By Aaron M Smith

On November 14th, 2011, the 9th Presidents Cup will take place at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Cup started in 1994 offers Non-European players the opportunity to compete in a team match format similar to the Ryder Cup.

This week, we are going to take a look at the United States team, led by captain Fred Couples.  Like his counterpart Greg Norman, Freddie is no stranger to the Presidents Cup himself. Couples was the team captain in 2009 and participated in 4 different Presidents Cups himself. This United States team features a good mix of veteran Presidents Cup players and several golfers making their Presidents Cup debut. Let’s take a look at the team:

Phil Mickelson (9th appearance):

In some ways  it feels like 2011 wasn’t a great year for Lefty, however a closer look reveals a different story.  7 Top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory at the Shell Houston Open and a 2nd place finish at the British Open. An overall record of 15-13-10, Mickelson will have to avoid the inconsistency that plagued him in last year’s Ryder Cup.

Matt Kuchar (1st appearance):

After a breakthrough 2010 season, Kuchar followed up with an excellent 2011 season. 9 Top-10 finishes in 2011, but no victories. Kuchar remains one of the most consistent ball strikers on the Tour. His 64.75% driving accuracy is one of the best, and his 66.98% Greens in Regulation is nothing to take lightly. This is Kuchar’s first Presidents Cup, and will be sure to rely on his experiences during the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Steve Stricker (4th appearance):

There has been a lot of speculation about whether Stricker will be able to play in the Presidents Cup. With a herniated disk in his neck, Stricker has been dealing with weakness in both his left arm and hand. However, Stricker is determined to play, and this U.S. team can use him. The tandem of Stricker and Tiger Woods was deadly in the last Presidents Cup. Overall Cup record of 9-6.

Nick Watney (1st appearance):

Watney is coming off one of his best seasons on the Tour with 10 Top-10 finishes, including victories at the AT&T National and World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

Bubba Watson (1st appearance):

One of the more popular players on the Tour, Watson had only 3 Top-10 finishes in 2011. However he made them count with victories at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Watson averages 314.9 yards in Driving Distance. Another Presidents Cup rookie, Watson will rely on his experiences at the 2010 Ryder Cup loss.

David Toms (4th appearance):

A revival of sorts in 2011.  After a disappointing 2010 campaign, 2011 saw 7 Top-10 finishes by Toms. If anything was indicative of Toms’ 2001 season -  after a disappointing 2nd place finish at the Players Championship, he promptly followed it up with a win the following weekend at the Crowne Plaza International at Colonial. Toms has a 6-7-1 record in Presidents Cup play.

Dustin Johnson (1st appearance):

Closed the 2011 campaign with a victory at the Barclays, and a second place finish World Golf-Championships -Cadillac Championships in the last leg of the season. 6 Top-10 finishes overall. Another long hitter who averaged 314.2 yards off the tee. Another Presidents Cup rookie, Johnso will look to improve on his Ryder Cup appearance from a year ago.

Hunter Mahan (3rd appearance):

The best sunglasses on the PGA Tour. Mahan had a good 2011 campaign, finishing in the Top-10 on 9 different occasions. Mahan will look to redeem himself after a horrible Sunday in the 2010 Ryder Cup. Part of the last pairing in the singles matches, Mahan left his approach to the Par 3 17th hole well short of the green. Losing the hole, it cost Mahan and the United States a chance at retaining the Ryder Cup. I am sure he is glad I brought this up. A 4-4-1 record in previous Presidents cup play.

Webb Simpson (1st appearance):

A player of the year candidate in 2011, Simpson finished with 12 Top-10 finishes, including victories at the Wyndham Championship and the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Jim Furyk (7th appearance):

Furyk is one of the veterans that Couples will rely on in the 2011 Presidents Cup. An overall record of 15-10-3 in Cup play. Furyk’s 2011 campaign wasn’t one of his best with just 4 Top-10 finishes in 2011. Normally one of the best putters on the Tour, Furyk switched to a belly-putter after struggling for most of 2011.

Tiger Woods (7th appearance):

A controversial Captain’s pick by Couples, who is counting on a struggling Woods to return to form in time for the Cup. Woods only played in 9 Tour events in 2011 and battled injuries for most of the summer. Did finish 4th in the 2011 season at the Masters. Has been making major swing changes, and has struggled at times. Healthy and having several weeks to practice has been huge for Woods. At the Frys.com tournament, Woods appeared to be regaining his form. Will it continue? Overall Presidents Cup record of 18-11-1.

