I have been meaning to add a couple of posts but I have not been able to muster up enough concentration due to a lingering battle with bronchitis. However, I did manage to update my PGA standings. I hope to be back on the course soon.
First of all, congratulations goes out to Trevor Immelman for a job well done to best the field at the 2008 Masters. Way to hang in there! I can only pretend to understand the extreme pressure you were under.
Now, in professional sports, it is often said that on any given day anything can happen. In looking at some of the numbers, it appears that is just what happened. Up to the Masters, Trevor, although ranked 29th in the world, was 149th in FedExCup points and unranked on the MJ’s PGA Standings with a paltry 60 points per start.
Like horse racing, handicapping professional golf, especially the majors, can be extremely difficult. The data almost seems to lie. Below are the numbers leading up to Augusta for 2008 Masters top 10 in the following order » MJ’s Rank - FedExCup Rank - World Rank (NR = No Rating).
1 - Trevor Immelman » NR - 149 - 29
2 - Tiger Woods » 1 - 1 - 1
T3 - Stewart Cink » 7 - 8 - 14
T3 - Brandt Snedeker » 51 - 42 - 44
T5 - Phil Mickelson » 3 - 2 - 2
T5 - Padraig Harrington » 17 - 30 - 12
T5 - Steve Flesch » NR - 105 - 107
T8 - Miguel Angel Jimenez » NR - NR - 45
T8 - Robert Karlsson » NR - NR - 52
T8 - Andres Romero » 18 - 14 - 21