The Masters spoiler

darpar · 2018-04-05T00:15:36+00:00

This has the potential to be one of the best Masters in a while (but they're all pretty special), with the likes of the young guys Fowler,Spieth,Thomas etc....

PA-PLAYA

johnnydoom

His putting was definitely off today, but so too were his driving and iron play.

I don't think Rory overlooks any opponent, but I think he went into the round really thinking that he was the one to beat. Which is all well and good, as long as your game holds up and you're making pars and birdies.

It seemed like his short miss for eagle on the second hole ended up being his tone-setter for the day. That's when the pressure of Masters' past really seemed to kick in.

Either way, you're not gonna go into the final round of a major trailing by 3 shots, shoot +2 on the round, and come away feeling very confident about how you dealt with the pressure or your performance. The question will still loom this upcoming week for McIlroy about why this layout continues to deny him.

What part of all that was nerves, what part of that was execution - who knows.... It obviously seems a bit of both played a role in his demise today, at least based in part on what I observed.

rsvman

I think Rory was getting stuck in his swing today, which he hadn't been doing on the previous 3 days. He gets the club a bit too far behind him, and then if timing isn't perfect, it can lead to a lot of the shots we saw today, especially the pushes.

I think he is always behind/stuck a bit, but his timing is generally phenomenal so he gets away with it. Maybe when he gets a bit of nerves it makes it harder to have the timing work out perfectly? If he gets even the tiniest bit quick from the top the whole thing kind of unravels. For the first three rounds he was swinging so effortlessly and the transition was extremely smooth. I think those two things go together. Today, when he was reaching a bit, the transition got a bit too quick, which exacerbates the "stuck" situation.

PA-PLAYA

rsvman

And with his club head speed/ball speed, the errant shot is magnified significantly compared to most others.

I think Rory has a lot of natural length, but still loves to pound it out there beyond everyone else. It's the one thing that I think Mickelson has struggled with over the years as well and has played the most significant part in his struggles off the tee - swinging 110%, whether it's driver, 3wood or mid-iron.

Just because a lot of these longer-hitting guys can hit 8-iron 180 yards doesn't mean they have to. They've played long enough, are talented enough, to reel back and find control of their golf ball with a less-aggressive swing.

johnnydoom

I didn’t realize that Ricky has so many top fives in Majors until I just saw it on the Golf Channel. He certainly gave it a heck of a run today. I knew he was good, but he really is a lot better than I had realized.

PA-PLAYA

johnnydoom

He's definitely numero uno on my personal list of the best who've yet to win a major. He'll have the odd tournament here and there when he's off, like the rest of them. But Fowler has one of the best swings in the game, and is usually an excellent putter.

Historically I just think he's yet to find a certain comfort level in his game in the biggest tournaments of the year, and that has led to a lot of indifferent play and indecision on the weekends when he's under the gun and needs to play aggressive. His tendency has most always been to be conservative, to not make mistakes. Yet that strategy hasn't worked out all that well for him in the majors.

Hopefully the round he enjoyed today reminds him that he's got more than enough talent to win a major. I really am surprised that he hasn't ticked that box yet. He was well back today, played with nothing to lose. He should consider that from his round today going forward.

Can't be afraid to win, can't be afraid to lose.

Reed wasn't. And that's the mindset these guys need in that situation.

Rickochet

I read an article yesterday that among the pro's Reed is the second most disliked PGA pro second only to Bubba. Whassup with this?

Hoss7504

Rickochet

I've heard from people who have met him that he is a complete prick.

PA-PLAYA

Rickochet

Got booted from his first college team (UGA I think) for ”character” reasons. Had a history of partying, alcohol, and was let go. Also an allegation suggesting an instance of him cheating during a qualifying round for a college tournament.

Estranged from his parents several years ago. Hasn’t contacted them since he got married. Had his parents removed by police back during the 2014 US Open, per his wife’s wishes.

So there’s some bad history there. To say his life has been complicated would be an understatement. What would influence a child to remain estranged from his parents by his choosing?

