Tag Archives: PGA Tour News

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.

 

 

Watson Making Changes to US Ryder Cup Qualification

by Scott

“Giving our players one more opportunity to earn a spot on merit, I believe, is the right thing to do.” ~ 2014 Ryder Cup Captain, Tom Watson

watsonThe Ryder Cup “bubble” just got a little smaller, or bigger depending on how some of the players themselves prefer to look at it. Then again, it really doesn’t change the full scope of the challenges that await the Americans next year at Gleneagles, where the US will undoubtedly find themselves assuming the role of underdog once again. In THIS ARTICLE, Watson talks about his reasoning behind the change, and near the end of that article he also points out that the European Ryder Cup players have a distinct advantage by virtue of playing the event on familiar layouts in Europe. “One thing the Europeans have done – I would do it, too, if I had the chance – they play the Ryder Cup matches on courses where they play European tournaments,” he states. “The more familiar you are with a golf course, the better you’re going to play. That’s a clear advantage.”

With absolutely no disrespect intended to Watson, and while acknowledging the obvious that it is indeed somewhat of an advantage, there’s nothing barring American players from traveling to Europe to play in occasional tournaments over there. Furthermore, the European team has won just as many events on American soil as the US team has over the past 20 years, so it’s not like the crux of the issue extends exclusively to the away games on foreign soil. If Watson wants to cite a legitimate advantage that plays the bigger role, he’d obviously go back to 1979 when Nicklaus successfully lobbied to include all players of continental Europe to be eligible for the European team, while the US team naturally doesn’t allow players beyond their borders from other parts of North America to participate.

And not that I personally think it would matter in the end, mind you. The serious funk that continues to plague the US team has become psychological in nature, a hurdle that many believe is also an indictment of a nonexistent team-concept playing culture compared to that of Europe. While reducing the captain’s picks from 4 to 3 might make the administrative part of his job a little easier, Watson finds himself in the same quandary that just about every other US Ryder Cup captain has had to deal with over the past 20 years: having to rely on 12 individual superstars to leave their egos at home long enough to play great golf all three days.

The bottom line, as it has always been, isn’t about the number of captain’s picks, who is or isn’t on the team, or who is or isn’t the captain for that matter… just about every single instance in this current era of modern golf, the US has clearly had more talent on their side in this event with an accomplished veteran assuming the role as captain. What they clearly haven’t had, however, is more heart and determination, better known as a complete and utter distaste for losing every other year.

Back in the 1957 Ryder Cup when Europe would go on to take the cup back after a 24-year losing drought, there was interesting exchange between Tommy Bolt and Scotsman Eric Brown, as Brown beat him 4&3 in the finals match on the last day. As Bolt and Brown shook hands, the fiery American said to him, “I guess you’ve ***ing well won the game, but I didn’t enjoy it one ****ing bit.” Brown gave it back to him with his reply. “Of course you didn’t. You ***ing well knew you were going to be beaten.”

Obviously I’d never argue that either side should be anything other than gracious in defeat, but we could sure use a little of Terrible Tommy’s attitude toward the thought of losing in general. We’ve become such gracious losers, I think we’ve forgotten how painful it’s supposed to be.

McIlroy Will Rebound, Says Nicklaus

by Scott

Leave it to an elder statesman to put things into a clearer perspective.

“Rory is so talented. He’s a good kid. I think he’s a little frustrated, and he’s frustrated at himself right now,” said Nicklaus, who was asked about Rory during his customary visit to the NBC booth during the telecast of the final round of the Honda Classic last Sunday. “He’s probably not playing his best, and he also has a set of golf clubs that he’s having trouble getting used to, and one sort of plays off the other. He’ll be fine. When Augusta rolls around, he’ll be fine.”

mcilroy-rory-headdown-030113-640x360In a world where everyone seems quick to judge these days, Nicklaus took the high road by refusing to criticize the 23-yr-old for withdrawing from the tournament two days earlier. “John, if he had waited five more minutes, he wouldn’t have done that,” said Nicklaus, replying to Johnny Miller’s prodding for a reaction from the tournament’s host. “I think he’s a good kid. He tries to do the right thing. Unfortunately, that probably wasn’t that time.” To his credit, McIlroy quickly expressed regret about the incident shortly thereafter. “It was a reactive decision,” McIlroy said in a 25-minute telephone interview on Sunday night, two hours after Michael Thompson won the Honda for his first Tour title. “What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a five and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85. What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me — it was not the right thing to do.”

