Category Archives: PGA Tour

PGA Tour News

My note to the pampered few who bailed on Quail Hollow this week

by Scott
Future Tour Player?

Future Tour Player?

I’ve never cared for putting people in their places. The older I get – the less I want to talk about politics, religion, or anything else that can easily lead to a debate that in the end isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. I prefer to write about good things. Interesting things. Fun things. Things that create the desire for my readers to maybe think beyond the topic of whatever it is I’m writing about. Things that might either put a smile on someone’s face, or cause them to stop for just a second and think to themselves, “You know, I never thought of it like that, great point.” That doesn’t mean I can’t be critical of certain attitudes and behaviors in some of my writings, because unfortunately some of the things happening in the game today (in my view) aren’t necessarily good things and a few of them I find important enough to bring to light.

Which is the case today. Yes – I do take issue with what has happened this week at the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow. I’ll save you the investigative journey and explain it to you in the simplest of terms.

As you already know, the winter throughout much of the entire country has been harsh, relentless, brutally cold, and enormously long. It was an unusually late spring as a result. Spring is growing season, when the flowers bloom, when the grass suddenly wakes up from the dormant hibernation during winter and finally begins to grow once again. The further north you go up the eastern coastline, the more delayed the growing season has become. That growth is vitally important in all facets of golf course agronomy. You need warmth, you need sunshine, and you need moisture. You take any one of those three elements out of the agronomy equation – you’re going to have issues. Charlotte, NC – the location for this week’s tournament – has endured a very cold and rugged winter with everything above coming into play. As a result, the course isn’t of the usual playing conditions as it has been in years past. A few weeks ago, some of the players who played practice rounds there learned this firsthand, and rumors started flying left and right. “Awful” was a commonly used word to describe the conditions of the greens. Keeping in mind that “awful” to me and you would still likely be pristine and damned near Edenesque, compared to what we usually encounter each week where we play. The rumor turned into concern, concern turned into a frenzy, and now we have several big-name players who previously committed to playing this week suddenly using every excuse outside of the dog eating the homework to bail at the last minute.

That’s such a great example to set, fellas. Sponsors who’ve spent enormous amounts of money, thousands of fans who’ve purchased tickets in large part to see you – the big name player – play, a city that has gone out of its way to welcome you and your organization, all of the hours hundreds of people and countless local commerce committees have spent preparing for this one big golf event this season, and you don’t even think twice about taking the week off? Shame on you.

 

Hey, how about you guys come play a few weeks where we play. If your immunizations are up to date, particularly Tetanus, you can throw your bag on a nasty old golf cart that hasn’t been washed in years and head out into the more dormant pastures we call our golfing home. You can mingle with the riff raff while remembering what it was like playing before your name was ever etched on your bag and herds of people followed you around hoping to merely catch a piece of a flying divot you left behind as their personal keepsake. You won’t find many sand-filled divots, but you’ll find plenty of challenge when that 330 yard tee shot of yours ends up in the bottom of an 8-inch ditch that someone made with a 6-iron a few minutes earlier from the center of the fairway. You’ll also figure out how to hit a ball lying in a deep footprint in a sand bunker that’s often confused for an ash tray, that someone was too lazy to rake, providing there’s even any sand to go along with the dozen or so cigarette butts in the bunker to begin with. You’ll enjoy the conversation standing on the tee, as we regular greens-paying folk make fun of the golf swings we see in the fairway up ahead, which helps pass the time waiting endlessly for what has felt like hours. You’ll remember how second natured it used to be to hit a golf ball from the tee while people standing near your peripheral blinked their eyes, or how easily you blocked out the quiet chatter of those playing with you. The backfiring of an old farming tractor just down the road won’t distract your focus midswing, like those menacing gnat farts do when you’re playing for truckloads of money.

It’ll take you a few holes to get used to putting on what probably seems like to you are temporary greens, but you’ll get the hang of it eventually, and the same joyous feeling of draining a 15 footer here will likely feel twice as rewarding as holing a 15 footer on the lush carpets you’re accustomed to putting on back in Tour Dreamland. You don’t have to worry about the formality of avoiding standing on someone’s thru-line beyond the hole if you choose to putt out, and if you ask nicely – we’ll even tend the flag for you on those rare occasions when you fail to stick your wedge approach to within 3 feet of what you would consider an unevenly cut hole.

