PGA - The Buick Open
By: Brian Gabrielle | bgsports.com
The folks at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, MI, are lamenting not having Tiger Woods around this weekend. But that only opens the door for someone like Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry.
Stewart Cink won last week. That's not a typo. You can look it up. Not only did he win, he won with the lead. He closed it out.
Anyone who's been watching golf for the last decade or so knows that Cink isn't what you would call a closer. He's a better version of Chris DiMarco in that he makes a very, very good living on the PGA Tour, he's had his moments in the spotlight next to Tiger and he's won a handful of tournaments, but he's not a closer. Until now.
Of course I picked against him. I can't recall ever picking against Cink in a head-to-head prior to this week because he's always in the Top 10. And I stopped picking him in the outright years ago after learning my lesson about him and closing.
Now watch, this win will touch off more wins to go with all the Top 10's and it'll be Cink (currently ranked sixth in the world golf ranking), not Mickelson, who knocks Tiger out of the top spot before Woods returns.
Crazier things have happened, like Cink holding a lead.
At this week's Buick Open in Grand Blank, Michigan, scoring will be low. It's a birdie course. Short and sweet, you might say. Those kinds of players have thrived here. Players like Scott Verplank, Rocco Mediate and Jim Furyk, all of whom have won.
Tiger's won this in the past, too, but this week marks the first week Tiger won't take part in a tournament that he'd planned to prior to finding out that he needs a new leg. The door is wide open. Let's see who takes advantage.
Take Furyk (10-1), 1/6 unit: Of all the people in the field, he owns this tournament. With the aforementioned win and the most top-10s in the tourney's long history, he's the prohibitive favorite, especially now that Tiger's out.
Take Kenny Perry (12-1), 1/6 unit: Yes, I'm standing by my man, perhaps one too many times. But he's still on fire and the Ryder Cup still isn't assured for him. And, as mentioned, this is a birdie course. You have to make a lot of them. He's good at that, especially lately.
Take Jeff Quinney (40-1), 1/6 unit: He ranks first in putting average and seventh in putts per round, which might have something to do with his 3.68 birdies per round in 2008 (that ranks eighth on Tour). Dating to The Players in mid-May, he's played very well, with a third place finish at Sawgrass followed by a T7 at Colonial. Then a T30 at the Memorial and a T29 at the U.S. Open (which started with a 79 – he rebounded nicely at Torrey Pines with 70, 70 and 72).
By: Brian Gabrielle | bgsports.com
The folks at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, MI, are lamenting not having Tiger Woods around this weekend. But that only opens the door for someone like Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry.
Stewart Cink won last week. That's not a typo. You can look it up. Not only did he win, he won with the lead. He closed it out.
Anyone who's been watching golf for the last decade or so knows that Cink isn't what you would call a closer. He's a better version of Chris DiMarco in that he makes a very, very good living on the PGA Tour, he's had his moments in the spotlight next to Tiger and he's won a handful of tournaments, but he's not a closer. Until now.
Of course I picked against him. I can't recall ever picking against Cink in a head-to-head prior to this week because he's always in the Top 10. And I stopped picking him in the outright years ago after learning my lesson about him and closing.
Now watch, this win will touch off more wins to go with all the Top 10's and it'll be Cink (currently ranked sixth in the world golf ranking), not Mickelson, who knocks Tiger out of the top spot before Woods returns.
Crazier things have happened, like Cink holding a lead.
At this week's Buick Open in Grand Blank, Michigan, scoring will be low. It's a birdie course. Short and sweet, you might say. Those kinds of players have thrived here. Players like Scott Verplank, Rocco Mediate and Jim Furyk, all of whom have won.
Tiger's won this in the past, too, but this week marks the first week Tiger won't take part in a tournament that he'd planned to prior to finding out that he needs a new leg. The door is wide open. Let's see who takes advantage.
Take Furyk (10-1), 1/6 unit: Of all the people in the field, he owns this tournament. With the aforementioned win and the most top-10s in the tourney's long history, he's the prohibitive favorite, especially now that Tiger's out.
Take Kenny Perry (12-1), 1/6 unit: Yes, I'm standing by my man, perhaps one too many times. But he's still on fire and the Ryder Cup still isn't assured for him. And, as mentioned, this is a birdie course. You have to make a lot of them. He's good at that, especially lately.
Take Jeff Quinney (40-1), 1/6 unit: He ranks first in putting average and seventh in putts per round, which might have something to do with his 3.68 birdies per round in 2008 (that ranks eighth on Tour). Dating to The Players in mid-May, he's played very well, with a third place finish at Sawgrass followed by a T7 at Colonial. Then a T30 at the Memorial and a T29 at the U.S. Open (which started with a 79 – he rebounded nicely at Torrey Pines with 70, 70 and 72).