Sure, a lot of people were disappointed to see him throw in the towel Friday afternoon. I doubt that none were more disappointed than Nike, come to think of it. But you know – he’s human. He’s 23, not 43. And not that it really matters to any of us, but who knows what he might be dealing with off the course. It’s no secret that he’s head-over-heels in love with a promising young tennis pro, of which some feel might’ve been one of the biggest reasons why he decided to pitch his playing tent on this side of the proverbial pond. Maybe things are heating up in a good way, or maybe the strains of a long-distance relationship are starting to take a toll. Either way, it’s a distraction that the young man finds himself having to deal with and something that only he and his girlfriend can figure out a way to manage.

As for the equipment… yeah, maybe there’s a little something going on there. Or maybe Rory has been listening to everyone criticize him for not turning is back on $250 million and turning down a no-brainer of a deal with one of the biggest equipment companies in the game today.

Whichever the case, Rory would do well to turn his back on Twitter, and quite possibly even the Nick Faldo’s of the golfing universe. As it relates to getting both his career and personal life moving in the same direction again, I couldn’t agree more with Jack.

He’ll be fine.

No Consolation for Poulter, or the Tour

by Scott

ian-poulter_2491355bSome people don’t care for Ian Poulter, but I actually kinda respect the guy. He’s got some cockiness that borderlines arrogance, in that Simon Cowell sorta way, but I suppose you would too if some of your so-called friends back home laughed at your ambitions earlier in life and you worked your ass off to prove ‘em all wrong. His golf swing isn’t the greatest, he doesn’t hit the ball a long way compared to the average Tour players, but he probably gets more out of his golf game than a majority of his peers get out of theirs. Before his match against Poulter on Sunday, Hunter Mahan spoke to the incredible amount of determination Ian plays with, which is never more apparent than every other year when the Ryder Cup rolls around. And not that his body of work needs defending, but he’s somehow managed to stay inside the top-50 in the world rankings most of his career. In fact, he’s currently ranked the 10th best player in the world as I type this. Not bad for a guy who just 16 years ago sported a 4 handicap while collecting greens fees as an assistant pro at a golf club in Hertfordshire, just 30 miles north of London.

And last but not least, he’s not afraid to speak his mind. I find that perfectly okay, but it does come with its drawbacks, especially when people get the wrong idea in this politically correct world that most all public figures have to tread lightly in these days. Just ask Phil Mickelson. So needless to say, I think the recent comments he made on Twitter (regarding his feelings on the consolation matches in the World Matchplay) are really much ado about nothing. Story HERE.

If anything, maybe we should be redirecting the discussion to point out that, in general, these enormously handsome tournament purses on the PGA Tour aren’t exactly motivating the top players to log more rounds of golf each season. Through the first 8 events this season, the total prize money in those 8 combined tournament purses equal more than $51 million.

Back in 2001 when Accenture took over as the title sponsor for the World Matchplay event, the tournament purse was $5 million. Last week, the 64 players in the field were competing for a total purse of $8.75 million, with the winner earning $1.5 million, the runner up earning $875,000, third place earning $615,000, and 4th place earning $500,000. Given the fact that Poulter has already earned $675,000 in only 2 starts this season, with roughly 10 more months of golf left on the calendar this year, who can really blame him for not wanting to go out and play a consolation match in 40 degree temps and howling winds for what amounts to a $115,000 difference between 3rd and 4th place?

As it relates to Poulter’s reasoning, he’s right… very few players enjoy going back out there and competing in the consolation match, already knowing that despite how great they might play – they’re not going to win, the tournament is essentially already over for them. Some will point out that the consolation match is a necessity, noting the need for additional golf coverage to supplement the telecast between shots in the finals match, but from what I saw Sunday – the consolation match was hardly ever shown. Between Tim Finchem’s interview in the booth and all of the commercials being aired, it’s not like many people even knew a consolation match was in progress most of the afternoon on Sunday. Others will point out, and rightfully so, that it’s part of the deal, each player understands what the conditions are, they’re out there to compete and should readily accept their obligations as professionals. And if they don’t want to play in the consolation match – just go out and win the morning semifinals match so they can move on to the finals and won’t have to be inconvenienced by it. And I agree with this and ultimately that is my feelings as well on the matter.

It might sound like I’m down on these guys making wheelbarrows full of cash, but I’m not, not really. I’m just pointing out that when the amounts of money these players are competing for over the course of a season are nearing the GDP’s of some of the smaller countries on this planet, you begin to see why some of these guys aren’t interested in playing more golf than they feel they need to. If the Tour and its’ sponsors don’t want an environment where some of the players bemoan having to play more golf, maybe they should stop enabling it. They created this environment, after all.

