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Nike Athletes: Tour Wrap-up 8.29

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Great weekend for Nike golf. Lots of players in contention and there could have been wins on three of the major tours. Woods impressed and made ground, while Casey and Cink played very well. Dyson and Molinari were in contention from the start, while Pettersen and Wie were in similar positions in Winnipeg, but finished 1, 2.

PGA Tour: The Barclays

T12 :: Paul Casey :: 69 69 70 69 :: 277 :: -7
T12 :: Tiger Woods :: 65 73 72 67 :: 277 :: -7
T15 :: Stewart Cink :: 67 79 73 69 :: 278 :: 6
T36 :: Stephen Ames :: 74 68 69 72 :: 282 :: -2
T36 :: Justin Leonard :: 71 71 71 69 :: 282 :: -2
T64 :: David Duval :: 68 72 72 75 :: 287 :: +3
CUT :: Lucas Glover :: 72 74 :: 146 :: +4
CUT :: Anthony Kim :: 73 75 :: 148 :: +6
CUT :: Carl Pettersson :: 71 75 :: 146 :: +4
European Tour: Johnny Walker Championship

T3 :: Francesco Molinari :: 68 70 68 75 :: 281 :: -7
6 :: Simon Dyson :: 68 70 70 74 :: 282 :: -6
T51 :: Richard Finch :: 66 74 70 82 :: 292 :: +4
T56 :: Marc Warren :: 68 70 71 84 :: 293 :: +5
T63 :: Oliver Fisher :: 69 73 76 79 :: 297 :: +9
T65 :: James Morrison :: 71 72 75 81 :: 299 :: +11
CUT :: Pablo Martin :: 72 73 :: 145 :: +1

LPGA Tour: CN Canadian Women’s Open

1 :: Michelle Wie :: 65 69 72 70 :: 276 :: -12
T2 :: Suzann Pettersen :: 69 69 72 69 :: 279 :: -9
CUT :: Amanda Blumenherst :: 77 79 :: 156 :: +12

Ladies European Tour: Finnair Masters

CUT :: Carly Booth :: 73 75 :: 148 :: +6

Champions Tour: Boeing Classic

T25 :: John Cook :: 71 70 74 :: 215 :: -1

Nationwide Tour: Knoxville News Sentinel Open

T54 :: Kevin Kisner :: 69 71 71 72 :: 283 :: -5
T61 ::  Chris Nallen :: 69 71 68 77 :: 285 :: -3
WD :: Garrett Osborn
CUT :: Scott Brown :: 70 73 :: 143 :: -1
European Challenge Tour: SWALEC Wales Challenge

CUT :: Matt Haines :: 81 70 :: 151 :: +7

*grey = Missed Cut
* bold = Top 10
* bold victory red = Win


Filed Under: Athletes, Michelle Wie

A Sneak Peek at Nike Golf’s 2011 Equipment Line

August 30, 2010 By 7 Comments

UPDATE 9.5.10: Yesterday a loyal friend and reader of NG Nation sent me more pics of the 2011 Nike Golf equipment catalog. This is significant because these photos show a few things I have not seen to date including:

- Method Core Putter: Has black head with red and white insert, the model I had heard referred to in several equipment forums. Price point is less than the 2010 Method (Tour) model, $129.99 is what I’ve heard.

- Everclear Putter: Starter line of putters, three models at even lower price point (similar pricing as Nike’s previous Ignite putter line). $89.99 is what I’ve heard.

- SQ MachSpeed Black Round and Square Heads: Good photos comparing round vs. square head shape.

- SQ MachSpeed Junior Sets: Good photos of both boys and girls junior sets.

Check out the photos of the catalog here:

I also received this nice summary of the 2011 equipment line:

2011 Drivers
Vr Tour is staying
Vr Tour Str8-fit is new.  Proj X (black adapter), no visible powerbow.  Avail in 440 and 460 progressive head size.
Machspeed Black round Fubuki black
Machspeed Black square Fubuki black

2011 Fairways
Vr Tour Str8-fit is new (black adapter)
Machspeed is staying

2011 hybrids
Vr tour hybrid is new. Proj X
Machspeed is staying

2011 Irons
Vr Pro Blades – new
Vr Pro Combo – new
Vr Pro Cavity – new
Machspeed is staying
Slingshot is staying

2011 Wedges
Vr V-Rev is staying
Vr Pro wedge to come in April.  No pics or info as of yet.

2011 Putters
Method (tour) is staying – no new models
Method Core – insert (similar to white hot/ice) but with grooves…rolls nice, feels nice, I believe $129.99
Everclear – starter line at $89.99 price point

2011 Balls
Prototype is replacing ONE Tour/Tour D – will still have Tour/Tour D avail at $29.99/dozen for a while.
ONE Vapor Speed is staying
Crush is staying
Power Distance Soft
Power Distance Long
Power Distance Women
All new packaging
Mojo double dozen…new packaging and added swoosh to the ball

Thanks again to our friend and reader for sending us the photos and info.

