Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.
RISING
Karrie Webb (+9%): Take note, kids: This 39-year-old Hall of Famer isn’t going anywhere. She keeps turning back the clock and turning away the younger, taller, stronger players, one by one.
World Golf Hall of Fame (+7%): It was odd to call the previous process “unwieldy,” since the roughly 300-member voting body is half that of baseball’s decision-makers, but the new criteria for admission should keep out fringe candidates and return some prestige to the Hall of Very Good.
Team Every (+6%): Matt joined the list of recent first-time winners and even his caddie, Derek Mason, achieved mild celebrity at Bay Hill, as his string of F-bombs on the 16thhole kept his man focused and in position to win.
PGA Tour parity (+5%): Wasn’t the Florida swing supposed to identify the headliners for Augusta? If that’s the case, there are now 50-plus co-favorites. The Masters is a wide-open ball game.
FALLING
Lydia Ko (-1%): The teen dream frittered away a three-shot lead on the final day and wound up one shot out of the playoff. Here’s guessing she won’t be so generous next time.
Kevin Na (-2%): Even when he’s not on the clock he’s being harassed by numbskull fans. This guy gets enough of a workout with his mental gymnastics – leave him alone!
Adam Scott (-3%): He surrendered a seven-shot lead (and the potential No. 1 ranking) on the weekend at Arnie’s place, which served as yet another reminder that nice guys with balky putters don’t win lots of majors.
Chesson Hadley (-5%): The Puerto Rico Open winner had a chance to punch his ticket to the Masters via the OWGR top 50, then threw up a Sunday 79 at Bay Hill. Apparently he’s not Augusta-ready.
Bubba (-8%): His allergy-related WD would have been more believable if he hadn’t posted a video of Rickie jumping off his dock later that afternoon. Whatever. At least Watson gets bonus points for using “discombobulated” in a tweet.