And then it went from must-see TV to a snooze fest just as quickly.  Was it still an incredible golf tournament, absolutely, but oh man, what could have been if the back nine Sunday had lived up to the drama that unfolded the first 63 holes. With that said, here was the good, the bad and the ugly from the British Open…

The Ugly

Rickie Fowler near the lead

Once again Rickie Fowler went all Rickie Fowler in a Major.  He played himself into contention Saturday by making birdie on two of the first four holes to get within one of the lead standing on the tee at the Par-5 fifth.  From there he promptly pumped one OB, made triple and was never heard from again.  I like Fowler, I really do, but the guy simply has one go-to move in major championships and that’s it. It’s kind of sad actually.

Zach Johnson’s caddie Damon Green

That stupid bird dance he does every time ZJ makes a birdie or an eagle is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever seen on a golf course, ever, at any point. Quite frankly Zach Johnson allowing the bird dance might say more about ZJ than it does about Damon Green for doing it. Either way, they both suck in my book. Grow up.

Jon Rahm

Speaking of people that need to grow up, wow! If this guy had half the maturity Jordan Spieth has he might not ever lose a golf tournament. After an opening round 69 he was the overnight betting favorite to win the British Open. He promptly threw three temper tantrums (that I know of and probably a few more) on Friday, shot a second round 78, and wasn’t even around for the weekend. Talent certainly isn’t this guy’s problem, but until he gets his act together it won’t matter.

The British Open “Frat House”

Unless you were living under a rock this week you are painfully aware of the fact that Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, Jimmy Walker and Kevin Kisner all shared a house at the British Open that the media nicknamed the British Open “Frat House.”  Nothing says “Frat house” quite like Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson hanging out in Carnoustie playing soccer in the back yard, recapping their golf rounds and going to bed at 9:00 p.m.

Jordan Spieth’s final round

As bad as Jordan Spieth’s haircut was this week (and the fact that it was even a story at all), it wasn’t nearly as bad as Spieth’s final round on Sunday.  Sure the conditions were hard Sunday but he was in the final group tied for the lead and was an overwhelming favorite in Vegas to win going into Sunday for a reason.  I know he has struggled the last few months but this is a guy that has shown when the lights are the brightest he tends to shine (12th hole at Augusta aside).  His Sunday 76 to plummet from T-1 to T-9 was shocking and quite frankly concerning.

The Bad

The last 30 minutes

With the leaderboard shaping up for possibly the most historic finish/playoff ever, Molinari (more on him later) completely sucked the air out of the last 30 minutes of the tournament with his play down the stretch.  Nothing against Francesco, but man, can you imagine a Rose, Rory, Kisner, Molinari, Xander playoff?  I’ll even throw in Tiger because there is zero chance he misses that putt on 18 if it’s to get into a playoff.  Where was jean Van de Velde when we needed him?

Tiger’s double bogey on 11

Speaking of the air being sucked out of the place; Tiger was the solo leader at the British Open on Sunday afternoon with eight holes to play. Twitter was on fire, the crowds were electric and the Internet was on the verge of shutting down.  With one bad swing, and an even dumber decision to follow it trying to hit the miracle flop shot all of the buzz he created the first 10 holes died a depressing and painful death.

Rory’s putting

Like Rickie Fowler’s leaderboard meltdowns I feel like I can just copy and paste Rory’s putting problems each and every major.  Yes he made an absolute bomb for eagle on Sunday to vault him into a tie for the lead at the time, but it sure seemed like every other time they were showing Rory it was missed putt after missed putt. The fact that he finished in second place putting the way he did is pretty amazing actually.  If Rory can ever figure out how to be even a decent putter he would win majors at a scary fast rate, problem is, I don’t think it will ever happen at this point.

The Good

Saturday: The Saturday afternoon of the US Open at Torrey Pines was the most memorable Saturday of golf I can remember in a very long time.  The Saturday afternoon (or morning in the US) of the British Open might have passed it. That was as entertaining as professional golf gets, plain and simple. You had a major championship, on a historic course, with a stacked leaderboard of guys making unbelievable runs.  From Rose posting a 64 out of gate to Tiger shooting a 65 to get back into the tournament, to Jordan making eagle on the opening hole in route to a 65 that vaulted him to the 54-hole lead, it was 8+ hours of golf at its absolute finest. It set up one of the most anticipated Sundays in a major I can ever recall, and if not for the ending Sunday could have been the greatest weekend of golf the sport has ever seen. That’s not hyperbole, it was that good.

The R&A

The above was possible for one reason and one reason only. The R&A is everything the USGA isn’t.  They understand how to run a Major Championship. They know that if you simply let the best players in the world play on one of the best golf courses in the world you don’t need to get in the way.  The second you manipulate a golf course you ruin the tournament.  The R&A let the weather and the course dictate the score and the winner and as a result they delivered a superior product as they do almost every year.  I will always be biased towards the Masters as my favorite tournament of the year, but I’m not sure the British Open year in and year out isn’t the best tournament played every year.  With very few exceptions (2010), the British Open has delivered on incredible tournaments for as long as I can remember.

Xander Schauffele

How good is this kid? In roughly the last 12 months he has won The Greenbrier (2017), the Tour Championship (2017), the 2017 PGA Tour rookie of the year and now finished T-6 and T-2 in his last two majors to go along with a T-5 at last year’s US Open.  He seems to have a level head on his shoulders and doesn’t seem too rattled by the pressure of being in contention at Majors. I’m a big fan of this kid and as long as he stays away from the “Frat House” and Jordan Spieth’s barber I think we are going to see a lot more of him contending in years to come.

