Advertisement

Showdown, Week 35: Brandt Snedeker vs. Jason Dufner

Jonathan Wall

So in an attempt to inject a bit more life and interest into tournaments, and because we're all inveterate gamblers who are one bad card from being out on the streets, Jay Busbee and I are playing a golf version of a football suicide pool: We each pick one golfer per tournament and see how they do against each other, straight up. Victory over the other guy gets one point, victory in the tournament gets three points, and a tie lands you half a point. (Double for the majors.)

We turn our attention to the the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Wall: Ah, I love the smell of desperation in the air! With less than a week to go before Davis Love III makes his four captain's picks, the Deutsche is the last shot a couple notable names have to make an indelible impression. One of those guys is Brandt Snedeker, who's not only fighting for FedExCup glory, but a spot on the Ryder Cup team. There's no question Snedeker's under the gun; however, I like what he brings to the table this week. He was the only golfer in the field last week at Bethpage Black to post four under-par rounds. He's had some serious success at TPC Boston, site of the Deutsche Bank, with a T-5 in 2010 and T-3 in 2011. And did I mention he's currently rolling the rock better than anyone on tour? Call me crazy, but I think Brandt Snedeker's going to explode this week and make a strong case for his inclusion on the Ryder Cup team.

Busbee: Jason Dufner never seems like he's taking too much too seriously, which might be part of his problem. He let the 2011 PGA Championship slip away, and he skipped the FedExCup opening round. (Aside: why not? Dude could afford to and not miss a step.) But he's also one of the most reliable players on tour, which makes him a reasonable pick this weekend at the Deutsche Bank. Long as he gets a few rounds in under par, we don't much care if he doesn't tuck in his shirt every hole.

Last week: And just like that, we officially have a good old-fashioned Showdown battle again! Trailing by three points a couple weeks ago, Wall picked up his second straight win with a T-24 from Rory McIlroy. Busbee decided to roll Keegan Bradley in what was supposed to be a home game for the PGA Championship winner. Boy was he wrong. Bradley didn't even make the weekend, missing the cut by one measly shot.

Current score: Busbee - 12.0, Wall - 11.0.

Already Used: Wall - Gary Woodland, K.J. Choi, Martin Laird, Nick Watney, Lee Westwood, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Luke Donald, Ryan Moore, Jim Furyk, Webb Simpson, Sean O'Hair, Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Carl Pettersson, Rory McIlroy, Brandt Snedeker. Busbee - Nick Watney, Webb Simpson, Bill Haas, Ben Crane, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Zach Johnson, Luke Donald, Robert Karlsson, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, K.J. Choi, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson., Tiger Woods, David Toms, Keegan Bradley.