I've been around this game for a while and I thought it was long enough to have seen about it all. I followed Jack Nicklaus on the back nine at Augusta National in the final round in 1986. To be honest, everything else has finished second to that. Now, everything else has been put down a notch to third and Jack, well he's currently the runner up.
I hope you all watched it and of course I'm talking about the Sunday singles matches in the Ryder Cup. In fact, the Ryder Cup as a whole was the ultimate in golf drama. Moreover, it wasn't just the drama; it was the incredible quality of the golf being played by both sides that made this the greatest golf show ever. It was absolutely riveting to the point of getting up to get a beer out of the fridge wasn't going to happen...at least until the next commercial.
There were a lot of things going on out there and not the least of which was the first declarative step to the changing of the guard in professional golf. For Europe, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomery were sadly made redundant by the play of Ian Poulter and Paul Casey. Clarke may get back in two years, but Monty's next Ryder Cup appearance will be as the European captain in 2012, or 2014.
On the American side we watched the emergence of Anthony Kim and his play under pressure. As the first match out on Sunday against Sergio Garcia, he whipped the crowd into a frenzy that never subsided. Moreover, he made a veteran decision on the first hole. Both he and Garcia had short par putts for a halve. Knowing that Sergio's putting stroke deteriorates when he doesn't have a teammate and he has to be the man, Kim calmly told the Spaniard, "We'll be putting those today."
Garcia made that short one, but he missed a couple later in the match when it really counted.
To be honest, I thought Boo Weekley would contribute little more than taking the role as the team mascot. Sorry about that. It didn't matter that his Sunday opponent was Oliver Wilson. It could have been Nick Faldo in his prime and Boo would have beat him. When you post six birdies and an eagle in 16 holes, you're going to win that match.
Moreover, yes Weekley was the team mascot and provided comic relief to lift the tension, but he got into the European's heads. By the time he got to the first tee on Sunday, Lee Westwood was mush. He developed rabbit ears and heard every comment made and some that weren't. It rendered him useless. Weekley proved to be the perfect cheerleader and a great player.
I asked a friend of mine who is a sports agent what that week could mean to Boo's financial future and he said it would be as many millions as Boo was willing to earn. The opportunities are going to be there. If he's willing to forgo one hunting and one fishing trip a year, he will be a wealthy man. Good for him. The memory of him riding his driver like it was a stick horse off the first tee on Sunday will last a long time.
I asked this same agent about Kim and his thoughts were a little different than I expected. The agent felt that Kim is already on everyone's radar because you don't win at Quail Hollow and Congressional and not get noticed. However when his equipment contracts come up for renewal, companies will open the vault for him. Also look for a line of belt buckles bearing his name real soon.
Initially, I wasn't a real fan of the JB Holmes pick. In retrospect, it was great. A lasting memory will be how he played the 17th on Sunday. He swung so hard at his drive that he almost fell over. All he did was hit it 372 yards uphill in the middle of the fairway. Then he defied the odds by nestling a 76-yard 64-degree wedge shot 20-inches from the hole. The cameras showed him gasping for air as he waited to putt. It must have been like trying to roll a bowling ball into a thimble when he stood over that putt, but he made it. That experience should be a major stepping-stone for the young Kentuckian.
Speaking of Kentuckians, it was a great week for Kenny Perry. On Sunday he birdied four of the first six holes to take a commanding lead he never relinquished. It was a reward for the determination and hard work that got him to Valhalla.
This victorious Ryder Cup team was also identified by a player who wasn't there as they were by those who were. It will be interesting if this will have any effect on Tiger Woods' legacy. It would be hard to imagine it would, but I've already heard the rumblings. Maybe the next captain will keep Woods out until Sunday. They can't find a partner for him, so why fight it? Let Tiger fly into Wales on Saturday in two years. Let these guys put him in position.
Speaking of captains, Azinger was brilliant in his choices and his matchmaking. Considering the emotion and time he put into this team, it would be difficult to ask him to do it again, but the question has to be asked. In his post match press conference he said that he'll tell what he did and why, but that it would be at some other time and he couldn't say when.
Now that the Ryder Cup is relevant again in the US, maybe people will become more interested in the game. A day like Sunday can have an incredible impact on the entire industry. Let's hope the industry seizes the opportunity.
Bartender, bottles of champagne for the troops and a magnum for the captain. Me? Give me a bottle of your cheapest bubbly. I'm not going to drink it, I'm just going to douse the new golf heroes. I've been in champion's locker rooms where they done it and it looks like a blast.
See you on the first tee,
Jack
Showing posts with label Garcia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garcia. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Angry Golfer says *** NO *** asterisks
I’ve got to admit that I’m getting pretty damned tired of hearing all this talk about putting asterisk next to Padraig Harrington’s name when listing his British Open and PGA Championship titles this year because those majors were Tigerless. Please show me the written guarantee that Woods would have won, or that he would have been in the mix in the final round. It was never etched in stone.
Having said that, would you ever imagine putting an asterisk next to Tiger’s name in a Major where Harrington wasn’t in the field? Of course not, both scenarios are ludicrous.
One thing that isn’t ludicrous is wondering how much of a factor Woods will be when he returns. Last reports are that he won’t even consider swinging a club until 2009. He’s planning his return at the 2009 Masters. Will he be a factor then? If anyone could be under those circumstances, it would be Tiger, but common sense today says bet on the Irish kid to be wearin’ of the green…jacket that is next April.
The golf world, most notably TV and the PGA Tour must consider the unthinkable. Tiger Woods may return as a mortal golfer. Knees aren’t constructed to withstand the pressure he puts on BOTH of knees in his current swing. The swing has to change. Sure he’s changed his swing before, but the changes were always to add power, not protect his body.
