Divots

2005-01-05T18:33:00.000-05:00

I just made a New Year's resolution (five days late but who cares?): I'm going to be less cynical. BS you say? Ha! I'm getting off my high horse right now to make a prediction for the 2005 golf season: James Driscoll will not win the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. What???? Driscoll's name has popped up several times in the past couple of weeks (can you feel me tightening my jaw and getting hot under the collar?). ESPN.com writer Jason Sobel actually hypothesized that Driscoll could win the Open this year. Huh? I guess anything is possible....

Dang, I'm still being cynical. One last thing: There's this other golf blog out there called something really original like "The Golf Blog." They're predicting that Sergio Garcia will go the way of his ex-boo, Martina Hingis (i.e down the toilet). I don't want to be contentious here, but that could be the silliest thing I've ever heard (ain't nothing wrong with a little back & forth between bloggers right?) (or the liberal use pf parentheses?). That kid is the most talented player since..... uh..... seve Ballesteros? Seriously, though, he's got all kinds of talent and it's only a matter of time before he wins a major (British Open could be perfect for him cuz he sprays it everywhere off the tee).

A'ight my friends. I'm off to get me a cold, crisp, hoppy (and beautiful) Seattle IPA. Increase the peace!

2005-01-05T18:15:00.000-05:00

A lot of burning questions as we get the golf season started in Hawaii (How's Tiger's game? Will Garcia win a major? Has Mickelson actually gotten fatter in the offseason?). But I don't see much of a point in answering any of them right now. Did Bob Harig (see ESPN.com column) predict that Todd Hamilton would win the 2004 British Open? Did Ron Sirak (see Golf World) Vijay Singh would tally nine wins? Okay, I'm sure y'all see where I'm going with this so I'll stop here. Point is, some crazy things are bound to happen and there's no use speculating about who's poised for a big run in July. Call me a cynic.....

2004-12-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

i'm rich biotch! that's why i ain't been bloggin' yo. nah, that's a damn lie. actually, the truth is that my friend hassled me about it today and i decided to give it another shot. why the hell not? right?

2004-06-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

The case of the vanishing Buick playoff: Part II
I found out what ABC did with Sunday's three-way Buick Classic playoff! Apparently, the Alphabet sent the playoff to ESPN, a sister cable network. However, ESPN didn't want to eat too much into its previously scheduled program, "Baseball Tonight," so it only aired brief clips, some of which were taped.

Broadcast networks' deals with major sports leagues such as the NFL an dthe NBA require them to air games in their entirety. Unfortunately, the PGA Tour has no such provision in its contract with the networks, so the only option is to ask cable networks to pick up the slack when time runs out. Although this does happen on some occasions, most viewers have no clue, and therefore wind up missing the end of tournaments.

I personally think this practice is bullshit, but I guess they have more important things tham me to consider. It would be nice, though, if they ran a little ticker across the bottom of the screen that said something like "Please tune in to ESPN to watch the conclusion of the playoff." Is that too much to ask?

2004-06-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

Dear Tiger....
I read this absurd column yesterday in The Washington Post saying that Tiger Woods should dump his fiance, Elin Nordegren. In his column, Norman Chad blames Woods's failure to win a major since 2002 on his relationship with Nordegren. Chad even goes so far as to compare Woods's situation to Michelangelo's (no shit), who, according to Chad, never cruised singles bars because he had his "eye on the prize," the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Why do people keep railing on about this? Are professional sports writers really that pathetic? I don't know Norman Chad, so I guess it's possible that he knows so much about golf that he can give advice to Tiger Woods. Whatever the case, here's one of Chad's most priceless gems:

"You finished behind a 19-year-old amateur [in the Masters], Casey Wittenberg, who I guarantee you is not engaged or married or, if he knows what's good for him, even spoken for."

That's right, Norman. Wittenberg beat Woods in the Masters because he's not married. Very insightful! If I had come with that idea I would have already begun shopping it to publishers. Damn!

Here's another good one:

"Everyone says your swing is all messed up. They insist you need to start listening again to Butch Harmon and stop listening to Mark O'Meara. Fiddlesticks. Your crooked tee shots have nothing to do with mechanics. The problem is, at the top of your backswing, you're thinking: "Did I leave the cap off the toothpaste again this morning? Elin's going to kill me!"

Good call Norman. Woods's problems have nothing to do with the fact that his hips are rotating too fast. The real problem is that he washed the delicate whites in hot water and it's eating him up inside! F$%#ing brilliant!

Norman, don't feel bad for Tiger Woods. He's going to win many more majors, and I doubt he's thinking about you when he goes to sleep at night. In the meantime, feel good that other players are catching up to Woods. It makes the tour more exciting and ensures that armchair scratch golfers like you and I can keep criticizing their play.

