Wednesday Preview - North Texas Shootout

While the Match Play is happening on the men's side, a less than spectacular event is taking place on the LPGA Tour, as the ladies head to Irving, Texas for the North Texas Shootout. Hey, they can't all be home runs.

Course: Las Colinas Country Club, a 6,400 yard course. This is not a difficult course, and the length is the only thing that could cause some issue. Expecting the winning score to push twenty under.

Strength Of Field: C-. There is no depth to this field. A lot of middle of the rankings players are skipping out in favor of better events elsewhere. The top names are still here, but they hardly ever skip a tournament.

Extra Tidbits: Coming off her third place finish last week, Brooke Henderson received a spot in the field through the Monday qualifier. Veteran Heather Bowie Young is the other Monday qualifier...This is the last event before the first reshuffle of the season, so players looking to play a full time schedule on Tour need to have a big week this week.

Fantasy Four:

Stacy Lewis - Defending champion that plays better in certain areas. While she may contend all over the world, she will always be the player to beat in Texas and Arkansas. Still looking for her first win in 2015.

Lydia Ko - Just keeps winning.

Sei Young Kim - Six top 10's in nine starts this season, and does not appear to be slowing down. Almost all of these courses she will be seeing for the first time, but Las Colinas does not require a lot of past experience to navigate. 

Na Yeon Choi - The model of inconsistency, as she has a win and one other top 10 to go with two missed cuts and a lot of finished in between. Her T11 last week showed she's entering the right direction, however, and her skills should be great for this course.

(SLEEPER) Ai Miyazato - Has made every cut this season, and appears to be clawing her way back to being a contender on the LPGA Tour. 
EDIT: It's been a Hell of a week. Ai Miyazato isn't in the field. My sleeper this week will be Sakura Yokomine.

WGC-Match Play Breakdown

One of the most exciting and different events on the schedule, the Match Play, takes place in San Francisco this week. This is not the usual Match Play tournament - instead of a one and done format like normal, players are put into different groups, and everyone plays three matches before the eliminations take place. The bracket can be seen here. Follow along as I predict each bracket, the final match, and the eventual champion.

Group 1:
Rory McIlroy
Billy Horschel
Brandt Snedeker
Jason Dufner

During the Golf Channel reveal of the groups, there was a lot of talk of the "Group Of Death". We will get to that later, but this could easily be a contender. The draw did no favors for the World Number One, as he has to face last year's FedEx Cup champion Horschel, a PGA Champion in Dufner, and a multiple PGA Tour winner in Snedeker. All three of McIlroy's opponents have been struggling as of late, but their talent could keep them in there. I still think McIlroy wins the bracket, but I think every match is a fight for him. McIlroy

Group 2:
Jordan Spieth
Lee Westwood
Matt Every
Mikko Ilonen

Whether or not Spieth's game translates well into Match Play will get an immediate test, as he faces the man who won the European Tour's version of this event, Mikko Ilonen, in his first match. Lee Westwood brings in a bunch of experience in both this event and the Ryder Cup. Every will be a little out of his comfort zone. Spieth should still win group, but I'm sure he would have liked to have it a little easier. Spieth

Group 3:
Henrik Stenson
Bill Haas
Brendan Todd
John Senden

A lot of people are saying Stenson could be in trouble here, but I don't see it. Haas and Senden are both very talented, but they've also been struggling as of late. Todd is going to be thrown into the fire here, and I have a tough time thinking he could go toe to toe with someone of the caliber of Stenson. He should walk through this group. Stenson

Group 4:
Bubba Watson
Louis Oosthuizen
Keegan Bradley
Miguel Angel Jimenez

Watson flat out does not have the game for match play, so this is the perfect opportunity for an upset. Oosthuizen has been playing incredibly well as of late. Bradley is always a danger whenever he plays. And Jimenez won't be intimidated by anyone. That Watson/Jimenez match Wednesday will be very interesting. If Jimenez can beat Watson, he has the opportunity to win this bracket. I'm going with a flyer here. Jimenez

