If majors continue to slip from his grasp, Dustin Johnson will be stuck with the label of a career underachiever. The critics will say he squandered his immense talent, that he never could win the big one.
Betting
Obviously, it’s cool to be hip and trending. Most people would prefer that as opposed to being hated and vilified. But there is a danger in becoming too popular, and Bubba Watson is walking that proverbial tightrope this week.
It was funny for a while — and some of his critics might never stop laughing — but now it’s just a bad joke. Tiger Woods‘ struggles on the golf course are getting old.
If there is a dark side to Jordan Spieth, it has not been revealed yet. The new face of golf is a 21-year-old who looks like he never needs to shave and is as polite as a waiter.
Phil Mickelson has six runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, the only major he has not won. But he is playing well, and bettors are showing faith in him. More tickets are being written on Mickelson than on any other player at the Westgate Las Vegas sports book, where his odds are 15-1 after opening at 25-1. Rory McIlroy is the 7-1 favorite, with Jordan Spieth at 8-1.
If golf tournaments ended after 18 holes, this would be a popular result. Jordan Spieth, the betting public’s pick to win the Masters, threatened to run away from the pack during Thursday’s first round and walked into the Augusta National clubhouse with a three-stroke lead.
Under normal circumstances, Rory McIlroy would be the top story. He’s the No. 1 player in the world, he won the past two majors and he’s the favorite in the Masters. But for the first time in two months, Tiger Woods is playing, and guess who is getting all the attention?
On one of those postcard Sundays in San Diego, Jason Day got his moment in the sun at the same time it was setting on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Day’s win in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines is a good story, but it was overshadowed.