UPDATE 9.1.10: Yesterday pictures were also posted on Golfwrx.com of Nike Golf’s new VR Pro Combo and Pro Blade Irons. Both are very clean, classic designs, and I am particularly drawn to the VR Pro Combos (I still own my Pro Combo Tour and OS irons). I can’t wait to see these, and hopefully I’ll have a chance to test and review them here on NG Nation.

All photos courtesy of Golfwrx.com.

VR PRO COMBO AND PRO BLADE IRONS:

UPDATE 9.1.10: Yesterday pictures were posted on Golfwrx.com of Nike Golf’s two new drivers, the VR Pro STR8-FIT (seen on the left in the photos) and the SQ MachSpeed Black STR8-FIT (on the right in the photos). Looks like the Pro has more of a pear shape than last year’s model, and the MachSpeed has a wider/deeper head and  taller face. I can’t wait to see these in person!

All photos courtesy of Golfwrx.com.

VR PRO STR8-FIT AND SQ MACHSPEED BLACK STR8-FIT DRIVERS:

UPDATE 8.31.10: Today Nike Golf released the photo below on their Facebook page (click on the photo for an enlarged version). The “Coming This Fall” caption means that information and the retail release date should be coming soon from Nike Golf on this very cool looking new driver, and we’ll have it here on NG Nation when they send it to us. Click here to read fan comments about the photo and the new MachSpeed Black driver on Nike Golf’s Facebook Page.

The golf equipment forums have been buzzing for the last week about what might be coming next from Nike Golf for their 2011 equipment line. Lots of speculation and a variety of spy pics have come out, as well as some preliminary information from last week’s equipment and sales meetings. The majority of the comments in the forums have been extremely positive, and the overriding opinion seems to be that this will be Nike Golf’s strongest equipment offering to date.

In this post last night on Golfwrx.com, a user posted some pictures (supposedly) from Nike Golf’s 2011 equipment catalog. Some of the comments in this post indicate that the 2011 equipment line may include the following (keep in mind this is all still speculation at this point):

DRIVERS

VR Pro STR8-FIT Driver: 10.5 and 11.5 degree lofts have 460cc head; 9.5 degree loft comes in both 440cc and 460cc head, 8.5 degree loft comes in 440cc head; All have Nike Project X shaft

Machspeed Black STR8-FIT Driver: Available in round and square head, comes with Nike Fubuki shaft.

FAIRWAY WOODS

VR Pro Fairway Wood: No pics, speculation that there will be STR8-FIT and glued versions available, stay tuned.

MachSpeed Fairway Woods: No pics or info about this yet, maybe a MachSpeed Black fairway wood to come soon?

HYBRIDS

VR Pro Hybrid: See pics below

Machspeed Hybrid: No pics or info about this yet, maybe a MachSpeed Black hybrid to come soon?

IRONS

VR Pro Blade: See pics below

VR Pro Combo: See pics below

VR Pro Cavity: See pics below

WEDGES

No info or pics on any new wedges, Nike recently released their V-Rev Wedge Series, review coming soon!

PUTTER

Method Core: Looks to be an insert rather than direct polymer fill like on the original Method, see pics below.

Today more pictures were posted of the VR Pro Hybrid and VR Pro Cavity irons, you can see those in the gallery below.

Of course none of the information or photos are coming straight from Nike Golf, so I still consider it speculation, but the pics from the equipment catalog seem to point at some solid info about what is to come soon. I’ll tell you that I am personally super-excited to see this new equipment line in person, as I tend to agree that this looks to be one of Nike Golf’s most impressive equipment lines in their history. We’ll keep you posted on any new developments, and of course we’ll get you the official info as soon as we get it from Nike Golf!

A big thank you to Golfwrx.com for letting us use their photos in our post here on NG Nation. Take a look at the pics below and let us know what you think about what you see!

All photos courtesy of Golfwrx.com.

