2014 Golf: Analyzing The Analysts Analysis

Oct 6, 2013; Dublin, OH, USA; Fans take cover under umbrellas on the 2nd green during a rain shower during the fourth round of the Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

It’s always fun to predict. We do it in all sports, and as we approach the New Year, most of the analysts around golf are making their 2014 predictions. I made my major predictions last week, and spent some time during the holiday reading picks from other writers. As I stated in “A Major Look At A Major Season”, picks are just that, picks. Nothing to do with reality, just Picks!

Predicting the outcome of golf tournaments, and who will, and will not play well in the New Year is a little bit like predicting the weather for a tournament, which by the way, we didn’t do to well in 2013. I can’t remember many events that didn’t feel the wrath of nature before they were completed.

It started at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and continued right through the Presidents Cup. Wind delayed the TOC, fog got to the Farmers Insurance Open, Snow and high winds were a factor at the Accenture, and rain affected almost every other tournament on the schedule.

The more interesting picks I saw this morning were those of the golf writers at ESPN.com. The article, entitled, “Time To Make Some Golf Picks For 2014” was interesting to say the least.

Subject number one was “Wildy Outlandish Picks for 2014” and the most outlandish came from Michael Collins. He predicted that Sergio Garcia would finish second in two majors, one of them being the US Open, and Phil Mickelson would miss the cut. Wow!…I wonder what was in Michael’s egg nog during the holidays?

"Farrell Evans, ESPN.com senior golf writer: Miguel Angel Jimenez, who will turn 50 in January, will win the Masters in April. Jimenez will beat 20-year-old Jordan Spieth down the stretch for his first major championship."

I’m not sure Miguel has the length any longer, to be super competitive at Augusta, and I think Jordan Spieth needs a few trips to The Masters before he will be in the mix on Sunday. Did Farrell not remember the oldest player to win this tournament was Jack Nicklaus at age 46?

After what I saw at the Presidents Cup, Senior Golf Analyst, Kevin Maguire may be on to something with Hideki Matuayama being competitive in a major this year. I’m not sure he has the experience to win one this year, but soon.

"Hideki Matsuyama becomes the first Japanese player to win a major championship. Crazy, right? Well, in his last three majors, the 21-year-old has gone T-10, T-6 and T-19, so etching his name in the history books might not be all that shocking. To do it at the Masters, the year after Adam Scott became the first Australian to don the green jacket, would be the icing on the cake."

In the Category: Which players will make a rebound in 2014 was interesting to say the least.

I had not put Stewart Cink’s run of bad luck in the same perspective as Michael Collins did, but why not. “The Golf God” has certainly been the source of strange things on the golf course. I know I was disappointed that Cink backed into the win at the 2009 Open Championship when the sentimental favorite, Tom Watson blew his approach shot over the green at the final hole.

Wasn’t everyone rooting for Tom to win another Claret Jug? I know I was, and like most fans, was upset that Stewart Cink was the winner.

Source: ESPN.com

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