More rain in Wales

Play is just resuming at the Ryder Cup. There was more rain in Wales. I'm shocked.

With this additional delay it is impossible for the event to finish and Sunday afternoon. The time there should be about 1:30 PM. There are still six matches yet to complete play – two foursomes and four four-ball. That should suck most of the daylight out of the day with perhaps just a couple hours remaining to start the singles. Perhaps it would be best to play all of the singles matches tomorrow. At least that move would put a little drama back into the event. With all of the delays, jagged starts and stops of the matches, a confused television schedule this event needs some kind of drama. The most it has had is the USA rain-suit controversy.

Saturday at the Ryder Cup equals lots of golf

Okay, so, like, whatever. Corey and Colin have figured out a new and revised schedule for the waterlogged Ryder Cup. (You must admit that it takes so powerful foresight to schedule a major golf event in an area of the world that experiences on the average 152+” of rain at this time of year.)

When the four four-ball matches finish this morning (or whatever time of day it is wherever you are), then and only then will play commence involving six foursomes matches. This will involve all twelve players. The next session, which they are calling session three, which will commence when all the matches of session two are finished, will then contain two foursome and four four-ball matches again using all twelve players of each side. The final session will feature the twelve singles matches hopefully finishing sometime on Sunday.

The good news is that it get late early in Wales this time of year (my apologies to Yogi), so playing time is limited. My inside sources have informed me that the PGA's of USA and Europe tried to convince a young Welshman named Joshua to affect the sun for twenty-four hours but he declined claiming that the previous occurrence was a one-time thing.

The experts seems to think that this revised schedule gives an edge to the Europeans because they have twelve men on their squad but the U.S. has just twelve on their squad.

We'll see.

Up early for a weather delay at Ryder Cup

A collection early morning thoughts as we wait for the rain to stop in Wales...

So I'm having a little identification issue with this Ryder Cup thing being held in Wales. You see, I rose early in the morning to catch a little of the action live. (Well, that's not the only reason I rose early, but further explanation involves too much detail.) I would really prefer to watch the action as it unfolds in real time as opposed to being at the mercy of NBC and their selective editing and broadcasting of Nothing But Commercials. You see, the live action issue is really not a time problem but really a space problem. There happens to be eight hours of space between Arizona and Wales. Apparently it's time-space problem.

Back to the live action ... Was it live action we got? No sir, Shankopotamus. It's raining in Wales, raining Welsh Corgies and Pole Cats. It's raining so hard that the course is flooded and play has been suspended until the course is playable. Now there's a wager I suspect that the British bookies had not figured on – How many weather delays? The computer live feed showed puddles and a duck – after the obligatory commercial.

Puddles and a duck – that just doesn't compute here in the Arizona desert. That's here in the Arizona desert where the temperature is still over 100 degrees in the daytime. And rain- yeah, sure. Fat chance and slim chance on that. But at least the golf courses are open.

Euro side to win Ryder Cup

It is no secret that the European Team is the heavy favorite to win the 2010 version of the Ryder Cup. If I had a Euro in my pocket, I would surely make the wager. The question is why are the Euros almost guaranteed a victory​?

The answer comes down to a combination of two elements: team composition and course set-up. The U.S. Team is laden with bombers who occasionally visit areas of the golf course generally not intended for normal play. If this were a heavyweight boxing match, it wouldn't last much longer than a Liston-Clay fight. But it's not. SIDEBAR: Golf has no time limit. If you don't believe me just wait until you see the pace of play. END SIDEBAR. On the other hand the players on the European team tend to keep the ball in play.

Hence Captain Montgomerie's decision on course set up – somewhat generous landing areas right about the distance where his team's drives will finish and thick, salad-bar rough waiting if you miss the fairway. Montgomerie has simply taken away the length factor of the U.S. Team and reduced the entire match to approach shots and putting.

Should be a less than dramatic win for the European side.

PGA of America blows the call

What a shame! The final major the year which had excitement equal to a seventh game of the World Series went down in flames with one bad call.

Now golf is an objective sport. There is very little subjectively to the rules of the game – at least that's what the rule makers would like to have us think. And they almost pull it off except for that little, 1200+ page volume they publish every time – The Decisions on the Rules of Golf. That volume puts every rule into subjectivity.

But when the PGA of America rules officials decided to assess Dustin Johnson with a two stroke penalty at the end of play yesterday and eliminate him from a playoff, they stuck by the objectivity of the rule. This particular rule being “the player is not allowed to ground his club in a hazard.” At this point they blew it – plain and simple.

No, they didn't blow the rule, they blew the call. Even Johnson said he knows the rule. But in their own defense the PGA will tell us they published a local rules sheet for the tournament stating that some of the 1,000,000+ bunkers at Whistling Straits may be outside the spectator ropes but they are still to be considered bunkers. Not a problem – if you can identify the area as a bunker. And herein lies the problem. It exists on two levels.

