Well done, Bedwetter. Well done.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
"Get This Wedge Out of My Hands!!"
...Those are the words of me, a week ago at a one-day Member Guest. It was by no means a great ball-striking round, but it was a round where I kept it in play all around the course. We started on the second hole and I got through 8/9ths of the front in +1. Then we hit the back nine.
#10: 120 into a green where you need to land it short and run it on. Just the perfect spot for my gap wedge. Then I lay the sod over it, leave it in the bunker 40 yards short of the green, and proceed to make a smooth double.
#14: 140 into the green from an odd lie in the rough with the ball just slightly above my feet. This makes me choke down just a bit which is fine because long here is death. I hit some weird kind of odd high block that comes up short right with the pin back left. The chip is 6 feet short and I miss. Bogey.
#16: The stupid dogleg par 5. I pull my drive eliminating any and all chances of ripping for it in 2. So I lay up to about 60 yards and have a nice easy LW to the green, which I hit 70 yards and leave myself a treacherous downhill chip. The six foot comebacker misses and it's another bogey.
#17: A 350 yard par 4 to a small elevated green. I try to lay back with an easy three-wood but I absolutely cream it into the gulley. Now I'm about 50 yards from the pin, *straight* uphill. This LW sails over the green. I hit a good chip that bounces off of *something*, kicks hard right, and then the five-footer for par hits something else and bounces away from the hole. Another bogey.
#1: We finish on an easy Par 5. SW in my hands from about 90 yards - a smooth 90% wedge that again I lay the sod over. I work my ass off to get it up and down from 15 yards short.
The scorecard looked like this: 37 - 41 -- 78. There were no red numbers to be found, and five of the seven shots given away are detailed above. It's very frustrating to be that close to a good round only to piss it away with the scoring irons.
Then on Sunday I shoot +3 for 10 holes with three putt bogeys on #8 and #9 and a failed up and down attempt on #10 before the rains came.
This close. Very close. We'll see what Saturday brings.
#10: 120 into a green where you need to land it short and run it on. Just the perfect spot for my gap wedge. Then I lay the sod over it, leave it in the bunker 40 yards short of the green, and proceed to make a smooth double.
#14: 140 into the green from an odd lie in the rough with the ball just slightly above my feet. This makes me choke down just a bit which is fine because long here is death. I hit some weird kind of odd high block that comes up short right with the pin back left. The chip is 6 feet short and I miss. Bogey.
#16: The stupid dogleg par 5. I pull my drive eliminating any and all chances of ripping for it in 2. So I lay up to about 60 yards and have a nice easy LW to the green, which I hit 70 yards and leave myself a treacherous downhill chip. The six foot comebacker misses and it's another bogey.
#17: A 350 yard par 4 to a small elevated green. I try to lay back with an easy three-wood but I absolutely cream it into the gulley. Now I'm about 50 yards from the pin, *straight* uphill. This LW sails over the green. I hit a good chip that bounces off of *something*, kicks hard right, and then the five-footer for par hits something else and bounces away from the hole. Another bogey.
#1: We finish on an easy Par 5. SW in my hands from about 90 yards - a smooth 90% wedge that again I lay the sod over. I work my ass off to get it up and down from 15 yards short.
The scorecard looked like this: 37 - 41 -- 78. There were no red numbers to be found, and five of the seven shots given away are detailed above. It's very frustrating to be that close to a good round only to piss it away with the scoring irons.
Then on Sunday I shoot +3 for 10 holes with three putt bogeys on #8 and #9 and a failed up and down attempt on #10 before the rains came.
This close. Very close. We'll see what Saturday brings.
Bedwetter on Wie
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/55351
For the love of God, David, STFU until she actually DOES SOMETHING!!!
David Leadbetter, who worked with Michelle Wie at the U.S. Open this week, said she's someone to keep an eye on again, maybe even soon. "She will prove everybody wrong," Leadbetter said. Wie said she's fully recovered from her wrist injury. She said she enjoyed her freshman year at Stanford, she's going back to school in September and she's having fun on the course again.
