The fifth Major
The players Championship is often known as the fifth major. Outside of the Masters, the US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship, the Players is the one they all want to win. With past winners like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman claiming the top prize since this tournament was first played in 1974.
Not only do the worlds top players want to see their name up in lights on Sunday evening; they also want to come away with a big fat cheque after the 72 holes have been navigated. The players championship boosted the biggest purse in golf, which stands at a staggering 12.5 million dollars this year.
Battle of the Irish Sea
The top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage is dominated by Englishmen and a man from the North of Ireland. Indeed, the top three places are occupied by Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter.
Poulter is playing some of the best golf of his life right now, and is taking full advantage of his second chance, having come within a whisker of losing his tour card a couple of years back. He is having an unbelievable season so far in 2019, making the cut in all seven events that he has entered so far. Not only that, he has been inside the top 35 in all seven and has been in the top ten in four of his last five. So to see him in third spot after 36 holes is no big surprise. I would expect him to continue this form and finish in the top ten, even if we get the unfavorable weather that is being suggested. Ian knows how to play in the wind and the rain. He is English after all!
Tommy Fleetwood shares top spot with Rory, and sits in 13th place in the golf world rankings at this time. Expect that to change considerably over the next few months. Tommy is a fantastic golfer and I think it is only a matter of time before Tommy wins his first major. In fact, I believe this could well be the year for his maiden victory. I backed him for the Masters around 6 months ago at 40/1, and I think he has been cut to 28/1 at this stage. I can see him having a real shot at it this year and would be very confident he will at least finish in the top ten at Augusta. Opening rounds of 65 and 67 sees Fleetwood share the lead at the halfway point, and were he to repeat those scores in the 3rd and 4th rounds, he would equal Greg Norman's 1994 record score of -24 at Sawgrass. Do I think he will do that? No, I don't. I reckon something around -20 should be enough to win come Sunday evening, especially if the weather changes up, as it is expected to do.
If Poulter's seven top 35s are good, then Rory's record in his five tournaments so far in 2019 is stupendous!! He has finished inside the top 6 in all five events, as he works his preparation for the Masters in April. The Masters is the only major which Rory has not won yet, and if he can win it this year, he will complete a career grand slam, which only the very best in the sport of golf have managed. The list of the players who have managed it oozes pure class and is very short: Gene Sarazan, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Anyone else who can join that list of elite names will be forever immortalised as one of golf's greatest ever players. I really think that Rory will get there some day, but will it be this year?? Well his preparation is going unbelievably well, with 4th, 5th, 4th, 2nd, 6th places in his competitions so far in 2019. I believe he will again put himself in contention on Sunday at Augusta, but it remains to be seen if mentally he is ready to slip on the green jacket.
But, back to the players championship, none of the three guys have ever won the Players championship, and I would be happy to see any one of them win, but I'd be happiest to see Rory win it, for two reasons. Firstly he's Irish and secondly I've put a sneaky few bob on him to win the Players Championships since before the tournament. He has been playing so well consistently, that it's only a matter of time before he wins a golf tournament, and I feel this might be the one.
The guys who can catch them
So outside of the three guys I mentioned above, can anyone else catch these 3? Yes, there are a few guys who can catch them, and with 36 holes of golf still to play around a potentially treacherous golf course and weather conditions expected to deteriorate a little over the weekend, the hopes for those back the field will be high. At the moment Fleetwood and McIlroy sit on -12, and Poulter is 3 shots adrift at -9.
Other players who could feature if they put in stellar third rounds are Dustin Johnson (-7), Jason Day (-8), John Rahm (-7), Bryson DeChambeau (-5) and Patrick Reed (-6)
Each of these guys is capable of carding a 64 and putting the cat among the pigeons. Do I see it happening though? Not really, I think it may turn into a shout out between Fleetwood and McIlroy. Hopefully it goes right down to the last couple of holes on Sunday, and if the wind is blowing that will be a treacherous finish.
Thanks a million for reading.
Peace Out.
Comments