Mickelson Hits Wonder Shot En Route to Colonial Victory
Phil Mickelson sank a nine-foot birdie on the final hole to preserve his one-stroke overnight lead and win the Colonial Crown Plaza Invitational from Rod Pampling and Tim Clark over the weekend at Fort Worth, Texas.
While he showed composure and confidence in nailing that crucial putt, it was an amazing Seve-esque shot on the fifth hole that really rescued his round and gave him a shot at the title.
Mickelson finished his round on two-under-par 68 for a total of 14-under 266. Pampling closed with 68 while Clark had a fourth-round of 66.
Lefty played himself into position thanks to his 18th hole heroics, where he hit an amazing wedge from 140 yards to near the flag.
He was standing in a bunker to line up his shot from thick rough. The ball needed to sneak under a tree and over another. Grazing branches at it flew off his club, the ball soared before landing in a perfect position on the green.
Mickelson said he was lucky but Pampling knew better, saying: “That’s what No. 2s in the world doâ€.
It was Mickelson’s 34th PGA Tour title and one of his most memorable, with that particular shot up there among his best. He said in an AP article:
“I’m as surprised as anybody I was able to make a 3 from over there. It just came off perfectly. Probably top five [of my best shots ever].â€
Stephen Ames (70) finished fourth at 269, a stroke ahead of Ben Crane (67). Mickelson’s victory was worth more than $1 million in prize money and enabled him to move past $49 million in career earnings.
It was also his second Colonial victory, his first coming eight years ago when the winner’s cheque was worth less than $600,000.
On the European Tour, beatnik veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez won his eighth tournament while in his 40s with a play-off victory over Oliver Wilson at the PGA Championship at Wentworth, England.
The pony-tailed 44-year-old beat Wilson on the second play-off hole to become the third oldest winner of the Tour’s blue-riband event, behind Dai Rees, who was 46 when he won in 1959, and 45-year-old Arnold Palmer (1975). Jimenez said in a Reuters article:
“I’m 44 and after 20 years on the tour you just relax and enjoy yourself, that’s the most important thing. I have been playing well all year. Sometimes the results are not what you want but you must keep enjoying playing well. This is the main tournament on the European Tour after the British Open. It is very important.”
The Spaniard closed with a final round of four-under 68 to tie Wilson, who also had 68, at 11-under 277 for the tournament. He also had a hole-in-one at the fifth hole to boost his victory hopes.
Jimenez, who won the Hong Kong Open in November, birdied the second play-off hole to deny Wilson his maiden title with the Englishman having to settle for his seventh second place. It was Jimenez’s 15th career title.
On the LPGA Tour, someone not named Ochoa, Sorenstam, or even Creamer, emerged triumphant last weekend. Instead, it was Leta Lindley, who won her first title with a play-off victory over Korean Jang Jeong at the Corning Classic in New York.
Lindley had a fourth round of 67 to total 11-under 277, while Jang finished with 68. Lindley prevailed in the play-off when she sank a six-foot birdie on the first extra hole.
Ochoa, a six-time winner this season, and three-time champ Sorenstam were not playing this week, but Creamer finished tied for 15th, seven shots behind. Lindley and Jang finished one stroke ahead of Koreans Yoo sun-young and Kim Mi-hyun.
Nicklaus Puts Tiger in a Different Era
Tiger Woods may make an earlier than expected comeback after arthroscopic surgery, with rumours abounding that he would take part in next week’s Memorial, hosted by Jack Nicklaus.
Woods underwent surgery soon after April’s US Masters, where he finished second, and said he hoped to return to the PGA Tour in time for the US Open.
Although there has yet to be any solid confirmation, there are indications that he might turn up at Dublin, Ohio to meet with Jack, whose record of 18 major titles Tiger is chasing.
Nicklaus has always been a fan of Woods ever since the American-Thai won his first Masters in 1997. Woods has since compiled 13 major titles as he closes in on Jack’s record.
However, while Nicklaus has in the past compared Woods’ domination of modern golf to how the Golden Bear ruled in a previous era, he has rarely, if ever and as far as I’m aware, commented on who was/is the better player at their peak.
The subject was breached again in the Los Angeles Times, but it is still difficult gauge whether or not he feels he or Woods was superior. Said Nicklaus:
“The problem is it’s hard to compare eras. It’s a different game today, and a lot of guys from before, like even Hogan and Player, would have had a hard time today because of the distance you need to drive it. That’s just a fact of what the game is. I don’t know if we had as many good players, but the great players we had all were multiple major winners, so when I slipped up, there was somebody else on their ‘A’ game.â€
So, on one had, there were more multiple major champions for Nicklaus to beat and, on the other, the depth is much better in Woods’ time.
As Nicklaus says, it’s difficult to compare eras but if major tournaments are the yardstick, then Jack is still well ahead.