 

When the cart girl comes around driving that rickety old beverage cart that you can hear a mile away, you can remember what it felt like buying the guys a beer while admiring her short shorts and suntanned legs, yet another reason to wish you were 20 years younger once again. Miller Lite in a can won’t taste as bad as you thought it would, especially on a hot summer day when you would otherwise be sipping a sugary energy drink from a sponsor who is paying you to make sure you chug at least two of them per round when the cameras are on you, smiling all the way to the bank. You can wear shorts, hell… you can wear jeans if you want most places. You don’t have to worry about wearing shirts and hats with logos tattooed everywhere, reminding everyone that you get paid 7-figure money long before you ever put a peg in the ground each round.

Nah, just show up at least 15 minutes prior to your tee time and we’ll show you around.

Afterward, maybe we’ll meet at the bar of the 19th hole and scarf down a couple of hotdogs that were made the day before and wash them down with a few more cans of Miller Lite. If you’re nice, they’ll serve the beer in refrigerated mugs so it won’t feel as cheap as it tastes. We’ll spend 45 minutes joking about Harry’s shanked 9-iron that hit the golf cart to the right of the fairway, and Joe’s wicked tee shot that somehow splashed out of the water and back onto dry land. We’ll laugh and joke, but we’ll also get serious long enough to talk about the one or two good shots we somehow managed despite our clearance-rack golf clubs and homemade golf swings. Right before we leave, we’ll go back inside the pro shop long enough to see about securing a starting time again next week, and then we’ll mosey up to the parking lot and shake mustard-stained hands, wishing each other a good upcoming week as we head back home to our families, the real world with real jobs, mortgage payments, medical bills, car payments, and credit card debt – things we don’t worry about for that 5 hours every Saturday morning.

It’ll make your creampuff Tour life seem like the oasis it is.

But no, go ahead and take the week off. Hell, we’re already in May and you’ve already put in what – like 8 weeks of work? No worries, contrary to popular belief – you won’t be missed. Yeah, maybe the greens aren’t perfect. Maybe it’s a good week to just stay home and count your money instead of your blessings.

Signed,

Yours Truly – an average guy who pays to play a game that he loves, and has a pretty good idea of what a hard day of real work actually feels like.

 

Greg Norman: Golf’s Drug Testing is ‘Disgraceful’

by Scott

It’s not unusual for Greg Norman to express his opinion on anything and everything these days, but it is unusual when he says something that a lot of people might actually agree with.

In THIS article over at Golf.com, Norman directly confronted the game’s powers-that-be in saying that he felt the current drug testing procedures for the sport were ‘disgraceful’, adding that a player urinalysis alone isn’t going to keep the sport clean. “How deep it is (the problem), I have no idea because we only do urine analysis instead of blood testing,” Norman said. “If you really want to be serious about it and find about what’s really going on, we need to do blood testing. I think it’s disgraceful, to tell you the truth. The golf associations have to get together and step it up.” 

Meanwhile, Vijay Singh’s admission of using a banned performance-enhancing substance back in January is approaching the 4-month mark in which the Tour has said absolutely nothing regarding the investigation, leaving many people to believe that the hush-hush manner in which they’ve managed this issue could be some sort of “forgive and forget” directive being quietly and covertly issued to Singh.

FRED VUICH/SI

FRED VUICH/SI

Or, on the other hand, maybe their investigation has revealed more than just one player being in violation of the Tour’s banned substance policy.

Either/or, the closed-door handling of the matter has at the very least raised some suspicions, something that Norman accurately points out that the game doesn’t need. What the game does need is leadership that is ready to deal with the modern-day reality that athletes are pushing, and in some instances overstepping, the boundaries of the science of sports medicine. “If you’re the head of golf or any sport, if you’re the commissioner for a sport, it’s your responsibility to make sure your sport is clean. … That should be your No. 1 priority,” Norman said. “If a sport gets itself clean, the corporate dollars will always be there because people will know it’s a sport they can trust. The rest will take care of itself.”

Up until January, a majority of people felt that Golf didn’t have a PEDs problem. Almost four months later, with the deafening silence emanating from Camp Ponte Vedra pertaining to this issue, that majority is quickly turning into the minority. As we’ve learned through countless instances in politics and celebrity marriages over the years, it’s not the scandals themselves that get people in trouble, but rather the attempts to cover them up. I’m not saying that a scandal exists, but the lack of transparency and the seemingly inactive manner in which this issue has been handled is quite troubling on several fronts, especially considering that the person that this has all centered around openly admitted his guilt nearly 4 months ago.

And yet – nothing has been said, nothing has happened.

