Wednesday Preview - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

The PGA Tour heads to one of the most iconic golf courses in the world for one of the most unusual events on the PGA Tour schedule. It's time for the old Crosby Clam Bake at Pebble Beach!

Course: Three courses are utilized at this event, the main one being Pebble Beach, and they all measure around 6,800 yards. The courses are relatively easy. Bombers will be rewarded, but that doesn't mean small hitters are out of it, either. Expect winning score to reach twenty under par.

Strength Of Field: D-. The biggest name in the field is probably Bill Murray. In all honestly, you do have last week's winner Jason Day, as well as Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed, but almost all of the big names hate the pro-am portion of this event and don't play. It's the perfect opportunity for someone to make up FedEx Cup points or get a well placed top 10 and jump start their years.

Extra Tidbits: While the storyline for this event will focus around the amateurs, the list of celebrities have dwindled over the years. With NFL stars Tom Brady and Peyton Manning sitting this out, the event is mainly made up of television stars and musicians that haven't released a hit since 1992...The better story to follow might be the older players. Six players over the age of 50 are playing this week, including Tom Lehman, who rarely plays on the regular Tour these days...Jim Furyk is making is 2015 debut this week...European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley makes a rare start on US soil this week.

Fantasy Four:

Ryan Palmer - Has been playing great golf lately, and his next win appears to be around the corner. Three top 20's in three events in 2015. His recent history at this event may be suspect, but his play lately cancels that out.

Jimmy Walker - Defending champion is firing on all cylinders right now. Was in position to win last week, but a less than stellar final round prevented him from winning for the second time this season. Already defended one title in Hawaii. May be on track for an even better season this year.

Ernie Els - Sleeper pick. Hasn't played this event in a very long time. It's hard to call a Hall of Famer a "sleeper", but recent form on the PGA Tour would warrant that title. Hasn't missed a cut since the Open Championship, and has played decently on the European Tour this year. Relative weakness of the field should give Els a shot.

Jason Day - Would not be a surprise if he won three or four tournaments in a row. No finishes outside the top 20 this season. Has finished solo 6th in this tournament twice, most recently two years ago. I will continue to endorse Day until he gives me a reason not to.

Last Weeks Team:

Jordan Speith: CUT

Jason Day: WINNER

K.J. Choi: T53

Justin Thomas: CUT

PGA Tour Sees The Light Of Day

- It was four years between victories for Jason Day. During that time, he was contending a bunch of majors, and everyone knew that, if he could just win his second tournament, the trophies would start piling up. Well, less than a year later, Day wins tournament number three after surviving the difficult conditions at Torrey Pines and beating three men in a playoff. Jason Day was a lot like Rickie Fowler - we all know he's a good golfer, but he just needed to start winning. This could be a monster year for Day now that he's healthy and has the confidence back.

- If you want to talk about "horses for courses", look no further than Scott Stallings at Torrey Pines. A year after making an improbable run on Sunday to shockingly win last year, he shoots a final round 69 in tough conditions to make the playoff. Stallings is a strange case - he rarely contends and he struggles at majors, but he always seems to win one golf tournament a year. Don't expect to hear from Stallings for another month or two, until he suddenly pops up in another tournament sometime in the summer.

- I'm sure Harris English would love to have that playoff hole back, but he has to feel good contending for the win a second time this year. English looked to take this Tour by storm after winning twice in 2013, but lost a bit of form last year. He's now looking like he's getting back to form, and at only 25 years of age, he has plenty of time to settle in and start winning tournaments.

- It seems like every year, there is a big hitter that gets into position on the 72nd hole to win, and instead of going for the green in two, they lay up. This time, it was J.B. Holmes, and while his decision to lay up will be what's criticized the most, in the end it was the putter that let Holmes down. Holmes didn't make a putt over 7 feet all day. It was good to see Holmes back in contention, but of the three players in the playoff who fell short, this one will likely sting the most for Holmes.

- Sei Young Kim's victory is proving what I stated earlier - that this rookie class will be the best in LPGA history. Kim was a big player on the KLPGA Tour and won a major on that Tour last year. She also finished a shot out of the playoff at the KEB Hana-Bank Championship as a non member. Still, I don't know what the expectations were for Kim, especially after really struggling at the first event of the season. Kim's victory was nothing short of clutch - she birdied the 72nd hole to get into the playoff, and birdied the playoff hole to walk away with the tournament. I don't know if this means we're seeing the next big thing in women's golf, but it does prove that the Korean invasion of the LPGA Tour has been jump started in a big way.

