PGA Tour commish surely has his head up...

By now you have surely heard that on Friday at 11AM EST Tiger Woods will be making his first public statement since he drove his SUV (not a Toyota) into a tree and then his wife discovered he was having a good time on the side.
And if you didn't expect this to be a totally controlled environment, you might also have your head ... well, never mind.

Tiger will make a statement from, of all places, the clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, home of the PGA Tour. This is an invitation-only event which includes reporters from three media services and a small pool of reporters representative of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA).

Now there are a couple of facts here that you might find curious. First, why conduct this spin session on Friday right in the middle of the Accenture World Match Play Championship? Is he taking a little jab at the sponsor Accenture who dumped his butt following the sex scandal?

At this point you might ask yourself what the hell has Tiger been thinking through all of this or perhaps what was he thinking even before his antics came to light? But the answer to those questions is for another discussion. The real question that needs an answer is what the hell is PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem thinking? Finchem stated that the fact that Tiger will be speaking from Florida on Friday was not going to undermine the World Golf Championship event.

Really!? What planet is he from? Perhaps we should Finchem on the final space shuttle shot and leave him on the space station.

The world of golf is having a bad 90 days

I thought I would write this short entry in a hurry. After all, really, if we're going to comment on the last 90 days in golf, why would we want to think out what we're going to say (or do). Obviously Tiger didn't. Obviously Phil didn't. Obviously the USGA and the PGA Tour didn't.
So why should we not just put out a few words with little or no thought behind them?

Take the Tiger state of affairs. Well, never mind, everyone else has spewed forth opinion. Let's just say that if you Google “tiger,” the first result will not be a picture of a fuzzy little cat with stripes. In fact we just did that and here is number one.

Enough said.

And then poor Phil. With Tiger not anywhere near the teeing ground, Phil's at the top of the leader board – well, perhaps not score wise. At least he's trying to get to the top - by using Ping wedges that are 20+ years old. (Bear in mind he's not the only one using them.) It's really okay though despite the fact that the grooves no longer meet specifications, but actually they do because of a court ruling that happened 20+ years ago. Got it?

Then the soap opera continued. Scott McCarron accused Phil of cheating or at least not playing within the spirit of the rules. Phil took offense and Scott backed down and apologized. Tim Finchem, the ivory tower honcho of the PGA Tour, has no clue what to do. Well, he did say, in a masterful political sidestep, “We have options.”

So, with all this going on in the world of golf, can you answer this question without having to “Google” the answer: The PGA Tour has played four events so far this year. Can you name two of the four winners? Or, question number two: Can you provide the names of two of Tiger's female liaisons?

Do you understand why the world of golf is having a bad 90 days?

Golf’s best and worst shots of 2009

Golf’s major championships of 2009 certainly provided us with the unusual. It was the year of the spoiler on the PGA Tour. On the LPGA Tour it was a year of the dramatic on the 72nd hole.

Here’s our list of the best and a few of the worst on both tours.

Best Putt: Here we can easily select the 18-foot putt from Eun-Hee Ji to win the U.S. Women’s Open. Needing a birdie to win, Ji calmly stroked the putt dead center for a one stroke victory.

Second Best Putt: Stewart Cink may have thought he was just improving his position in the tournament, but as it turned out his 12-foot putt for birdie on the final hole of the British Open earned him a tie for the championship with Tom Watson when he bogeyed the final hole. A worn out Watson was no match for Cink in the playoff.

Worst Two Putts: All of us who grew up in the Nicklaus and Watson era were on the edge of our seats watching the 2009 British Open. Here was 59-year old Tom Watson about to take the title and tie Harry Vardon with six victories in golf’s oldest major. Unfortunately, Watson’s second to the final hole scooted over the green. Electing to putt from a dodgy lie, he knocked it eight feet past. More unfortunately, he didn’t even come close on the putt to win the title. In the end he was no match for Stewart Cink in the playoff.

Worst Finish: All (“all” is a suspicious word when working under the pressure of a major championship) Kenny Perry had to do was play the final two holes of the 2009 Masters in one over par to slip on the green jacket. Disastrously Perry bogeyed the final two and then lost on the second playoff hole to Angel Cabrera.

