2009 PGA Tour TV Schedule, Tournament Dates and Locations, Purses, Rankings, News and Ticket Info

2009 PGA Tour TV Schedule, Tournament Dates, Pursues, TicketsWell, as usual, watching The Masters has gotten me excited for the remainder of the 2009 PGA Tour schedule. In this post, we very simply break down the 2009 PGA Tour schedule with the TV schedule, tournament dates and locations, purse information, and links to buy tickets to PGA Tour events.

Before we break down the 2009 PGA Tour schedule, lets highlight the Majors and a few other important links and bits of information.

2009 PGA Tour Schedule Information

2009 PGA Tour TV Schedule, Tournament Dates, Purses, Ticket Info



2009 PGA Tour TV Schedule, Tournament Dates and Locations, Purses, Rankings, News and Ticket Info


2009 PGA Tour TV Schedule, Tournament Dates and Locations, Purses, Rankings, News and Ticket Info

2009 PGA Tour Schedule: Dates, Locations, TV Schedule, Purses, Tickets

Date Tournament Location TV / Winner Purse Score / Tickets
1/8 - 1/11 Mercedes-Benz Championship Maui, HI Geoff Ogilvy $1.12 M 268 (-24)
1/15 - 1/18 Sony Open in Hawaii Honolulu, HI Zach Johnson $972 K 265 (-15)
1/21 - 1/25 Bob Hope Classic Bermuda Dunes, CA Pat Perez $918 K 327 (-33)
1/29 - 2/1 FBR Open Scottsdale, AZ Kenny Perry $1.08 M 270 (-14)
2/5 - 2/8 Buick Invitational Torrey Pines Nick Watney $954 K 277 (-11)
2/12 - 2/16 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Pebble Beach, CA Dustin Johnson $1.098 M 201 (-15)
2/19 - 2/22 Northern Trust Open Riviera CC in CA Phil Mickelson $1.134 M 269 (-15)
2/26 - 3/1 WGC - Accenture MP Gallery Golf Club in Marana, AZ Geoff Ogilvy $1.4 M N/A
2/26 - 3/1 Mayakoba Golf Classic Riviera Maya, Mexico Mark Wilson $648 K 267 (-13)
3/5 - 3/8 The Honda Classic Palm Beach Gardens, FL Y.E. Yang $1.008 M 271 (-9)
3/12 - 3/15 WGC - CA Championship Doral - Miami, FL Phil Mickelson $1.40 M 269 (-19)
3/12 - 3/15 Puerto Rico Open Rio Grande, P.R. Michael Bradley $630 K 274 (-14)
3/19 - 3/22 Transitions Championship Palm Harbor, FL Retief Goosen $972 K 276 (-8)
3/26 - 3/29 Arnold Palmer Invitational Bay Hill in Orlando, FL Tiger Woods $1.08 M 275 (-5)
4/2 - 4/5 Shell Houston Open Humble, TX Paul Casey $1.026 M 277 (-11)
4/9 - 4/12 The Masters Augusta, GA ESPN/CBS $7 M  
4/16 - 4/19 Verizon Heritage Hilton Head, SC CBS / TGC $5.7 M Buy Verizon Heritage Tickets
4/23 - 4/26 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Avondale, LA CBS / TGC $6.3 M Buy Zurich Classic Tickets
4/30 - 5/3 Quail Hollow Championship Charlotte, NC CBS / TGC $6.5 M Buy Quail Hollow Tickets
5/7 - 5/10 The Players Championship TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL NBC / TGC $9.5 M Buy Tickets to The Players Championship
5/14 - 5/17 Valero Texas Open San Antonio, TX CBS / TGC $6.5 M Buy Valero Open Tickets
5/21 - 5/24 HP Byron Nelson Championship Irving, TX CBS / TGC $6.5 M Buy Byron Nelson Tickets
5/28 - 5/31 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Fort Worth, TX CBS / TGC $6.2 M Buy Crowne Plaza Invitational Tickets
6/4 - 6/7 The Memorial Dublin, OH CBS / TGC $6.0 M Buy Tickets to The Memorial
6/11 - 6/14 St. Jude Classic TPC Southwind - Memphis, TN CBS / TGC $6.1 M Buy St. Jude Classic Tickets
6/18 - 6/21 U.S. Open Championship Bethpage in Farmingdale, NY ESPN / NBC $7.5 M Buy U.S. Open Tickets
6/25 - 6/26 Travelers Championship TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT CBS / TGC $6.0 M Buy Travelers Championship Tickets
7/2 - 7/5 AT&T National Congressional CC in Bethesda, MD CBS / TGC $6.0 M Buy AT&T National Tickets
7/9 - 7/12 John Deere Classic TPC Deere Run in Silvis, IL CBS / TGC $4.3 M Buy John Deere Classic Tickets
7/16 - 7/19 British Open Championship Turnberry in Ayrshire, Scotland ABC / TNT $8.6 M Buy British Open Tickets
7/16 - 7/19 U.S. Bank Championship Milwaukee, WI TGC $4.0 M Buy U.S. Bank Championship Tickets
7/23 - 7/26 RBC Canadian Open Glen Abbey GC in Ontario, Canada CBS / TGC $5.1 M Buy Canadian Open Tickets
7/30 - 8/2 Buick Open Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, MI CBS / TGC $5.1 M Buy Buick Open Tickets
8/6 - 8/9 WBC - Bridgestone Invitational Firestone CC in Akron, OH CBS / TGC $8.5 M Buy Bridgestone Invitational Tickets
8/6 - 8/9 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open Montreux CC in Reno, NV TGC $3.0 M Buy Reno-Tahoe Open Tickets
8/13 - 8/16 PGA Championship Hazeltine Nation GC in Chaska, MN CBS / TNT $7.2 M Buy PGA Championship Tickets
8/20 - 8/23 Wyndham Championship Sedgefield CC in Greensboro, NC CBS / TGC $5.2 M Buy Wyndham Championship Tickets
8/27 - 8/30 The Barclays (FedEx Cup) Jersey City, NJ CBS / TGC $7.5 M Buy Tickets to The Barclays
9/4 - 9/7 Deutsche Bank Championship (FedEx Cup) TPC of Boston in Norton, MA NBC / TGC $7.5 M Buy Tickets to the Deutsche Bank Championship
9/10 - 9/13 BMW Championship (FedEx Cup) Cog Hill in Lemont, IL NBC / TGC $7.5 M Buy BMW Championship Tickets
9/24 - 9/27 The TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola East Lake GC in Atlanta, GA NBC / TGC $7.5 M Buy Tickets to the TOUR Championship
10/1 - 10/4 Turning Stone Resort Championship Atunyote GC in Vernoa, NY TBA $6.0 M Buy Tickets to the Turning Stone Resort Championship
10/8 - 10/11 The Presidents Cup Harding Park GC in San Francisco, CA TGC   Buy Presidents Cup Tickets
10/15 - 10/18 Justin Timberlake Shriners Open TPC Summerlin GC in Las Vegas, NV TBA $4.2 M Buy Shriners Open Tickets
10/22 - 10/25 Frys.com Open Grayhawk GC in Scottsdale, AZ TBA $5.0 M Buy Frys.com Open Championship
10/29 - 11/1 Viking Classic Annandale GC in Madison, MS TBA $3.7 M Buy Viking Classic Tickets
11/12 - 11/25 Children's Miracle Network Classic Magnolia GC in Lake Buena Vista, FL TBA $4.7 M Buy Childrens Miracle Network Classic Tickets
           
  *CC - Country Club *GC - Golf Club *TGC - The Golf Channel    

And the following widgets (assuming the show up…it may not if you are using Internet Explorer) will keep you up-to-date with the latest PGA Tour news and scores:

Biggest Final Round Comebacks in Masters History

biggest comebacks in masters history | largest comebacks | greatest masters comebacksTiger Woods is seven shots back entering final round play of the 2009 Masters. On Sunday, he will be teeing off with rival Phil Mickelson at 1:35. Both currently sit at 4-under, and staring up 12 other golfers above them on the leader board.

What are their chances of either mounting an incredible final round comeback? Well, not very good. But here is some good news for all the Tiger and Phil fans out there: if either come back to capture the Green Jacket, it will not be the biggest 54-hole deficit overcome.

Biggest Final Round Comebacks in Masters History


The record for the biggest 54-hole deficit overcome belongs to Jack Burke, who came back from 8 strokes down in 1956 to win the Masters. He actually fell to nine back before mounting his rally. And in 1978 Gary Player overcome a 8-stroke deficit to mount the second biggest final round comeback in Masters history. In 1996, Nick Faldo famously overcame a 6-stroke deficit to Greg Norma to win, the third biggest final round comeback in Masters history.

So, while the most likely scenario is Angel Cabrera or Kenny Perry taking home the green jacket, or one of the other 10 guys in front of Tiger and Phil, it would not be unprecedented for a comeback by either to take place. What I do not know, and have not had time to research, is if anyone has ever overcome 12 or more golfers in the final round to win. That certainly sounds like a lot. Anyone know?

Either way, Tiger’s deficit does nothing to dampen my excitement for tomorrow. At some point he’s going to come back and win a major after being down heading into Sunday. There isn’t much that Tiger has not done on a golf course yet, and while I’d rather he be a little closer, maybe he’s just setting us all up for his greatest comeback yet.

Would anyone really, truly be surprised?

2009 Masters Final Round Sunday Tee Times and Pairings

2009 Masters final round Sunday tee times and pairings | Tiger-Phil tee time | Angel CabreraFinal round Sunday action at the 2009 Masters tees off at 10:25 on Easter Sunday, with live TV coverage beginning at 2:00 on CBS. When the golfers take the course, Angel Cabrera (pictured, right) and Kenny Perry will be clinging to two stroke leads at -11 over Chad Campbell at -8. Jim Furyk (-8) and Steve Stricker (-7) round out the top 5, with Rory Sabbatini, Shingo Katayama, and Todd Hamilton sitting at -6. Tim Clark is at -5.

Then there are a whole host of golfers sitting at -4, seven strokes back from the leaders, and one of them is Tiger Woods. Tiger struggled throughout the day on Saturday before rallying with some birdies late to give himself a fighting chance. And one of the men he will have to hold off in his quest to storm up the leaderboard is Phil Mickelson, also at -4, and Tiger’s playing partner on Sunday.

Tiger and Phil tee off at 1:35, and their mano-a-mano battle, even if they do not vault to the top of the leaderboard, will no doubt be one of the most compelling storylines of Sunday.  What are their chances of making a comeback?  Not great.  However, it would not be the biggest final round comeback in Masters history if either ended up winning.

Here are the tee times and pairings for final round Sunday action at the 2009 Masters:


2009 Masters Final Round Sunday Tee Times and Pairings

  • 10:25 – K. Sutherland | M. Weir
  • 10:35 – M. Jimenez | R. Mediate
  • 10:45 – B. Curtis | A. Romero
  • 10:55 – B. Watson | R. Fisher
  • 11:05 – P. Casey | D. Hart
  • 11:15 – D. Trahan | R. Allenby
  • 11:25 – R. Imada | T. Immelman
  • 11:35 – K. Duke | H. Stenson
  • 11:45 – R. McIlroy | L. Donald
  • 11:55 – S. Garcia | S. Applebly
  • 12:05 – G. McDowell | A. Baddeley
  • 12:15 – P. Harrington | S. Lyle
  • 12:25 – J. Rose | L. Mize
  • 12:45 – J. Merrick | G. Ogilvy
  • 12:55 – V. Singh | D. Johnson
  • 1:05 – S. Flesch | C. Villegas
  • 1:15 – H. Mahan | A. Kim
  • 1:25 – N. Watney | S. Ames
  • 1:35 – T. Woods | P. Mickelson
  • 1:45 – I. Poulter | L. Westwood
  • 1:55 – T. Clark | S. O’Hair
  • 2:05 – S. Katayama | T. Hamilton
  • 2:15 – S. Stricker | R. Sabbatini
  • 2:25 – C. Campbell | J. Furyk
  • 2:35 – A. Cabrera | K. Perry

2009 Masters Round 3 Saturday Tee Times and Pairings

Update: The Final Round Sunday Tee Times and Pairings have been posted for the 2009 Masters.