Eddie Pepperell

Eddie fired a final round 67 to post five under and the club house lead early on Sunday morning.  For a long time with the leaders struggling it looked like he was going to pull a Paul Lawrie and get himself in a playoff three hours early.  But the part that is most impressive was his quote after the round.  “I was a little hungover, I won’t lie. I had too much to drink last night. And I was so frustrated yesterday, that today was really, I wouldn’t say a write-off, but I didn’t feel I was in the golf tournament. Whether I shot 69 or 73 today, it wouldn’t have been heartbreaking. But as it happens, I shot 67. So, you know, it’s a funny game.”  This guy is one of the funniest follows on Twitter and one of the most likable guys on the European Tour.  Cheers to Eddie and let’s hope he finds himself in contention more often, guys like him make golf a lot more fun.

Francesco Molinari

Simply put, the guy is the best player on the planet right now, and it’s not really close.  In his last six worldwide starts he has gone 1st, 2nd, 25th, 1st, 2nd and 1^st. Is that any good?  While the final round he played on Sunday won’t be remembered in history like Stenson’s 63 or the like, make no mistake, his bogey free 69 on a day when everyone around him was over par was incredible. Throw in the fact that he was playing with Tiger in the final round of a major and it was even that much better. I know he isn’t 2000 Tiger but the circus that follows Tiger’s group is still just that, a circus.  In fact, the guy played the last 37 holes of the British Open without a bogey. As mad as I am at Molinari for taking the wind out of the tournament at the end, the fact of the matter is that the guy flat out played better than everyone else and didn’t make a mistake.  It was really impressive to watch actually.

Tiger

With all due respect to Molinari and what he did this week, and specifically on Sunday, the biggest story of the British Open was Tiger Woods. The fact that he was the solo leader on Sunday at a Major Championship with 8 holes to play was the biggest thing to happen to golf in years.  Love him or hate him, having Tiger in contention again at a major just makes golf that much better.  His struggles to close out rounds are real and can’t be overlooked, but neither can the fact that glimpses of the old Tiger still exist as well.  You also can’t overlook the fact that his own previous success may be clouding people’s realistic expectations (mine included). The guy came back from a 4th back surgery less than a year ago and is already contending in Majors.  While he obviously didn’t win and may never again for that matter, the fact that he proved it’s a very real possibility going forward is truly amazing considering he could barely even walk 12 months ago. I still can’t believe he missed his birdie putt on 18 though that would have cashed a top-5.  He did however finish T-6 Sunday which moved Tiger up to 50th in the World Rankings (on the number) which gets him into the WGC event at Bridgestone in two weeks.  A place he has won a record eight times, and I’m betting he makes number nine in the final WGC-Bridgestone to be played at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

Look, I don’t know if Tiger will ever win another major, but after what we all saw at Carnoustie this week I know that he certainly can, and at this point, that’s a very good thing for golf and everyone involved.

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Yet it is unquestionably the Open Championship, sometimes called the British Open to separate it from its American cousin, that asks questions of golfers that not even the best of them have all of the answers to. In fact, the versions of the tournament that have seen the lowest scores posted have tended to boast weather that is more similar to that you’d experience in the US. Links courses tend to be undulating, with open sides that welcome a brisk wind from the sea. They naturally favor British players or players that have grown up on courses where the weather can have a large impact on their play. Here we’ll look at the favorites for this year’s tournament and the odds you might be able to get on them.

Now that we know about why the course that a tournament is played on matters, let’s take a quick look at the venue for The Open this year. The Carnoustie Golf Links joined The Open’s roster in 1931 and has been used on and off since then. It last hosted the tournament eleven years ago and American golfers call it carnasty because it’s so horrible to play in adverse weather conditions. It might be worth having a look at what Mother Nature has got planned a few days before the first tee and adjust your bets accordingly…

It’s a site that can effect even seasoned golfers and it was on the eighteenth that Jan van de Velde fell apart back in 1999. He had played seventy-one holes of golf and need to post a double-bogey or better to lift the Claret Jug, but instead ended up taking his shoes and socks off and trying to hit his ball out of the stream that runs along the hole, ending up with a triple bogey before losing the play-off. Players who have shown mental weakness at any point might also be ones to avoid here, especially if they haven’t played the course under championship conditions before.

Who will win the British Open in 2024?

Dustin Johnson (11/1)

Speaking of players demonstrating mental weakness, Dustin Johnson will be extraordinarily disappointed with his US Open performance in June. The South Carolina native had a four shot lead over the field heading into the penultimate day’s golf, but notched up a 77 on Day Three that saw him pulled into the quagmire. He then posted a 70 on the last day, but the damage had already been done.

2016’s US Open remains the only Major that he’s won, belying the fact that he’s considered to be one of the best golfers in the world. He’s not typically the sort of player that allows his emotion to get the better of him, but if the going gets tough at carnoustie or the weather turns midway through the week, how will he respond? He’s understandably leading the pack in the betting, but you wouldn’t want to go too hot and heavy on him when you consider that he’s yet to really perform in the UK.

Jordan Spieth (12/1)

Whenever you’re considering a bet on a tournament that doesn’t have a clear and obvious favorite, it’s always good to see who has done well in it in the past. Jordan Spieth enters this year’s Open Championship as the defending champion, winning at Royal Birkdale by three shots in 2017. At the time of writing he’s started thirteen tournaments on the PGA Tour and made the Cut in ten of them, so he’s in reasonably good form as The Open approaches.

Spieth finished third in the Masters earlier in the year, but his preparation for carnoustie came a little bit unstuck in the Travelers Championship at Connecticut’s Cromwell course when he hit his driver on the thirteenth out of bounds. He had been leading overnight but then hit his approach shot into a lake and scored eight. Rather than recover, he got a bogey five on the fifteenth. He did post an Eagle on the sixteenth, but might that affect him heading to Scotland?