Luckiest Shot: How can we forget this? On the first playoff hole at the Masters, the par-4 18th, Angel Cabrera hit his tee shot dead right into the trees. With a swashbuckling, go-for-broke attitude, he fires his next at the green, but the loud “crack” as the ball hits a tree proclaims something has gone amiss. No worries, the ball bounces into the fairway from which point he makes par to tie Kenny Perry. Cabrera wins the Masters on the very next playoff hole, the 10th.
Unluckiest Shot: Hunter Mahan was definitely in the hunt at the 2009 U.S. Open. Needing a birdie on one of the last four holes, Mahan fired his second at the par 4 15th dead at the flagstick – right dead on the flagstick. The ball caromed of the flagstick to about 15 feet from where Mahan made par.

Second Best Shot (A & B): Y.E. Yang wins the A & B award here. Yang became the first man to stare down Tiger on the final nine of a major at the PGA Championship. He gets the A award for his chip-in for eagle on the short par 4 fourteenth. The chip was from a severely sloped lie beside the green. He also receives the B award for his second shot on the 72nd hole, a hybrid to about ten feet. Leading by one at the time he drove the metaphorical nail into Tiger’s coffin.

Absolute Best Shot: No doubt Brittany Lincicome provided the outright most dramatic shot in a major championship in 2009. Trailing by one shot coming to the final hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Lincicome fired a hybrid second shot from 210 yards on the par-5 finishing hole that finished four feet. She made the eagle putt and won by one.

And that's the way it was in 2009.

Tiger and the PGA Tour pucker factor

You gotta think that PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem's pucker factor has increased exponentially every day for the past two weeks. You could almost hear him pacing around his office mumbling to himself, “What am I going to say? What am I going to do?” Slowly, ever so slowly Finchem's throat got drier and his lips pursed tighter and tighter. The drama was building. What would Tiger do? What would we do? For every new bimbo that was paraded out on the international stage, the air at PGA Tour Headquarters was gradually sucked out.

Finally last night the balloon burst. Tiger said adiós to golf for an indefinite period of time. You could hear a collective “CRAP!” come out of Ponte Vedra. We could even hear it in Arizona. Now they were scrambling for PGA Tour Canned Statement 12.6. 4b. Finchem issued his statement (which turned out to be PGA Tour Canned Statement 12.6. 4b(1)), “His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honor his family's request for privacy. We look forward to Tiger 's return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him.”

There's a lot of under lying meaning here, unspoken nuance, if you will. Finchem needs Tiger to return to play as soon as possible. With Tiger plays, the Tour is exciting and dynamic; without Tiger television ratings drop 50%. It's hard to negotiate new contract with sponsors and television networks when the star of the show is on hiatus.

Finchem is probably nearing the end of his time with the PGA Tour. Retirement is looming on the horizon. It's closer that a short par four. The last thing he needs is a blowout at the end of his time leaving a legacy that spells R-U-I-N. It'll make former LPGA Commissioner Bivens look like a genius.

Boy is that scary.

Tiger and Michelle save the golf world

Just when you thought the golf season was over the most important week of the year occurs less than two weeks before Thanksgiving. Mark down this date – Sunday, November 15, 2009. On this one Sunday the game of golf which has been pretty much gasping for air the past few years finally got the revitalizing treatment it needed. It got the shot in the arm to cure all ailments.

The treatment: Tigers Woods wins in Australia and, although this is not earth shattering in the United States, it is life saving for the game in Australia. Not to mention that this is another continent conquered by “The One.” This was the first victory for Woods in the Land Down Under. And if you're keeping such statistics, he has now won on every continent save Antarctica.

But, Wood's victory was only half of the medicine. The life-giving dose came from Michelle Wie, the Hawaiian child prodigy who everyone expected to be the savior of the women's game. Problem was Wie had accomplished virtually nothing – until Sunday. Sometime late in the twilight, long after Woods had given the Australian golf world its biggest thrill since Greg Norman, Michelle Wie finally kicked ass and took names. And the names, which are some of the top female players in golf, include Creamer, Kerr,Shin and Pressel. Wie has now established herself as one of the preeminent players in the game not just one of the best known personalities.

Who wins here? Right now, Santa Claus. It has already been reported that boys and girls from Brisbane to Cabo San Lucas are right now changing their Christmas lists to include golf equipment from Nike. In the future it should be everyone who loves the game.

The burden of responsibility for the revitalization of the game now falls on the few who fancy themselves as the leaders in golf. The credibility of such organizations is at stake.

Golfer makes ace and albatross in the same round

If we were to have a post-round gathering at the 19th hole and the discussion turned to the skill of PGA Tour participants, There would perhaps be dissension concerning who has the greater skill. However, we would not question the overall skill of these players. As the slogan says – These guys are good! - very good. How good is good or very good?