Bill Haas (1st appearance):

Another Captain’s pick who capped a successful 2011 season with a memorable win at the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola.  The victory included a shot out of the water to help save his victory. That’s right, it was out of the water. Overall Haas had 7 Top-10 finishes, including 2 second place finishes.

Next: Presidents Cup preview and predictions

It consists of two teams, 24 golfers and 3 days of spectacular golf. The tournament has been held every other year for the past 83 years, stopping only for a World War and the September  11^th terrorist attacks.  It is the Ryder Cup.  The tournament features the United States against most of Europe, with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The 2008 Ryder Cup was held at the Valhalla Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky and featured a spectacular United States victory over a heavily favored European team. The 2010 Ryder Cups starts this weekend and is hosted by the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.

The Ryder Cup is aptly named after the man who donated the original trophy back in 1927 by Samuel Ryder.  The tournament takes place over three days with a total of 28 matches. Friday features 4 four-ball matches in the morning, followed by 4 foursome matches in the afternoon. The same type of matches are on Saturday, but the format flips. On Sunday there are single matches (12 of them) and all team members must play.  The winner is determined by the number of points accumulated by either winning or halving the matches. The reigning Ryder Cup champion only needs 14 points to retain the cup.

The Europeans have won 5 of the last 7 Ryder Cups.  The 2008 United States’ victory at Valhalla ended a 6 year reign by the Europeans. Before that, the previous United States victory happened at the Country Club of Brookline in 1999 and  occured under both spectacular and controversial circumstances.

The 2010 United States team features 5 Ryder Cup rookies. Let’s meet them:

Phil Mickelson (10-14-6 Ryder Cup record)

Hunter Mahan (2-0-3)

Bubba Watson  (Debut)

Jim Furyk (8-13-3)

Steve Stricker (0-2-1)

Dustin Johnson (Debut)

Jeff Overton (Debut)

Matt Kuchar (Debut)

Stewart Cink (4-7-4)

Rickie Fowler (Debut)

Zach Johnson (1-2-1)

Tiger Woods (9-13-2)

Captain – Cory Pavin

Thoughts:  Only Hunter Mahan has a winning record on the US team. Does that affect the team’s psyche heading into the tournament?  5 rookies and on foreign soil – will the pressure get to them? We have seen how Dustin Johnson does under the pressure of majors – ouch.  In light of recent comments by Rory McIlroy – will Tiger Woods make him eat them? Between Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson what will be the over/under on the numbers of greens that are driven?

Let’s meet the European Team, which features 6 Ryder Cup rookies:

Luke Donald (5-1-1)

Ross Fisher (Debut)

Pete Hanson (Debut)

Padraig Harrington (7-11-3)

Miguel Angel Jimenez (2-7-3)

Martin Kaymer (Debut)

Graeme McDowell (2-1-1)

Rory McIlroy (Debut)

Edoardo Molinari (Debut)

Francesco Molinari (Debut)

Ian Poulter (5-2-0)

Lee Westwood (2-4-0)

Captain – Colin Montgomerie

Thoughts:  6 rookies on the European team, but they are home. Home course advantage should work in their favor, but if the Europeans fall behind, will they succumb to the pressure? How much pink will they allow Ian Poulter to wear?   Europeans have been playing well, with 2 of the major champions on the Ryder Cup team – so they have to be favorites. But they were the favorites in 2008 – don’t expect the Europeans to take the United States team lightly like they did in 2008.

Prediction:  Europe is favored, but the United States team relishes the underdog role. I am going with a mild upset. United States retains the Ryder Cup.

Care to make a prediction??

After two months of a steady diet of NHL and NBA playoffs, June has brought on a new flavor to our sports infused diet. June has brought us World Cup soccer and starting tomorrow – U.S. Open Golf. Yes,  golf is back in the limelight and this time around, the U.S. Open is going West Coast Style – Pebble Beach to be exact.  Opened in 1919 and designed by James Neville, Pebble Beach golf course is known for its spectacular views of  the Pacific Ocean. 6,828 yards and a Par 72,  – if it sounds good, well you too can play Pebble Beach. Probably not this week, but it can be done. Just be prepared to mortgage the family home as a round of 18 will cost you $495… plus another $35 for a cart.

