All Eyes On Augusta
Kevin has his Master’s picks...are you ready for the biggest four days in Golf?
If you have DIRECTV don’t forget they will be featuring extended coverage on channel 701 and 706. Kevin has the full rundown on DIRECTV at his site:
You can argue that other majors may have better fields, but The Masters is the most prestigious tournament one could hope to win. The history and tradition of this event are like none other in the sport of golf, and perhaps even in all of sports. The Masters is the only major played at the same venue, Augusta National Club Club, every year. Because of changes that have taken place in recent years, Augusta has been lengthened considerably, but as we know from watching Zach Johnson last year, even short hitters can win on this course. This is where the beauty of Augusta really shines - a player who is unfamiliar with the course may be deadly accurate off the tee and place his shots strategically to set up the best approach shot, but the player who has played at Augusta many times will know where exactly to leave the ball on the green for the best opportunity to make putts. You need to play this place as often as possible to learn all the subtleties of the grounds.
With 4 green jackets in his closet, Tiger Woods is the only other player along with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to have at least 4 (only Nicklaus has more than 4, with 6). Much noise has been made of Tiger Woods saying that he thinks that winning all 4 majors was possible this year. If there is anyone that can do it, it’s him. No other player has been dominating the sport more than Woods, and his overall record since winning the Open Championship in 2006 is amazing. Tiger Woods has the best chance of winning this tournament. Since 2005, he has won the tournament and finished T3 and T2. You know his game will be sharp, and even if it isn’t there is no other golfer with the skill to beat the rest of the field even with a bad round thrown into the 4-round mix. Equally impressive is Phil Mickelson’s record here. Since 2001 has finished 3, 3, 3, 1, 10, 1, at T24, with both of his wins coming in even-numbered years, which this happens to be. In order for Phil to win this tournament he will NEED to be precise and make the many key short putts he has a tendency of not capitalizing on. His incredible short game will always be his best tool at Augusta. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, to me, represent the two best players capable of winning this year.
Stewart Cink and Angel Cabrera are my best 2nd Tier picks. Cink has had a great year but closing out tournaments hasn’t been his strong suit this year. He’s a great putter and tends to have a couple of good rounds each here at Augusta. Don’t look for Cink to win, however. The reigning US Open champion, Angel Cabrera, should also have a good outing here. He has a decent track record at Augusta with his best finish coming in 2006 with a tie for 8th.
My last two picks always shine at this tournament - Jose Maria Olazabal and Fred Couples. Olazabal, a 2-time champion, has been playing at Augusta since 1984 and has tons of experience here. He finished T3 as late as 2006, and played well last week despite some health issues. Couples, also a former champion, has never missed a cut at this tournament and finished T3 along with Olazabal in 2006. He played excellently at last week’s Shell Houston Open and I think he has had some decent success in fending off any back problems. Augusta is Freddy’s favorite place to play, so he’ll be ready to go.
BONUS!!! - My bonus picks are going to be Geoff Ogilvy and Justin Leonard. To be honest, these guys are good enough to replace anyone else in this post that isn’t named Woods or Mickelson. Ogilvy has been playing excellently in the past month and is arguably the hottest player on tour right now (excluding Tiger Woods). With his athletic swing, he can hit high draws and little fades which are perfect for Augusta, and he is a great putter. Justin Leonard has had an excellent year and as a former Open Champion I can see him being able to navigate this course well this week.
Bubba Can Bomb the Ball
Tiger got in a practice round at Augusta this week...can you smell the Masters yet? I can’t wait.
Kevin is back with this weeks edition from PGA 365
First off, congrats to Andres Romero for piecing together a great final round at the Zurich Classic last week in New Orleans. Romero was the clubhouse leader for 3 hours before the end of the round. His final round score ended up being enough to keep Peter Leonard at Bay. It’s not often we see a tournament decided that early in the final round but it made for some interesting golf as the final groups shuffled through. If you can recall, Romero almost had the Open Championship in his grasp when he hacked a long iron out of some tall meadow grass and went OB, paving the way for Padraig Harrington to capture his first major.
This week’s Shell Houston Open at the Redstone Golf Club in Humble, TX is, for some strange reason, one of my favorite tournaments. The field isn’t necessarily the greatest, but with it being a week before the Master’s you can bet there is going to be some stiff competition and the field is loaded with talent. The winner of this tournament automatically gets entered into the Masters, even if they don’t qualify in any other capacity.
The last two winners of this tournament have been Aussies - Adam Scott in 2007 and Stuart Appleby in 2006. Adam Scott has been playing well lately and I think he should do well here considering the fact that in last year’s tournament he came in playing poorly but managed to win. Appleby has dominated this tournament with a runner-up finish last year in addition to his win in 2006, but this week I’m going to opt for having Padraig Harrington to shine. Harrington has said that he is devoting more time in preparing for majors and with the Masters right around the corner you can bet that Harrington is going to do his best to validate that Open Championship win with another major. I’m leaving Phil Mickelson out of this contest and saving a start for next week…Phil has an awesome record at Augusta but I believe he’s unfamiliar with this layout, so save him for next week.