Snow? Again?

by Scott
Kohjiro Kinno/SI

Kohjiro Kinno/SI

You know things are really getting weird when it’s nicer in London than Arizona this time of year. The temps here locally today didn’t get much above 40 degrees, and the wind made it feel several degrees cooler. But at least we didn’t have snow, unlike the poor souls out in Arizona, of all places. This is like the second time in the past four years this has happened, although the last time it really didn’t impact the tournament because the winter weather moved through prior to the start of the tournament. 2011, I believe. Pretty sure it was 2 years ago, that was the year Luke Donald won and ascended to the top of the world golf rankings the following Monday.

I really don’t know what to make of it, other than if I’m going to have a round of golf canceled by snow – I couldn’t think of a better place to be than the resort there at Dove Mountain. Very impressive facility, especially if you’re staying there at the Ritz-Carlton. It’ll definitely set you back a few hundred each night, but some friends of mine spend a few weeks there each winter and that’s all they talk about for the next six months. They’re hard people to please, so it must be a pretty posh place there. In other words, don’t feel too terribly sorry for the freezing tour players bunked out there over the next 5 days, regardless of what the weather is like. It’s not like they’re shacked up at the Econo Lodge.

Anyway…

There was some golf played there today, several matches got underway before the beautifully green landscape turned into the depressingly white blanketed Northeast. I knew something was up the minute I saw Matt Kuchar wearing mittens and a beanie. The temps struggled to get into the 40′s, and these guys were all out of sorts because of cold hands and cold feet. You know it’s bad when you witness some of the world’s best golfers hitting shots resembling the quality of our own normal golf games back at the club on the weekends.

Yesterday I talked about a few players who I deemed “dark horses” and could shake some things up, or so I thought. While I’m at it, I’d like to extend a personal thank-you to Zach Johnson, for making me look like a total asswipe with my predictions. Well done, Zach. Jason Day is a solid player, no doubt, but you’re too good of a player in your own right to find yourself 6-down with 8 holes remaining. I’d also like to thank Jason Dufner, who obviously forgets how to play golf in when the temps drop below 75 degrees. Duff, you’re not out of this yet… but 3-down with 8 holes remaining ain’t looking overly promising. As for the rest of my darkened horses, they’ve yet to tee off or it’s so early in their matches that nothing definitive is worth commenting on.

But to offer a more thorough review, here’s how everything stands:

Sergio Garcia is 2-up on Thongchai Jaidee through 15 holes.

Matt Kuchar is 3-up on Hiroyuki Fujita through 14 holes.

Ian Poulter is 3-up on Stephen Gallacher through 12 holes.

Bo Van Pelt is 5-up on John Senden through 12 holes.

Charl Schwartzel is all-square with Russell Henley through 11 holes.

Jason Day is 6-up on Zach Johnson through 10 holes.

Richard Sterne is 3-up on Jason Dufner through 10 holes.

Hunter Mahan is 4-up on Matteo Manassero through 9 holes.

Ernie Els is 1-up on Fredrik Jacobson through 3 holes.

Steve Stricker is 2-up on Henrik Stenson through 2 holes.

Nick Watney and David Toms are all-square after 1 hole.

Dustin Johnson and Alexander Noren are all-square after 1 hole.

Justin Rose is 2-up on K.J. Choi through 9 holes.

Nicolas Colsaerts is 3-up on Bill Haas through 8 holes.

Adam Scott is 1-up on Tim Clark through 8 holes.

Thorbjorn Olesen is 3-up on Jamie Donaldson through 7 holes.

Bubba Watson and Chris Wood are all-square through 6 holes.

Jim Furyk and Ryan Moore are all-square through 6 holes.

Lee Westwood is 2-up on Rafael Cabrera-Bello through 5 holes.

George Coetzee is 1-up on Martin Kaymer through 4 holes.

Keegan Bradley and Marcus Fraser are all-square through 3 holes.

 

They’re hoping to resume play starting at 8:00 a.m. local time in Arizona tomorrow morning, but there’s a frost warning in effect for tonight, meaning that the snow on the ground (approximately 2 inches) might not melt until later on tomorrow afternoon. Although the Tour officials are optimistic that some golf will be played tomorrow, it’s not likely that everyone will finish their 1st round matches by the end of the day. There’s still 11 matches that have yet to get underway, matter of fact. The forecast for the remainder of the week is good, albeit cold. Since this isn’t a full-field stroke play event and the field of 64 players gets cut in half every round, it’s highly likely that things will get back on schedule prior to Sunday. How much golf will be played tomorrow, however, is anyone’s guess.

 

Golf’s March Madness in February: World Matchplay Championship

by Scott

155194_M08So the first big show of the season gets underway tomorrow, and by this time tomorrow evening – 32 players will be moving onto the next round while 32 others will be enjoying the week off.

