Shortly after losing to Anthony Kim in their singles match at last month's Presidents Cup, Robert Allenby made some disparaging remarks about Kim having been out drinking late the night before.
It was a classless move by Allenby, and even though the two reportedly had met to clear the air, it seems Kim hasn't forgotten what was said.
The duo met up today during the semifinals of the World Match Play Championships in Casares, Spain and Kim exacted some revenge on Allenby with a 5 & 4 victory to advance to the finals against Angel Cabrera.
But it wasn't the win itself that gave Kim his vengeance, it was how he went about it. During the first half of the 36-hole semifinal, Kim refused to concede any putt to Aleenby, no matter how short the length. Usually in match play a short putt is concede quickly, but Kim was having none of it in the early part of the match and by the time they completed the first round Allenby was displeased.
Having gotten under Allenby's skin, Kim finally pulled away in the latter part of their second 18 holes of the day as Allenby struggled to make any putts.
Getting in your opponent's head is part of the strategy of match play and Kim did that brilliantly on Saturday, but it would not have been possible if Allenby hadn't opened the door with his mouth last month in San Francisco.
It will be interesting to see if Allenby has learned his lesson this time and declines to make any additional disparaging comments about this victory by Kim in the next few days.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Remembering Payne Stewart
This Sunday will mark the 10th anniversary of the tragic death of Payne Stewart and as I will be traveling this weekend I wanted to take a few moments to mark this sad event.
Stewart had capped a great year for his career in 1999 by winning the U.S. Open at Pinehurst and helped spur the U.S. to a Ryder Cup win three months later. Then, just one month later, Stewart left his Florida home to head for a meeting in Dallas, Texas (ironically, the same city where I will be spending this weekend) before heading down to Houston to play in the season-concluding Tour Championship.
As we all know, neither Stewart, his agents Robert Fraley and Van Ardan, the pilots Michael Kling and Stephanie Bellegarrigue, nor Bruce Borland, who was a golf architect with Jack Nicklaus' golf course design firm, made it to Dallas that day.
Many of us watched the events of that flight unfold in disbelief as the jet wandered off course and wildy climbed and dropped through the skies until finally falling to earth in a field outside Mina, South Dakota - nearly a thousand miles away from its intended destination.
Perhaps the saddest memory of that day came with the news that as Air Force jets helplessly tracked the plane across the country Stewart's wife kept calling his cell phone trying to reach him. The thought of that ringing cell phone that would never be answered is too heart-wrenching to contemplate.
There are better memories of Payne, the moments after clinching the '99 Open as he took Phil Mikelson in hand and pointed out Phil was the bigger winner that day because Phil was going to be a dad. The joy he shared with his teammates that day in September at Brookline when they all made Ben Crenshaw look like a prophet.
My own personal memory of Payne Stewart was a one-day Pro-Am at Greentree Country Club in Midland, Texas in the mid-1980s. It was my first-ever writing assignment and Stewart was playing in the event put together that day by Tom Kite.
Payne was immediately noticeable in his signature attire and most of the West Texas spectators spent most of the morning warm-ups trying to figure out, as one older gentleman put it, "why that boy couldn't afford to buy himself longer britches."
Payne was on the practice putting green when the comment was made and I wasn't sure he'd heard the remark. But as he turned, and I could see the smile on his face, I knew he had.
I followed Payne's career from that point on, and while Jack Nicklaus still remains on top of my list of golfing greats, Payne Stewart will always be one of my all-time favorites.
Stewart had capped a great year for his career in 1999 by winning the U.S. Open at Pinehurst and helped spur the U.S. to a Ryder Cup win three months later. Then, just one month later, Stewart left his Florida home to head for a meeting in Dallas, Texas (ironically, the same city where I will be spending this weekend) before heading down to Houston to play in the season-concluding Tour Championship.
As we all know, neither Stewart, his agents Robert Fraley and Van Ardan, the pilots Michael Kling and Stephanie Bellegarrigue, nor Bruce Borland, who was a golf architect with Jack Nicklaus' golf course design firm, made it to Dallas that day.
Many of us watched the events of that flight unfold in disbelief as the jet wandered off course and wildy climbed and dropped through the skies until finally falling to earth in a field outside Mina, South Dakota - nearly a thousand miles away from its intended destination.
Perhaps the saddest memory of that day came with the news that as Air Force jets helplessly tracked the plane across the country Stewart's wife kept calling his cell phone trying to reach him. The thought of that ringing cell phone that would never be answered is too heart-wrenching to contemplate.
There are better memories of Payne, the moments after clinching the '99 Open as he took Phil Mikelson in hand and pointed out Phil was the bigger winner that day because Phil was going to be a dad. The joy he shared with his teammates that day in September at Brookline when they all made Ben Crenshaw look like a prophet.
My own personal memory of Payne Stewart was a one-day Pro-Am at Greentree Country Club in Midland, Texas in the mid-1980s. It was my first-ever writing assignment and Stewart was playing in the event put together that day by Tom Kite.
Payne was immediately noticeable in his signature attire and most of the West Texas spectators spent most of the morning warm-ups trying to figure out, as one older gentleman put it, "why that boy couldn't afford to buy himself longer britches."
Payne was on the practice putting green when the comment was made and I wasn't sure he'd heard the remark. But as he turned, and I could see the smile on his face, I knew he had.
I followed Payne's career from that point on, and while Jack Nicklaus still remains on top of my list of golfing greats, Payne Stewart will always be one of my all-time favorites.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Did Phil just seal the Cup?
Yes Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker are a big part of why the U.S. will go into Sunday's 12 singles matches with a three-point lead, but why the U.S. kept that three-point lead can be placed on the shoulders of Phil Mickelson.
Trailing the International team of Tim Clark and Vijay Singh all round, Mickelson rolled in a 40-foot putt, lasered in a brilliant approach on 16 to stay tied and all while getting little, if any, help from his playing partner, Sean O'Hair.
