http://msn.foxsports.com/id/6628276_4_1.jpg

Lefty is falling apart early, he may be lucky just to make the cut.

Bizzaro Vijay Singh, Jeev Singh has an early lead at -3 after only 8 holes.

Boring and obvious but my pick this year is Tiger.

Wizzle, I'm going to join you out on that limb and put Tiger as my favorite as well.
He's won early and often this year, and history will show that if he is at 70 or better on opening day, it's usually in the bag.

Good morning Golf Fans!
Well, it was moving day yesterday, and everyone moved all right--down! Stuart Appleby shot an incredible TRIPLE BOGEY to surrender control of this tournament, which has seen every golfer conquered by Augusta.
We've not seen this at any time in our lifetime. There is always a golfer or two who tames this beautiful course, and quite often 9, 10, 11, or better under par takes the Green Jacket.
NOIT SO today! Many predict the winner will be over par for the tournament when the dust clears Sunday evening.
Many also predict Tiger Woods to claim his 5th Masters title. They are making a big deal, though, about him never winning a major while coming from behind on Sunday. But really, oh great duffers of the WTF Detroit, does one stroke really qualify as behind behind? Tiger will play in the final group. He should be able to make up one stroke before he takes his morning shit.
But that brings me to this perplexing moment in my golf writing career:
I'm going against Tiger. In fact, I'm going against anyone who's won this thing before, and that includes Phil and Veejay.
Why? Because these guys have won it before, multiple times, and they think they know this course and how to play it. They have that "muscle memory".
Except for one thing: They don't know this course. This course being the changes made at Augusta combined with these weather conditions that have brought every golfer to his knees.
I'm picking some flub out of the pack to win this. The Tigers, phils, and Veejays won't change their approach (Can you say "bogey-bogey" for Tiger on the last two holes two of the three days?), and that will be their undoing.
The only one capable of changing, or who would, is Tiger, but his "high ball golf" is being eating up by the swirling winds this weekend.
So that's my call: I'm taking the filed. I just don't know who, so I guess I'll go with Appleby. What the hell, he's got all that golden blonde hair flopping out of his visor, it might as well be him.

Have to disagree with you there. Name me one time Tiger had the lead on the final day and didn't win? He is gonna make up that one stroke, and all others will run and hide somewhere.

You are correct. He's 12 for 12 in majors with the lead on Sunday.
And of course, I agree that one stroke really doesn't count as "being behind".
But I think he's playing altogether uninspired golf this weekend.
I would have to think that even not playing well, he'd manage a 69 or a 70 in there somewhere, but not so.
Being a Tiger fan, i hope you're right. If he grits out this tough win it only gives him more arrows in the quill and that much more of a psychological edge over the field.
it's like, They could have had HIM by the balls this weekend, and HE could have had THEM by the balls also, but so far neither Tiger nor the Field have the upper hand. We'll see today who blinks first.

Well, as the great Nat King Cole would say, this one was "Unforgettable". And regrettable.
Regrettable for one Eldrick "Tiger" Woods. In one of the most puzzling rounds of golf this great champion has ever played in a major, Tiger simply did not have the championship shots in his bag today.
It was kind of a fitting scene, though, as exactly ZERO golfers finished under par for the entire tounament. It was as if Bobby Jones, the architect of Augusta National had said from his golf cart in the sky, "Enough!"
This weekend would have made the guys who usually plant land mines and don't mow the rough for three weeks leading up to the U.S Open proud. It will be interesting to see if that cadre of golf demons can outdo the performance that Augusta put on this weekend.
As I felt would happen, true to U.S.Open form, a completely unexpected winner emerged in the form of Zach Johnson. He's from Iowa. Anybody ever heard of Zach Johnson? How about Iowa?
Well, we do know him now, and isn't it someone like this who usually beats or challenges Tiger in these majors?
Johnson joins a list of duffers that includes Bob May, Michael Campbell, Sergio Garcia, and Rich Beem of people who emerge from the pack and play the round of their lives on Sunday to challenge or hold Tiger off.
The "C" word has popped up in talk radio, to be sure. Tiger, after an eagle on 13 to pull within two shots of the lead, missed a 10 footer for birdie on the next hole, found the water (but got up and down for par) on 15, and missed a 15 foot birdie putt on 16 to help seal the win for young Johnson.
Johnson, for the record, shot a 69, one of only two players to break 70 today (the other being Retief Goosen), and was very steady down the stretch to take the coveted Green Jacket.
And aren't we happy we got to see the sappy shots of him kissing his baby and wife? What is it with golfers that cry like girsl when they win, and make such a big show of parading their goddamm wife and kids for everyone to see? I don't want to see that shit anymore, and I'll be on the phone with Jim Nance to tell him EVERYONE makes the mistake of getting married and having kids, we just don't need to be reminded that some 31 year old corn head from Iowa just won enough money to be able to afford his future divorce.
But I digress...
I think the most interesting thing to come out of this weekend is that clearly Tiger Woods seems to have these weekends where he is just plain off, and the complexities of golf are evident when a player this great just can;t get his swing back when it goes south. Kind of makes me feel good to watch professional golfers have a shit fit over missing a 50 foot downhill putt that goes over three different breaks, because it reminds me of my history of four putts even when I'm within three feet of the cup.
Another side note will be the USGA. These guys, in a former life, may have wrote the torture manuals used by countless evil dictators throughout history, and I don't think they are going to take someone winning the Masters over par lying down.
For this years US Open, we probably should expect quick sand, eight foot tall rough, greens made of cement, land mines, loose cobras on the course, and possibly a sniper or two.
And enjoy your 15 minutes, Zach. I'm sure the Amish of Iowa would be proud.

Wow Zip I don't know how you saw that coming but you did. Tiger didn't put well enough on the back 9 to win, and some hick from Iowa stole a green jacket. Now he is 12 for 13.

Darko:
He's still 12 for 12. He was behind by a stroke when the day started. He did have the lead momentarily, which makes this all the more puzzling.
He just seemed to be off, and I just kind of felt that someone would be able to capitalize on it. He still could have easily won it, though, even while playing horribly, so if I'm the other guys I'm not going to be talking shit about this.

I just love how athletes atribute their wins to GOD.

Yeah, that is always a good one. I would have thought God would have been busy yesterday looking for easter eggs rather than watching golf.

God hates Tiger?

He must! Tiger didn't win. It's funny how God loved Kurt Warner just enough to only give him ONE Super Bowl ring. Poor bastard must not have confessed to stealing a pack of bubble gum when he was 7.

excellent analysis, zip.

im forecasting an increase in golf related injuries of atleast 80 % this summer, all due to cbs's glorification of tiger breaking his club swinging through a tree. as a former caddie of ten years, nothing was stupider than watching the country clubbers think that it was reasonable to try to finesse a golf ball that was lodged between two massive tree roots. tiger, and other pga members, are surgeons with a golf club, and can do anything. hell, i caddied with a semi pro who could pure a 5 iron off concrete all day. but country clubbers are going to shatter their wrists into hundreds of little pieces 'playing like the pros'.

why should you care? cuz these are the doctors, and ironically, surgeons of the world, who arent going to beable to give your girl that boob job you've been dreaming of, because they saw one too many 'im tiger woods' commercials.

damn you cbs. damn you.

God hates Tiger?

im pretty sure i heard a course mic on 17 pick up tiger shouting "why hast thou forsaken me!?!?" to the heavens.

Fuck the boobs jobs, I want these guys to keep being able to perfect this new art of "Penis Enlargement".