Rory McIlroy (12/1)

Like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy is a player that goes into every tournament with people convinced he’ll win. He’s only twenty-nine, yet he’s already racked up four major wins. His first came when he was just twenty-two, meaning that he’s had the title of ‘future star’ attached to him for most of his golfing life. One of those four Majors was The Open, which is why there’ll be many a bet placed on him in the build-up to this year’s contest.

The big thing to bear in mind is that McIlroy’s win came at Royal Liverpool. That is a challenge course if the weather’s not being very friendly, but the sun was beating down for most of the week back in 2014 and it played more like a US course than a British Links one. If the wind and rain stay away from carnoustie then it might play to his strengths, but if not then his odds might look too short if anything. As mentioned before, ante-post odds on golf tournaments often allow for long odds, but you can find even longer odds on some players that are just as worthy of your consideration. Here’s a look at some of them:

Tommy Fleetwood (16/1)

There are numerous reasons why Tommy Fleetwood might be worthy of a look heading into this year’s Open, not least of which is the fact that he finished as runner-up to Brooks Koepka at the US Open in June. He’s decidedly under-performed at the British equivalent, missing the Cut in three of his four previous attempts. Event when he did make the Cut last year he still failed to challenge the top players, ending up tied for seventeenth.

Yet there’s one big thing that makes his name stand out as far as this year’s tournament is concerned – he holds the record for the lowest round scored on the course. He carded a sixty-three in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships on the course in October of last year, meaning he knows how the course plays and has experience of taking it on when the weather wasn’t at its kindest. That’s not the sort of thing that guarantees a good performance, but at 16/1 it’s worth a punt.

Justin Rose (16/1)

There’s a quite large group of players who are all valued at around 16/1, with Justin Rose being one of them. He won the US Open in 2013 and, in doing so, became the first English player to win a Major since a certain Nick Faldo had done in 1996. Looking back even further than that, he was first Englishman to win the Open in the States since Tony Jacklin had managed it in 1970. He’s been a much lauded player ever since he chipped in from the rough in The Open in 1998, so his name is always on a list of those mentioned as possible winners of the tournament.

Rose has won twenty-two tournaments as a professional, with nine of them coming on the European Tour. That’s not as many as you’d like from a player that you’re thinking of betting big on, especially when the Carnoustie course is likely to ask some really testing questions. Even so, if you’re looking for a player to have a wager on who might over-perform expectations then he could well be your man. He beat Koepka to the Fort Worth Invitational in May, so he’s already got one tournament under his belt this year.

Tiger Woods (25/1)

Let’s be honest, many people had as good as written off Tiger Woods after he left the tour to have back surgery in 2014 and then further operations in 2015. Add into that his marital problems that blew up in 2010 and you can see exactly why he hasn’t won a Major since 2008 and didn’t even make the cut at the US Open earlier in the year.

Yet many believe that Woods is never a player to be ruled out completely, such is the muscle memory that he possesses on the golf course. That’s reflected in his odds, with bookies refusing to go as long as the 1,000/1 you can get for Darren Clarke, for example, even though the Northern Irishman has won The Open more recently than the American. Your money is probably better spent elsewhere, but an each-way shout might not be the worst idea.

Underdogs

The best thing about betting on something that offers a reasonably open playing field is the chance to dream. Bookmakers know that the best golfers in the world will be the ones that lead the field, but golf has thrown up more than a few surprised over the years and there are a couple of players that might be worth a brief look.

Padraig Harrington (100/1)

If looking at the last person to win the tournament is helpful, how useful is looking at the last golfer to win the tournament when it was played at the same venue? Not all that useful, to be perfectly honest, especially when his better days are behind him. Even so, Padraig Harrington won The Open when it was played at carnoustie in 2007 and followed it up straight away with a win in the same competition at Royal Birkdale in the following year.

He’s won three Majors in his time and thirty-one professional tournaments in total, so he knows what it takes to compete at the business end of things. Ok, so his last win worth talking about came in the Portugal Masters at the tail-end of 2016, but there’s got to be a reason he’s currently thought of as a 100/1 shot. This might be more a case of a cheeky Each-Way punt rather than a big outright Win bet, but this a time to dream.

Sandy Lyle (2,000/1)

If you really do want to place a bet on an outsider then how does 2,000/1 option Sandy Lyle sound to you? This year might well be his final Open Championship, so could we see one last hurrah from the man that has won two Majors during his career? Probably not, to be fair, but he did win The Open in 1985 so he’s got some pedigree. He hasn’t made the cut in a major since the Masters in 2014, however. With the fairways running quicker than the greens, this will be one of the most interesting Opens of all time!

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Shinnecock Hills has actually hosted the U.S. Open four-times. The first was in 1896 when James Foulis won, and the Scotsman born in St Andrews set a precedent for players to play well there. The 2004 champion Retief Goosen also boasted eight top-10’s in the open championship, while Phil Mickleson got his name on the Claret Jug at Muirfield. Mickleson also played his part in an epic battle with the 2016 open champion Henrik Stenson at Troon.

The 1986 winner Raymond Floyd may not have always won an open championship, but he often finished near the top of the leaderboard. This is also true for the 1995 champion Corey Pavin, who at that particular time managed to hold off the advances of the then 1993 open champion Greg Norman.

There’s little doubt that Jordan Spieth has what it takes to win the U.S. Open. Already a U.S. Open Championship winner, his U.S. Open win came on a course that was a links course. He may not get away with wayward driving here, but his accurate iron play and putting is what his game is based on. Since he’s got the best golfing brain on the planet, this could easily be another major for him.

Defending a U.S. Open won’t be easy for Brooks Koepka, but there’s a good chance that last year’s champion could take another significant step forward in 2018. He is well on his way to mastering the open championship.