- I have to feel bad for Ariya Jutanugarn. She is a rookie and she will have plenty of opportunities to win in the future, but after coming so close two years ago in Thailand only to lose it on the 72nd hole, this would have been the perfect medicine to eliminate that tournament from her memory. Jutanugarn is a great player who can be a bit erratic at times, and if she can find just a little bit of control with her swing, she could be a huge force in women's golf.

- Mark my words - this was the start of a comeback for Sun Young Yoo. After being the benefactor of IK Kim's short miss at the Kraft Nabisco in 2012, Yoo has been quiet on Tour since. She had this tournament won, but a bogey on the 16th hole brought Jutanugarn and Kim back into the tournament. Still, I think this was the confidence booster Yoo needed. Much like MJ Hur last year, all Yoo needed was to know how to contend again, and she will be back in the winner's circle in 2015.

- Inbee Park was moon walking her way back into the number one position. A combination of a tough final round for Park and a huge Sunday for Lydia Ko prevented Park from retaking the Rolex Rankings. These two are going to do battle all season, but you have to wonder if Park will be able to retake the position from a very motivated Ko.

- Looks like we might be seeing Aniban Lahiri at the Masters. The Asian Tour player won the Maybank Malaysian Open on the European Tour after a brilliant weekend, shooting 62-68 the final two days. Lahiri is within the top 60 in the world, and unless we see him really struggle over the next month, he will be teeing it up at at Augusta. Good on you, Lahiri. And good luck.

- Apparently, playing foreign Tours is the path to success for struggling North American golfers. After Brooks Koepka and Peter Uihlein's successes on the European Tour, and David Lipsky's success on the Asian Tour, it looks like two others are set for a career jump start as American Paul Peterson and Canadian Richard T. Lee both finished in the top 5 in Malaysia. How great of a story would it be if both of these players started winning golf tournaments and climbing up the world rankings? I will be keeping a close eye on both players as they play on the Asian Tour this season.

Billy Casper Passes Away

The world of golf lost another great today as Hall of Famer Billy Casper died at the age of 83.

Casper did not have much of an amateur career. He spent one year on the golf team at Notre Dame before returning to his home in San Diego to marry his wife Shirley in 1952. For the next two years, he competed in San Diego amateur tournaments, most notably against Gene Littler, one of the best amateur golfers of the 1950's and a future Hall of Famer in his own right. Casper turned professional in 1954.

Casper was one of the most prolific winners on the PGA Tour. In fact, only six men won more than Casper, who was able to accumulate 51 victories in his career. The first of his victories came two years into his career at the 1956 Labatt Open. He would win two events in 1957, and three in 1958. Casper's ascension to super stardom, however, would occur in 1959 with his first major triumph, a one stroke victory over Bob Rosburg at the US Open at Winged Foot. Over the next several seasons, Casper would be one of the biggest names on Tour, winning seven times in two seasons and a whopping 32 times throughout the 60's; however, with Arnold Palmer at the top of his game, Jack Nicklaus joining the Tour and beginning his career, and Gary Player coming to the United States, the majors would be come more difficult for Casper. It would be seven years before Casper would be able to win his second major, this time prevailing in a playoff against Palmer after Palmer gave away a three shot lead going into Sunday. Casper wouldn't have to wait nearly as long for his third and final major, as he was able to claim a green jacket at the 1970 Masters with a playoff victory over his boyhood rival Gene Littler. While Littler was able to win a US Open in the 60's, this would be the closest he ever got to a green jacket. His final win on the PGA Tour would occur in 1975. When the dust settled, Casper was able to pick up a win for 16 consecutive seasons, from 1956 to 1971, one short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

While Casper's win total is impressive, he is best known for his skills in the Ryder Cup. Casper played on eight Ryder Cup teams, from 1961 to 1975. To this day, he still holds the record for most points scored by an American at the Ryder Cup. Casper was also the captain of the 1979 team. All in all, Casper was involved in nine Ryder Cups, and was never part of a losing team.