For the love of God, David, STFU until she actually DOES SOMETHING!!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Just Observed
An actual overheard quote from the driving range, mere minutes ago.
"Yo, are those m*****f****** signs in yards?"
Epic.
Oh and thanks to the kind folks who decided to put the ropes on the *downslope* of the grass tee. Nice job, fellas.
"Yo, are those m*****f****** signs in yards?"
Epic.
Oh and thanks to the kind folks who decided to put the ropes on the *downslope* of the grass tee. Nice job, fellas.
The Open, The Knee, and the Greatness that is Tiger
I'd been waiting to figure out the right words and the proper sense of perspective in which to put all that we saw at Torrey Pines this past weekend and into a memorable Monday. Greatest US Open ever? Perhaps. It certainly was from Tig's perspective. Nobody can deny that it was fun to watch - it was the classic story of the underdog trying to take down the greatest. And I'll be damned if this overweight, hook-prone, poker playing, supposed over-the-hill 'dog didn't take all but the last bite he needed to win this thing.
The transcendent nature of what we saw goes beyond mere television ratings too. This at least encroaches on one of those "where were you when..." moments. As it turns out, there were a heck of a lot of people working during the Monday playoff. That didn't stop many of them from catching a peek or more of the playoff - at work or even in the markets.
But the true measuring stick of what we saw at Torrey Pines will come with the stories that accompany it down the road. People remember Ben Hogan winning US Opens but he is most remembered for winning one after getting struck by a car. People remember Big Jack winning several times at Augusta, but the most memorable is the comeback. Well here comes Tiger with 14 professional majors and it's hard to imagine how any will be talked about more than this. Certainly there's tremendous cultural and historical significance to his very first major, but that one was also in the bag when the sun set on Saturday night. Torrey will be everlasting because he had to birdie 18 twice in two days just to stay alive. It will be more memorable because of a valiant head-to-head battle on Monday with Rocco, who just would not roll over like so many have in the past. And it will be part of ever golf fan's lore when you consider just how Tiger did this. After not playing a competitive round for two months; after rehabbing from arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up some cartilage damage; after suffering dual compound fractures in his left leg; and after sustaining a ruptured* ACL last summer.
* By the way, ruptured means broken. It doesn't mean slightly or partially torn. It means split in half. Ye Gods.
Put this in perspective. Since rupturing his ACL, Tiger
* Won at Firestone
* Won the PGA
* Finished 2nd to Lefty at the Deutsche Bank
* Won the BMW
* Won the TOUR Championship
* Won the Target World Challenge
* Won the Buick Invy at Torrey Pines
* Won at Dubai
* Won the Match Play
* Won the Arnold Palmer Championship
* Finished 5th at Doral (oh the HORROR)
* Finished 2nd at the Masters
* Won the US Open.
13 tournaments. 10 wins. Two seconds. 13 Top 5s. Thanks for coming.
I still don't believe people fully understand or appreciate the greatness of this athlete. And I'm not sure how to put it into words. Simply quoting this list of facts is a start. The phrase "best of all time" is appropriate, but I'm not even sure it's sufficient.
Finally some closing comments:
* A hearty "fuck you" goes out to those hockey dolts who dared question Tiger's toughness. Yeah hockey players are tough. That doesn't mean golfers aren't or can't be.
* People are saying this could be the end of Tiger? Fer Chrissakes, he's in the prime of his career and is one of the best conditioned athletes you'll find anywhere. He'll have access to the best possible rehab programs and we all know that he'll rehab like mad to get his knee to the best shape it can be in. Puh-leeze. You might not see Tiger back at his peak even in 2009, but the next decade will surely show us Tiger at his most dominant. I don't believe we've seen the best of him yet.
* And to those questioning whether or not Tiger should have even played in the US Open - just STFU. He didn't make the knee any worse in doing so.
The transcendent nature of what we saw goes beyond mere television ratings too. This at least encroaches on one of those "where were you when..." moments. As it turns out, there were a heck of a lot of people working during the Monday playoff. That didn't stop many of them from catching a peek or more of the playoff - at work or even in the markets.
But the true measuring stick of what we saw at Torrey Pines will come with the stories that accompany it down the road. People remember Ben Hogan winning US Opens but he is most remembered for winning one after getting struck by a car. People remember Big Jack winning several times at Augusta, but the most memorable is the comeback. Well here comes Tiger with 14 professional majors and it's hard to imagine how any will be talked about more than this. Certainly there's tremendous cultural and historical significance to his very first major, but that one was also in the bag when the sun set on Saturday night. Torrey will be everlasting because he had to birdie 18 twice in two days just to stay alive. It will be more memorable because of a valiant head-to-head battle on Monday with Rocco, who just would not roll over like so many have in the past. And it will be part of ever golf fan's lore when you consider just how Tiger did this. After not playing a competitive round for two months; after rehabbing from arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up some cartilage damage; after suffering dual compound fractures in his left leg; and after sustaining a ruptured* ACL last summer.
* By the way, ruptured means broken. It doesn't mean slightly or partially torn. It means split in half. Ye Gods.
Put this in perspective. Since rupturing his ACL, Tiger
* Won at Firestone
* Won the PGA
* Finished 2nd to Lefty at the Deutsche Bank
* Won the BMW
* Won the TOUR Championship
* Won the Target World Challenge
* Won the Buick Invy at Torrey Pines
* Won at Dubai
* Won the Match Play
* Won the Arnold Palmer Championship
* Finished 5th at Doral (oh the HORROR)
* Finished 2nd at the Masters
* Won the US Open.
13 tournaments. 10 wins. Two seconds. 13 Top 5s. Thanks for coming.
I still don't believe people fully understand or appreciate the greatness of this athlete. And I'm not sure how to put it into words. Simply quoting this list of facts is a start. The phrase "best of all time" is appropriate, but I'm not even sure it's sufficient.
Finally some closing comments:
* A hearty "fuck you" goes out to those hockey dolts who dared question Tiger's toughness. Yeah hockey players are tough. That doesn't mean golfers aren't or can't be.
* People are saying this could be the end of Tiger? Fer Chrissakes, he's in the prime of his career and is one of the best conditioned athletes you'll find anywhere. He'll have access to the best possible rehab programs and we all know that he'll rehab like mad to get his knee to the best shape it can be in. Puh-leeze. You might not see Tiger back at his peak even in 2009, but the next decade will surely show us Tiger at his most dominant. I don't believe we've seen the best of him yet.
* And to those questioning whether or not Tiger should have even played in the US Open - just STFU. He didn't make the knee any worse in doing so.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Memphis Epilogue / US Open Prep
Well - Before we get to our national open, let's take a couple of minutes to discuss last week's quite exciting St. Jude Stanford Classic in Memphis. -4 got in a playoff! Woody Austin shot 62 last year to win on Sunday over a faltering Adam Scott (more on A. Scott later), but this year there were 10 guys in the lead at one point on Sunday, setting up one of the more exciting finishes on Tour this year.
Sure, this event is a 2nd tier event at best, but with major champions Immelman and Leonard in the playoff and winners in the last 12 calendar months Harrington, Sergio and Boo Weekley one shot behind, it was quite a ride for the Jim Nantz-less CBS crew.
Immelman birdies the last 3 holes in dramatic fashion to gain some more confidence and show everyone that his game is back on track. Riddle me this - What if Tiger had won the Masters and then birdied the last 3 holes in regulation the week before the US Open? We'd be talking Grand Slam and gushing how awesome Tiger is. All is quiet on the Western front this week about Immelman's amazing finish. Sure, 16 is a par 5 that half the field birdies, but 17 and 18 gave up at most a total of between 10-15 birdies between the two holes combined on Sunday.