VR PRO HYBRID AND PRO CAVITY IRONS:

2011 NIKE GOLF EQUIPMENT CATALOG PICS:

Filed Under: Equipment, ngnation.com, Nike Golf

Nike Golf Athlete Michelle Wie Wins Second LPGA Title

August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wie Touts Ball Striking and Putting as Keys to Victory

The phenomenal talent of Michelle Wie came shining through at the LPGA’s CN Canadian Women’s Open.  The 20-year-old Nike athlete captured her second LPGA career title by leading the tournament from start to finish and ultimately winning by a three-stroke margin.



One of the highlights of her week was in the first round when she made the second ace of her career on the par-3 181-yard 11th hole, where she hit a Nike VR Blade 5-iron.  This propelled her to 5-under-par for the tournament and gave her the solo lead. According to Wie, the key to her win was in her ball striking and her putting.  On the back nine in the final round, Wie made three consecutive birdies using Nike’s Method putter. 



“I made a lot of putts, but at the same time I made a lot of really crucial putts,” said Wie.  “And you know, I think it was my ball striking that really kept me above water today.”



During the week, Wie averaged 290-yard drives with her Nike VR Tour driver and maintains the highest ranking in the LPGA Tour’s driving average category with the winning combination of her driver and Nike ONE Tour ball.  Wie also played with the Nike VR Blades, Nike VR wedges, Nike VR STR8-FIT 13-degree fairway wood and Nike VR hybrids. Wie wore Nike Golf apparel and footwear.

Fellow Nike athlete Suzann Pettersen, who also has a full bag of Nike arsenal, including the VR STR8-FIT driver, VR Split Cavity irons and the Method putter, finished tied for second in the event which she won last year.



Wie’s win brings to eight the number of professional wins by Nike Golf athletes around the world.

Wie’s Nike Arsenal:

Driver:  Nike VR Tour 8.5 degree
Fairway Woods:  Nike VR STR8-FIT 13-degree
Irons:  Nike VR Blades (5-PW);
Hybrids: Nike VR 18 and 24-degree
Wedges:  Nike VR 52, 56 and 60-degree
Putter:  Nike Method
Ball:  Nike ONE Tour
Glove: Nike Dri-FIT Tour
Apparel: Nike Golf Women’s Apparel
Footwear:  Nike Air Brassie III

Nike Golf’s 2010 PGA Tour Victories
Carl Pettersson – RBC Canadian Open
Anthony Kim – Shell Houston Open

Nike Golf’s 2010 LPGA Tour Victories
Michelle Wie – CN Canadian Women’s Open

Nike Golf’s 2010 International Victories
James Morrison – Madeira Open
Charl Schwartzel – Joburg Open (PGA European Tour)
Charl Schwartzel – Africa Open (PGA European Tour)
Pablo Martin – Alfred Dunhill Championship (PGA European Tour)

Nike Golf’s 2010 Nationwide Tour Victories
Jhonattan Vegas – Wichita Open
Jamie Lovemark – Mexico Open Bicentenary

Editor’s note: The post above is from a Nike Golf press release.

Filed Under: Athletes, LPGA Tour, Michelle Wie, ngnation.com, Nike Golf

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four Recap: The Barclays

August 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The playoffs truly started with a bang as a well deserved Matt Kuchar picked up his first win of the season in dramatic fashion. His win was not only his first of the season, but caused the biggest points mix-up in the Fantasy Four contest to date. Due to the double points, we’ve seen a new record for scoring and a costly effect of failing to enter your picks for the week. We also saw a record low for MC’s, with only 2 this week.

  • Number of Entries: 11 (no Mick this week)
  • Number of Golfers Selected: 16
  • Most Popular Pick: Paul Casey– picked 6 times
  • Number of Missed Cuts/WD’s: 2 – Mickelson and AK (both picked by Bryan D
  • Number of Top 10’s: 3  – Matt Kuchar (1), Steve Stricker (T3) and DJ (T9)
  • Number of Top 10-Top 25’s: 4 – Tiger + Casey (T12), Cink and Poulter (T15)
  • Top Nike Golfer: Tiger + Casey (T12)
  • People That Selected the Winner: 3  - Matt Kuchar picked by Jane, Brian and Chris
  • Average Points: 22.36

I think it was a great week. While Els, Overton, Mahan, Mickelson, Bubba, Watney and McIlroy failed to impress, the real gamers game out to play and Tiger, Casey and others were close to Top 10′s. Steve Stricker may be the favourite to win the FedEx cup now. While 3 entries had Kuchar, Brian and Jane only backed him up with 1 other Top 25, while Chris had that plus a Top 10, which gave him a decisive win.

