This Update is FUNK-ed Up!!

Here is the preliminary update for this week... the data have been sent to Jeff, so hopefully it will all get uploaded soon. If you want the full spreadsheet, let me know and I will email it to you.

Fred Funk had a real impact on the numbers... his 2nd place finish killed those of us who shorted him. We have a real log-jam for the first time in a while in the FPGP (with the exception of a few of us who are just plain awful). Trades are going to be critical.

Here are the numbers:

Rob Da Rodent .....273
Stevie V. ................220
Jumpin Jeff ..........206
Tiger Philp .............191
Da Bandit ..............189
Johnny V. .............184
Stan the Man ........177
Steve T. ...................60
Vic ...........................57
Fraser ....................-59

Updates and Trades

hey everyone... sorry for the lack of update this week. I had to go out of town unexpectedly, and Jeff's computer problems flared up. We'll get updates up next week, and try to get em done every week through the trade deadline, which is fast approaching.

Shell/Houston Open and the data sheet updated

I finally got off my butt, rather, I finally had time to do it. Go make your trades. There are still a few jems out there.

Here is a preview article for this weekend:

The Houston stop has a long history on the PGA Tour with tournaments held in the Houston area as early as 1922. The tournament has been contested on a number of different courses and is on its second change in four years. The event ended its 28-year stay at the Woodlands in 2002 before moving to the remote Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas. The Hardy-Jacobson course hosted the event during the tournament’s first three years at Redstone moving this year to Redstone’s Rees Jones layout.

The Rees Jones course, known as the Tournament Course, is a 7,481 yard par 72 design built with collaboration from Tour player David Toms. The course features MiniVerde greens and TifSport fairways. MiniVerde is a high shoot density grass that tolerates continuous close mowing and is a heat tolerant strain for the hot Houston summers. TifSport is another Bermuda hybrid that also tolerates the close mowing required for Tour courses and features rapid regeneration. The tournament tees play to a USGA rating of 75.8 and a slope rating of 138. The Tournament Course will be completely free of real estate development.

The list of winners at Houston reads like a brief history of golf as it includes historic figures like Byron Nelson, Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player. The list of multiple winners is quite lengthy and includes Vijay Singh (2002, 2004, 2005), Curtis Strange (1980, 1986, 1988), Arnold Palmer (1957, 1966), Bobby Nichols (1962, 1965), Jack Burke Jr. (1952, 1959), Mike Souchak (1955, 1964), Cary Middlecoff (1950, 1953), Joe Kirkwood Sr. (1923, 1924). FULL STORY

UPDATE 4/17

Data to the right will be updated late Monday. It's a holiday afterall. No, not Easter Sunday. Patriots Day Monday. Red Sox 1st pitch at 11:05am.

Master's Side Bet - Results

Sorry Joel, but I took you for the full hundo. I actually thought it would be a split, but the numbers don't lie, and you can check the numbers:

Your team:
1. Goosen (-4) $315,700
2. Singh (-3) $210,000
3. Ollazabel (-4) $315,700
4. Campbell (-4) $315,700
5. Furyk (+3) $67,000

Total: $1,224,100

My team:
1. Mickleson (-7) $1,260,000

The rest of my team made the cut, but it doesn't matter because Mickelson made more than your team combined. So, I win:

$50 for "which team makes more money" bet and;
$50 for "picking the winner."

We'll do it again in June w/ the US Open I assume... you can pick first.

THE DUVAL EFFECT REDUX

Only got whipped by 5 shots by Golf Icon & former Masters champ Gary Player. DD can build off that when he plays regular tour events down the road.

Post Masters Update

Jeff and I were too busy golfing, drinking, and attending the Red Sox / Rangers game to get the update together this week... we'll post one next week.

The golf was never pretty, but still somewhat fun. I managed to beat Jeff 3 and 1 in our little match, but it was nothing to brag about. Our shots ranged from wildly spectacular to absolutely attrocious. On consecutive holes, Jeff stiffed irons, but would then hit crappy drives and three putts. I either hit a duck hook or 310 yard down the middle drive. Never struck and iron well, and never made a putt. It was really ugly to look at. Even Stan the Man suffered by our mere presence on the course with him.

The best play I made was on the 10th tee. I had been 2-up on the 7th, but Jeff won the last three holes of the nine (par-par-birdie). Seeing little chance to survive the onslaught, I decided to go to the psychological weaponry. As we were approaching the tee, I asked Jeff if he would be my best man in November. He said "yes" but was apparently rattled. He hooked the shit out of his drive, lost the hole, and never recovered. He'll get his rematch in November though.

