Hooray for Axley!

Hello. Way to go Eric Axley! You won the Valero Texas Open on Sunday!
Did anyone know this was a PGA Tour event? Or that it was on last week opposite the Ryder Cup?
Yet Eric Axley now has a two-year exemption, plus a few hundred thousand dollars in his pocket. He's going to Maui for the Mercedes Championships. He is also more secure than a lot of other "names" on the PGA Tour by winning this tournament.
I have two questions:

1) Why weren't name players in this event, especially those who weren't already winners this year? The biggest name I see in the Texas Open field was Bernhard Langer. Wow

2) Why does Eric Axley get these perks for beating this field?

The answer to 2) is obvious. By offering these perks, the PGA Tour hopes to get a great field. Then why am I asking 1)? Because the players either :

a) aren't getting the message
b) are already comfortable with their position
c) don't care about the tournament

No matter which of those 3 possibilities it is, it's a sad comment for the PGA Tour and this tournament. And the Southern Farm Classic may have a repeat this week opposite the American Express Championship, a World Golf Championship event.
Very sad indeed.

Regards,
Steve

Woosie Was (Almost) Flawless

Hello. Ian Woosnam deserves a lot of credit for his Ryder Cup captaincy. Here's what he did:

1. Choose Darren Clarke as a captain's pick. All he did was go 3-0 and capture the imagination of fans on both sides of the Atlantic. If there have ever been cheers on a golf course bigger than the ones on the 1st tee and his closing hole every day, I can't remember them.
2. Choose Lee Westwood as a captain's pick. Even Thomas Bjorn can't argue with Westwood's 3-0-2 record.
3. Play all his players on Friday. This meant having Clarke, David Howell (2nd on the European Order of Merit) and Luke Donald sitting for a match. Can you imagine Tom Lehman sitting Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk for a match? Neither can I.
4. Playing all his players again on Saturday. This meant the above players plus Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal got some rest. And everyone played at least 3 matches, whereas the Americans had 3 players who only played two matches.
5. Put the Sunday lineups together so Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke had the best chance of winning the clinching match. As it turns out, he was only one match off, as Luke Donald clinched victory.
6. Install a team first mentality. It was evident all 3 days.

In fact there was only one thing Woosnam needs work on, it's drinking champagne from the winning bottle. His first drink ended up coming out of his mouth and nose. I probably would've done the same.

For those who think Tom Lehman did such a great job (and I'm not one of them as you can see from Tuesday's blog), ask yourself if Ian Woosnam would've done a better job with the Americans. I think so too.

Regards,

Steve

Ground Control To Captain Tom - You Were Lousy Too

Hello. Tom Lehman seems to have come out the Ryder Cup thrashing his squad took relatively unscathed. Time and again we were reminded how much Lehman prepared for this big event. How he talked to John Wooden and Coach K, legendary basketball coaching icons, about championship teams. How the entire team flew to the K Club (does Coach K have shares? Just kidding) for 2 practice rounds and much needed team bonding. How he was hampered by having 4 rookies. How he was facing arguably the best European team ever on their turf. How he didn't have much to choose from for his captain's picks.
And then when talking to the media, he mentioned how he wasn't worried at any stage of the event. Even going into Sunday's singles matches, he mentioned how the PGA was held at Medinah in 1999 and 2006, and that since the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history was in 1999, there was a great chance it would happen again. When Mark Rolfing interviewed him after the event was over, he said how proud he was of the team, and Rolfing ended by saying what a great job he had done.
To quote the phrase we used as teenagers in the '70s, "Spare Me!".
Lehman equalled the record for biggest loss ever set 2 years ago by Hal Sutton's squad. He could've had the mark alone if Paul McGinley hadn't conceded a 20+ foot putt to JJ Henry. And he did it pretty much the same way, by creating two "super teams" that collected 2.5 points out of a possible 8 on Friday/Saturday.
His pairings were questionable from the get-go. Not playing Vaughn Taylor until Saturday afternoon. Only playing Scott Verplank Saturday morning. Not playing JJ Henry Friday or Saturday afternoon, when he was playing well. Sitting out Chris DiMarco instead of Phil Mickelson Saturday afternoon.
What I would've done is the following - taken the "top 6" of Tiger, Furyk, Mickelson, Toms, DiMarco and Campbell to the K Club right after the British Open. Told them to check their egos at the club entrance. Mentioned they were essential to victory, and focused on getting along.
Then picked Ben Curtis to replace Verplank. The guy won this year, and won the British Open. Obviously he could've done something, especially since Verplank wasn't utilized, possibly due to injury.
Then picked players for matches based on how they were playing at the last possible moment, instead of well in advance.
Captain Tom, you'll get to be captain again after Sutton is captain again, which is never.

