2013 Masters Prediction and current betting

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2013 Masters

The Main Contenders

The current odds at leading book makers have:

Tigers Woods 7/2, Phil Mickelson 11/1, Rory Mcilroy 11/1

Everyone is eagerly awaiting the possible duel between Tiger, Phil and Rory at the 2013 Masters.  The book makers now have these three a clear favourites but who will come out on top, will woods secure another impressive masters title? Or will, as so often happens someone emerge from the pack victorious?

The Contenders – 2013 Masters

Tiger Woods

It’s safe to say:  He is back.

Breaking through this weekend, to regain the world number 1 spot, could not have come at a better time for Tiger, heading into one of his most hyped tournaments in recent memory.  The key statistics are simple.  Tiger had a disappointing competition last year finishing outside of the top 15, by some way, recently his form has returned and so too has his winning ways.

Everyone in the field is going to be sensing the return of Woods’ dominating presence, and a win this week could set in motion the history making we’ve all been waiting for.

Rory McIlroy

The previously mentioned McIlroy is a mere 23 years old, but he is ready to shine on the big stage, recently he has been in the news for perhaps the wrong reasons, walking off the course, the possibility of not being at one with his clubs, have not helped his preparations. Most recently he was seen on a municipal course practising on the range

 

Phil Mickelson

To be honest, putting Phil on the contender list is almost simply out of respect to quite possibly one of the most genuinely nicest guys that you will ever be able to meet.

Playing, at Augusta, Phil has been sharp in the early going. He will need to employ his natural skills with his short game and ensure the putter is working, then ride out the magic of Augusta to yet another green jacket. Would it be a surprise if he did?

The 2013 Masters will be something special, it always is..

2013 Masters Preview and Prediction: Tiger, Phil , and Rory

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2013 masters

2013 Masters Preview

Headline the list of contenders

“A tradition.”

We might wonder if spring is ever going to come upon us this year, with March Madness and not much prospect for a better April. What event, when faced with such stiff competition from the weather, the world wide sporting events that now are available at a press of a button can bring us out of our winter blues… The Masters, “A tradition”

So what will the 2013 version bring us?

2013 Masters Schedule

  • 2013 Masters Practice Rounds: April 8-9
  • 2013 Masters Par 3 Contest: April 10
  • 2013 Masters Thursday-Friday April 11 – 12
  • 2013 Masters Saturday-Sunday April 13 – 14

2013 The Course

The history of the masters is a major factor in the greatness of this event, but not so much is known about the course and the naming of the holes, with each hole being named after a flowers or trees. This is possibly due to the fact that the masters course is situated on the old Fruitland nurseries which was purchased in 1931. The common names of the holes are.

No. 1 – Tea Olive
No. 2 – Pink Dogwood
No. 3 – Flowering Peach
No. 4 – Flowering Crab Apple
No. 5 – Magnolia
No. 6 – Juniper
No. 7 – Pampas
No. 8 – Yellow Jasmine
No. 9 – Carolina Cherry
No. 10 – Camellia
No. 11 – White Dogwood
No. 12 – Golden Bell
No. 13 – Azalea
No. 14 – Chinese Fir
No. 15 – Firethorn
No. 16 – Redbud
No. 17 – Nandina
No. 18 – Holly

Amen Corner

The most famous three hole in golf, without a doubt are the three signature holes at Augusta, but what is the history.

“The second shot at the 11th, all of the 12th, and the tee shot at the 13th hole at Augusta are nicknamed “Amen Corner”. This term was first used in print by author Herbert Warren Wind in his April 21, 1958 Sports Illustrated article about the Masters that year. In a Golf Digest article in April 1984, 26 years later, Wind told about its origin. He said he wanted a catchy phrase like baseball’s “hot-corner” or football’s “coffin-corner” to explain where some of the most exciting golf had taken place (the Palmer-Venturi rules issue at twelve in particular). Thus “Amen Corner” was born. He said it came from the title of a jazz record he had heard in the mid-1930s by a group led by Chicago’s Mezz Mezzrow,Shouting in that Amen Corner”

2013 Par 3 Event

The 2013 Masters Par 3 Contest will be held on Wednesday, April 10, and will be shown live on TV.

Of all the traditions at the Masters, none is more endearing than the annual Par 3 Contest. This event is more of a family affair with friends,  A list and most importantly family members caddying for their idols.

The competition acts as part competition and part stress relief on the eve of the Masters, the Par 3 Contest has not more than 50 years of tradition behind it. The inaugural exhibition was held in 1960 and won by Sam Snead (who would win again in 1974, one month shy of his 62nd birthday). The varied field consists of Tournament participants, non-competing past champions and Honorary Invitees. The course is varied and the holes range n length form 70 yards to 140 yards. There have been over 75 holes-in-one made since the competition started, including a record five in 2002.

