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By Anthony De Franco  February 8, 2010, at 8:27 pm  I am still amazed by how many people think that strategy is a big part of mixed martial arts. How much money does Greg Jackson have to make before people realize that having a good corner is just important as being well prepared for your fight.
Just ask Mark Coleman. Coleman brought former Randy Couture confidant Shawn Tompkins to the cage with him, and Tompkins gave him some TERRRIBLE advice. Here’s what Josh Gross of SI.com had to say about it:
“Coleman made Couture’s night easy when, at the advice of his trainer Shawn Tompkins and the despite the fact it has never been his path to victory, he chose to stand and trade.”
“…Shortly into the bout, Coleman carried the attitude of a confused athlete, one who was thinking instead of fighting.”
“Between the first and second round, Coleman looked up at Tompkins as the Canadian offered instructions on how to keep distance and how to fire off combination. I’m fairly certain he would have loved if Tompkins told him to run out there and take a shot on a double-leg. If you’re going to go out, go out at what you do best.”
Who besides Tompkins could possibly believe that Coleman had any chance standing and trading with Couture? Over the last few years, Couture has drilled his boxing to the point where it is on par with his wrestling. He has some of the best head movement in the game. As supposed to Coleman, who had no head movement.
What a joke.
By Jordan Lauterbach August 15, 2009, at 2:48 am If there was ever an opening to catch Tiger Woods Friday at the PGA Championship, it came in the first couple of holes. Woods started the second round at Hazeltine by doing something that he had not done at any point in round one.
Exceeding par.
But the first hole was more of an aberration than a rule as Woods took further command of a major that, going into Saturday, he seems destined to win. After following up the mistake on the first with four pars, he birdied six and seven to erase the mistake on one. Two more bogeys and three more birds left Tiger at 2 under par for the day and seven under par for the tournament. He sits four shots up on five players who are tied for second.
I’d like to sit here and write that the tournament still has multiple contenders and the battle on the weekend will be one we’ll be talking about for years to come. Only problem is, I don’t think that’s true. The idea of Tiger being on a mission at Hazeltine looks to be coming true. A four deficit against a player this good playing this well may be too much to ask from anyone of the five “contenders” left log-jammed behind Tiger.
Padraig Harrington did not have nearly the round yesterday that he needed to in order to keep up with Woods. Harrington shot a +1, 73 to drop into the second place tie. After a slip up on the third hole, Harrington looked to be chugging along with five pars and a birdie in the next six hole. Than he stepped into the tee box at 11 and his shot at keeping pace with Woods slipped away.
Three consecutive bogeys followed by another one at 18 made the final nine a very frustrating one. I still think he has as good a chance as anyone to compete, but will need to put together two phenomenal rounds. Again, whether or not he’ll be able to do that depends on whether or not you believe that Padraig has finally fixed his game.
Vijay Singh, who’s sixth place finish at the Crowne Plaza marked his best week of the year, will get the honor of playing with Tiger later today. Singh shot a second round 72 to finish at even par in round two. It was certainly not a great round, but coupled with his day one 69, it’ll do. Singh had three birdies and three bogeys.
Today’s round will say a lot about Singh. His ability to play well with Tiger threatening to break the week wide open should be a difficult task. But besides Harrington, Singh is the most apt to handle that kind of atmosphere.
The best day of anyone chasing Tiger belonged to Ross Fischer. The Englishman shot a -4, 68 to charge up the leaderboard. Fischer was impressive all day, notching six birdies and only two bogeys. What was scary about Fischer’s round was that it should have been even better. If not for bogeys on the last two holes, Fischer was looking at sole possession of the Tiger chasing position at a number that would have been a lot less daunting than four shots back.
If you want to go for the hot hand in tomorrow’s Tiger hunt, go with Fischer. No one else played as well as him yesterday. You know you played well when -4 doesn’t do the round justice.
U.S Open champ Lucas Glover and Brendan Jones had identical -2 scores to add themselves to the second place brigade. Glover had the same amount of birdies as he did in round one, but cut his bogey count by one to march up the board.
