This site was created to have a conversation about golf.

Please comment, write to chris@cdbradfield.com or tweet @cdbradfield.

-Chris Bradfield

El Niño

/

The Boy is now 37 and a Masters' Champion.

Winning his first major at Augusta National where he has had issues:

2009 Sergio "I don't like it, to tell you the truth. I don't think it is fair. Even when it's dry you still get mud balls in the middle of the fairway. It's too much of a guessing game." Asked what he would change, he said: "They can do whatever they want. It's not my problem. I just come here and play and then go home."

He apologized for the statement having matured immensely in 8 years, last night's acceptance speech was very well said and complimentary of the Augusta National membership, though for the course he simply said "it is something".

Until Bubba's 2012 and 2014 wins I was under the assumption it took a fantastic roller of the ball to win The Masters. This has not proven true, both Garcia and Rose were the class of the field because of ball striking holding on while on the greens. The two missed 5 foot putts on 16 and 18 for Garcia being prime examples of the struggle.

Sergio's consistent swinging should have him in contention many more times. Now with a green jacket under his belt should be much easier winning more Majors.

Masters Sunday

/

I like the winner to come out of the last two pairings, not too strong of a take. All four should be very comfortable: the two European Ryder Cup teammates Rose and Garcia in the final pairing, tied for the lead and Fowler paired with Spieth one and two shots back respectively, in the penultimate group. 

Interesting how the guys in the desert are looking at the odds to win. Rose is the favorite, +300, going into the last round, leading and having proved himself in a major this is probably correct, but even two back to me Spieth, +325, is the favorite. Fowler, playing extremely confident doesn't look like a poor pick at +450 and Garcia tied for the lead, +450, is not getting much respect, justifiably having never closed a major in 73 starts.

Should be an amazing Sunday, can't wait to see what happens, how about a Sunday 63 from Pieters, +8000, to win ;)

Moving Day

/

Intriguing pairings for Saturday at The Masters:

If I could only watch one pairing it would be Thomas Pieters and Rickie Fowler. The 25 year old Belgian and 28 year old American should make for fireworks and I like them both.

A close second would be Jon Rahm and Fred Couples. Could watch Freddie swing all day, got a glimpse of him on the range Wednesday and his free flowing speed was as good as ever, pretty impressive at 57. Rahm, a 21 year old Spaniard, doesn't look 6'4" and the power he brings from the short swing is real. He plays smart, looks comfortable. Hope they both score well, would make for a more interesting Sunday for sure.

Some other interesting pairings will be Phil and Jordan (will be a lot of talk between the two of them and Bones and Michael; they know what they are doing around Augusta National). Just read that Phil played his first Masters 3 years before Jordan was born... only in golf! Rose and Scott, two international thoroughbreds. And Kuch with Rory will bring plenty of fandom.

We should be in for some Saturday of golf. With temperatures in the low 70's and wind under 5 MPH the scoring should be much lower than the first two days, can't wait....

First Time at Augusta National

/

Had the opportunity to attend Wednesday at The Masters this week. The excitement in the line waiting for the gates to open was palpable, not your average Wednesday at a PGA Tour event. The things you hear over and over were all confirmed. Of course, it is extremely well done, for as many people as they get in and out it is as smooth as can be. The topography is, of course, more than you can see on television (may be the thing you hear the most) so thought I was prepared, but the first hole we walked to was number 10 and wow looks like you are hitting off a cliff. Yes, the concessions are good (first one we came upon I knew there was a possibility we would be getting evacuated so I got a Pimento Cheese, Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich and a Domestic Light) breakfast of champions! Witnessed a few fun tidbits, followed most of the back 9 with McIlroy, Garcia and Hadwin, on number 15 Rory and Sergio switched drivers for a shot, as they did a professional photographer came to the back of tee, Rory glanced back saying "not on this one" shacking his head with a wry grin. In the image below the easiest way to tell is Sergio's blue Super Stroke grip.