Brandon Grace will also surely win a major before too long, and his win in last year’s Nedbank Challenge should fill him with confidence as he tries to better the two top-5 finishes he’s had in the U.S. Open in the last 3 years. He was also sixth in last season’s open championship, and shot a new major low-round of 62.

Martin Kaymer and Brandt Snedeker  are coming back to form. Kaymer has already won a U.S. Open back in 2014. Snedeker boasts five top-9 finishes at the U.S. Open. He’s truly one of the best putters in his day, as he could be well-suited for Shinnecock Hills. The outcome of this year’s 2018 U.S. Open Championship will truly be a sight to see.

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TPC Sawgrass has been the host course since 1982 and the layout measures 7,215 yards and plays to a par 72. Built from 415 acres of wooded wetlands bought for $1 by then-commissioner Deane Beman, architect Pete Dye took care of it to ensure no two consecutive holes play in the same direction. Doglegs were created in both directions and the course offers both short and long holes at every par.

And to top it off, the winner has safely reached dry land on short and tricky, 137-yard, par three, 17th over water to an island green at TPC Sawgrass. The betting field is considered the toughest in golf and will include all of the top players in the world. Every top player on all the tours across the world will be represented. It’s a must-see and must-bet event. Great drama all the way to the end, year after year.

Last year Si Woo Kim shocked the world by coming out of nowhere to claim the title. The Korean won by three strokes over Louis Oosthuizen and Ian Poulter. Keep in mind that the legend Jack Nicklaus has won it a record three times. Other notables that have won the players include Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler.

The tournament is also known as the fifth major and is considered the toughest tournament to win. The winners are rewarded with ever important career benefits, such as a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, an open invitation to the (U.S. Masters Golf Tournament) for three consecutive years, a three-year exemption for the (British Open golf tournament), and exemptions to both the (U.S. Open Golf Championship) and the (PGA Championship) for the year.

The Players Championship Golf History:
In 1974 the inaugural event was held at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia. Later it was moved to Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975, and then to Inverrary Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in 1976. Starting from 1977, the event was moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Initially it was played at Sawgrass Country Club’s Oceanside Course. After 1982 it was held in the neighborhood of Sawgrass Country Club, at the Stadium Course at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass.

2017 TPC Sawgrass Players Championship Recap:
South Korean Kim Si-woo produced a faultless round to become the youngest champion at the Players Championship. Kim, 21, shot a three-under-par 69 on the final day at Sawgrass to finish on 10 under and replace Adam Scott as the youngest winner. England’s Ian Poulter was tied for the lead at one stage but finished three shots behind in a tie for second with Louis Oosthuizen after a 71. Rafa Cabrera Bello and Kyle Stanley finished tied for fourth on six under.

After his victory in the Wyndham Championship last year, Kim is the fourth player in the last 25 years to win twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 22, following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Jordan Spieth.

Past Six Winners

2017: Si Woo Kim -10

2016: Jason Day -15

2015: Rickie Fowler -12

2014: Martin Kaymer -13

2013: Tiger Woods -13

2012: Matt Kuchar -13

What To Know About The Course
Length off the tee should be an important factor the week of the match. Martin Kaymer ranked 19th for Driving Distance when he won here in 2014. Rickie Fowler ranked 11th in that
department in 2015 on his way to victory. Day ranked 15th in Greens during regulation here in 2016 so that is another statistic worth keeping a close eye on.
Nobody scrambled better than Day in 2016. 10 of the last 12 winners have ranked inside the top-10 in Scrambling so keep that in mind moving forward. Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Jordan Speith and Justin Thomas are the favorites. Look for a crazy last day on the tough Sawgrass golf course to bring us are well deserved winner.

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PATRICK REED HANGS ON FOR THE WIN

Much has been made in the sports media about Patrick Reed’s lack of popularity. Cheers for his opponents– especially Rory McIlroy–were noted to be much louder than those for Reed. But he took the lead after two rounds, and he entered the final round with a tight but definitive 3-stroke lead over McIlroy. But McIlroy proved to be a red herring, as it was Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth who staged late-round comebacks, with Fowler surgeon to within a stroke by the end after Spieth bogeyed on the final hole after hitting a hazard. Reed Slipped in a par on 18 to retain the lead and kill the comebacks.

JORDAN SPIETH SHOOTS THE BEST FINAL ROUND IN MASTERS’ HISTORY

Despite his clunker on the final hole, Spieth managed to tie the best final round in Masters history, shooting an incredible 8-under 64 with nine birdies. That’s right, dude birdied on half of the holes. His third round wasn’t too shabby either, as he dropped five consecutive birdies on holes 13-17, finishing with a cool 6-under 66 for the round to set the stage for his late comeback bid. Though his accomplishments will be overshadowed by Reed’s heroics, spieth has nothing to feel bad about. Well, except that darn tree that jumped out to clip his ball at the end.

RORY MCILROY PROVES HE’S STILL THE FAN FAVORITE

Though he came up short with a rough final round, McIlroy’s return form last year’s injury hasn’t dulled enthusiasm among the fans, who could be heard throughout the weekend chanting his name. But alas, despite becoming a serious threat by trailing Reed by only three strokes going into the final round, Wee Mac hit a tough 2-over 74, bringing up yet more questions of his viability following the injury and the recently made public heart condition. Time will tell whether he is truly back, or sliding toward Tiger Woods-style irrelevancy where only diehards and the media care where he finishes as fans move on to the next up and comer.