Group 5:
Jim Furyk
Martin Kaymer
Thongchai Jaidee
George Coetzee

Furyk is up against three talented players, but none of them should strike fear in his heart. Coetzee is consistent, but hasn't proven anything on the biggest stage. Jaidee has played a ton of match play, but hasn't played well in this tournament lately, nor has he been a contender in any of his US starts. Kaymer is wickedly talented, but has really struggled this season. Furyk lucked out, as he is getting three really good players who aren't coming in with a lot of confidence. Furyk

Group 6:
Justin Rose
Ryan Palmer
Anirban Lahiri
Marc Leishman

Lahiri and Leishman are happy to be here, and are currently thinking of ways to spend their checks for just showing up. Rose's only competition is Palmer. Palmer has played well this season, but he's untested in this environment, and against a man as red hot as Rose, I don't have much faith in him. Rose easily moves on. Rose

Group 7:
Jason Day
Zach Johnson
Brenden Grace
Charley Hoffman

Zach Johnson could make some noise, but his putter has betrayed him for the past season and a half. Grace and Hoffman are good, but they're not to the quality of Day, who should have no problems winning this group, and could be in a good position to defend his title. Day

Group 8:
Dustin Johnson
Victor Dubuisson
Charl Schwartzel
Matt Jones

DJ got lucky that Matt Jones was drawn into this group, because that should get him a victory and some early confidence. The rest of his path is brutal, as he has to go through last year's runner up Dubuisson and former Masters champion Schwartzel, who is inconsistent but can be on fire when his game is on. I know Dubuisson has not played well lately, but I think this format will serve him well and he will get back to the caliber of player he can be. The DJ/Dubuisson match on Friday will determine the winner, and Dubuisson will pull the upset. Dubuisson

Group 9:
Adam Scott
Chris Kirk
Paul Casey
Francisco Molinari

None of the top seeds wanted to see Paul Casey in their group, as he has been playing very well lately and has a ton of match play experience. The top seed that drew him is Adam Scott, who is already wishing 2015 could just pass him by, as he has struggled finding a putter and can not gain any traction. Kirk is a good player, but may be a little overwhelmed in this environment. Molinari was the last man in the field, and should be excited to be receiving a paycheck this week. Casey will look like a world beater as he walks out of this group with relative ease. Casey

Group 10:
Sergio Garcia
Jamie Donaldson
Bernd Weisberger
Tommy Fleetwood

An all European group. Fleetwood will be a little out of his element, and should just take in the experience. Weisberger is a good player that could be trouble, and Donaldson has the talent to scare Garcia, but Garcia should be able to win this group. Honestly, though, none of these players should be intimidated with each other, and an upset is possible. I just think it's unlikely. Garcia

Group 11:
Jimmy Walker
Ian Poulter
Webb Simpson
Gary Woodland

This has been what Golf Channel dubbed the "Group of Death". In golf, any of these groups could be the group of death depending on how each player is playing, but this is clearly the most wide open group on the board. The favorite is Ian Poulter, as he is a match play specialist, but Jimmy Walker has been on fire this season, and both Simpson and Woodland are talented enough to not be overlooked. I'm still going with Poulter, though. I consider him the favorite in every match play event he's in. Poulter

Group 12: 
J.B. Holmes
Brooks Koepka
Russell Henley
Marc Warren

Not a whole lot of fireworks in this group, as it is missing a big name. J.B. Holmes has had a great career resurgence in the past two years, but he is untested in this environment. Brooks Koepka won in Phoenix but hasn't played well since. Russell Henley is struggling with consistency. Marc Warren is a complete unknown to most. This is a crap shoot, but I like Henley's upside, and I think he can sneak out of this group. Henley