After 1975, Casper started to see a downturn in his career, and was never able to pick up another PGA Tour victory, though he was able to win the 1977 Mexican Open. Casper would end up joining the Senior Tour and win nine events from 1982 to 1989, including two senior majors. Casper's final golf tournament was the 2005 Masters Tournament. He hadn't played in a PGA Tour event in over five years at that point, but he wanted to return to play in the final event of Jack Nicklaus' career, which was also coming to an end at that same tournament.

Casper was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. After his induction and as his playing time on the main tour started to dwindle, Casper spent a majority of his time designing golf courses and involving himself in charity. He founded the charity "Billy's Kids", which works for children in the San Diego area. At the end of it all, he won 69 professional tournaments worldwide, including three majors, was a two time player of the year, lead the money list twice, and won the Vardon Trophy five times. Billy Casper was among the greatest players to ever play the sport of golf, and we salute his accomplishments.

Rest in peace, Mr. Casper.

News Grab-Bag: 2/6/2015

- I have no idea what to make of this Patrick Reed cheating story. For those unaware of the story, you can get the general idea here. Most people have already sided against Reed, but I have a tough time thinking that all of a sudden at the height of Reed's career these allegations are coming to light. This sounds like a money grab to me, but we have yet to see the end of this story.

- It looks like the lawsuit that was following Rory McIlroy has been settled. McIlroy is set to pay his former management company, Horizon Sports Management, more than $20 million. Still, this has to be a huge weight off of McIlroy's shoulders, who is already off to a big start to 2015. Now that there is nothing distracting McIlroy, the rest of the world should be absolutely frightened right now.

- Looks like the caddies are fighting for some just compensation. This week, a group of PGA Tour caddies filed a $50 million lawsuit against the PGA Tour for being made to wear bibs of corporate sponsors, but not being allowed to wear advertisements of their own. While PGA Tour players are allowed to wear the logos of any corporate sponsor they want, caddies are required to wear only the bibs of the sponsors of that particular tournament and no other logos that would allow them to profit. The PGA Tour is not happy about this lawsuit and has said in a recent statement that the purses of tournaments and pensions for players would be threatened if the caddies get their way. The attorney for the caddies denies these allegations and claims they're not coming after PGA Tour money at all. Stephanie Wei has more on this. I hope the caddies get paid real well for this, because this has been a long time coming.

- Could Tiger Woods miss Doral? Currently, Tiger is 53rd in the Official World Golf Rankings. Only the top 50 get an exemption into the WGC-Cadillac Championships, so Tiger could be missing the event that he won seven times in his career.
(EDIT: After less than one round, Tiger has withdrawn from the Farmers Insurance Open with soreness in his back. It is almost certain at this point that Tiger will not be at Doral, and the rest of his career may be in doubt right now.)

- What does being the number one player in the world get you? Well, it could get you into any golf tournament you like, endless endorsements, and a spot on almost every Golf Channel broadcast. For Lydia Ko, however, the coolest perk might have been a tweet from fellow New Zealand teenager Lorde. And yes, this is the second time that Lorde has been mentioned on this blog. Sue me.

- If you're a professional golfer from Korea who doesn't have a good grasp of the English language, and you're trying to relocate to the United States, where better for you to go then...Columbia, South Carolina? Check out this story from The Slate about LPGA player Mi. Hyang Lee.

- The golf world lost a true inspiration this week, as Charlie Sifford passed away at the age of 92. Sifford was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour, is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and last year, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sifford was the Jackie Robinson of golf, and so many, from Tiger Woods to Samuel L. Jackson have reached out since his passing to share their appreciation for what he was able to accomplish. Charlie Sifford broke down several barriers and made the game of golf a better place for it, and we should all thank him for his contributions to the game we love.

- This is a personal note and has nothing to do with golf, but the world lost a great creative mind this week, as Monty Oum died Sunday at the age of 33. Monty worked on many projects, such as Dead Fantasy, Haloid, and most recently he worked for Rooster Teeth and created the animated series RWBY. More than that, he was known for his incredible work ethic and his obsession with creativity. Monty was an inspiration to many people my age who were looking for a creative outlet and pushed on, even when things got tough. Monty left us too soon, but he left behind a beacon of light that will shine incredibly bright.