Regards,
Steve

The Only Team Won

Hello. Well, what an emotional, exciting Ryder Cup this past weekend. It was arguably the greatest golf spectacle I've ever seen. However, thanks to the Euros, it wasn't the best competition ever.
What an amazing display of shotmaking the Euros put on. It was great to see so many great clutch shots, especially on Sunday. Even the Americans had a few. As mentioned on the telecast, it was like watching a highlight reel, only it was live.
By now of course the whole US media (and elsewhere) are crucifying the American team, save one (who I will talk about tomorrow). What went wrong? How could a crushing defeat happen twice in a row?
Usually the best way to get a true perspective is to talk to someone from the outside. For that, I discussed the Ryder Cup with Rod, who was born in England, when we were golfing on Saturday.
I mentioned my theories to Rod:

1. The Europeans travel with each other on both the European and PGA Tours, and know each other well
2. The Ryder Cup means more to the Europeans than the Americans.
3. The Americans don't play much match play in their careers, whereas the Europeans play it often growing up.

Rod acknowledged this, but then made a statement I believe upon reflection - the Americans have always been a group of individuals in any sport, but never a team. They've never needed to be a team until recently because they've always had superior talent. Now the rest of the world has caught up, so they can't win it on talent alone anymore. It's like an attractive woman losing her appearance, and having to rely on a personality that never had to be developed to attract men.

Actually, there is one American squad I've seen in my lifetime which I'd call a team - the 1980 US Olympic Team which won gold in Lake Placid. Maybe "Miracle" should've been watched by the Americans.

I agree with Johnny Miller 100% when he says American golf is in a crisis. His stats (only 5 Americans in the top 20, 23 times in 2004 and 2006 combined a Ryder Cup match has gone to the 18th hole, with the Americans winning only once) are irrefutable.

Time to look at your situation more closely, USA. It's going to be a longer drought otherwise.

Regards,

Steve

Ugly Americans Ready To Win?

Hello. Well, it seems whatever the Americans do at the Ryder Cup, they can't please the fans. Two years ago they didn't sign autographs for the fans, which was supposed to be a rule that also applied to the Euros. However, the Euros did sign, and got some fan support as a result.
This time the Americans decided to practice only their irons for 9 holes. As a result, they didn't tee off on any of the long holes, bypassing several fans who had been waiting to cheer. Tom lehman accepted full responsibility for this treatment.
The question I have Tom is what were you thinking? Although the weather was bad, aren't tee shots very important as well? Especially in match play, where a stray tee shot can lead your opponent make a safe par for the win? Not to mention the fan reaction, which promises to be negative from the first shot?
Will these things distract the Americans? Will they be put under more pressure to win, even though they're underdogs? Or will they take the "us against the world" stance, rally together, and win this thing?
As E.M.Swift said so well on si.com, the Americans seem to only intimidate each other now. I don't think the Euros will be impressed with this squad. If they can stay focused on their own games, the Euros should take it.
Let the action begin.

Regards,
Steve

A Little Privacy Please

Hello. A story came out in an Ireland publication today about Tiger Woods' wife Elin apparently being linked to porn, with a naked picture being "discovered".
Most people know Elin used to be a bikini model, however this picture was discovered 3 years ago to be someone else. In short it's not news.
Why then, was this story published? Was it to try to throw Tiger off his game? I hope it was the only reason something as inaccurate as this apparently is would be done. Even so, there's just no excuse for it.
When are the media going to realize celebrities have some privacy rights? I'm sure Tiger would've preferred a story like this with him as the subject as opposed to his wife. Even then it would be the lesser of two evils.
I'll admit I look through my wife's People magazine when it comes to the door. However, I'm really only interested in the current events. And while every cover seems to have to have a story about Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears or Jen Aniston, of those 5 I'm only interested in Ms. Jolie's charitable work. Why are people fascinated by these celebrities every time they walk out their door? I have no idea, but obviously there is a market that wants to know these things.
Where is the line that gets crossed? I'm not sure, but I think this latest story crossed it.
Based on Tiger's track record, he'll use it as motivation. Here's hoping he personally has the last laugh.