Jones had a very steady round. It was defined by a eagle on the par four fourteenth. Never heard of Jones? I don’t blame you. He is an Australian who plays mostly oversees. The PGA is only his second tournament of the season. His first one came in February when he finished 33rd in the WGC-Accenture match play championship.
Not exactly a house hold name. I wouldn’t expect him to stay in it.
It may not matter for any of these players today. If Tiger keeps playing like he is, I don’t think any of these five can put together a round to catch him. That would have to be one incredible round. But if anyone can do it, it will be Paddy Harrington. Despite the one over round yesterday, you can see that his game has turned a corner. His round was not spectacular, but he still managed to knock in a few incredible shots. After one such shot, Woods remarked to him that he would “pay money” to see him make it again.
However, while us observing may think we see the “writing on the wall”, those five all got up this morning thinking that they can win. All of them may not completely believe it, but they all have hope.
And when your play major championship golf against a player like Tiger, that’s what it’s about.
The thrill of the chase.
By Jordan Lauterbach June 29, 2009, at 3:00 am Its been a fun year to watch Kenny Perry play golf. Seven top ten finishes, a victory at the FBR Open, and nearly his first major championship at Augusta in April. But perhaps his most impressive showing came yesterday when he finished up a brilliant week of golf with a win at the Travelers Championship.
Coming into the day one shot back of Paul Goydos, Perry put together a confident seven under, 63 to win by three. The win shot Perry into first place on the FedEx cup leader board and a piece of Travelers Championship history. His winning week number, 258, was the lowest any player has ever shot in the history of the tournament.
Despite the fact that the Sunday sun did not rise with Perry leading, by the time CBS’s TV coverage began at 3pm it wasn’t difficult to see that Perry would be hard to beat. As it turned out, besting the 48 year old proved a nearly impossible task. He sank almost every putt he attempted, long and short, and birdied seven holes. Perry’s round was a perfect example of how to win a tournament like this. Putt well, make par, and let the field crumble around you.
No one really crumbled today. In fact, this is a rare week where I will not give out a choke of the week. A few players played good enough to win. But Perry was unreal. David Toms crept up the leader board and tied for second. He, like Perry, failed to bogey a hole. But he parred to many holes to make that final leap towards first, especially with Perry playing as well as he was. Tom birdied four of the final nine holes, but only one before the turn…not quite enough.
Paul Goydos had to play perfect to hold of Perry. He shot himself in the foot with a bogey on 8 and 10. An eagle of 15 moved him from ninth place into a tie for second, but catching Perry was pie in the sky by that point.
A lot of times in golf, the story is about who lost it, rather than who won. And why not? Generally, it’s easier to criticize then to praise. Theirs only so Manny “atta-boy’s” you can throw out, but seeming an unlimited amount of hypothetical scenarios for the losers. But the story today is no doubt Keny Perry’s day. Was it a Brian Gay-eske crushing? No. But was it a relative certainty that Perry was going to win for most of the day? Yes. He didn’t need a lot of help. He didn’t need anyone to wilt under pressure to win this tournament. Often times, you won’t get a big time collapse in a tournament like The Travelers in Hartford Connecticut. After all, it’s not the Masters.
But it might as well been for Kenny Perry.
Next stop on Tour: AT&T National- The defending champ in this one is Anthony Kim. He returns to defend his crown. Kim’s best finish this year came at the Mercedes-Benz championship when he tied for second. Other big names include U.S Open champion Lucas Glover, Davis Love III, Fred Couples, Jum Furyk, Roco Mediate, Paul Goydos… and the biggest draw in all the land, Tiger Wood.
It’s a Tiger week! Should be fun as we get set for the British 2 weeks from now.
By Jordan Lauterbach June 23, 2009, at 1:28 am In what turned out to be a fitting finale to an unconventional week at the U.S Open, Lucas Glover put together just enough magic to outlast two golf heavyweights, one past, one present. It wasn’t the prettiest of victories. Not by any stretch. Glover shot a final round +3, 73. This was the type of Bethpage Black golf that I envisioned at the start of the week. Hemming, hawing, saving par, and sinking the inevitable big shots needed to win a major. Glover did exactly that.