Group 13: 
Rickie Fowler
Graeme McDowell
Shane Lowry
Harris English

This is a rare instance when the top seed actually looks outmatched compared to the rest of his group. Fowler has really struggled this season, and he goes against McDowell, with a ton of Ryder Cup experience behind him, Lowry, who knocked off McIlroy in the first round last year, and English, a tough competitor and one of the best young Americans in golf. I think the McDowell/Lowry match on Wednesday will ultimately be the deciding factor, and I just don't see McDowell losing. McDowell

Group 14: 
Matt Kuchar
Hunter Mahan
Stephen Gallacher
Ben Martin

Kuchar is in a rough spot here, as he has a match play specialist in Mahan and a former Ryder Cupper in Gallacher in his group. He gets a lucky draw with Ben Martin, an up and coming player, but probably won't be able to hang in there with the rest of his group. Mahan has not played well lately, but there is something about this format that brings the spark of life back in him. I think he pulls off the upset here. Mahan

Group 15: 
Patrick Reed
Ryan Moore
Danny Willett
Andy Sullivan

Reed loves match play, and he's going to revel in the opportunity to show off in front of the San Francisco crowd. He also got lucky with the draw, as he has three opponents that he should easily defeat. Ryan Moore is a good player, but his consistency is an issue, and he doesn't have the firepower that Reed has. Willett and Sullivan are lambs being lead to slaughter. Reed coasts in this group. Reed

Group 16:
Hideki Matsuyama
Kevin Na
Joost Luiten
Alexander Levy

The last top seed in the tournament got a heck of a draw. Kevin Na has played well, but Hideki has beaten him before. Joost Luiten and Alexander Levy are just now starting to come into their own as top golfers. Matsuyama is the kind of player who should love match play, and he has been playing extraordinary golf this season. He should walk handily in this group. Matsuyama

Semifinal Number One:
Paul Casey Vs Graeme McDowell

Due to some upsets, Casey should have an easier time in the elimination round then he will in the group stage. Matsuyama will give him a battle, but Casey should move on to face McDowell, who will need all he has to topple Furyk. McDowell will be slightly gassed, and Casey will be on a tear, and Casey moves on. Casey 3&2

Semifinal Number Two: 
Jason Day Vs Ian Poulter

The match everyone will be watching as the defending champion takes on the match play expert. Poulter will have an inspired run throughout the tournament, coming back in several of his matches and demoralizing his opponents on the final hole. He will attempt the same against Day, but Day will be too much, and Day will move on to the finals for the second year in a row. Day 1 Up

Championship Match:
Paul Casey Vs Jason Day

Paul Casey will come out inspired, looking for his first PGA Tour victory in six years. A lot of birdies will fall in this group, but after falling behind quickly, Day is unable to recover as his birdies are matched by Casey's tremendous play. Day makes a match of it late, but it's too little, too late.

Champion: Paul Casey
Winning Margin: 2&1

Rose And Ko Both Win Their 7th

- How long will it be before Lydia Ko has more victories than she does years on Earth. On the weekend of her 18th birthday, Ko won her 7th LPGA title, firing a seven under 70 in difficult conditions to defend her Swinging Skirts title. It's almost impossible to talk about Ko at this point without repeating myself, so I will save any more adjectives for when she finally wins that first major title.

- Morgan Pressel had plenty of opportunities to win to win her first title since 2008, but she has to be encouraged by her recent good play. Pressel hasn't missed a cut all season, and has finished inside the top 25 in her last four starts, including a T3 and a runner up finish. This is very similar to how Michelle Wie began her come back last year, so Pressel has to be thinking that her time is coming.

- The final round pressure may have gotten to her, but I am impressed by how Brooke Henderson played this week. She played against some of the best female golfers in the world, and she was still able to finish in solo third and cash a pretty sizable check in one of her first tournaments as a professional. She is marching her way towards Tour status, and the more she plays in front of big crowds on Sunday, the more that pressure will start to ease off her shoulders.