Regards,
Steve

TSN Trying To Be Too Much?

Hello. TSN (The Sports Network) is having what I call a "success" problem. They have so many good sports contracts they may have too much to show on TV.
Consider the packages they already have:

1. PGA 1st and 2nd round coverage all year round.
2. US Open tennis (all rounds)
3. CFL (multiple games)
4. NFL Sunday and Monday nights
5. Curling's Season of Champions weekday play
6. NHL package (at least 2 games/week + playoffs)
7. Blue Jays baseball

Add to this the fact they'll cover all the curling playoffs in 2008, plus the Olympics begining in 2008, and it will be one packed network. And they're trying to get Hockey Night in Canada.
We're already seeing signs of "too much for one channel" - the US Open tennis quarterfinal between Roger Federer and James Blake was tape delayed because of the first NFL game (Pittsburgh vs Miami). Historically WWE (now not shown on TSN) and NHL games have blocked live curling coverage. Also, will TSN take the Canadian rights in 2007 for the 1st and 2nd PGA Tour rounds, which The Golf Channel will do in the US?
TSN2, a proposed station which would solve some of the issues, is being opposed by Sportsnet and others.
Will viewers be able to see everything? Time will tell.

Regards,
Steve

Casey Strikes Them Out

Hello. Well, what can you say about Paul Casey's performance in the World Match Play Championship other than "wow!"? He literally wiped out a tough field, and made it look easy. He set a lot of records, including fewest holes needed to win.
What does this do for the upcoming Ryder Cup? Plenty. Needless to say, Casey is on a roll. And he's probably the only guy the Euros have who isn't afraid to go against Tiger Woods in a singles match. Of course, Captain Ian Woosnam may want to match Casey against a "weaker" opponent to ensure he gets a point. Only time will tell.
With Casey on a roll, and joining such Ryder Cup Euro greats as Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, the Euros have every reason to be favoured and feel good about themselves. They're playing in Ireland, which will be a thrill for both Clarke and Padraig Harrington. They've been victorious 4 of the last 5 times. They look unstoppable.
However, don't count out the Americans yet, especially if Scott Verplank can't play. Shaun Micheel would be a great addition now, as he made it to the World Match Play final, and finished 2nd to Tiger in the PGA. Add him to Woods, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson, the top 3 ranked players in the world, plus team clutch player Chris DiMarco and David Toms, and the Americans could make this much closer than what people think.
It should be an interesting week.

Regards,
Steve

A Great Meeting

Hello. Last Sunday arguably the two most dominate male individual professional athletes. Shortly after defeating a very game Andy Roddick in the US Open by winning 7 of the last 9 games, Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrated with Tiger Woods.
It was the first time the two masters had met each other. They share an agency, which set up the meeting.
What do these two talk about? Well, they're probably the only ones who know what the other goes through in an event. The great expectations (can we imagine what the story will be if either/both of them win the Grand Slam next year?), the possibility of disappointing (what will be the story if either/both don't win?), the feeling of invincibility, the tremendous hype.
What is the key to each of them winning? In a word, patience. I watched the US Open final when it was still up for grabs. Federer remained calm, whereas Roddick was running all over. Once Federer got a couple of points, it just started to snowball, because Roddick just couldn't relax. And who could blame him? In the US in the biggest match he's been in in quite a while. The adrenaline has to be pumping.
Federer and Woods (and Bjorn Borg, and Mario Lemieux, and other greats) just seem to be able to play great without having to get the adrenaline flowing. That seems to be the difference.
From now on, I'm going to try to be more patient. After seeing how the great ones benefit from it, it can only help me.