Well, when you combine very good with the appropriate portion of luck that comes along with dedicated practice and developed skill, you might have a nine hole stretch like Nicholas Thompson had yesterday at Grayhawk Golf Club during the Frys.com Open. First, let it be understood that the scores are very low in this tournament – very, very low. After three rounds Troy Matteson leads at 19 under on the strength of back-to-back 61's (9-under each day). But his scorecard is not spectacular, did littered with lots and lots of birdies and one eagle.

The great scorecard belongs to Thompson who shot 30 on his back nine yesterday. But it's how he got to that number that's incredible. That 30 included a double-eagle (albatross) and a hole-in-one (Ace) – all within a three hole stretch. That's right, an Albatross and an Ace in the same round on the same nine.

Now the odds of making an ace are reasonable, so to speak, but variable. Experts at these number things figure about 5,000 to 1 for a low handicapper and a little lower for a tour pro. But take a guess at the Albatross. As best as anyone can figure, the odds are one million to one. But what are the odds of making an Albatross and an Ace in the same round? I don't think anyone has taken the time to figure that out. Perhaps the odds are about the same as winning the lottery each and every time you play for a month.

So, which would you rather have – the Albatross and the Ace or the lottery?

What makes the FedEx Cup so unexciting

The Eye On Golf staff got to thinking the other day about why the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup is just so doggone unexciting. Why is it that each event seems like just another four-day, 72-hole PGA Tour golf tournament? Where is the spectator anxiety? Where is the sit on the edge of your seat and scream at the television exhilaration?

So, after lengthy discussion we think we have an answer (or perhaps two) to this most pertinent of golf questions. First no one, except maybe a few talking heads at PGA Tour Headquarters and a few golf scribes, really and truly understands the elimination system. This is the third year of the FedEx Cup and the third attempt at a working playoff system that will generate the ultimate champion. This year, when the third event of the playoffs ends on Sunday, the top thirty players in FedEx Cup point standings will move on to the Tour Championship in Atlanta just like in year past. However, at this watershed all the points that a player has earned throughout the season will be reset and the claim is that any player within the top five who wins the Tour Championship will win the FedEx Cup.

Of course, this has all kinds of nonsense scenarios wrapped up in it. A player could win all the money, lead the FedEx Cup point standings by a mile going into the Tour Championship and then lose the final event by one stroke and walk away without the precious Cup. Do you have a player in mind here?

Second, and perhaps most important, is that this playoff system doesn't generate any thrills except for the fabulous golf. Those actually attending one of these playoff events are there because the circus is in town and it's fun to go to watch the best players in the world. Those of us watching at home just want to see some good golf. We believe that the lack of excitement is due to the length of each “playoff game.” Each “elimination game” is four days long, much too long to generate any allure. The NFL playoffs which culminate in the Super Bowl are a one game, one day events. You don't have to go to the stadium for four days to find out who the winner is. NASCAR has a ten race finale, The Chase, that builds anticipation through each of the final ten races. Once again, each race is a one day event. Fans look forward to that one weekly experience that may make or break their favorite team or player. The sense of excitement and anticipation builds week to week.

The PGA Tour will not get to experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat until it figures out a way to generate that week-to-week excitement.

PGA Championship odds

There comes a time in every golfer's life when he or she must take the gamble, try to pull off the shot of a lifetime. You know, hit the high cut shot around the pond trying to get the ball close to a back right hole location. Golfers are instinctively gamblers in one sense or another.

With that in mind the staff here at Eye On Golf, the leader in truly meaningful golf advice has compiled a few thoughts (and odds) on the PGA Championship which begins today. Just in case you're still suffering from Tiger overload, the tournament in being played at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, MN. The PGA was fortunate to schedule the tournament here at this time, the only week of summer in grand ol' Minnesota.

Tiger Woods 2-1: Even though this is his third event in a row going for his third win in a row, how do you wager against this guy? And you know he'll be somewhere on the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon.

Stewart Cink 5-1: Now he knows how to win a major AND how to Twitter. What would be more exciting than Cink and Tiger in a playoff for the championship?

Phil Mickelson 10-1: Not sure Phil is totally focused on his golf. (Would you be?) But ya never know.

Steve Stricker – Sergio Garcia – Lee Westwood 15-1: Come on guys, it's about time for one of you three to man-up and win a major.