2004-06-14T11:51:00.000-05:00

And the winner is....
Does anyone know who won yesterday at Westchester? Was it Garcia? Sabbatini? Actually, I do know who won, but I didn't find out until the third quarter of the Pistons-Lakers game. Why did I find out so late? ABC pre-empted the playoff to air America's Finniest Home Videos! I couldn't believe it! Do people still watch that ridiculous show?

Okay, back to serious golf analysis. Garcia seems to really have it going, although his swing doesn't look any different than it did before he "overhauled" it. He still has that weird hitch at the top of his swing that was causing his inconsistency in the first place. I'm surprised he doesn't hit more balls way right.

Harrington is a damn fine player. If I didn't know anything about golf I'd be surprised to find out he hasn't won a PGA Tour event. He's been a very consistent performer at the U.S. Open in the past, so watch him closely at Shinnecock. Sabbatini, despite his talent, probably won't amount to much until he tones down his swing. He also needs to mothball those tight shirts.

2004-06-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

Singh is red hot. Period.
Vijay Singh is tearing it up so far at the Buick Classic at Westchester (N.Y.) Country Club (133 after two rounds). As much as I want to hate this guy (he opposed Annika Sorenstam's exemption into the Colonial in 2003), I've got to give him credit.

Look for Ernie Els (137) to make a move over the weekend. He's about the only player hotter than Singh and he has traditionally played well at Westchester.

2004-06-10T12:45:00.000-05:00

Is a public relations storm brewing for the USGA?
Newly minted USGA chief Fred S. Ridley, a Tampa Bay, Fla., real estate lawyer, could have a real mess on his hands if he doesn't come clean soon. Why? According to a reportin BusinessWeek, Ridley is a member of both Augusta National and Pine Valley, two clubs that openly exclude women members. This is a major problem for several reasons:

1.) The USGA is perceived as an organization of the highest class and integrity. That perception will change drastically if the press decides to play up the issue during the U.S. Open.

2.) Ridley says he has no plans to renounce his memberships. If he decides to stay his course and the public gets a whiff a possible scandal, the game of golf will suffer as a result.

3.) Ridley says there is no connection between his private dealings and his USGA position. He's wrong. As head of the USGA, Ridley is accountable to millions of paying members, and many of those members are women. While some of those women might side with Ridley, the majority probably wouldn't.

NCWO chair Martha Burk, the woman most conservatives -- particularly men, but a good number of women, too -- love to hate because of her stance on Augusta's membership policies, has already weighed in on the debate. In the BusinessWeek article, Burk said, "He's making a mockery of [the foundation's] written policies. It's impossible to reconcile." Obviously, this is the type of stance one would expect Burk to take, but it's also important that the issue is on her radar screen. Burk's name, which was built her reputation as a crusader for women's rights largely on her fight against Augusta, is synonymous with the shameful practice of sex discrimination in golf. While Augusta is still thriving (with a nasty black eye), it's not inconceivable to think that it will someday be forced to admit women members because of Burk's efforts. If Burk decides to go after the USGA in earnest, such a monumental event could come sooner rather than later.

This is the point I want to conclude that the last thing golf needs is another scandal over sex discrimination, but maybe it would be a good thing. Sure enough, golf is a great game, yet it's greatness is tainted by failure to come to terms with its obligation to evolve with the rest of society. Unfortunately, golf's preeminent governing body, the USGA, doesn't seem to have caught on.

2004-06-09T13:10:00.000-05:00

Why the stimpmeter matters
Just how fast does the USGA make the greens at the U.S. Open? According to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the greens at this year's Open will measure about a 12. What does that mean? In basic terms, it means that golf balls rolled from a stimpmeter, a 36-inch alumninum bar with a V-shaped groove running its entire length, traveled 12 feet on a flat putting surface (click here to read the USGA's stimpmeter instruction booklet). Or, to put it another way, really, really slick (think putting on concrete). And, since the USGA measures in the morning, it's possible for certain greens -- those exposed to sun and wind -- to get even faster. Not a comforting thought if you're faced with a downhill five-footer for par.

2004-06-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

Els leapfrogs Singh to No. 2 spot in World Rankings
Ernie Els moved past Vijay Singh in the World Ranking with his win at the Memorial on Sunday. Els appears to be on top of his game right now and he could be a good bet to win the U.S. Open in two weeks at Shinnecock Hills. Then again, Corey Pavin won the last Open played at Shinnecock, so we'll see. The harder the wind blows, the greater the chances of a darkhorse taking the trophy.