The winner of the completion does seem to be handicapped by history with no one winner ever going on to win at the man event, “The Masters” The one caveat  to this is that not every entrant posts a score with many choosing to simply relax and enjoy the moment.

2013 The Main Contenders

Everyone is eagerly awaiting the possible duel between Tiger and McIlroy at the 2013 Masters. Who will come out on top, will woods secure another impressive masters title? Or will, as so often happens someone emerge from the pack victorious?

The Contenders

Tiger Woods

It’s safe to say:  He is back.

Breaking through this weekend, to regain the world number 1 spot, could not have come at a better time for Tiger, heading into one of his most hyped tournaments in recent memory.  The key statistics are simple.  Tiger had a disappointing competition last year finishing outside of the top 15, by some way, recently his form has returned and so too has his winning ways.

Everyone in the field is going to be sensing the return of Woods’ dominating presence, and a win this week could set in motion the history making we’ve all been waiting for.

Rory McIlroy

The previously mentioned McIlroy is a mere 23 years old, but he is ready to shine on the big stage, recently he has been in the news for perhaps the wrong reasons, walking off the course, the possibility of not being at one with his clubs, have not helped his preparations. Most recently he was seen on a municipal course practising on the range

 

Phil Mickelson

To be honest, putting Phil on the contender list is almost simply out of respect to quite possibly one of the most genuinely nicest guys that you will ever be able to meet.

Playing, at Augusta, Phil has been sharp in the early going. He will need to employ his natural skills with his short game and ensure the putter is working, then ride out the magic of Augusta to yet another green jacket. Would it be a surprise if he did?

European hopes

It’s about time a European golfer picks up the title and the much converted green jacket;  Rory we have already spoken about, but could it be Sergio, Lee or Luke?

All three have a great chance and the tools to win, none have really featured this year so the pressure may initially be off them a little. But come Thursday, of the tournament week, each will be trying to succeed. If the first round puts them in the frame, the pressure and European expectations will rise.

2013 Masters Prediction

And the winner will be….Rory McIlroy. 

People have forgotten too quickly about his dominant performance at the US Open less than two year ago, and it is Rory’s time to shine at Augusta. It won’t be easy, as he does need to improve a lot in a short space of time, but he undoubtedly has the talents, he now has the mind set to accompany this. If he keeps his nose clean in the first two rounds and stay in contention, then the weekend will bring him the opportunity that no one will be grudge him.

What a final pairing it would be if we could see Tiger and McIlroy playing together on Sunday, can it happen?

Making Golf Games Better – Electric Trolleys

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Making golf games better – Electric trolleys

Golf is a game of swings. The better and more accurate your swing is, the better golfer you are. However, mastering a perfect golf swing exposes you to a lot of health hazards. Some of the very common health hazards that a golfer often face are problems with lower back, elbows, shoulders, hands and wrists. Plenty assistive golf equipment such as electric trolleys, have been introduced lately to ward off these hazards and make the game of golf a better one. Plenty of new concepts have also emerged to help golfers reduce the hazards of the game and assist in achieving the perfect swing.

Some of the commonly used pieces of assistive golf equipment are ball teeing devices that help a golfer to tee up their ball while in standing position, magnetic ball markers which when used with a putter help a golfer to mark their ball on the green without the need of bending down, mini caddies that allow a golfer to carry 2 balls, tees, pencil etc. in one that attaches to belt or bag, tee tools, remote controlled or manual electric golf trolleys etc.All these piece of equipment somehow or other help to reduce a golfer’s stress and make the game of golf more comfortable and enjoyable. The most vulnerable parts of a golfer’s body which are always open to hazards are the shoulders, neck and lower back. And these are the parts that are used mostly in the golf swing. If these areas are tired, the game becomes tough for a golfer and eventually he/she cannot give his best. As a result the probability of losing the game is fairly high.Before these pieces of equipment emerged, the only way to move around a golf course was to walk, and with the addition of carrying the heavy golf bag on the shoulders. For a person with knee, back or shoulder problems this idea was definitely not comfortable. The process of carrying the heavy bag, putting it down and again picking it up all through the game was tough even for a person with no health issues.The most notable amongst the items of assistive golf equipment is probably electric golf trolleys as they effectively reduce this hazard to a large extent. Golfers using electric trolleysdo not need to carry a heavy golf bag on their shoulders as they move around the course between swings. This reduces the stress, especially in the lower back and shoulders, that adds to the stress of walking and thus helps to effectively reduce a golfer’s handicap. Walking between shots definitely does have cardiovascular health benefits, but pulling a thirty to forty pound golf bag along does not.Electric golf trolleys can be manual or remote controlled. These items often come with batteries, rain covers, travel bag, chargers and toolkits. Some of the electric golf trolleys are foldable and are very easy to store. Some more advanced ones come with a score card holder. Stylish as they are, with all the features to reduce the hazards of the game and aiding golfers in their efforts to achieve the perfect swing, electric golf trolleys go a long way towards making the game of golf a better one.