But, like anything in sports, the story is not only how Glover won the tournament, but also how more prominent names lost it. Most notably, Phil Mickleson. Mickleson was tied for the lead with two holes to play. But a boggey on the 15th and 17th and a par on the 18th left the peoples champ two shots back. Say what you want about Phil, it was hard not to root for him on the back nine today. The charge had epic potential, but fell short- like so many do for Mickleson. While this one may have had special significance for Mickleson, it ended in much the same way they all do. My first thought after he missed the putt for par on 17 was this- “Phil choked again.” Immediately, I felt bad, but the truth is the truth.
Its hard to call it a collapse for Phil because he spent almost all of the tournament chasing. In fact, while feelings of disappointment for be prevalent, I think this will be looked upon as a good moment in his career. Here Phil is, going through some family issues that you would not wish on your worst enemy. Coming off a lack luster performance at the St. Jude, including a disastrous Sunday, Phil looked like he just had too much on his plate to compete in a major championship. Would it have surprised anyone if Mickleson had come out and shot 2 or 3 over par for the tournament, never being a serious contender? I don’t think so. In fact that’s what I predicted would happen. Would it have shocked anyone if Phil even missed the cut? I don’t see how it could have. But instead, Phil fought on.
Through a first two rounds that could have broken even the most stablest golfers rhythm and flow, Phil got stronger. It was on Fathers Day, after some of the most frustrating days a Tour pro can have, that Phil made his move towards the leader board. And it was on a pressure packed Monday, a Monday that he envisioned being with his family preparing for one last vacation before their lives are potentially changed forever, that he came so close to what may have been looked at as the greatest U.S Open victory of all time. If nothing else, for sentimental reasons. In the end, it was a typical Phil ending to a typical Phil story. Couldn’t put the final nail in the coffin. Was it a choke? In the purest of golf senses, probably. But I guarantee that it will be remembered as not what could have been. But rather, what was his greatest runner up finish ever.
David Duval gave himself new life this weekend. If he wasn’t such an unlikable guy, maybe this story would have gotten more pub. More likely, however, is that Duval’s story was over shadowed by his partner on the leader board, Phil Mickleson. Duval hasn’t been himself in nearly half a decade. Was this weekend a gigantic fluke or did David Duval just wake up from the longest cat nap of all time? Only time will tell. But this is for sure: Duval catapulted himself back into the minds of golf fans everywhere. At least for the time being. Like Phil, Duval had more then enough chances to win the tournament. His transgressions came on the front nine more than the back. A bogey on 5 and 7 and a double bogey on 3 seemed like David’s U.S Open swan song for 2009. But not so fast! A string of pars and three consecutive birds later and Duval was back yet again with two holes to play. A boggey on 17 ended the run and his improbable shot. But on a tour where the story lines are never ending, Duval has just given us another one. What does it all mean? I, for one, have no idea. I am inclined to think its a fluke. Could David Duval actually rise from the dead? It doesn’t make sense that someone could play that bad for that long and then just return to prominence like he’s back from a long weekend at Woodloch Pines? What next, John Daily winning the British? However, I do know this. I can’t wait for Duval’s next start…and I don’t remember ever thinking that.
Ok, It has to be talked about. Theirs an old term in golf called “throwing up on yourself.” It’s what happens when golfer have leads going into the final round and, er, ruin their sheets and pillows. Next to this definition in the golf dictionary should be a picture of Rickey Barns looking confused. After leading for the majority of the tournament, Rickey collapsed like a rusty lawn chair. Talk about omens! On his tee shot of his only hole on Sunday, he looked like he had never swung a golf club before. The best comparison I could make in print in to compare it to a stutter step, but with a golf club. We wondered if this disastrous first hole would lead to a disastrous round. The only positive for Barns on Monday? No double bogeys. Never mind the seven bogeys and one birdie. I don’t think anyone expected Barns to stay in contention for first. I was thinking +2 or +3 for the day. What came was a +6, 76. Can you say ouch. I like to give out my choke of the week when appropriate. Do I even have to say it?