Open Venue Turnberry Set For Dubai Takeover
The Middle East, led by Dubai, is becoming increasingly influential in global golf. While there are no golfers of note from the region, there is, however, plenty of money.
And much of this cash has gone into the greening of the desert and the recognition of golf as a vital tool to lure tourists.
There are several tournaments in the Middle East sanctioned by the European Tour, which itself will rename its Order of Merit competition the Race to Dubai from November this year.
It is part of a qualifying process for the 2009 season-ending Dubai World Championship, the world’s richest tournament with $10 million in prize money and $2 million going to the winner.
The top 60 golfers in the Race will qualify for the tournament as the European Tour tries to compete with the PGA Tour for prize money and prestige.
Earlier this year, Dubai financiers joined forces with the Europeans to host the first Tour-sanctioned event in India, much to the anger of the Asian Tour, which eventually settled on a deal for joint sanctioning.
Now, the Dubai-based sovereign fund that is financing the Race to Dubai is set to buy the Turnberry golf resort, which is due to host next year’s British Open, for 55 million pounds.
According to a Press Association report, Leisurecorp, a subsidiary of the Dubai World fund, has agreed to buy the Ayrshire venue from current owners Starwood, one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure businesses.
Turnberry has staged the British Open three times in the past and has two 18-hole championships courses – the Ailsa and Kintyre. It is also home to the nine-hole Arran course and the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy.
Are You Clear On Rule 20-1?
This week I received an interesting question about what happens when a ball marker sticks to your putter. Weird I know, but you’ll be happy to know The Rules of Golf have every possibility covered! :
RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
“I have a question for you, this actually happened to me. I think it’s an interesting one.
I was playing at my home course when I came onto the green (which one it really doesn’t matter). I proceeded to mark the ball with a plastic marker and since the marker was on the line of another player and it was a little above the grass I pressed down the marker with the putter.
So far so good, the problem happened when I lifted the putter with the ball marker stuck to it!
Needless to say everybody was surprised (me first of course).
What is the ruling in this case?
I proceeded to put the putter with the ball marker stuck to it, down as close as possible to where it originally was and carefully remove the ball marker from the putter without lifting it. No penalty stroke. Was I right?”
RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“No penalty was incurred. Decision 20-1/6 rules illustrates similar circumstances:
A player marked the position of his ball with a coin, lifted the ball and pressed down the coin with the sole of his putter. He walked to the edge of the green and then noticed that the coin had stuck to the sole of the putter. What is the ruling?
A. this case, the movement of the ball-marker was directly attributable to the specific act of marking the position of the ball.
Accordingly, no penalty is incurred and the ball or the ball-marker must be replaced. If the spot where the ball or ball-marker lay is not known, it must be placed as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole (Rule 20-3c).”
Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.
Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.
Ochoa Reigns at Sybase Classic
Just a few days ago, Annika Sorenstam said she was ready to pass on the torch when she decided to announce her retirement from the LPGA Tour at the end of the season.
What the Swede hadn’t realised, though, was that Lorena Ochoa had grabbed it from her months ago.
Mexican Ochoa, the emphatic successor to Sorenstam as the world’s number one player, earned her third straight victory and sixth of the season at the Sybase Classic in Clifton, New Jersey.
Her victory, though, was very much different to the routs she dealt out five times earlier this season. This time, she had to grind out a one-stroke triumph over a crowd of five players in a rain-shortened tournament.
She closed with a one-under 71 for a winning total of 10-under 206 over 54 holes. That was one stroke better than Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson of Sweden, Morgan Pressel, Catriona Matthew of Scotland, rookie leader Choi Na-yeon Choi and Brittany Lang.
Ochoa has now won 23 professional tournaments and $12 million in prize money, achieved four years faster than Sorenstam, who failed to sustain a challenge after a second round of 73. Ochoa said in an AP article:
“It was a tough day, but I did it. I think that was what was important. It doesn’t matter how you do it sometimes. You play really good, other players struggle, sometimes you just keep yourself in a good position. Today it was different. It was a different win, but I enjoyed it a lot.â€
Sorenstam was among a group of players who finished five strokes adrift of the winner. She started the final round with a bogey and ended the day with a 71. Sorenstam, who had won her previous two tournaments, said:
“I wanted to start with birdies, put some pressure on and it started the other way. It was tough to come back.â€
While Ochoa was collecting yet another trophy, Ryuji Imada was claiming his first-ever victory on the US PGA Tour.
Japanese native Imada shot a final round of 67 and then beat Kenny Perry in a play-off to win the AT&T Classic in Duluth, Texas – just one year after he himself was beaten in a play-off in the same tournament.
Perry, who ended with a 69, and Imada were tied at 15-under-par 273 at the end of 72 holes, one stroke ahead of Camilio Villegas (66).
Imada, 31, needed just a par to win the play-off, having failed in last year’s play-off when he found water. This time it was his opponent who found water. Imada said in the PGA Tour website:
“I never really believed in destiny. But I’m starting to believe it. I’m just going to cherish this one. Nobody can take this one away from me.”