To view the brackets and the starting times for the matches scheduled for tomorrow, click HERE.

And here are my top 5 things to ponder this week at the WGC Accenture Matchplay.

5. Rory and his new Nike equipment.

We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and blame a rusty golf game for the season-opening missed cut last month in Abu Dhabi. But having a month’s worth of downtime to practice and club tweak to get his swing and his new equipment finely tuned since then, there will be a lot of interested spectators tuning in this week to see if the Nike honeymoon officially begins. The general consensus, at least those expressed openly by his Tour peers, is that Rory could play well enough to win with a tire iron and that this equipment deal really isn’t an issue. Time will obviously reveal the truth of the matter, but another poor showing this week certainly won’t hush the critics, namely Nick Faldo, who opined earlier last month that McIlroy might’ve jumped the gun by making such a drastic equipment change at this stage of his career. This is an important week for Rory, more so than any other player in the field, me thinks.

4. Ian Poulter

Two things make Ian Poulter an interesting story this week: #1 – he’s a past champion of this event, winning back in 2010. #2 – the incredible performance he gave last fall at Medinah in the Ryder Cup. There’s absolutely no question that matchplay format suits his style of play, and if he can somehow channel half of the motivation this week that he had last fall at Medinah – no one could come close to beating him. At 37 years of age, his window to win these bigger events (dare I say possibly even a major championship) is closing rather quickly. And if there’s one major championship where he stands the best chance of winning it’s the Masters, and a win this week could springboard his confidence heading into Augusta, which is just 7 weeks away.

3. Bellies and Broomsticks Action

With all of the current discussion going on about banning the anchoring of the longer putters, I find it interesting that through the first 7 events this season – the anchoring ranks are 0fer. By my fuzzy-at-best math, there appears to be 7 PGA Tour players in the field this week who wield the belly/long putters with hopes of changing that. Keegan Bradley, Ernie Els, Carl Pettersson, Tim Clark, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, and Robert Garrigus. And quite frankly, only 1/3 of those guys putt well enough with them to add fuel to the USGA’s argument (I’ll let you decide for yourself who those three are). But let’s do a little more fuzzy math. So far this season, all tournament purses combined equal $42.3 million. Those 7 guys above, through the first 7 events this season, have raked in $1.9 million combined. Now obviously that could change this week. Keegan hits the ball a long way, he’ll certainly have an advantage, although he’s not done much of anything so far this season. Tim Clark finished 2nd at the Sony, but that’s a short course and then of course you have to take into account that weak-field argument stuff. Adam Scott got his first top-10 of the season last week at Riviera, he seems to be playing okay at the moment, but he hasn’t fared well in this event whatsoever the past 7 years or so, he doesn’t go deep here. Ernie? I don’t think so, too early in the season. Webb Simpson? Possibly. He had a decent showing last week at Riviera, but then again he’s in the Gary Player bracket, the toughest bracket of the four imo… not impossible, but highly unlikely. Carl Pettersson? Sorry, not gonna happen. Robert Garrigus? Nope, sorry again. So it’s not like the anchoring guys are doing all that well, at least not at this stage of the season. So that leaves me to believe that after this week – the traditional unanchored types will probably still be pitching a shutout.

2. The Dark Horses I Like

There aren’t a bunch of names jumping off the roster at me, but I’d probably have to pick Jason Dufner as my primary dark horse pick. And not that he’s really a dark horse, but I think he could certainly shake some things up in that difficult Gary Player bracket. He just appears to have that perfect stoicism and nonchalant demeanor that would make one think he’d fare well in an event like this. No other player stands out in the Player bracket, at least what I might consider a dark horse. Then of course we have Frederick Jacobson from the Hogan bracket, who is playing very well at the moment. I think Ernie will have his hands full tomorrow with Freddy, and Freddy could whip that part of the bracket into a frenzy if he can put the Big Easy away tomorrow. My dark pick in the Jones bracket? Can I pick two players? Why not… it is my blog after all. I like Zach Johnson, because he’s steady and he’s an excellent putter. On those greens at Dove Mountain – steady and a good putter is really good. Oh, the other guy is Rickie Fowler. I don’t think he’s that far removed from his amateur days where he feasted on matchplay, and we can’t forget that total ass whoopin he gave Phil Mickelson a few years ago. Or was it last year, maybe? Anyway, I like the kid in this event. And the Snead bracket? I’ll go with a really long shot with David Toms, who makes up for his lack of distance with stellar iron play and solid putting. Gotta have a good putter to win this event, but like I said – it would be a really looong shot if Toms could be the one coming from this bracket.

