditions; top player no-shows like
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen and how their lack
of attendance hurts tournaments like the Mercedes and the game
at large; Michelle Wie's chances of making the cut at this
week's Sony Open; the schedule changes on tap for 2007 and how
they affect the negotiations for the 2007 golf TV contracts,
well underway and ongoing. It's the latter I'm most interested
in. Specifically, what will become of the dynamic duo of Paul
Azinger and Nick Faldo now that it appears their employer, ABC,
is out of the negotiations?
If ABC is out, we're looking at NBC and CBS doing the bulk of
coverage in 2007. Surely one of the two will pick up this odd
couple. On one hand, I could see 'Zinger's goofiness working
well with the light-hearted quips of messieurs McCord and
Feherty at CBS. On the other, Zinger's candid style would marry
well with Johnny Miller at NBC. (Faldo doesn't deserve
parentheses but he's a suave and steady influence who'll fit in
anywhere, especially if he's sitting next to 'Zinger.)
If CBS gets Faldo and 'Zinger, they'd be a force; NBC would be a
letdown, even with Miller's refreshing "tell it like it is"
style. So I'm hoping NBC gets the dynamic duo, balancing the
quality and entertainment of coverage. NBC could use Azinger on
the course the way CBS uses Feherty. That would leave the
question of what to do with Faldo. I don't think he and Miller
would have the same dynamic as he and 'Zinger if Faldo stays in
the booth as an analyst. Whatever shakes down, a little
competition between the networks might spice up coverage a bit.
Last week: Stuart Appleby, I love thee. The Aussie hung tough at
Kapalua and won his third Merecedes in a row last week. (I
picked him two years ago, as well.) I also won the head-to-head,
with Ben Crane winding up ahead of Sean O'Hair by eight strokes.
To the math: with 1/3rd of a unit on Appleby in the outright
(14-1), I
netted $4,666.67, if you're betting a dime per unit.
Two units on Crane (10-11) netted $1,818.18. Total for the week:
$6,484.70. Good start to the season.
This week: Vijay Singh, who won the Sony Open last year, is
coming off a playoff second in Kapalua. He putted well in tough
conditions, a sign that maybe he's going to have another big
year, perhaps bigger than 2005 when he was dogged by
inconsistency on the greens. His closing 66---one of only two
rounds all week in the 60s and the low round of the
tournament---to force the playoff with Appleby was Tigeresque.
There's not a lot of money to be made at 7-2, but Singh's the
one to beat this week.
Take Bart Bryant (16-1), 1/3rd unit. These odds may lower than
you'd expect, but he's got a solid game and if last week's
showing in the windy conditions---ninth place---is any
indication, he aims to prove last year wasn't a fluke.
Take Adam Scott (20-1), 1/3rd unit. As much as I like Bryant, I
can't believe Vegas has his him inside Scott, who sort of won
last year at the weather-delayed/interrupted/unofficial Nissan
Open, and had five top-10s to boot. He also finished T20 in this
tournament. Scott should be more in the 10-1 range; it'd be a
steal if he wins with these odds.
Take Vijay Singh (7-2), 1/3rd unit. When you have Singh's
record, especially in the last three years (17 wins), you're
worth short money in a weak field.
In the head-to-head, take Bryant to finish higher than Shigeki
Maruyama (10-11), 2 units. Bryant's a money head-to-head pick
because he doesn't get rattled, he scores, he makes cuts (Bryant
missed only seven cuts last year in 26 tourneys, Maruyama missed
seven in 29). Maruyama is a fan favorite at the Sony Open and
plays well there (T3 last year), but Bryant's hotter and active,
for the slight edge. He was first last week in hitting
greens---his strong suit---and putted well, too.
Time to weigh in on the Michelle Wie "will she or won't she make
the cut" debate with a bet: Put one unit on Wie (2-1) to do it.
Jeremy Church covers Golf for Brian Gabrielle Sports.
About the author:
Jeremy Church is a documented member of the Professional
Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at www.procappers
.com/Jeremy_Church.htm
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