OUTRIGHTS:
Geoff Ogilvy(14/1) e.w.
J.B. Holmes(33/1) e.w.
Parker McLachlin(80/1) e.w.
ODDS and ENDS:
(A) As time permits I will be editing this post with just that, Odds and Ends.
(B) The run-up to the Masters has ALWAYS been my most profitable part of the season, until 2008, when the early season was littered with missed opportunities, starting with Daniel Chopra (Mercedes) and Martin Kaymer (Abu Dhabi) right out of the box. Only a great run right after the Masters with Damien McGrane (China), Darren Clarke (China), Peter Lawrie (Spain) and Boo Weekley (Harbour Town) got me to a season of right around the break even point . . . Everything is a prelude to The Masters for as long as I've held a club in my hands. For several years, my first posted play(s) for the season have involved The Masters, but there's nothing I really fancy there at the moment. So, as a confirmed
Ogilvyaholic, I'm going to lean in his direction instead with my first posted play of the 2009 season . . . It was not unexpected that Ogilvy got off to a slow start in 2008 with the focus on his young family, but by the end of the season he had to be disappointed in any bottom line evaluation. With every expectation that his family life is in great order and he's focused on a much quicker start to his 2009 season (and although he has struggled on the greens at Kapalua in the past), the venue otherwise fits his game too well for his record here to get stuck at abysmal. And with Crenshaw as one of the architects, the course has to have elements that appeal to a passionate traditionalist like Ogilvy.
(C) In looking at some of my notes, and reading some posts from prior stagings of this event, "Kapalua really rewards length, followed by shotmaking skills in ocean breezes and a nice touch for navigating those huge and supposedly far less grainy greens"; "long hitters who are sharp with the bread and butter this week", is how another punter put it. So far in his career, there aren't many places outside of Phoenix with which to associate good putting and
J.B. Holmes, but maybe this is one of them. Otherwise, he's stated the course sets up well for him off the tee and with the approaches, so I'll roll with this crazy cat in a not overly impressive field of proven course specialists.
(D) In reading
Parker's postcards and blog (
http://www.parkermclachlin.com/postcards.asp ), I noted at least 3 specific things that appealed or were worth noting (beyond the fact of having recently guarded President-Elect Obama in a pick up basketball game). First, you never know "where players are at" coming into a new season, and if the Mercedes start in Hawaii is really just the tail end of a vacation/off season. For Parker: "My swing coach will be in town in November, and hopefully we can get a lot of work done. The offseason is a great time to address swing flaws and make some adjustments that can't be made during tournament weeks. We'll try to get my swing to try to be more consistent and solid. Also, one of my main goals this off season is to get in the gym and get stronger so that I can handle the rigors of the 2009 season. That's going to be one of my biggest efforts. After that, we'll be gearing up for our trip to Italy, then working hard to get prepared for the Mercedes on Maui. It's going to be really exciting to start out the 2009 season with two events in Hawaii". Second, which I read from an interview and is not from his website, ''I know the course is built for the trade winds, and having grown up in Hawaii, I always enjoy playing in the wind. I would be at a disadvantage with no wind, but usually there is a fair amount of wind there. Hopefully I will be able to use that to my advantage.'' However, as for the
weather, I was seeing the trade winds are expected to be diminishing over the next few days and turn to strong kona winds on Sunday, so not real helpful there. Third, "Now, with the win, I have completely revamped my goals . . . Now, my goal is to get into the Masters . . . I know that I have said this before, but I want to thank you all again for supporting me. Every one of you in Hawai'i has been nothing short of incredible. You are incredibly supportive, and I feel your support when I'm out there on the PGA Tour. Most importantly, I want you all to know how much I enjoy representing the entire state of Hawai'i when I am on the golf course. Your support enabled me to become a winner on the PGA Tour, and I hope to continue to make you all proud . . . Mahalo, Parker." Well, I've noted before that IMO, being "at home" is usually a tremendous advantage for the comfort level when any professional golfer is seriously in the mix at the repairing for the weekend, but it's just as likely to get a player trying too hard and/or be otherwise distracted by well wishers and the like for them to ever get into contention in the first place, and it's a bigger problem for newbies that have high expectations but have not really faced the situation very often. So, I'm very likely being way premature with my support, but will like my wager a lot if it's sitting well positioned come Friday evening. Finally, if a guy who hasn't won a lot wins an event, it's almost a cliche for that winner to say something like, "nothing seemed to bother me this week". There a lot of personal and professional circumstances that can contribute to that level of equanimity, but I thought reading about Parker's experiences with President-Elect Obama might be an ANGLE that would be conducive to "being in a good place", mentally and emotionally, for getting untracked for a favorable start.
(E) Kim (Oklahoma) and Villegas (Florida) are paired together, going off just a couple of hours before Oklahoma and Florida kick off in the BCS title game.
Edit:
Hey, smax!
GL