2004-05-26T12:16:00.000-05:00

Is this the best they could do?
I started getting this newsletter a couple of weeks ago from pgatour.com. While it has some interesting information, it's generally pretty lame. Here are a few choice excerpts from one I received yesterday:

1.) "Who would have ever expected to see three left-handers among the top 15 money winners on TOUR? Phil Mickelson holds down the second spot, with Steve Flesch (9th) and Mike Weir (14th) just behind him."

-- My first reaction to this is "who cares." That's about the most pointless statistic the editors could possibly have picked up. I know it's a difficult world for lefties, but there are hundreds of stats out there that would have been more interesting to avid golfers.

2.) 1. "A message from Shaun Micheel" (this was the headline for the story)

"Shaun Micheel's life has been a whirlwind since he won the PGA Championship last summer. Most importantly, Micheel learned how to change diapers as he and his wife Stephanie welcomed their first child, a son, Dade, in November. The Memphis native's playing opportunities also increased dramatically - he even got to take his father to England to play with him in the dunhill links championship. Micheel earned $1.8 million in 2003 and has added nearly $700,000 in 11 events this year. He recently traveled back to his alma mater, Indiana University, to serve as grand marshal for the Little 500, the nation's largest collegiate intramural cycling event, which is now in its 54th year. Micheel graduated from Indiana in 1991 with a degree in biology. "The Little 500 (is) the world's greatest college weekend," Micheel says. "I took my wife, Stephanie with me to back to Bloomington to host INSIDE. We also stopped by Nick's Pub so I could sign the wall of fame and it was great to catch up with some old friends." Watch for more on Micheel's return to his college haunts tonight as he hosts "INSIDE the PGA TOUR" at 10 p.m. ET on The Golf Channel."

-- Shaun can change diapers! Yay! Oh, and I'm so happy for his dad.

3.) To be fair, I should say that they cited one interesting statistic: "The top eight finishers at last week's Bank of America Colonial were all alums of the Nationwide Tour. The win by Steve Flesch was the 145th PGA TOUR title collected by a former Nationwide Tour player."

-- Gotta love that Nationwide Tour. It's increasingly becoming a proving ground for future PGA Tour stars. I wouldn't mind seeing a matchup between the top 10 money earners on the Nationwide tour vs. the top 10 PGA Tour money earners. This is how it would break down:

Nationwide:
Jimmy Walker $221,346
Euan Walters $180,208
Daniel Chopra $171,000
Franklin Langham $169,921
Ryuji Imada $167,671
Gavin Coles $153,591
Justin Bolli $153,367
Brendan Jones $114,725
Paul Gow $112,424
Shane Bertsch $91,200

PGA:
Vijay Singh $4,409,136
Phil Mickelson $4,159,673
Tiger Woods $2,494,583
Stuart Appleby $2,177,120
Ernie Els $2,126,125
Davis Love III $2,083,825
Adam Scott $2,025,000
Chad Campbell $1,988,463
Steve Flesch $1,948,266
Sergio Garcia $1,662,713

2004-05-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

Michele Wie earns U.S. Women's Open exemption
All I can say is "wow." Michele Wie, the 14-year-old golf phenom from Hawaii, has granted a special exemption to compete in a U.S. Women's Open, which is scheduled to be held at Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, MA. Wie becomes the fourth amateur in history, man or woman, to earn a special exemption to play in a U.S. Open. Jay Sigel (1980) and Aaron Baddeley (2000) were exempted into the men's Open, while Vinny Giles (2003) earned one for the U.S. Senior Open.

I've actually played Orchards several times, although not since I was a teenager. the course is classic Donald Ross: short and tight with obscenely fast greens that slope severely from back to front. While it's not that difficult, there are plenty of places to get into trouble, particularly if a player is stupid enough to hit it over a green. Anyone who hasn't played a Donald Ross course should know this: a shot left short of a green on the apron is never a bad thing.

Admittedly, I don't know a heck of a lot about Wie's game other than what I've heard about her prodigious length off the tee, which she will not need at Orchards. If she's good with a 2-iron or 3-wood and knows how to control her mid- and short-irons, she should do well.

2004-05-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Garcia gets a W
Sergio Garcia picked up his first PGA Tour victoryin two years today at the Byron Nelson Classic in Irving, Texas. The lackluster 71 Garcia shot to get into a suspenseless playoff with Rober Damron and Dudley Hart (can one imagine a more boring playoff?) made him the first Byron Nelson winner in 11 years to shoot his final round over par.

