As 2015 is winding down I was thinking I should get a head start on setting up my Yahoo Fantasy Golf Pool for 2016. I went to the home page for Yahoo Fantasy Golf and found the following:
This is very disappointing, as I thought Yahoo did a great job with their Fantasy Golf.
I guess I will have to find another golf fantasy pool to play in for 2016. Please comment if you have any suggestions.
UPDATE – Yahoo has changed their minds and is going to offer fantasy golf for 2016.
A poor Sunshine Tour player took a ricochet off of a tree right to a place where you don’t want to take a ricochet.
The Golf Channel’s Morning Drive missed the perfect opportunity to tie-in the best “hit in groin” moment in primetime television.
And there is also Chi Chi Rodriguez getting himself during the glass breaking challenge on Big Break.
And of course, no one should forget about Judge Smails on the first hole at Bushwood.
I am sure something similar has happened to every guy who has tried to sneak in a round of golf.
Don’t get “Thorp-edoed”.
The 2015 Presidents Cup is about to start, and here is a team comparison based on our Power Rankings.
The table below has all of the players on each team. Each player has their current power index number followed by their power ranking position in parentheses, as of Sept. 28.
| International | USA |
| Jason Day 22.38 (1) | Dustin Johnson 16.96 (9) |
| Hideki Matsuyama 11.17 (33) | Bubba Watson 16.46 (10) |
| Anirban Lahiri 10.75 (37) | Rickie Fowler 15.21 (15) |
| Branden Grace 9.54 (45) | Jordan Spieth 13.38 (20) |
| Danny Lee 8.83 (53) | Zach Johnson 13.13 (23) |
| Thongchai Jaidee 7.08 (76) | Jim Furyk 12.42 (24) |
| Sang-moon Bae 6.00 (92) | Matt Kuchar 11.29 (30) |
| Charl Schwartzel 5.88 (96) | Patrick Reed 5.04 (125) |
| Steven Bowditch 5.75 (100) | Bill Haas 4.25 (161) |
| Louis Oosthuizen 5.67 (104) | Phil Mickelson 1.58 (292) |
| Adam Scott 0.21 (392) | Jimmy Walker 1.00 (332) |
| Marc Leishman -1.17 (678) | Chris Kirk 0.00 (403) |
According to the Power Rankings, which are based on recent performance, it should be a pretty even match, but the U.S. team is too strong at the top. The Internationals may have Jason Day, but the U.S team has 7 players ranked higher than the second-highest ranked International (Hideki Matsuyama). Maybe the fact that the matches will take place in South Korea will even it out.
The U.S. team overcame a 10-6 deficit going into the singles matches to win the Solheim Cup by a score of 14.5-13.5.
Europe’s Caroline Masson missed a 15-foot putt in her match on the 18th hole that would have clinched the cup for Europe. After Masson’s miss, Gerina Piller had her own 15-foot putt that she had to make in order for the U.S. to have a chance. Piller made it to win her match against Masson, and the U.S. pretty much had it won then with all remaining matches having at least a 2-up lead.
Looking back at the matches, the weakness of the European team was exposed in the singles. Europe managed to ham-and-egg their way to their big lead in the team formats, foursomes and four ball, but overall the U.S. team came into the matches playing much better, as evidenced by our Solheim Cup Team Comparison.
Congrats to team U.S.A.
By the way, Suzann Pettersen has lost just about all respect with the stunt she pulled on Sunday morning against Alison Lee. Lee had missed a birdie putt and had about 2-feet left. Pettersen, playing partner Charley Hull, and all officials began to leave the green. The referee announced the match as all-square, and Lee scooped up her ball. That’s when Pettersen announced that the putt had not been conceded and that by picking up her ball, Alison Lee and forfeited the hole, giving the Euros a 1-up lead.
It would be hard to find a worse example of poor sportsmanship, and makes you glad the Americans rallied to win the competition later in the day.
The 2015 Solheim Cup is currently in progress. I am a little late to the party, as I thought it was next week, but here is a team comparison based on our Power Rankings.
The table below has all of the players on each team. Each player has their current power index number followed by their power ranking position in parentheses, as of Sept. 13.
| Europe | USA |
| Azahara Munoz 4.71 (135) | Lexi Thompson 22.00 (2) |
| Karine Icher 3.67 (180) | Alison Lee 17.10 (8) |
| Anna Nordqvist 3.13 (204) | Stacy Lewis 14.96 (11) |
| Melissa Reid 2.79 (226) | Morgan Pressel 7.79 (69) |
| Charley Hull 2.71 (228) | Cristie Kerr 7.63 (71) |
| Suzann Pettersen 2.00 (272) | Lizette Salas 4.75 (133) |
| Carlota Ciganda 0.63 (351) | Gerina Piller 3.00 (211) |
| Sandra Gal -0.21 (571) | Michelle Wie 2.92 (217) |
| Gwladys Nocera -1.08 (662) | Brittany Lang 2.08 (260) |
| Caroline Masson -2.92 (1500) | Brittany Lincicome 1.46 (303) |
| Cartiona Matthew -3.13 (1695) | Angela Stanford -0.58 (596) |
| Caroline Hedwall -3.54 (1753) | Paula Creamer -4.79 (1998) |
According to the Power Rankings, which are based on recent performance, it should be a relative cakewalk for the American team. At the time of this post though, the European team is in control of the matches.
It’s one year until golf returns to the Olympics, and the Golf Channel has a video about the Canadian who won the last Olympic gold medal in golf, George Lyon.
So I guess Canada is the defending Olympic champion in golf.
This week is the Canadian Open, so I figured I should post something about a couple of Canadian golfing legends, Moe Norman and George Knudson.
Moe Norman has been called the greatest ball-striker of all time, and by people like Jack Nicklaus.
Until Mike Weir came along, George Knudson was the most successful Canadian to play the PGA Tour.