Lots of stuff few people know. He’s a loner on tour, doesn’t mingle or play practice rounds with other players too often. Few people know him beyond the golf course.

Something, it seems, happened to cause a serious distrust in others, including his mom and dad.

In the “real” world outside of the limelight of pro golf, few of us would think twice about it and assume that it’s just part of life unfortunately for some people... maybe caught up in a situation where someone betrayed trust, or perhaps an unwillingness to grow up, to accept past failures and make amends. Or perhaps marrying the wrong person. His wife doesn’t seem to be any more “likable” than he is on tour based on some stuff I’ve read.

Who knows what and why, what is fact and what is fiction.

One thing is certain - Patrick Reed doesn’t want to talk about it.

mikeintopeka

Rickochet - that poll was taken several years ago. It was before his first appearance in the Ryder Cup and how his swagger, and most importantly, winning record, changed opinions of fellow US tour players-especially those under 30. Did you notice one of the first players to greet him with a hug when he was walking to the scorer's table today was Ricky? Reed also made several statements about how honored he was to represent the USA at the Olympics after a few other guys declined the invite. Thus his nickname on tour is now "Captain America".

Reed has some baggage from his freshman year of college when he was dismissed from the U of Georgia and the golf team and the rep followed him to Augusta State where that small school won the NCAA a couple of times - shocking the collegiate golf world. Fingers were pointed at him over some missing items AND behavior issues in Athens and then followed him to Augusta where there were rumblings about cheating on the course. Regarding the 'behavior' problems in Athens, he said he had been arrested more than once due to alcohol related incidents that year.

I just saw, and commented on, a Facebook picture a friend posted from a party he attended at his next door neighbors home in The Woodlands, TX with the Reeds. This social gathering was just a few days before Patrick won his first PGA event 6 years ago. Patrick and his wife Justine were the guests of honor for a "Good Luck" party and my friend was very complimentary of the couple in posting congratulations to them on the win.

johnnydoom

Rickochet He doesn't appear to have been a saint. Who knows what happened with his parents, all sorts of rumors that his dad was a control freak. I have no way to know, but it is probably pretty safe to say that he didn't likely get where he is in golf without his parents doing a lot to make it possible. It could be something from childhood, or maybe he just married against their wishes, who knows?

Rumors that his teammates at Georgia hated him and that when he had a drunken escapade that involved law enforcement that was a perfect reason to get him off the team and send him packing to Augusta State. It would appear that he is arrogant and most take an instant dislike to him accordingly. Much of that still showed in his pre and post round interviews this week. It is very likely that, because of the wrong he's done, he's also been accused of things he didn't do as well.

He does appear to be adaptable though. His golf game is growing and improving indicating that he realizes he needs to continually work at it. Hopefully, he's working similarly on his personality and we're seeing and will see continuous improvement in that area also.

mikeintopeka

Sorry - I didn't see your post before I wrote my response. I think you were fair and I didn't know about the estrangement from his parents. He's not the only tour player in this situation and explains my friends comment "My next door neighbor in The Woodlands, TX, Jim Dickson, was Director of Golf for The Woodlands Country Club, and is father figure to Patrick."

His wife, Justine, was his caddy through the mini-tours and Q School. She was also on the bag his first two years on the PGA tour until she became pregnant with their first child. Patrick's caddy is now Justine's brother and that's all I know about her.

ode

johnnydoom It is very likely that, because of the wrong he's done, he's also been accused of things he didn't do as well.

I kept thinking this at The Masters party I was at on Sunday....apparently he's a thief too, if that has not been stated. Amazing the kind of things that people are willing to say about someone they don't know, mostly based on what someone else heard that also doesn't know him. The only difference I see between him and Jordon is that he's a bigger brat and not as well spoken. For all we know Jordon is just playing lip service, cuz I've heard that too😏

Tinker

Just can’t root for a guy like him. Captain Obnoxious. Spieth also looks like a wimpy ass. We don’t know what any of these guys are like in real life except for the ones that show it on tv. The European guys seam much more mature and classy than the American beat pack.

raggmann54

Tinker Reed's too obnoxious and Spieth is a wimp??? what do you want??? Both are good...If by European guys you mean Rose - I like him and he seems to be a nice guy. Poulter is an ass...So, just what are you looking for???

mikeintopeka

Tinker The European guys seam much more mature and classy than the American beat pack.