Of the previous 109 U.S. Open tournaments, Pebble Beach has hosted 4 previous U.S. Opens. Past winners at Pebble Beach are:

1972 – Jack Nicklaus

1982 – Tom Watson

1992 – Tom Kite

2000 – Tiger Woods

The U.S Open has developed the reputation of being tough on the golfers. Higher then usual rough (“Open rough” as it is commonly referred as),  pinched fairways and tough pin placements, leave the golfers beaten after 4 rounds. In fact don’t be surprised if you see even par in contention come Sunday.  In 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Open winner finished at a +5 for the tournament.

So who are the favorites? Well if the past U.S. Opens have taught us anything – expect the unexpected. Last year,  Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes came out of nowhere to battle it out on Sunday. The year before – Rocco Mediate.  So who is this year’s surprise contender?  Well one player not being talked about – Tiger Woods.  Tiger arrives at Pebble Beach in an unique spot – he not on the short list of favorites. Names like Mickelson, Villegas, Rose, Els and others are mentioned before Woods. In fact Woods is so far out of the limelight – I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the tournament Woods makes a run.

So who will win the 2010 U.S. Open? Do we have another Lucas Glover? Another Frances Quimet? Or will it be a dominating performance by someone like Tiger Woods? No one knows. But starting Thursday morning, 156 golfers will attempt to write their names in the history book as the 110th winner of the U.S. Open. Will you be watching?

Me? I expect to get  a healthy serving of U.S. Open golf this weekend. After all – it only comes around once a year.

AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Frank Gunn

By Paul Gotham

Taking time here on the ‘un-official’ holiday known as Super Bowl Sunday to ponder a sampling of topics going on around the sports world.

The NHL getting it right this time

The last time the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins met, the NHL took a little heat. Critics spewed about the league’s perpetual inability to highlight its marquee games. Instead of putting that  game on a major network on a Sunday afternoon, NHL rising stars, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, dueled on a Thursday night. To make matters worse, the game was pitted opposite the Lakers – Cavs/ Kobe-LeBron match-up.

Today, as sports fans settle in for a long winter’s viewing, they can catch the NHL’s finest on display. Props to the Penguins for doing their finest post man impersonation. Given the record snow fall in the nation’s capital, the Penguins will have to make the trek despite rain, or SNOW, or sleet, or hail, or lots of snow. Wonder if the NHL will be grabbing people off the streets to make sure the seats are full.

The NHL has to figure out a foil to the Kobe-LeBron ad campaign. I love the latest puppet ads with Bryant and James. “LeBron, did you hear that? My shoes started the fire.” That is great stuff.

More frozen pond

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in existence for over 90 years. Jean-Sebastien Giguere needed two games to etch his name into Leaf lore.

Acquired in a trade on January 31st, Giguere got his first start two days later. The netminder made 30 saves on 30 shots to shutout the New Jersey Devils, 3-0. Four nights later, Giguere repeated the feat shutting out the Senators, 5-0. Giguere is now the first goalie in Leaf history to earn shutouts in his first two starts.

Now, Giguere will need to prove he is worthy of mentioning with Johnny Bower, Turk Broda, and other great Leaf goalies of the past. Of course, Leaf fans would probably be happy to just get out of the Eastern Conference basement.

A small dose of irony for Buffalo Sabre fans when considering Giguere’s feat. Buffalo is 5-0 against the Leafs this year, including a shutout win back in November.  Meanwhile, the Sabres are 0-4 against the Senators.

Buffalo fell for the fourth consecutive time Saturday night. There is reason for concern that Sabre netminder, Ryan Miller, is in need of some rest. The timing is poor considering Miller will be between the pipes for Team USA in the upcoming Olympics. Buffalo currently sits in third place in the conference with a 12-point buffer from the eighth and final playoff spot.

The Sabres schedule after the Olympics is less than kind – at Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia, and at the Rangers in the first week of March.

Did any other Sabre fans just gulp?

Kobe passes West

With 44 points Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, Kobe Bryant passed Jerry West on the all-time Laker scoring list. There was some rumblings from Pau Gasol and Phil Jackson that this was not exactly a happy occasion. The two expressed relief in putting the record behind them, so they could focus on team pursuits. This wouldn’t be the first time Kobe put self in front of the team

Maybe I need my antenna adjusted, but I am having a difficult time putting Kobe ahead of Mr. Clutch on my personal pantheon of NBA greats. Okay, Kobe has 25,246 points as opposed to West’s 25,192. It’s important to note that West played 932 games. Kobe has suited up for 999. Something tells me points were more difficult to come by in West’s time. Certainly, money was a lot more difficult when West made his way. I’m thinking Jerry was not afforded as much time to train in the off-season. He probably needed to work jobs to make ends meet.

