This year is the Ryder Cup, and it was great to see America's Hunter Mahan defeat Rory McIlroy in today's final match at WGC-Accenture's Match Play event. It's just start of the season, but I figure as much momentum as we can build before the two teams meet at Medinah CC is only a good thing.
Kudos also to Mark Wilson who beat Lee Westwood in the consolation match. Either McIlroy or Westwood would have been World's #1 men's golfer with a victory in the desert, but it wasn't to be this week.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Golfer Sues Club for Lowering His Handicap
A golfer has sued his club because he claims it lowered his handicap index by 7.7 strokes over a five-year span. He's suing the club for defamation because he said it made him look like a cheater.
Unfortunately the article doesn't elaborate on why the club lowered his handicap. It's possible that the club's handicap chair believed he didn't post his scores each time he played, and posted for him. Those scores must have been pretty low if it resulted in lowering his index by 7.7 strokes.
The golfer's comment that he went to competitions and there would be no one there was an interesting one. He claims it's because his friends didn't play with him. Or, it could be they all knew he was a sandbagger and they felt why bother playing if the guy is going to win all of the time.
When I was a member at a club, my dad and I would play in a couple's tournament every Sunday. When the same couple won every week for about 3-4 weeks in a row, we decided what was the point in entering. We can't beat "statistical anomalies"!
This case makes me wonder... if he is guilty of sandbagging, why would he sue, and if he's not guilty, why bother suing and what took him so long to sue. The lowering of his index occurred from 1999-2004.
Unfortunately the article doesn't elaborate on why the club lowered his handicap. It's possible that the club's handicap chair believed he didn't post his scores each time he played, and posted for him. Those scores must have been pretty low if it resulted in lowering his index by 7.7 strokes.
The golfer's comment that he went to competitions and there would be no one there was an interesting one. He claims it's because his friends didn't play with him. Or, it could be they all knew he was a sandbagger and they felt why bother playing if the guy is going to win all of the time.
When I was a member at a club, my dad and I would play in a couple's tournament every Sunday. When the same couple won every week for about 3-4 weeks in a row, we decided what was the point in entering. We can't beat "statistical anomalies"!
This case makes me wonder... if he is guilty of sandbagging, why would he sue, and if he's not guilty, why bother suing and what took him so long to sue. The lowering of his index occurred from 1999-2004.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Bradley's Apology for Spitting
I've written a couple of times about my reaction to seeing golfers spit, especially on the green.
PGA Tour's rising start has apologized for his spitting at Riviera Country Club last week.
Good of him to do so. It's really an unattractive habit.
PGA Tour's rising start has apologized for his spitting at Riviera Country Club last week.
Good of him to do so. It's really an unattractive habit.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tiger's Gamesmanship
I watched Phil's interview with the press after his impressive blowout of Tiger yesterday at Pebble.
The best question was did Butch Harmon, Phil's swing coach and Tiger's former swing coach, tell Phil some of Tiger's gamesmanship tactics. Phil sheepishly replied with a grin, "Yes, possibly."
Given Phil's spanking of Tiger yesterday, it would appear Butch told Phil a lot of his secrets. I thought it was odd that Phil putted out first on 18th, since the tournament winner usually putts last so he can get all of the applause and end the tourney with a climax. Phil though putted out.
Tiger was then left with a 3-foot putt and he missed it so badly that it left him a 5-footer coming back. As they say, turnabout is fair play.
I'm not a fan of gamesmanship, and have had it done to me for about seven holes. It made me more focused and resulted in a sweeter win for me. And, if a player has to resort to that kind of tactics, well, it says a lot about that person. Or I should say, it says how little that person is.
The best question was did Butch Harmon, Phil's swing coach and Tiger's former swing coach, tell Phil some of Tiger's gamesmanship tactics. Phil sheepishly replied with a grin, "Yes, possibly."
Given Phil's spanking of Tiger yesterday, it would appear Butch told Phil a lot of his secrets. I thought it was odd that Phil putted out first on 18th, since the tournament winner usually putts last so he can get all of the applause and end the tourney with a climax. Phil though putted out.
Tiger was then left with a 3-foot putt and he missed it so badly that it left him a 5-footer coming back. As they say, turnabout is fair play.
I'm not a fan of gamesmanship, and have had it done to me for about seven holes. It made me more focused and resulted in a sweeter win for me. And, if a player has to resort to that kind of tactics, well, it says a lot about that person. Or I should say, it says how little that person is.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
New Low for Some Golfers
One thing I've always enjoyed about golf is the decorum and etiquette among the golfers. There is an odd sense of being insulated while on the course from the ugliness of the real world.
But, some golfers in Fort Worth, TX brought the real world onto a local golf couhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrse. A threesome wanted to play through a slow foursome. One of the members of the threesome got into verbal altercation with a member of the slow group and it turned physical. Someone in the foursome stabbed him with a broken club and because of the amount of blood loss, he could lose his leg. Click here for the article.
How sad that slow play could cause such damage. The golfers in both groups need a reality check about what's important in life. Playing through and speeding up play aren't worth a man's leg.
As golfers, we can do better.
But, some golfers in Fort Worth, TX brought the real world onto a local golf couhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrse. A threesome wanted to play through a slow foursome. One of the members of the threesome got into verbal altercation with a member of the slow group and it turned physical. Someone in the foursome stabbed him with a broken club and because of the amount of blood loss, he could lose his leg. Click here for the article.
How sad that slow play could cause such damage. The golfers in both groups need a reality check about what's important in life. Playing through and speeding up play aren't worth a man's leg.
As golfers, we can do better.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Sunflower Seeds on the Green
The weather in the Bay Area has been unusually dry this year. I got to play golf two weeks in a row. The first course had sunflower seed shells fairly close to the hole. The second time I played, the sunflower-seed enjoyer was a stranger in my group that the pro shop put with my threesome.
The first week, the sunflower seeds looked fairly moist, so the shell spitter was likely a few groups ahead. I have to say it was a bit gross to have to deal with the shells. At least the guy in my group was "considerate" enough to spit the shells away from the hole and he did this may be only for the first few holes. He stopped having them by the middle of the round.
I enjoy sunflower seeds too, but I wouldn't think of spitting them onto the green. If you enjoy those seeds, have a cup that you can spit the seeds into. That way, every one can enjoy a shell-free round of golf!
The first week, the sunflower seeds looked fairly moist, so the shell spitter was likely a few groups ahead. I have to say it was a bit gross to have to deal with the shells. At least the guy in my group was "considerate" enough to spit the shells away from the hole and he did this may be only for the first few holes. He stopped having them by the middle of the round.
I enjoy sunflower seeds too, but I wouldn't think of spitting them onto the green. If you enjoy those seeds, have a cup that you can spit the seeds into. That way, every one can enjoy a shell-free round of golf!
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