Regards,
Steve

Wie Are Back on the Horse; Kerr Shows How It's Done

Hello. Cristie Kerr should be commended for her gutsy win last week against Annika Sorenstam. She showed everyone what having the right mental attitude can do for a player against supposedly large odds. Kerr was 2 behind Annika with 9 holes left, but made 4 birdies to secure the victory. Players on both the LPGA and PGA could learn from this.
The main quality you need to pull off a win like Kerr's? Patience. If you hit a bad shot, just tell yourself the next one will make up for it. And if you make a birdie, tell yourself you just have to make another one, and you can do it without being 300 yards from the tee or 2 feet from the hole.
On the other side of the galaxy is Michelle Wie, who is playing the 84 Lumber Classic the week after being at the bottom of the scores in her European Tour debut. Will Michelle fair better this time? I think so.
The main quality you need to get out of the "slump" Wie is in? Patience. Just play one hole at a time, with par as your goal. 36 pars, and you could make the cut this week. If you have a bogey or worse, tell yourself you still have holes to make a birdie or two to offset it.
Patience is the key in good times and bad to play better golf.

Regards,
Steve

5 Years Ago (Part 2)

Hello. September 12, 2001 was also a memorable day for me. A high school buddy of mine, Tom Jokic, is the producer of the CHUM-FM morning show with Roger, Rick and Marilyn. They had a great show that day. Instead of their usual format, it was just the 5 of them (Larry McInnis, the main writer, was in his usual spot, throwing in comments) talking about how they felt, and what the future would hold. It was a very memorable experience for me, because earlier that year my wife and I had been on the show, so we got to know all 5 people very well.
What they succeeded in doing in my half hour commute was release all the anger, shock and fear I'd been experiencing. It was by far the best show I ever heard them do. Thank you CHUM-FM.
Last night President Bush said the US was maintaining status quo. They were going to continue fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as any other country with terrorists in it. Is it the right thing to do? People who follow these things more closely than I do will have a better opinion than I do.
What I did like was the Larry King Live show following the presidential address, showing some of the victims and those that grieve for them. The Hillary Clinton and Rudy Gulianni interviews were very good as well. Senator Clinton nailed it when she said the one thing she misses from that experience was the feeling of unity. Everyone had a common purpose. Now it's business as usual, which is good in many ways, but regrettable in that one sense.
From now on, I'm going to give my loved ones hugs whenever I can, and tell them I love them as often as possible. It's the one way to ensure when even a relatively small 9/11, like a heart attack or car accident occurs, I won't have any regrets.

Regards,
Steve

5 Years Ago

Hello. All of us are reflecting on the events of 5 years ago. It ranks up there with JFK's assasination and Pearl Harbor among the "where were you when it happened?" events.
I was working at the HP office in Spectrum Way, Mississauga, Ontario. A co-worker and I had made going to the Tim Horton's at the end of the block a weekday tradition. Just as we were leaving (around 9am Eastern), we overheard someone say that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. I shrugged it off as someone in a private jet had lost control, and went for my daily pilgrimage.
When I got back, I heard the full story about how both towers had now been hit by 767s. I knew a trained pilot would've ditched a troubled plane in the Atlantic if he could. The fact two planes had hit the towers meant only one thing - terrorism.
I avoided watching the coverage on the big screen in the largest meeting room. Instead I tried to work as best as I could. I talked to my wife about it via phone, picked up my daughter, and went to a cystic fibrosis meeting.
When I finally got home, I watched Larry King Live to see all the details. It wasn't until then that I comprehended as best as I could at the time what had happened in NYC, Washington and Pennsylvania. In some ways I've never comprehended it.
What we should all realize from this is one powerful person had a plan and the resources to carry it out. As a result he turned the most powerful thing he could against his foes - their own imaginations.
Will life ever be the same as it was 5 years and a day ago? No it won't as life keeps changing with each event, both good ones and bad ones. Life in the '70s was different for me than life in the '60s. The '80s, '90s and this decade have all been different from each other. Watergate, Vietnam, both World Wars and several other events have changed history in profound ways.
Will there be a time when terrorism won't be a perceived threat? Probably not. But then again, there are other things such as child abduction that can be just as scary. The awareness that these things are a possibility (there wasn't any when I was walking to school by myself as a 5 year old in the '60s) will hopefully minimize future occurrences.
Please take the time to remember 9/11 for a few minutes today. And do all you can in your part of the world to make it a better place.