Retief & Ernie 22-1: Both these guys will probably look good for a while but …

The Field 75-1: Yes, there's a really good chance for another first time major championship winner. We've already had two this year and would have had three save that an Augusta pine was leaning the wrong way. Look through the list and make your choice except for the following.

Sentimental Selections

Kenny Perry 12-1: We were going to put him with Stricker and the boys, but after that Masters heartbreak we wanted to give Kenny a break.

Paul Goydos 20-1: You may not know it but Goydos has been playing pretty well this year. He's had experience at the highest level and he's a damned nice guy.

If picking the winner of a golf tourament wasn't so difficult, any of these would be a sure bet.

Good luck!

The PGA Tour has an unplayable lie

With all the drama going on off the course this week it's a a little difficult to believe that the players at this week's PGA Championship have total focus on the mission at hand. The aftermath of the Tiger & Paddy ruling debacle has pushed the PGA Tour into an unplayable lie from which they have no idea of their options.

Let's first set the stage: At a critical moment of Sunday's final round – the 16th hole with Paddy in the lead by one – rules official john Paramor tells them they are on the clock. Paddy speeds us (translation: gets out his normal rhythm), makes an 8 and looses the tournament. In the post-round press conference Tiger calls the action of the official into question by saying, “I’m sorry that John got in the way of a great battle.” On Monday an anonymous PGA Tour official told the AP that Tiger would be fined. Understand that anything to do with player discipline on the PGA Tour is done with anonymity and a certain amount of cloak and dagger. Now on Tuesday the PGA Tour says there is no fine. Tiger reported, “I’ve heard from the tour and there’s no fine. That was an erroneous report.”

So now, what has the PGA Tour wrought. Actually they have wrought rot. Did they back off because it was Tiger Woods? Perhaps. They sure don't want to bite the hand that feeds them. (This is an example of ironic reversal.) What if the PGA Tour really ticked off Tiger and he decided to take his game elsewhere? Go ahead and speculate on that scenario if you so desire.

But what if the finegate was generated by a giant lack of communication or worse yet total incompetence? That is a possibility. First an anonymous PGA Tour person says there will be a fine for Tiger and then within twenty-four hours Ty Votaw, PGA Tour V-P of Something, makes the following statement, “The information that was conveyed to the reporter was inaccurate. There has been no process started with respect to any disciplinary action. Based on the reports we have read, Tiger’s comments related to the impact of the decision. We did not read them as being an unreasonable attack or disparaging.”

Ta-da, there you have it. With an incredible amount of backspin, Votaw has done away with finegate.

Tiger and Paddy timed out

Here's a quick golf history quiz for you. When was the last time a golf tournament was decided by the clock? Well, we have taken a poll of our entire staff and the answer here is “NEVER.” But yesterday's finale to the Bridgestone Championship supporting rubber manufacturers around the world may be a first.

Tiger and Paddy were dueling it out in an epic battle with ball and club. Tiger begins the round three shots behind but shoots 30 on the front nine to Paddy's even par 35 and takes a two shot lead. Then Tiger stumbles a bit on holes 13-15 with a couple of bogeys while Paddy makes two pars and a birdie. The lead has changed again. Paddy is looking the Tiger right in the eye. Then as they get to the monstrous par-5 16th. A rules official informs them they are on the clock. Bingo, instantly the mood has changed. In a matter of seconds PGA European Tour rules official John Paramor has single handedly squelched one of the best duels of the year.

You know the rest of the story. Both men hurry up and hit their tee shots – Tiger way left, Paddy way right. In order to speed up Tiger next plays out of turn and hacks it down the fairway. Paddy follows with a horrible recovery and, still trying to play quickly whacks and slaps to a triple bogey eight. Meanwhile , Tiger hits one miraculous 8-iron from 180 yards to about four inches and makes birdie. That's it, end of tournament. Thank you Mr. Paramor.

You can read a couple of pieces from from Doug Ferguson here or Steve Elling here.

Consider this: Being a rules official in any sporting event involves precise judgment, an uncompromising attitude and a certain amount of stubborn egotism. Paramor has managed to embody the second and third characteristics. It is the first that finds him lacking.

The PGA Tour lost control of slow play a long time ago. Accord to Ferguson, Dillard Pruitt was the last player penalized for slow play. That was 1982! The PGA Tour has already infected the game to the point that the patient is now dying of the disease. Countless golf organizations have done research on the cure, but to no avail. This slow play cancer is contagious and its spreading. It will kill the game.