1. Does the Fear Returneth?

You can’t talk about this event and not talk about Tiger. He’s played well enough to win this year already, and he’s 1000 times more confident this year than he was last year when Nick Watney sent him packing his bags. We’re talking a totally different player, almost like the old Tiger. Almost. But when you look at his matchplay record over the years, particularly in team events in the Ryder Cup, that invincibility factor really isn’t there any longer in this format. Yeah, I realize he’s won this event twice already and this isn’t a team event. But that was 5 years ago, long before the knee problem, the intercepted text messages, the fire hydrant, the swing coach change, etc. Am I writing Tiger off? I’m not counting him out, no way. But he’s in the toughest bracket (imo) and I think he’ll have to play incredibly well to make it to the semifinals. Hell, I’m looking at his first-round match with Chuckie 3-sticks, who’s playing really well this year by the way. That’s not the easiest match to be found for a #1 seed, by any means. In a perfect world we’d have Tiger and Rory going head to head for like 50 holes Sunday, shooting something like a combined 40-under par in this WGC Battle Royal. But that’s probably not gonna happen, because that scenario seldom works out. If Woody can make it to the semifinals, then I think he will have played reasonably well. If he makes it to the finals – I think he will have played really well. If he happens to win? That fear factor that everybody on Tour has put behind them the past few years – I think it comes to life again. It all depends on which Tiger shows up this week.

 

Just a reminder – the Golf Channel starts their coverage tomorrow at noon eastern time. It should be one helluva week for golf.

 

Mickelson ‘Xtremely’ Optimisitc About 2013 after Phoenix Win

by Scott
Hunter Martin / Getty

Hunter Martin / Getty

Many of us felt that after the incredible “59″ near miss last Thursday, Phil Mickelson would find a way to shoot himself in the foot on Friday or Saturday, and fade away from the Sunday limelight as he’s been known to do on so many occasions in recent years. Luckily for us, as well as the 140,000+ fans in attendance at TPC Scottsdale over the weekend, Lefty decided that the script he’d written on Thursday with his incredible 11-under performance was simply too good to throw away. While the Mickelson faithful among us celebrated his 41st career win Sunday at the Phoenix Open, we also applaud the gutty performance from a 32-yr-old veteran who has clearly separated himself from the regular Tour pack the past few seasons with his consistently solid play. Brandt Snedeker did everything he needed to do on Sunday to come from behind to win, picking up 4 birdies on the outward 9 and keeping the pressure firmly applied, and then finishing strong with birdies on 3 of his final 4 holes coming in. But in the end, as Snedeker alluded to Sunday evening after his 2nd consecutive runner-up finish in as many weeks, it was simply Lefty’s week. “Phil and I had great time out there today. I wish I could have put some more pressure on him and got a little closer than I did today, but I think I shot 12 under par on the weekend and made one bogey,” Snedeker said. “Sometimes you have to tip your hat and say Phil played unbelievable and deserved to win, and that’s kind of what this week was all about.”

Last week was indeed all about Mickelson, and there’s certainly a strong case to be made that he’ll possibly be the guy this week too, especially considering the fact that he’s already won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on four occasions. And too -  considering his new love affair with the new Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme driver that he put in his bag just last Tuesday, of which he credited on every available opportunity in his post-round pressers last week while winning the Phoenix Open. Mickelson’s excitement about the new toy seemed to rival that of a 20 handicapper who’d just found that one magical driver that miraculously turns a chronic slice into a fairway-splitting draw, and given his enormous inconsistencies off the tee in recent years – maybe there is indeed something there worth getting all fired up about. Not that anyone could possibly overlook the other areas of his game that appeared to be in fine form last week, but it was clearly evident that this new driver that he lauded as “revolutionary” gave him some much needed confidence in the one area of his game that has been lacking confidence the most over the years.

What the new Callaway Razr Xtreme Fit offers Mickelson, in hacker-speak, is reduced ball spin without compromising the needed loft of the club. But he feels that hackers like us would benefit greatly from it too, which isn’t earth-shattering

Callaway Golf

Callaway Golf

news coming from someone who stood over a very makeable birdie putt to shoot 59 back in the opening round in Phoenix last week. “This has got to be good for every player I would think, but it sure as heck is good for me. And by having it be a low spin driver with enough loft, and because it’s that RAZR Fit Xtreme where you can fit it, I was able to get it dialed in to where it goes straight,” he said. “But I’m able to make the same golf swing as my irons so you’ll see me extend down the target line, you won’t see this kind of tilt because it’s not enough loft to get up and it’s not low enough spin to not float, and it has been‑‑ it really could be a revolutionary club for me.” Trust that Callaway was just as Xtremely happy with Phil’s win last week as he was, as I’m sure record sales will be reported next week should he manage back-to-back wins come Sunday afternoon.