It has me questioning whether or not I myself now feel the sport is clean, something that prior to the start of this year I never gave a second thought about. One of the biggest associations of a game that has always revolved around a code that observes honesty, integrity and transparency suddenly plays by their own rules behind closed doors. I find that not only disappointing, but deeply disturbing.

And, as Greg Norman aptly said, even disgraceful.

 

 

Duval Calls Out Slow Players by Name

by Scott

So… David Duval has made his feelings clearly known in the social media about the slow-play penalty issued to 14-yr-old Tianlang Guan last Friday at the Masters, sharing an opinion that Yours Truly tends to agree with as well (not listed in his Twitter conversation below). Except Duval took it a step further and did the unthinkable by calling out who he felt was the slowest players by name, while also adding that the rules officials should be timing the players to keep the pace moving at a tolerable level. Double D begins his slow-play rant at the bottom, then continues commenting to the top.

Duval via Twitter

Duval via Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the penalty assessed to Guan was a regrettable circumstance given the nature of his age, the significance of what he was attempting to do, where he was attempting to do it, etc., it’s not that he wasn’t given a fair warning ahead of time. The 14-yr-old was warned on two occasions that he was playing too slowly before the slow-play penalty was assessed. The primary issue that I had with the way this was mishandled is that there are others, as Duval mentioned, who have far greater reputations of being slow players in their own rights, players who were in the field that afternoon and dare I say – players who likely took as much time to hit a shot as Guan did.

The selective manner in which they singled out a young kid, who as Colin Montgomery said during the SKY Sports telecast of the Masters was the most “vulnerable” player in the field given his age – that’s the thing that really set me off about it.

As amateurs, we’re very familiar with the frustrations that come with 5+ hour rounds, the endless waiting on tee boxes and fairways while we wait for those slower groups up ahead. The sad truth of the matter is that the facilities where we play nowadays have no desire to police the slow groups with course rangers to help keep things moving along at an acceptable pace. It wasn’t always this way, however. I recall the first few years of my golf experience, as the public course I played quite regularly employed course rangers to ensure that everyone got around in four-and-a-half hours or less. On numerous occasions, I myself got more than an earful from the course rangers about the need to get back into proper position on the golf course, and you’d best believe that I did everything within my power to oblige their demands. As I became a better player over the years, I looked back on those early lessons learned and realize how valuable they were for the greater good of the game itself.

As it relates to the situation with Guan at the Masters back on Friday – sure, he probably deserved the penalty. But I can guarantee you that while he was being approached by the rules official and being notified of his infraction, several other players on the course were probably playing much slower than he was. Guan just happened to be a convenient example they could make of him, imo.

Moving forward, we can only hope that the PGA Tour takes the lead after witnessing what transpired Friday afternoon. The example that the notoriously slow players on Tour set on a weekly basis, several of whom were mentioned by Duval above, isn’t good for the younger players just taking up the game, nor is it good for all of us. The ability to enjoy a round of golf is a privilege, not a right. I think it’s high time that the caretakers of the game, including the seasoned players playing at their local clubs each week as well, start helping to clean up the mess that has been allowed for far too long.

Not One of Their Finer Moments: 2013 Masters Recap

by Scott
Getty

Getty

You won’t find this headline in the Monday morning sports section of your local paper, but it is of this blogger’s opinion that Adam Scott single-handedly salvaged the 2013 Masters. Had Angel Cabrera prevailed in the sudden death playoff – his 2nd Green Jacket within a 4-year span would’ve been a great story, no doubt… but it would’ve also left plenty of room to talk about the two controversial circumstances that lingered well into the weekend, the latter of which will likely continue to be a hotbed of discussion for several weeks to come.

I’d like to congratulate Angel Cabrera for not only putting up a serious fight Sunday afternoon at Augusta, but for showing such a wonderful example of how a player should lose. The grace and dignity that he revealed after Adam’s winning putt dropped on that 2nd playoff hole was refreshing to see, as he seemed genuinely happy for his opponent in what was certainly a life-changing moment. They always say that no one remembers who finished 2nd at the Masters, but may we never forget El Pato’s gentlemanly spirit Sunday evening as the tournament was decided.