Chris Wang’s Winning Team  (52 points) :Matt Kuchar (1), Steve Stricker (T3), Paul Casey (T12) and Rory McIlroy ( T56)

Chris vaults into first place, while NG Nation and Meredith only picked up 12 and 18 points, respectively.

Hit the link to check out the The Barclays Fantasy Points to see how you fared this week.

What a start to the Playoffs. I think the double points will be really exciting and I’m going to predict that at least one person will pick the winner through the entire FedEx Cup. Check below for the monthly and season ranks!

I bet you’re all excited for the Deutsche Bank. After Chris Wang’s double points explosion, I hope you all have faith that you can dethrone the power couple and make a play for the Nike driver and balls, courtesy of Nike Golf.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Results, Athletes, Contests

A Molinari Weekend: Johnnie Walker and the Ryder Cup

August 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Photos: Pvt pauline/wikimedia

What a big weekend for the Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco. Edoardo won the Johnnie Walker Championship by circling the last three holes of the tournament and winning by one shot at -10. Meanwhile, Francesco shot a 75, but still finished at -7 and tied for 3rd place. Edoardo picked up his 2nd win of the season, while Francesco picked up his 7th Top 10.

Normally, that’s an exceptional weekend for the Brothers Molinari. I mean, what Mother wouldn’t be happy with 1st and 3rd in a European Tour event with a good field? But these Italians (from Turin) took it one step further with the help of Colin Montgomerie. Francesco already qualified for the European Ryder Cup team, but today (after winning in Scotland) Edoardo was also named to the team as a Captain’s pick (alongside Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald).

The funny thing is that Edoardo is actually higher in the Race to Dubai rankings, but these two were going to make the team no matter what. They are 27 and 29 years of age and are the defending champions form the World Cup. It only makes sense to have them play together in the Ryder Cup and they should be unstoppable. In the World Cup they played 2 rounds of Fourballs and 2 rounds of alternate shot (Foursomes). They consistently went low and shot -29 through 4 rounds.

These brothers also played together in amateur golf winning the 2002 and 2004 Italian Amateur Foursomes Championship. The have been amazing all year and sit at 21 (Edoardo) and 38 (Francesco) on the Official World Golf Rankings (prior to the Johnnie Walker Championship).

They will be a force to be reckoned with when the world’s best golfers head to Celtic Manor from October 1-3. Meanwhile, let’s see how the US Ryder Cup team shapes up as Corey Pavin’s picks will come in just over a week.

Filed Under: Athletes, Francesco Molinari

The Future of Nike Golf Footwear and Apparel?

August 27, 2010 By 1 Comment

Okay, this may be a stretch, but I got to thinking after reading what NG Nations’s Damian Daniels found on Engadget.com today. Nike challenged 78 artists to “hack” a pair of its Air Max shoes, and Nick Marsh put the internal components of a Wii Balance Board in his.

Nike Golf already uses similar technology to test its shoe designs as seen in this video on their YouTube channel. But what if this kind of technology was made available to the average golfer by incorporating it into the shoe itself, where golfers could get feedback from the shoes they wear during practice or on the course, to see weight distribution and weight shift during the full swing, short game and putting? What if this data were transmitted via bluetooth (or downloaded later) to a mobile golf instruction application on your smartphone for instant feedback or later analysis? What if that app could signal when your weight distribution or weight shift is correct and when it’s not, and recommend drills to fix it? Maybe the technology is not in the shoe itself, but in a separate removable sock or insole that you buy (with the app included) separately from the shoe?

Maybe none of these ideas are actually feasible or practical, but it started me wondering where Nike Golf footwear and apparel technology might go in the future. The evolution and introduction of smart fabric and interactive textile (SFIT) technologies even further expands the possibilities. What applications could you envision coming from the incorporation of technology like this into Nike Golf footwear and apparel?

Read the full article on Engadget.com >>

Watch the Footwear R&D Video on Nike Golf’s YouTube Channel >>

Filed Under: Apparel, Footwear, Footwear & Apparel, ngnation.com, Nike Golf

Product Review: Nike Golf Club Carrying Case

August 26, 2010 By 2 Comments

At the end of July my family and I went on vacation to visit my wife’s parents in Northwest Iowa. Lucky for me my father-in-law is a golf addict like I am, so I brought my golf clubs along to play a few rounds with him. Prior to my trip I bought a new travel cover — the Nike Golf Club Carrying Case — so I could review it here on NG Nation. The trip was a good test for it, and I share the results with you here.