RICKIE FOWLER STILL CAN’T GET THE JOB DONE

Rickie Fowler is the perennial Miss Congeniality. Finishing in the top five in every tournament multiple times, he has yet to take home a win. It’s not for lack of playing well either–homeboy dropped six birdies in the final round, and he stayed alive enough to barely miss the win despite a slow start in the first two rounds. Still, his constant appearance at the top of the scorecard every time keeps him ranked number 6 in the world overall–one above McIlroy and a solid five slots ahead of Reed. That’s of little comfort this week, however, as he mourns his latest near-miss.

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Here are some thoughts and betting odds on the event.

The 2018 Masters is right around the corner. How about that? It always feels so far away in July and September and November, and then the last few months fly by faster than you can say “Jack is definitely still longer off the tee than Gary, but who’s counting besides Gary.”

The first 78 days of the year have brought us pretty much everything. A pair of great European Tour events, the No. 1 player in the world galloping in Hawaii, multiple playoffs, the Jason Day Redemption Tour, mini struggles from Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson’s revival a Bay Hill win from Rory Mcllroy and, of course, Tiger Woods.

With less than one month to go before the ceremonial tee shots and 82nd Masters, here are five fun storylines I’ll be following as the first major of the season comes into focus.

1. How dominant can Dustin Johnson be? I’ve noted this in a variety of other places, but D.J. can win eight times this year. Will he? Probably not, but he can. One of the more enigmatic talents in the game has suddenly become the most consistent entity on the PGA Tour. Johnson recently joined Rory McIlroy, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman and Tiger Woods as one of only five golfers to maintain the No. 1 re has been beaten by two golfers in the last three tournaments. He’s No. 1 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee, birdie average, scoring average and second in strokes gained overall. None of this feels extraordinary, either. He just plods along with that inimitable swing and underrated putting strokes, and lifts trophies all over the world. He’ll have to prove it at Augusta, where he’s never legitimately contended, but he should roll down Magnolia Lane with nothing but freeway in front of him and six gears to work through in his hands.

2. The slam awaits: Rory McIlroy is almost always a storyline leading up to the Masters because he has the most to gain (the career Grand Slam) with a win at Augusta National. He looked fabulous at the Abu Dhabi Championship and Dubai Desert Classic but not so much at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he missed the cut last week.

McIlroy (and everyone else) has a D.J.-shaped problem right now, but it appears that McIlroy has found the goods to at least roll with Johnson on some level. Few can spar with the world No. 1 when he’s really throttling, but McIlroy is certainly one who can. Winning Bay Hill shows that he has rounded into form and the hype is going to be resounding come the beginning of April.

3. European Invasion: Following their start in the Middle East, Tommy Fleetwood and Thomas Pieters have hooked up with the PGA Tour in Los Angeles this week for the Genesis Open. Sergio Garcia will likely be on his way shortly. Jon Rahm won the CareerBuilder Challenge. Alex Noren nearly won the Farmers Insurance Open. Justin Rose has finished outside the top 10 once in his last 12 events. Branden Grace leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained. This year’s group of top Euro players is even more fascinating than normal with young guys like Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton in the mix. I’m excited to watch the amalgamation of the two tours at the WGCs and Masters after a primarily U.S.-themed first few months. Related: Is it time for the Ryder Cup yet?

4. Phil and Tiger on Sunday: I was thinking about this as Mickelson walked up the 18th hole at Pebble Beach on Sunday for his T2 finish. What if (what if?) Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson make up the final pairing on Sunday at Augusta National? It sounds crazy, but it’s really not. The last time they both played the event was in 2015. Mickelson was in the penultimate pairing with Justin Rose, and Tiger was in the pairing just in front of them with Rory McIlroy. Tiger hadn’t played in a few months, and he still sort of wriggled his way into the heart of the event.

Could Woods, with his repaired back, and Mickelson, with his semi-repaired driver, make that happen? If they could somehow pull it off, it would make for the best story of the entire calendar year short of Anthony Kim appearing like a mist in Paris and going 5-0-0 to lead the U.S. to the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Betting odds for 2018 Masters

Following a spirited run at Bay Hill, Tiger Woods remains the favorite in the latest update for the 2018 Masters.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook lists Woods at 8/1 odds, in line with his figure when he shot up the board on Thursday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Woods, who is scheduled to make just his second Masters outing since 2013, finished T-5 at the API last weekend for his third consecutive top-12 showing.

Rory McIlroy, who left Bay Hill with the API crown, jumped from 18/1 to 10/1, a number second only to Tiger. Though McIlroy has never won a green jacket, he’s finished inside the top 10 in his last four appearances at Augusta National. Also at 10/1 are World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, who’s turned in a win and runner-up in his last two starts.

Justin Rose, who’s bronze medal at Bay Hill was his 13th top 10 in his last 15 worldwide start, saw his odds move from 20/1 to 14/1. Other notables include Jordan Spieth (14/1), Jason Day and Jon Rahm (16/1), and Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler (18/1). Reigning champ Sergio Garcia currently owns 30/1 odds.

The 2018 Masters begins on April 5.

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2017 Record: 70-92 (4th NL East)
2017 Payroll: $154,829,658 (14th in MLB)
Projected 2018 Opening Day Lineup:
2B Asdrubal Cabrera
3B Todd Frazier
LF Yoenis Cespedes
RF Jay Bruce
1B Adrian Gonzalez
C Travis d’Arnaud
SS Amed Rosario
CF Juan Lagares
**OF Michael Conforto is likely to start the year on the disabled list.
Projected 2018 Rotation:
Noah Syndergaard,
Jacob deGrom
Steven Matz
Matt Harvey
Zack Wheeler

**Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, are in contention for Opening Day rotation spots in place of Matz

Offseason Recap:

After a disappointing 2017 season, the Mets made a splash in free agency in an effort to return to the postseason in 2018. Though the Mets opted to not chase any of the big names on the market (think J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, Eric Hosmer, Yu Darvish), they filled out their roster with a handful of solid pieces that should give this team an opportunity to play some October baseball for the third time in four seasons.

