Capelle On Golf

2008 Masters Coverage - thru 4/15

Phil Mickelson’s Implosion
I was overly optimistic about Phil Mickelson’s chances, but then so were the guys at the Golf Channel, so many pundits, and the pros at Ladbrokes, who had him at 3/1 to win after 36 holes of such solid golf.

Phil looked like he was going to make us all look smart when he spun a lengthy greenside pitch to within a foot on number two to go six under. All seemed well in PhilLand. But the lug nuts loosened on the par three sixth when he short sided himself after taking an overly aggressive line, making a bogey.

Then bad fortune struck on eight when a beautifully struck pitch bounced once, hit the flag, and rolled 25 feet back down the green. Phil responded with a three putt. A missed fairway, a missed green, and a missed four footer on ten resulted in another bogey. After paring 11, he bunkered his tee shot on 12 and missed a seven foot par putt for his fourth bogey in seven holes.

A comeback was in the making when he birdied 13 and 14, but he failed to convert a six foot birdie putt on the fifteenth. Then he pulled his tee shot into a bunker at 16 on the short side and made a double to fall to -2. The wheels fell off in unison, leaving us to wonder if the scars from Winged Foot have had a lasting impact on his ability to win majors.

Tiger’s Big Chance
We know that Tiger Woods is a perfect 13 for 13 when leading or sharing the lead after three rounds of a major. We also know that he’s going to notch a comeback win at a major sometime in his career. And what better time could there be than on the 30th anniversary of Gary Player’s comeback win from seven back. (Note: CBS is going to show his great charge to victory at 1:30pm Eastern on Sunday).

On moving day Woods hit 15 greens on his way to a 68, which tied him for the low round of the day. His fine round also vaulted him over a gaggle of players into fifth place all by himself. The good news: there are only four players ahead of him now.
The good/bad news: the temperature is going to be in the low sixties tomorrow with gusts from 25-35 MPH. That could help or hurt his chances depending on how he and the other’s cope with this abrupt change in the playing conditions.

The other bad news: Trevor Immelman is six shots ahead of Woods and he’s playing awfully well. He’s tied for first in GIR at 75.93%, and he’s first in fairways hit at 90.48% (38 for 42) while Tiger’s numbers are 70.37% (GIR) and 69.05%. The GIR figures for Brandt Snedeker (70.37%), Steve Flesch (68.52%), and Paul Casey (66.67%), the other three players ahead of Tiger, show that solid ball striking is what’s put then in contention. Of course, that could all change on Masters Sunday under windy conditions should Woods apply the pressure.

Except for Tiger, the form chart for the top of the leaderboard has been thrown out the window. All of the players who were expected to give him some competition have retreated down the leaderboard. In their place are a group of long shots who were on no one’s short list but their own when play began. While it easy to write off these members of the field, they are the kind of players that have relegated Woods to his four second place finishes.

The Golf Gods Lend a Hand
Should Immelman win with Woods in second, he will be the fifth long shot to beat the world’s best player. Can he do it? He’s playing well, as I mentioned, and providence may be on his side. On the water guarded par five fifteenth his third shot spun back off the front of the green and was surely headed for a watery grave when the golf Gods stepped in and lent a hand. At this point CBS’ David Feherty reached the peak of his career. Here are just a few of his gems:

“I’ve never seen a ball stay up there.”
“If it takes one more turn, it’s gone.”
“That ball is hanging by a single blade of grass.”

Tomorrow promises to be a Masters Sunday like no other. Woods’ dreams of the much talked about Grand Slam and the media’s favorite story this year are on the line. So too are the hopes of a handful of upstarts. All are looking for their first major and a lifetime membership in golf’s most exclusive club, one that meets once a year for dinner on Tuesday of Masters week.