On the first play-off hole, Perry ended up in the drink. Although he cleared the pond guarding the front of the green with his second shot, he could only watch in incredulity as the ball hit a pine tree, bounced back across the putting surface and rolled into the water.
Perry then took a drop but almost found the hole with a wickedly spinning wedge shot. However, it went 14 feet past and he could not save for par. Imada, easily putted for par from four feet.
On the European Tour, Richard Finch provided one of the most most memorable moments of the season so far after he fell into the River Maigue on his way to victory at the Irish Open.
He was three shots clear of the field as he come down the par-five 18th hole at the Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort. He drove the ball into the right rough and then hit his attempted lay-up to the edge of the riverbank.
Although he made a brilliant shot to reach the green, his swinging momentum carried him into the water, which prompted laughter from the watching galleries.
He eventually needed three puts to secure the victory with a 10-under-par total of 278, two shots ahead of Felipe Aguilar and three ahead of Ireland’s Gary Murphy, Robert Karlsson and Lee Westwood. Finch closed with a 70 and said on the European Tour website:
“As I hit the shot, I knew straight away I had sort of made decent contact. I don’t know whether I slipped or went round with momentum. And then the next thing I sort of just was gradually falling down the bank.â€
Solving The Slow Play Problem at Your Course
Like most golfer’s — I don’t like to play slowly. Of the best rounds from my past, almost all involve a very consistent pace. Almost like I was walking up to the ball, seeing my shot and then hitting it right away. Most of those rounds happened when there were very few people on the course — and it was just me or my group — with no one in front or behind. We would establish our pace early and keep to it for the entire eighteen. Those were almost always good days. My favorite time to play golf has always been late in the afternoon, when the sun’s going down, there’s no one on the course and I am trying to get finished pretty quickly. I almost always shoot par or better in these situations. Sadly however, I’ve never been able to consistently take that quality play over to competition. And now, with much more experience, I realize it had everything to do with my pace. I would play well when I could play quickly and not think too much. And would play poorly when things got too slow and I had time to think and not just react.
I am going to spend my next couple posts discussing the problem of slow play and then — how you can — no matter the situation — find your ideal pace to play great golf. But first, lets talk about how you can get things moving a little quicker at your golf course. I would make these suggestions to your pro or golf committee and in turn — they can make these suggestions to the golfers playing your course. Reminders on the carts, letters to members and education by the professional staff are also great ways to get play moving.
When I took over as Director of Golf at Cheval Golf and Country Club back in 2000, one of the first things I addressed was slow play. I spent the first few weeks monitoring how things worked and was appalled to see the average time for a foursome on Saturday morning was over four hours and forty-five minutes. Crazy! Yes, we had a difficult golf course with lots of hazards — but still, this was completely unacceptable.
So, I talked to my assistants and came up with a very simple approach to take 36 minutes off every foursome’s round. But, much to my surprise, it got much better than 36 minutes, as we almost took a complete hour off the average time. Here’s how we went from an average time of 4:48 to 3:57 in less than a month.
First , I decided to include the membership in on the “speeding up†process. I wrote a letter explaining how slowly things had been moving and how much more fun they would have if they could all play a little faster. On top of that, they would have much more time to do other things throughout the day if they could play, eat lunch and get home within 5 hours or so. I told them we were going to do two things — one the shop’s responsibility and the other theirs. I am happy to say it worked well.
The first thing we did was to ask each member to take 15 seconds off their tee shot and putting routine. We explained that — if each golfer was ready to go when it was their turn to hit — and had their putts lined up when it was their turn to putt — that would just about do it. Think about it — if each member of a foursome plays just 15 seconds quicker on the tee — that’s a minute. Then, if they each play 15 seconds quicker on the green — that’s another minute. Over 18 holes, that translates to 36 minutes. This was initial goal. For the golfers who felt rushed, I had my assistants give them each a 15 minute lesson on “ready golf.†Within a few weeks, 90% of the groups were playing fast golf. Yet, we still had a problem with the other 10%. And as you know, if that 10% is in front or in the middle of groups — the foursomes behind cannot play quickly — even if they want to.
So, the next thing we did was to post a pace board for peer review. We put this up every Saturday afternoon outside the golf shop, which solved the problem almost immediately. Next to every group, we posted their finish time. This proved to be an effective way for players to self-govern and feel some peer pressure. Imagine your name listed as the 10th group of the day — and the first nine groups all had less than four hours next to their names — but yours had 4:30 in bright red. It wouldn’t take long for you to speed up or force the slow guy in your group to do the same. Especially when all the groups behind come in and want to know who it was holding up the golf course.
So, if you are dealing with slow play at your golf course — and like me, don’t like it – try these simple things. Educate players on how to be ready on the tees and greens and have peer review for final end times. You will be amazed at how quickly things start moving in front of you. Just make sure your group keeps up.