Masters Round 3 Tee Times, Pairings, Groupings - Tiger Tee Time - Chad CampbellThe tee times and pairings for Round 3 action of the 2009 Masters on Saturday have been announced. Heading into the third round, Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry are off to a couple of the best starts in Masters history and are tied for the lead at -9, with Angel Cabrera breathing down their necks at -8. Tood Hamilton is at -6, Tim Clark is at -5, and young Anthony Kim is currently at -4.

Others of note heading into Round 3 include Jim Furyk at -4, Sergio Garcia at -4, Vijay Signh at -3, Phil Mickelson at -3, at Tiger Woods lurking at -2, tied with Padraig Harrington and others. Youngster Rory McIlroy finished Friday at +1 and just made the cut.

Below are the third round tee times and pairings for Masters action on Saturday, with Masters TV coverage live on CBS beginning at 3:30 ET.

2009 Masters Round 3 Tee Times and Pairings for Saturday


  • 10:35 – R. Imada | S. Appleby
  • 10:45 – K. Sutherland | R. Fisher
  • 10:55 – T. Immelman | R. McIlroy
  • 11:05 – D. Trahan | R. Allenby
  • 11:15 – J. Rose | S. Flesch
  • 11:25 – B. Curtis | L. Donald
  • 11:35 – P. Casey | D. Hart
  • 11:45 – S. O’Hair | A. Romero
  • 11:55 – I. Poulter | B. Watson
  • 12:05 – M. Jimenez | M. Weir
  • 12:15 – R. Mediate | K. Duke
  • 12:25 – C. Villegas | L. Mize
  • 12:35 – L. Westwood | P. Harrington
  • 12:55 – S. Lyle | D. Johnson
  • 1:05 – G. McDowell | T. Woods
  • 1:15 – J. Merrick | A. Baddeley
  • 1:25 – G. Ogilvy | P. Mickelson
  • 1:35 – H. Stenson | V. Singh
  • 1:45 – N. Watney | S. Ames
  • 1:55 – S. Stricker | H. Mahan
  • 2:05 – J. Furyk | S. Garcia
  • 2:15 – R. Sabbatini | S. Katayama
  • 2:25 – T. Clark | A. Kim
  • 2:35 – A. Cabrera | T. Hamilton
  • 2:45 – C. Campbell | K. Perry

(Chad Campbell photo credit: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Masters Round 2 Friday Coverage and Updates: Campbell Stays Strong Atop Leaderboard


Masters Round 2 Friday Updates, Leaderboard, Coverage - Chad CampbellAs I write this, Lewisville, Texas (just up the road from me) native Chad Campbell continues to maintain a firm grip of the top spot on the 2009 Masters leaderboard. For the most up-to-date live Masters updates, coverage, and leaderboard, just look to your right because the widget is embedded in the sidebar.

Through 12 holes on Friday, Campbell sits at -2 for the day and -9 overall. Simply put, he’s been by far the best golfer through the first day and a half of action. Kenny Perry is also having a strong day so far, currently at -2 for the day and -6 overall.

Where’s Tiger? He’s toiling along at even par through 7 holes and still is at -2 for the tournament. I have a feeling that Tiger is going to make a strong charge on the bank 9 today, especially after leaving more than a few strokes out there yesterday.

Among the strugglers today are Larry Mize and Aaron Baddeley. Mize shot a 5-under 67 yesterday, but fall down the leaderboard to -1 with his 4-over 76 today. Baddeley shot a 68 yesterday, but currently is at +3 for the day. Conversely, Anthony Kim is making the strongest push upwards Firday with a -4 through 7 holes. HIs strong play today is helping him overcome a first day 75 and has him back under par for the tournament.

Rory McIlroy is at -1 overall now with a 1-under round so far through 7 holes. Phil Mickelson, who shot a +1 73 on Thursday, tees off at 1:52, hoping to make a strong push and avoid the current projected cut line of +2. (Follow the link to see all of the Masters Round 2 tee times.)

Masters.com has three bloggers following the action to help keep you updated as well:

Masters Round 2 Friday Coverage and Updates — (Will Durst, Masters.com)

Masters Round 2 Friday Coverage and Updates — (Tom Spousta, Masters.com)

Masters Round 2 Friday Coverage and Updates — (John Steinbreder, Masters.com)

2009 Masters: Round 2 Groupings and Tee Times for Friday

Update: The Final Round Sunday Tee Times and Pairings have been posted for the 2009 Masters.

2009 Masters Round 2 Groupings, Pairings, Tee Times 2nd Round TwoThere were plenty of low rounds posted during the first round of Masters action on Thursday. As I write this, Chad Campbell is currently the leader at -7, with Hunter Mahan also at -7 and on 18. Jim Furyk sits at -6 with a whole bunch of other golfers under par for the day. Tiger Woods currently sits at -1 playing 13, phenom Rory McIlroy is at +1 on 13, and Phil Mickelson is at +1 and done for the day.

We shall see what the leader board looks like before the 2nd round begins once everyone is in the clubhouse.