Wednesday Preview - Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA

If you thought the men had it easy when they started their year in Hawaii, it was nothing compared to the ladies of the LPGA, who play their second event of the season in the Bahamas. Sunshine, swimsuits, and a little bit of golf is on tap for the weekend.

Course: Ocean Club Golf Course, measuring at 6,600 yards. It's pretty wide open and the greens are pretty forgiving, so a variety of bombers and great ball strikers will be able to contend this week. Expect the winning score to push twenty under par.

Strength Of Field: B-. Pretty much the same field as last week, only it is an expanded field, so more Q-school qualifiers are in the field. Still missing Hyo Joo Kim, who may be playing the Tour minimum this year.

Extra Tidbits: Two years ago, this tournament was almost cancelled due to intense flooding. Players ended up playing 12 holes each round...A couple of Canadians, Brooke Henderson and Rebecca Lee-Bentham, are your Monday qualifiers...While many expect Lydia Ko to be the number one player for a long time, she could just as easily lose it this week, as both Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis could retake the position with a victory...There are no amateurs in the field this week.

Fantasy Four:

Lydia Ko - Her double bogey on the 71st hole would discourage others, but it will only fuel the fire of the new world number one. Picked up where she left off last season. Has finished in the top 10 23 of her 43 career starts.

Jessica Korda - Finished T2 last week, and enters this week as the defending champion. Is a streaky player, and has a tendency to vanish for parts of the season, but the early season is where Korda makes most of her money. All three of her career wins have occurred in the winter/spring.

Stacy Lewis - A very quiet top 10 last week, like most weeks for Lewis. Is now third on the Rolex Rankings despite winning three times and finishing as the Player of the Year last year. Finished second in the Bahamas last year.

Ha Na Jang - Has game, will travel. My only concern about Jang is her inability to close, as she seems to get ahead of herself and doesn't stay in the moment down the stretch. This will come in time. For now, expect her to contend in a lot of tournaments.

(SLEEPER) Sakura Yokomine - First start as an LPGA rookie after winning 23 times on the JLPGA Tour. I am cautiously optimistic about her chances all season. There will be some tournaments where she will not have the length to compete, but that will not be a problem this week. How she plays in her first couple of events could determine her long term success.

Wednesday Preview - Farmers Insurance Open

After the party that was the Phoenix Open, the PGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines, where players will go from elation to devastation. Essentially what the city of Seattle went through last Sunday.

Course: Torrey Pines South Course, measuring an incredibly lengthy 7,800 yards. It isn't just a long course, but the rough is thick. This is the toughest course the players have played so far this season. Players will also get a shot at the much easier North Course for one round in this tournament. Winning score may hit ten under par, but single digits will be a top 10.

Strength Of Field: A-. Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy are the only big players missing from this event. Justin Rose will begin his 2015 PGA Tour season this week. Tiger Wood and Phil Mickelson, fresh off missed cuts in Phoenix, will tee it up. Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, and last week's winner Brooks Koepka are all here. Very good field.

Extra Tidbits: Dustin Johnson returns to the PGA Tour after a six month leave of absence...Tiger Woods has won on this course nine times - eight in this event and the US Open in 2008. If Tiger was playing even decently right now, he would be a threat...Jin Park, Kyle Thompson, Daniel Miernicki, and Jake Knapp are the Monday qualifiers this week. Park and Thompson are former PGA Tour members. Miernicki is a member of the PGA Tour of Canada. Knapp is a junior at UCLA...Five players teeing it up this week are looking for their second victory of the season. FedEx Cup leader Jimmy Walker is the highest ranked of those players...Phil Mickelson has won this event three times, but his most recent came 14 years ago.

Fantasy Four:

Jordan Spieth - His first start on the PGA Tour in 2015 ended in a top 10 after his domination in Australia at the end of 2014. Has the game from tee to green to compete at the hardest courses. Won't be intimidated by the length of this course. Is desperate for win number 2.

Jason Day - Finished tied for second here last year. Finished T3 at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Day might make this feature every week as long as I can start him, but this is the perfect place for him to get back into the winner's circle.

