BG's Year End Stock Report
Alpha - it's been pretty smooth sailing for the alpha over the past two years and there's no glaring reason to jump ship now. But, it is fair to wonder if there could be a little rougher waters ahead in '18 for Alf as the talent gap narrows, not to mention the chink in the armor that was exposed late in the season when he developed a case of the Lefts. Strong bet to remain top 2 but keep an eye on these possible headwinds. Might not be a terrible idea to start taking some chips off the table and let house money ride. Bogey - 2017 was a frustrating ride for bogey backers as their man flashed the #1 overall game at times, only to follow up those efforts with middle-of-the-road play like a recurring bad dream. The wittiest Goodman has the tools, but does he have the "burning desire" to make the jump in '18? Still a strong Buy but I think we need to temper expectations a little.
Big Cat - another 2017 head scratcher. There was real talk of a new alpha during a couple week stretch in the summer, but those talks quickly turned to a murmur when his swing left him for another golfer. We know it's in there so I won't fault you for laying some dollars on BC, but with LAF hot on his heels, I'd allocate no more than 10% to this surprisingly volatile Large Cap. JVC - the Darling of 2017. In retrospect, no stock rose faster last season as he cut down LAF one by one. VC went from KT headmaster to #4 by seasons end, simply by keeping it in play and showing a little grit. He won't Overpower Her, but his consistency should keep him in the mix in '18. A slight regression, however, is almost inevitable for last year's hottest stock... Consider trimming this position and taking some gains as the PE ratio is a little high right now for my liking.
BG - Wild '17! The league's longest hitter was as high as 2, as low as 8, and settled in at 5 to finish the year. St Patty massacre at TP South started a downward spiral, but regained footing at the Shire with a masterpiece minus two holes, as well as a handful of individual victories to finish out the year on a high note. Has logged 10+ rounds and shaved nearly 2 strokes during the "offseason." Darth could be shot out of a cannon in '18 folks. BUY now.
Captain - barely edged his Hustle partner at the Ranch in November to put a stamp on his '17. It was a marginal year but make no mistake, there were defining moments: He found Buddha! He made a statement at Pumpkin Ridge. And he showed well during his first look at the Shire. Unfortunately, we can't forget about the pre-zen, first half lull, when this stock literally bottomed out. An honest question surfaced when he was firing 78's in Virginia and 98's in league play: "will Evan ever win another league match?" Fortunately, with the help of a little Enlightenment and the powers of HB, he put those concerns to rest. Cap is a player, but he faces an uphill battle with 5 golfers ranked ahead of him who have proven to be a thorn in his side, plus one right behind him who is hell bent on usurping him. Let's just say I'm cautiously optimistic. Soft Buy.
Chow - oh boy. 2017 was not how he envisioned it. The golfer formerly known as Poseidon continued to struggle on the mainland...but then his woes spilled over onto his homeland to finish out the year in despair! In a nutshell: Missing Driver. Snapped wedge. No Buddha. Now, let's take a step back.. the skills were on full display when he took alpha the distance, so we know the fierce island competitor has some game. He still holds his LAF card. And he lost the Big visor. With that all said, CHOW is my 2018 "BG Best Buy." It's a value play. Ricky - can count his 2017 rounds on one hand, but if you remove Wine Valley, the other four digits were pretty solid outings. Ninja stealth, he'll more than cover a spread if you're not careful. There's some sneaky upside with this steady mid cap and definitely worthy of some of your hard earned dollars when not faced with 7200+ yards.
Shetty - I warned you early that it wouldn't be linear growth, but if you can draw a line on the chart from point A to point B without getting distracted by the seismic waves, it's UP! The Shetland made some noise in '17 and looks to build on that effort when he returns from gallivanting around the European hills with his beautiful-mane-flowing ancestors . As always, dollar-cost-averaging (fixed $$ monthly amount... removes the risk of buying at the peak) is the way to invest in SHET.
Mitch - blasted onto the scene during the first half of the year with some eye popping scores. Shot up the rankings as a result. It may have been a little more sizzle than steak tho, as the unrelenting pressure of the Frogman knocked this locomotive off its tracks for the remainder of the year. Definitely has the shots. Can fill out a tank. But word just broke that he is not only getting married in '18... he's bringing a child into this world to boot. This spells trouble folks. I hate to say it, but we have a potential "sell all" scenario here.
Yeti - sleeper alert! I saw the yeti go even par thru the first 3 holes at Widgi. I saw it with my own eyes! It was real. Discount this beast at your own peril, friends. If he can remove that one blowup hole.. actually, blowup is a vast understatement...let me rephrase that: if he can remove that one nuclear detonation per round, he's going to cost short sellers a lot of money in '18. Word is YETI is reinvesting in itself with private lessons and club fittings. God help us all.
Fluff - After many Paigeless yet stress-free months, the prodigal Fluff has returned! Claims he's a new(er) version, which remains to be seen, but so far he's been rather pleasurable. Enters the new year with a little momentum from '17, as the self-proclaimed par three king still holds the crown and he also established his first ever handicap. It should also be noted he can get out of a hairy lie as well as anyone in golf. Unfortunately, Fluff remains far too high of an OB/flight risk for this investor and always a chance of insolvency. Pass.
Andy - need more data. Jacob - need more data. Frog - is his membership active?