It was sort of nice to see Garcia back in the winner's cricle, despite the fact that he's whiny. In many ways it seems that he is the only player on tour with the raw talent and bravado (I couldn't resist) to challenge Tiger Woods on a consistent basis. The greatest thing about watching Garcia play is that he appears not to have any fear. This will serve him well in the long run.

Woods didn't have a bad tournament himself. The world's top-ranked player shot a final round 69 to finish one shot out of the playoff. Seems as if Woods may be pretty close to getting his top game back (I refuse to say "A-game." I think it's cheesy.). While I'm on this topic, did I'd like to say that I'm sick of people speculating about what's wrong with Woods's game. Does he need a swing coach? Will his relationship with Elin Nordegren ruin his game? Is he a burning out? Here's some advice to all of you armchair scratch golfers out there who think you have all the answers: worry about your own game.

2004-05-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

A happy day for a grizzled veteran
After 14 straight winless years, Joey Sindelar finally got a chance to taste victory yesterday at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, N.C. Sindelar himself was perhaps the most surprised, saying in his post round interview that he couldn't believe it happened. I can't believe it happened either, but I am happy for him, as it must be tough to feel like the golf world has passed you by.

A more interesting subplot was the "reemergence" of Tiger Woods (was he ever gone?), who finished in a tie for third with Carlos Franco. True, it can be argued that Woods hasn't been playing particularly well of late, but don't forget that he hasn't been playing poorly either. Woods's critics, I've found, are people who don't really know very much about golf. It's a fickle game, and even a player as talented as Tiger can't perform at the highest level all the time. What's truly amazing, if you think about it, is that Woods managed to finish relatively high in most events this season despite his "slump." That's the true hallmark of greatness.

2004-05-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

You gotta love eBay
A recent article posted on ESPN.com says old-school golf equipment (think Taylor Made Burners and Hogan Special sand wedges) is selling for big bucks on eBay. According to the article, a two-tone Ping golf ball (these were a pretty lame product, although they were good for determining if you were putting sidespin on putts) for sale on the auction site went for a cool $305. Intrigued, I decided to conduct some research of my own on the subject. As it turns out, there's an unbelievable amount of golf merchandise for sale on eBay, and not all of it's outrageously expensive. For instance, a search for Ping irons on eBay turned up 383 results, with products ranging from the original Karsten irons to BeCu Ping Eye 2's with those wonderfully controversial square grooves that made balata balls like they had road rash. Another search for my all-time favorite 5-wood, the original Cobra Baffler, also came up with a few hits. I suppose I should have assumed that eBay, where a shopper can find just about anything, would also be a treasure trove of old and new golf merchandise. Ah, the wonders of technology. At any rate, if you've got some old clubs in the closet, haul 'em out and see if any of them are worth selling. Who knows? There just might be someone out there who's willing to pay you enough for that set of MacGregor persimmon 2-wood to finance a golf vacation to Ireland.

2004-05-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

Singh takes the crown in New Orleans
Vijay Singh tore it up today at the HP Classic in New Olreans, firing a 63 to win the rain-delayed tournment by one shot over Phil Mickelson and Joe Ogilvie. Oddly enough, the win gives the self-taught Singh (no joke, dude taught himself how to play golf), who won last week's rain-delayed Houston Open, victories on two consecutive Mondays.

2004-05-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

Someone please tell me why we play this game
I thought about starting out this blog with a short anecdote about how I used to spend every day in the summer playing round after round at Northfield Golf Course in my hometown of Northfield, MA. But then I considered that people probably don't want to read about me, so thought I'd just get started: The Washington Post ran an interesting article yesterday about a struggling golf professional named Bob Heintz. Golf aficionados may be aware that in 2002 Heintz had the lowest putts per hole average in the history of the PGA Tour (1.682). But as we know all too well, good putting alone can't make up for erratic tee shots. Heintz, depsite his talent with the flatstick, couldn't keep it in the fairway, a flaw in his game that caused him to lose his card. Now Heintz is scraping by the best he can on the Nationwide Tour, and while he still harbors dreams of making it back to the Big Tour, that isn't likely to happen anytime soon. Not only does Heintz rank near the bottom of the heap in driving accuracy and greens in regulation, he frequently experiences debilitating pain in his elbow. What’s the moral of the story here? The way I see it, there are two lessons to be learned from Heintz’s travails. First, never listen to anyone who tells you putting is the most important aspect of a player’s game. True, shots can be lost on the green, but failing to keep the ball in play can be equally as damaging. Second, for every rich PGA Tour pro, there are dozens of struggling players just trying to make a buck on one of the smaller tours. Keep that in mind when you’re watching Tiger Woods hoist the trophy at Shinnecock in June (yes, that's a prediction).