Bubba Watson Now A Masters Favorite, Ryder Cup Shoo-In: Wins Match Play In Resounding Fashion

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Granted, favorite-to-win status means not a thing, but given where he was a year ago a second big win by Bubba Watson heading into the Masters is no small feat.

Oh, and he's just won the WGC Dell Match Play, which gives him wins at two prestigious events, including one played at the same format as the Ryder Cup. (Though as Rex Hoggard notes, it's still a mixed-bag record while Kisner's relationship with match play only has gotten stronger.)

Mike McCallister at PGATour.com with Bubba's amazing week and admissions that last year was a low point, though Watson still isn't specific about what exactly was the primary issue.

The Golf.com gang kick around this notion of Bubba as favorite and his resounding 7&6 win at Austin Country Club over a clearly-spent Kevin Kisner, who played a tough semi-final match against Alex Noren.

He had famous (and needing to shower) fans Sunday:

PGA Tour Entertainment's highlight package:

Pre-Masters Prep: Is This Golf Club Of Houston's Last Time Before The TPC San Antonio Takes Over?

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Gulp...The Forecaddie says Valero may be sorry if it gets the pre-Masters slot to the Valero Texas Open and the TPC San Antonio, a polar opposite of Augusta National architecturally.

I'd add that players can now just go to The Masters early and hang out at their very own tournament practice center, play some ANGC, eat some peach cobbler and pass on pitching backwards out of the cedars in San Antonio should the Valero becomes the pre-Masters stop.

Latest Fan Behavior Debacle: James Hahn Tweets, Then Deletes "My fault for not expecting the worst from fans."

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As you know, there are complete losers in this world and increasingly they are coming to golf tournaments to get attention, get drunk and to disrupt the play of great golfers. 

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The 2018 PGA Tour season has seen an uptick in a wide range of hooliganism, from sounds as players are preparing to hit a shot to personal attacks on player family members. 

Rory McIlroy suggested alcohol sales should be curbed.

The PGA Tour responded by touting policy of cutting off sales one hour before the end of competition, but neglected to highlight that alcohol sales start in the morning hours at outdoor venues.

The Commissioner, Jay Monahan, believes this is what happens when you add new fans and said golf is the same as other sports.

McIlroy disagreed. 

At the WGC Dell Match Play Sergio Garcia had a fan immediate ejected and James Hahn tweeted about efforts to disrupt his match, only to delete the Tweet and backtrack.

Mercifully Kevin Cunningham at Golf.com shares Hahn's original message and it's just the kind of thing that can't keep continuing to happen, new fans or not.

Hahn took to Twitter to claim that on the second-to-last hole of his match against Dufner, a "guy yell[ed] purposely on my back swing." The tweet was later deleted, but the full text read, "Fought hard today after a bad start. 2 down, 4 to go, guy yells purposely on my back swing. Whether we like it or not, this is where the game is going. My fault for not expecting the worst from fans. Just sucks to lose a match that way."

He followed the first tweet with a correction that stated, "I respect and love all golf fans but I can expect bad behavior from them. And I'm not blaming the fan for losing the match. Just disappointed I lost the deciding hole in that fashion."

Fines department strikes again!

As Eamon Lynch writes in this week's Golfweek, the PGA Tour's stance on this matter is crumbling in the face of basic logic.

This isn’t a referendum on growing the game or about tweedy killjoys debating alcohol sales policies. It ought to be a simple solution for the Tour: Welcome all fans, let them enjoy a drink, but broom the jerks immediately. All it requires is extra security deployed around the high-profile players who attract the beer-goggle boors.

No genuine golf fans will be driven away by such an approach.

Here's a nice reminder of how people act in spite of an alcohol sales cut off at 4 pm and fear of ejection:

8 days until #themasters and patrons’ roars filling the air #cominginapril

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WGC Dell Match Play Final Four: Kisner, Noren, Thomas, Bubba

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Given the possible nightmare scenarios that were brewing, the final four of the 2018 WGC Dell Match Play look sensational on paper.

Given that all four are intriguing Masters contenders for different reasons, and I'm not sure a Tiger-less Dell Match Play could set up much better.