Factoid of the week and a little Perspective

The last time that Tiger or Phil won the very next week after the other? September of 2007. Phil won the Deutsche Bank Championship, and the very next week Tiger won the BMW Championship. It was a season in which Tiger won 7 times, including a major, and Phil won three times, including the Players Championship. The so-called “youth movement” had yet to materialize, and both Tiger and Phil were still commonly considered the ‘yin and yang’ of professional golf, ranked numbers 1 & 2 in the world respectively at that time. Half a dozen years have since passed… his wife’s breast cancer diagnosis and his terminal arthritic condition have certainly changed Phil’s perspective of things, both on and off the course. The infamous scandal which led to divorce, and a chronic knee problem have caused Tiger to reevaluate both his life and career as well. But the past two weeks, if nothing else, have given us fans an opportunity to once again appreciate the excitement that these two players have given us over the years. Writing either player’s career obituary would be extremely premature and foolish, as we’ve realized already in 2013. Woods is ranked #2 in the world, and Mickelson moved to #10 with the updated points on Monday, far from has-been territory in either instance. If anything, they’ve given us a reminder that they’re still great enough to run the tables on the best players in the world on any given week.

They’re not finished yet, not by a long shot.

(players comments quoted from PGATOUR.COM, the game’s most trusted source for PGA Tour tournament news and player insights)

 

Player Reaction Regarding Vijay

by Scott
Stan Badz / Getty Images

Stan Badz / Getty Images

Despite everything going on this week, it’s not like Vijay Singh hasn’t exactly been a stranger to criticism and controversy over the years.

There was the alleged cheating incident on the Asian Tour that ultimately led to an investigation and his subsequent lifetime ban on that tour, although it’s worth noting that Singh maintained that his scorecard wasn’t intentionally “doctored” to make the cut in the event back in 1985. He claimed it to be an honest mistake and really hasn’t talked about it much in the 27 years since. “That part of my life is disappointing and heartbreaking, and I just want to leave it alone,” he was quoted as saying in THIS archived SI article by John Garrity back in 2000.

Then there was the playful-yet-tense moment back in 2000 during the Presidents Cup, when Tiger and Vijay were going head-to-head in a match during one of the days and Singh’s caddie (Paul Tesori) showed up on the first tee wearing a hat that read, ‘Tiger Who?’ on the side. “I don’t know where he got that hat,” Singh would later comment. “But I said why not?” As history reveals, the ploy to get in Tiger’s head obviously backfired, and many years later Tesori talked about that incident being a “life lesson” for him as a caddie, in THIS article written by ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski back in 2007. “I had been on Singh’s bag three months, I was carrying for the International Team. It was a fun thing to wear. Guys at the range said, ‘You should wear it.’ It was a naïve thing. At the end of the round — and it was a huge life lesson for me — I actually went up to Tiger and said, ‘Hey, bro, I meant no disrespect to you at all.’” Although it was a playful jab directed at Woods, basically making light of his incredible and ever increasing popularity back during that point in his career, it was also something that quite a few people in many circles considered improper gamesmanship that was allowed, if not encouraged, by Singh himself. After all, it’s commonly accepted that a player’s caddie is an extension of his player, thereby requiring him to follow the same codes of conduct and professionalism as the player he’s looping for. And not that it matters in practice, but most players themselves readily acknowledge that.

Speaking of gamesmanship, who can forget the big brouhaha between Vijay and Phil Mickelson with the spike-gate incident back in the 2005 Masters? Most will recall that midway through the 2nd round, Singh (who was playing in the group behind Mickelson at the time) complained about spike marks on the 12th green and cited the size of the spikes in Mickelson’s golf shoes as the source of the problem. Phil was approached by Masters tournament officials on two different occasions as he played the 13th hole up ahead, informing him that Singh felt that his spikes were creating “undue damage” to the greens. In the locker room after the round, Mickelson and Singh reportedly got into a heated discussion about the incident after he overheard Singh talking to other players about it, and he decided to confront Vijay. “After sitting in the locker room for a while, I heard Vijay talking to other players about it and I confronted him,” said Mickelson in THIS BBC Sports article back in 2005. “He expressed his concerns and I expressed my disappointment with the way it was handled. I believe everything is fine now.” 