FEATURES

Out of the box, the Nike Club Case is a good-looking travel cover, and I give it an A+ for appearance. It’s constructed of heavy-duty black nylon with red piping around the edges, a combination that matches the color scheme of Nike’s VR line. The case has a full-length zipper that goes around the outside top edges of the case, so the entire top flap folds back to allow you to put your golf bag in straight down from the top (rather than fumbling with trying to get your bag into a zipper that goes down the top middle of the case like my previous travel cover).

The interior of the case has plenty of room for a full-size bag (mine is the Nike SQ Tour Stand Bag) and is long enough to accommodate today’s longer driver shafts (mine is 45.5 inches and fit with room to spare). One of the best features of this travel cover is the club protection system at the top, which consists of a ribbed foam padded collar you wrap around your club heads and secure with Velcro. It’s very easy to use and provides ample protection for the club heads and shafts. There’s a holding strap for the golf bag, and plenty of room inside for other things like a shoe bag or other items (I easily fit my daughter’s small junior golf bag in next to mine).

The case has carrying handles at the head, foot and on the top flap of the bag. Two buckled straps allow you to cinch and secure the bag once it is zipped closed. The bottom of the case is molded plastic and has two inline skate wheels for rolling the case, and two small legs for standing it on its end. The underside of the case has two plastic skid rails on the outer edges, and five smaller skid pads to protect the nylon on the top half of the case. The case easily folds in half and stands on its end for convenient storage.

There is a shoe pocket on the top flap that is accessed from the inside. The zipper on the outside expands a gusset to make the pocket deeper, and the inside flap of the pocket is made of mesh to provide ventilation.  This is the only pocket for extra gear, there are no other outside pockets, but I had plenty of room inside the case to store what I needed to.

PERFORMANCE

I was really happy with the way this case performed during my trip. The design of the case ensures that it moves as a solid, single unit top to bottom – previous cases I’ve owned tend to be a bit floppy, specifically bending a bit at the top of the bag or neck area of the clubs. The case was easy to lift in and out of the car, wheel through the airport, unpack when I got to my destination and repack when it was time to head home. The club protection unit did its job, and again it was very easy to wrap around and unwrap from the heads of my clubs.

The one feature some might have an issue with is the pockets, or lack thereof. First of all is the absence of exterior side pockets for extra gear — previous travel covers I’ve owned have had pockets on the outside for clothing and other gear. I did not find this prohibitive as I mentioned there was ample room inside for what I needed to bring, and it also prevented me from over-packing the travel cover, but some may wish there were pockets on the outside. Secondly the shoe pocket can only be accessed from inside — I’m used to being able to get at my shoes from the outside, so this surprised me at first. The upside is that no one can get at your shoes or gear from the outside when you’re not looking, but some may wish that this pocket could have access from both inside and outside the case. I personally didn’t have an issue with either of these pocket issues, but I feel this was worth mentioning. Overall I was very satisfied with how the case performed on both legs of the trip.

DURABILTY

Airport baggage handlers can do a number on a golf bag travel cover as I have learned first hand on a couple of occasions. I had one travel cover rip open on the bottom, and on one the zipper broke, both the first time I used them (and initially I thought both were pretty good quality). Neither of these problems happened with the Nike travel cover. The nylon was plenty heavy enough to prevent any holes, and the zippers are very sturdy, so no problems there either. The cinching straps held tight, all buckles remained intact and all handles held up just fine. The molded bottom, skate wheels, molded legs, skid rails and skid pads all survived perfectly intact, and after the trip the case was in very good (almost like new) shape. Either the baggage handlers treated this fine looking case with care, or it held up greatly to their abuse — I’d put my money on the latter.

SUMMARY

The bottom line is I would highly recommend the Nike Golf Club Carrying Case. It’s a handsome case that has plenty of room for my clubs, shoes and extra golf gear. It was easier to handle during my trip than previous travel covers I’ve owned, and it survived the wrath of the airport baggage crews looking as good as when I unpacked it from the box. If you’re in the market for a new case to transport your clubs on your next golf trip, make sure you take a close look at the Nike Golf Club Carrying Case.

Editor’s note: The reviewer/author was not paid for this review, and the opinions expressed in the review are strictly those of the reviewer/author.

Filed Under: Equipment, ngnation.com, Nike Golf, Nike Golf Club Carrying Case, Travel Covers

Nike Golf Athletes in the Field: 8.26-8.29

August 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

We have some special stories to follow this week as the PGA Tour Playoffs get underway while AK tries to find his game and Tiger and Duval are struggling to survive.

Also, Simon Dyson is battling for a Ryder Cup spot in Europe, while Suzann Pettersen is defending her CN Canadian Women’s Open title after strong finishes in the majors this year.