Nonetheless, I still love the Kobe commercials. Did I mention that already?

Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

Measure of an MVP

We are about  to find out the value of Chris Paul. The Hornets’ point guard is out for a month, and the team is already two games out of the playoffs. It does not look good for the Cajun Kings.

Props to Hornets for pulling out the Mardi Gras home colors – nice touch.

Much ado about Phil

Scott McCarron apologized. Phil Mickelson accepted. And a wedge has been put in the bag.

I’m still scratching my head.

McCarron accused Mickelson of gaining an unfair advantage with a club that other tour members use.

I’m not even going to pretend that I know much about golf, but the USGA only allows Ping wedges made prior to 1990?

1990?

Am I wrong in suggesting that there have been some significant advancements in the technology of golf equipment since 1990?

Terry loses the ‘C’

No one knows what goes behind closed doors, and soccer proved golf is not alone in sex scandals.

England’s coach, Fabio Capello, announced this week that John Terry has lost his team captaincy. This after allegations became public of Terry’s affair with teammate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend.

The situation increased on the weird scale when it unearthed a scandal within the U.S. team from over a decade ago. Now we find out why John Harkes was cut from the 1998 U.S. team: he had an affair with Eric Wynalda’s wife.

Ya just never know.

Winter Olympics anyone?

Who’s looking forward to the Games? I know I will make time to watch the athletes. Time for a confession: I enjoy curling. I know it’s crazy, but there is something hypnotic about it.

Got any rebounds and putbacks? Post them here.

Could this be you? Will this be you?

So it’s a nice fall day, you’re outside tossing a ball with your kid, and you’re thinking way back in the small of your brain, “man, it’d be nice if he made it big in sports so I didn’t have to worry about my retirement.” If you’re a parent, and have ever played with your kid, this dark thought has crossed your mind at least once. But how can you be sure that child will grow up and choose the most lucrative sport? After all, you want a nice place on the beach, right?

Fortunately (well, for the purposes of this article), Sports Illustrated has charted the top 50 wage earners in sports, including both salary and endorsement deal numbers. Needless to say, Tiger Woods is at the top of the heap, racking in roughly 128 million dollars. Yet 82% of this comes from endorsement deals. While your junior may not be able to stake a claim that large, Tiger’s earnings from the links rounds out to 23 million bucks, and as they say, that’s not chump change. Lest you think your toddler may not reach those heights, Phil Mickelson clocks in right behind Tiger, with a 9 mil/53 mil earnings/endorsements split. And that’s a staggering 85% from endorsements. The only other golfer in the top 50 is Jim Furyk, and similarly, he’s at $4.7/11million 30/70EE (earnings/endorsements percentage – I made that up, but it sounds important), still netting 70% of his income from shilling. Lesson here, if you teach your kid golf, you’d better learn to appreciate gaudy polyester clothing and Buicks, because both are coming your way.

So you say football, perhaps? Well, there are 7 fellows on the list, with only Tom Brady making more off endorsement deals than paycheck, and then not by much. And though the best football players make about twice what golfer Furyk makes, my guess is those players will be substantially beat up later on in life, and need the money for essentials like canes, Advil, and knee braces.

NASCAR? The top 3 make from 18-27 million overall, with a steadily higher ratio of endorsement deals as you go up the ladder. And this makes sense, since who’s going to buy products from a loser? Unless, of course, that loser is Dale Earnhardt jr, who though he may not win many races, still has a high 19/81 EE.

And although boxing has only one member on the list, with Floyd Mayweather jr, there’s not enough data to judge, given his earnings are 40 million, with half coming from fights, half from out of the ring deals.

Baseball? Of the nine players on the list, and despite having enough members to field a team, not one player comes close to making more via endorsements than what he gets in his paycheck. The closest is Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter (73/27 EE), followed by Albert Pujols (79/21 EE), Alex Rodriguez (83/17 EE), and Manny Ramirez (89 /11 EE). Apparently, no one wants to buy anything hawked by a baseball player.