Inspiring Golf Trivia

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In this amazing world of golfing, there are in-numerous incidents happening everyday that are extremely motivational and inspires us to continually improve our games. Here are few that you would definitely love..

  • The PGA was incorporated in 1968. What was once known as the PGA of America changed to what is now known as the PGA? Let’s look at some interesting facts:
  • John Daly, a favorite among many golf fans won his very first major tournament in 1991 in Indiana at Crooked Stick.
  • Did you know that Tiger Woods while playing in his first professional tournament scored an ace? It’s true he had a hole in one in 1996 at his first professional event, the Milwaukee Open.
  • How many tournaments did Tiger Woods win on the PGA in 2001? He won five total tournaments that year. The Players, Bay Hill, The Masters, The Memorial and the NEC
  • Arguably one of the best golfers ever to play, Sam Snead finished in 8th place in the 1975 Canadian Open, he was 63 years old.
  • Arnold Palmer one of the best ever, entered the Senior PGA Tour in 1980. He did not enter the Championship that year but did the following year and won it, he was 51 years old.
  • Golfers didn’t make as much money in the old days as they do now. Arnold Palmer’s biggest payday came in 1971 when he won the Westchester Classic he made $50,000.
  • How many majors did Arnold Palmer win? Arnold won seven major championships which included the Masters four times and the British Open twice.
  • What tournament is older, the British Open or the US Open? The British Open is older, they began play in 1865 while the first US Open was held in 1895
  • Who won the first British Open? The man that won the first British Open was Horace Rawlins. The Englishman pocketed a neat $150 for his accomplishment. They also provided a gold medal to him.

Electric Golf Trolley -No more strain, more time to concentrate

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By using a device such as a golf trolley, to take the strain, the golfer’s game can only benefit, especially in areas not previously considered. The stress and strain suffered when manually hauling a golf bag around is taken up by the golf trolley, but this then also has the added benefit that you can spend more time concentrating on the game and also the camaraderie of playing with your friends. If it’s anything like the games I play in, then it quickly turns in to who is buying the tea.

No longer simply the domain of the more mature or rich golfer

Both male and female golfers of all ages are seeing the benefits, long gone are the days when only older golfers had trolleys, a vast number of serious juniors also use trolleys to allow them to give their best.

Electric Golf Trolley or Manual Golf Trolley

Manual golf trolley

These trolleys can be either pulled or pushed. The pull trolleys have 2 wheels, and the push trolleys have 3 wheels. The 3 wheeled version being more stable and has the added benefit of being either pushed or pulled. Traditionally 2 wheels trolleys were very simple device, often employing solid wheels and having quiet flimsy frames. The newer three wheeled version are much more technical in their folding and often now use pneumatic wheels.

The trolleys are collapsible so that they can be stored away, thus allowing for easy transportation to and from the golf courses.

A big problem with the older 2 wheel trolleys is that they would not last and it seemed to be a regular occurrence that parts of frames would be seen in rubbish bins around the course having not made it back to the car park. This does not seem to be the case for the more robust and easier to use three wheeled trolleys.

Electric golf trolley

Most of these trolleys are 3 wheeled and are powered by an on board battery, leaving the golfer only needing to guide the trolley along its path. Trolleys have evolved with a number of new and innovative features. Gps devices have been fitted to trolleys to also provide course management facilities, USB charging ports are now appearing to enable the golfer to charge electronic devices.

The critical thing to remember with all electric golf trolleys is that they are battery powered, if the battery is not cared for correctly or the battery sized wrong for the usage, it will let you down. It is important to charge the battery immediately after the round has finished, keeping it stored in a warm place and not in the boot of your car or a cold shed at the golf course.

Summary

For a golfer who no longer wishes to lug their golf bag over an entire golf course, there are two main alternatives, the manual golf trolley (pull or push) and the electric golf trolley.  It must be remembered that not all golf courses allow the electric golf trolleys to be used during the winter months. During particularly wet months some course stipulate the use of winter wheels, often employing large rubber spikes to spread the load. The benefit of using a trolley of any kind are great, but the use of an electric golf trolley is the easiest and gives you most time to enjoy the game and to concentrate on what is the difficult part, playing golf.