Here are the Nike Golf athletes at the tour events this week;

PGA Tour: The Barclays

Stephen Ames
Paul Casey
Stewart Cink
David Duval
Lucas Glover
Anthony Kim
Justin Leonard
Carl Pettersson
Tiger Woods

European Tour: Johnny Walker Championship

Simon Dyson
Richard Finch
Oliver Fisher
Pablo Martin
Francesco Molinari
James Morrison
Marc Warren

LPGA Tour: CN Canadian Women’s Open

Amanda Blumenherst
Suzann Pettersen
Michelle Wie

Ladies European Tour: Finnair Masters

Carly Booth

Champions Tour: Boeing Classic

John Cook

Nationwide Tour: Knoxville News Sentinel Open

Scott Brown
Kevin Kisner
Chris Nallen
Garrett Osborn

European Challenge Tour: SWALEC Wales Challenge

Matt Haines

Filed Under: Athletes, Richard Finch, Suzann Pettersen

FedEx Cup Preview: Nike Golf and Five to Watch

August 25, 2010 By 2 Comments

It’s Playoff time and while we are missing some of the European players that we see in the WGC and Majors, we will have a gamer mentality from players trying to make it to the Tour Championship. There’s also incentive to players to try and impress for Ryder Cup spots. There are 4 tournaments to go and I can guarantee you that Tiger Woods or Vijay Singh will not win it this year. (But it would be quite a story if Tiger makes a charge).

I will preview all of the Nike athletes in the Playoffs and also give you 5 players to watch who I think will win the FedEx Cup when it’s all said and done.

Nike Athletes

Anthony Kim
Current Ranking: 14  |  ’09 Ranking: 35

AK is struggling hard. While he missed 3 months, he was still in the Top 10 of the points race. The sad part is that he played better with a broken thumb. We know AK loves the competition and has the potential to thrive in a playoff atmosphere, but I don’t think this is his year. Last year, when he wasn’t playing so well, he didn’t make it to the Tour Championship, but in 2008, AK finished 12th at the Barclays, T27 at Deutsche Bank, T3 at the BMW and T3 at The Tour Championship (with the Ryder Cup before that). I hope we see some of that some flair this year.
Predicted Finish : 20-30

Carl Pettersson
Current Ranking: 20  |  ’09 Ranking: 154

Petts has been okay this year. Really, he only has 4 Top 10’s and 1 win, but I don’t expect him to make a big splash in the playoffs. He has made it to the BMW Championship in ’08 and ’07, reaching the Tour Championship in ’08. But both of those were fueled by high finishes at the Wyndham, which he didn’t have this year.
Predicted Finish: 30-40

Paul Casey
Current Ranking: 27  |  ’09 Ranking: 52

I believe Casey will finish highest of all the Nike golfers this year. He’s definitely a newcomer to the playoffs (missing last year because of injury) and he fizzled out in 2008 after a T7 at The Barclays. However, Casey is healthy, consistent and has major game and he’s looking to get ready for the Ryder Cup.
Predicted Finish: 1-10

Lucas Glover
Current Ranking: 47  |  ’09 Ranking: 17

Last year Glover rode his major win to the Tour Championship where he finished 10th, but he was terrible through the first three events. This year he is still playing well coming into the Playoffs, so let’s hope that trend doesn’t continue. He needs to play his way into the Championship now and I think he’ll be able to do it.
In ’08, he threw up T55 and T50 at Barclays and DBank, but had a decent T13 at the BMW. He’ll need to do better than that. Oh, and in ’07 he had a MC at the Barclays, with T14’s at DBank and the BMW, so he has potential to do well.
Predicted Finish: 20-40

Stewart Cink
Current Ranking: 54  |  ’09 Ranking: 28

Cink has been Mr. Consistent in the past 8 events. He’s picked up 5 Top 25’s in those starts including a T19 at the PGA and a T18 at the WGC-Bridgestone. Cink is great and you can see that from his Ryder/President’s Cup performances and also his T5 at the Match Play this year. Cink has made the Tour Championship every year and in ’07 he was winless and played through to the Championship. I expect another similar performance this year.
Predicted Finish: 10-30

Justin Leonard
Current Ranking: 70 |  ’09 Ranking: 39

I was ready to write him off after the Texas swing where he had such good history and played poorly. But he’s doing great now after a T14 the US Open, T22 at Bridgestone and T3 at the Wyndham. In 2008, Justin was killer during the Playoffs (T7 at Barclays, T7 at DBank, T17 at BMW and T10 at the Tour Championship. Leonard is a big sleeper this year and I’d like to see him do well.
Predicted Finish: 10-20