Looking ahead to action on Friday, the Masters Round 2 pairings and tee times have been posted, and they are posted below:

2009 Masters Round 2 Groupings and Tee Times


  • 8:00 – L. Mize | J. Merrick | D. Kittleson
  • 8:11 – T. Hamilton | S. Flesch | M. Goggin
  • 8:22 – T. Watson | I. Poulter | S. Wilson
  • 8:33 – A. Baddeley | B. Watson | G. McDowell
  • 8:44 – M. O’Mears | P. Perez | D. Trahan
  • 8:55 – F. Couples | R. Mediate | J. Newman
  • 9:06 – S. Kjeldsen | S. O’Hair | R. Sterne
  • 9:17 – A. Romero | B. Weekley | C. Campbell
  • 9:28 – B. Crenshaw | P. Casey | S. Stricker
  • 9:39 – Y. Yang | R. Allenby | H. Mahan
  • 9:50 – Z. Johnson | W. Lin | R. Karlsson
  • 10:12 – J. Olazabal | M. Kaymer | B. Snedeker
  • 10:23 – K. Choi | A. Quiros | K. Perry
  • 10:34 – T. Immelman | A. Scott | D. Lee
  • 10:45 – T. Woods | S. Cink | J. Singh
  • 10:56 – A. Kim | R. McIlroy | R. Ishikawa
  • 11:07 – I. Woosnam | C. Reavie | B. Baird
  • 11:18 – S. Lyle | B. Mayfair | T. Clark
  • 11:29 – K. Sutherland | R. Fisher | P. Marksaeng
  • 11:40 – L. Oosthuizen | C. Pettersson | D. Hart
  • 11:51 – R. Floyd | J. Leonard | R. Saxton
  • 12:02 – F. Zoeller | M. Campbell | K. Duke
  • 12:24 – B. Curtis | N. Watney | M. Jimenez
  • 12:35 – C. Stadler | R. Sabbatini | D. Johnson
  • 12:46 – G. Player | L. Donald | S. Ames
  • 12:57 – R. Goosen | S. Hansen | S. Katayama
  • 1:08 – B. Langer | G. Norman | L. Westwood
  • 1:19 – J. Rose | H. Stenson | A. Cabrera
  • 1:30 – V. Singh | G. Ogilvy | E. Els
  • 1:41 – M. Weir | P. Harrington | R. Imada
  • 1:52 – P. Mickelson | C. Villegas | J. Furyk
  • 2:03 – S. Appleby | O. Wilson | S. Garcia

The following links will help you keep track of the Masters TV schedule and all the resources for tracking the Round 2 Masters action online. We’ll see if Tiger makes his charge tomorrow…or waits for the weekend.

Reason #2,613 Why I Love the Internet: Live Masters Scoring and Online Viewing

2009 Masters Live Scoring - Watch the Masters Live OnlineI just realized yet another reason why I absolutely love the Internet.

In my endless effort to try to provide you, the reader, with as much relevant information as possible for all of the major sporting events that occur throughout the year, it just dawned on me that instead of simply posting Masters score updates or linking you out to other sites that do, we can keep you constantly updated right here.

How?  Well look to your right in the sidebar.  Thanks to the good folks over at Masters.com, you can now stay updated with live Masters score updates right here at MSF.  You can also grab the live Masters scoring widget for yourself and put it on your desktop, stick it on your blog, etc, etc.

I am very familiar with the concept of widgets, but why it had not dawned on me to use them more often to track events live, I will never know.  Consider it a lesson learned and a site improvement moving forward.

Also, there are a couple of resources for tracking the Masters on your computer and/or iPhone that I want to alert you to.

First, rather than just tracking live Masters scoring, why not actually watch the Masters live online?  Well, you can do it.  Masters.com provides live online look-ins at Amen Corner (holes 11-13) and holes 15 and 16.  Just follow the link to watch the 2009 Masters live online at Masters.com.

Also, to track the 2009 Masters on your iPhone, you can download the Masters iPhone app.  I haven’t looked into it yet so I don’t know how much it costs or how good it is, but I’d love some feedback in the comments section from anyone who decides to try it out.

And no, I don’t get paid for referring you to these sites — but I figure by helping you track the Masters more efficiently while you’re at work or away from your TV, you’ll keep MSF in mind as a valuable resource when you decide to venture out into the sports blogosphere to supplement your sports news.  So thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you back often to our little collaborate sports project here at Midwest Sports Fans.

We’re seeing some pretty low scores posted in the early rounds Thursday.  Tiger tees off around 2:00 with the phenom Rory McIlroy in the final group right after Tiger to culminate the Opening Round.  Enjoy the Masters everyone.

Who Is Rory McIlroy, and Why Do Many Think He is the Next Tiger?

Rory McIlroy Bio, Career Stats, Ranking, profileOne of the many compelling storylines at the 2009 Masters is the debut appearance of golf’s “next big thing”, Rory McIlroy. A few days back, our friends over at BetOnline contributed an article suggesting betting tips for the 2009 Masters. In the article, they discussed the possibility of McIlroy being a solid choice to win, with his odds sitting at +3300. This was my first introduction to Rory McIlroy.

(Rory McIlroy photo from Masters press conference courtesy of RoryMcIlroy.com.)

Now, in the interests of full disclosure, you should know that I am not a “golf fan”, per se. I am one of the many who come out of the woodwork four weekends a year to hang on every Thursday-Sunday report from the Majors. And when Tiger wasn’t playing, I didn’t really care all that much even about the majors. But when Tiger Woods is playing major championship golf, I get sucked in. We all know that he is must-see TV for golf fanatics, casual golf fans, and even non-golf fans alike.

So what is it about this kid Rory McIlroy (who tees off at 2:03 on Thursday) that has everyone saying he could be the next Tiger?
Rory McIlroy Bio, career, rankings, profile
Rory McIlroy Bio

Here is some quick background information about Rory McIlroy:

  • Rory McIlroy was born May 4, 1989 in Holywood, Northern Ireland (yes, only one “l” in Holywood).
  • He stands 5’11 and 160 pounds.
  • He will be just 19 when he steps into the teebox Thursday for his first Masters.
  • McIlroy maintains his own blog at RoryMcIlroy.com.
  • Member of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup team that won in 2004.
  • Youngest ever winner of both West of Ireland Championship and Irish Close Championship.
  • In 2005, Rory McIlroy shot a course record 61 at Royal Portrush Golf Club.
  • In 2006, he won European Amateur Championship.
  • On February 6, 2007 he sat atop the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
  • McIlroy participated in 2007 British Open at Carnoustie, and sat three shots off the lead after firing a bogey-free 68 in the opening round. He ended up making the cut and finished +5 for the championship, the best finish for an amateur.
  • He took part in British Masters just days after turning 16 and made the cut as an amateur at the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic.
  • Rory McIlroy turned pro on September 19, 2007
  • McIlroy entered the Top 200 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time on January 27, 2008.
  • With four top-20 finishes on the U.S. tour in 2009, and two top-5 finishes on the European tour, Rory McIlroy currently sits at #17 on the Official World Golf Rankings.

For a 19-year old kid, I’d say that’s pretty impressive. Even more impressive are some of the quotes from his peers, who are obviously very impressed with the young Irishman. Consider these quotes about Rory McIlroy, excerpted from an ESPN.com article by Jason Sobel:

“He’s the real deal. He’s a very impressive golfer. It’s feasible that he’s going to be top 2 or 3 in the world within a year. I mean, he’s that good. … The more he plays, the more different sorts of golf courses he plays, he’s just going to add more and more dimensions to his game. This will be the worst ranking he’s got for the next 10 years, what it is now; it’s only going to go up because he’s very impressive.”

~Geoff Ogilvy on Rory McIlroy

“He hits it high, he hits it long, he putts well, and he’s got a good head on his shoulders. That’s a nice, round mix to have to be out here playing professional golf, so he’s going to have a very exciting couple of years. He’s going to be heading in one direction, and that’s up.”

~Ian Poulter on Rory McIlroy

“Rory’s going to be a major factor in professional golf. I think you are probably looking at the next world No. 1 in him. Winning in Dubai got that little monkey off his back and he’s got a lot of confidence going now. Rory’s hungry, as we say. He has a lot going for him.”

~Ernie Els on Rory McIlroy

And how about the current King of Golf, Tiger? Well, he’s pretty impressed too:

There’s no doubt, the guy’s a talent,” says Woods, who has yet to compete in the same pairing as McIlroy but congratulated him after McIlroy won in Dubai. “We can all see it: The way he hits the golf ball, the way he putts, the way he can chip, get up-and-down. He has the composure. He has all of the components to be the best player in the world, there’s no doubt. It’s just a matter of time and experience, and then basically gaining that experience in big events. That takes time, and I mean, geez, he’s only 19. Just give him some time, and I’m sure he’ll be there.

According to a recent article about Rory McIlroy by Michael Bamberger at Golf.com, part of McIlroy’s success is an unteachable aspect of his swing that allows him to generate tremendous thrust and explains why he is one of the longest hitters in the game, despite his diminutive frame. Consider him the Tim Lincecum of golf:

A moment before impact his left hip suddenly changes direction and jerks back, clockwise, and then rotates again, this time even more powerfully than the first. It’s like some mad fusion golf experiment, and McIlroy, wise man, pays it little mind. But that extra thrust explains why McIlroy — 5′ 11″ in cleats and 160 pounds — is one of the longest hitters in the game.

And Rory McIlroy is not alone; there are a bevy of talented young players who appear poised to challenge the thrones of Tiger, Phil, et al, moving forward.
Rory McIlroy profile, bio, rankings, career, wins
Danny Lee will be participating in this year’s Masters, fresh off breaking Tiger Woods’ record as the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur. And the kid obviously has moxie. According to the Sobel article linked above, when told that his U.S. Amateur victory may result in a pairing with Woods at next year’s U.S. Open, Lee said, “I’m going to beat him.” And while his bravado may seem a bit ridiculous at such a young age, haven’t we all been waiting for someone to legitimately challenge Tiger — both in ability and attitude? Who knows if Danny Lee can do it, but at least it looks as if he’ll make it entertaining.

Another young golfer set to tee off in this year’s Masters is Ryo Ishikawa from Japan. To put his prodigy-like rise to prominence into perspective, Ishikawa won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup — at age 15. He will be just 17 when he tees it up in Augusta later today.

So while the major storylines at this year’s Masters will be the expected triumphant return of Tiger Woods and the hope that he and Phil Mickelson can stage some mano-a-mano Sunday drama, the performance of these young talents will also be interesting to watch. We often hear about the young kids on Thursday and Friday, but rarely do they have staying power into the weekend. What appears different about Rory McIlroy, plus Lee and Ishikawa, is that not only do people look at them as the future stars of golf, but many people seem to think it would not be that far fetched for them to be competitive as soon as this weekend.

Either way, Rory McIlroy, Danny Lee, and Ryo Ishikawa are three guys to keep your eyes on. We’ve been waiting for guys like Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Sergie Garcia, etc., etc., to step up and become true rivals to Tiger Woods. Perhaps one or two true rivals to Tiger will eRory McIlroy Bio, Career, Ranking, profilemerge; they just may not be from his current class of peers, who often seem more intimidated by Tiger than challenged by him.

No, perhaps the generation behind Tiger, the kids who grew up idolizing him and watching his every move, will ultimately be the players who step up and provide some competition to challenge Tiger’s dominance as he enters the second stage of his professional career.

Who knows. We’ve seen phenoms come and go in golf. This weekend, we’ll get at least a little taste of whether or not Rory McIlroy and his precocious mates are true Tiger-like phenoms. Don’t expect them to be atop the leaderboard down the stretch on Sunday (expect Tiger to be, though), but one or all three of them could announce their presence in a big way by making the cut and proving that there is substance behind all the hype.

(Photo of Rory McIlroy during Masters practice round courtesy of RoryMcIlroy.com)

Resources:

Rory McIlroy Profile — (Wikipedia)

Rory McIlroy Official Website — (RoryMcIlroy.com)

Rory McIlroy player page — (PGATour.com)

Rory McIlroy player page — (OfficialWorldGolfRanking.com)

Teens taking golf by storm in 2009 — (Jason Sobel, ESPN.com)

Rory McIlroy has the game, charisma to be golf’s next star — (Michael Bamberger, Golf.com)

Masters History: List of Masters Champions and Multiple Green Jacket Winners

Masters History: List of Past Champions, Most Green JacketsOne of my favorite parts about having this blog is that it challenges me to learn more about the history of the sports I write about. As you may remember (since it was only last month) I did a series of posts about the history of March Madness and the history of the major conference tournaments. It was great because it gave me not only the ability to educate our readers, but also to educate myself.

