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Rogin's 2019 golf predictions

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    Rogin's 2019 golf predictions

    Well, I didn't successfully predict a single one of 2018's major champions, although in my defence few people did. I don't think even Brooks Koepka dreamt about winning two of them and getting world number one.

    So, with no guarantees for anyone foolish enough to back the following, here we go.

    It gets boring, but I do think Tiger Woods might have a go at Augusta again. Possibly not to win, but worth an each way bet as always. I think Justin Rose will fancy his chances too, and if Rickie Fowler doesn't finally win a major here he possibly never will. Bubba Watson had a great 2018 and might pop up again too.

    2019's going to see a big change to the calendar as the USPGA will come next, in May. It's going to Bethpage Black, which last hosted a major in 2009, the US Open won by Lucas Glover (no, me neither). I'll stick to my usual PGA prediction of a first-time major winner from the group of players who have picked up recent wins on tour and say Bryson DeChambeau or Tony Finau.

    The USGA goes back to Pebble Beach in June, where Graeme McDowell won in 2010. I think as usual it will suit the big hitters who enjoy links golf (no coincidence that Tom Watson's only US Open win came here) and so Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson will be my tips here along with Brooks Koepka just for the momentum of possibly winning a third on the trot, something no-one's done in a century.

    And then to our Open, which is being played in Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years. If that doesn't sit up and beg for Rory McIlroy to win it then he wants shooting. I still expect Branden Grace to win an Open one day though so maybe it's his year to crash the fairytale.
    Last edited by Rogin the Armchair fan; 24-12-2018, 15:30.

    #2
    The only prediction I can comfortably make is that thousands of tiresome old duffers are going to write, email and phone in to golf broadcasts complaining because they're unaware of the rule changes. "Why did Justin drop the ball at knee height?" "Why didn't Tiger take the pin out on the green?" "Why didn't the commentators call it a hazard?". I'm about 80% certain that we're also going to have commentators who aren't aware and will be wondering why Bubba didn't take a penalty for grounding his club in the sand...

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      #3
      The rule changes will be fun. Being able to smash the ball 350 yards down a fairway, out of bounds, but just walk up to roughly where it would have been, and drop and play a fourth shot (without actually having hit a third) is a potential game changer.

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        #4
        Portush is a sell-out

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          #5
          You should see the prices the locals are charging to rent their houses and flats out for the week. Some people are going to have very interesting letters from the taxman in January 2021 when Hector catches up with assessing rental income earnt in 2019-20 ...

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            #6
            Anyone fancying a long weekend for the atmosphere could try my regular bolthole, Beechgrove Farm. Miles away in Carrickfergus, but a nice drive along the Antrim Coast Road, and there's a station.

            Last time, there was a family from Minnesota staying there. We talked Bob Dylan

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              #7
              Originally posted by Rogin the Armchair fan View Post
              2019's going to see a big change to the calendar as the USPGA will come next, in May. It's going to Bethpage Black, which last hosted a major in 2009, the US Open won by Lucas Glover (no, me neither). I'll stick to my usual PGA prediction of a first-time major winner from the group of players who have picked up recent wins on tour and say Bryson DeChambeau or Tony Finau.
              If anyone wants to see how difficult Beth Page Black is, you can play for $130 during the week. Probably helps to have a NY resident to get on there, so start strong-arming Ursus. It must be relatively unique in being a Municipal course of such high regard.

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                #8
                It was USD 5 on weekday afternoons when I was in high school (and still humbling then).

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                  #9
                  The best municipal golf courses I've played are TPC Harding Park in SF, which absolutely beat me up after a resident got me on at a decent locals rate; Desert Willow in Palm Desert which is (unlike most Palm Springs area courses) a proper desert course with proper desert-golf landscaping; and, of course, my local Torrey which has the US Open in 2021. None of them were $5. The cheapest I can get on Torrey South is a $38 weekday twilight rate.

                  Torrey around tournament time (normally now, two or three weeks before the Farmers Open, obviously later in the year in 2021) is absolutely evil. It's actually a fairly pleasant course to play (and very pretty) most of the year if you don't try and play from the tips. But right now the fairways are like glass which means that if you have the slightest bit off slice or hook the ball rolls into the rough. And the rough is so thick that you often can't find your ball even when it's only 1 inch deep, and when you do if you hit anything longer than a pitching wedge you're liable to rip your shoulder out of its socket.

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                    #10
                    That's exactly what they do to Bethpage Black everytime it hosts the US Open.

                    And there are no views.

                    38 USD in 2019 is reasonably close to 5 USD in 1975, I'd say.

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                      #11
                      Torrey obviously has a few nice views, although the prettiest hole is the par 3 on the North course (#15, used to be #6 before they reversed it) which they aren't using for the US Open. That's only $25 weekday evenings.

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                        #12
                        Beth Page is only $65 for you Ursus.

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                          #13
                          It humbled me at 18.

                          It could kill me today.

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