Michael Jordan's "project" hasn't faired too well and will need to step up tomorrow for his team. If O'Hair can right the ship and at least salvage a half in his match tomorrow, it would go a long way toward redeeming the Cup rookie's dismal performance so far.
Still, the U.S. goes into the singles matches up 12.5-9.5 and holds a winning record overall in singles play in the Presidents Cup's brief history. That, and no team has ever rallied to win after going into Sunday's singles in the previous seven Cups, puts an enormous amount of pressure on the Internationals.
The U.S. needs just five points out of the 12 matches, while the International team will likely need to win seven matches and halve two more to win the Cup.
Impossible no, but unlikely.
Trailing the International team of Tim Clark and Vijay Singh all round, Mickelson rolled in a 40-foot putt, lasered in a brilliant approach on 16 to stay tied and all while getting little, if any, help from his playing partner, Sean O'Hair.
Michael Jordan's "project" hasn't faired too well and will need to step up tomorrow for his team. If O'Hair can right the ship and at least salvage a half in his match tomorrow, it would go a long way toward redeeming the Cup rookie's dismal performance so far.
Still, the U.S. goes into the singles matches up 12.5-9.5 and holds a winning record overall in singles play in the Presidents Cup's brief history. That, and no team has ever rallied to win after going into Sunday's singles in the previous seven Cups, puts an enormous amount of pressure on the Internationals.
The U.S. needs just five points out of the 12 matches, while the International team will likely need to win seven matches and halve two more to win the Cup.
Impossible no, but unlikely.
U.S. off to good start on Saturday
The U.S. team got out of the gate Saturday about as good as they could have hoped in Saturday morning's matches and have taken a 10-7 lead.
But the International team, as it has all week, is coming on strong in the afternoon and could close back to within one point going into Sunday's final matches.
But the International team, as it has all week, is coming on strong in the afternoon and could close back to within one point going into Sunday's final matches.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Of alligators and gold medals
There's always a few things you need to keep an eye out for on the golf course when it comes to personal safety.
The occassional golfer who does not know you are supposed to yell "FORE" when a ball is getting too close to another golfer, thus exposing you to an unexpected golf ball off the noggin. The occasional snake in the rough when you go searching for your wayward shot, especially in Texas and yes I speak from personal experience.
The other day I finished putting at my course's 13th hole, retrieved my ball and turned around to see an adult kit fox sitting on the green about 20 feet away. We spent about 30 seconds staring at each other before he decided to trot off, but it was a long 30 seconds as I was trying to remember if kit foxes liked to munch on humans or not.
Still, that experience was nothing like that of a 77-year-old golfer at Ocean Creek Golf Course in South Carolina. The man, whose name has not been released, was picking up his golf ball when a 10-foot alligator grabbed his arm and dragged him into a pond.
His playing partners managed to pull the victim away, but not before the alligator had severed part of the player's arm. The alligator was quickly hunted down and killed and the arm was retrieved, but last reports did not seem to indicate that it could be reattached.
While the player's condition is still not known, I am sure all of us hope for a speedy recovery. And the incident should serve as a needed reminder for all of us to keep an eye out at all times. Golf is a pastoral game but it hasd its dangers from above and below.
In lighter news, the 2016 Olympic Games of Rio de Janeiro will include golf among its 28 sports. It will mark the first time since 1904 that golf will be a part of the Games and it is nice to see it included.
But I would like to see the Games go back to allowing only true amateur players participate. Otherwise this is just going to be another PGA Tour event with the best pros from all over the world going to the Games.
I understand why the U.S. started sending its pros to the Games as other countries were subsidizing their athletes so they could focus on training while still earning a living a technically remaining "amatuers" but it would be nice to see a return back to the original intent of the 1896 Games in Athens.
But for now, at least golf in back in the Games and that is a step in the right direction.
The occassional golfer who does not know you are supposed to yell "FORE" when a ball is getting too close to another golfer, thus exposing you to an unexpected golf ball off the noggin. The occasional snake in the rough when you go searching for your wayward shot, especially in Texas and yes I speak from personal experience.
The other day I finished putting at my course's 13th hole, retrieved my ball and turned around to see an adult kit fox sitting on the green about 20 feet away. We spent about 30 seconds staring at each other before he decided to trot off, but it was a long 30 seconds as I was trying to remember if kit foxes liked to munch on humans or not.
Still, that experience was nothing like that of a 77-year-old golfer at Ocean Creek Golf Course in South Carolina. The man, whose name has not been released, was picking up his golf ball when a 10-foot alligator grabbed his arm and dragged him into a pond.
His playing partners managed to pull the victim away, but not before the alligator had severed part of the player's arm. The alligator was quickly hunted down and killed and the arm was retrieved, but last reports did not seem to indicate that it could be reattached.
While the player's condition is still not known, I am sure all of us hope for a speedy recovery. And the incident should serve as a needed reminder for all of us to keep an eye out at all times. Golf is a pastoral game but it hasd its dangers from above and below.
In lighter news, the 2016 Olympic Games of Rio de Janeiro will include golf among its 28 sports. It will mark the first time since 1904 that golf will be a part of the Games and it is nice to see it included.
But I would like to see the Games go back to allowing only true amateur players participate. Otherwise this is just going to be another PGA Tour event with the best pros from all over the world going to the Games.
I understand why the U.S. started sending its pros to the Games as other countries were subsidizing their athletes so they could focus on training while still earning a living a technically remaining "amatuers" but it would be nice to see a return back to the original intent of the 1896 Games in Athens.
But for now, at least golf in back in the Games and that is a step in the right direction.
International team hanging tough
The team of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker appear to be unbeatable, something that needs to kept in mind for next year's Ryders Cup Mr. U.S. Team Captain Corey Pavin. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson appears to be able to win no matter who he pairs up with.
But, sadly, it also appears just two days into the 2009 Presidents Cup in San Francisco that Sean O'Hair has no business being anywhere near this type of format. After dropping a point in Thursday's matches, O'Hair teamed up with Kenny Perry to suffer the worst loss of the day for the U.S. team on Friday, a 4 & 3 defeat at the hands of Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa. O'Hair simply hasn't done much during the first two days and isn't showing any sign that he'll turn it around over the weekend.
