When we think about beating the odds, we usually think about stuff that we could easily hurdle and conquer. For most of us weekend golfers, that might include a golf ball neatly dropped into a gopher hole just off the fairway or a pack of geese trampling your golf ball on an otherwise-smooth green. We usually don’t think of the stuff that requires a little extra boost of energy and internal strength.
Hideki Matsuyama wasn’t facing those types of odds on his way to winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship this past week.
Matsuyama was headed to Memphis on his own. Neither his regular caddie or long-term coach would be there with him.
And what does he do?
He wins that golf tournament with his caddie or coach. He won the tournament by making a birdie on each of the 2 final holes of the tournament. After having recently won the bronze medal in Olympic golf in Paris, Matsuyama looks like he is in full swing again. At this rate, I can’t wait to see what else a player like Matsuyama can do in the future.
On Twitter their present with handles like @RoryMcllroyFans or @RoryTrackr, even @RoryStats. They’re on there. And they’re big fans of golf’s 3-time FedEx Cup winner Rory McIlroy.
Admittedly, I am a fan of Rory. I root for Rory usually at every turn with the exception of when he goes up against a fan fave like Rickie, Tiger, or Kevin Na. (Tiger, well, he’s in a realm all his own.) Other than that, I can see Rory swinging with power and looking to shave strokes all of the time.
Let’s be real, though. Rory isn’t the type of big personality like John Daly. He’s not going to win you over with Southern charm like Bubba. ( I can’t lie. I will always come back to Bubba shutting up a fan with a pure shot to the green over some trees.) No dangling locks like Pat Perez or Tommy Fleetwood. That’s not Rory.
Seeing Rory do his thing is something to behold. The natural flow of his swing is stunning. The amount and degree of torque he generates drawing the club back is superhuman. The yardage he registers time and time again is feat of pure power unleashed. I really enjoy seeing Rory take on the major courses.
Oh yeah. That one kind of stung a little bit I bet. It was hard enough to watch. I can only imagine what that must have been like for him after such a stellar FedEx Cup run.
Well, I have to admit we all have been there at some point. I’ve had my head down with my eyes on the ball but my head just wasn’t in it. It happens and we move on. That’s just part of the game.
So maybe it’s not 100% of the time. Let’s say 98% of the time.
Needless to say, that 1 foot flub isn’t stopping anyone from rooting for Rory.
ESPN entitled its coverage of his latest victory like this: Patrick Cantlay posts ‘a huge win,’ capturing FedEx Cup in dramatic fashion at the Tour Championship.Yes, in bold print!!
You cannot doubt that Patrick Cantlay has been on a run of late.
Next up has got to be a major championship. Cantlay has not won one yet. And that seems to remain a point of contention for many observers without Cantlay having to say much about it himself.
Patrick Cantlay has a record in the majors that no one but the golf press really would write home about. Missing the cut at 2 majors stands out. Not even ranking for a top 10 position in any 2021 major stands out as well. In fact, He ended up tied for 15th place at the U.S. Open. His best performance in a major event left him tied for third at the 2019 PGA Championship. With dismal numbers like that, it’s hard to imagine Patrick Cantlay bringing home some PGA major event hardware home any time soon.
Kyle Porter just dropped an article on CBS Sports regarding Cantlay and his failure to win a major. In Porter’s own words, he was sure to say: “This is not a criticism of Cantlay’s game.” However, no matter how you question it or pose it as a wondering, even an inquisitive inquiry, it boils down to the inability of Cantlay to claim a victory in any of the 4 major championships.
The Future Odds on Cantlay
Despite his latest victories, Cantlay is not a favored pick for a major with some oddsmakers. It’s a toss-up when you consider his past record in majors and his recent victories on the PGA Tour.
Golfodds.com has names like Dustin Johnson (16/1) and Jon Rahm (10/1) ahead of Cantlay at 20-to-1 odds of winning the 2022 Masters. Vegas Insider has Rory McIlroy as a top pick for the 2022 PGA Championship with Cantlay somewhere in the midst of the fray behind Brooks and Xander. The Sports Geek points out: “Patrick Cantlay is a +550 betting favorite at BetMGM to win a golf major in 2022.”
But did fantasy golf experts have Cantlay on their top picks for this one? Do oddsmakers have the final say through the final round? Or, are all of these predictions just throwing caution at the wind when we just have to have it played out in reality?
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