Obvious congrats are extended to Adam Scott, who on Sunday finally accomplished the one thing in life that he’s worked so incredibly hard to achieve, the one thing that a lot of people felt that he would never do after last year’s forgettable collapse at the British Open. The patience and determination that Adam displayed Sunday is indicative of how he’s approached his entire career, which like most careers on Tour has had its shares of ups and downs. But what happened yesterday afternoon carried some enormous additional weight, as a country that had never produced a Green Jacket winner in the history of the Masters Tournament watched Adam rewrite the story. The emotion he showed as he birdied the final hole in regulation on the 72nd hole would be somewhat premature, but would be replicated 30 minutes later in a career-changing moment on the 20th hole of the day. It was a great day for Adam Scott, it was a great week for Australian Golf fans, and a fitting finish for those of us who’ve waited for Adam Scott to realize the enormous potential that most of us have always known he possesses.

And last but not least, I’d like to collectively thank both Adam and Angel for changing the entire focus and putting a positive spin on what was looking to be one of the most regrettable Masters Tournaments in 45 years. Why that particular span of time, you ask? I reference the year – 1968, and the player – Roberto De Vicenzo. You can do your own internet search and learn more about how a minor scorecard technicality back in 1968 is somewhat related in scope to what transpired Friday with Tiger Woods.

It’s no surprise that I’ve always held this tournament in high regard, for numerous reasons. I’ve always been impressed with the attention to detail,  especially how everything is planned and plotted out by the Masters Tournament Committee well in advance in thorough and tedious fashion, dotting every i and crossing every last t. The result has been a seamless and exciting tournament each year, start to finish, with the only bias coming from the layout itself, rewarding those players who hit the most good shots while punishing those who hit the most wayward ones.

But this year it was disappointingly different.

The tournament rules committee, in my view, dropped the ball on two notable occasions; two occasions that would seem to indicate an aura of bias, or favortism if you prefer, and both occurred on the same day – Friday, during the 2nd round. The first dropped ball came with the rules committee showing absolutely no lenience with the young 14-yr-old competitor who was assessed a 1-shot penalty for playing too slowly. Nevermind the fact that this was the first time in 18 years that an American-run tournament has issued a slow-play penalty to a player during a tournament, not to mention that the example was made of a young kid who was in the process of making history by playing incredibly well enough to make the weekend cut. I’ve watched enough tournament golf over the past 25 years to know how unenforced this policy is, across the board, as the reputation is there to support it. But suddenly – it’s a serious matter that must be tended to, with a young kid who is only one stroke inside the number to progress into the weekend rounds? I call bullshit. I’m of the opinion that those in charge were more interested in protecting the challenging reputation of their tournament than affording a young kid his rightful opportunity to compete on a level playing field. To be clear, I don’t believe that ethnicity was the catalyst in this situation, but rather the age. It is in my view again that those in charge wanted no part of a young middle-school aged competitor who wasn’t even old enough to play high school golf to waltz in and “show up” the tournament.

But then there was all sorts of leniency afforded Tiger Woods just a few hours later that evening.

Before going further – let me state my staunch opposition to three key things that surround the Tiger Woods controversy.

Point # 1: I’m not in favor of TV viewers calling in and reporting rules infractions. There are too many players in the field each week that don’t have to deal with the same level of scrutiny that other players have to deal with regarding biased television coverage, and that – to me – is just as much an unfair advantage as anything else. Each group should have a rules official there, with them, observing and giving advice about particular situations and circumstances when they arise. This fixes the problem that occurred with Woods during Friday’s 2nd round.

Point #2: I think it’s time to exercise some common sense. We do not, as a civilized society, issue death sentences for misdemeanor offenses. If you get a speeding ticket – you’re issued a ticket to pay a fine, points go against your driving record, and your auto insurance premiums might increase. But you’re not apprehended, taken to jail, and put on death row for doing 42 miles per hour in a 35 mph speed zone. I think it’s time that the governing bodies of the game stop issuing death sentences to players who make honest, trivial mistakes on a scorecard. We have progressed, we now have indoor plumbing available and we can start fires without having to rub two dry sticks together. Why can we not utilize some common sense as it relates to people simply being human? Okay, so Tiger didn’t proceed accordingly, and wasn’t aware that he was in violation of the rules. What is so seriously flawed with simply going back, adding the additional penalty for not abiding by the rule by the letter, and moving on without having to shoot him on the spot? The rules diehards will always gravitate to the traditional, nonsensical “but rules are the rules” and “it’s the way it’s always been,” but I bet you everything I own that they have an indoor toilet and use matches or a lighter to light candles and cigarettes. Allowing a player to adjust his scorecard after the round, even if he’s already signed it, doesn’t risk the competitive equality for the players in the field, but renders the appropriate penalty without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. For goodness sakes, am I the only one who believes that these guys are more honest and rule abiding than that?

