Originally Posted 04/16/2010 

Well...almost a week has gone by since the 2010 Tooniment has ended and it was a grand spectacle in every way.  The leaderboard contained a who's who of golf's finest competitors and it's time to sit back and access the winners and loosers.

Winner #1 - Phil Mickelson

Mickleson played an absolutely awesome tooniment.  He hovered around the leader board on Thursday and Friday and made a serious CHHAARRGGEE! on Saturday...check this out...three, count em'...three 67's on his card...that is impressive!...and who can forget some of his shenanigans on Saturday and Sunday.  Mickelson was coasting along during his third round until he reached the back nine where he defied the odds and produced a eagle - eagle - birdie montage on holes 13, 14 and 15 to vault up the leaderboard and gain a spot in the all important final pairing on Sunday.

On Sunday, paired with eventual runner up, Lee Westwood, Mickelson lurched through holes 9, 10 and 11 with some serious short game magic and electrified the fans (The Raptor refuses to use the word patron here) with a birdie - birdie barrage at holes 12 and 13 to seal the deal.  The birdie on 13 could have been worse though.  Consider that Mickelson had blocked his tee ball into the pine trees and was faced with a tantalizing visual from about 200 yards to the flagstick.

The hole was located seriously close to Rae's Creek which protects the putting surface.  Phil ball was sitting on some loose pine straw and he had to negotiate some pine trees which stood in his way...the result...

Congratulations to Phil Mickelson...Masters Champion...2010

There is no need to perform some deep analysis of these numbers but The Raptor finds some compelling facts here.  First, while the field of 96 players was international in every sense...the top performers were by and large from the United States.  This probably means absolutely nothing except that for the most part, K J Choi, the closest foriegn born competitor needed to shoot a 63 on Sunday and could only muster a ho-hum 69...

What? are you kidding me!...the course was a monster!...it has been stretched out to about 7,500 yards in length, the green speeds are about 14 or 14 on the meter and the environment is always changing - especially the wind which can be difficult to pin down.

Winner #2 - Take Anthony Kim for example...a recent winner on tour, he played respectably till Sunday and put together a putting exhibition on Sunday which resulted in a final round 65.  On the other hand, Nick Watney (a Raptor Fav) also played hard Sunday and bolstered his confidence by also shooting a 65...that is some excellent golf!

And what about Tiger?...he sucked, right?...Well, lets not be too hasty here.  Tiger finished respectably enough tying for 4th with the previously mentioned Choi.  But, Sunday, lets face it...he just didn't have an A game.  After serious preparation at the range, he went to the first tee and hit an amateurish duck hook into the 9th fairway...he stumbled along through 6 holes and was fading into oblivion till a typical Tiger event occurred.  All he did was loft an iron shot onto the 7th green which banked hard right and settled into the cup for an eagle 2. Woods also scored another eagle 3 on the 13th hole which steadied his round again.  By the time it was over he had fought his way to a valiant 69.  The Raptor was impressed for sure...but here is where it gets a little hazy...

Once Tiger finished with his round he was forced to go through a painful interview with CBS travelling dork, Peter Kostis.  Naturally, Kostis being the kind of journalist he wants to be...asked Tiger the all important question regarding his anger on the golf course.  The theory was that Tiger was going to satisfy "golf dicks" like Tom Watson, John Hawkins and Jim Nance and smile a lot more and make sure to wave to the patr...er fans, even though he is playing poorly.  Tiger has every right to handle himself anyway he wants to when it comes to his golf.  Unfortunately, dicks like Hawkins and Nance can't play golf anymore so they harangue Woods because he has developed into such a creep.  However, that will all change soon...Woods has entered into the Quail Hollow Tournament...redemption can't be too far removed.

Biggest looser - from The Raptor's perspective it has to be Augusta National.  The course has undergone a lot of revamping to Tiger Proof it and all everyone does is thank Masters Chairman...Billy Payne for setting to pins in easy spots so the crowd can roar.  How tough is that?  So, the eventual winner was 16 under par!  Does that mean that next year, Payne will have to toughen up the course even more to piss off everybody? Let's face it...with the type of equipment the players use coupled with their training, fitness and practice routine,  next year, someone who has a hot putter might get to 20 under par...that will probably initiate a new round of course changes...what's next? more water?

Originally Posted 03/18/2010 

It's become a rite of spring for The Raptor.  For the past 15 years, The Raptor has gathered with the Erie Golf Community to spend a Friday afternoon catching a glimpse of the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the annual Masters Toooonament.  

This year the faithful will again gather to enjoy the golf and a good time on Friday April 9th, 2010 at Skeeter's Clubhouse starting at around 4:00 PM - Skeeter's is Erie's Cathedral of Golf and it is conveniently located at 7th and French Street near the Tullio Center.

The Raptor absolutely guarantees that Tiger Woods will be playing in this years event!.So plan on attending...

Masters Facts

Augusta National Golf Club, located in the American city of Augusta, Georgia, is one of the most storied and exclusive golf clubs in the world. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934 it has played host to the annual Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf. It is currently ranked the number one course in Golf Digest's list of America's 100 greatest courses.

Augusta National is regarded as one of the most revered golf courses on the PGA Tour. Since the Masters is held at the same venue every year, patrons have the unique opportunity to become familiar with the course, something the other three rotating majors do not afford. The club itself invites a select few members to join each year, but it is not possible to request a membership directly.

The course is well known for its botanic beauty, being lined with stunning azaleas and hundred year old trees. As the Masters is held on the first weekend following the first full week in April, the trees and shrubs bordering the course are always in full bloom during the tournament. Each hole on the course is named after the tree or shrub with which it has become associated