KJ Choi - Sleeper pick. Top 25 finish last week could have been better had it not been for a mediocre weekend. Finished tied for second here last year. Choi's best days are behind him, but he still competes at a high level every so often, and he has plenty of good vibes surrounding this tournament.

Justin Thomas - This is one of the only events that the rookie has already played, and he has some good vibes - he finished T10 last year as an amateur. Has finished in the top 25 for five straight tournaments, and is currently inside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings, all for a 21 year old rookie. 

Last Weeks Team:

Hideki Matsuyama: T2

Charley Hoffman: T53

Rickie Fowler: T46

Patrick Reed: T40

Koepka Wins His First In The US, And Lydia Rules The World

- It's a Lydia Ko world, people - we just happen to live in it. Despite not being able to win the Coates Golf Championship, Ko jumped Inbee Park and took over the top spot in the Rolex Rankings. At 17, Ko is the youngest person, man or woman, to become number one in the world. You have to image that Ko's best years are ahead of her, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the field. Don't be concerned about the double bogey on the 17th - she'll be fine. No one can rebound like Ko. I wouldn't be surprised if she won by 20 in the Bahamas.

- What a better way to brush off a disappointing season then to walk out there and win the very first event of the next season? Na Yeon Choi, who looked poised to become the number one player in the world a few years ago, hadn't won in two years. She had a few tournaments where she looked good, but generally she had to be disappointed. Choi took that disappointment and frustration and channeled it in an effort to improve. If Choi is back to her old self, there is another great player for the rest of the field to try and catch.

- Ha Na Jang is going to be a great player on the LPGA Tour, but she has to stop getting ahead of herself. After taking a dominating lead at the Q-School, she shot a final round 80. She retained her card, but others passed her in priority. This week, after having a three shot lead heading into Saturday, she shoots rounds of 71-70 to fall to second. It's still a good finish for the rookie, but she needs to settle herself before she starts hoisting trophies.

- It didn't take long to see Brooks Koepka translate his game to the United States. Koepka's weekend rounds of 64-66 were a thing of beauty. The thing I have noticed about Koepka is that the stage doesn't seem too big for him. Koepka knows he belongs out here and that his game is as good as anyone's, so trying to win down the stretch doesn't seem to be too big of a task for him. Koepka is going to win a lot of tournaments. This is just the beginning.

- I don't know if I should be encouraged or discouraged by Hideki Matsuyama's performances. On one hand, it is impressive to constantly be in contention on Sunday. You have to be an incredibly good player in order to continue to pull that off. On the other hand, Hideki has now seen two golden opportunities this year fall by the wayside because his putter failed him down the stretch. For someone who has won so much all over the world, you would think nerves wouldn't be a problem for him, but they still clearly are. I will feel much better about Hideki moving forward once I see him win trophy number two.

- I wonder if Bubba Watson will consider removing Phoenix from his yearly calender. For the second year in a row, Watson saw an opportunity to win this tournament slide by. This year wasn't nearly as bad as the last, but he has to be kicking himself for not being able to birdie the par 5 15th on Sunday.

- I don't think I have given enough attention to Ryan Palmer, and that is my mistake. He has played in four tournaments this season, and has finished in the top 25 in all four. Incredibly impressive. Win number four is right around the corner for Ryan.

- How cool is it for Jon Rahm to not only make the cut and compete against the best pros on Tour, but to also finish inside the top 5 in front of a crowd going nuts for you? I don't know a lot about Rahm, other then that he is a golfer at Arizona State and that he's, apparently, really good. Perhaps we just saw the coming out party of a future superstar.

- Rory McIlroy is not human. He was built in a factory somewhere by scientists trying to create the perfect golfer. After a string of incredibly disappointing tournaments, where he finished all the way down the leaderboard at a measly second place, Rory was finally able to not only win his first event of the season, but do it in pretty remarkable fashion. In fact, his Sunday round of 70 was pretty weak over all, but he had such a cushion that he still won by three strokes despite second place finisher Alex Noran shooting a 65. I didn't think, going into this season, that Rory would dominate like everyone expects him to. Perhaps I should rethink that.

- Remember when Gary Stal won a few weeks ago and everyone was questioning who he was? Stal shot four rounds in the 60's this week in Dubai to finish tied for fourth. Perhaps Stal is going to be a great player after all.