Handicapping a Tigerless TPC

Greg Giardini — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:08:55 -0400

This weekend is the self-proclaimed "5th Major" on the PGA Tour, the Players Championship. Tiger Woods, still recovering from post-Masters knee surgery, will not be in the field.

However, the TPC will still have one of the best fields of the year at TPC Sawgrass, highlighted by defending champion Phil Mickelson. Phil, though, has not been playing his best golf and is still recovering from the dreadful weekend he had at Augusta last month.

The dark horse this week could be last year's runner up, Sean O'Hair who went shot for shot with Phil on Sunday before putting two balls in the water on the island 17th. Perhaps, with some more seasoning and a big win at the PODS Championship earlier this season, he could find his stroke and take home the title.

Another former champion to watch for this week is Adam Scott, who has been firing low rounds all year. If not for a nasty cold right before Augusta that set his game back he might be considered the main front runner.

The trendy pick this week would be last week's winner, the 22 year-old phenom Anthony Kim. Kim has one of the prettiest swings in the game and has the poise of a grizzled veteran as evidenced by his 66-69 weekend rounds on the difficult Quail Hollow Course last week. The win also catapulted him up the Fed Ex Cup rankings making him a serious contender at the end of the season.

Everyone's favorite South African, Ernie Els is always a perennial front runner, but other than the win at the Honda Classic, his game has been wildly up and down. He has ranged from dominant to barely being able to break 80.

This could finally be the year for Vijay Singh, who calls TPC Sawgrass his home course, yet has never won this tournament. In fact he only has a few Top 10's in his career at the Players. You'd think that by playing nearly 200 practice rounds a year he'd know the course a little better.

Trevor Immelman might be a popular pick this week, but since winning the Master's he's been non-existent, but you can't blame him for the whirlwind that occurs after winning such a prestigious tournament. Hopefully he can bounce back and put together four solid rounds.

If push came to shove I would have to go with the lefty, Mickelson, to capture another title. But with the final three holes being so treacherous, someone else might sneak out with a win a la Craig Perks.

We will have to watch and see who can claim the ultimate Players prize and gain the advantage heading into the US Open.

Tampa Bay Rays: Time to Shine

Greg Giardini — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:38 -0400

One month into the baseball season and the Tampa Bay Rays are not out of it.

This might not seem like much, but to the folks down in St. Pete (not Tampa) it is a reason to celebrate. For the last decade or so, the Rays have offered almost no competitive baseball in a market that produces many baseball stars and has a strong desire for good sports.

Now, the Rays are no longer an afterthought. Ever since Vince Naimoli sold the team and the new administration has put forth an effort to spend the money, draft good players, and sign players that fans actually know, the future is coming to fruition.

The Rays future began when the New York Mets agreed to most likely the worst trade in baseball history—unloading prospect Scott Kazmir for the much maligned Victor Zambrano.

However, this year the rotation has thrived without the service of Kazmir, who is injured, but returning shortly with the newly acquired Matt Garza, and Rays minor league products James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine, and Edwin Jackson.

With none of the starters over the age of 27, this could be a solid foundation for many years to come. With veteran Troy Percival closing games the Rays have also built the best bullpen in baseball—who would've ever imagined that?

The lineup, although lacking power, is anchored by super prospect, Evan Longoria (insert Desperate Housewife joke here), who in just a short amount of time in the majors has already established himself as the starting third baseman at the age of 22.

Rounding out the infield is the speedy and good defensively Jason Bartlett, Aki Iwamura, a developing catcher in Dioneer Navarro and perhaps the one hit wonder Carlos Pena. If Pena can reproduce the 46 home runs of last season, the Rays would be thrilled.

The outfield is comprised of now-veteran, although still young, Carl Crawford who has been a perennial All-Star and emerging star BJ Upton. So it appears the Rays have survived the Rocco Baldelli debacle and built a solid outfield.

So, will the Rays be up there with the Red Sox and Yankees?

Probably not, but they won't be handing the division to them this year.

Already, they have swept a three-game series against the Sox and won two of three over the Yankees which proves there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for the first time ever at Tropicana Field.

The Rays are proving that persistence pays off. By drafting developing solid young players they are an organization that can compete in the AL East, which gives hope to the destitute of baseball like the Royals and Pirates.

So, tune in to some Rays games—hey they might even get on ESPN once or twice this year and catch a glimpse of what may become baseball's next big thing.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Greg Giardini

Handicapping a Tigerless TPC

Tampa Bay Rays: Time to Shine