Cuba Teeing Up for Golfing Revolution
Once in a while, you find a news report about how golf is starting to gain a foothold in some far flung place in the world.
I’ve read about a golf course at the foot of a volcano in Indonesia, people yelling “fore†while negotiating landmines in Cambodia and a crude form of the game in post-Taliban Afghanistan.
Now we have Cuba. In a report from Reuters, Communist Cuba is gradually opening up to the bourgeois pastime with Fidel Castro’s brother, Raul, now at the helm.
Still, this is not one for the locals. Apparently, Canadian and European investors are proposing a gated communities, villas, condos and luxury hotels around expansive golf courses all over the island. One of the projects features Norman Foster, the top British architect.
Mark Entwistle is the former Canadian ambassador to Cuba. Nowadays, he advises foreign companies wanting to do business with Havana. He said in the report:
“Old-school objections to golf on ideological grounds have fallen away. Golf is seen as important to develop a more sophisticated and repeat tourism beyond sun and sand.â€
The newest golf course in Cuba is the 18-hole Varadero Golf Club on the grounds of Xanadu, a sprawling seaside manor.
In the capital, Havana, there is only a nine-hole course with sticks as flagpoles, where former Argentina football captain Diego Maradona used to play when undergoing treatment for cocaine addiction.
There are a handful of projects in the pipeline which have yet to be approved because Cuba is not that keen on giving foreigners long leases on land.
But if Cuba want to compete with neighbouring countries in luring tourists, then the government might need to rethink its police. And with Raul now in charge, anything might be possible.
Sorenstam Announces Impending Retirement
Just when we thought “Annika golf†was back for good, we are now left to cherish the twilight of one of the greatest eras in the sport – men or women.
Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, just days after winning her 72nd LPGA title, made the stunning announcement that she is to retire at the end of the 2008 season.
The 37-year-old called a press conference at the Sybase Classic in Clifton, New Jersey, where she revealed that she wants to spend more time developing her business and she also wants to start a family. She said in an AP article:
“I think I’ve achieved more than I ever thought I could. I have given it all, and it’s been fun.â€
Sorenstam dominated women’s golf for many years and was world number one before Mexican Lorena Ochoa unseated her in 2007. Even then, it wasn’t because of a drop in form but because of a back injury.
She bounced back at the start of 2008, vowing to recapture the kind of “Annika golf†that brought her so much success. And she has won three tournaments so far this year, including last weekend’s Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill by seven shots.
Her 72nd title, including 10 majors, puts her third in the all-time women’s list behind Kathy Whitworth’s 88 and Mickey Wright’s 82. In majors, she is in fourth place, trailing Patty Berg’s record of 15.
Sorenstam plans to marry fiancé Mike McGee next year. McGee is the son of former PGA Tour pro Jerry McGee.
She has been a pioneer in many ways for women on the LPGA, helping to give the tour a tinge of glamour and also becoming the first female player since 1945 to play with the men when she teed up for the 2003 Colonial, where she missed the cut.
The eight-time LPGA Player of the Year, however, does not want to go out with a whimper. She is going to give it all this season as she takes on Ochoa for the money-list title. She said:
“I’m a huge competitor. Right now I’m second on the money list. People that know me know I don’t settle for second. I know what to do, and I look forward to it.â€
Playing Your Best When The Golf Course Slows Down
Its happened to everyone. You’re playing great and then wham — you hit a wall of people. The golf course slows down to a crawl and with it — so goes all your rhythm and ultimately — your patience. From there, it doesn’t take long before your scorecard is loaded with bogeys and double bogeys. So, how can you stop this from happening? How can you — with pace and rhythm such an important part of good golf — continue to play consistently when something outside your control impacts the speed at which you play?
To me, the easiest way to deal with issues like this is to play something I like to call “bubble golf.†Basically, all it means is — getting inside your bubble when it’s your turn to hit or putt — no matter the pace your group is playing. This way, your pace will never change — no matter what happens on the golf course.
Let me show you how it works.
Every golfer should have a key — whether physical or mental — that puts them inside their bubble. And, inside their bubble, they should focus only on the shot at hand. They should gather all key data. They should visualize the shot. They should pick a club that matches the shot they see. And, they should walk into the ball with a consistent pace, which will put them in the best position to succeed. And just as importantly, once the shot is over, they should have a quick post-round routine while still in their bubble. Then, they should leave their mental bubble of concentration and think about whatever.
In his prime, Billy Casper would enter his bubble as he pulled the club from his bag. If something happened to interfere with his concentration during his pre-swing or actual motion — he would put the club back in the bag and start completely over. He had done it so many times — it was his key to concentrate. And he would never take the club out of the bag until he was ready to enter his bubble. I like that. It’s simple. On the greens, Payne Stewart would tap his putter lightly when he was ready to enter his bubble. Some players take their gloves on and off. It doesn’t really matter what your key is — just have one.