Basketball players make up over half of the group on the list, yet only 3 of those players make more from outside deals than from salary. But if you’re of European descent like me, and have a doughy consistency to your muscle fibers that keep you close to the ground, and not the necessary staggering heights needed to play in the NBA lately, your kid, like mine, doesn’t stand a chance on the hardwoods.

So what’s the answer? If you’re looking for your kid to supply you with a beachfront condo, where should you push him in the sporting arena? Boxing is out, I’d venture, because by the time you reach retirement age, your boy could be in worse shape than you. Same for football, and neither sport has a long lifetime, at least in terms of wage earning. Similarly, I’d avoid NASCAR, since the outlay for gas and insurance early on would break you financially, just like your kid would eventually total your car, and with everything going green, auto racing isn’t a long term strategy. Baseball seems a good choice, and a player can go 15 years or more, building up a nice little nest egg. Basketball is loaded with millionaires, but I’d guess is out of the question for me and my kids – genetically, height doesn’t run too well in my genes, and as for shooting from the line, I’m worse than the Orangemen.

So that leaves us with golf, a sport I am not enamored with, one I do not play well, that often has a elitist air about it, but one that seems to pay off pretty well. It is also the only sport where longevity is encouraged, since, when you are no longer able to compete with the boys, you’re put out to pasture on the senior tour. Take a look at the list’s lowly Furyk – since 2005 he has made 3 to 4 million a year (spiking to 7 million in 2006), but not a bad deal for whacking a little white ball. If he keeps up at that pace, and continues his high earnings to endorsements ratio, that’s a good chunk of change, and one that’ll surely put you in a nice little cabana, if not poolside in the state of your choice.

I’m sure the data could be crunched in many ways, like the outlay you must spend on sporting equipment through the years, where you live and if can you play the sport year round, among other things. And though you may think your kid is a looker, remember beauty sells in this country. Put another way, if Tiger Woods was cross-eyed or had a cleft palate, he wouldn’t be shilling for Nike and all.

On paper, it looks like golf is the ticket to that beachside condo, although the downside is a Kevin Costner “Tin Cup” scenario. In second place I’d say baseball, again with a downside of a Kevin Costner “Bull Durham” result. Wait a minute – what’s this connection with Costner and beat down athletes?

We are more than a week away from the British Open and it has been an interesting weekend of discussion surrounding one position on the baseball field. So I thought I would keep it light and just comment on a few interesting topics that have happened throughout sports in the past week. Here we go:

- Lance Armstrong has quickly moved up to second place in the 2009 Tour de France. The 37 year old wasn’t expected to contend for the Tour’s championship and has been under heavy scrutiny since he stepped foot in France. There is certainly a long way to go, but if Armstrong was to win his 8th Tour de France – will the French cycling world finally stop the witch hunt? At what point will the French finally just accept Armstrong’s dominance in the sport?

- While I salute Dustin Pedroia for being elected to the All-Star game – I hate to break it to him – Aaron Hill and Ian Kinsler should be starting.  In fact, if Kinsler doesn’t make the team, I would consider it a travesty. It is nice to see Tim Wakefield finally be selected to an All-Star team. Personally, Wakefield has been the unspoken MVP for the Red Sox for many years. Wakefield has done just about everything they have asked of him – including being a reliever.

-  Joe Sakic is finally calling it quits after a 20 year NHL career. Sakic finished with 625 career goals and 1,016 assists almost guarantees him a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame in  5 years. Sakic may play for Team Canada in the 2010 Olympics, as they are in his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia.  Regardless, Sakic will surely be inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in Toronto.

-  The balance of power of the NBA seems to be shifting to the Eastern Conference, as the Cavaliers ( Shaquille O’Neal), Magic (Vince Carter) and the Boston Celtics (Rasheed Wallace) have all made major moves this offseason to upgrade their rosters. The Celtics are certainly looking a 2 year window to compete for another championship and if the C’s can add Grant Hill to their roster – I expect them to be the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

-  Someone please explain to me, Trevor Ariza’s and Hedo Turkoglu’s decision process. I can understand Ariza’s desire to start, but Turkoglu’s decision to choose Toronto was questionable at best. First impressions are that Turkoglu’s main focus is money and not the desire to win a championship.

- There should be rule on the PGA Tour – if you host a tournament, you can’t win it – Tiger.