Yet Phil’s not the only player that Vijay has had a run-in with. Some of you might recall last year’s Sony Open when Singh was paired up with Rory Sabbatini and got into a serious squabble with Sabbatini’s caddie for moving while he was going through his putting routine. It was alleged that Vijay swore loudly enough at the caddie that the nearby tournament marshals working gallery control could easily hear what was going on, and eventually Sabbatini had enough of it and stepped in to defend his looper. “The only thing I told Vijay is whatever he was saying to my caddie is inappropriate. I was just sticking up for my caddie, who doesn’t deserve to be talked to in that manner,” Sabbatini was quoted as saying in THIS NY Times sports article. The PGA Tour refused to comment about Singh’s conduct, other than stating that they would be investigating the matter.

But Despite the instances above, nothing Vijay has done throughout his career, good or bad for that matter, stands out more than the remarks he made back at the Colonial in 2003. It wasn’t intended to be this huge historical statement-making event ala Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King back in the 1970′s…  she just wanted to see how competitive she could be playing with the men on the courses they play. We’re talking about Annika Sorenstam, obviously. And if anyone in the history of the LPGA, (besides Babe Didrikson Zaharias, of course) had earned the right to measure her game against the men, it was certainly Annika. But some people didn’t see it that way, including quite a few of her male counterparts on the PGA Tour. It just so happens that Vijay, to both his credit and his demise, was the player that the media focused on because of the degree of his outspokenness. ”I hope she misses the cut,” Singh said in THIS article posted on ESPN back in 2003. ”Why? Because she doesn’t belong out here.” Under enormous pressure having been in the spotlight the day prior, Singh backed off of his commentary the next day long enough to imply that he initially meant that Sorenstam should’ve been required to earn her spot in the event by qualifying, instead of taking a spot in the field away from some other player who deserved it more.

Then of course you have the unconfirmed reports of profanity-laced tirades directed at a few reporters and tournament volunteers over the years, the occasional indifferent attitude displayed toward some of the fans at certain venues, and other he-said, she-said type of stuff that always gets plenty of circulation in the Google search engine rumor mills, things mind you that are often said and written about dozens of other players as well. Vijay is far from being the only target of criticism on the PGA Tour, to be certain, but he is certainly the biggest thanks to his reputation. So after a while, all of that stuff from the past continues to follow. Whether they’re fabrications that have absolutely no basis, or facts that can’t be refuted, these things can indeed have an impact on how his fellow touring pros perceive him. And how one is perceived by his peers has every reason to determine whether or not he’ll have someone coming to his defense, especially in a crisis situation when someone in his corner is most needed.

Although there has been an attempt by some to reveal some underlying sympathy towards Vijay, especially in light of him coming out and admitting that he used the banned substances right away, the following bottom line cannot be overlooked: only one player over the past few days who has been asked to comment on this story has come out and said that Singh should not be suspended. That player is Tom Pernice, Jr – someone who by the way considers Singh a very close friend.

Here’s what Mark O’Meara had to say in THIS article on PGA.com: “I guess they could probably suspend him for a couple of months. I would think so. Listen, people have had to pay the price before and he should be no different. If that is the case and the commissioner and tour feels he should be suspended for X amount of time, I think Vijay is man enough that he’ll do that.”

Fellow Masters Champ Bubba Watson called it “weird” in THIS article when asked about it. “It’s sad that people live and die by their sport and they have to, I guess, cheat and go around it and try to better themselves with deer-antler spray. I’m not just going to take something and ask questions later. I’m not going to take deer antler-spray and find out what it is later…. I think we should check them for mental problems if they’re taking deer-antler spray. That’s kind of weird.”

What about Mr. Cup Spitola himself, Sergio Garcia? “I mean obviously if he’s taken a banned substance obviously he’ll probably be punished for it,” Garcia remarked in THIS article over at sportal.com.au. “It’s unfortunate but that’s the way, that’s the rules.”

You know, it really doesn’t matter in the end what the players themselves think about Vijay, whether he’s a nice guy or not, what the general public might think about him, etc. because in the end the PGA Tour says they’re serious about enforcing their Anti Doping policy. They’ve got no other choice but to suspend him or deliver some sort of punishment, otherwise they put themselves at risk of a lawsuit from the player they suspended three years ago for the same policy infraction, not to mention losing every ounce of their credibility they have about maintaining a clean sport. I think everyone, including the media, fans and the players, recognize what has to be done.

It’s just that a lot of people aren’t exactly thinking that this couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

 

No More Live Blogging/Tweeting Play-by-Play at Tour Events?

by Scott

No-TweetingWell… it seems as though Ty Votaw, who is the PGA Tour’s executive VP of communications, was asleep at the wheel during the LPGA’s Carolyn Bivens debacle a few years back. Read more HERE.

Part of the excerpt from the story follows.