This course is set up for long hitters, so next in line is Bubba Watson. As you know Bubba can bomb the ball, but he’ll need to be able to putt well to post some good scores. If the rough is manageable this year, look for Bubba to be able to hack it out with some success. Keep your eyes open for Justin Leonard, who is a Dallas native and has had a great 2008 thus far.
Last but certainly not least is Andres Romero, who said he will be devoting more time to play on the PGA tour in the following years. At this point in time I consider him just as good as Sergio Garcia…both were contenders at the Open Championship last year but Romero just tacked on a win last week and Sergio hasn’t won a tournament anywhere in the world since 2005, thanks mostly to a streaky putter. And then of course there’s Fred Couples…Fred won this tournament in 2003 and he seems to peak each year around this time…remember that in 2006 he was in the final pairing with Phil when he (Phil) captured his 2nd green jacket. Boom Boom can still play, that’s for sure…hopefully he’ll keep his back in check and get a great round in before going to Augusta.
BTW, if you have DIRECTV, you are in luck, given the extended Master’s coverage. Check it out after the jump....
Hawk Attack at Fenway
It has taken a Hawk to do what the Yankees and the rest of Major League Baseball have been unable to do.
Namely, strike fear into the hearts of Red Sox Nation.
The name of the girl attacked? Alexa Rodriguez.
Update:
Hawk Attacks 13-year old Alexa Rodriguez at Fenway
Fox Sports
Yankees Curve Ball Strikes Out Centerplate
Centerplate Inc. (CVP-AMEX) competes in one of the most competitive business around, providing concessions, catering and merchandise for sports facilities and convention centers. If you have noshed on the SellSide’s dime, you have probably funneled some money their way, given they have worked 24 World Series Games and 10 Super Bowls.
But their crown jewel was their contract for Yankee Stadium, which will not be renewed with the Yankees moving into the new digs in 2009:
Centerplate, Inc. was informed today by the New York Yankees that it will not be the concessionaire for the new Yankee Stadium set to open in 2009. This does not affect Centerplate’s current contract covering the existing Yankee Stadium, which runs through December 31, 2008. Thus, this decision by the Yankees is not expected to affect the Company’s 2008 financial results. However, if Centerplate does not obtain new business to offset the impact of not having a contract to service the new Yankee Stadium in 2009, this loss will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA beginning in 2009. PRN Newswire
Centerplate is structured as an income vehicle; its IPO in 2003 was the first offering of Income Deposit Securities (IDSs), the first such offering of any such securities.
Centerplate’s decline will whack its shareholder base of income seeking investors, and is the latest example of a debacle in the brave new world of alphabet soup. Who ever heard of IDSs? The company’s woes are being exacerbate by the credit crisis:
After the market closed Tuesday, the company said it will pay 13 cents per income deposit security on April 21 to holders of record on April 10. Each income deposit security issued by the company is comprised by one share of stock and a subordinated note.
Centerplate will be able to pay the dividends since it obtained an amendment to its credit facility that will allow it to make payments in April and May. The amendment also allows the company to invest in a potential new service contract and increases its ability to make capital expenditures in 2008, Centerplate said.
But without another amendment, Centerplate won’t be able to keep paying monthly dividends beginning in June, and may need to defer interest on its subordinated notes. Centerplate blamed the tightening credit markets, saying it has been difficult to get amendments “on favorable terms if at all.”
The company also said it may be “more prudent” to change its dividend policy and preserve capital to reinvest in the business. AP
My sources n the Bronx are indicating the Yankees will be taking their concessions in-house, and god only knows how much a beer will cost by the time the cost overruns for the new stadium are factored in.
The old Yankee Stadium was the House that Ruth built, but the new one is likely the House that Only Hedge Fund Moguls can afford to visit.
New Stadium Under Construction with Sinatra Soundtrack
Centerplate Announces No Role in New Yankee Stadium
PRN Newswire
Centerplate Drops on Threat to Dividend
AP
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The content contained in this blog represents the opinions of underthecounter. This commentary in no way constitutes a solicitation of business or investment advice. It is intended solely for the entertainment of the reader, and the author.
MLB’s Bowman Courts Billions Over Internet
Golden boy Bob Bowman of Major League Baseball’s digital effort is hooking up with Brad Greenspan, the investor best known for his stake in MySpace and an aborted run at buying the Wall Street Journal, to court Chinese baseball fans:
Major League Baseball is using the internet in an effort to pitch the American game to China.
Under a partnership announced on the MLB’s opening day, the US professional baseball league will begin streaming games and offering other content on a Chinese-language website it is creating with BroadWeb-Asia, an internet company backed by Brad Greenspan, an early investor in MySpace.....MLB ranks as the largest streamer of live media of any US media group, and draws 8m-10m visitors to its site each day.
“Digital media can certainly get the game into more people’s hands there – at least in the short term – than traditional television can,” said Bob Bowman, chief executive of MLB Advanced Media, the league’s digital division.
While Japan, Korea and Taiwan send star players to the US, the game is barely played in China.