Here’s an ideal example of what should go through a player’s mind as they enter and leave their bubble.
It’s their turn to hit…they activate their key to focus…in this example, it’s a simple key word — go…so, they say “go†quietly to themselves, which puts them in focus mode…from observing — they have already made some decisions based on yardage, wind or hole shape…so they are not necessarily starting from scratch when entering their bubble…but — the first part is definitely the evaluation stage…how far is it…where is the wind going…what’s the actual yardage…these are the type of questions a player in a bubble will ask themselves before committing to a shot…they basically have a checklist…this will get easier and more efficient the more they do it…once they make their club choice based on their evaluation — they should see the shot one more time in their mind…really see it…paint a very detailed picture…this process of evaluation should have flexibility…some shots are easy to see…some shots are not easy to see…so — the evaluation stage may vary in pace…this is okay and normal…however, once the player sees and commits to the shot — the walk into the ball, look and waggle — should always be the same pace…this should not vary at all…this is the trusting phase…if the player is unsure during the trusting phase — they should start over and go back to the evaluation…they should never try to take longer or try and change something while over the ball…then, after the strike, the player should take 10-15 seconds and evaluate what happened…if it was a great shot — they should enjoy it…they should take a picture of it for their mind…and put it somewhere easily recallable….if it was a poor shot, they should take a couple practice swings and try to leave that spot with a positive feel, as opposed to a negative…once that’s accomplished — they should leave the bubble…from there, they should talk to their playing partners…think about whatever…but, they should not obsess about the game…when it’s their turn again — they should simply return to their bubble and start the process over again…
Now, if you play this way — it won’t matter if you hit a wall of people on the golf course. It won’t matter because — you are the one who is controlling the pace of your game. No matter if the pace is fast or slow — your pace never changes. It never changes because — it doesn’t actually start until you enter the bubble.
Practice this. I know if you do — you will see a big improvement in the rounds of golf that vary in pace.
Good luck!
Garcia Bags Players Championship
Sergio Garcia is the original Tiger catcher. After Tiger Woods’ career took off more than a decade ago, golf started looking around for others who have the talent to challenge him.
Spaniard Garcia was the first one when he burst on to the scene as a 19 year old. However, Garcia is now 28 and still without a major tournament title.
He does have the next best thing, though, having won The Players Championship over the weekend at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Often described as the fifth major, The Players Championship is one of the biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour.
Garcia became only the second European to win it when he beat Paul Goydos on the first hole of sudden death, a par three. It was also his seventh career victory, though his first in 54 starts. He said on the PGA Tour website:
“I felt so good all week long with all parts of my game. I feel like I was really coming along, and you know, I am just thrilled to be able to be the Players’ champ and I’m just going to try to carry it as well as I can. Not only because of the field, but the course, everything around it, it feels like a major. And it tests you like a major, but unfortunately it’s not. Maybe sometime in the future, it might be.â€
Garcia completed the fourth round with a 71, one of only eight players who scored under par on a windy TPC Sawgrass. He forced a play-off with a seven-footer for par on the 18th.
He finished with a total of five-under-par 283 to match overnight leader Goydos, who managed to earn a play-off place despite shooting 74 in his final round.
Jeff Quinney was alone in third place one stroke behind after his 70 while Briny Baird finished fourth a further three strokes behind after his 72.
Last year, Garcia finished second behind Phil Mickelson. Only one other player has done the same thing, going from runner-up to champion in successive years … that’s right, Tiger Woods.
On the European Tour, South African Hennie Otto won his maiden title with he triumphed at the Italian Open.
The 31-year-old had a four-shot overnight lead before having it cancelled on final day as Englishman Oliver Wilson made a charge with four birdies from the 11th hole onwards.
Otto, however, sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th and went into the final hole with a one-stroke lead.
Needing par to win, Otto’s tee shot just missed a bunker. His second shot was played with one foot in the sand but he still managed to find the green, from where he two-putted to safety.
He closed with 69 for a total of 25-under-par 263. Wilson was second, one stroke behind, after his brilliant 64 while Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who scored 67 on Sunday, was third on 265.
Meanwhile, former world number one Annika Sorenstam continued her successful return from an injury-wrecked 2007 season with victory at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill.
The Swede scored 66 in the final round at Williamsbrg, Virginia for a total of 19-under-par 265, a commanding seven-stroke victory over a group of four players – Allison Fouch, Karen Stupples, Christina Kim and Jang Jeong.
It was her third title of the season, 72nd of her career and she became the first LPGA player to earn more than $22 million after taking home the first prize of $330,000. She said on the LPGA website:
“Winning this tournament is just a wonderful feeling. I think I feel just relieved, I feel at peace with myself knowing I can play this golf course. I’m very proud of the way I played this week and I’m very happy with the way I’ve been hitting especially my iron shots and I’ve been making a lot of the putts.â€
Miller’s Time to Slam Tiger’s Grand Ambitions
Johnny Miller is the American equivalent of Greg Norman in many ways. He was an exciting player, had a shock of blond hair and the crowds loved him. Like Norman, he only won two major titles but his impact on golf during the 70s was bigger than that.