As for the PGA Tour and Mr. Paramor it does not make any difference how fast or slow someone plays. Everyone now knows that golf is a slow game. The best way now to attract new players to the game is through heroic battles of two titans – like the one that got through fifteen holes at Firestone.

Tiger’s ratings trump two majors

There’s no doubt about it. When Tiger plays golf, people watch. They watch at the expense of any other golf event and virtually any other sporting event.

Playing in what was undoubtedly the final Buick Open, Tiger dominated the airwaves just as he dominated the competition. In Sunday’s final round the CBS broadcast drew a rating/share of 4.0/9. That’s the highest rating for the event since 2006 which coincidently Tiger won also.

Tiger’s winning performance was bad news for the U.S. Senior Open which drew a 0.6/1. Here in the Phoenix area these two events were televised opposite each other. Was there any question as to who would win the television wars? Fred Funk and Greg Norman provided no media competition for Tiger.

It was pretty good news though for the Women’s British Open which aired via tape delay before Tiger and the Geriatrics competed. The ladies garnered a 1.0/3 rating.

You can also look for the PGA Tour’s ratings to be up the next two weeks also. Tiger’s schedule includes this week’s World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship, the 2009’s final major, the following week.

The next event for the LPGA is the Solheim Cup on August 21-23 from Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, IL. This team competition between the USA and the Europeans should provide some good golf and descent television ratings.

(Photo courtesy Getty images.)

Final Britsh Open thoughts

As you might expect we have a few final thoughts on the British Open. Read on!

Tom Watson: What a shame. Is there a golf fan alive who wasn't hoping for the miracle? We were all having flashbacks to 1980 and listening to Al Michaels in our heads. But alas, even though we believed in miracles, it was not to be. Not this time. One super hard bounce on the approach to the 72nd hole seemed to seal Watson's fate. All the talk has been about the 8-foot putt he so nervously stroked. Now, we realize it's easy to second guess these decisions and I'm sure old Tom lost a few winks of sleep Sunday night pondering whether he should have just maybe gently pitched the ball onto the edge of the green and let it trickle to the hole. But, one of the best pitchers of the ball in modern times, chose to putt up the fringe and down to the hole. At best it's 25% guess work. Even sitting on our couch nine hours and six thousand miles removed we were shouting at the ball to stop. When it failed to halt its momentum where we desired, our hearts sank. We knew the inevitable was about to happen.

Stewart Cink: Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. If you happen to be in the half of the population of the world that follows him on Twitter, then you know what we're talking about. In the end Stewart got the job done with a clutch performance.
Okay, we have had enough of expectant husbands playing in a major tournament and declaring, “I don't care where I am or what my position is in the tournament, I'm outta here the second I get the call.” It was okay for Phil the first time, but now it's becoming melodramatic especially for television announcers. Enough is enough. If you think you might have to leave in the middle of the event, why bother to play? Leave the drama for the playing of the event.

ABC: Too bad ABC doesn't get to do more events. We know there's a whole lot of corporate and political wrangling, but it's a shame. Tirico is settling without being overbearing in rhetoric and Azinger has a wonderful touch when explaining what's happening and the significance of the situation. We need more of them!

Rick Reilly: While Reilly can be a bit over the top at times, his essay at the conclusion of the tournament focusing on the gentleman qualities of Tom Watson (as compared to another TW) was a masterpiece.
What can the British Open do for a three-peat to keep the seniors interested? In 2008 it was Norman and this year it was Watson. My pick for 2010 is Mark O'Meara who, in case you didn't notice, also made the cut a finished all 72 holes.

USA Golfers Encyclopedia is a golfers statistical delight

Used to be, not too long ago, somewhere in time between Babe Ruth and Tiger Woods, baseball was the only sport obsessed with statistics. You know wins, losses, RBI’s, home runs, batting average and a few other miscellaneous, insignificant numerical musings. These were the numbers we all dabbled in as boys with a sports fetish. Then came the computer age and every sport has hitched on to the arithmetical bandwagon.

Golf is no exception. Before the golden age of computers golf was relegated to a few “golf-style box scores” basically listings of who shot what and how much they won. Now the statistical world of golf is a virtual smörgåsbord of numbers squeezed into formulas which analyze every player in every tournament for every shot.

Please permit a couple of examples.