Sunday Morning Semifinal Matches:

(13) Alex Noren vs. (32) Kevin Kisner

(2) Justin Thomas vs. (35) Bubba Watson

Alex Noren is Sunday's most intriguing possibility, as a signature win at the Dell would vault him up most Masters lists and make those of us who might, or might have placed a small deposit on his prospects back in the 90-1 days. 

Check out these comments from Johnny and Gary Koch during today's telecast:

Johnny Miller – “I don’t think he has any weaknesses that I can see… He’s sort of got it all – good distance, good iron player and good putter.”

Gary Koch – “There are only two players on the PGA TOUR this year that rank in the top-20 in strokes gained putting and strokes gained tee-to-green. Noren is one of them.”

Aiken's Kevin Kisner is always a fascinating story this time of year given his hometown and his continued love of match play, which was exposed at last year's highly-successful Presidents Cup debut. 

And I don't need to tell you that Bubba Watson and Justin Thomas are two Masters favorites facing off.  As Rex Hoggard notes,

Sunday's TV Times (ET):

Semifinals                                                                              10 a.m.-2 p.m.            Golf Channel
Championship and Consolation Matches                              3-7 p.m.                      NBC

Saturday's highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment:

SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh In the In the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals of the 2018 World Golf Championships - Dell Technologies Match Play, Justin Thomas scorches through the competition to become the favorite heading into the final day.

Poulter Understandably Fuming After Thinking He Was In Masters Following Quarterfinal Win

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In defense of the number-crunchers, they are working with Official World Golf Ranking algorithms to figure out if Ian Poulter would qualify for The Masters upon graduating to the WGC Dell Match Play quarterfinals. Theoretically, reaching the quarters would have put him in the World top 50 Monday morning and therefore earn a Masters invite based on the top 50 world cut off of March 25.

However, guessing OWGR shifts is dicey business at best. That's why most weeks folks always suggest a "likely" rankings landing spot for a player. Add the match play dynamics and calculations could easily be wrong. 

Nonetheless, you can imagine Ian Poulter's frustration after asking and being told he was in the Masters after his 2&1 win over Louis Oosthuizen.

From Keith Jackson's Sky Sports story:

"I guess I should never listen to other people," said Poulter. "You finish a round of golf and the press and everybody are telling you you're in the Masters, and then you get a text message 10 minutes before you tee off to correct everybody, to say 'oh, we've made a mistake, actually, no, that was wrong, you're not in.'"

Poulter lost to Kevin Kisner 8&6 after finding out the math was wrong and he needed to win that match for a Masters berth.

His Tweet to the people...

489 Yards: Dustin's Drive Won't Count As Tour's Longest Drive Ever

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Dustin Johnson hit a 489-yard driving during his round 3, 2018 WGC Dell Match Play face-off with Kevin Kisner (eventually losing the match 4&3). 

As Rex Hoggard explains for GolfChannel.com, the drive does not count as the longest in PGA Tour history because the Match Play records are not included. But remember, the numbers at non-major venues, and non-match play venues are flat so these more athletic players today are not hitting it longer except when they are.

Phil: "I'm walking with my head down"

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After coming back to beat Satoshi Kodaira in a WGC Dell Match Play Group 14 match, Phil Mickelson clarified the attitude issues he's been confronting this week to Golf Channel.

"I don't know what to say. I'm a little disappointed in my attitude. I'm walking with my head down. And you know what happens when you walk with your head down, animals, they get eaten.

I didn't have great energy. I wasn't really up. And I was fortunate to turn it around in the end. But I'm not real happy with the way I came out and wasn't real positive and wasn't really focused.

I've got to get my attitude a little better. I was a little bit whiney. 

WGC Dell Match Play: Best Of Round One Includes Uihlein Upset Of McIlroy, Garcia Playing In Socks And A Thomas Recovery Shot

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Peter Uihlein pulled off the biggest win of the day, holding on to beat last week's winner Rory McIlroy 2&1. That and other news are summed up in Doug Ferguson's AP game story from Austin. 