As the 2009 Masters prepares to tee off on Thursday, I now have the opportunity to do the same thing for the Greatest Spectacle in Golf. And golf, much like baseball in many ways, is hard to fully appreciate without understanding the proper historical context for contemporary accomplishments.

(See also, our posts on the biggest final round comebacks in Masters history and the greatest moments in Masters history.)

Tiger Woods will tee off around 2:00 on Thursday, gunning to become Masters Champion and GreenMasters History: List of Past Champions and Most Green Jackets Jacket Wearer for the fifth time. Why is this so important? Because it would break the current tie between Woods and the great Arnold Palmer for second on the all-time list of Masters Champions. It would also move Tiger to within one of the incomparable Jack Nicklaus for most Green Jackets ever.

But pretty much every golf fan knows that.

What about Phil Mickelson? Where can he place himself on the all-time Masters champion list this weekend? How about Ben Crenshaw and Jose Maria Olazabal? That is the purpose of this post.

First, we will run down the all-time list of Masters Champions, all the way back to the first Masters in 1934. Then, we’ll take a look at the list of men of who have won multiple Green Jackets and how they stack up against each other.




Masters History: List of Past Masters Champions

Year Masters Champion 72-Hole Score Margin of Victory
2009 ??? ??? ???
2008 Trevor Immelman 280 +3
2007 Zach Johnson 289 +2
2006 Phil Mickelson 281 +2
2005 Tiger Woods 276 Playoff
2004 Phil Mickelson 279 +1
2003 Mike Weir 281 Playoff
2002 Tiger Woods 276 +3
2001 Tiger Woods 272 +2
2000 Vijay Singh 289 +3
1999 Jose Maria Olazabal 280 +2
1998 Mark O'Meara 279 +1
1997 Tiger Woods 270 +12
1996 Nick Faldo 276 +5
1995 Ben Crenshaw 274 +1
1994 Jose Maria Olazabal 279 +2
1993 Bernhard Langer 277 +4
1992 Fred Couples 275 +2
1991 Ian Woosnam 277 +1
1990 Nick Faldo 278 Playoff
1989 Nick Faldo 283 Playoff
1988 Sandy Lyle 281 +1
1987 Larry Mize 285 Playoff
1986 Jack Nicklaus 279 +1
1985 Bernhard Langer 282 +2
1984 Ben Crenshaw 277 +2
1983 Seve Ballesteros 280 +4
1982 Craig Stadler 284 Playoff
1981 Tom Watson 280 +2
1980 Seve Ballesteros 275 +4
1979 Fuzzy Zoeller 280 Playoff
1978 Gary Player 277 +1
1977 Tom Watson 276 +2
1976 Raymond Floyd 271 +8
1975 Jack Nicklaus 276 +1
1974 Gary Player 278 +2
1973 Tommy Aaron 283 +1
1972 Jack Nicklaus 286 +3
1971 Charles Coody 279 +2
1970 Billy Casper 279 Playoff
1969 George Archer 281 +1
1968 Bob Goalby 281 +1
1967 Gay Brewer 280 +1
1966 Jack Nicklaus 288 Playoff
1965 Jack Nicklaus 271 +9
1964 Arnold Palmer 276 +6
1963 Jack Nicklaus 286 +1
1962 Arnold Palmer 280 Playoff
1961 Gary Player 280 +1
1960 Arnold Palmer 282 +1
1959 Art Wall Jr. 284 +1
1958 Arnold Palmer 284 +1
1957 Doug Ford 283 +3
1956 Jack Burke Jr. 289 +1
1955 Cary Middlecoff 279 +7
1954 Sam Snead 289 Playoff
1953 Ben Hogan 274 +5
1952 Sam Snead 286 +4
1951 Ben Hogan 280 +2
1950 Jimmy Demaret 283 +2
1949 Sam Snead 282 +3
1948 Claude Harmon 279 +5
1947 Jimmy Demaret 281 +2
1946 Herman Keiser 282 +1
1945 No Tournament    
1944 No Tournament    
1943 No Tournament    
1942 Byron Nelson 280 Playoff
1941 Craig Wood 280 +3
1940 Jimmy Demaret 280 +4
1939 Ralph Guldahl 279 +1
1938 Henry Picard 285 +2
1937 Byron Nelson 283 +2
1936 Horton Smith 285 +1
1935 Gene Sarazen 282 Playoff
1934 Horton Smith 284 +1

This information above was taken from the official website for the Masters, where they provide a list of Masters champions that includes the 18-hold, 36-hole, 54-hole, and 72-hole totals for each champion. The above table is obviously just a snippet of that information.

Also provided at Masters.com is the list of multiple Masters champions, which looks like this:

  • 6 – Jack Nicklaus: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986
  • 4 – Arnold Palmer: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
  • 4 – Tiger Woods: 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005
  • 3 – Jimmy Demaret: 1940, 1947, 1950
  • 3 – Sam Snead: 1949, 1952, 1954Masters History: List of Past Masters Champions, Most Green Jackets
  • 3 – Gary Player: 1961, 1974, 1978
  • 3 – Nick Faldo: 1989, 1990, 1996
  • 2 – Horton Smith: 1934, 1936
  • 2 – Byron Nelson: 1937, 1942
  • 2 – Ben Hogan: 1951, 1953
  • 2 – Tom Watson: 1977, 1981
  • 2 – Seve Ballesteros: 1980, 1983
  • 2 – Bernhard Langer: 1985, 1993
  • 2 – Ben Crenshaw: 1984, 1995
  • 2 – Jose Maria Olazabal: 1994, 1999
  • 2 – Phil Mickelson: 2004, 2006