Regards,
Steve

Wie Are Struggling

Hello. In one of my previous blogs, I thought Michelle Wie and the European Men's Tour were made for each other. The caliber of the European Tour is a notch below the PGA Tour, which would help Wie develop. The media spotlight would not shine as bright, except in Asian countries, where Nike and other Wie sponsors would get maximum bang for the buck. Wie could get appearance fees. And the European Men's Tour would have a top draw for their events, which would help their crowds and purses. It seemed a match made in heaven.
Then in one fell swoop, namely today's round, the whole thing seems to be over before it started. Wie shot 78, and finds herself ahead of only a few of the participants. It isn't a question now of making the cut, but rather an issue of trying to avoid last place.
It's great that Michelle Wie has lofty goals, as she told the press this week about her Ryder Cup desires. However, as mentioned by Bob Valvano on the Grey Goose 19th hole on The Golf Channel, there comes a time when easier short term goals have to be achieved before going towards the lifetime goals.
Right now it appears based on her men's tour appearances that Wie is going backwards. While she did make a men's cut in Korea, she hasn't come close in 3 other men's starts this year. Since she did come close to making PGA cuts the previous two years, this seems like a step back.
Yet Wie has done very well on the LPGA stops this year. Top 5 results in each LPGA major. 2nd in the Evian Masters. A great year in so few events.
Should Michelle give men's tours a rest until after an LPGA victory? The answer is no because of the financial implications.
Where should Michelle play next year? Should she try the PGA Q-school? Or European Men's Tour? Or LPGA only? Time will tell. All I know is my plan doesn't seem as good anymore.

Regards,
Steve

5 In A Row, And More To Go?

Hello. Put yourself 3 back of Vijay Singh, former #1 player in the world, with 18 holes to go. You're feeling tired. He won this tournament in 2004. You've never won it. He shot 61 on Sunday. He'll probably shoot no worse than 68 today. What do you do?
If you're Tiger Woods, you shoot a 63 to beat Vijay's 68, and win by 2 shots.
Who else besides Annika Sorenstam (who shot 62 to win the Safeway Classic) can do this? Right now it doesn't look like anyone. And now Tiger has 7 wins in 14 starts, a phenomenal record, with the Tour Championship and American Express Championship (and maybe Disney) left to play. Anyone want to bet against Tiger ending up with 8, 9 or even 10 wins? I wouldn't.
As impressive as Tiger's physical skills are (and I feel he's the best pure athlete to golf professionally), they pale beside his mental skills. This man simply thinks differently and better than his competition. It's a treat to watch, and a great opportunity to learn. Enjoy!

Regards,
Steve

P.S. As you've maybe read here, there is a PGA Tour event this week which I can no longer bear to watch. It has become the Toronto Maple Leafs of Tour events (big crowd, bad group of performers). Since I want to watch something better in future years, I'm boycotting the event. If you feel the same as me, please do the same. It's the only way to get a better field. Thanks.

A Couple of Northern Gems

Hello. FYI my wife and I went on a golf trip with Don and Val. We played two courses in the Port Carling - MacTier, Ontario area - Rocky Crest and Lake Joseph. What a treat it was.
Rocky Crest was the first one we played. Everyone we knew who had played it raved about it. Now I can see why. It's amazing what golf course architects can do with a piece of land. While all of us think we can do it, once you see the finished product of a course like Rocky Crest it's tough to imagine pulling off a similar result. It's challenging and beautiful, a great combination. The fairways were just aerated, but the effect was minimal. The greens were fast and firm. It took a while to get used to, but it was a very nice challenge.
The 18th hole and the clubhouse are a great way to finish the round. Both look like they were made for each other, and had been there for centuries. A great finish to a great day.
We stayed at the Delta Sherwood Inn on the banks of Lake Joseph. A very nice inn with great food. Val and Don were excellent company. The night passed very quickly.
I thought the next day on Lake Joseph would be anticlimatic. I was wrong. From the boatride across Lake Joseph to the club, to the start of the round, and right through, Lake Joseph Golf Club was very impressive. The elevations were steeper than Rocky Crest, which presented a new set of challenges. It was in fine shape, and free of bugs. The weather was even better than the previous day. It was a great treat.
If you ever get the chance to play either or both of these courses, please grab it. Both are ranked in ScoreGolf's Top 100 (Rocky Crest #19, Lake Joseph #86), and have earned their way there. Take your game on the road for a taste of these northern gems.

Regards,
Steve