- She got off to a tough start, but it's starting to look like Sakura Yokomine is going to be a rather fine LPGA professional. After missing her first three cuts by a mile, she has cashed four straight checks, with one top 10 and a T11 this week. Yokomine needed some time to adjust to the new courses, the language barrier, and living in America, but it appears as if she's putting those learning curves behind her. I would love to see a victory by Yokomine on the LPGA Tour.

- If I didn't care about the Zurich Classic before, this week sent me over the edge. Not only were there weather issues all week, but when ten under par is only good for T48, I tend to not take your tournament seriously. Birdie fests are boring.

- Luckily for the Zurich Classic, they got a great champion, as Justin Rose rode his momentum from Augusta National into his seventh PGA Tour victory. Rose really struggled out of the gates this season, but now he looks to be back to where he was last year when we considered Rose to be a favorite for his second major title.

- You would be forgiven if you didn't know who Ashun Wu was prior to the Volvo China Open. Wu, who plays on the Japan Tour, has not played well this season - in fact, this was only his second start, and he missed the cut in Japan in his only previous start in 2015. Still, Wu's victory in front of his home country on the European Tour is a life changing moment. It will be interesting to see if Wu takes this as a boost in his career, of it this is going to he the highlight of his professional life. Time will tell.

- Hao-Tong Li is going to have an interesting decision to make. After two top 10 finishes on the European Tour, he could continue to play in Europe, and rack up some more World Golf Ranking, or he could go back to playing on the Web.com Tour, where he has full playing privileges and could win a PGA Tour card at the end of the season. Li may just end up playing on both Tours, as long as he has the ability to do so, but picking up a PGA Tour card will be harder if he doesn't focus full time on the Web.com Tour. Either way, the future is incredibly bright for Li, who is starting to make China proud.

Should There Be A Women's Masters?

The past couple of weeks, Paula Creamer has talked about her desire to see a "Women's Masters" at Augusta National, claiming that the patrons would love to have two weeks at Augusta and that it would be good for the game of golf. I don't necessarily agree with Creamer's sentiment, and I have five big questions that prevent me from getting on board with the idea of a Women's Masters.

1) Does Augusta National Care About The LPGA Tour?

Whether or not Paula Creamer or the rest of the LPGA wants a Women's Masters is irrelevant if Billy Payne and the members of Augusta National doesn't want it. Payne has been more progressive than his predecessors in his role of chairman - he has allowed female members for the first time in history, and he helped create and host the Drive, Chip, and Putt contest at Augusta National. Still, Augusta National is a "good ole boys" club that takes themselves very seriously. I can't imagine any of the Augusta brass sitting down and watching the LPGA at any level, and if they don't care about the product, I doubt they would put the time and energy into hosting a tournament for them.

2) Could The Ladies Play The Course Well?

There are a lot of words I would use to describe Augusta National - iconic, legendary, beautiful - but "difficult" would not be at the top of that list; however, it seems that Augusta's attempt to strengthen their course just means they will add more length. For the PGA Tour, that means nothing - they are hitting it father than ever, so lengthening the course will only help the big hitters and eliminate anyone who can't average over 300 yards a drive. For the LPGA players, however, lengthening the course means the entire field is laying up on par 5's and hitting woods into the par 4's. Of course, they probably wouldn't be playing from the sticks, but I doubt they would play from the member's tees, either. It would be rough to watch the ladies play the same course as the men, only to see the men play it in -12 and the ladies play it in +6. That would be harmful to the LPGA Tour product.

3) Does The LPGA Need To Copy The PGA?

Let's call a Women's Masters what it actually would be - piggybacking off the success of the men. The only reason this event would exist is because a similar event exists on the men's tour. To me, that goes against what we have heard so often from the LPGA - that they are different. In fact, their slogan is "See Why It's Different Out Here." They already have a women's version of the Open Championship and a women's version of the US Open, which they even played on the same course as the men last year. This year, the PGA of America will take over the LPGA Championship, so by adding a Women's Masters, you have a copycat of all four men's majors. The new slogan should be "See Why It's Kind Of The Same Out Here." I understand that the PGA Tour is more popular than the LPGA Tour, but the LPGA should be trying to find an identity of their own, not trying to be a female version of the PGA Tour. There is so much more that this Tour could offer.