I really thought Paddy Harrington was going to get in the playoff too. He was in position for some look at birdie on virtually every hole on the back nine, but could only muster making a putt on #17 while his putt on #18 from about 20 feet looked pretty good before sliding by. He moves up the depth chart of favorites heading into the US Open.
And then there's Sergio, shooting 66 on Sunday and posting the only bogey-free round of the day. He has to be feeling good also but now Tiger is back. Picture Sergio and Tiger in the last group on Sunday. Does anyone think Sergio is really ready to take the title from Tiger? You don't have to answer.
Before moving onto Torrey Pines, one comment on Robert Allenby. Despite being one of the best ball strikers on Tour, this guy has only mustered 4 wins on Tour and none since 2001. While I want to give him kudos for his great shot into 18 in regulation to make birdie and his previous unbeaten playoff mark at 10-0, this guy is one of the biggest dicks on Tour. I don't have it from any sources. But then again, that's me.
__________________________________
Torrey Pines - 2008 U.S. Open
Your winner? Phil Mickelson. Sure, let's get right to it.
Phil has 4 runner-up finishes in this event and arguably has had the best run in this tourney since Tom Lehman played in the final twosome fours years in a row in the late 90's. Alas, Lehman did not grab a win and neither has Phil. We all know about Winged Foot in 2006 but Phil is the prohibitive favorite on this track (ignoring Tiger for a minute). Some have said that Phil won't be able to play well the first two days with Tiger in the same group. Whatever. See Deutsche Bank last year in the playoffs (PLAYOFFS!?) and you can see that Phil relishes the challenge. Plus, once Tiger gets off to a rough start Thursday, his confidence will rise.
Honestly, it's exciting that Tiger is playing again. It gets everyone fired up but I just can't imagine an 8-week competitive layoff and seeing Tiger simply win this week. He has only won 2 of these (only!) and those were at Pebble Beach in the historical 2000 campaign and at Bethpage, where length was a huge factor. Length will be a factor here despite the drier conditions, but I just can't see how Tiger's knee will let him do EVERYTHING he wants and needs to do to win a major event in his 1st week back. I'm not saying Tiger won't run the table again in a couple of months....I just am not picking him this week.
Here are some general thoughts on other players heading into the year's 2nd major.
Top 3 - Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk
- Cink has had a great 2008 and usually plays well in US Opens anyway. Consider his additional length of the tee and a top 3 earlier this year at Torrey Pines and he had to be one to consider. Of all the zero major players, he and Sergio have to be the favorites to get off the major schnide.
- Furyk has missed the winning score the last two years by one shot. Has not had a great 2008, but it hasn't been pathetic either. Perhaps he gets number 2 this week.
Top 10's:
- Jeff Quinney - hits it straight and is gaining confidence that he belongs
- Sergio - hard to win the Players and a major in the same year. No one has done it I believe since moving to the TPC. Confident, but still needs to wait until '09.
- Harrington - always there in majors it seems and playing well. No reason to think he won't contend.
- Luke Donald - hasn't been as consistent as one would think and despite not being known for length, should still be able to hang until late Sunday
- Geoff Ogilvy - 2006 winner playing well and simply one of the best in the world now
- Immelman
Avoid at all costs:
- VJ - never plays well at Torrey Pines in January and still has the occasional awful shot (see Memphis last week on #13 - tee ball OB) he can't eliminate
- KJ Choi - not shown much since Sony Open win and record here terrible
- Adam Scott - never contended in a major, can't handle the Phil/Tiger grouping and is hurt
Editor note: Adam, sorry I lambasted you for WD'ing from Memorial and Memphis a couple of weeks ago, but who knew?
- Steve Stricker - what is going on with his game? 4 MC's in a row
- Sean O'Hair - same question - since win and top 4 at Arnie's tournament has been pretty much MIA
- Rory Sabbatini - no patience, no good play of later and no record to speak of at Torrey
- Angel Cabrera - no two in a row from this guy; he must have partied real hard after his win at Oakmont
Dark Horse/Sleeper #1: Robert Karlsson - on fire on the European Tour -- but then again, we're talking the European Tour
#2: Jerry Kelly - Memorial play was steady. Can he keep his head about him?
