The PGA Tour starts its run through California in three consecutive weeks in the city with the nation's best weather: San Diego. Torrey Pines hosts the Farmers Insurance Open, and the Channel 4 News Team will be on hand to recap all the action.
Group Most Likely To Deny Testing Positive For Cocaine: Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Justin Rose
The PGA Tour hasn’t done Dustin Johnson any favors these last six months. They may have denied he was suspended for testing positive for recreational drugs, but their silence on if cocaine has come up in a previous drug test has only added to the rampant speculation that D.J.’s leave of absence was actually a suspension for testing positive for cocaine. Johnson and his team continue to deny most accusations but unless the PGA Tour came out publicly with a definitive statement supporting the golfer’s claims, the court of public opinion will continue to believe that D.J. has a drug problem.
Regardless, he’s teeing it up at Torrey Pines this week, and it’s nice to have one of America’s most talented golfers back on the links. Here’s hoping that his leave of absence and becoming a new father has given the super-talented Johnson some healthy perspective and focus.
Group Most Likely To Be Criticized For A Quick Visit to Vail: Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel
On Tuesday, Tiger took a day in the Rockies to watch his girlfriend Lindsey Vonn compete in a ski race and now people are criticizing this decision because it represents an apparent lack of focus and dedication to his golf game at a time when he says he’s never been practicing harder. I thought the popular thing to do was criticize Woods for being a misanthropic robot who cares more about the trajectory of his golf ball than the well being of his family?
If you’ve got a problem with Tiger’s supposed hypocrisy may I suggest you find something else to be upset about like the fact that the world may be running out of chocolate or why the left shark was so out of sync during Katy Perry’s Super Bowl spectacular.
Group Most Representative of the Future Is Now: Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama
“Precocious” feels like the correct term to describe the talents and career arcs of these three young, world-class golfers. This is not to say that what they are a doing is fluky; to the contrary, as few who follow the sport on a regular basis would be surprised if the trio of Koepka, Spieth and Matsuyama walk away with multiple major championships this year.
On a side note, a few weeks ago I was in attendance for a college basketball game between Yale and Brown in New Haven and it took me an entire half before realizing that Brown’s best player was Steven Spieth, Jordan’s younger brother. I thought he was the best athlete on the court, which probably shouldn’t have been surprising given what his brother is accomplishing on tour.
Group Most Likely Still Nursing A Hangover Following the Patriots Super Bowl Victory: Keegan Bradley, Angel Cabrera and Scott Piercy
Hopefully the proud New Englander Bradley is able to shake out the cobwebs in time to cobble together a couple of representative rounds in San Diego.
Group Most Likely To Win the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open: Erik Compton, J.J. Henry and Jim Renner
What can I say, I’ve been pulling for Compton ever since he made it somewhat close during last year’s U.S. Open. It’s only a matter of time and when it happens it’s bound to be the feel good story of the golf season.