Point #3: Let’s get rid of the needless and confusing ambiguity of the rules as they’re currently written. For instance: I would like for you to define “as near as possible.” Would that be an inch? Two inches? Three feet? The ambiguous nature of the wording with reference to the rule that pertained to Tiger’s situation, if taken literally, would essentially require him to continue dropping his ball repeatedly until it found the very bottom of the divot from the previous shot. Yet, the rule as it’s commonly applied today, as we all know, obviously doesn’t require that level of preciseness. And that’s the problem – there is no preciseness. There is nothing definitive about “as near as possible.” Now compare that to “drop within 1 club length of where the last stroke was taken, no nearer the hole.” Now, we have a greater degree of preciseness, there is a definitive boundary that must be observed and respected, no doubt, no questions asked, play away please.

I’m not going to argue one way or the other that Tiger was or wasn’t shown preferential treatment. It’s not like Augusta National needs Tiger’s presence to garner extremely high and profitable television ratings, the show there has always been and will always be 1000 times bigger than his significance in the game. Some feel that Tiger should’ve DQ’d himself, refusing to play by some sort of different standard than what would otherwise apply to any other competitor in the field. If you like Tiger – you’ll say he did the right thing. If you don’t like Tiger, you’ll say that he should’ve been water boarded in Rae’s Creek after he was DQ’d by the rules committee. But if you’re like me – you see what happened as a result of a botched situation that should’ve been handled long before he signed his scorecard Friday evening. A viewer called in, reported something unusual, and from all of the reports I’ve read – this happened long before he reached the 18th tee box Friday. Why he wasn’t taken to the side after his round, was asked about it, was asked to go over what he did back on the 15th hole about an hour earlier – that’s what I’d like to know. Why wasn’t this dealt with in a timely manner?

But more to the overall point, why should it matter? He made an honest mistake, it was corrected after the fact, and the tournament continued. And because of this archaic rule, and too – the botched manner in which the rules committee handled it – the tournament continued under an enormous cloud of doubt.

Those two instances, with both the slow-play penalty and then the delay with dealing with Tiger’s improper drop, had every reason to taint an otherwise brilliant week at the Masters. Thankfully Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera saved the day with a spectacular finish, but let’s be honest – it was not a good week for Augusta National and the Masters.

We expect much better than that.

It’s Time For Golf

by Scott

masterslogoWe’re almost there.

In less than 24 hours, 93 players with their caddies and entourages in tow will be gradually seeping out from their hotels and rented houses nearby to make that quick 5-minute goosebump ride to Magnolia Lane, the proverbial aorta for what will be the heart of the golfing universe for the next 4 days. For some, Tuesday evening will have marked their final nights of restful sleep for the week, as the anxiousness of finally being exposed to one of the greatest theaters in all of golf will produce the mother of all sleepless nights. For those who’ve had the privilege of playing in this tournament in the past – they’ll assume their traditional routines and prepare their games by attempting to block out everything that’s going on around them. But still, it’s no easy task, not even for the seasoned veterans that are intimately familiar with everything that Masters Week entails.

As it relates to those of us who are relegated only to watch the tournament on television – most of us are just as excited as those who are lucky enough to be in attendance there this week, as it signifies the return of more daylight, warmer weather, ankle-sock tan lines, the gentle hum of lawnmowers, the smell of BBQ grills permeating the air throughout the neighborhood, and last but certainly not least – the return of the endless pursuit of a well struck golf ball.

It’s been a long, dreary and cold winter, my golfing friends. But better days are now upon us.

May you enjoy the tournament this week, be it there and in person or at home and watching it on television. I’ll be taking a break from my blogging duties this weekend, but will be back online next week to give my thoughts on what will surely be an incredible weekend in Augusta.

And who knows… I might be getting in a little golf myself this weekend with a little help from Mother Nature.

See you next week.

 

Three Strokes: Three Defining Moments in Masters History

by Scott

masterslogoHogan’s 223 yard 1-iron at Merion. Tom Watson’s miraculous chip-in on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach. Corey Pavin’s unfathomable 4-wood from 228 yards to the treacherous 18th green at Shinnecock Hills. Yes, the US Open has produced some astonishing moments in the history of the game, moments that will still be talked about 100 years from now.

But due to the intrinsic nature that seems imbedded within the tall whispering pines, the lush green carpet-like grasses, and the blooming dogwoods and azaleas each spring at Augusta National, no one course in the history of the game has proved to be a more fitting and eloquent theater for the drama that it has produced in major championship history. We’re reminded of this year after year, as though nothing could possibly top what we’ve just witnessed. But inevitably – something else does come along.