I was watching Rahm yesterday and thinking he's another Spaniard I can't get behind and root for until I learn more about him. Then I thought of the list of the top successful golfers from Spain (Seve, Sergio, Jose Maria, and Miguel Angel Jimenez) and none of them attended a Dale Carnegie course, IMO. 😉

raggmann54

Congrats to Reed. Made the shot or putt when he needed it and you know the pressure was on him. Enjoyed watching all the action. Golf will get more fun with this group of young guys. Thought maybe Rory would "do it" but I wonder if playing with Reed is his kryptonite??

Tinker

raggmann54 Reed reminds me a lot of Ray Floyd. I’m more a Travino kind of guy.

rsvman

Tinker Reed's golf swing is a lot prettier.

PA-PLAYA

I just find it pathetic that Reed has been put in a position by the media to avoid questions about his younger years, when the real story is that he played great golf for four days and reached the pinnacle of his career thus far. Within an hour of him winning, stories were being published online via the usual golf rags about his complicated past. Reed turned pro 7 years ago, there was plenty of time to dig deep into his private life. Yet there's an onslaught Sunday evening/Monday morning questioning his character back when he was an immature kid in college.

Damn. I mean, how pathetic is it, as a writer, when this is the only meaningful story you can come up with Sunday evening, to rain on a guy's parade like that?

The sports media, for the most part, just simply sucks.

Which is why most athletes these days shun the media completely. It used to be that you knew who the really good sports writers were, but those ranks have depleted so badly now that none of them can be trusted.

They suck big time.

Sneakylong

https://www.golfchannel.com/article/golf-central-blog/reed-accused-cheating-stealing-book-excerpt/

The reports about Reed's past are disturbing. One story has him stealing a few hundred dollars and a Scotty putter from a team mate and the next day flashing a wad of cash saying he won it playing golf with one of his professors.

They asked the professor about it and he said he hadn't played with Reed in weeks. When you win a big Tournament like the Masters more scrutiny is going to headed your way.

There's also his attempting to cheat. Not a high character guy by any means. Tough to root for a guy like him.

Also, I noticed all the Nike guys wearing pink shirts including Reed who likes to wear Red on Sundays. I read where Nike is only going to allow Tiger to wear Red on Sundays.

Rickie keeps knocking on the door at Majors. He's going to get the moniker of the best player yet to win a Major.

PA-PLAYA

Sneakylong

Kids do stupid shit, especially in teenage years and college. I did stupid shit when I was younger. What's the cutoff date? Is there not a statute of limitations? We seem to give more than enough leeway these days to our elected officials and politicians who continue to do stupid shit well into their middle years. Why should anyone else be held to a different standard, particularly younger kids? We know they're sometimes foolish. We know that because most of us were. It's part of the cycle.

My daughter was caught trying to sneak in alcohol to a UGA football game back when she was a sophomore. She was verbally reprimanded by the security guard at the entry gate, informed that she was underaged to drink alcohol as it was, and that she was breaking the campus rules. And then he poured out the liquor into a trash can, told her to leave, and to never come back to another home game with liquor in her possession, otherwise he would file an official report with the campus dean of admissions.

She called home that evening, crying hysterically... thinking she'd lost her scholarship and that she was gonna get kicked out of school. I gave her the third degree, told her how disappointed I was, and how she was officially under my own personal level of "probation." Any more stupid shit - I pull the funding.

She graduates in three weeks, with honors, with a degree in economics and business management. Should she ever be considered for a CEO position of a company down the road, should that day she tried to sneak in alcohol into a college football game some 25+ years earlier disqualify her? No.

People can change. And I'm not suggesting that Reed has changed. I'm just pointing out that it's not uncommon that people back in their adolescent years often do change and value things differently as they get older and more mature.

« Previous Page Next Page »