“As you know, our media regulations prohibit the use of real-time, play-by-play transmission in digital outlets.  In order to enforce these regulations, beginning this year, we will revoke the on-site credentials of all journalists affiliated with outlets that post play-by-play coverage, whether those posts are originating from tournament site or otherwise.” ~ Ty Votaw

The fact of the matter is that despite Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, or any other modern day needle-mover on the PGA Tour – the Tour’s interest and TV ratings don’t reflect a product that is in any position to privatize its publicity, regardless of what manner (or medium) it comes from. A word to Mr. Votaw: your policy reveals a closed-shop mentality that the Tour would be wise to turn back from, unless you want to risk alienating many of the very organizations that help market your product.

Otherwise, you might as well replace the fairway ropes with a wire fence and concertina wire, and position sharp shooters on every hole.

 

The Return of Comeback Player of the Year

by Scott

Stuart Appleby was the last recipient, back in 2010, and prior to that it was Dudley Hart back in 2008. Steve Stricker claimed the honors in both 2006 and 2007. So what happened in 2009 and 2011? There wasn’t one.

Comeback Player of the Year, that is.

The reason behind the Tour’s decision to scrub the Comeback POTY honors 2 of the last 3 years is anyone’s guess, but it could very well be that maybe there really wasn’t a legit Comeback POTY candidate during those two seasons. But the Tour won’t be able to stick to that argument this season, at least not as far as I’m concerned. My criteria might not exactly fall in line with theirs’, nor some of those reading from the blogosphere, but I don’t think my reasoning is any less legitimate. But before I state my case, let me say for the record that I’m not for handing out feel-good awards just for the sake of making people feel better about themselves, which is why I really don’t take issue with the Tour not declaring a Comeback POTY in 2009 and 2011. I reviewed those two seasons earlier today and I couldn’t personally identify a player in either of those two seasons who stood out and would qualify for the honor.. like I said – no problem there. But this season? Different story.

Kyle Robertson / The Dispatch

I’ve often been one of Tiger’s biggest critics the past few years, going back long before the scandal happened in 2009. But I’ve also found myself in total awe of what the Red Shirted Dude has done over the past 15 years. I can separate. I don’t have to like someone as a person to respect their accomplishments. Maybe you’re different, but I’m not wired that tight. I absolutely despised Lawrence Taylor, but I had enormous respect for his skill as a football player and the impact he had on a field.

Same difference, except Lawrence Taylor isn’t arguably the greatest football player in history.

“Why Tiger,” you ask. It’s pretty simple. He never once thought that he would never win again. Deep down, even when all of the naysayers were piling on and doubling down on him during the worst days, weeks, and months of his career – he never stopped believing in himself. When he shot that 79 in the 2nd round of the Wells Fargo back in 2010 and missed the cut, and the announcers couldn’t help but marvel at just how bad his game was – he never stopped believing. Three months later at the Bridgestone Invitational, a tournament that he’s won a record 7 times and held at a course that he could play blindfolded and still win – Woods finished a humiliating 18-over par through 4 rounds and finished dead last. The so-called “experts” who hadn’t officially written Woods off just yet back at the Wells Fargo that May had seen enough. “It’s over, he’s finished. He’ll never be back,” they said.

Soon after that, his career obituary would be written countless times in all of the weekly and monthly periodicals, and he was the topic of every golf-related conversation for the better part of 18 months. In this 24/7 news and social media world we live in, don’t you think he read, listened, and watched enough at some point to start actually wondering if maybe it was really over? But over and over – he continued to get back up and try again. And he did all of this while millions of people cursed and made fun of him, rubbing it in his face that he was finished, oh how the mighty have fallen.

Friends, I can appreciate the difficulty in getting up for a 3-win season for Tiger Woods. I understand. We remember the greatness for all those years, the guy was unbeatable. He was – he was unbeatable. And he’s nowhere near that player now, and he may never be that player ever again, and probably won’t. But instead of walking away from the game and going back to his $60 million mansion and enjoying the toys and the rewards in life that he’d earned – he refused to quit. He never stopped believing in himself, he refused to give up.

No, he’s not Mr. Nice Guy, he’s got plenty of faults. He was a douche bag, and still acts like a douche bag sometimes. But the Red Shirted Dude proved a lot of people wrong this year just winning once, never mind three times. But what about majors, you ask. Has he really made a comeback if he’s yet to win a major? I know that majors weigh the heaviest in his world, but I think bouncing back from all of the shame and humiliation, and overcoming a severe knee problem and a 2-year funk – that’s enough to meet my own criteria.

Is it enough to meet yours’? If not Tiger, who gets your vote?