And a few other interesting nuggets of Masters history:

  • Only four players have been wire-to-wire champions: Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Raymond Floyd (1976).
  • Mark O’Meara set the record for the most number of attempts before winning his first Green Jacket in 1998: 15.
  • Amazingly, Jack Nicklaus won his sixth Masters 28 years after his first Masters Tournament.
  • The youngest Masters champion ever is, of course, Tiger Woods in 1997 when he was still only 21. Woods also shattered the course record that year in perhaps the greatest single 72-hole performance in golf history.
  • The oldest Masters champion is Jack Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won Green Jacket #6 in 1986.
  • The average age of a Masters champion is 32.57 years.List of Masters Champions - Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus - Most Green Jackets

Looking at the list of past Masters champions, you cannot help but notice the amazing stretch from 1960-1966 when only three players donned Green Jackets: Jack Nicklaus (3), Arnold Palmer (3), Gary Player (1). That must have been an amazing time to be a golf fan — one that I am obviously not familiar with since it was about 20 years before I was even born. I would love to get the perspective of an older golf fan in the comments section as to what it was like to have those three (and especially Nicklaus and Palmer) pushing eachother to such great heights.

That has been the one thing conspicuously absent from Tiger’s dominance over the last 15 years: a legitimate rival. I know that Phil Mickelson has won two Masters in the last five years, but I don’t think anyone looks at Mickelson as being Arnold Palmer to Wood’s Nicklaus.

Perhaps as both move into the heart of their 30s, they can provide that kind of back-and-forth competitiveness and drama to eachother. We shall see. It certainly would be fun to see the two of them paired up together on Sunday, battling shot-for-shot for the 2009 Masters championship.

2009 Masters Opening Round Groupings and Tee Times

Update: The Final Round Sunday Tee Times and Pairings have been posted for the 2009 Masters.

The groupings and tee times for the 2009 Masters were announced yesterday. Here is a quick rundown of the tournament specifics, some links, and then the pairings for Thursday.
2009 Masters Opening Round, Thursday Tee Times, Groupings

2009 Masters Quick Preview



Round 1 Groupings and Tee Times for 2009 Masters

And here are the groupings and tee times for opening round action of the 2009 Masters, scheduled to start with the first tee time at 8:00 am and with TV coverage kicking off on ESPN at 3:00 pm.

  1. 8:00 – Ian Woosnam | Chez Reavie | Briny Baird
  2. 8:11 – Sandy Lyle | Tim Clark | Billy Mayfair
  3. 8:22 – Kevin Sutherland | Ross Fisher | Prayad Marksaeng
  4. 8:33 – Louis Oosthuizen | Carl Pettersson | Dudley Hart
  5. 8:44 – Raymond Floyd | Justin Leonard | Reinier Saxton
  6. 8:55 – Fuzzy Zoeller | Michael Campbell | Ken Duke
  7. 9:06 – Ben Curtis | Nick Watney | Miguel Angel Jimenez
  8. 9:17 – Craig Stadler | Rory Sabbatini | Dustin Johnson
  9. 9:28 – Gary Player | Luke Donald | Stephen Ames
  10. 9:39 – Retief Goosen | Soren Hansen | Shingo Katayama
  11. 9:50 – Bernhard Langer | Greg Norman | Lee Westwood
  12. 10:12 – Justin Rose | Henrik Stenson | Angel Cabrera
  13. 10:23 – Vijay Singh | Geoff Ogilvy | Ernie Els
  14. 10:34 – Mike Weir | Padraig Harrington | Ryuji Imada
  15. 10:45 – Phil Michelson | Camilo Villegas | Jim Furyk
  16. 10:56 – Stuart Appleby | Oliver Wilson | Sergio Garcia
  17. 11:07 – Larry Mize | John Merrick | Drew Kittleson
  18. 11:18 – Todd Hamilton | Steve Flesch | Mathew Goggin
  19. 11:29 – Tom Watson | Ian Poulter | Steve Wilson
  20. 11:40 – Aaron Baddeley | Bubba Watson | Graeme McDowell
  21. 11:51 – Mark O’Meara | Pat Perez | D.J. Trahan
  22. 12:02 – Fred Couples | Rocco Mediate | Jack Newman
  23. 12:24 – Soren Kjeldsen | Sean O’Hair | Richard Sterne
  24. 12:35 – Andres Romero | Boo Weekley | Chad Campbell
  25. 12:46 – Ben Crenshaw | Paul Casey | Steve Stricker
  26. 12:57 – Y.E. Yang | Robert Allenby | Hunter Mahan
  27. 1:08 – Zach Johnson | Wen-Tang Lin | Robert Karlsson
  28. 1:19 – Jose Maria Olazabal | Martin Kaymer | Brandt Snedeker
  29. 1:30 – K.J. Choi | Alvaro Quiros | Kenny Perry
  30. 1:41 – Trevor Immelman | Adam Scott | Danny Lee
  31. 1:52 – Tiger Woods | Stewart Cink | Jeev Milkha Singh
  32. 2:03 – Anthony Kim | Rory McIlroy | Ryo Ishikawa

2009 Masters Preview, TV Schedule, Odds, Lines, Announcers, Interestingly, Ryo Ishikawa is the second youngest competitor ever at the Masters – 17 years, 6 months, and 23 days. Tommy Jacobs was the youngest, way back in 1952. Jacobs was 17 years, 1 month, and 21 days. Ishikawa won the 2007 Munsingwear Open KSB Cup when he was a 15-year old amateur, making him the youngest champion ever of an Official World Golf Ranking recognized tour.

The best part about the Round 1 groupings and tee times, obviously, is that Tiger tees off in the afternoon and thus the majority of the two-hour live coverage on ESPN will be able to focus on Woods.