Winning Score: 6 under - with par at 71, that takes the last couple of years' +5 to +1 and I heard on Golf Channel last night that the fairways are wider than usual.
Well, we are fired up here in HOT-lanta for this week. Hoping we get a great finish Sunday (not Monday!) with a couple of top tier players battling it our for our national championship.
Enjoy!
Sure, this event is a 2nd tier event at best, but with major champions Immelman and Leonard in the playoff and winners in the last 12 calendar months Harrington, Sergio and Boo Weekley one shot behind, it was quite a ride for the Jim Nantz-less CBS crew.
Immelman birdies the last 3 holes in dramatic fashion to gain some more confidence and show everyone that his game is back on track. Riddle me this - What if Tiger had won the Masters and then birdied the last 3 holes in regulation the week before the US Open? We'd be talking Grand Slam and gushing how awesome Tiger is. All is quiet on the Western front this week about Immelman's amazing finish. Sure, 16 is a par 5 that half the field birdies, but 17 and 18 gave up at most a total of between 10-15 birdies between the two holes combined on Sunday.
I really thought Paddy Harrington was going to get in the playoff too. He was in position for some look at birdie on virtually every hole on the back nine, but could only muster making a putt on #17 while his putt on #18 from about 20 feet looked pretty good before sliding by. He moves up the depth chart of favorites heading into the US Open.
And then there's Sergio, shooting 66 on Sunday and posting the only bogey-free round of the day. He has to be feeling good also but now Tiger is back. Picture Sergio and Tiger in the last group on Sunday. Does anyone think Sergio is really ready to take the title from Tiger? You don't have to answer.
Before moving onto Torrey Pines, one comment on Robert Allenby. Despite being one of the best ball strikers on Tour, this guy has only mustered 4 wins on Tour and none since 2001. While I want to give him kudos for his great shot into 18 in regulation to make birdie and his previous unbeaten playoff mark at 10-0, this guy is one of the biggest dicks on Tour. I don't have it from any sources. But then again, that's me.
__________________________________
Torrey Pines - 2008 U.S. Open
Your winner? Phil Mickelson. Sure, let's get right to it.
Phil has 4 runner-up finishes in this event and arguably has had the best run in this tourney since Tom Lehman played in the final twosome fours years in a row in the late 90's. Alas, Lehman did not grab a win and neither has Phil. We all know about Winged Foot in 2006 but Phil is the prohibitive favorite on this track (ignoring Tiger for a minute). Some have said that Phil won't be able to play well the first two days with Tiger in the same group. Whatever. See Deutsche Bank last year in the playoffs (PLAYOFFS!?) and you can see that Phil relishes the challenge. Plus, once Tiger gets off to a rough start Thursday, his confidence will rise.
Honestly, it's exciting that Tiger is playing again. It gets everyone fired up but I just can't imagine an 8-week competitive layoff and seeing Tiger simply win this week. He has only won 2 of these (only!) and those were at Pebble Beach in the historical 2000 campaign and at Bethpage, where length was a huge factor. Length will be a factor here despite the drier conditions, but I just can't see how Tiger's knee will let him do EVERYTHING he wants and needs to do to win a major event in his 1st week back. I'm not saying Tiger won't run the table again in a couple of months....I just am not picking him this week.
Here are some general thoughts on other players heading into the year's 2nd major.
Top 3 - Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk
- Cink has had a great 2008 and usually plays well in US Opens anyway. Consider his additional length of the tee and a top 3 earlier this year at Torrey Pines and he had to be one to consider. Of all the zero major players, he and Sergio have to be the favorites to get off the major schnide.
- Furyk has missed the winning score the last two years by one shot. Has not had a great 2008, but it hasn't been pathetic either. Perhaps he gets number 2 this week.