- Rough week in the golf world, as Phil Mickelson’s mother has been diagnosed with breat cancer. As many know,  it is the second person  in the Mickelson’s family to be diagnosed with cancer in recent weeks. I don’t anticipate seeing Mickelson return to the PGA tour until 2010 at the earliest. Regardless, a speedy recovery to everyone in the Mickelson family.Count me as one golf fan who will be rooting for Kenny Perry at the British Open.  With Perry’s mother diagnosed with cancer and placed under hospice care, Perry came under critcism for potentially skipping the British Open for a second year in a row. But after consulting doctors, Perry is going to play. Here is hoping Perry will win the tournament and quiet his critics.

On Thursday, June 18th the eyes of the golfing world will converge in Farmingdale, NY for the 109th U.S. Open. 156 golfers – professional and amateur will vie for one of the most coveted titles within the world of  golf – U.S Open Champion. But in order to do it, they will have to conquer Bethpage Black - a 7,214 yard beast. Add in the traditional U.S. Open rough and the course is likely to leave some of the best golfers in the world scratching their heads.  Before we start to identify some of the favorites in this year’s U.S. Open – let’s identify two of the areas that will be vital in order for any player to be successful:

Length – As already mentioned, Bethpage Black is measuring out at a minimum of 7,214 yards.  Players that can hit their drives 300+ yards are going to have an immediate advantage. Longer drives allow the golfers to hit lower irons such as the 8,9, and wedges (Pitching and Sand) in their approach to the greens. With these irons, golfers will be able to generate both more spin and more height, allowing them to shoot directly at the pin locations. Closer putts equals better birdie opportunities. But having the length of the tee won’t matter if golfers aren”t…

Accuracy – Sure guys can bomb it 320-330 – but can they keep it in the fairway? In other tournaments, guys not keeping it in the fairway could overcome their inaccuracy with good shots out of a manageable rough. Not in the U.S. Open. USGA’s fondness for forcing golfers to turn their irons into machetes in order to get through the rough is becoming legendary. In reviewing some of the holes, players will also have to shape alot of their drives as many of the holes have either sharp or slight dog-legs. Players that are able to cut corners on the some of the dog legs and keep it in the fairway, will have an advantage in the approach to the green. Any problems keeping on the short stuff, could lead to a short weekend.

Let’s take a look at some of the favorites:

Tiger Woods – Obviously the defending champion is going to be on the list and probably is the odds-on favorite to win the tournament. After winning the Memorial tournament recently, Woods is proving that he is just about all the way back from the knee surgery that knocked him out for most of the 2008 season. Woods’ abillity to be accurate off the tee will be vital for him – an area that he has struggled with early on this season. If he is able to manage the course like he did at the Memorial and he could run away with this tournament. Also key – Woods’ physical strength. A majority of  the players on the PGA Tour, don’t have the physical prowess of Woods  -leading to trouble getting some shots out of the rough and onto the greens. It will lead to players having to lay-up and rest in alot of par and bogey putts.  Woods strength will allow him to take shots of the rough that most player won’t be able to do.

Phil Mickelson – Most people might be writing off Mickelson as a contender, because of the recent medical problems with his wife, Amy Mickelson.  But he proved in this weeks St. Jude’s Classic that he will compete and if he gets off to a good start – don’t be surprised if most of the fans at the tournament sarting following around Mickelson. The New York golf community has been pro-Mickelson in the past and everyone loves a feel good story. Mickelson certainly has the length and iron skills to make a run at the championship, but can tend the play extremely aggressive. I am not sure if this is the type of course that favors the aggressive style. But if Mickelson can control the aggressiveness and still attack the course – we might be in for something special.

Jim Furyk -  Furyk won’t be on most people’s lists for longest hitters on the Tour, but Furyk and his uncanny swing is one of the most accurate iron players.  Furyk is also known around the PGA as one of the best putters on the tour.  He is a former U.S. Open champion, whose experience will be instrumental in his management around the course. Considering how difficult the U.S. Open can be on the mental aspect of the game for the golfers,  any player nicknamed “The Grinder” has to be on the list of favorites.

Geoff Ogilvy – Another former U.S. Open champion, but from Australia and has been playing some of the best golf of his career in 2009.  Know for being long off the tee and accurate, this course sets up well for Ogilvy to make serious run at the championship. The only knock on Ogilvy – and most golfers can relate, is that when the wheels come off his game – they seem to really come off.  Still, I expect Ogilvy to be there come Sunday.