Stephen Ames
Current Ranking: 76  |  ’09 Ranking: 55

Ames has had 8 Top 25’s this year, but only one top 10. I really see him falling and not even making the cut at The Barclays. I don’t mean to hate on him so much but I haven’t seen anything consistent from him and I haven’t seen that fire from the Calgary-native.
Predicted Finish: 80-100

Tiger Woods
Current Ranking: 112  |  ’09 Ranking: 1

Tiger needs it this week and I think he’s gonna get there. Tiger was incredible last year and he’s playing the worst golf of his career. No one expects anything from Woods, so I think we just need to see the fire from Tiger. He needs to play well at the Barclays and he didn’t play Ridgewood in 2008, so the odds are not in his favour, but I think his instinct should take over and we see Tiger make a charge. I honestly can’t imagine Tiger not playing in the Tour Championship, so I’m hoping for a miracle.
Predicted Finish: 1-30

David Duval
Current Ranking: 120  |  ’09 Ranking: 149

To me it seems like Duval has actually played better than Woods as of late because of his back-to-back Top 25’s at The Canadian Open and Turning Stone. I see Duval playing well and making it to the DBank.
Predicted Finish: 90-100

Five to Watch
I don’t think the Top 5 now will be the Top 5 at the end of the year. The current Top 5 haven’t been amazing or very consistent outside of Furyk. These aren’t the 5 best golfers right now and here are my picks for the Top 5 when the Tour Championship is all over.

Hunter Mahan
Current Ranking: 7  |  ’09 Ranking: 27

Mahan always brings his game to the big stage and heats up at the end of the year. Mahan has always started well at the Barlays. His 2 wins this year were good and he was somewhat inconsistent in between, but his T39 at the PGA was good and he’s on 4 straight made cuts, including that huge win at Firestone. Also, the field is weaker in the playoffs, so I think he’s game.

Matt Kuchar
Current Ranking: 9  |  ’09 Ranking: 40

Leading the Tour with 9 Top 10’s this year, he has been fantastic. However, I was even surprised to see he finished 40th in the 2009 Playoffs. He got better through the playoffs last year with T28 at The Barclays, T15 at DBank and a T10 at the BMW. So really, he’s probably been the best golfer over the past year and he can really assert himself as one of the best in the game.

Dustin Johnson
Current Ranking: 11  |  ’09 Ranking: 14

I think DJ is the sexy pick this year to win it. I think most people are rooting for him because of his Major heartbreak. DJ can’t wait to bounce back and prove his game and that he can win with the best of them. He’s been very good this year and after his T10 at the PGA last year, he went T15 at The Barclays, T4 at DBank, T30 at BMW and 27th at the Tour Championship. I wouldn’t care about his MC at the Barclays in ’08, the kid is hot and trying to prove himself.

Rory McIlroy
Current Ranking: 21  |  ’09 Ranking: N/A

The PGA rookie has been amazing this year and still played in a lot of European events. If he dedicated his whole season the PGA Tour, he’d probably be in 1st. We potentially get 4 weeks of Rory, so I will never complain. He’ll be over looked at 21st place and he’ll be knocked for missing the cut at The Masters, The Players and the US Open, but he’s the hottest player on the planet right now, so watch out.

Nick Watney
Current Ranking: 29  |  ’09 Ranking: 12

I was shocked to see Watney at 29th, especially the way he’s been playing as of late. He’s hot and has 4 straight Top 20’s, 2 of them being T7’s. Watney did well last year with a 6th at the Barclays and a T13 at the Tour Championship. He’s got serious game that we’ve seen glimpses of. But I expect him to do well again this year.

This should be fun ride and a great lead-in to the Ryder Cup. It’s going to be an exciting 5 weeks of golf.

Filed Under: Athletes

FedEx Cup Fantasy Four: The Barclays

August 24, 2010 By 22 Comments

Here we are, the Fed Ex Cup…PLAYOFFS!?! Don’t talk about Playoffs. Some of these golfers are just trying to win a game. This is exciting in real life and the fantasy world. The Top 125 are here, so let’s see some fireworks.

One important note this week: While this isn’t a new event, this course has only been played in ‘08 (at Ridgewood).

Traditionally, the best golf will be played by the lower seeded players who are fighting for their lives. See, Heath Slocum at 124th place last year, winning the event.

This is Event 19 of the season and the first event of The Playoffs for the NG Nation Fantasy Four and it’s never too late to join. For a refresher on the rules, hit the link — Contest Guidelines and leave your Fantasy Four below.

To see the standings up to this point, click HERE and see if Meredith can hold on for the win with double scoring in effect.

NIKE GOLF: Four to Watch

Paul Casey (27)
Casey is my pick to win this week. He’s been very consistent all year (coming off T12 at the PGA) and a T7 at Ridgewood in ’08 should serve him well.

Lucas Glover (47)
G’Lover is a hot one and should get a lot of attention as he’s coming off a T7 after going super low at the Wyndham. However, Glover hasn’t put together back-to-back Top 25′s all season and finished T55 at Ridgewood in ’08.

Anthony Kim (14)
My eyes will still in on AK. He is the biggest underdog this week and I still don’t think he’s healthy. AK couldn’t capitalize last week, but played par golf. AK had a T12 at The Barclays in ’08. We’re all rooting for you.

Tiger Woods (112)
I for one think Tiger will play well this week. He may act distraught about the divorce, but maybe part of him says “oh, I’m free now.” It’s bad to say, but it could be true. He’s sitting at 112, so that’s some extra motivation for him.

Other Nike golfers in the field: Stewart Cink (54) , Justin Leonard (70) , Carl Pettersson (20) , Stephen Ames (76) , David Duval (120)

THE FIELD: Four Who are Hot

Rory McIlroy (21)
Recent starts – T3 at PGA, T9 at WGC Bridgestone, T3 at The Open
He’s insane and he’s making his playoffs debut. Maybe he’s like the OKC Thunder? The kid is insane and you can’t discount the way he’s playing. History won’t be much of a factor for him. He lights up the big stage and actually has lower quality competition compared to his last events.

Matt Kuchar (9)
Recent starts – T10 at PGA, T9 at WGC, T21 at Greenbrier, T4 at Canadian Open, T27 at The Open, T6 at US Open, T8 at Memorial
Kuchar is a sleeper this year to win the whole playoffs..and he played very well in last years playoffs. MC in ’08, but T26 last year.

Jeff Overton (6)
Recent starts – MC at PGA, T9 at WGC, 2nd at Greenbrier, T11 at The Open, 3rd at AT&T, T12 at Memorial, T3 at Crowne Plaza, T2 at Byron Nelson
I’m ignoring the PGA, that’s not his game and he was tired. He should be well rested and ready to prove his Ryder Cup spot is legit. T38 in ’08.

Nick Watney (29)
Recent starts – T18 at PGA, T16 at WGC Bridgestone, T7 at The Open, T7 at AT&T
Watney has taken a backseat to DJ and Mahan in recent weeks, but his play has been great. T6 at the Barclays last year. Good sleeper pick this week.

THE FIELD: Four Who Have History

Steve Stricker (2)
Best finishes – 1st in ’07, T2 in ’09, T19 in ’08,
Stricks should be the favourite. He’s coming off a T18 at the PGA and a T9 at Bridgestone. He’s hot and has all the history.

Ian Poulter (49)
Best finishes – T9 in ’09, T9 in ’07, T9 in ’06
Looking through the stats this was a very big surprise. Poulter hasn’t been the same since his win this year, but he should be driven and needs to get into form. Another good sleeper this week

Jim Furyk (3)   — DQ
Best finishes – T15 in ’09, T12 in ’08, T25 in ’07,
Furyk has had one of his best years ever and is always a contender.

Vijay Singh (65)
Best finishes – 1st in’06, 1st in ’08
Vijay is a long shot, but he’s the defending champ at Ridgewood and a two-time winner here. Vijay has also made 8 straight cuts, 3 of them being Top 15′s. Another big sleeper.

Other notables in the field: Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, Retief Goosen, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Luke Donald.


FINAL FOUR: Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Hunter Mahan and Tiger Woods

I think I took big names, but I really think Poulter and Woods are not popular picks. I think most people will be on DJ, McIlroy, Stricker and Furyk I really wanted to take Kuchar or Overton. These guys haven’t even won an event on tour but sit 6th and 9th in FEC points. It also kills me not to take Watney or a sleeper like Luke Donald. It should be an incredible week and I can’t wait to see all the picks!

Check out the full field here >> The Barclays Full Field

Leave your Fantasy Four in a comment below. Remember, you have to pick at least ONE Nike Golfer and have your picks in by Wednesday at Midnight (PST).

Don’t forget, the points are doubled for the next 4 events, so you’re still in it!

Pick with your heart,

D.

Filed Under: 2010 Regular Season Fantasy Four, 2010 RS Picks, Contests
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