He is now transferred his tenacity from the golf course to the commentator’s box, gaining a reputation of actually “saying what other announcers only thinkâ€.
His latest “saying†concerns Tiger Woods, who is currently recovering from surgery. It goes back to when Woods said a calendar year Grand Slam was “easily within reasonâ€.
Starting off with “I’m not taking a slam at Tiger†and then going on to do just that, Miller was quoted as saying in The Globe and Mail:
“I think the Grand Slam is something you start thinking about on the first of August, after you’ve won the three other ones.â€
I agree, though I think it may be a bit unfair on Woods. His quote first appeared on his website on January 4 as a throw-away line at the bottom of an article previewing 2008. And it was clearly in response to a question from the writer.
What was he supposed to say? “No, I can’t do itâ€, despite having already won four majors in a row ending at the 2001 Masters.
As a journalist, I’ve seen this happen a few times. An athlete simply responds to a journalist’s question with an exciting quote. Once it is out in the pubic domain, people tend to think that it was voluntarily offered out of arrogance and not forced.
If you were reading news reports during the early part of the year, many people never doubted Woods’ ability to win four in a row, especially with the way he was destroying the opposition event after event on the PGA Tour.
However, Grand Slam talk fizzled out after his failure to win the US Masters. And journalists started writing as if they had never shared Woods’ vision.
Yes, Miller is right for 99.9 per cent of the professional golfers out there. For them, talk of a Grand Slam should only surface in August after the first three majors were won.
For one golfer, though, namely Tiger Woods, it will be year-round talk. Simply for being Tiger Woods, having already won four in a row en route to 13 major titles, such talk will always follow him around.
So, if it’s not Woods saying it without prompting, it will be people asking him about it. And Tiger will probably answer as honestly as he possibly can given the confidence he has in his own game.
Do You Understand Golf Rule 27-2a?
This week I received this question referring to Rule 27-2a, and thought it would be useful to share my reply with everyone:
RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
“Hi Barry,
I have a rules question that arose in our group yesterday.
We were playing in an eighteen hole medal play contest. A guy in our foursome pushed his tee shot to the right such that none of us could see whether the ball had come to rest in bounds or just out. The player announced his intention to hit a provisional and proceeded to do so.
Unfortunately, he overcompensated and pulled his provisional to the left such that it entered a lateral water hazard not too far from the tee box. At this point, the player believed that if he hit another shot from the tee, it would be the same as if he had hit his provisional from the fairway which would preclude him from playing his original ball if it were found to be in bounds. With a foursome in front of us and one behind us as well, none of us wanted to spend the time going to the original ball and then, possibly, having to return to the tee. So we three, his competitors, convinced him to hit another ball from the tee as a second provisional. Which he did.
When we reached his original ball, we found it lying nicely playable and in bounds. So he played it and we scored the hole as if the two provisional swings had never occurred. In the end, there were no hard feelings and we all had a fun round of golf. But, on later reflection, I wondered if the player may have been right when he believed that hitting that second provisional constituted putting his first provisional in play (even though it was at the bottom of the lake) and abandoning the opportunity to play his original ball if it were found in bounds.
What is the proper ruling?
And a follow-up question: If the player’s first provisional, instead of entering the lateral hazard, had echoed the flight of his original ball and landed in an indeterminate position near the out of bounds, could he then have hit a second provisional and retained the opportunity to find and play his original ball?
And one last follow-up:
Have the powers that be in golf ever considered eliminating the stroke and distance penalty? In the 50 years I have been playing golf, I can’t remember ever seeing someone go back to the tee to hit again. And if they had, a lot of people would have been shouting at them and calling for the ranger to throw them off the course. Why not just play everything – out of bounds, lost ball, water hazards, etc – 1 stroke and drop in line, not nearer the hole? Is there a lot of resistance to this idea? Speeding up the game is a good idea.
Thanks, Barry. Keep up the good work.”
RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“Your friend was wrong in his interpretation of the Rules. However, he was not permitted to play a second provisional ball from the tee as his first provisional ball was known to be lost in a water hazard. If his provisional ball had come to rest (in the water) short of where his original ball may have been lost then the correct procedure was to have played another ball under penalty of one stroke under one of the options under Rule 26-1 Relief for Ball in Water Hazard (behind the water hazard or from the teeing ground). If his provisional ball had been lost in water at a point nearer to the hole than where his original ball may have been lost he should have searched for his original ball before playing another ball under penalty from a point on a line behind where the ball crossed the margin of the hazard and the hole, or from the teeing area (his 5th stroke).