And sometimes, that something is far greater than we can possibly comprehend.

Lanny Wadkins: “There’s a good chance that he doesn’t get this inside DiMarco’s ball.”

It’s the 2005 Masters, oddly enough the last Masters Tiger has won in the 7 years since. But what an incredible moment not only for Woods, but for Nike as well.

“I would rank that as one of the best ones I’ve ever hit,” Woods would go on to say. “It turned things around. It was pretty huge.” The look on DiMarco’s face spoke volumes about what had just transpired, although to his credit – he played brilliant golf that Sunday to catch Tiger. Who can forget his painful near miss 30 minutes later on the final hole, as his chip shot caught a great deal of the right side of the cup but wouldn’t drop? Imagine how different Chris DiMarco’s career would be looked upon today because of a mere 1/8th of an inch… “Expect the unexpected,” DiMarco said afterward. “Unfortunately, it’s not unexpected what he’s going to do.”

Peter Kostis: “He’s going for it, this might be the tournament…”

As Roy McAvoy once said, you either define the moment or the moment defines you. This particular moment was meant for one player and one player alone, and that player happened to be at the right place at the right time to deliver one of the most remarkable shots in tournament history. Peter Kostis was correct – it could’ve been the tournament. And for all intents and purposes – it was.

“I had to hit a shot between those two trees, whether I laid up or went for the green,” Mickelson explained. “And I just decided to hit it 90 yards farther than a layup.” Playing partner Lee Westwood saw the situation a bit differently, but also admitted afterward that he wasn’t overly surprised. “It’s really one of the few shots that only Phil could pull off,” he said. Better yet, it was a shot that only Phil Mickelson would have the cajones to attempt to pull off. Thankfully he did, and as Nick Faldo aptly said afterward – the greatest shot of his life.

“If I have a swing, I’ve got a shot.” ~ Bubba Watson
There is golf, and then there’s Bubba Golf. Thank God for Bubba Golf, because sometimes the game just gets too damned boring to watch.
But then you add the 2012 Masters, and suddenly you have one of the greatest moments ever witnessed at Augusta National. “I hit a crazy shot that I saw in my head and somehow I’m here talking to you with a green jacket on,” Bubba said in the press tent a few moments later. “We always joke about Bubba golf,” he added. “I attack, I always attack. I want to hit the incredible shot, who doesn’t? I just play the game, the game that I love.”

(all player’s quotes courtesy of ESPN, Golf.Com and the NY Daily News)

Masters Week Finally Arrives

by Scott

masterslogoWe’ve survived the long, miserable winter and our just reward is the ability to finally enjoy what is undoubtedly the best week in Sports for the entire year, which gets underway tonight at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with the Louisville Cardinals fighting for the National Title against Michigan in NCAA tournament hoops. And then the traditional par3 contest on Wednesday at Augusta National will officially kick off this year’s first official major championship, followed by 4 picturesque rounds at a storied golf course that was essentially made for televisions equipped with high-definition, and in some instances – even 3D viewing.

Where to begin…

I suppose a good place to start would be with the OFFICIAL 2013 Masters Invites, courtesy of TheMasters.Com website.

Once you’re finished glossing over this week’s field of players, you can find out a little more about Phil Mickelson’s practice round on Sunday with current Augusta National member and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an experience that Lefty claimed afterward was “awesome.”

Speaking of female members, you can also learn a little about the other female member at Augusta National – Darla Moore, who recently confided that she isn’t interested in pushing the female member agenda at Augusta.

And then we have Ernie Els, who says that he has plans to finally kick the anchoring habit after this week’s Masters Tournament. Oh, come on, Ernie… you know you’ll go back to it at some point before the 2016 deadline!