Bowman has been successful with everything he has touched, with the exception of a brief stint at an internet retailer, but might have to offer someday he simply cannot, in order to get the Chinese on board.
Gambling.
Internet to pitch baseball to Chinese
FT
Tiger Dominates the Blue Monster
I neglected to get Kevin picks posted last week. Me bad.
Golf is heating up, and Augusta is slowly coming into focus. Awesome.
Kevin is going out on a limb and picking Tiger at Doral. If you gotta problem with that go visit him at PGA 365
Unless you were hiding under a rock last week, you know about Tiger’s incredible putt on the 72nd hole to capture his 64th PGA title and 5th Arnold Palmer Invitational. This week’s tournament is a WCG event, the CA Championship, to be held at the Doral Golf Resort on the famous Blue Monster Course. Can you guess what course is also featured in the Tiger Woods line of video games? If you guessed Doral you’d be correct, and knowing what happened last week and the current state of Woods’ game, it should be pretty clear that everyone’s top choice this week should be…Tiger Woods.
Woods has taken the trophy home the last 3 years consecutively, and 5 times in total, even though the CA Championship itself has not been played at Doral for all five of those wins. As a matter of fact, last year was the first year the CA was played at Doral, but Woods won the Doral Open in 2005 and 2006. Basically, he wins at Doral. Or anywhere for that matter. I was debating on whether to choose between Retief Goosen or Ernie Els as another top-tier pick, but instead I’m going to go with Geoff Ogilvy. Ogilvy has had a slow start this year but he always shows up at big-time events, WGC events included. Ogilvy finished 3rd here last year.
I’m hoping that Stewart Cink will have a good showing here this week. He has played very well but hasn’t been able to seal the deal, particularly in the 4th round. Cink might be a good 2nd or 3rd round insertion for points. I’m also going with Nick O’Hern here as well. Any time the letters “WCG” are involved and I see O’Hern’s name I can’t help but think of how he has, more than any other player I believe, prevailed over Tiger Woods. That’s not to say it’s a guaranteed thing, but Nick O’Hern is a great player and I expect to see at least a couple of low rounds from him at this event. A couple of other players to keep an eye on are Stewart Appleby and Stephen Ames.
Rounding off my selections are two more players, one of which shouldn’t be a surprise choice and the other who probably is more of a surprise. It’s hard to ignore Luke Donald after his performance at the Honda Classic and the past month in general, and out of the Tier 3 players I think he is clearly the best. I’m also going to go with Niclas Fasth. He had a top-10 last week, and although I consider him to be streaky I think he will shine in this limited-field event.
Copperhead Layout to Challenge PGA Pro’s
Bart Bryant got off to a strong start in this week’s POD Championship but has a pack of journeyman on his tail at this weeks PGA event. The course is different than most on the tour, and is worth tuning in to check out.
As always, visit Kevin at PGA 365
This week’s PODS Championship will be played at the Innisbrook Golf Club at the Copperhead Course, and will provide players with a fairly challenging layout through which they must carefully navigate. Innisbrook is a thinker’s course, much in the way that Colonial and Harbor Town are. Narrow, tree-lined fairways and small, fast greens means the bomb-and-gouge strategy that some players employ will be rendered useless here. Shot placement is critical to allow yourself decent approach shots to the small greens of the Copperhead Course - one look at hole # 3 should make this obvious. Another interesting feature about this course is that there are huge elevation changes. The par 5 5th hole will play at 605 yards and has a sharp uphill tee shot followed by a dramatic drop down to the green from about 200 yards out.
I was happy to see Els win last week at the Honda Classic. Had it not been for Luke Donald’s quadruple-bogey in the 2nd round, Donald should have gone on to win…but to win on tour sometimes you need a bit of luck as well, and Els has had his share of bad luck lately so I feel this win was well-deserved. He’s been playing relatively well this year and I think his win last week is going to get him in the right frame of mind for another solid performance. Mark Calcavecchia is the defending champion, and he played well last week too. Calcavecchia plays almost nothing else but a fade, so he will totally be eliminating the left side of the course this week…a strategy that seemed to work well for him last year. Calc isn’t known for his putting, but hopefully he’ll bring some of last week’s putting magic to Innisbrook.
My strategy for picking players in Tiers 2 and 3 for this week will be to focus on those who haven’t missed many cuts. Although Paul Casey has only teed it up once on the PGA this year, I’m picking him to have 4 solid rounds. Casey is a good player but he’ll need to work hard if he intends on qualifying for the 2008 European Ryder Cup. Also look for John Mallinger and Jeff Quinney to do well this week. Between the two they have entered in 12 tournaments and missed only 1 cut. Look for Charlie Wi for a surprise impact.
Steve Marino is making cuts. In 7 tournaments he hasn’t missed the cut yet. While that increases his chances of missing the cut each week, I think he’s a solid choice to have in your line-up. Kenny Perry is accurate off the tee and he has only missed 2 cuts this year. He may not win the tournament but I think Perry is another solid player to have on a course that requires accuracy such as this.