To answer your second point, if a player’s provisional ball could have been lost outside of a water hazard then playing a second provisional ball (5th stroke if the original ball is not found) from the tee would have been the correct procedure.
These points are covered in a note to Rule 27-2a, which states “Note: If a provisional ball played under Rule 27-2a might be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, the player may play another provisional ball. If another provisional ball is played, it bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ball bears to the original ball.
In my opinion the authorities are extremely unlikely to ever change the ‘stroke and distance’ penalty. It is an integral part of the game that if you do not know where your ball is lost then you have to go back to where you played your last stroke in order to complete the stipulated round. This is the reason that the Rules permit the playing of a provisional ball, in order to maintain the pace of play. Unlike you I have seen many players return to where they played their last stroke, and did so myself only two weeks ago. There is no other option if you cannot find a ball that you did not think would be lost, and you want to return a completed score card. Rangers should not have a problem with competitors abiding by the Rules of Golf, providing they play provisional balls when they think their balls may be lost, always attempt to close any gap with the group in front and allow the following group through if they are holding them up. In my experience there are many more serious causes of slow play other than the stroke and distance penalty.”
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Kim Makes PGA Tour Breakthrough
Anthony Kim became one of the youngest players to win a PGA Tour event when he triumphed at the Wachovia Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina.
At 22 years and 10 months, Kim closed with 69 for a four-day total of 16-under 277 and a five-stroke victory over former British Open winner Ben Curtis.
Sean O’Hair won the John Deere Classic in 2005, the last under-23 golfer to win on the Tour. Kim is one month younger, though he admitted that he could never have foreseen himself in this situation a year ago.
Back than, he was afflicted with a severe case of slothfulness. Kim described himself as an immature kid and such was his indolence that he would even refuse to perform practice swings before a shot. He said on the Tour website:
“I think if I had won last year, my practicing would have gone down to even less, and there wasn’t much to go down. I might have been playing on the Hooters Tour. It might have been the best thing for me, just to get slapped in the face and realize that I can’t win out here without practicing and giving it my all and focusing on every golf shot and on every practice round.â€
Curtis finished strongly with 65 for his total of 277 while one stroke back, on 278, was American Jason Bohn. Australian Robert Allenby shot 66 in the final round for 279 and fourth place. Phil Mickelson was tied for 12 on 283.
An even younger winner emerged on LPGA Tour, but it was her sixth win as a pro, not her first. Paula Creamer, 21, ended Mexican world number one Lorena Ochoa’s winning streak by taking victory at the SemGroup Championship at Broken Arrow, Texas.
Creamer needed two sudden-death play-off holes to beat fellow American Juli Inkster after both golfers finished on two-under 282. Creamer closed with 72 while Inkster gave herself a shot at the title with 70.
Last week, Creamer lost in the first extra-hole to Annika Sorenstam at the Stanford International Pro-Am in Florida. Having lost the lead on the 71st hole, she was determined not to throw it away this week. She said on the LPGA website:
“I was not going to lose this week. I was going to win this golf tournament, and I did in the play-off. Unfortunately, it had to go into a play-off, but I can tell you I was 120 per cent prepared going into that from last week.â€
Ochoa had won her previous four starts and was hoping to make it six victories in seven tournaments so far this season.
Despite a strong weekend, she had to settle for a tie for fifth place on 287, five strokes behind Creamer and Inkster.
Third place went to Korean Jang Jeong and Angela Stanford, who were four strokes behind the leaders on 286. Jang finished with 68 while Stanford scored 71.
On the European Tour, Peter Lawrie made it three wins in a row for Irishmen with his play-off victory over Ignacio Garrido at the Spanish Open at Seville.
Lawrie made a brilliant fairway bunker shot on the second extra hole to deny Garrido, the overnight leader whose father Antonio had won the event in 1972.
Last week, Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke won at the Asian Open and, before that, Damien McGrane won his first title at the China Open.
Lawrie completed the Irish hat-trick in dramatic fashion, with four birdies in his final six holes putting him in contention.
Though Garrido forced a play-off with a 30-foot birdie on the 72nd hole, he fumbled the second extra after hitting the green pin high but watching the ball spin back into water.
Garrido eventually got on to the green in four but all Lawrie had to do was two-putt to claim the victory.
Think Before You Hit
To Dumfries and Galloway on Scotland’s south west coast for the first golfing trip of the year. Another area of Scotland where golf courses abound, our choice for the one day of proper “competition†was an emotional one.
I’ve been playing Colvend Golf Club for as long as I can remember. Back in the day, brother and I would scamper round the course with our cut down clubs learning the game and discovering what playing in real wind is all about.
Like us the course has grown since then. The original nine holes have now be expanded into an 18 hole layout.
The expansion means the first eight holes play very differently to holes nine to 17. On the first eight the wind is your main enemy. Clinging to the coast the wind comes in more varieties than I can describe. This is the short part of the course and the three par threes give you the chance to build a solid card.
