Afternoon Delight

By Billy Condon

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J.J. and I…Round Two – After what I thought was an exciting morning, this afternoon was a real treat. After lunch I headed to the practice greens and got the chance to catch up one-on-one with J.J. Henry. Again in good spirits, J.J. said that although the course is playing long, it is playing fair. “Everything is right there in front of you to go and get it,” said Henry. Henry reiterated how special it is playing a U.S. Open here in the Met Area so close to where he grew up and knowing he will have the hometown crowd supporting him. With the looming threat of rain tomorrow, he said that today’s conditions were ideal, but if the weather gets bad “it means you have to hang in there so much more, it’s the same course for everybody, so those that can stick it out will have success.”

Player Impressions – Between Phil Mickelson’s press conference this morning, word of mouth around the course and my interaction with other players, the one thing on everyone’s mind is length and strategy, particularly with where the tees will be located. With the predicted forecast, players are finding that a common word this week will be “hybrid” and they are hoping that the USGA will keep this in mind when setting the tees for tomorrow’s opening round.

I was able to catch up with Sean Farren as he was getting ready to call it a day and he said how he is hitting an iron on his second shots about every six holes and that his hybrids are getting a ton of use. However, he feels confident that with solid play he can hold his own and he is enjoying every minute of the experience.

Chat with Paul – I was fortunate enough to have a lengthy conversation with the number-three ranked player in the world, Paul Casey. Many different topics were covered including the course layout, his thoughts on golf in New York, and Twitter. Having not played at Bethpage in the 2002 Open, Casey played a practice round last week and is getting a great feel for the course and is confident with his ball-striking. He also said how he hasn’t really played much golf here in the Met Area apart from Baltusrol and Winged Foot and doesn’t really know many of the other courses the area boasts. Casey did say that although the Black plays long, it is also a friendly course for those shorter hitters that are deadly accurate. Ball placement will be a big factor this week and players won’t necessarily need 300 yard drives to gain an advantage.

Casey talked about how Twitter has become the new rage on the Tour although he was still trying to figure how to use it. While on the topic of Twitter, the Tour’s Twitter King, Stewart Cink, came over and joined the conversation (photo evidence above). It was awesome to be involved in a conversation with some of the game’s best. A great end to a terrific day out at the Black!

A Master-ful Final Four

As my picks for the NCAA basketball tournament have dwindled, leaving me battling at 1,115,000th place on ESPN going into tonight’s final, I can only hope my Masters picks treat me better. Before I reveal my choice(s) for the green jacket, I am going to first make a prediction on the par-three contest. With no player having ever won the par-three and the championship prior in the same year, I have strategically chosen Sergio Garcia. No offense to Sergio, I’m saving him as my Barclay’s ringer.

I have found that Masters picks can be compared to March Madness with regards to selections: there is a limited number, those that get in may only get the chance once in their lifetime, and you can’t get enough Jim Nantz. First and foremost, you have the heavy favorites: UNC, UConn, Tiger, and Phil; next are the picks you make only because their names sound cool: the Zips of the University of Akron, the Matadors of Cal State Northridge, Reinier Saxton of Holland, and Ryo Ishikawa of Japan; and lastly you have the hopeful Cinderella’s that you know are only worth picking for a big pay-out: Morehead State, UT Chattanooga, Sergio Garcia, and Greg Norman.

So after a thorough analysis of the field, I have narrowed it down to four players who I think have what it will take to win. Coincidentally, these four picks show similarities that have been cross-referenced to the teams that played in this year’s Final Four.

-My UNC has to be Tiger Woods. After a couple of scares, UNC is the team to beat just as Tiger is coming on strong after a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The players know that on his A-game, Tiger is unstoppable.
-My other heavy hitter is Phil. As a fellow lefty, I have a great allegiance to Phil and I would have to compare him to UConn. He has been playing well, but you never exactly know what you are going to get out of him, and as seen by both, it is always harder to make a move after being rattled early on.
-I see Hunter Mahan as Villanova: no one would have guessed they would be in contention except those close to the team, and with the way he has been performing in recent weeks, he can make some noise. -As for Michigan State, I am going with Stewart Cink. After winning at the Travelers Championship last year and helping the U.S. team win back the Ryder Cup, as well as two top-ten finishes at Augusta the last three years including a tie for third in 2008, I would really like to see “Big Stew” in Butler Cabin. As much as the title may seem a lock for the Tar Heels or a healthy Tiger, Cink and the Spartans are riding some pretty heavy momentum. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a Georgia guy, and as the Spartans can attest, it never hurts to have the hometown crowd on your side. (I just hope he doesn’t use all his good swings in Wednesday’s par-three).

Billy Condon