Tiger will always be a great golfer. He has the credentials already that have already cemented his place in golf history. Hopefully, we won’t look back at the 2008 U.S. Open and wonder what he could have been if it hadn’t have been for that knee.
****
In the past this corner has been somewhat critical of Sergio Garcia and his attitude. He has placed blame for his shortcomings in Majors on everyone but the locker room attendant. Following his runner up finish in the PGA Championship to the aforementioned Harrington, Sergio took full responsibility for his failings.
Normally, we could have counted on him blaming the terrible second shot he hit on the 16th in the final round that crossed the hazard then backed up into the water on any number of things, i.e. poor course setup, a sudden gale in his face, or the ever popular the gallery was against me. Instead, he admitted that he hit a poor shot.
That’s a start. He’s now closer than ever to having a winning attitude needed to succeed in Major championships. Unfortunately, he still can’t putt well enough to win a Major. By the way, I have a long standing rule. If a Major is won by a player using either a long putter or a belly putter, that tournament is no longer considered a Major. Both those style putters are a form of cheating. The only thing that should touch a club is the player’s hands and those hands shouldn’t be anchored by the torso.
***
Pardon me while I legend drop. I happened to bump into Jack Nicklaus at a function earlier this week and an old subject that we were polarized on was recalled. A decade ago, Jack spoke fervently about the need for the golf ball to be rolled back so that it wouldn’t go as far.
I was adamant that the longer ball was good for the overall game because the longer ball made the game more fun and would help keep people in the game. Ten years ago, I wasn’t totally wrong. Today, ah, mea culpa greatest golfer of all time.
“I could see where it was going and today we’re almost there,” Nicklaus said. “Yesterday, my son Michael, who doesn’t play very much, but hits it nine miles, told me he played a 537-yard par 4 and hated the fact he had to hit a 7-iron for his second shot. That’s not golf.
“The new ball of today doesn’t help the average golfer,” he continued. “If you have a swing speed of 110 miles an hour, you become a better player than you really are. If you don’t have that swing, the ball hurts your chances.”
He’s right. The super balls are for super swing speeds only. The rest of us are left to live with our shortcomings. The moral of the story is, never argue with the greatest golfer of all time (although it was fun being a little burr under his saddle for a little while even if he really didn’t notice).
Bartender, throw some crow into the blender, puree it and I’ll have it on the rocks with water on the side.
See you on the first tee,
Jack
Having said that, would you ever imagine putting an asterisk next to Tiger’s name in a Major where Harrington wasn’t in the field? Of course not, both scenarios are ludicrous.
One thing that isn’t ludicrous is wondering how much of a factor Woods will be when he returns. Last reports are that he won’t even consider swinging a club until 2009. He’s planning his return at the 2009 Masters. Will he be a factor then? If anyone could be under those circumstances, it would be Tiger, but common sense today says bet on the Irish kid to be wearin’ of the green…jacket that is next April.
The golf world, most notably TV and the PGA Tour must consider the unthinkable. Tiger Woods may return as a mortal golfer. Knees aren’t constructed to withstand the pressure he puts on BOTH of knees in his current swing. The swing has to change. Sure he’s changed his swing before, but the changes were always to add power, not protect his body.
Tiger will always be a great golfer. He has the credentials already that have already cemented his place in golf history. Hopefully, we won’t look back at the 2008 U.S. Open and wonder what he could have been if it hadn’t have been for that knee.
****
In the past this corner has been somewhat critical of Sergio Garcia and his attitude. He has placed blame for his shortcomings in Majors on everyone but the locker room attendant. Following his runner up finish in the PGA Championship to the aforementioned Harrington, Sergio took full responsibility for his failings.
Normally, we could have counted on him blaming the terrible second shot he hit on the 16th in the final round that crossed the hazard then backed up into the water on any number of things, i.e. poor course setup, a sudden gale in his face, or the ever popular the gallery was against me. Instead, he admitted that he hit a poor shot.
That’s a start. He’s now closer than ever to having a winning attitude needed to succeed in Major championships. Unfortunately, he still can’t putt well enough to win a Major. By the way, I have a long standing rule. If a Major is won by a player using either a long putter or a belly putter, that tournament is no longer considered a Major. Both those style putters are a form of cheating. The only thing that should touch a club is the player’s hands and those hands shouldn’t be anchored by the torso.
***
Pardon me while I legend drop. I happened to bump into Jack Nicklaus at a function earlier this week and an old subject that we were polarized on was recalled. A decade ago, Jack spoke fervently about the need for the golf ball to be rolled back so that it wouldn’t go as far.
I was adamant that the longer ball was good for the overall game because the longer ball made the game more fun and would help keep people in the game. Ten years ago, I wasn’t totally wrong. Today, ah, mea culpa greatest golfer of all time.
“I could see where it was going and today we’re almost there,” Nicklaus said. “Yesterday, my son Michael, who doesn’t play very much, but hits it nine miles, told me he played a 537-yard par 4 and hated the fact he had to hit a 7-iron for his second shot. That’s not golf.
“The new ball of today doesn’t help the average golfer,” he continued. “If you have a swing speed of 110 miles an hour, you become a better player than you really are. If you don’t have that swing, the ball hurts your chances.”
He’s right. The super balls are for super swing speeds only. The rest of us are left to live with our shortcomings. The moral of the story is, never argue with the greatest golfer of all time (although it was fun being a little burr under his saddle for a little while even if he really didn’t notice).
Bartender, throw some crow into the blender, puree it and I’ll have it on the rocks with water on the side.
See you on the first tee,
Jack
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