4) Shouldn't The LPGA Strengthen The Majors They Have?

The LPGA Tour already has five majors. Adding a sixth would be laughable, and no one would take the majors seriously if you had six opportunities to win one. Instead of adding one onto the schedule, perhaps the LPGA should work on strengthen the five majors they already have. The ANA Inspiration used to be the flagship event on the LPGA Tour, but their attendance has plummeted and the event is no longer suited for Rancho Mirage. Commissioner Mike Whan has talked about creating a major in Asia now that the sport has grown in that area of the world and Asian players make up a majority of champions on the LPGA Tour. ANA, or All Nippon Airlines, is based out of Japan. Now is the perfect time to move the ANA Inspiration to Asia to test the idea of an Asian major. Asia supports women's golf more than the US does, and putting a major in Asia would be a great way to reward that support. The Evian Masters became a major two years ago, and very few currently see it as one of the majors. With the right marketing, Evian could become the new flagship event. The grass always looks greener on the other side, but the LPGA Tour has five very good events that they could easily strengthen to prove that they don't need a Women's Masters.

5) Would The Patrons Truly Support A Women's Masters?

Let's say everything works the way Paula Creamer wants it to. Billy Payne gets on board, the ladies can play the course under par, the LPGA dumps one of their other majors, and they are able to secure a Women's Masters at Augusta National sometime in the peak season in Georgia. Would the patrons show up at the event like they do at The Masters? Sure, you will have some show up because it's Augusta National, and any opportunity you have to see that course, you would take, but I also doubt the patrons would be as lined up as they are when The Masters tees off. Of all the hypothetical scenarios, the one that would hurt the LPGA the most is if they play in front of a weak crowd only weeks after they came out in waves for the men's tournament. It would show the lack of support for the LPGA compared to their male counterparts. The LPGA has made several huge strides in the past couple of years, and the last thing they need is to be reminded that they're not as supported as the PGA Tour.

News Grab-Bag: 4/24/2015

- When is the next time we will see Tiger Woods? We still don't know, but we do know for sure that he will be playing in The Memorial. Jack Nicklaus this week said that he had "a long, long talk" with Tiger, and Woods told him that he will be playing the Memorial at the end of May. Everyone is still looking to see if Tiger will commit to The Players, but the Memorial is a good spot for Tiger, as he has won that event five times. He did not play last year as he was recovering from back surgery. On the flip side, however, Rory McIlroy will not be teeing it up at Jack's tournament.

- While we don't know when Tiger will play next, we do know that his travel schedule is not getting lighter anytime soon. This weekend, Tiger will be visiting China and Japan to try and boost local interest in the game of golf. I'm not sure if that involves playing a round, or if he's just doing autograph signings and personal appearances.

[EDIT: 9:35 A.M] - Tiger Woods just announced on Twitter that he will be playing in The Players Championship. Mystery over.

- Lexi Thompson had a bit of a busy week this week. Prior to teeing it up at the Swinging Skirts, Thompson played in the pro-am for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, playing alongside her brothers Nicholas and Curtis. Lexi is signed to an endorsement deal with Zurich, so playing alongside her brothers had to be an added bonus. This outing didn't help any of the Thompson siblings, however, as none of them broke par in the opening round of their respective tournament.

- Speaking of not breaking par, the wheels have seriously come off Paula Creamer as she shot her worst round ever as a professional (82) in the first round of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Already sitting on her worst Rolex Ranking ever, Creamer said that the issue is "99 percent mental", as she is going through a swing change, equipment change, and adjusting to life as a newly wed. Her worst round as a professional came days after saying she wants a "women's Masters", which I will expand on in a later post.

