SHUHEI MATSUO
Assistant Online Editor
The beginning of the Masters always brings me a bittersweet feeling. This year, especially, it’s more bitter than sweet. That’s because today is day one of the season’s first major tournament in golf, but it’s also my last day to write a story for the Graphic.
You know what that means? I wrote my first column about golf two years ago and, yes, I’m going to end it by writing about my favorite sport. Well, this time, I’m not just talking about golf — I’m going to predict the future of the sport.
When I used to “Call ‘em as We See ‘em” on C2, I tried to predict many things about sports, from a Pepperdine water polo game to the Super Bowl; unfortunately, few of those hardly came true. However, I remember in my column two years ago, I predicted Phil Mickelson would win his second Green Jacket, and he did. Earlier that year, I called that if Tiger Woods won the Buick Invitational, he would be the Player of the Year. And guess what? He sure did.
Well, it’s true that I spend way more time on golf Web sites than any other sporting ones. So it’s easier for me to tell which golfer is hot (not to mention Tiger and Phil are the world’s top two golfers) than which team would conquer March Madness (I picked Pittsburg to win the whole tournament this year). But I’m not a psychic – I don’t usually see the future of anything else.
Anyway, here are my top five predictions in the golf world.
5. Tiger will complete a calendar-year Grand Slam.
Only if he wins the Masters this week. This major is obviously the most important leg of four since it’s the first one, but he hasn’t won at Augusta since 2005. But his performance this year is as solid as ever with four victories in five events he entered. Even though he hasn’t won the U.S. Open in six years, this year’s host, Torrey Pines, is a course he really knows how to play. And he has been playing well at the British and PGA for the past couple of years, so they shouldn’t be a problem.
4. Michelle Wie will never make a cut on the PGA Tour.
I actually don’t even think she can win on the LPGA Tour anymore. The Ladies Tour has become so competitive that by the time she starts playing more pro golf after she finishes Stanford (if she does), she won’t be able to catch up with other youngsters like Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel. Natalie Gulbis? She’ll probably make another FHM appearance before she wins her first major, if she ever does.
3. Pepperdine freshman golfer Taylore Karle will turn pro before she graduates.
Even though she said she wouldn’t. I’d like to see her play college golf all four years, but she has already shown impressive performances in her first year as a Wave. If the Waves capture a national championship while she is with Pepperdine, she definitely will be a pro the summer after.
2. You will someday see Michael and Andrew Putnam playing on the PGA Tour.
The Putnams seem like they know the game pretty darn well. Although Michael, a 2005 Pepperdine graduate, lost his tour card last year, he will succeed on Nationwide again and come back to the Tour. Andrew, as a freshman Wave, has already proven his ability with the team-low average score, 72.62 (as of April 8). He just has to continue what he is doing and will be right there with his brother before you know it.
1. Sam Alexis Woods will NOT be a golfer.
I feel like Tiger is too competitive to let his daughter or anybody beat him in golf. She will have too big of shoes to fill by the time she realizes her dad is the greatest athlete alive. Come on, she is almost 10 months old and reportedly hasn’t been introduced to the game yet. Tiger was 3 months old when he first held a golf club.
Sorry, non-golf fans. I had to finish my Graphic career with a topic I love. What, did you see this coming? Good. I guess that means you’ve been reading my columns then. I’m pretty predictable, too.
04-10-2008