The first notable move GM Sandy Alderson made was inking reliever Anthony Swarzak to a two-year deal worth $7M annually. New York is not a new city for Swarzak, as the righty spent a season with the Yankees in 2016 before moving to the Brewers where he finally broke out. Swarzak, who sports a middling (especially for a reliever) 4.22 career ERA, will bolster the back end of the Mets bullpen after a 2017 season that saw him post career-bests in nearly every pitching statistic.

After the Swarzak signing, the Mets front office really kicked their offseason activities into gear. The team re-signed fan favorite Jay Bruce to a three-year, $39M contract viewed by many experts and fans alike as a bargain considering that Bruce was seeking a five-year deal. Bruce will slot back into the middle of the lineup and is likely to see regular playing time until Michael Conforto returns to the field in late April or early May.

The bargain spree didn’t end with Bruce, though. The Mets signed corner infielders Adrian Gonzalez and Todd Frazier to extremely team-friendly contracts in late January and early February, respectively. Gonzalez is coming off an injury-riddled 2017 season in which he suffered from recurring back issues and eventually lost his starting spot to Dodgers rookie phenom Cody Bellinger. The Mets have Gonzalez on a veteran minimum salary, so if the experiment does not work out as planned, rookie Dominic Smith will be waiting in the wings.

Frazier, on the other hand, will look to continue his success from 2017, when he posted a career-best walk rate of 14.4%, an improvement of nearly 5% over his previous career high. Frazier also jacked 27 home runs despite batting only .213 for the season, so his power will be a welcome addition to the Mets lineup.

The last significant offseason move the Mets made was signing innings-eater Jason Vargas to a two-year, $16MM contract. Vargas does not do anything particularly well, but he is not terrible at anything either and has demonstrated that he is capable of throwing 175 plus solid innings. As of this article the Mets fear that Vargas has a broken hand. No timetable has been set for his return.

Season Preview:

The 2018 season, much like every other season for the Mets, is going to come down to health. Team captain David Wright (remember him) is unlikely to see the field due to his spinal stenosis and other injuries but will be a valuable asset for the team in the clubhouse. Pitchers Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Seth Lugo, and Robert Gsellman, all of whom are competing for rotation spots, will all look to go through 2018 healthy after injury-filled 2017 campaigns.

Also looking to rebound from injury in 2017 is star OF Yoenis Cespedes. In 2017, the first year La Potencia’s four-year, $110M contract, spent just about as much time off the field as on it. He played just 81 games but triple-slashed .292/.352/.540 with 17 HR, good for 31% above league average. A full, healthy season from Cespedes could instantly turn this team into a World Series contender.

The Mets will also benefit from a full season of youngster Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo, in 69 games during 2017, sported a 15.3% walk rate, which is not only among baseball’s best, but is even more impressive considering that Nimmo will be just 25 on Opening Day. The 27.9% strikeout rate could use some improvement, but if Nimmo is going to make soft contact just 15% of the time and walk over 15% of the time, that has the makings of a top-tier MLB leadoff hitter.

The strength of this team is in the pitching. Both Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom have established themselves as elite MLB pitchers and are the 1A and 1B pitchers of this team. The back end of the rotation has a lot of talent, with blue-chip prospects Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Steven Matz all in contention for spots in the rotation. The rotation is deep, but if injuries knock this pitching train off the tracks, the offense may not be able to carry the load as it did during the Mets’ miracle run to the World Series in 2015.

The Mets have a lot of potential and talent on their 2018 roster, but the team’s postseason chances will be determined by the health of the players. If this team manages to stay mostly healthy for the entire season, it could threaten 90 wins. On the flip side, another injury-riddled season will likely see this team struggle to finish at .500 once again.

Predicted Record: 86-76

Player to Watch: Noah Syndergaard, P
Nicknames For Syndergaard: Monster, Animal, Norse God, Thor.
Those are just some of the names Noah Syndergaard has been called and there’s a common theme among them: not human. Not human is probably the best way to describe Syndergaard. In Thor’s first spring training start he hit triple digits on the radar gun 11 times. After the game, he explained (while not wearing a shirt, obviously) to reporters that he was not even trying to dial it up and that everything felt natural.

Thor followed that insane debut up by striking out seven straight batters in his spring training start on Thursday (March 8th). This man is nothing short of a monster. Thor is an apt nickname.

Since entering the league in 2015, Syndergaard has a 2.89 ERA and 1.10 WHIP to go along with a 10.34 K/9. Only four starters in the National League have a better K/9 than Syndergaard since his debut: Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, and Robbie Ray. Pretty good company, huh? If Syndergaard manages to throw more than 200 innings in 2018, he should contend with Scherzer and Kershaw for the NL Cy Young crown.

Player to Watch (Young player/rookie/prospect): Amed Rosario, SS

Rosario is like the anti-Nimmo. Nimmo doesn’t really have flashy tools (except for an 80-grade smile ) and Rosario has a whole bunch of them. For starters, Rosario swiped 129 bags in the minors in 2016 and 2017 combined. He has a good glove and good range at short, and while he may not end up as good of a hitter as Nimmo, he will likely become a valuable major league starter due to his defensive abilities, his foot speed, and his propensity for hitting line drives.

The one drawback of Rosario’s game is that he has terrible plate discipline. His approach should improve as he gains more experience with MLB pitching, but the 22-year-old posted abysmal MLB strikeout and walk rates of 28.8% and 1.8%, respectively, in 2017. He’ll have a full season to adjust to major league pitching, but until his plate discipline improves, Rosario will be a glove-first prospect.