It’s interesting to hear Mike Weir’s take on the 10th anniversary of his Master’s win back in 2003, which you can see in part I HERE and part II HERE. He’s one of the really good guys on Tour who’s had an incredibly difficult time the past several seasons with injuries and trying to get back the confidence he had to be competitive again. What a story it would be for him to rekindle a little of the Master’s magic from a decade ago…

Coming up in my next Masters Week Segment on Tuesday

Three Strokes, Three Defining Moments Worth Remembering: Tiger, Phil, & Bubba

Laird Wins Texas Open, Earns Last Minute Masters Invite

by Scott
Getty Images

Getty Images

The American dominance this season on the PGA Tour has officially ended, thanks to an incredible final round of golf that seemingly came from out of nowhere. Last week it was D.A. Points who somehow overcame a very rough start of the season to turn things completely around with a win at the Shell Houston Open, and on Sunday at the Valero Texas Open – it was Martin Laird’s turn. Laird began the final round Sunday 5 strokes back of Billy Horschel, who enjoyed a 2-shot lead heading into the final day of the tournament and seemed ready to pick up his first-ever PGA Tour win. But by the time Laird entered the back nine Sunday afternoon – it had turned into a 3-man race, with Laird and Horschel tied for the lead at 10-under par, and Rory McIlroy charging up the leaderboard at 9-under. Thanks to a birdie by Laird on the 13th, his 6th birdie of the round, and a bogey by Horschel on the 12th – Laird suddenly enjoyed a 2-shot lead and the only challenge at that point was to hold off McIlroy’s late charge.

A few wayward swings off the tee on two of the easier holes coming in would ultimately squash McIlroy’s bid to pick up an unlikely win on Sunday, but Laird took no chances. The Scot delivered the knockout punch by closing out his win with 3 consecutive birdies on the final three holes, shooting a remarkable final round of 9-under 63. McIlroy would finish solo 2nd with a solid round of 6-under 66, 12-under for the tournament, and Horschel’s lackluster 1-under on Sunday would ultimately leave him in a 3-way tie for third with Jim Furyk and Charley Hoffman.

Coming into the Valero Texas Open on Thursday, Laird had missed 4 cuts in his last 7 starts, and noted that his putting was the major struggle in his game so far this season. He went on to say that the difficult poa greens from the West Coast Swing earlier in the year really took a toll on his confidence, but all of that changed with his decision to go back to a putter that had previously served him well. Between the familiar feel of a reliable putter and putting on greens last week that he deemed “absolutely perfect,” Laird’s return to form was never more evident than on the putting surfaces. “This week, I went back to my old faithful putter that I won Bay Hill with a few years ago and probably had my best putting spell with,” he said. “Now I’m wondering why I ever stopped using it. But that was kind of automatic comfort with that putter on these greens.” The return of a confident putting stroke will be crucial this week when he tees it up at the Masters, as Laird will attempt to become only the 6th player in Master’s history to win the first major of the year after winning the week prior. The last player to do so was Phil Mickelson, who won the event prior to the Masters back in 2006 – the BellSouth Classic.

As big as Laird’s win was Sunday with regard to jump starting his season, the same could be said of Rory McIlroy’s last-second decision to play last week at the Texas Open. McIlroy not only got more comfortable with the new Nike equipment, but a final round of 6-under 66 on Sunday that put him just a few strokes shy of his first win this season seems to have sparked his competitive juices once again. “Everything I wanted to accomplish this week, I accomplished,” McIlroy said. “I’m very happy that I’m going into next week with my game in good shape and my confidence level pretty high.”  

Top 10 Standings @ Texas Open

1st @ 14-under – Martin Laird (9-under 63 Sunday)

2nd @ 12-under – Rory McIlroy (6-under 66 Sunday)

T3rd @ 11-under – Billy Horschel (1-under 71), Jim Furyk (3-under 69), Charley Hoffman (3-under 69)

6th @ 9-under – K.J. Choi (4-under 68)

T7th @ 8-under – Daniel Summerhays (3-under 69), Jeff Overton (3-under 69), Bob Estes (2-under 70)

T10th @ 7-under – Martin Flores (4-under 68), Marcel Siem (3-under 69), Padraig Harrington (2-under 70)

(All Players Quotes courtesy of PGATOUR.COM)

 

In Case You Missed It…

by Scott

The week in review.

D.A. Scores big Points in Houston

Having missed the cut in 7 of his last 9 starts and failing to break 70 in his last 9 rounds, 2013 wasn’t exactly going as planned for D.A. Points. All of that changed late Sunday afternoon at the Shell Houston Open, where Points held on to a 1-shot lead and finished it off with a clutch par-saving putt from 10 feet to earn his 2nd Tour win. “I never count myself out. I never just chalk it up, like, oh, this year is over with. I’ve never ever felt like that,” Points said in his interview afterward. “I was just grinding, just trying to wait and try to find that one thing that was like, boom, there it is and there I go. Fortunately, it was this week and I capitalized on it.”

To break that down into more common speak, he just simply caught lightning in a bottle last week. Well done, Mr. Points… you’re headed to Augusta.