Woods Eager to Being Chase for Fifth Masters — (Art Stricklin, Masters.com)

Tuesday Masters Notes — (Art Stricklin, Masters.com)

Masters Betting Tips – Tiger Woods is the Smart Play, but Value Lies Elsewhere

2009 Masters Odds, Lines, Betting Tips, PicksMasters betting action is up and ready to go, as the PGA’s best prepare to tee it up in the 73rd edition of The Masters, which is held at venerable Augusta National Golf Club. Tiger Woods is obviously the sportsbook favorite, but some other golfers offer great online betting value. Here’s a look at the five to watch this weekend at Augusta.

Tiger Woods

Woods will probably be favored when he’s pushing 60. Just look at his Augusta record: 14 starts, four Green Jackets, a record score of -18 in 1997, and eight top-fives, including four in a row. Woods has the taste for winning after his show at Bay Hill, so if you want to take the chalk, take Tiger and his Masters odds of +150.

Tiger Woods photo credit: AP Photo/Amy Sancetta
Masters Betting Tips, Odds, Picks
Retief Goosen


Goosen has four top-three finishes in 10 trips to Augusta, and he’s been playing very well this year, picking up a win in the Transitions Championship. There aren’t very many players on the Tour that can putt on fast greens better than Goosen, so expect him to be in the hunt on Sunday with Masters odds of +2800.

Paul Casey

The Englishman has Masters odds of +2800 after winning the Shell Houston Open, and Casey also finished second to Geoff Ogilvy in the Matchplay. Casey has two top-10s in four trips to Augusta, and just missed the top-10 with a T-11 last year.

2009 Masters Odds, Lines, Betting Tips, PicksRory McIlroy

The 19-year-old will be making his first pilgrimage to Augusta with Masters odds of +3300, and he’s played very well in four U.S. starts this year, staying in the top 20 in all of his events. McIlroy is being touted as one of the next big things, and you can bet that he’ll have a better showing than American young star Anthony Kim, who has Masters odds of +4000 in his first Masters appearance.

Fred Couples

How’s this for a Masters betting long shot? “Boom Boom,” at the ripe old age of 49, has two third-place finishes in his last three starts, and Augusta is a fond place for him as he won his lone major here in 1992. Couples has made 24 trips to Augusta, and has 10 top-10s. Remember Greg Norman in last year’s British Open? If you’re looking for a darkhorse, you could do much worse than Couples’ Masters odds of +6600.

2009 Masters Quick Preview, TV Schedule, Announcers, and Odds to Win

2009 Masters Preview, TV Schedule, Odds, Lines, Announcers, Typically, there are very few positives for me about the end of the NCAA Tournament. This year is a little bit different, simply because Indiana had such a horrible season and part of me has wanted all year to just fast forward to next season. Still, the final note of One Shining Moment still ring with a sense of melancholy last night as the long wait until October began.

But the one bit of solace I have always been able to take from the conclusion of the FInal Four is that The Masters is just around the (Amen) corner. And this year, the anticipation for The Masters is stronger than usual, with the extra drama of it being Tiger Woods’ first Major since the knee injury that sidelined him until just a few weeks ago.

Now let’s take a look at the particulars of the 2009 Masters Golf Tournament:

2009 Masters Quick Preview

And now let’s grab a quick glance at the TV schedule, announcers, and lines for the 2009 Masters:


2009 Masters TV Schedule, Announcers, and Lines

Masters TV Schedule – Wednesday, April 8

  • Masters Practice Round and Par 3 Contest
  • Live Coverage on ESPN
  • 3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

Masters TV Schedule – Thursday, April 9

  • Masters First Round
  • 4:00 – 7:30 pm ET
  • Live Coverage on ESPN and ESPN Deportes

Masters TV Schedule – Friday, April 10

Masters TV Schedule – Saturday, April 11

Masters TV Schedule – Sunday, April 12

CBS Announcers for weekend coverage of 2009 Masters:

  • Host: Jim Nantz (22nd year)
  • 18th hole: Nantz and Nick Faldo
  • 17th hole: Peter Oosterhuis
  • 16th hole: Verne Lundquist
  • 15th hole: David Feherty
  • 14th hole: Bill Macatee
  • 13th hole: Peter Kostis
  • 11th and 12 holes: Ian Baker-Finch

Masters Betting Lines – Odds to Win 2009 Masters: (Betting lines and odds information taken from point-spreads.com and is current as of2009 Masters Preview, TV Schedule, Odds, Announcers 4/6/09. Also check BetUs.com for up-to-date Masters odds info and all kind of fun bets to make the action more enjoyable, if that’s your thing.) Tiger Woods photo credit: AP Photo/Amy Sancetta

  • Tiger Woods +175
  • Phil Mickelson +600
  • Padraig Harrington +1400
  • Sergio Garcia +1400
  • Geoff Ogilvy +1600
  • Retief Goosen +2000
  • Vijay Singh +2500
  • Ernie Els +2500
  • Anthony Kim +2500
  • Camilo Villegas +2500

  • Paul Casey +2500
  • Adam Scott +3000
  • Lee Westwood +3000
  • Henrik Stenson +3000
  • Jim Furyk +3000
  • Zach Johnson +3500
  • Kenny Perry +4000
  • Justin Rose +4000
  • Mike Weir +4000
  • Robert Karlsson +4000
  • Luke Donald +4500
  • K.J. Choi +5000
  • Stewart Cink +5000
  • Trevor Immelman +5000
  • Andres Romero +5000
  • Aaron Baddeley +5000
  • Ian Poulter +5000
  • Steve Stricker +5000
  • Hunter Mahan +6000
  • Stuart Appleby +6000
  • Brandt Snedeker +6000
  • Miguel Angel Jimenez +6000
  • Tim Clark +6000
  • Chad Campbell +6000
  • Fred Couples +6000
  • Angel Cabrera +6000
  • Boo Weekley +6000
  • J.B. Holmes +6000
  • Justin Leonard +6000
  • Robert Allenby +6000
  • Field (All others) +1000

And finally, a smattering of 2009 Masters previews from around the web. I’ll back as the week moves along with more in-depth coverage of the 2009 Masters, plus Masters history posts. For now, I’ll leave it to the experts.