In the “Shot Link” section of the most recent Golf World we read the following about HP Byron Nelson Championship winner Rory Sabbatini’s road to victory: Sabbatini hit 49 greens in regulation and converted 25 birdie chances for a conversion rate of 51.02 percent while the field averaged a mere 30.32 percent. And add to that this statistical information about runner-up Brian Davis: his 21 birdie putts made was a mere seven feet, five inches, the result of hitting 19 approach shots during the week inside 10 feet - tops in the field. And this is just a microscopic sampling of what you can glean from the PGA Tour’s Stats. Or, if you want live, up to the minute coverage of how your favorite player is doing shot-by-shot, hole-by-hole, you can go to Shottracker. Indulge yourself.

Not to be outdone is the ultimate statistic book The USA Golfers Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to Modern Professional Golfers and Tournaments compiled by Sal Johnson, purveyor of the everything-about-golf website golfobserver.com, and Dave Seanor, currently writing for examiner.com and golfobserver.com. The Encyclopedia is a statistical rendering of all golf tournaments and players over the past 50 years. It's a big book to say the least measuring in at 8.5x11 (just in case you want to punch holes and fit it in a notebook) and 1.75 inches thick extending out to 959 pages. Johnson and Seanor put one essential requirement for entry into this statical hall of fame: a minimum of 25 career starts. The remainder of their thinking is explained in Seanor's introduction. Be sure to read it.

Structurally, the volume has two sections: Part One: Player Statistics, A-Z (FYI Aaron to Zokol) and Part Two: Tournament Results, 1958-2008. It's a double dose of statistical heaven. But how interesting is it? How fascinating can nearly 1,000 pages of numbers be? In a word -FUN. For example, I was able to look up the PGA Tour record from the 1980's of my most recent boss. Want to have a little fun with names? How many players named Adams have played on the PGA Tour? It's easy to find in the Encyclopedia!

For the everyday golf fan this volume is fun, fact-filled and fascinating. For the golf writer it is worth its weight in gold.

Just one final request for Johnson and Seanor: this needs to be on disk and searchable.

Jenkins at the Majors is great golf history

Love him or hate him, there's no way to be inattentive to golf writer Dan Jenkins. Jenkins has been following the trials and tribulations on the fairways and greens for nearly sixty years. Regardless of one's appreciation of his body of work – books include Dead Solid Perfect, Semi-Tough, and most recently The Franchise Babe - that longevity alone should earn the reader's respect. Whether or not he “invented the art of golf writing” as claimed by John Feinstein on the jacket is another discussion.

Jenkins' latest volume is Jenkins at the Majors: Sixty years of the World's best golf writing, from Hogan to Tiger. It is collection and re-editing of his essays and press room work from 1951 to 2008. The bottom line on this book is quite simple: If you are a golf fan and have even the slightest interest in the history of the game, you need to read Jenkins at the Majors. It is a massive history lesson presented with the Jenkins' flavor. It is a time travel odyssey from Ben Hogan's victory in 1951 U.S. Open to Tiger Woods' win at the 2008 U.S. Open with 92 other layovers along the way. Unfortunately these 94 majors are less than half of the number (198) that Jenkins has covered.

The history aspect here is important. Whether we care to admit it or not, we are all to some degree interested in the history of the game. It may not reach back fifty or sixty years, but every golfer knows who Tiger Woods is. Our knowledge of the history of the game can always be improved and there is no substitute for getting it first hand.

Jenkins has a knack for catching just the right facts and quotes and then passing them along to his readers. For instance in his essay on Gene Littler's 1961 U.S. Open victory, Jenkins quotes Mike Souchak providing some unintentional prophecy, “I'm winning the Open and I hit a 5-iron 230 yards over the green...Nobody can hit a 5-iron that far!”

This volume also affords us the opportunity to watch Jenkins' literary style evolve over the years. His literary approach is sometimes off beat but always colorful. You'll enjoy some classic Jenkins' lines like the opener concerning the 1966 U.S. Open, “Nobody knows how to cook buffalo, bear and elk meat, so they probably thin Billy Casper eats it raw.”

And that's what makes this book so entertaining – a colorful history lesson from someone who has been there.

Golf is life

If you have any doubt that golf emulates life, consider these thoughts about the recently maligned Michael Phelps. Phelps, at the ripe old age of 23, is considered one of the greatest Olympians ever. But the sanitary swim-boy has now run afoul of the ethics and demeanor court of public opinion. Unless you have been trying to extricate yourself from the same pot (pardon the pun) bunker for the past week or so, surely you know of Michael’s experience with a peace pipe. Coupled with a DWI a couple of years back, his “smoking” experience has ruined his relationship with Tony the Tiger and caused a three-month suspension from the U.S. Olympic team. Not only has this cost him a serious amount of cash in a depressed economy, but it has also embarrassed him beyond red in the face and robbed him of his role model image.