Top 10's:
- Jeff Quinney - hits it straight and is gaining confidence that he belongs
- Sergio - hard to win the Players and a major in the same year. No one has done it I believe since moving to the TPC. Confident, but still needs to wait until '09.
- Harrington - always there in majors it seems and playing well. No reason to think he won't contend.
- Luke Donald - hasn't been as consistent as one would think and despite not being known for length, should still be able to hang until late Sunday
- Geoff Ogilvy - 2006 winner playing well and simply one of the best in the world now
- Immelman
Avoid at all costs:
- VJ - never plays well at Torrey Pines in January and still has the occasional awful shot (see Memphis last week on #13 - tee ball OB) he can't eliminate
- KJ Choi - not shown much since Sony Open win and record here terrible
- Adam Scott - never contended in a major, can't handle the Phil/Tiger grouping and is hurt
Editor note: Adam, sorry I lambasted you for WD'ing from Memorial and Memphis a couple of weeks ago, but who knew?
- Steve Stricker - what is going on with his game? 4 MC's in a row
- Sean O'Hair - same question - since win and top 4 at Arnie's tournament has been pretty much MIA
- Rory Sabbatini - no patience, no good play of later and no record to speak of at Torrey
- Angel Cabrera - no two in a row from this guy; he must have partied real hard after his win at Oakmont
Dark Horse/Sleeper #1: Robert Karlsson - on fire on the European Tour -- but then again, we're talking the European Tour
#2: Jerry Kelly - Memorial play was steady. Can he keep his head about him?
Winning Score: 6 under - with par at 71, that takes the last couple of years' +5 to +1 and I heard on Golf Channel last night that the fairways are wider than usual.
Well, we are fired up here in HOT-lanta for this week. Hoping we get a great finish Sunday (not Monday!) with a couple of top tier players battling it our for our national championship.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Return of Wiesey?
Well, this is at least a start.
Any and all hope for her to return to glory needs to begin with telling Daddy to hit the bricks.
Any and all hope for her to return to glory needs to begin with telling Daddy to hit the bricks.
US Open Previews
It was just Monday of US Open week when CBSSports.com's Steve Elling ran out of stuff to talk about.
Meanwhile, over at GolfDigest.com, Geoff Shackleford is doing it right. Shack followed Ogilvy around, actually got out and tested the rough, and penned some very interesting thoughts on how Mike Davis isn't setting up courses like the USGA always has. Graduated rough...usage of multiple tee boxes...wider fairways. Great stuff. I'm really looking forward to this Open. And with each passing year, it kills me more and more that I didn't take the chance to intern for Davis when I could have.
Meanwhile, over at GolfDigest.com, Geoff Shackleford is doing it right. Shack followed Ogilvy around, actually got out and tested the rough, and penned some very interesting thoughts on how Mike Davis isn't setting up courses like the USGA always has. Graduated rough...usage of multiple tee boxes...wider fairways. Great stuff. I'm really looking forward to this Open. And with each passing year, it kills me more and more that I didn't take the chance to intern for Davis when I could have.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Say Goodbye, Atlanta
http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2008/6/9/atlanta-pga-tour-stop-rip.html
Shame on you, my co-blogger, for not adequately supporting your hometown event. Further proof that Atlanta is the worst sports town in all of North America.
Shame on you, my co-blogger, for not adequately supporting your hometown event. Further proof that Atlanta is the worst sports town in all of North America.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Happy Trails
To Bobby Clampett. May he never drone on in another televised golf event again.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2008-06-01-mma-cbs_N.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2008-06-01-mma-cbs_N.htm
TNT will formally announce today that Ian Baker-Finch will replace Bobby Clampett as its lead golf analyst.
TNT's golf includes early-round action in the British Open and PGA Championship. Like other cable channels, its coverage is largely produced by the broadcast network handling weekend action. Baker-Finch, a native of Australia will continue to be a CBS golf analyst. Says TNT executive producer Jeff Behnke: "We're excited to add an announcer the caliber of Baker-Finch."
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