US Masters - 2013

Rather than clog up the fantasy thread for Grumps, I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about here for the first Major of the year (and our season has hardly started yet!)

Major talking points so far...

Rory has Caro on the bag for the par-3 contest...
Blubba does it again and ends in tears at a press conference
Furyk planning on "doing a Phil" and carrying two drivers
Phil, not to be outdone, considering carrying a Callaway 'Phrankenwood,' a 12-degree 2-wood.
And the English contingent of Luuuke, Lee, Poults and Rosie sitting quietly under the radar...
The 14 year old Chinese lad who has qualified, and only has a 240 yard average drive - he'd even be out of place on 606!

My own longshot pick for the week? Thorbjorn Oleson

Any more for any more?

Big question of the week for me is who's going to be on Westwood's bag for the Par 3 comp - Ant or Dec?

I've had small e/w bets on Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Thorbjorn Oleson. Also an e/w wager on Rose to be leading after the first round.

Looking forward to breakfast with Howeller on Sky Sports too!

My bets for the week

Rory @ 8/1
Sergio ew @ 45/1
Kaymer ew @110/1

The South Africans have done well at this event over recent years..... my money if I had 3 picks would be going on at least one from Southern Hemisphere....

I see the weather is threatening to spoil the first two days with rain and thunder possible .. didn't that also happen last year?

So looking forward to the coverage this week with plenty of hours being available to Sky - those unfortunate enough to only have terrestrial coverage being shafted again by really minimal coverage from the BBC

But really, looking at the Sky "A" team (compared to who doesn't seem to be on duty this week) - it's a bit of a shame

A team: Ewan Murray, Crutchley, Livingstone, Mark Roe, Monty, Butch and Kirsty Gallagher

B team: Rob Lee, Sarah Stirk, Wayne Riley, Howeller, Coltart, Denis Pugh and Simon Barnes(? - have I got that name right?)

I know which team I'd rather have commentating! And tomorrow the A team are joined by Jack Nicklaus - the ass-licking will be almost unbearable

Monty's already taken the opportunity to talk about his hole in one at The Masters, and the proper comp has not even started yet!

Davies - it's Simon Holmes (Stuart Barnes commentates on rugby!) - and you forgot Richard Boxall who, I think, makes a great double act with Radar Riley. I'm beginning to dread the coverage already - including the "Georgia on my mind" theme tune every 5 minutes!

Coverage of the Par 3 comp was pretty ghastly but I do appreciate that it is what Sky is given - apart from the interviews by Kirsty Gallagher (I loved it when Arnie made her blush ). Why did they have to wheel her out - why couldn't Sarah do it?

Ah yes thanks LP - I know Stuart Barnes ('orrible little man that he is) but I think I was getting his name mixed up with Simon Holmes and I think Simon Barnes is a journalist!

What did Arnie do to make Kirsty blush?

The Monty/Murray/Livingstone/Roe creeping and crawling show will surely be excruciating. I fully understand the Jack is a legend, but instead they treat him like a God!

Couple of good interviews with Sir Nick last night though - I still like the guy despite him not being very popular

Mary_S wrote:Looking forward to breakfast with Howeller

Not for the first time Mary?

Davie wrote:What did Arnie do to make Kirsty blush?

He just complimented her on how well she was looking in his typical, old-school gentlemanly way! Gary Player then asked after her father and it all got rather chummy Jack looked left out of it.

Ceremonial tee shots - twitter reporting Arnie hits 180 yd down the middle, Player 240 yd down the middle - Jack 250 yd to left pinestraw

240 yds still a mighty hit for a man of Player's age!

Strange to see Gary Player dressed all in white yesterday - didn't seem right somehow. And I don't think he looked quite as fit as he used to - but there again, he is 78!

LadyPutt wrote:Davies - it's Simon Holmes (Stuart Barnes commentates on rugby!) - and you forgot Richard Boxall who, I think, makes a great double act with Radar Riley. I'm beginning to dread the coverage already - including the "Georgia on my mind" theme tune every 5 minutes!

Coverage of the Par 3 comp was pretty ghastly but I do appreciate that it is what Sky is given - apart from the interviews by Kirsty Gallagher (I loved it when Arnie made her blush ). Why did they have to wheel her out - why couldn't Sarah do it?

LP - exactly my thoughts re. Kirsty G, I think Di and Sarah are both far better reporters than her. She just gets given the gig because of the family connection. Bring on the "B" team!

Was really hoping that Sky would have come up with a better theme tune too.

Red button at the ready for the Amen Corner coverage this afternoon.

Davie wrote:Ceremonial tee shots - twitter reporting Arnie hits 180 yd down the middle, Player 240 yd down the middle - Jack 250 yd to left pinestraw

240 yds still a mighty hit for a man of Player's age!

Hopefully Player didn't scrape any dirt away before playing his shot!

Wouldn't have mattered for a tee shot Mary but on any other it would

Sorry is this the pernickety thread Grumps?

A team: Diana Dougherty, Kirsty Gallagher, Sarah Stirk

B team: Who cares?

Sorry Blue, I forgot where that thread was.....

