The Champions Tour sets sail

As I sing happy birthday to the greatest golfer to ever hold a flatstick, I want to pay my respect to the PGA Tour. It is simply in a lifeboat. The Hope Classic has no sponsor and has no top 30 players playing. Rather, all the talent has been sucked away (as predicted), following the money wherever it goes to the detriment of fans of the game. This week, the money is in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. The PGA Tour will find itself in Mexico and Puerto Rico before it comes back to Augusta.

Where is a US golf fan to turn?

How about Hawaii?

That's right. The Champion's Tour. With little fanfare, one of the most popular golfers in history...Fred Couples, made his Champions Tour debut this week in Hualalai. He is currently in 3rd behind other (former PGA Tour) fan favorites Tom Lehman and Tom Watson. I believe the Champions Tour holds more enjoyment to the US golf fan now than ever. Most of the fan favorites are now in full rotation on the Champions Tour, and sponsors are noticing, which will allow the Tour to thrive where other Tours are having to retrench.

As an overall optimistic fan of the game...I think it's great to have all these Tours so we can pick and choose our what interests us. I believe for the next few years the Champions Tour will garner the most fan interest. I see a retro-rebirth...couch-golfers connecting with their past. Freddy will lead the way, and I see the Champions Tour as the rope that will keep the overall PGA's life- preserver treading water.

Maybe presciently...The Champions Tour this week is sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric.

I think we're about to see sparks fly.

Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Like the NFL...check this out

The long shot

Last week, a buddy of mine was at the CES in Vegas, and I gave him a few sheckles to place some bets for me. I took the popular route, and placed some wagers on the Super Bowl and the NCAA Basketball Championships. I've done well with those bets before...why change horses mid-stream?

But I missed an opportunity.

Look at the current odds for the 2010 Masters .

Are you kidding me? 5:2 on Tiger when he is holed-up in a place unknown getting facial restoration (he's not shown himself at all...the fallout "is the reason"...like Prez Obama tells his staff...we should connect the dots...so should we), and has deemed to sit out this year?!

There are a lot of optimists out there! I'm not one of them. We won't see Tiger until the end of the 2010 season...my guess would be the last couple tournaments to boost his stock over the winter and to create a media frenzy in anticipation going into 2011.

If I were his handlers, that's how I'd play it.

But I digress. The reason for this post is to tell you who I think will win the 2K10 Masters.

I think this year is the greatest opportunity to wager on golf's super dark-horses...those with over 100-1 odds...why? Because the golfers know this is their best chance too. This will be their best fighting chance to take a tremendous honor and trophy that Tiger Woods owns, and will take ownership of again....once he returns.

I like Weekly and Curtis. Both 125-1 odds, both steady-Eddie's...both do well in Majors.

That's my best guess...whom do you like? Place your bets!


Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB