Posts Tagged ‘ pga ’

Desperate Days

It’s easy to contend for a major when your young, athletic and naive of your own mortality. Today’s thrashing twenty-somethings have all the razzle-dazzle and hype fit for the Vegas strip. Being a superstar at 23, with a silver jug in one hand and a tennis princess in the other, will give anybody a white ball complex. The real grit and grime collects on golf’s fossils, relatively speaking. The forty-somethings carry a certain desperation and last-ditch mentality that oozes like slime.

Look at the contentment of Darren Clarke, who at 42 conquered a seemingly fruitless ambition at last year’s Open Championship. You can count the near misses of the Northern Irishman like the accumulating gray hairs on his head. Finally, bliss.

Rory McIlroy showed us what true potential can be at Congressional last year, but contracted Anthony Kim-syndrome after tasting success. Excessive globetrotting has only exhausted the mop-topped star.

–>Take a look at journeyman Steve Stricker this week. The 45-year-old model of consistency has a real shot at breaking through and snagging the Wanamaker. His stoic swing can handle the ebb-and-flow of the Ocean Course and it’s deceptive winds. He’s been close before–second in 1998–and there’s a stench of desperation. How many more years of world class golf can “Strick” put together? With appearances in the Ryder Cup and President’s Cup in each of the past five years, Stricker is no stranger to pressure. He just needs to hold on down the home stretch.

Other guys to watch:

Dustin Johnson– The Coastal Carolina Kid has all the tools to avenge 2010’s calamity at Whistling Straits. While he hasn’t shown much promise on the PGA Tour in 2012 (29th on the Money List), he’s back in familiar territory at Kiawah Island.

Graeme McDowell– Arguably playing the best golf in the world this season. His major line in 2012: T-12, T-2, T-5. McDowell has been tearing up courses with his ball striking, look for another strong outing.

Davis Love III– [SEE: 40SOMETHINGs] Remember the point about desperation? It can be a beautiful, sinister, motivating factor. Let’s not forget that DL3 is partial to the Carolinas. He graduated from the University of North Carolina and has had plenty of success in the region. Heck, three of his first five PGA Tour wins came in Hilton Head, S.C. We also know he’s got the composure of a major champion, with a victory at Winged Foot in ’97.

Let’s not forget this guy either…

2012
08/08
CATEGORY
PGA12
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9 Strokes

It probably wasn’t the script golf fans had in mind, but if they tuned in late Sunday evening, the PGA Championship didn’t disappoint. Two polar-opposites–an icy cool Jason Dufner and highly-animated Keegan Bradley–dueled down the stretch. The second consecutive playoff in the tournament was made possible by Dufner’s three straight bogeys (15-16-17) and Bradley’s swashbuckling birdie bomb at No. 17. Drama? Plenty. Star-power? Hardly. Here are nine thoughts about the 3 P’s. The PGA, the playoffs and President’s Cup (Brought to you by Stroke 9’s smash hit “Little Black Backpack”).

1. I’m happy an American finally won. We’ve held our collective breath since Phil Mickelson’s 2010 triumph at Augusta. There was a chance Northern Ireland would win major championships until the end of time.

2. I’m happy an American came in second. Gotta love those Yankees.

3. Where are the “Top 5” players in the world? Absent for all intents and purposes. Despite finishing in a joint T-8, Lukewarm Donald and Less Westwood were five shots back when the smoke cleared. They were never really a factor. Steve Stricker made early headway, but plummeted at the end. Defending champ Martin Kaymer missed the cut. Rory McIlroy gutted-out all four rounds despite a torn arm tendon. These guys need to play better, or move over.

4. Adam Scott is starting to make me angry. I take that back. Not necessarily Scott, but caddie Steve Williams. I just don’t want to see the guy succeed this much. It has more to do with Scott’s talent then Williams ability to carry a golf bag. Just look how he played at this year’s Masters. Scott is going to be a powerhouse in this year’s President’s Cup.

5. “The Playoffs” are next. Really? I’m not excited at all. Especially without Tiger Woods being involved. This thing really isn’t catching on. Blah.

6. Tiger Woods is still a shell of his former self. At this point, he has serious confidence issues. Has he quit on himself and his swing revival? He needs to get back to the practice range and forget about competition for a while.

7. Does Woods’ deserve to be on the President’s Cup roster? He’s currently 28th on the list of eligible Americans. I don’t think he makes any contributions if he plays. Every “World” player wants to kick around the former No. 1. However, wouldn’t a Woods-Scott showdown have to be engineered somehow? Captain Fred Couples will probably pick the embattled Woods, but I think it’s the wrong move. Both Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner are still out of the top-10 and they are the hottest players around right now.

8. Gary McCord has become insufferable. The ego strokes, poor attempts at humor, and mustache have become too much. He’s reached the pantheon of bad broadcasting (SEE: Berman, Chris).

9. 2012 can’t come soon enough. It’s still early for a year in review, but this golf season left a lot to be desired for. What’s on deck? Hopefully a Woods-McIlroy major showdown.

2011
08/16
CATEGORY
PGA11
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Revisiting Hotlanta

[Me]: Has it really been 10 years since the PGA Tour has been to Atlanta Athletic Club?

[Wikipedia]: Yes.

It’s been a while, AAC. The golf world is a vastly different, unpredictable entity. Truths we knew then, we certainly don’t know now. Tiger Woods used to win tournaments back then. Phil Mickelson tried to. Sergio Garcia was relevant and still somewhat a sensation. The present and future of golf was solely on the still-gangly shoulders of a 25-year-old. Now, a slew of contenders lay stake at the throne. Anybody can win this week. And I mean anybody. Grant Waite could probably win as the 79th alternate.

Flash back to 2001. I have fond memories of being stationed at my shore house in Stone Harbor, N.J. Rooting vehemently against Woods–just because he won too much. Admit it, you probably did too. Hey, it worked, he finished T-29.

The tournament itself played out exactly how it should have. The right man won, the right man lost. The course layout might have been a bit forgiving, but left plenty of theatrics. If you followed as closely as I did, you’ll remember we learned to say “Shingo” and that sometimes, it’s OK not to be Tin Cup. You can have balls and not go for the “ultimate score”.

The final stretch is built to encourage dramatic finishes. The par-3 15th, played host to David Toms’ ace during the third round in 2001. It’s difficulty literally helped Toms pick up 2-3 shots on the field. The 5-wood he hit might have careened over the green if it didn’t hit the stick. Having another par-3 two holes later on No. 17 is extremely unique. You need to be a crafty iron player to navigate this one. Finally, No. 18 is undulated to perfection. The right side slopes the fairway left, and water is definitely waiting for you on the left. Players today will have to cede distance for accuracy. The approach shot taunts you, laughs at you, and implores at you. At 507 yards, it’s a challenge to get the shot close. Toms, famously laid up, and stuck a chip and putt to win by one shot. The steadfast veteran (at age 34), deserved the win. Toms is like dozens of solid tour players who rarely ice up the “big one”. They’ll win the Zurich Classic’s and wind up with a couple big pay days, but that’s about it. A tremendous short game, and Lefty’s passion for runner-ups at the time helped seal the deal. Mickelson played the “Everybody’s Favorite Loser” card well into 2004, when he finally broke through at Augusta. But, without these agonizing near-misses and 11th hour collapses he wouldn’t have evolved into the player he is today. He’s morphed into “Everybody’s Favorite Winner”/”All-American Family Man”/”The Damn Math and Science Guy Who is In All Those Freaking Commercials During Major Championships”. All the heartache made for a pretty good storybook ending.

AAC, let’s do it all over again in 2011.

[AAC]: Just make sure you bring that Dustin guy.

2011
08/10
CATEGORY
PGA11
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