See Westwood's got himself off to a lightning start with a double at the first

Least he has reduced the deficit by birdieing the second.

Birdie for Rose at #1!

Lee off to a flying start------

Double-bogey on the first.

Keep up Setup, that news is at least 20 minutes old

Rosie off to his usual fast start, now -2 under after 2

Schwartwel's done a Westwood on the first. Great start for the fantasy league pick

Sneds birdies #3 to tie Rose

Would have been one of my tips if not for his layoff through injury

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Schwartwel's

Who he ? Keep up Grumps..........Charl.

SetupDeterminestheMotion wrote:

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Schwartwel's

Who he ? Keep up Grumps..........Charl.

Nice one Setup he's Schwartzel's illegitmate brother; surprised you haven't heard of him

Davie wrote:Sneds birdies #3 to tie Rose

Would have been one of my tips if not for his layoff through injury

Great kiss of death Davie, double bogies the fifth and back to even

Can't believe David Lynn's actually leading on -5 ... with one of my reserves, Jim F two shots back

Looks like Woosnam and Na have bagged themselves some new crystalware. They scored the first eagles of the day at 15. Shame Woosie gave half of his back on the next hole.

Eagles are like buses, you wait all morning for one or two to come along and then it's four at once. Par 3 comp winner Ted Potter Jr and David Toms playing immediately behind Woosie and Na also eagle 15.

Both groups are collectively -10 for the hole

Horror start for Dunbar. 5 holes in, 4 bogies and a triple. Hope he manages to regroup and get round there.

Dunbar well and truly on the bogey train. +10 through 8 now. Poor bar steward must be frazzled beyond belief.

He's not the only one to post an 8 though, Stadler managed that on the 10th so that really was a

Woo-hoo Dunbar makes his first par at the 9th. Hopefully he can start the back nine with some vigour.

Better back nine for Dunbar, he's even gone and got himself a birdie!

So what happened to Poult's, not like him to blow up? Pod has been playing quite well recently, but he's had a disaster too +4 and Poult's +6. Can usually rely on IJP at this event, but a 14-year old paperboy has swapped bags and gone out come back at +1 well done young man

I picked them all (Dunbar, Poults and Pod), that's what's the matter ! I thought Guan - the 14-yr-old superstar in the making - would be overawed by the occasion but I was wrong. What a mature young man - and how many British 14-yr-olds could conduct interviews in fluent Mandarin?

Dunbar with a better round today. Cut line projection is currently +4 but there are still a number of players to start their round at the moment. Players have to be top 50 and ties plus those within 10 shots of the lead.

Guan currently being assessed for a 1 shot penalty for slow play????

WTF is that all about? Yes he's slow and he may have had warnings, but there are far bigger targets to go for than him!

If it's true and he gets a penalty the world has gone mad. I watched his grop through Amen Corner on the red button coverage and he was slow - but they didn't seem to have lost much ground on the group in front.

Penalize none, or penalize them all!

Guan penalised - have to say, they've picked on an easy target.

Will they be so brave about giving Tiger a DQ for that drop?

2 shot penalty for the big cat. What. A. Cop. Out!

Assessed the penalty under the rule for high definition tv replay infractions, for example where the ball moves fractionally without being noticed by the player. This was no where near that situation, there was clear distance between the drop and the original spot.

Will this become Tiger's "Jakarta" or "scorecard"?

Southern Hemisphere boys are doing well I see..... wish I'd put my money where my mouth was

Steve has money on Scott, Cabrera, Snedeker and Woods - fingers crossed for him!

My only hope of any payout is if Westwood can make the top 5.

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:2 shot penalty for the big cat. What. A. Cop. Out!

Assessed the penalty under the rule for high definition tv replay infractions, for example where the ball moves fractionally without being noticed by the player. This was no where near that situation, there was clear distance between the drop and the original spot.

Will this become Tiger's "Jakarta" or "scorecard"?

I was always taught that golf was an honourable game.

Tiger should have walked.

tend to agree Setup - though the rules officials screwed up badly at the time by giving him the green light before he signed his card - only to have the decision reversed later. Having got the green light, he was eligible to play round 3 - and I wonder if anyone else would have withdrawn in the situation. Probably none.

I wonder why they bother having rules officials walking the course with each group when they get something like that wrong

Billy Foster was asked how many players would have made the decision to remain in the tournament, and he thought that 98% would. Darren Clarke was the one person he named as a definite "no".

Mary_S wrote:Steve has money on Scott, Cabrera, Snedeker and Woods - fingers crossed for him!

My only hope of any payout is if Westwood can make the top 5.

Sounds like Mum could get a nice birthday present out of Steve's picks

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:

Mary_S wrote:Steve has money on Scott, Cabrera, Snedeker and Woods - fingers crossed for him!

My only hope of any payout is if Westwood can make the top 5.

Sounds like Mum could get a nice birthday present out of Steve's picks

Apparently the Woods bet was put on for a friend. Olsen's final round brought him up to 6th place, so Paddy Power will pay out on him too. I was also on Olsen e/w but Sky Bet only pay out for 5 places.

Oh Christ Steve Williams has won another major, can't wait to hear his speech

Does he get to wear the Green Jacket too?