Phelps was heading down “Squeaky-Clean Lane,” but somehow took a wrong turn. He is now at a crossroads and can follow the trail of one of two golfers both who have experienced fame and fortune at a young age. Down one path is John Daly. Daly came from last alternate to PGA Champion in the space of four days. His history since that fateful Sunday in August of 1991 is well documented. Obsessive-compulsive comes to mind but it might fall short of being totally descriptive. Michael does not want this lane of the yellow brick trail. It leads to tabloid headlines.

Heading down the other road is Tiger Woods. By the time Tiger was 23 he was already a multiple major championship winner. Granted Tiger had already experienced a lion’s share of fame and fortune, yet he did not permit himself a career-ending episode. Tiger took the high road and has gone on to greater heights. Michael must employ a good scout to assist him in the tracking of the Tiger.

Golf and the struggling economy

Recession? Recession! What recession? Warren Buffet says the economy is not up to par to the Great Depression but rather akin to Pearl Harbor. Thank goodness. With any other news I would think the following monetary expenditures would be foolish.

There appears to be no downturn in the economic future of the sports world. At least life appears to be good in Boston. Within the past couple of weeks the Red Sox have handed out some whopping multi-million dollar contracts. The Bosox signed Kevin Youkilis a four-year deal worth $41.25 million and picked up John Smoltz in a one-year contract worth $5.5 million. Yes, things are good in Bean Town.

And the golf world doesn’t appear to be too lean either. Reporting in its January 17, 2009 edition Golfweek informs us that the globe trotting Adam Scott is expecting delivery of his brand new, never-been-flown Gulfstream G450 private jet sometime in the fall. The 28-year-old Australian lamented, “I’ve been on the waiting list for 2 ½ years.” But the price tag of $40 million is probably well worth it when you must travel around the world to play golf.

Buffet’s comments follow news over the weekend that the Obama team doesn’t think Americans will mind his investment of over $150 million for the inauguration.

Oh, and one final financial note from politics here in Arizona. State lawmakers are wrestling over the budget wondering just how they are going to make ends meet. One of the financial cutbacks they are considering is in education.

John Daly - golf's great enigma

It is difficult for me to comment or pass judgment on the trials and tribulations of Mr. John Daly. I guess it’s easy to propagate the “off with his head scenario,” or perhaps to pen a gentle, but non-complimentary article. But to set forth a piece with an inclination of still having high hopes for Mr. Daly is a most demanding task. Nevertheless an attempt must be made.

You see John and I have a timeworn and distant connection that always makes me want to root for John no matter how nonsensical his actions may become. It is not a close personal relationship through which we became confidants and drinking buddies (whoops!). Rather it was somewhat of a business association. In the late 1990’s I served as the golf professional at Wicked Stick Golf Links in Myrtle Beach, SC. At the time this was Daly’s first and only signature golf course. The course has been popular since it opened in October 1995. The concept for the course came about shortly after Daly surged to national prominence with his 1991 PGA Championship victory. The course was built and opened in October of 1995. Talk about perfect timing. If you remember your major championship history, that is just a scant three months after Daly surprised all the golf “experts” with his victory in the British Open after a playoff with Constantino Rocca.

Our paths crossed a couple of times for a brief moment shortly after Wicked Stick opened. The most memorable was a telephone call. John had four buddies who were in Myrtle Beach playing a little golf and desired to play Wicked Stick. John called personally to arrange for a tee time – no secretary, no agent, just John calling. That’s John. Eventually one point of conversation led to another and soon twenty-five minutes had passed. That’s John, friendly and amicable.

There are, of course, countless other small incidents to demonstrate John’s great sense of humanity just like there are countless well-publicized incidents to demonstrate his senselessness. It’s all part of carrying his humanity to the extreme in either direction.

Big John can still play the game as evidenced by his recent final round 62 in the Hong Kong Open. Big John is still a big fan draw unfortunately it’s in a NASCAR sort of way where fans come hoping to see massive wrecks. Big John will always have a big heart. Big John will always do his own thing. He’s a maverick in a world golf clones. Every generation of professional golf seems to have one or two. When can thank the golf gods that John came along when he did.

So I’m still rooting for John, but unfortunately I feel one of two situations will occur. Either Big John will get his act together and return to a form from which he show us his great talent or he’ll be found dead in a gutter behind a Hooters within twenty-four months. It’s a shame, but…

And one final note: John, call me again. We need to continue that conversation from ten years ago.