Uihlein, a former U.S. Amateur champion, discussed why he loves the format. I think it's fascinating to hear someone with success at the format not trying to convince he just plays against the course.

Q. Why do you like match play? What is it about it that you enjoy?

PETER UIHLEIN: I just think you make double, you're not dropping about 40 spots, it helps. I think it kind of frees you up a little bit in a weird way. It's different because you're -- obviously in match play you're playing the golf course. But you're really not. You're trying to play your opponent. You're just trying to put pressure on them as much as you can.

And a guy like Rory who is obviously going to be a lot longer than me, I can kind of come in the greens first. I felt like if I executed and put some pressure on him that would eventually kind of maybe go more towards my favor. But I think I'm playing Harmon tomorrow, it will be the total opposite. He'll be coming in first on every hole.

Yeah, I think you kind of mix and match your game plan based on your opponent or the situation, really. If I was in Rory's shoes on 13, I would probably dry to hit driver on the green. You definitely change based on where you're at in the match, for sure.

The full day one match recaps from Golfweek.

The updated tee times, match schedule and TV Times from Golfweek.

Sergio Garcia takes the top prize for shot of the day, taking his shoes off to play off the 12th hole road.

Justin Thomas with the other shot of the day at the 9th, one he played a touch more aggressively thanks to the match play setting. Thomas held on to beat Luke List, writes Rex Hoggard.

Luke List hung in gamely Justin Thomas using his wedge from the 7th hole on. 

WSJ: "Why Is Tony Romo Playing on the PGA Tour?"

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Thanks to reader John for Brian Costa's excellent synopsis of the many dimensions to Tony Romo's PGA Tour sponsor's invite in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.

Romo, who tees off 8:10 am, was his usual to-the-point self, though clearly guarded about the reasons for why this week to take an exemption.

Organizers of the Dominican tournament—which is running opposite the more prestigious WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas—declined to answer questions about why they invited Romo. Romo’s agent did not respond to questions about how the invite came about.
At a news conference in February, Romo said he hoped that PGA Tour pros would withhold any skepticism until they see him play.
“It’s not rocket science,” Romo said. “If you can hit a golf ball and you can hit it—if you hit a 5-iron, you hit it 205 yards and you can put it to a back-right pin and fade it in there, they’re going to respect you. And if you can’t, then you’ll probably get some blowback.”

Quick 2018 WGC Dell Match Play Primer And Notes

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The forecast is mostly good--hold your hats Friday apparently--and the match play friendly Austin Country Club is back along with a strong field for one of my favorite events on the calendar.

PGA Tour Live kicks things off at 10:15 am ET, while Golf Channel's ET air times Wednesday are: 2-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-3 a.m. (Replay)

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You still have time to sign up for the PGA Tour's official Bracket Challenge. You can also see the bracket there.

For intel, the PGATour.com staff broke down all 16 groups.

Jordan Spieth is suspicious of the Reed Group 4 draw, reports Rex Hoggard. 

Spieth also talked gamesmanship and how he ultimately thinks its a fun part of match play, writes The Forecaddie.  Hoggard tackles that topic of gamesmanship for GolfChannel.com.

Dustin Johnson is defending and ramping up his Masters preparation this week, writes Bill Speros.

Lance Ringler uses Golfweek's Sagarin rankings to figure out which groups are the toughest.

For me, Group 7, which came up the easiest numerically (!?) features Garcia, Schauffele, Fritelli and Sharma is a must watch either way. For Matt Adams it's Group 4 with Spieth, Reed, Schwartzel and Li is the most competitive.

Golf Gods Working Overtime: Reed And Spieth In Same Match Play Pod

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Naturally, a day after citing Jordan Spieth in a whiny effort to get a free drop, Patrick Reed has been drawn into the same match play pod as the man whose name he invoked in rather pathetic fashion, as Brendan Porath notes.

Sadly, the Tweeted video that spawned Internet intrigue was dinged by the PGA Tour's censors--gee I thought they liked fans sharing things on social--but there's YouTube!

Uploaded by collegefootballpool 09 on 2018-03-19.

Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com breaks down this week's WGC Dell Match Play pods, with Group 4 featuring Reed and the player who he thinks gets free drops because he's Jordan. 