Keeping the ball low helps of course : as I found out to my benefit on the seventh when a horribly topped iron shot bounded down the fairway, kept going on to the green and ended up a couple of feet from the hole to secure a birdie.
The eighth is Colvend’s signature par three. A long carry over a burn to narrow green with out of bounds all around, the daunting tee shot will play mind games with a lot of golfers and it is not uncommon to see players laying up. Thankfully in both the morning and afternoon rounds I managed to guide a three iron to the centre of the green and happily took my two putts for par.
Crossing the road to reach the ninth hole you are presented with a new set of challenges. The holes are longer and the wind is less of a factor. The ninth and tenth are fairly simple par fours, the eleventh a gorgeous dog leg played to a green guarded by the ruins of an old house – the hole is called The Ruin.
The 12th is another gorgeous hole and brings water into play with both the drive and the approach shot (18 holes at Colvend without getting your feet wet is no little achievement) and the 13th is one of those curious par fours that always seems to play longer than it is.
Then comes the 14th, which I would argue is my only bugbear about the course: at over 500 yards the longest hole and the only par 5. The day we played the weather was fine. Sure it was windy on the first eight but you expect that when you play golf on a clifftop. The wind wasn’t an issue anywhere across the road except the 14th.
Unfortunately in both the morning and the afternoon the wind was in our faces. With the course still wet from a sodden winter, the 14th became an immovable object. We’re probably fairly average off the tee and can both hit reasonable fairway woods. Don’t mind doing that either. But when those two shots leave you with a long iron to the green, some of the fun goes out of the game. Both times we walked off the green happy with bogeys and feeling like we had been the victims of a “Tiger proofing.†I’m not convinced the average golfer really wants non championship courses to get longer and longer, But that’s maybe just me.
After that the course moves back to the road culminating in an intriguing 17th where the blind tee shot, if well executed, leaves a simple chip to the green. The very brave might even be tempted to carry the out of bounds and play for an eagle opportunity.
Crossing back over the road Colvend finishes with a fine 18th. A simple enough drive will set up a short approach to a green guarded by trees, out of bounds and water. A badly positioned drive will seriously cut down your options with your second shot and many players will happily sign off with a par.
The 18th neatly sums up Colvend’s finest qualities. The holes may look simple but the real challenge is thinking through every shot to try and take the pressure off your next stroke. This is a real thinking course.
Colvend is well worth a visit. At £30 a day ticket represents excellent value. The staff made us feel very welcome and we enjoyed a pleasant snack in the clubhouse between rounds. We will definitely be back, if only so my brother can have another go at the three shot lead I built up in the morning and managed, just, to hold on to in the afternoon.
As we’re in the area I should also mention Craigieknowes, a short par three course just along the road from Colvend outside a beautiful little village called Kippford. The longest hole is 197 yards, the shortest around 90 yards. This is a perfect family course but, be warned, the imaginative layout and well guarded greens can make for a tricky round. I played 18 holes on two separate days and thoroughly enjoyed them both.
R&A Scraps Doping Tests at Royal Birkdale
The issue of doping in golf was raised again when the Royal & Ancient, one of the two most influential global bodies, decided to delay drug testing at this year’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.
The reason is that many golfers had already qualified for the tournament from tours that do not apply anti-doping measures.
Surprisingly, the normally stringent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is okay with the decision, though it has not completely let golf off the hook.
In a BBC report, a spokesman for Wada urged the global golfing community to come together in formulating doping policy, saying:
“No sport is immune to doping and anti-doping measures protect the game’s integrity. It would be helpful for all golfers if each of the tours had the same rules, the same prohibited list and the same education activities. We expect the players themselves will see the sense in such harmony and look forward to its development.â€
Organisers of this year’s Open were hoping that the tournament would be the first major to conduct doping tests. It is now forced to postpone these plans until next year’s event.
The PGA Tour and European Tour will start drug testing in July. Officials from the Asian, Australia and South African circuits have yet to come up with a coherent anti-doping framework.
Wada has for many years frowned on golf for being too relaxed when it comes to doping in sport. But its lenient stance towards the R&A is because of the body’s genuine efforts to start a doping programme, according to the BBC.
Wada realises that in order to be fair to golfers, they must be properly educated on the perils of doping, its consequences and regulations.
Before last year’s Open, South African great Gary Player said there were at least 10 professionals who were on performance-enhancing drugs, though he refused to name them. “We’re dreaming if we think it’s not going to come into golf,†he was quoted as saying at the time.
Although many players rejected Player’s statement, it forced the PGA Tour to act and, soon afterwards, it announced the introduction of dope testing in 2008.
Wada, however, remains unhappy with the PGA Tour, which has yet to recognise doping body’s list of prohibited substances. This means, a golfer could be on something that is banned in almost every other sport, but not in golf.
It is believed that the kind of substances that help golfers are not so much the muscle-building steroids but drugs to help players keep calm.