Was neat to see the pros being golf guys.

Sergio
Hadwin

Good times standing on the side of number 16 and seeing them skip it across the pond then watching cross green putts which would stop at the crest and roll past the pin a minimum of 8'.

We were evacuated around 10am having finished walking up 18 (with an Egg Salad), then let back in at 12:30 to procure some merchandise, play was halted for the remainder of the day around 1:15. Bummer we didn't get to see the front 9 nor the par 3, but glad we got to see what we did, will make watching the best golf tournament in the world even more enjoyable.

Bradley without belly putter

/

I have been surprised more players who employ anchored methods haven't switched. Seems like most feel it is their best way to putt and will switch when they must. As you see in this photo from cbssports.com his method is almost identical without the shaft running all the way to his belly. This is similar to what Adam Scott has said he will do with long putter, same setup, without shaft to his chest.

iphone-20140529134023-0.jpg

Tiger vs Sergio @ The Players

/

"He called me a whiner. He's probably right," Garcia said Monday at Wentworth, England, at the start of the week of the BMW PGA Championship. "But that's also probably the first thing he's told you guys that's true in 15 years. I know what he's like. You guys are finding out."

"First of all, I don't have his number. And secondly, I did nothing wrong and don't have anything to say to him. And he wouldn't pick up the phone anyway. But that's OK; I don't need him as a friend. I don't need him in my life to be happy and that's fine. It's as simple as that. Like I have always said, I try to be as truthful as possible."

​

​

Shocking?

/

This really surprised me. Maybe it shouldn't have. Sergio has been his own worst enemy, but I still didn't see this coming.​

​Once he striped his second onto 16 for an easy two putt birdie I was preparing for a Tiger, Sergio playoff. Two holes, 17 and 18, that you must play for pars the writing was on the wall for a tie at -13.

But, with Sergio now feeling ultra confident in his ball striking, this was his undoing. Taking on a sucker's pin at 17 showed he is a sucker.

​

Anchored Putters

/

The 2013 Masters' champion used a long putter and the low amateur used a belly putter. Does this validate the USGA and R&A's claim that anchored putters should be illegal? 

I believe it does, given the option of anchoring the putter I choose to use it. With fewer levers it is just plain easier to make a consistent stroke and does not constitute a standard swing of the club. The long putter looks to be the simplest stroke, with just one lever being the swinging of a single arm, a belly putter has two levers, with two arms controlling the club, but a standard putter throws in the variable of no fixed point and that must be kept consistent with control over the stroke rather than a fixed point.

This anchored stroke is a crutch and doesn't follow the same swinging of the club which is required with the rest of the clubs in the bag. Now with each, of the four, majors having been won with a long putter in the past year and a half the governing bodies have even more reason to believe they are an advantage which should be banned. I agree, but until they are banned I will keep using one, we play by the rules which are in place. As the tax rate was raised for 2013 that doesn't mean you need to pay that rate on your 2012 taxes. Once the long putters are banned the game will be better for it.

2013 Valero Texas Open

/

What a Sunday for this tournament, don't think you will see much better of a top ten this year. With a lights out 63, Martin Laird did not leave much doubt in the winner, but you had the excitement of world #2 Rory McIlroy shooting 66, steady veteran Jim Furyk holing out for eagle on 18, and Billy Horschel trying to win for the second week in a row and punch a ticket to Augusta. Really had high hopes for Horschel to pull it out with a 2 shot lead going into the final round, but with a lack luster Sunday he didn't push the scores needed to close out the win. And what a difference a few strokes makes in money on the PGA Tour, crazy to think the second alone cash was just a byproduct of  getting some tournament reps in for Rory. With a tour leading 20 cuts made in a row and his putter heating up, it shouldn't take much longer for Horschel to visit the winners circle.

Screenshot 2013-04-08 at 11.18.00 AM.png