If it were only the Ryder Cup

Thus far in 2013, all 13 events played on the PGA Tour have been won by American players. Obviously the likelihood of that continuing throughout the remainder of the season borders the impossible, but should that happen – I think that feat alone is worth at least a point in next year’s Ryder Cup. Not that it would probably matter, mind you…

Winning won’t take care of bad marketing, Nike

Nike

Nike

From the same makers of “Earl Speaks from the Heavens,” shortly after Tiger’s scandal, Nike has now invented a cure for all of life’s problems: Winning.

Fact #1: Nike doesn’t give a damn about what you or I think. Fact #2: Tiger Woods doesn’t give a damn about what you or I think. Fact #3: Tiger Woods continues to have his feet firmly planted in the ranks of the top 10 most disliked athletes year in and year out, at least according to Forbes Magazine. Fact #4: Winning doesn’t take care of everything, despite the message Nike was sending with the ad.

Winning won’t cure the cancer that killed his father. Winning won’t heal a bum left knee. Winning won’t unshatter the marriage that was destroyed because of his adultery. Winning won’t give him more visitation rights with his kids on the weekends. Winning might earn him a place in the record book of sport, but it won’t go back and change history. While we’re at it, all of those kids who were molested by an assistant coach of one of the most prestigious programs in all of college football (Penn State) – ask those victims if winning takes care of everything.

Nike should consider revisiting their old trademark motto, but add a new twist: If it Feels Good, Just Do It.

 

Rory McIlrusty to Play Texas Open

Brian Blanco/Reuters

Brian Blanco/Reuters

This isn’t rocket science.

J.P. Fitzgerald is Rory McIlroy’s caddie. I’m assuming that like most caddies, he would prefer to avoid offering his service pro bono in 2013. Thusly, J.P. suggests to Rory that it might not be a bad idea to forgo spending a week with his girlfriend Caroline and go play golf in San Antonio instead. Rory checks with Caroline, Caroline says “but I’m playing in Charleston, which is only a few hours south of Augusta, Rors… I thought we’d hit the town a little, enjoy the nightlife, you know…” Rory thinks it over a bit more and asks J.P., “Are you sure you think this is a good idea, playing the week before the Masters?” J.P. gets online, checks his bank account, and then tells Rors, “Yes, we need to get in one more tuneup prior to the Masters.” In other words, I need to start earning some money asap, Rory. Not all of us signed on to this $200 million endorsement deal with Nike, you know… Rors texts Caroline, saying something like “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But I gotta go to San Antonio. I’ll pick you up a souvenir from the Alamo while I’m there, hon. xxoo”

It might not have gone down quite like that, but that’s the imagery I’m getting. McIlrusty needs the reps, needs to actually start thinking in terms of playing, and quite possibly hand over his future tour scheduling duties to someone who has some sort of idea about how to juggle work, free time, a girlfriend, etc. and how they can make all of that work. Because here’s the meat and tomatoes of the matter: his schedule this year has been an absolute failure.

Now Rors will be fine. It’s not the golf equipment. It’s the fact that he hasn’t used the golf equipment. He’s streaky, he’s been this way his entire career. But Rory – you can only be streaky if you’re playing on a fairly consistent basis. No, you don’t have to play every week, no one is suggesting that. But you might want to consider playing more than 12 tournament rounds during the first four months of the season. There will be plenty of time for huggy huggy kissy kissy in the off season, but it’s time to start playing some golf now. Otherwise, you might as well expect to be labeled as yet another Tiger Woods wannabe and we know this isn’t the case.

But you gotta play more golf, it really is that simple.

 

Two Months and Counting…

63 days ago, that’s when Vijay Singh admitted to using a banned substance and being in violation of the Tour’s Anti-Doping policy. Commissioner Tim Finchem addressed the issue shortly after the story broke, saying that they were not going to rush the investigation and would allow Singh to continue playing in the meantime. He’ll also be in the field at The Masters next week, which almost assures that Finchem and Company have decided to do absolutely nothing about it.

 

This Week’s Texas Open Event

The final stop before the Masters, the last chance to find something worth taking to Augusta… the last opportunity for someone not otherwise qualified to find themselves amidst the blooming dogwoods and azaleas next week courtesy of a last-second win.

Rory McIlroy, Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel, and Ian Poulter are the top-ranked players playing this week, with most of the higher ranked players taking the week off before heading to Georgia.

Players to watch this week: Jim Furyk, Kevin Chappell, Harris English, Jordan Spieth, Bud Cauley, K.J. Choi, John Huh