The culture of celebrity and the caddy

I’m sure everyone who plods through the multitude of golf websites and blogs has read several pieces about Steve Williams’ comments concerning Phil Mickelson. There is no shortage of expositors on the internet especially when a subject like this arises. Observations have ranged from “Tiger should fire him immediately and without hesitation” to actually granting Stevie victim status. (No comment on that one.) And if you haven’t read something you particularly do not agree with, just wait. There is probably much more to come despite the fact that Tiger says, “We have dealt with it. Stevie stays”

But, the root of all this has nothing to do with golf, but rather with personalities. This same scenario is continually played out on a variety of stages throughout the business world. This is now a golf personality situation and it should focus our attention on a much more curious state of affairs – the celebrity status of the caddie in today’s world of professional golf. This circumstance does have the potential to become a problem where the personality of the caddie overwhelms the game.

I became involved in the game of golf as a caddie. In the late 1950’s it was an expedient way to make a couple of bucks. And a couple of bucks in the pocket was big time then for a ten year old boy serving as a club caddie. And the financial status was doubled if one was fortunate enough to carry doubles. Of course, carrying doubles on a hot, humid summer day in New England meant you would spend a small portion of your hard earned fortune on some liquid refreshment. The point of all this is what was actually expected of the caddie. The answer is short and to the point – carry the clubs, be seen and not heard. My, my, how the fortunes of the caddie have evolved in just the past fifty years.

The fact is, unless you are a serious student of the history of the game, you probably never knew the name of a caddie until Tiger came on the professional golf scene. Perhaps you did a little golf reading and knew that Eddie Lowery caddied for Francis Ouimet in the 1913 U.S. Open. Maybe you followed golf in the era of Palmer, Player, Nicklaus and Trevino. You knew that Angelo Argea carried for Nicklaus and that Herman Mitchell was the man for Trevino. If you were just a sports fan and not into golf, the names of Jeff “Squeaky” Medlin and Bruce Edwards are still probably familiar to you.

Then along came the Tiger. First it was “Fluff,” on the bag, but he drew too much attention to himself for Tiger’s liking. So the switch was made to Steve Williams. But Williams has become larger than life just like his boss. In short he is always seen and always heard – the complete reversal of everything a caddie was meant to be.

Is this good for the game? No, I do not believe so. In an era when golf has gone flat and about to go flatter with the diving economy, this cannot be good for the game. If what draws people to golf is Tiger’s play and the controversy surrounding him, then the game will have problems expanding. Certainly attention will be focused on the game. Tiger and Stevie will generate plenty of press, but definitely not grow the game in terms of participation.

Tiger Trumps Cups

Just today with great anticipation I opened my periodic e-mail from GolfWeek entitled Approach Shots. This is a web newsletter that I wait for with breathless anticipation. And here’s the headline/lead-in:

“Smack in the middle of the Tiger-less FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup races, Woods still found a way to make the biggest headline Tuesday. Woods announced on his Web site that his wife, Elin, is pregnant with their second child.”

First, congrats, Tiger.

Second, what did GolfWeek anticipate would be the big story – Ryder Cup selections? That was two days ago and every golf writer on the planet has weighed in with his/her thoughts on how Azinger did. Truth be told, no one will know “how Azinger did” until the Cup has been decided.

And, speaking of Cups, did GolfWeek think the FedEx(lax) Cup was going to generate interest this week? For all intents and purposes, it’s over. Although I did read somewhere, probably in a press release from the PGA Tour, that someone else in the top twelve right now could win if Singh finishes last in the final two “playoff” tournaments and the same player wins both. Honestly, I haven’t done the math on this, but I’m sure if you look hard enough you’ll find it. Once you find the math, figure the odds and let me know.

PGA Championship Thoughts

Halfway through the PGA Championship the “CUT Leaderboard” has more “superstars” at the top than the actual tournament. Just take a gander.

Atop the leaderboard is J.B. Holmes; atop the “CUT Leaderboard” is Rich Beem, Fred Couples and John Daly. ‘Nuf said.

I really hope something great happens today. I sure don’t want to be relegated to watching tape-delayed coverage of the Olympics.

No PGA club professionals made the cut, so now the name of the tournament must be changed for the weekend to the PGA Tour Championship. Or is that being used somewhere else?

Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger made the cut. It might be safe to assume that if you are a Ryder Cup hopeful and are not joining Azinger to play on the weekend…well, your fate is pretty much sealed.