First, why in the world would the PGA allow spectator to tramp and tromp through bunkers that could be potentially in play. And I'm sorry, the argument about getting the spectators closer to the action is a cop out. Yes, and we heard that some of these bunkers were “cosmetic.” Please! If it's a “cosmetic” bunker, then don't treat it like a normal bunker. And as a corollary to this, if you can't identify a sandy patch as a bunker because it has been trampled by the hordes, then how on earth would you expect a player to identify it especially if he is on the last hole of a major championship needing a par to win?

Second, with a major championship on the line, why in the name of Old Tom Morris was there no PGA Rules Official right there with Johnson? And the argument here that the rules officials are not supposed to get involved falls flat. If a rules official had gotten involved, this whole major embarrassment would never have occurred. Having a rules official right on the spot to clarify any confusion would have a most satisfying gesture.

Even the experienced CBS sports crew had no idea.

The sad part of the whole incident is that the PGA could have taken charge of the situation and ruled no penalty simply because Johnson hardly knew he was in a bunker with all of the people standing around him and the fact that the bunker had been virtaully destroyed during the past seven days. The PGA could have done what was right. They chose not to.

Honestly this situation is akin to the building of a mosque near the sight of Ground Zero. Someone may have the right to build such a structure, but it is not the proper thing to do. The PGA had the right to assess the penalty on Johnson, but it was not the proper thing to do.

It's a sad day for the PGA of America.

aboutGolf PGA Tour Simulator

Okay, now this is fun and I've always wanted one of these. It sort of falls under the category of big boys and their toys. And while this item tends to be on the periphery of the world of golf, we feel it is our duty to pass the information along. And I'm sure someone else wants one of these also.

So, let's examine (with a few pertinent observations) the newest aboutGolf PGA TOUR Compact SimSurround – the 15-foot version.

aboutGolf is the world leader in indoor golf simulator technology and has pioneered the three-screen simulator which allows the player a greater potential for a real world experience. Meaning that very little additional atmosphere is required to give you the total realization. For instance, if you choose to play St. Andrews, all you need is an oversized, high speed fan blowing right into your face (add an artificial downpour if you so desire). Or, if you play a course in the desert, add a couple of high intensity heat lamps for special effects.

The newest model is the 15-foot wide version that is tagged as ideal for residences and indoor golf centers. The total dimensions of this newest golf toy are 15 feet wide by 20 feet long by 10 feet, 6 inches high. Now I don't care if the local indoor golf center has one of these, but if I lived in northern Minnesota in the winter I would surely want one in my basement. I would emerge from the depths of frozen hell in the late springtime with my game ready for the dollar nassau.

It comes complete with PGA TOUR Software for range and course play, 29 standard courses, 3Trak ball-tracking technology and club data, as well as screen, enclosure, computer and turf. That's right, 29 courses at your finger tips and all real (or at least fictitiously conventional) – except one. Remember the Fantasy Holes by artist Loyal H. (Bud) Chapman? Well, with the aboutGolf simulator you can actually play this course. Imagine playing the 291-yard par-4 at St Ludiwg's Golf Club in the shadow of Neuschwanstein Castle? Now that would be fun.

Holy golf ball, Batman, there's a real and a fantasy golf resort right is your basement.

If there is one ultimate golf toy to possess, this is it!

Tom Watson: Lessons of a Lifetime

There seems no better occasion than this period between the U.S. Open (Father's Day) and the British Open to discuss Tom Watson: Lessons of a Lifetime. There is nostalgia at both ends. Watson just completed what may be his final appearance in the U.S. Open appropriately at Pebble Beach, site of his momentous 1982 U.S. Open victory. He also just happened to have his son “on the bag” during the tournament. Now he is about to return to the British Open, this year being played at St. Andrews. You will, of course, remember the heart break from last year, losing in a playoff last year at age 59.

In between all of this Watson has produced Lessons of a Lifetime. There are few who have learned how to play the game like Watson. He always seemed to have just the right shot at the right time. Exhibit A, of course, is the chip-in on the 17th at Pebble Beach in the last round of the 1982 U.S. Open. There is no better player to listen to and learn from concerning how to play the game.

Make no mistake. This is an instructional two-disc set. It runs almost three hours and is neatly divided into two distinct parts. In Disc One Watson focuses on the fundamentals of the game (grip, setup, aim, etc.) and then gets into the golf swing. Disc Two holds the Watson specialty – the short game. In his prime there was no one better. Watson gives us the basics of the short game and also some of the intricacies around the green. This instruction is worth the price.
Fittingly, Watson ends Disc Two with a tribute to his longtime friend and caddie Bruce Edwards. Anyone with a sense of history for the game is aware of the story. Have a hankie ready for this part.

For any golfer, regardless of skill or involvement in the game, Lessons of a Lifetime is a must have. How could anyone pass up a learning experience from one of the greats of the game.

This DVD set is available at http://www.tomwatson.com/, Watson's new website. This is a place you will also want to linger for a while.