Well…that DVR is now useless.

So I DVR’d Sunday’s coverage of the Verizon Heritage because I wasn’t going to be around a tele all day, and was fully expecting Brian Gay to choke with the lead…

Oops.

Seriously…Brian Gay wins by 10 strokes?  Brian f*ing Gay?  If you had told me on Saturday that Brian Gay was going to put on a Tiger-esque show and win by a decade, I would’ve asked you to join me on 4/20 for some bong rips because you obviously would’ve had some killer stuff.

Guess I was wrong.  Way wrong.

But I probably shouldn’t have been…see, Harbour Town favors accuracy.  Fairways and greens win Tartan Jackets, and it’s not a long course, so why wouldn’t Gay be a logical choice?  The dude is a PGA stalwart despite being the shortest hitter on tour…guys with a 180-yard 4-iron in the bag aren’t big stars, but if they’re around, it means they can put a ball in a bucket from any distance with any club, and doesn’t that sound like the recipe for winning on a course with supremely narrow fairways and teeny greenies?

Yup.

Then again…if this was any other player, I’d keep the DVR around, but let’s face it.  Brian Gay plays boring golf.  Congrats on the huge win and the trip to next year’s Masters, but I don’t think I’m gonna be watching this one.

 

First Tee: Verizon Heritage Memorable Moments

 

Fantasy Foursome: Verizon Heritage

Ah yes, Davis Love and Boo’s personal stomping grounds.

Good putters need not apply to this tournament as, frankly, it doesn’t mean a damn thing.  These greens are so small and the fairways so narrow that ballstriking and shortgame are both at a premium, something that both Davis Love and Boo are quite adept at.  I don’t really care about what happened last year, but you should probably know that Boo Weekley is the two-time defending champion and Davis Love has won here 5-times.  There’s a nugget of info for you…do with it what you like.

We have a decent field at Harbour Town this week including guys like Boo, Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Camillo, everyone’s favorite prodigy Rory and Chez Reavie.  Why did I mention Chez Reavie?  Because I did, damnit.  Sure, I don’t like watching him hit a 150-yard 4 iron or shank a putt, but hot damn is that a cool name.  Speaking of cool names, I’m a little upset not to see Master’s afterthought Renier Saxton tee it up.  That’s an all-time name right thurr.

After the jump…the picks.

 

Course Previews: Harbour Town Golf Links

One of my favorite, non-major/big tourney courses played all year, Harbour Town is a Pete Dye designed masterpiece that features wonderful, seaside scenery and challenges the golfer to work their way around the course with precision.

It’s not a surprise that Boo Weekley has won twice here as he’s one of the best iron players in the game, and measuring an extremely narrow 6,973 yards (par 71), accuracy is at a premium.  Harbour Town is not a bomber’s paradise by any means.  The greens aren’t conventionally shaped, creating some challenging approach shots and the fairways pinch on many holes, creating very small landing zones where distance control is a must to find the fairway.

The best holes on the course are no. 14, a medium-length par 3 with water and overhanging trees and no. 18, which has one of the largest landing zones for your drive on tour, but at the same time, is exposed to the elements and can be an unpredictably vicious or a guaranteed birdie.  Plus, on no. 18, you get the view of the signature landmark of Harbour Town…the candy-cane striped lighthouse that sits on the beach.

Harbour Town is a really cool course and proves that you don’t need to have a course stretch 7,500 yards to be challenging.  I wish more designers would take this concept to heart, but then again, it’s nice seeing a truly unique place like Harbour Town have it’s place on the PGA Tour rota.

 

Power Rankings: Verizon Heritage

Well that was fun.

I’m kind of in a post-Masters malaise right now.  Sure, the annual trip to Harbour Town is always great because the course is so remarkable and the field typically strong, but the come-down from the Masters is killing me.  Sunday was like a day-long golf-crack high, and when the effects wear off, you feel like garbage.  Plus, my golf game is in absolute shambles right now, so that’s not helping.

Anyways…enough emo-Spencer for one morning…lets get to this week’s rankings.