- Ian Poulter will not be playing one of the flagship events on the European Tour, and he wants everyone to know why. In a series of tweets, Poulter defended himself against a Daily Mail writer, saying that he isn't playing the BMW PGA Championship because of his poor history at Wentworth. Poulter was involved in revitalizing the British Masters, and will be playing in that event. I find it rare when I defend Ian Poulter, but I stand by him in this case. Media types shouldn't be the ones to tell players where they should and should not play. A player shouldn't be forced to play in an event that doesn't suit their game.

- SFGate in San Francisco had a small write up about Sei Young Kim's victory last week. Give it a read.

Extra Life 2015

Taking a quick break from golf for a second to tell you all about Extra Life. Last year, I played video games for 24 straight hours to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network, and I plan to do the same thing on November 7th of this year.

This year, I will be raising money for the Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville, Pennsylvania. Any donations made to my fundraising page will go directly towards helping the kids. They need any and all help you can provide for them.

You can view my fundraising page here.

Last year, with the help and support from people all over the world, I was able to meet my goal of $250. This year, I have the same goal, but I hope we far exceed it. If you can not donate, then sharing my page with others would be a huge positive for the Janet Weis Children's Hospital. Any help that can be provided is greatly appreciated.

The golf world has been known to be one of these most charitable communities out there, and I hope we can continue those positive descriptions.

Thank you all for donating, sharing, and supporting me and Extra Life!

Wednesday Preview - Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic

Put away your Dancing Pants, because this week is all about the Swinging Skirts. This week is one of the most bizarre weeks on the schedule, with colorful statues and traditions brought over straight from Taiwan. 

Course: Lake Merced Golf Club, a 6,400 yard layout. It is not overly challenging, but the length can be difficult to some of the short hitters, and winds off the Pacific Ocean can cause the scores to creep a little higher. Expect low teens under par to be the winning score.

Strength Of Field: B-. All the big names are back, but the field lacks depth. It is a limited field event, and several Taiwanese players received an exemption into the field. This meant several Q-School graduates got left out of the event.

Extra Tidbits: Swinging Skirts is an organization out of Taiwan that promotes the game of golf for women. They used to have their own event on the TLPGA Tour, but that was scrapped as this event became an official TLPGA event...Last year, Lydia Ko won her first event as an LPGA professional (her third LPGA victory overall)...Sakura Yokomine and Sue Kim are the Monday qualifiers this week...As this is an official TLPGA event, 17 players from the TLPGA Tour received invited into the event. Also receiving an invite are Haley Moore, the young amateur who made the cut at the ANA Inspiration, and Brooke Henderson, who recently turned professional...Friday will mark Lydia Ko's 18th birthday.

Fantasy Four:

Lydia Ko - The number one player returns as the defending champion, which is a huge advantage. Giving someone who already has all the confidence in the world an extra boost of confidence is a recipe for a great week. Hasn't played since the ANA Inspiration, where she played below expectations, but should be rested and ready to go.

Inbee Park - Top 10 machine. Will find a way to contend nearly every week, so she will find herself in this feature nearly every week.

Sei Young Kim - It will be interesting to see how she performs after her remarkable victory in Hawaii. That was her second victory of the season, so she could either be content with her performances or she will be hungry for more. If she's focused, she will be right back near the top once again.

Hyo Joo Kim - I was back and forth between Kim and Stacy Lewis for this spot, but Kim gets the slight edge because of her final round in Hawaii that got her close to being in contention down the stretch had her putter not abandoned her. She could win on any course during any week.

(SLEEPER) Mika Miyazato - I am cautiously optimistic about Mika-chan's chances this week after seeing her slowly improve every week. While last week was her first top 10, it was her fourth top 25 of the season, and she has only one missed cut, which took place the very first week of the season. She has some momentum now, and could translate that into a big finish this week.