The goof news for team captain Fred Couples is that his two picks for the team actually fared better today. Lucas Glover teamed up with Stewart Cink and fell 1-up on the 18th hole to Vijay Singh and Tim Clark. But despite the loss, Glover actually had a decent day.
Couples other pick, Hunter Mahan, gave his team an early lead with solid play and his partner Zach Johnson helped close out a 2 & 1 win over Robert Allenby and Camilo Villegas.
But what should concern Couples the most this weekend is the slim one-point lead his team will start Saturday's matches with. The U.S. team has gotten off to strong starts early in nearly all of the matches, but has faded in enough of them to let the International squad hang close.
That is a dangerous position for the Americans to be in and they really need to make a big push on Saturday to build up a nice cushion for Sunday's finale.
International Captain Greg Norman must be ecstatic to be just one point down after two days at Harding Park in San Francisco and he has enough firepower on his roster that knows how to close out matches on Sunday to make Fred Couples a mighty worried leader in the clubhouse.
But, sadly, it also appears just two days into the 2009 Presidents Cup in San Francisco that Sean O'Hair has no business being anywhere near this type of format. After dropping a point in Thursday's matches, O'Hair teamed up with Kenny Perry to suffer the worst loss of the day for the U.S. team on Friday, a 4 & 3 defeat at the hands of Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa. O'Hair simply hasn't done much during the first two days and isn't showing any sign that he'll turn it around over the weekend.
The goof news for team captain Fred Couples is that his two picks for the team actually fared better today. Lucas Glover teamed up with Stewart Cink and fell 1-up on the 18th hole to Vijay Singh and Tim Clark. But despite the loss, Glover actually had a decent day.
Couples other pick, Hunter Mahan, gave his team an early lead with solid play and his partner Zach Johnson helped close out a 2 & 1 win over Robert Allenby and Camilo Villegas.
But what should concern Couples the most this weekend is the slim one-point lead his team will start Saturday's matches with. The U.S. team has gotten off to strong starts early in nearly all of the matches, but has faded in enough of them to let the International squad hang close.
That is a dangerous position for the Americans to be in and they really need to make a big push on Saturday to build up a nice cushion for Sunday's finale.
International Captain Greg Norman must be ecstatic to be just one point down after two days at Harding Park in San Francisco and he has enough firepower on his roster that knows how to close out matches on Sunday to make Fred Couples a mighty worried leader in the clubhouse.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Day 1 in the books
Day One of the eighth Presidents Cup is in the books and the American team is clinging to a 3.5-2.5 lead going into tomorrow's eight matches.
So what do we know after the first six matches? For one, it wasn't that great of a day for three of the four Captain's picks.
While Adam Scott was part of one of the International's winning matches, Ryo Ishikawa was one-half of the team that suffered the worst loss of the day, while Captain Fred Couples' two picks not only were part of the two losing teams for the Anericans, Lucas Glover cost the U.S. team at least 1/2 of a point with a blown putt late in his match that helped the International team escape with a full point.
Second, Hunter Mahan - the other Couples' pick along with Glover - and Sean O'Hair should have been able to beat Scott and Ernie Els and their 2 & 1 loss in the match wasn't even that close. These two are clearly the weak link for the U.S. team and it will be interesting to see if Couples sits either or both of them in Friday's matches.
We also know that Tiger Woods' struggles in Ryder Cup haven't carried over to this event as he and Steve Stricker rolled to an easy 6 & 4 win over Ishikawa and Geoff Ogilvy.
And we know that Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim make up a really good team that Couples should continue to pair up as the weekend unfolds.
But as far as whether or not the U.S. will improve to 6-1-1 in Presidents Cup play remains to be seen. There are still 26 points up for grabs over the next three days and after the opening day it is clear that it is still anyone's Cup to win.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Double your pleasure
So exactly what was it with the month of September anyway?
No, I am not talking about Tiger Woods rolling to another FedEx Cup championship and another $10 million dollar check (that likely went to the petty cash fund anyway)that Mr. Woods deposited into his account.
What was truly amazing about the recently concluded month was a flurry of holes-in-ones across the globe. Now, I don't know what the exact numbers are on how many times a day someone, somewhere, experiemces the ultimate joy of golf. I'm sure there has to be at least one or two every week if not more.
But what we saw in September was above and beyond the norm for golf. Three people not only carded a hole-in-one in September, they did it twice. In the same round. And that number we do know.
According to Golf Digest the odds of a player recording two aces in the same round are 1 in 67 million. And here, in less than 30 days, we have three players beating the longest of longshots?
Did the poles suddenly shift around our planet? Is Lucifer still wearing his overcoat while trying to figure out where all that ice came from? What in the name of Bobby Jones is going on around here?
As blogged earlier this month, 64-year-old retiree Ruth Day, a 64-year-old retiree who lives in northern England started things off with her first two aces in 10 years of playing.
The very next day, a few thousand miles to the west in Pennsylvania, Steve Blass, a former pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropped in two aces 11 holes apart.
Then it was all quiet for about two weeks before Troy Radermacher of Ellendale, N.D. dropped in two aces just eight holes apart. According to the report printed in the Fargo Forum newspaper, Radermacher still can't believe what he did.
Trust me Troy, you are not alone.
No, I am not talking about Tiger Woods rolling to another FedEx Cup championship and another $10 million dollar check (that likely went to the petty cash fund anyway)that Mr. Woods deposited into his account.
What was truly amazing about the recently concluded month was a flurry of holes-in-ones across the globe. Now, I don't know what the exact numbers are on how many times a day someone, somewhere, experiemces the ultimate joy of golf. I'm sure there has to be at least one or two every week if not more.
But what we saw in September was above and beyond the norm for golf. Three people not only carded a hole-in-one in September, they did it twice. In the same round. And that number we do know.
According to Golf Digest the odds of a player recording two aces in the same round are 1 in 67 million. And here, in less than 30 days, we have three players beating the longest of longshots?
Did the poles suddenly shift around our planet? Is Lucifer still wearing his overcoat while trying to figure out where all that ice came from? What in the name of Bobby Jones is going on around here?
As blogged earlier this month, 64-year-old retiree Ruth Day, a 64-year-old retiree who lives in northern England started things off with her first two aces in 10 years of playing.
The very next day, a few thousand miles to the west in Pennsylvania, Steve Blass, a former pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropped in two aces 11 holes apart.
Then it was all quiet for about two weeks before Troy Radermacher of Ellendale, N.D. dropped in two aces just eight holes apart. According to the report printed in the Fargo Forum newspaper, Radermacher still can't believe what he did.
Trust me Troy, you are not alone.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Tips from a golf coach
One thing I have wanted to do with this blog was to do more than just comment on the state of professional golf. I have been looking for a golf coach who could provide the kind of useful tips for the every day golfer to help him or her improve their game.
So it was a fortunate set of circumstances that led me to meet up with such a coach while playing behind a tournament at my course here in Colorado.
His name is Robert D. Bates and from time to time, Coach will provide tips to improve your game. I can vouch for him as he dropped one on me as we were playing and I have already reaped the rewards of his tutelage.
So without any further ado, here is Coach Bates' first tip:
Golf’s Rubber Band Syndrome
By: Robert D. Bates
In order to play golf as well as your body will allow you to; one must be limber, especially in the arms and shoulders.
So, what has this to do with a rubber band? As a rubber band gets pulled and stretched, it’s kinetic energy is being stored and wants to be released. If you stretch a rubber band to a point of much resistance and then let it go, it snaps back. This is typical of what happens when a golfer goes to the first tee with out being limber.
When you first head out to the driving range or, if you must, go to the first tee, your arms and shoulders will seem tight and your swing will not be as fluid as it would be if you had done some stretching exercises. A typical first hole swing is to bring the club back in your swing to a point where resistance is felt and then quickly make your forward swing even though the backswing has not been completed. More often than not, it will not be a pretty shot.
Try the following procedure and see if you don’t get a straighter, more favorable shot. Take whatever club you are using and either keep a heavy club head cover or one of those rubber ring weights on it and slowly mimic a golf swing. The purpose of this is to slowly stretch the muscles in your arms and shoulders. It is NOT a practice swing. You take the club back ever so slowly until your left shoulder (for righties) is under your chin. Do this several times.
Then when you take your actual tee shot, take the club back again, low and slow and when you get to the top of the swing, i.e., your left shoulder is under your chin, hesitate for a second, then you may follow through with a forceful swing if you want.
It is a good idea to follow this procedure with each tee shot during the entire round of golf because from the time you finish with your putting, in which you will only be using your small muscles, you will probably be a little stiff and need the stretching exercise again.
Try this procedure the next time you play golf and see if it does not improve your shots and lower your score.
So it was a fortunate set of circumstances that led me to meet up with such a coach while playing behind a tournament at my course here in Colorado.
His name is Robert D. Bates and from time to time, Coach will provide tips to improve your game. I can vouch for him as he dropped one on me as we were playing and I have already reaped the rewards of his tutelage.
So without any further ado, here is Coach Bates' first tip:
Golf’s Rubber Band Syndrome
By: Robert D. Bates
In order to play golf as well as your body will allow you to; one must be limber, especially in the arms and shoulders.
So, what has this to do with a rubber band? As a rubber band gets pulled and stretched, it’s kinetic energy is being stored and wants to be released. If you stretch a rubber band to a point of much resistance and then let it go, it snaps back. This is typical of what happens when a golfer goes to the first tee with out being limber.
When you first head out to the driving range or, if you must, go to the first tee, your arms and shoulders will seem tight and your swing will not be as fluid as it would be if you had done some stretching exercises. A typical first hole swing is to bring the club back in your swing to a point where resistance is felt and then quickly make your forward swing even though the backswing has not been completed. More often than not, it will not be a pretty shot.
Try the following procedure and see if you don’t get a straighter, more favorable shot. Take whatever club you are using and either keep a heavy club head cover or one of those rubber ring weights on it and slowly mimic a golf swing. The purpose of this is to slowly stretch the muscles in your arms and shoulders. It is NOT a practice swing. You take the club back ever so slowly until your left shoulder (for righties) is under your chin. Do this several times.
Then when you take your actual tee shot, take the club back again, low and slow and when you get to the top of the swing, i.e., your left shoulder is under your chin, hesitate for a second, then you may follow through with a forceful swing if you want.
It is a good idea to follow this procedure with each tee shot during the entire round of golf because from the time you finish with your putting, in which you will only be using your small muscles, you will probably be a little stiff and need the stretching exercise again.
Try this procedure the next time you play golf and see if it does not improve your shots and lower your score.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bittersweet Anniversary
It was 10 years ago today that one of the most remarkable comebacks in golf history occurred at the 33rd Ryder Cup match in Massachusetts. It was dubbed the "Battle of Brookline" and saw the American team rally from four points down on the final day of play.
With Ben Crenshaw telling everyone that he had a feeling about Sunday's finale his team charged out on Sunday and won the first seven matches to take a 13-10 lead. Jim Furyk defeated Sergio Garcia and Justin Leonard halved his match against Jose Maria Olazabal with an incredible putt on 17 to seal the biggest come from behind win in Ryder Cup history.
With the Cup secured with a 14.5-13.5 win, Payne Stewart conceded the final hole to Colin Montgomerie in a sportsmanlike gesture that would be the pinnacle of Stewart's career as Stewart would perish in a plane crash just one month later.
Even now, 10 years and four Cup matches later, the magic of that day carries forward. It will likely be remembered for many years to come and may very well go down as the greatest match in the history of the Ryder Cup.
With Ben Crenshaw telling everyone that he had a feeling about Sunday's finale his team charged out on Sunday and won the first seven matches to take a 13-10 lead. Jim Furyk defeated Sergio Garcia and Justin Leonard halved his match against Jose Maria Olazabal with an incredible putt on 17 to seal the biggest come from behind win in Ryder Cup history.
With the Cup secured with a 14.5-13.5 win, Payne Stewart conceded the final hole to Colin Montgomerie in a sportsmanlike gesture that would be the pinnacle of Stewart's career as Stewart would perish in a plane crash just one month later.
Even now, 10 years and four Cup matches later, the magic of that day carries forward. It will likely be remembered for many years to come and may very well go down as the greatest match in the history of the Ryder Cup.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Off week still eventful
So we take a week off from the chase for the FedEx CUp in the PGA and you think that means all's quiet on the golfing front do you?
Not so fast.
A 57-year-old Southern California man decided to pay tribute to fallen duffers everywhere by throwing golf balls out his car window while driving through Joshua Tree National Park, located in the Mojave Dessert just northeast of Los Angeles.
By the time park rangers discovered who had been tossing the golf balls in the park, Douglas Jones had deposited nearly 3,000 golf balls in the dessert. Park rangers, who had to pick up each golf ball, along with some other items Jones left in the park for various reason, were not amused.
Jones, who started his unique tribute in 2007, faces possible jail time and fines for his littering ways, which included tennis balls, cans of fruit and vegetables and park produced literature.
Jones, who lives in La Quinta, CA, no doubt collected his high number of golf balls for high speed pitching from his place of employment - a nearby golf course.
His case is pending.
Meanwhile, half a world away, 64-year-old Ruth Day is being hailed by many, and probably cursed by others, for carding two holes-in-one. In the same round.
Playing the Whitley Bay Golf Club on Sept. 9, Day aced the 149-yard third hole and repeated the feat on the 161-yard 13th hole. Day, a retiree, took up the game just 10 years ago.
It took me 26 years to card my first and, so far, only ace. ESPN columnist Rick Reilly played for 38 years and went to extraordinary lengths to get his first ace. So we can appreciate just how special Day's feat is.
For those golfers still looking for their first ace, they are no doubt grumbling in the 19th hole beers about how one golfer gets two aces in the same round while dreaming about the glorious day to come when the finally get their first ace.
Keep firing folks, if duffers like Reilly and I can do it, you can too.
Not so fast.
A 57-year-old Southern California man decided to pay tribute to fallen duffers everywhere by throwing golf balls out his car window while driving through Joshua Tree National Park, located in the Mojave Dessert just northeast of Los Angeles.
By the time park rangers discovered who had been tossing the golf balls in the park, Douglas Jones had deposited nearly 3,000 golf balls in the dessert. Park rangers, who had to pick up each golf ball, along with some other items Jones left in the park for various reason, were not amused.
Jones, who started his unique tribute in 2007, faces possible jail time and fines for his littering ways, which included tennis balls, cans of fruit and vegetables and park produced literature.
Jones, who lives in La Quinta, CA, no doubt collected his high number of golf balls for high speed pitching from his place of employment - a nearby golf course.
His case is pending.
Meanwhile, half a world away, 64-year-old Ruth Day is being hailed by many, and probably cursed by others, for carding two holes-in-one. In the same round.
Playing the Whitley Bay Golf Club on Sept. 9, Day aced the 149-yard third hole and repeated the feat on the 161-yard 13th hole. Day, a retiree, took up the game just 10 years ago.
It took me 26 years to card my first and, so far, only ace. ESPN columnist Rick Reilly played for 38 years and went to extraordinary lengths to get his first ace. So we can appreciate just how special Day's feat is.
For those golfers still looking for their first ace, they are no doubt grumbling in the 19th hole beers about how one golfer gets two aces in the same round while dreaming about the glorious day to come when the finally get their first ace.
Keep firing folks, if duffers like Reilly and I can do it, you can too.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Can I have a mulligan?
Ok, I shanked one into the weeds and need a do-over.
I had forgotten that the points would be reset after the BMW Championship with anyone in the Top 30 still having a mathematical chance to claim the FedEx Cup on Sunday when The Tour Championship concludes.
I'll take my medicine on that one and write down a double-bogey.
One player happy with that format is Steve Stricker, who would have needed to win The Tour Championship to have any chance to overtake Tiger Woods after Tiger's impressive performance at the BMW Championship this week. Without the reset, Tiger would have gone into the event with a nearly insurmountable lead over second-place Stricker.
Instead, Stricker only trails by 250 points and has a few other scenarios that can unfold this week and still allow him to collect the coveted Cup.
Of course, if Woods keeps rolling along like he did in Chicago, the only hope Stricker has will be to finish Sunday on top of the leaderboard at Atlanta.
So while Stricker brushes up on his tournament-winning skills I'll be hitting the books. I think I'll start with "FedEx Cup playoff format for Dummies."
I had forgotten that the points would be reset after the BMW Championship with anyone in the Top 30 still having a mathematical chance to claim the FedEx Cup on Sunday when The Tour Championship concludes.
I'll take my medicine on that one and write down a double-bogey.
One player happy with that format is Steve Stricker, who would have needed to win The Tour Championship to have any chance to overtake Tiger Woods after Tiger's impressive performance at the BMW Championship this week. Without the reset, Tiger would have gone into the event with a nearly insurmountable lead over second-place Stricker.
Instead, Stricker only trails by 250 points and has a few other scenarios that can unfold this week and still allow him to collect the coveted Cup.
Of course, if Woods keeps rolling along like he did in Chicago, the only hope Stricker has will be to finish Sunday on top of the leaderboard at Atlanta.
So while Stricker brushes up on his tournament-winning skills I'll be hitting the books. I think I'll start with "FedEx Cup playoff format for Dummies."
Friday, September 11, 2009
Mr. Woods got the memo. Mr. Stricker?
Coming into Round 3 of the FedEx Cup, both Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods needed to just finish in the top 10 to all but secure that one of them would win the Cup this year.
Tiger got the memo, currently tied for first after 36 hole of the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in Chicago. Woods usually does well at Cog Hill, so it is really no big surprise to see his name atop the leaderboard on a Friday evening. And while Tiger cannot clinch the Cup with a win this week, he certainly can put a huge amount of pressure on the current Cup leader Stricker.
Maybe that is why Stricker is struggling horribly after two rounds this week.
After 36 holes, Stricker sits 10 shots behind Woods and is tied for 51st. If Stricker does not make a huge move up the board, and assuming Woods goes on to win this week, Stricker would go into next week's final round needing to win and probably have Woods finish no better than third.
Playing on the PGA Tour is tough enough, playing knowing you have to win or watch $10 million go up in smoke will likely lead to a poor performance that Stricker cannot afford.
As he starts his round Saturday, Stricker needs to put any thoughts of winning this week aside and focus on running down as many of the 50 players ahead of him as he can.
Saturday's third round is traditionally called "Moving Day". For Stricker's Cup chances, he'd better bring a big moving van along with his bag to the first tee.
Tiger got the memo, currently tied for first after 36 hole of the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in Chicago. Woods usually does well at Cog Hill, so it is really no big surprise to see his name atop the leaderboard on a Friday evening. And while Tiger cannot clinch the Cup with a win this week, he certainly can put a huge amount of pressure on the current Cup leader Stricker.
Maybe that is why Stricker is struggling horribly after two rounds this week.
After 36 holes, Stricker sits 10 shots behind Woods and is tied for 51st. If Stricker does not make a huge move up the board, and assuming Woods goes on to win this week, Stricker would go into next week's final round needing to win and probably have Woods finish no better than third.
Playing on the PGA Tour is tough enough, playing knowing you have to win or watch $10 million go up in smoke will likely lead to a poor performance that Stricker cannot afford.
As he starts his round Saturday, Stricker needs to put any thoughts of winning this week aside and focus on running down as many of the 50 players ahead of him as he can.
Saturday's third round is traditionally called "Moving Day". For Stricker's Cup chances, he'd better bring a big moving van along with his bag to the first tee.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Two-man horse race?
Barring an amazing back-to-back win performance over the next two weeks, the chase for the FedEx Cup has pretty much become a two-man race between Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods. Based on their play over the past two weeks, Stricker goes into this weeks' BMW Championship outside of Chicago with the advantage.
Stricker's win on Monday at the Duetsche Bank Championship put him in first place by 909 points over Woods. While Woods usually does well at Cog hill, the simple fact is he is struggling with his game, Monday's 8-under, 63 notwithstanding. Woods' balky putter either runs red-hot or ice-cold and it not only cost him a chance to put the FedEx Cup out of reach, it has opened the door for Stricker to cruise right on by.
Stricker has been the more consistent of the pair in recent weeks by far and now only has to make sure he finishes no worse than tied with Woods at the end of the next two tournaments to claim the $10 million bonanza.
Unless, of course, one of the players currently running in the Top 25 catches fire and wins the next two events and collects 5,000 points in the process. British Open champion Stewart Cink is currently 25th at 1,435 points, trailing Stricker by 4,170 points.
Back-to-back victories by Cink would force Stricker or Woods to finish in the top 5 in both of the next two events to capture the Cup.
So while it looks pretty good for Stricker and Woods right now, there is still enough time and points left in the chase for a dark horse to steal away with the Cup. Remember, Camilo Villegas won the last two FedEx Cup events last year, so it is not unprecedented.
Which naturally begs the question: Which of the players from No. 3 Heath Slocum on down to Cink has the best chance to pull off the miracle comeback?
I'll put my money on Jim Furyk and his eight Top 10 finishes this year. But realistically I don't see Stricker giving up this lead too easily and I will go out on a limb and say that Stricker will wrap up the FedEx Cup this week in Chicago.
Stricker's win on Monday at the Duetsche Bank Championship put him in first place by 909 points over Woods. While Woods usually does well at Cog hill, the simple fact is he is struggling with his game, Monday's 8-under, 63 notwithstanding. Woods' balky putter either runs red-hot or ice-cold and it not only cost him a chance to put the FedEx Cup out of reach, it has opened the door for Stricker to cruise right on by.
Stricker has been the more consistent of the pair in recent weeks by far and now only has to make sure he finishes no worse than tied with Woods at the end of the next two tournaments to claim the $10 million bonanza.
Unless, of course, one of the players currently running in the Top 25 catches fire and wins the next two events and collects 5,000 points in the process. British Open champion Stewart Cink is currently 25th at 1,435 points, trailing Stricker by 4,170 points.
Back-to-back victories by Cink would force Stricker or Woods to finish in the top 5 in both of the next two events to capture the Cup.
So while it looks pretty good for Stricker and Woods right now, there is still enough time and points left in the chase for a dark horse to steal away with the Cup. Remember, Camilo Villegas won the last two FedEx Cup events last year, so it is not unprecedented.
Which naturally begs the question: Which of the players from No. 3 Heath Slocum on down to Cink has the best chance to pull off the miracle comeback?
I'll put my money on Jim Furyk and his eight Top 10 finishes this year. But realistically I don't see Stricker giving up this lead too easily and I will go out on a limb and say that Stricker will wrap up the FedEx Cup this week in Chicago.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
FedEx Cup - Round 2
With the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston set to tee off tomorrow, the second round of the FedEx Cup begins with one big question.
Such as, just how does a guy who compiled just 355 points in 24 events suddenly find himself in a position to win the Cup and the $10 million prize that goes with it?
Heath Slocum barely got into the field of 125, starting last Thursday's opening round of The Barclays at 124th, 3,076 points behind Tiger Woods. When his final putt sank to the bottom of the cup in the 18th on Sunday, Slocum had leaped up 121 places in the standings to third and finds himself just 1,526 points behind the first-place Woods, and just 250 points behind second-place Steve Stricker.
If Slocum is getting hot at the right time and pulls a 2008 Vijay Singh by winning this week, he could find himself in the lead with two events to play and likely only needing to make sure he finishes no worse than tied with Woods at the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to seal the deal.
But, while Tiger has won at the Deutsche Bank Championship (2006), Slocum's best ever finish here was last year's tie for 15th and that does not bode well for his chances.
One player who has thrived in Boston is Vijay Singh, a two-time winner of this event (2004, 2008), who comes into the week in 78th in the Cup standings and 3,734 points behind Woods. A successful defense of his title would put Singh right back into the mix.
One player to keep an eye on this week is the Big Easy, Ernie Els. Els has only played this tournament once, a third-place finish last year, and is coming off a solid effort last week in New Jersey. If Els, who starts play on Friday in 11th place and is 2,698 points behind Woods, can carry over that play to this week he could put himself right on Tiger's tail.
Of course, there could be another Heath Slocum lurking somewhere in the tall grass at the TPC Boston, looking to deal himself into the mix as well, which should make for some great golf viewing over this holiday weekend.
Enjoy.
Such as, just how does a guy who compiled just 355 points in 24 events suddenly find himself in a position to win the Cup and the $10 million prize that goes with it?
Heath Slocum barely got into the field of 125, starting last Thursday's opening round of The Barclays at 124th, 3,076 points behind Tiger Woods. When his final putt sank to the bottom of the cup in the 18th on Sunday, Slocum had leaped up 121 places in the standings to third and finds himself just 1,526 points behind the first-place Woods, and just 250 points behind second-place Steve Stricker.
If Slocum is getting hot at the right time and pulls a 2008 Vijay Singh by winning this week, he could find himself in the lead with two events to play and likely only needing to make sure he finishes no worse than tied with Woods at the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to seal the deal.
But, while Tiger has won at the Deutsche Bank Championship (2006), Slocum's best ever finish here was last year's tie for 15th and that does not bode well for his chances.
One player who has thrived in Boston is Vijay Singh, a two-time winner of this event (2004, 2008), who comes into the week in 78th in the Cup standings and 3,734 points behind Woods. A successful defense of his title would put Singh right back into the mix.
One player to keep an eye on this week is the Big Easy, Ernie Els. Els has only played this tournament once, a third-place finish last year, and is coming off a solid effort last week in New Jersey. If Els, who starts play on Friday in 11th place and is 2,698 points behind Woods, can carry over that play to this week he could put himself right on Tiger's tail.
Of course, there could be another Heath Slocum lurking somewhere in the tall grass at the TPC Boston, looking to deal himself into the mix as well, which should make for some great golf viewing over this holiday weekend.
Enjoy.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Yes, there is pro golf being played outside of N.Y.
Mark O'Meara eagled the Par 5, 18th on Friday to take a two-shot lead over Loren Roberts, Mark McNulty and John Jacobs at the Champions Tour's Boeing Classic at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Washington. (Don't feel bad, I had to drag out an atlas to find out it is about 30 miles east of Seattle too.)
Meanwhile, after a short drive across New Jersey from The Barclays, the Nationwide Tour's Northeast Pennsylvania Classic at Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow, PA has completed its second round of play.
Guy Boros, the son of the late Julius Boros, a two-time U.S. Open champion and Hall of Famer, surged to a two-shot lead over Henrik Bjornstad with a brilliant 6-under, 64 and sits at 9-under after 36 holes.
All the way across the country in North Plains, OR, the LPGA Tour has descended on the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club for the Safeway Classic. Beth Bader fired an opening round 8-under, 64 and leads a trio of golfers by one shot.
Meanwhile, after a short drive across New Jersey from The Barclays, the Nationwide Tour's Northeast Pennsylvania Classic at Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow, PA has completed its second round of play.
Guy Boros, the son of the late Julius Boros, a two-time U.S. Open champion and Hall of Famer, surged to a two-shot lead over Henrik Bjornstad with a brilliant 6-under, 64 and sits at 9-under after 36 holes.
All the way across the country in North Plains, OR, the LPGA Tour has descended on the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club for the Safeway Classic. Beth Bader fired an opening round 8-under, 64 and leads a trio of golfers by one shot.
Simpson leads? D'oh!!!!
No not that Simpson. Webb Simpson, a Wake Forrest alum who only turned pro last year, has parlayed 11 birdies and just three bogeys into a nice two-shot lead halfway through The Barclays.
Simpson, if the tournament were to end today, would go from 2900 points behind Tiger Woods all the way to only 600 points back in the chase for the FedEx Cup. Not bad considering Simpson entered this week 85th in the Cup standings.
But remember, we still have 36 holes to play and there is a lot that could happen between now and Sunday.
Speaking of the Cup chase, current second place occupant Steve Stricker is currently tied for sixth in the tournament, three shots clear of Woods, who continues to struggle with his putting. Stricker has shaved off 210 points of the nearly 1,300-point lead Woods started the week with and is looking to trim off even more by Sunday's final hole.
As expected, Lucas Glover (5th in FedEx) missed the cut and lost a lot of ground to Woods, as did Kenny Perry (4th in FedEx) who barely made the cut and is four shots back of Woods. Zach Johnson (3rd in FedEx) is keeping pace with Tiger at even par through 36 holes.
While moving up 10 spots despite shooting 1-over 72 for the round, Woods' continued woes with the flat blade must be a source of annoyance that the No. 1 player in the world must be getting tired of.
But he'll need to solve that problem, and fast, if he plans on collecting his second FedEx Cup title.
Simpson, if the tournament were to end today, would go from 2900 points behind Tiger Woods all the way to only 600 points back in the chase for the FedEx Cup. Not bad considering Simpson entered this week 85th in the Cup standings.
But remember, we still have 36 holes to play and there is a lot that could happen between now and Sunday.
Speaking of the Cup chase, current second place occupant Steve Stricker is currently tied for sixth in the tournament, three shots clear of Woods, who continues to struggle with his putting. Stricker has shaved off 210 points of the nearly 1,300-point lead Woods started the week with and is looking to trim off even more by Sunday's final hole.
As expected, Lucas Glover (5th in FedEx) missed the cut and lost a lot of ground to Woods, as did Kenny Perry (4th in FedEx) who barely made the cut and is four shots back of Woods. Zach Johnson (3rd in FedEx) is keeping pace with Tiger at even par through 36 holes.