So how about the winner? Just who is Lucas Glover? Well, he’s thirty third on the money list and made 12 of 15 cuts this season. His best finish prior to the U.S Open came at the Quail Hollow Championship when he tied for second. He also tied for third place at the Buick Invitational. But Glover’s career is now forever changed. He is a U.S Open Champion. He becomes, at least for the near future, a draw on the PGA tour.
I wrote on Saturday night that this tournament needed saving. Between David Duval and Phil Mickleson it turned from a stop and go weekend round into a Major championship. It finally had that feel. It finally had emotion and non-weather intrigue. Playoff or not, theirs always something special about Monday golf. It feels like a bonus. A Monday can turn a tournament on it’s side. Last year’s Monday at the Open made a great tournament legendary. This years Monday turned a lack-luster tournament into a good one. Will it be remembered for years to come? Probably not. The only way that could have happened would have been a Mickleson win, but golf fans should still take solice in the fact that a Major was saved from itself on the last day.
Next stop on Tour: Travelers Championship- Theirs not much to expect from the weekend after a major. Here are what I’ll be following: Stewart Cink returns to defend his crown. Rickey Barns will try to pretend that he didn’t play on Monday at Bethpage. Stuart Appleby looks to finish what he started at the St. Jude. Vijay Singh will continue the struggle to pretend he’s not old. After over 20 years as a pro and not one top five finish this year, Vijay is counting the days until he can play with the seniors and feel young again….and Brian Gay attempts to kill his competition in another non-major.
Next Major: The British- July 16 through 19
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The Host is a Greedy One
All week during pre-tournament preparation, Tiger Woods talked about his desire to be a “greedy host”. Yes, he is the man who’s name is on the tournament. Yes, he has had a much busier week then other players. And yes, after all that- Tiger leads his own tourney headed into the weekend.
Coming into yesterday tied for second place, Tiger shot up the leaderboard after a four under, 66 yesterday. Ironically, the round was two shots worse then Thursdays’, but I think Tiger will take the dividends. He sits a shot up on Rod Pampling and two shots up on defending champion Anthony Kim.
Kim, who set the course on fire on Thursday, shot a mediocre even par 70. Thanks to his record smashing day on Thursday, Kim still sits in good position to win the tournament. I would say great, but I never think looking up at the best player on the planet ever puts someone in great position for anything.
If your looking for a good non-Tiger story line for Saturday, I think Kim is where you go. Here’s a guy who hasn’t won in exactly a year and is looking to get back on the right track. Their is no doubt that Kim has all the potential in the world. One TV commentator on Thursday came short of guaranteeing that he would win “multiple majors” before he hits the Champions tour. This may be true, but whether Kim realizes that potential is yet to be seen. One thing going for him is youth. At 24 years old, he is well aware the the typical golfer does not hit his prime until his early thirties. Since one of Kim’s main weaknesses is his apparent love for nightlife and parties, the theory that his slump is purely a case of being young and immature does carry a lot of weight.
Today’s round will be a huge one for Kim. Does he forget his definitively average round from yesterday and play Congressional like he’s shown he can play Congressional? Or does the demons of the slump rise up and bite Kim, sending him back on the leader board? I think he can stay in this tournament. He was a shot off on almost every hole yesterday. The holes he bogeyed, he pared yesterday. The holes he pared, he birdied yesterday. Their wasn’t that big double bogey blow up hole for Kim that might suggest a meltdown. A few more birdies and one less bogey and we’re looking at Kim in serious contention on Sunday morning.
Other notables- Jim Furyk shot a -3, 67 on Friday to sit in fourth at seven under. U.S Open champ Lucas Glover is tied for eighth at 5 under. This is the third consecutive tournament for Glover. It’s a bit odd for a major champion not to take a week off, but Glover seams to be handling it well.
Trunk Slammers (missed the cut): Robert Allenby, who was in contention at the St. Jude, missed his fourth cut of the year after two straight rounds of 72. WCWP fav John Merrick is going home despite playing at even par on Friday. His six over 76 on Thursday sunk him. K. J Choi was one of similar fate. His 69 was good for a respectable -1 on Friday, but it could not erase a disastrous +7 Thursday….
Categories: PGA, Uncategorized
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