2011 WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
May
5
Written by:
5/5/2011 12:02 AM
Well, since the Wells Fargo Championship begins tomorrow, I am going to try and make an educated prediction in who may win the title this week.
- YOU CAN NOT HAVE WON HERE BEFORE. I know this tournament is still young, but there has yet to be a repeat Champion. So if your name is on this list, you will not win. Not all of these players are here, but this is a starting point.
2010 Rory McIlroy
2009 Sean O'Hair
2008 Anthony Kim
2007 Tiger Woods
2006 Jim Furyk
2005 Vijay Singh
2004 Joey Sindelar
2003 David Toms
- YOUNG GUNS IN THE RUNNING Looking at this list of Champions, the first four years saw veteran players win and the last three have seen some of the younger players on Tour take control.
- HIT THE BALL LONG This is a very long course and the younger players have the ability to hit the ball a long way. The rain that came thru the area late Tuesday night was quick and hard, but has to have softened the course even if just slightly. The Tour Driving average is around 285 yards currently, so if you are below that, sorry, I don’t see you contending here Sunday afternoon.
4. SCRAMBLING Phil Mickelson said that Quail Hollow has a lot of similarities to Augusta, which is a hell of a complement. “It's very much like Augusta, and there's so many trees here, it really is exciting because it gives you an opportunity to try a recovery shot. There's a lot of penalties with as many trees as are here, that they have here, but I think it is the most exciting shot in golf, and it gives you an opportunity given the first cut to do that.” Guys have to be creative when they get into trouble here. You don’t want to miss your target on these greens or miss them altogether because of the movement on these greens. Again, I think you need to be in the top half of this category.
5. TEE TIMES It seems like Friday afternoons get a bit breezy, so I am looking for guys playing Thursday afternoon and coming back Friday morning to post a number.
6. WHO IS EVERYONE ELSE GOING WITH? Looking at various other predictions, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Nick Watney seem to be the picks the majority of prognosticators are going with. Bubba won last week in new Orleans and I just don’t see him winning back to back weeks. Phil did not putt well at Augusta and that can hurt you big time here. Also, Phil doesn’t play 17 well and that could cost him this weekend. I am just not feeling Nick Watney this week, call it my gut.
7. Well, I guess I have put all of the criteria out there. No former champions, young guy that has a driving average greater than 285 yards, good scrambler, playing Thursday afternoon and not a trendy pick. Ricky Barnes, Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Bill Haas, Camilo Villegas, Bo Van Pelt….can I pick all of these and give you the field? Camilo Villegas has no Top 10’s this season, so he is eliminated. Bo Van Pelt only has 1 Top 10 finish this season, so I have eliminated him. Rickie Fowler and Ricky Barnes both only have two Top 10 finishes this season, but both of Barnes are 4th places finishes, so Fowler is eliminated. Bill Haas playing at home can possibly create some unwanted or unneeded pressure. Webb Simpson and Dustin Johnson are both right there. I am going to go out and say the golfing gods are going to pay back Webb Simpson this week and he will win the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship. Hopefully I did not just give Webb this Kiss of Death!