Anthony Kim – Most people know Kim from his amazing performance at the Ryder Cup in Valhalla Country Club in Lexington, KY. But the 22 year old is in the mold of Tiger Woods and has a knack for making the golf course extremely short.  Set a record at the 2009 Masters with 12 birdies in a round, but consistency has plagued Kim so far. If he can put it together for 4 days, we could see Kim’s name at the top of the leaderboard.

Kenny Perry - The question for Kenny Perry is whether he will be able to rebound from his collapse at the 2009 Masters.  The Kentucky native is known for his accuracy and calm demeanor. If he stays within his own game and doesn’t try to stay with the Tiger Woods of the PGA – he could be in contention come Sunday.

Other notables -  Vijay Singh, Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington and Adam Scott.
While I have named a few that could be in contention come Sunday, anything can happen in golf. Don’t be surprised if  we see a whole different group of names a the top of the leaderboard.

I think that this is going to be a yearly article for me. As college basketball having already crowned its king, is on the verge of crowning its queen and coming to an end. Major League Baseball is underway, but all eyes will turn to the PGA this week as the greatest tournament in professional golf takes place – The Masters. Thousands will flock to Augusta National Golf Club this weekend to see who brings home the elusive Green Jacket. Thousands will go to watch the practice rounds – probably more for the chance to walk the course then to watch Phil Mickelson work on his short game. Thousands will blow off weekly chores and watch from home. Me? I am excited that I will be able to watch this weekend in High-Definition for the first time. This might be the first time that I root for a chest cold to stick around – just so I have the excuse to say, ” I think I am going to lay low this weekend and get healthy”. Even people at work, who don’t know that much about golf  know what is going on this weekend. The Masters has that much pull.

For those that don’t know,  Augusta National Golf Course was created in 1933 by founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.  Architect Alister MacKenzie  helped designed the course out of an old indigo plantation. The Masters officially started in 1934.  Officially the course is 7,435 yards long. The course also known for botanic beauty is one of the few courses to have each hole named after either a tree or shrub that it has been associated with. So when you head to “The Magnolia”, you know what tree to look for and you will find the 455 yard, Par 4.

No other golf course has nicknames like “Amen Corner” or the “Eisenhower Tree”. Interesting enough, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower had quite an influence over the golf course and its formation. On the 17th hole, the former president hit this one pine tree so many times, that he proposed that it be cut down. Apparently Clifford Roberts didn’t want to insult him and adjourned their meeting, rather then tell the former President – no. To this day, that tree is known as the “Eisenhower Tree”.  Eisenhower also suggested that an area on the course would be perfect for a pond. Course architects agreed and promptly built a pond.  Today that body of water  is known as “Ike’s Pond”.

The bridges on the course have all be named for past champions. The bridge on No. 12 is named for Ben Hogan,  # 13 named for Byron Nelson and #15 named for Gene Sarazen. You want to drive up to the course, you need to take Magnolia Lane. Everywhere you turn, the course is rich with history. It is the only golf course that holds a “Champions Dinner” in which only past champions and honorary inductees are invited. The defending champion is not only the host, but also gets to choose the menu. Just as Mike Weir who chose Wild Boar and Wapiti Elk for dinner.  The dinner is annually on the Tuesday night of the Masters’ week – which means Trevor Immelman is hosting as I am currently typing out this article.

By my count 43 different golfers have won the Masters tournament. Jack Nicklaus has won the most  – 6 times, followed up by  Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer with 4 victories. Only 3 golfers have ever won consecutive Masters tournaments – Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966, Nick Faldo in 1989 and 1990 and lastly, Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.  Can Trevor Immelman be the 4th golfer to win consecutive Masters? Tiger Woods who is healthy and coming off another victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is the odds-on favorite to win his 5th. Phil Mickelson will be looking for his third and the validation he craves to put his name in the same sentence as Tiger Woods. Can he do it? Can Woods do it, or will another golf elevate his game to greatness?

Golf maybe the hardest sport to be favored in and still win. Everything has to fall into place. Every read, every shot has to be perfect. Every break has to go your way.  Did I also mention that  you have to do it on the hardest golf course and on the biggest of stages? That is why every golfer either dreams of winning this tournament or craves just to play in it. Enjoy it this week – it is golf at its finest. Can I get an Amen??