Player to Watch: Matt Harvey, P

Matt Harvey, known to some as The Dark Knight due to saving Gotham City in the early days of his career, struggled through injuries (shocker) in 2016 and 2017. Harvey had Tommy John surgery in 2014, won Comeback Player of the Year in 2015, and then went on the disabled list for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2016 and shoulder issues in 2017. Basically, Harvey has been hurt a lot, just like any other Met.

That does not mean Harvey cannot return to form. Yes, his 6.70 ERA in 2017 was by far his career worst, but this is a 28-year-old (he’ll be 29 on Opening Day), with a career ERA of 3.51, WHIP of 1.18 and K/BB of 3.57. The talent and pedigree are both there (Harvey was the #7 overall selection in the 2010 MLB draft), he just needs to pitch a full season healthy. Harvey was once expected to command a multi-year, nine-figure contract in free agency following the 2018 season. He probably will not do that, but a bounce back 2018 could secure Harvey more than just a one-year pact in free agency.

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2017 US Open Erin Hills, Wisconsin

After starting the day one stroke off the pace, Brooks Koepka birdied his first two holes and dropped a 67 to win the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills at 16 under, tying Rory McIlroy (2011) for the lowest score relative to par in tournament history. The dominance of the final round shook up what had been a crowded leaderboard throughout the weekend, and his first-time winner status continued a streak we’ve seen in majors that dates back to Jason Day’s breakthrough at the 2015 PGA Championship.

While the top three players in the world missed the cut, Koepka showed in his U.S. Open win reasons to believe that he can join the Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy tier sooner than many expected. More than just a rising American star, Koepka has proven he’s got the potential to be a multi-time major winner for years to come.

Here’s the way the top of the leaderboard shook out on Sunday afternoon at Erin Hills, starting with your new major champion:

1. Brooks Koepka (-16): As Koepka was bounding about the second nine at Erin Hills and running away from the pack, it was eerily similar to the way Dustin Johnson worked his way around Oakmont a year ago on the way to his first major win. The challenge now will be matching the expectations that will be placed on him moving forward. Koepka is no longer a rising star; he’s a record-setting major champion.

T2. Brian Harman (-12): The tournament changed around the 12th and 13th hole as Harman ended up with bogeys while Koepka began a run of three straight birdies in the group ahead of him. As the roars began to grow, the battle of long hitter vs. tactician faded. Still, the 2017 season is already one to remember for Harman, a great ball-striking lefty who has parlayed his strong play during a win at the Wells Fargo into U.S. Open title contention. Now up near the top-10 of the FedEx Cup standings, he’ll be a name to watch when the playoffs start later this year.

T2. Hideki Matsuyama (-12): While the top three players in the world missed the cut, Matsuyama (No. 4), showed world-class stuff down the stretch. Hideki started the tournament a full nine shots behind the lead after his 74 on Thursday but proceeded to put together two stellar rounds over the next three days with his 65 on Friday and 66 on Sunday in order to push Koepka for the title.

4. Tommy Fleetwood (-11): Could this have been a career-changing week for Fleetwood? The English star is having a second revival of sorts this season, beating Johnson in Abu Dhabi in January, finishing as the runner up at the World Golf Championship in Mexico and now notching his first-ever top-10 finish in a major at Erin Hills.

T5. Rickie Fowler (-10): Even though his finish wasn’t as high as the T2 in Pinehurst in 2014, Fowler’s 2017 run through Erin Hills will probably be the one that many consider his closest shot at winning. Martin Kaymer ran away from everyone from the start of the final round in 2014, and by the time Koepka hit the gas pedal on Sunday, Fowler had already started his slide. For three rounds, Fowler was able to rebound from missed fairways and greens with his putter, and then on Sunday those birdie putts just stopped falling.

2017 British Open

Here is a recap of the final round of the British Open, played at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England:

WINNER: This was really a surreal finish, here’s the best we can do to normalize it…
Jordan Spieth battled Matt Kuchar, the elements and himself Sunday and overcame them all to win The 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Spieth, who turns 24 in four days, captured his third major championship at 12 under. He and Kuchar were tied at eight under after 12 holes. Then No. 13 proved to be both unlucky and miraculous for the eventual winner. Spieth launched a disastrous tee shot on that soared way, way right over a nearby hill. Once his ball was indeed found in the deep, deep rough, Spieth took an unplayable lie and figured out line-of-sight relief with officials for his one-shot penalty drop for several more minutes as he searched everywhere for drop locations. It ended with Spieth taking a drop on the driving range. Somehow, Spieth got his third shot just short of the green. Spieth then played the next four holes in five under to take the lead for good and all-but-vanquish Kuchar. That history-making run was highlighted by a 50-foot eagle putt on No. 15. Spieth carried a three-shot lead into the final round but carded three bogeys in the first four holes. Spieth also won the 2015 Masters and PGA Championship. Spieth joined Jack Nicklaus in winning three majors before the age of 24.

JUST MISSED:

We’re glad Kuchar is so jovial, because this is a tough one to take. The 39-year-old had to feel so good when Spieth was searching for a drop at No. 13 for what felt like three hours. Kuchar did indeed take a one-shot lead after that hole, but it could’ve been more. And he played 1 under golf after that, but, unbelievably, it wasn’t even close to enough. Kuchar bogeyed 18 to settle for a 1-under 69, a 9-under 271 and second place by three shots. A great week for Kuchar, who can still win a major one day.

SHOT OF THE DAY: Uhh… where do we start here? You could put so many on this list for Spieth. We’ll go with the bomb he made for eagle at 15. It earned Spieth the outright lead, which he never relinquished.

