Tournament Roundup: Post Early and Ride the Lightning

If we've learned anything this season, it's that there are a lot of ways to win a golf tournament. So far we've seen players steadily dominate tournaments, playoff wins, and after this week, comeback wins. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of ways to lose a golf tournament. JB Holmes knows that better than anyone. Holmes, a nine-year veteran of the tour with 6 professional wins, posted a 62 during his first round, earning a 4 shot lead and a score of 10 under par.

Holmes would extend his lead to 5 strokes on the final day after shooting 73 and 70 in the second and third rounds respectively, and he would need a round of par or better to hold off a rallying Dustin Johnson, who shot back-to-back 69's to finish the tournament at 9 under. Although Holmes held a sizable lead on the final day, the Sunday afternoon meltdown machine had followed Ian Poulter down to Miami and had set it's sights on Holmes, who would go on to shoot a 3 over 75 in the final round.

Next time, big guy.

Certainly a disappointing week for Holmes, but all things considered, 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for the Kentucky native. He's made nearly $2 million this year already in 9 events, which puts him on track to make over $4.5 million this year, assuming he plays the same 24 events he did last season.

If Holmes can keep playing at this level, he could be a dark horse pick for this year's President's Cup team, joining the other two players that rounded out the top three this weekend at Doral, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson. Watson had a hell of a start on Sunday, shooting a 32 on the front nine and was in and out of the lead going down the stretch before three bogies on the back nine dropped him back to 3rd for the tournament at -7. Johnson's round was more of a slow-burner, outlasting Holmes by one shot for the title.

Other Highlights

Lots of fireworks from the top three this week. They accounted for six eagles this week, half of which were courtesy of World No. 2 Bubba Watson. As good as that sounds, it doesn't come close to what Johnson and Holmes treated spectators to on Saturday at the par-3 4th hole. Within the space of 24 minutes, Johnson and Holmes, separated by one group, played identical soft drawing seven irons with identical results. Matching aces that would foreshadow their shootout in the final group on the final day.

And then...

Sneaky contender for celly of the year? Just a classic fat guy move with the double fist pumps. Love it. Gonna take a lot to top Jason Bohn's Suck It move at the Waste Management, which I'd post if I weren't too dumb to remember how to embed a vine in this blog. It's right here if that's something you're interested in.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention World No. 1 Rory McIlroy doing something on the golf course that every golfer has wanted to do at one time or another. Struggling to get his round going, Rors rinsed his approach on the par-5 8th, then he rinsed his 3 iron too. Anyone who says they can't understand why he would do that is either a liar or has never played golf, and  if I'm honest, they're probably both.

It's okay Rors, we still love you, but you know what you need to do. If you want to get back to late 2014 form, whoever you're dating now needs to go the way of the Woz. End it. End it now.

Keep your head down.

Tournament Roundup: Irish Eyes are Smiling

What a finish at the Honda Classic, huh?

Now, I know that at least 50% of my readership doesn't watch golf (Hi Dad!), so statistically speaking, you probably didn't see it, so here's a brief rundown of how the final round went.

Ian Poulter started his final round at -7, a full three shots ahead of second place and that's as close as he got to winning. After two rinsing two balls on two tee shots in the space of two holes, Poulter quickly fell out of contention. He went on to birdie the two finishing holes, but finishing -5 is hardly the result Poulter was looking for after his first appearance in the final group in as long as anyone can remember.

Classic Poulter.

The best story here, outside of Harrington's first win in seven years, is Daniel Berger's final round. In his first full season on the PGA Tour, Berger shot consecutive 71's in the second and third round and started his final round 9 shots off the lead. At times trailing by as many as 11, Berger shot a final round 64 and held the lead in the clubhouse. With the final group seemingly floundering, he had Dan Hicks waxing poetic about the greatest comeback in PGA Tour history until Harrington bounced back from a double bogey on 17 with a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff.

I'm 90% sure this is him. Kid needs to work on his Google Image presence.

The playoff lasted only two holes, but what it lacked in length, it made up for in drama. The first hole was the par-5 18th, where Harrington made par and Berger narrowly missed his birdie attempt and chance at victory. The pair made their way to the final hole in the Bear Trap, a diabolical three hole stretch known to provide heartbreak and wet golf balls in equal measure at the best of times. Having felt the pressure put on by Berger on the 18th, Harrington teed off first and stuck his tee shot on the par-3 17th within four feet of the cup, giving himself a very good look at birdie. In response, Berger made quite the splash with his tee shot, slicing it into the water about three yards short of the green, and that's all she wrote.

We need more mustaches in sports.

Absolutely love seeing Paddy Harrington get back in the winner's circle. Notching his sixth career win on the PGA tour, the two-time Open champion's win is his first since he captured the PGA championship by two strokes in 2008. It's been a long time coming for Harrington, who has struggled in the intervening years between victories, but full credit to him, he made the shots he needed to make.

Harrington's win also gives me the opportunity to post two of my favorite golf videos of all time.

...and...

The man hits shots better blindfolded than I can on my best days, how can you not love that?

Moving ahead to next week, or this week because its Thursday and my blogs are becoming more delinquent by the week, I've been made aware of a theory that could help my predictions. When James Hahn won at Riviera, he was ranked 297th in the World Golf Rankings. When Harrington won at PGA National, HE was ranked 297th in the world. So who is ranked 297th in the world this week? Steve Webster. A two-time winner on the European Tour, he's never played on the PGA Tour. As far as I can tell, his only claim to fame is that he beat Tiger Woods as the low amateur in the 1995 Open Championship, but I trust the system, so that's my pick.

Your 2015 WGC Cadillac Championship winner.

Keep your head down.