While moving up 10 spots despite shooting 1-over 72 for the round, Woods' continued woes with the flat blade must be a source of annoyance that the No. 1 player in the world must be getting tired of.
But he'll need to solve that problem, and fast, if he plans on collecting his second FedEx Cup title.
And the chase for the Cup begins....
As we begin the four-week run to $10 million, it is probably a little too early to say one player has put himself out in front, even though Tiger Woods does have about a 1,300 point lead over second place Steve Stricker.
But one player may have already shot himself out of the running before the second round has finished at The Barclays. Lucas Glover rolled into this week's event in fifth place, about 1,700 points behind Woods, in the standings. But a second round 81 has pretty much insured a missed cut this week for Glover who will likely take a bit of a tumble in the standings and would almost have to win two of the final three events to win the Cup. Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes.
Speaking of Tiger, at this writing, Woods is at 1-under and tied with third place Zach Johnson but trails Stricker by one shot.
But one player may have already shot himself out of the running before the second round has finished at The Barclays. Lucas Glover rolled into this week's event in fifth place, about 1,700 points behind Woods, in the standings. But a second round 81 has pretty much insured a missed cut this week for Glover who will likely take a bit of a tumble in the standings and would almost have to win two of the final three events to win the Cup. Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes.
Speaking of Tiger, at this writing, Woods is at 1-under and tied with third place Zach Johnson but trails Stricker by one shot.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The FedEx Cup.....YAWN......
The third installment of the most worthless playoff system in sports gets underway this week at the Barclays, held at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.
While props should be given to the PGA Tour for tweaking the format enough to force the season points leaders into showing up for the first of the four-tournament format, the fact remains that having points determine a playoff winner just doesn't create a true playoff atmosphere.
You have an off day or two in the NFL, NBA or MLB playoffs and you are toast. Have an off day or two in the FedEx Cup and you live to play next week. Which is why I'd like to see one last change to the FedEx Cup to make it a true playoff and increase the tension, and pressure on all of the players. Use the season-long points to determine the Top 30 players. Those 30 would be the only ones competing on the course that week while, like they do during the week of the British Open, the rest of the PGA players will compete in another tournament elsewhere during the four-week long playoffs.
After four days, the Top 20 players will advance to the next week's event and play in Week 2 at the Duetche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts . After that four-day tournament concludes, the Top 10 earn a berth in Week 3 at the BMW Championship in Illinois which will trim the field down to a Top 4 and those four would play a four-round tournament in Week 4 at The Tour Championship in Atlanta to determine the season's champion.
This would force someone to play four solid weeks of golf, making it more likely that we would really get the best player of the year hoisting the Cup, as opposed to someone getting hot and winning two events early then coasting the next two weeks, i.e. Vijay Singh's victory last year.
Will it ever happen? Doubtful, but a fella can dream can't he?
While props should be given to the PGA Tour for tweaking the format enough to force the season points leaders into showing up for the first of the four-tournament format, the fact remains that having points determine a playoff winner just doesn't create a true playoff atmosphere.
You have an off day or two in the NFL, NBA or MLB playoffs and you are toast. Have an off day or two in the FedEx Cup and you live to play next week. Which is why I'd like to see one last change to the FedEx Cup to make it a true playoff and increase the tension, and pressure on all of the players. Use the season-long points to determine the Top 30 players. Those 30 would be the only ones competing on the course that week while, like they do during the week of the British Open, the rest of the PGA players will compete in another tournament elsewhere during the four-week long playoffs.
After four days, the Top 20 players will advance to the next week's event and play in Week 2 at the Duetche Bank Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts . After that four-day tournament concludes, the Top 10 earn a berth in Week 3 at the BMW Championship in Illinois which will trim the field down to a Top 4 and those four would play a four-round tournament in Week 4 at The Tour Championship in Atlanta to determine the season's champion.
This would force someone to play four solid weeks of golf, making it more likely that we would really get the best player of the year hoisting the Cup, as opposed to someone getting hot and winning two events early then coasting the next two weeks, i.e. Vijay Singh's victory last year.
Will it ever happen? Doubtful, but a fella can dream can't he?
Sunday, August 23, 2009
As for Sergio....
Garcia once again let a lead slip away in a PGA event, letting a three-shot lead on Sunday dissolve into a fourth-place finish at the Wyndham Championship.
Garcia missed a three-way playoff by one agonizing stroke and opened the door for Ryan Moore to capture his first PGA victory.
Garcia tops the list as best player never to win a major and it is beginning to look like he will finish his career with that dubious honor wrapped firmly around his neck.
Garcia missed a three-way playoff by one agonizing stroke and opened the door for Ryan Moore to capture his first PGA victory.
Garcia tops the list as best player never to win a major and it is beginning to look like he will finish his career with that dubious honor wrapped firmly around his neck.
Is it time to get off Michelle Wie's back?
All the naysayers that have belittled Michelle Wie's approach to playing in men's tournaments just may need to zip it for awhile.
Wie led the Americans in total points with 3.5 while leading the USA to a 16-12 victory over Europe in this weekend's Solheim Cup, including an early 1-up victory over Helen Alfredsson during Sunday's singles. It was the third straight Cup win for the U.S. and eighth overall.
There is no doubt that Wie can play and, in my humble opinion, will make the cut at a PGA event within the next three years if she keeps teeing it up with the big boys.
Wie led the Americans in total points with 3.5 while leading the USA to a 16-12 victory over Europe in this weekend's Solheim Cup, including an early 1-up victory over Helen Alfredsson during Sunday's singles. It was the third straight Cup win for the U.S. and eighth overall.
There is no doubt that Wie can play and, in my humble opinion, will make the cut at a PGA event within the next three years if she keeps teeing it up with the big boys.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Welcome
For my first post here I thought I would simply say hello and add that I am looking forward to discussing all things golf. From the latest news and results from the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours to the latest news in golf technology and new courses. My hope is to make this blog a full, and fun, examination of the greatest individual sport ever created. And I also hope to see a lively discussion of the game in your posts here as well.
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