QUOTABLE: “This is a dream come true for me.” – Jordan Spieth

SHORT SHOTS: Haotong Li shoots a 63 – the 32nd in major championship history – to post solo third at 6 under. He started the day T-29 and for about 10 minutes appeared to have a chance at a playoff. … Rory McIlroy eagles 17 to close out a 3-under 67. He finishes T-4 at 5 under. Not what he wanted but remarkable considering he was 5 over through six holes in this tournament. … Matthew Southgate, a cancer survivor, jumps 23 spots to a tie for sixth at 4 under thanks to a 65. … Brooks Koepka finishes in a tie for sixth, too, after a 1-over 71. … Henrik Stenson closes in 70 to post in a tie for 11th at 3 under in his title defense. … Ian Poulter finishes a strong week in a tie for 14th at 2 under. … Aaron Baddeley closes in 64 to rocket to a tie for 27th. … Rickie Fowler (T-22, even par), Jason Day (T-27, 1 over) and Dustin Johnson (T-54, 4 over) all finish well out of contention. … Alfie Plant, the low amateur, finishes T-62 at 6 over.

The 2017 PGA Championship:

This is the 99th PGA Championship that takes place from August 10–13 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. A regular stop on the PGA Tour, this will be the first major at Quail Hollow. This will be the second to last PGA Championship held in August. Beginning in 2019 the tournament will be held in May. A field of 156 players will tackle Quail Hollow Club, which is hosting the season’s final major for the first time. Jimmy Walker won this event last year by one shot over Jason Day. Here are 10 names to watch in Charlotte:

1. Rory McIlroy: Given the choice between two clear favorites, I’ll side with the Quail Hollow specialist. McIlroy has won twice here and lost in a playoff among six starts, and he has had this week circled since it was first announced years ago. Top-5 finishes at both Royal Birkdale and Firestone show that his game may be peaking just in time to save his season.

2. Jordan Spieth: Spieth hasn’t played Quail since 2013, and the course has undergone significant changes since. But you can’t deny the heater he’s currently on, as Spieth continues to ride the momentum from his dramatic Open victory. The Grand Slam pressure will ratchet up if he’s still in contention come the weekend, but it’s a spotlight he’s handled before.

3. Hideki Matsuyama: The Japanese sensation put on a clinic during the final round in Akron, tying the course record and routing the field with a seemingly effortless 61. Matsuyama played Quail Hollow three straight years from 2014-16, improving his finish each time including a T-11 result last year.

4. Rickie Fowler: Fowler and Matsuyama are the top candidates for best player without a major, a title Fowler nearly shed at the PGA three years ago. He’s had a rock-solid season in 2017, highlighted by his win at the Honda Classic and including five top-10 finishes in his last seven worldwide starts.

5. Dustin Johnson: The world No. 1 hasn’t been quite the same player since his back injury at the Masters, but he certainly has the tools to take advantage of a soggy layout this week in Charlotte. Johnson notched a top-10 finish two weeks ago in Canada, and while he hasn’t played Quail Hollow since a missed cut in 2011 he still leads the Tour in total strokes gained.

6. Brooks Koepka: The U.S. Open champ has quietly compiled a stellar run of finishes in majors, finishing T-21 or better in each of his last nine major starts. That includes a T-6 finish at Royal Birkdale in his first start since Erin Hills, and Koepka will now make his Quail Hollow debut after cracking the top 5 in the PGA each of the last two years.

7. Jason Day: The former world No. 1 has been a shell of his former self this year, but he tends to bring his best to the season’s final major. Day broke through to win two years ago at Whistling Straits and nearly pulled off the double last year, when he was a runner-up at Baltusrol. He tied for ninth in 2012 in his most recent visit to Quail Hollow.

8. Phil Mickelson: Mickelson hasn’t won anywhere since lifting the claret jug more than four years ago, but he has a history of feasting on Quail Hollow. The southpaw has finished T-5 or better six times here since 2007, and while that stretch does not include a win it shows that even at age 47 he’s a likely contender this week.

9. Charley Hoffman: Hoffman contended into the final round of the Masters, and in recent weeks he has been playing some of the best golf of anyone not named Spieth. Hoffman’s playoff loss in Canada highlights a run of four top-10 finishes in his last six starts, a stretch that has vaulted him into the mix for the Presidents Cup and should continue this week.

10. Jon Rahm: The Spaniard has cooled somewhat since his decisive victory at the Irish Open, but the potential remains for him to break through once again on a big stage. He’s one of several big names making their debut this week at Quail Hollow, but Rahm leads the Tour in strokes gained off the tee and sits third in total strokes gained this season.

This should be a great event and I look for a great battle down to the last hole.

The 2017 Presidents Cup:

This is an upcoming Presidents Cup golf competition, to be played at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, from September 28 to October 1, 2017. Steve Stricker and Nick Price will captain the U.S. and International teams, respectively. The United States team is the 6 time defending champions,
having defeated the International team in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015. The first two days consist of five matches of fourball and five matches of foursomes. The third day consists of four matches of fourball and four matches of foursomes. The host team captain will decide the order, fourball vs. foursomes, on the first three days. On the fourth and final day, twelve singles matches will be played. Thirty matches will be played in all. All matches that are all-square after 18 holes will score ½ point for each team. Both teams have 12 players. The United States Team will feature the 10 players who earn the most official FedExCup points from the 2015 BMW Championship through to the 2017 Deutsche Bank Championship, with points earned in the calendar year 2017 counting double, and two captain’s picks. The International Team will feature the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking at the conclusion of the 2017 Deutsche Bank Championship and two captain’s picks. Steve Stricker will captain the U.S. team, and Nick Price will captain the International team. Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk will be captain’s assistant for the U.S. team, and Ernie Els, Tony Johnstone, Geoff Ogilvy and Mike Weir will be captain’s assistant for the International team. This is a very special event and there is a lot of Country pride riding on this one. I will be back next month to update you on the latest news and all the Presidents Cups picks !

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