Masters Side Bet

Hey Tiger... we need to get back to our usual bets on the majors. Rather than doing the draft by hitting each other on the emails, we can do it here... I can start a thread and we'll make our picks in the comments section. Sound good?

$50 for team that makes the most cash.
$50 bonus if you pick the winner.
Tiger is off the table.

Sunday Golf!

Jumpin' Jeff is coming to Texas this weekend, and he'll be teeing it up w/ me and Stan the Man on Sunday a.m.

Back... Again

Hey everyone, I am back... some of you know that my dad passed away unexpectedly last week, and that is why you haven't heard from me. I am getting back in the grind now, which means I'll be sending out my usual witty blogs soon.

I noticed that Jeff messed up the scoring... Stan the Man shouldn't get too excited, because Jeff didn't enter the data right, particularly with those in the grey (on the fpgp data sheet). No problemo, we'll get er done right next week.

Master's Sucks

Well, here's my annual tirade about the Master's; that over-hyped, weak-fielded, and discriminatory golf event. It's a disgrace to call it a major. As some proof, check out those eligible to play this year:

Tommy Aaron, Severiano Ballesteros, Gay Brewer, Jack Burke Jr, Billy Casper
Charles Coody, Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Doug Ford, Bob Goalby,
Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer,
Gary Player, Craig Stadler, Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam, Fuzzy Zoeller

Toss in the amateurs in the field who have no chance of winning (Dillon Dougherty, Kevin Marsh, Brian McElhinney, Edoardo Molinari, Clay Ogden) and that makes 25.

Throw in Todd Hamilton (who likely has vacation plans starting on the weekend) and ya have 26 without a chance to win. Hell, the 84 Lumber and Southern Farm Bureau Classics have stronger fields. Not eligible are J.B. Holmes, Camillo Villigas, and fat boy Jason Gore (2 of which won on the tour).

Call me silly, but I'd take da Rodent over Lord Byron, if he gave Robbo 2 shots a side. If I hadn't recently bought a flat screen, HDTV, and if it weren't so pretty to look at, I wouldn't watch the thing. --- Steve V.

Funk

Come on guys (that'd be Joel, Steve T., and Stan the Man) --- "We .. got the funk (we got it) ... "We .. got the funk ..."

Ya gotta love this guy!

TPC

WOW! D Love III, goes from T1 after Thursday to shooting +11 on Friday and missing the cut.

FPGP leaders thru the Bay Hill Invitational

Loren

I see that Loren Roberts is in the field at Sawgrass. This is great news!!! It's another chance for him to screw da Bandit (his short pick, again) like he did in last year's final tour event, the Southern Fram Bureau Classic where he finished 2nd! Watch out Bandit, Loren has an affinity for towns like Jackson --- ville.

Update after Bay Hill

I'll try to put together and update. Steve has some things going on this week, so if I can find the right files on my pc, I'll get an update put together by Monday evening.

Jeff aka Jumpin Jeff aka Shades......

Technology helps novice players pick clubs.

Bobby Jones wouldn't be happy.

More than 70 years ago, the golf legend made instructional films that taught Americans the fundamental swing. While no one is ready to suggest mastering the basics is no longer necessary, technology offers the tempting notion that day may come.

"If you can't hit with one of today's top-of-the-line drivers, you should probably try to bowl," said Tim Bambarger, club salesman at the Golfsmith store in Duluth.

A day before the official start of spring and less than a month until the BellSouth Classic tournament in Duluth, many Gwinnett golfers are hitting the links again.

As usual, the market will offer a new round of advanced equipment this year that can mask even the most flawed swings. The newest clubs won't come cheap, sometimes costing as much as $400. But plenty of novice players will gladly fork it over. FULL STORY

RETIEF GOOSEN

Poor bastard. By the quirks of PGA pairings, this top notch player has to watch close up 36 holes of pathetic has beens - Duval and Brooks. That can't be conducive to someone's game.
Let me be the first to state that methinks the so-called "Duval Effect" (posted earlier) might have been premature. He is indeeed as problematic of a proposition as guessing how many chili dogs Gore can wolf down in a round.

Back

I am back from my trip, and Jeff should be back in a day or so... expect an update after the Bay Hill. I am sure he is going to want to gloat on his Greg Owen move.

No Update This Week

I am out of town for the next week or two (work) and Jeff has somehow found a way to have another vacation and will be out of town during the beginning of the week... as such, there will be no update this week.