Golf Betting Column: What The Golfinggods Say….

With the 2005 season now coming to an end we thought it would be an appropriate time to consolidate our thoughts on the year that has been.

Highlight: Without a doubt the highlight of 2005 for me was watching Jack Nicklaus finish off his peerless career at St Andrews. I was fortunate enough to be at St Andrews on the Thursday of the Championship, and to be part of a thirty thousand strong crowd that followed him through his last nine holes of competitive golf was an experience I will not forget. Jack's contribution to the game of Golf, both on and off the course will never be rivalled and his legacy will never diminish. He is simply the best Golfer of all time and provided the best moment of 2005 easily.

Comeback of 2005: It is a little hard to say Tiger was ever away but I have chosen him as the comeback of 2005 for his victories at The Masters and The Open along with his stroke average and money list titles. It had been a few years since the Tiger roared at a major championship but with a new (and at times improved!) swing he set about his march towards Jack's record of eighteen majors. At times during the year his swing did desert him, especially with the driver but his ability to create a score and to never give in delivered for me, the comeback of 2005.

Shot of the year: Simply has to be the chip in by Tiger Woods at the sixteenth hole in the final round of The Masters. A shot of immeasurable complexity and severity he somehow found a way to pitch it correctly and then watch it slide towards the cup. Of course the drama of the occasion added to the shot and you have to feel sorry for Chris DiMarco whose heart must have sunk when it fell in the cup.

A close second must be the tee shot and putt of Michael Campbell at the seventy-first hole of the US Open. With Woods hunting him down and under the most severe pressure he produced two strokes worthy of any Major championship. With two shots Michael Campbell catapulted himself from solid professional to major champion. Those two shots have changed his life forever.

Most Improved: I have to give this award to two players.

Firstly Jason Gore for his performances on the Nationwide Tour (3 wins in four events) and then his victory at 84 Lumber Classic. We saw him initially at the US Open when he contended for three rounds. I suspected he may not come into my thoughts again but I could not have been more wrong. He has a swing and a game to keep winning.

Secondly I have been incredibly impressed with the improvement of David Howell in 2005. He has always been considered a good player but had doubts about his ability. It seems that these doubts were lifted in 2005 and many superb performance on both sides of the Atlantic, culminating in victory at the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai after going head to head with Tiger over the final round. David Howell is now a world-class player and will contend for Majors in 2006 and beyond.

Major Worries: Many professional golfers would love to have the problem of not winning any Major championships when many people believe you should be, however there are two players I feel will be under pressure to improve their major haul.

Firstly Sergio Garcia has been showing us the potential and the quality to become a Major winner for over five years but he has yet to land one. Many people may suggest time is on his side and at twenty-five his best years lay ahead. Of course Tiger had won many Major titles by the age of twenty-five and I feel he needs to capture a major soon. Of course his putting is his biggest weakness and this must improve for him to seriously contend. I suggest that 2006 will be a defining year for the talented Spaniard.

Secondly I feel Ernie Els needs to win a Major soon to start accumulating the number of wins his enormous talent deserves. He has a complete game and is one of the few players to be able to match Tiger but he still has only three victories in the majors and at thirty-five he best golf is now.

At The Crossroads: I feel the following players are at pivotal times in their careers:

a. Davis Love: still a consistent player but has not won for over three years and only has one major victory. This is a small return on his talents and at forty-one years of age his best golf may be behind him.

b. Mike Weir: the former Masters champion has lost form and confidence in 2005 and has not contended for a tournament for a very long time. It will be interesting how he tries to turn his game around in 2006.

c. Lee Westwood: at one time he was one of the top five golfers in the world but his form has plateau some what after a few years in the wilderness. A fantastic driver of the ball his game is good enough to contend for majors although we have not seen this for some time. I hope he can get the magic back as he is potentially a top ten player.

Majors in 2006: I have taken the Crystal ball out and tried to predict the Major winners in 2006.

The Masters: Phil Mickelson

The US Open: Padraig Harrington

The Open: Retief Goosen

The US PGA: Tiger Woods.

Finally as this is the last Golfinggods article for 2005 we would like to wish all readers a very happy, safe and prosperous 2006.