3.6: 2018 API Sunday Ratings up 136%, Highest In Six Years

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Steiny to Tiger today: "do you need a Late Night With Jimmy Fallon mug? Or some Colbert merch? Maybe some Pyeonchang logoed ski caps? I've got gift packages pilling up here from Lazarus and McManus..."

The latest ratings bump courtesy of Tiger Woods:

NBC SPORTS’ FINAL-ROUND COVERAGE OF ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD SCORES HIGHEST-RATED OVERNIGHT AT EVENT IN SIX YEARS

Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Championship Post Two Highest-Rated Final Round PGA TOUR Telecasts (Non-Majors) on Any Broadcast Network since the 2015 Wyndham Championship

ORLANDO, Fla., March 19, 2018 – Record viewership of the PGA TOUR continued this weekend for NBC Sports Group at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Sunday’s final-round coverage on NBC (2-6:45 p.m. ET) delivered a 3.6 overnight rating, +136% vs. 2017 and the highest-rated final round at this event in six years. Combined with last week’s final round viewership at the Valspar Championship (5.1 overnight rating) these rank as the two highest-rated final-round PGA TOUR telecasts (non-majors) on any broadcast network since the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Golf Channel’s Sunday final-round lead-in coverage earned a .97 overnight rating, the highest at this event in five years. Across NBC and Golf Channel’s coverage, more than 12 million minutes were streamed, +683% vs. 2017.

ADDITIONAL SUNDAY NOTES

·         Sunday’s final-round coverage on NBC peaked to a 4.89 from 5:15-5:30 p.m. ET.

·         Golf Channel’s lead-in coverage peaked to a 1.24 from 1:30-2 p.m. ET.

SATURDAY

Saturday’s third-round coverage earned a 2.29 overnight rating on NBC (2:30-6 p.m. ET), +92% vs. 2017 and the highest-rated at this event in five years. Golf Channel’s lead-in coverage (12:30-2:30 p.m. ET) earned a .95 overnight rating, +126% vs. 2017. Nearly 5.3 million minutes were streamed, +511% vs. 2017.

Rory Vaults Himself Into The Masters Discussion With Resounding API Win

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Rory McIlroy entered the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard 124th in Strokes Gained Putting. He left Bay Hill 23rd in the category and also takes home a new red cardigan, a pile of cash and loads of confidence just two weeks from the Masters.

Golfweek's Dan Kilbridge with the nuts, bolts and quotes from Sunday's dynamic finale.

Ryan Lavner reminds us just how long it's been since McIlroy has won and what the victory means.

Eamon Lynch with lots more on Brad Faxon's putting lesson and contest with Rory earlier in the week that helped turn things around for McIlroy. 

Will Gray at GolfChannel.com with a fun Rory anecdote from a dinner with Arnie.

A fun comparison with Rory's 18th hole birdie putt to shoot 64 and one from Tiger's greatest hits collection:

No wonder that putt on 18 looked so familiar…

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Pulling off the Alpaca cardigan:

A perfect fit! 😁 #ArniesArmy

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The round four highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment:

More Impressive? Bryson's API Runner-Up Or His Use Of Big Words?

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Big words gets my vote, though if there was any question about former U.S. Amateur Champion Bryson DeChambeau's ability to play with the big boys, he settled that by hanging in with a -15 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational performance, as Will Gray reports for GolfChannel.com. 

But as Kevin Casey notes at Golfweek.com, DeChambeau's post-third round answer on his recent injury could be equally as important. The quote from Bryson about his back issue:

"Well it was the QL and that really got inflamed for me. It was because my quadratus lumborum wasn’t working, my iliacus, longissimus thoracis, they were all kind of over working, if you want to get technical on that. But they weren’t working very well and I overworked them. Pretty much my lower right back was hurting and I rested it. How about that?"

Oh to have seen the looks on press room faces!

BTW, the back looks to be just fine in this shot posted by his friends at Cobra:

Tiger's Ratings Influence Continues During First Two 2018 API Rounds

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He even makes people watch the days he's not in the television window!