The End Of The Golf Amateur

Hello. Congrats to Colt Knost (great handle!) for winning the US Amateur Sunday.
Knost now has to make a tough decision - stay amateur and wait to play in the Masters and US Open, or turn pro right away, forfeit your Masters and US Open spots and make some cash in the "Quest for the Card" events on the PGA Tour.
On the surface it looks like a no-brainer. Who would throw away Masters and US Open berths? The odds of Knost getting into these events in 2008 as a pro are very slim.
However, the other side of the coin is Knost has to wait until next Father's Day to turn pro if he keeps his amateur status. Like all of us, he has bills to pay. Unlike many of us, his golf bills are very high, and the amount of money he's leaving on the table is even higher.
In an ideal world, Knost shouldn't have this decision. All golfers (and I include juniors playing in gross only events) should be pros. Curlers are considered amateurs even though they earn money because most teams don't earn enough to cover expenses. That's true of every golfer not exempt on the PGA and European Tours as well.
How would this work? More in my next post.

Regards,
Steve

Will Els Get Roasted Like Tiger?

Hello. Ernie Els withdrew from this week's Deutsche Bank tournament. He cited being at home in London, England to see his children go to school.
Will Ernie be roasted like Tiger was last week for missing the Barclay's? I hope not. To expect a father to not want to be with his kids for their last days of summer vacation and first day of a new school year is ridiculous. If someone does find fault with this, I'd say that individual doesn't have children or is in a rocky family situation.
What Els withdrawing does bring to light is how tough it is for someone based on another continent to play on the PGA Tour. And if you think Els is the only one, don't kid yourself. Many foreign players, especially on the European Tour, are not based in the US. They have to make all kinds of travel arrangements to go at least a month without being home to compete in the Fedex Cup. One more reason why the Fedex Cup will probably not get rave reviews when it's finished. Couple this with the President's Cup being played in Canada, and already spending 2 months away from home, and you can see why Ernie is not playing this week. If you were a multimillionaire (or anyone for that matter), would you want to be away from your home for 3 straight months? Me neither.
Way to go Ernie!

Regards,
Steve

Ochoa Still Going Strong

Hello. Congrats to Lorena Ochoa for winning the Safeway event. This now makes 3 tournaments in a row.
Can Ochoa be stopped at this point? Consider her two main rivals from last year, Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb, have not been able to mount a charge. Morgan Pressel, Suzann Petterson and Cristie Kerr, the other major winners of the season, also haven't shown their winning form lately.
I think Ochoa is capable of dominating from now on. In fact, she reminds me of Tom Watson. Watson had to slay some dragons (not winning a tournament, then not winning a major) to get his Hall of Fame career going. And once he did, he was unbeatable for 5 years.
Because Lorena got to #1 last year without ever having won a major or a playoff, there was a lot of motivation for her this year to erase both marks. Now that she has, the sky's the limit. She seems so level-headed and well-grounded that fame may not be able to affect her negatively.
The question is, will Lorena become as recognizable and marketable as Annika? In the short term, no. But hopefully by this time next year Lorena will get the attention she deserves.

Regards,
Steve

Stricker Completes Comeback

Hello. Congrats to Steve Stricker for winning the Barclay's tournament, the first stage of the Fedex Cup. Stricker is now first in the Fedex Cup points race heading into this week's Deutsche Bank tournament in Boston.
For Stricker, this completes a tremendous comeback. Over 10 years ago, he was one of the most dominant players in golf. He killed the field in the Western Open. He finished runner up to Vijay Singh in a PGA. He seemed to be knocking on the greatness door.
Then he suddenly couldn't hit the ball anymore. Even his great putting couldn't keep him from losing his PGA status. Only sponsors exemptions kept him on the radar.
Now Stricker is looking like one of the best American players on their President's Cup team. That team may now be a factor against the Internationals, something I didn't think possible a month ago.
And what of this Fedex Cup? Did this tournament meet expectations? I'm not sure. It may be exciting, as the Tour Championship was when it first came out with a bloated purse. I personally think these first 3 playoff tournaments could've been nixed, but time will tell.

Regards,
Steve

Get It In Writing

Hello. Much has been made about Tiger Woods skipping the Barclay's event, the first leg of the Fedex Cup which starts today. It's similar to the stink made at the Canadian Open when Davis Love III didn't show after being paid millions to redesign Angus Glen North, the host course.
In both cases, the sponsors probably assumed Love and Woods would attend. After all, the Fedex Cup is a 4 event playoff, and the Canadian Open's motivation in hiring Love was to create a course top players, including Love, would want to play. However, it didn't work out that way.
Did Love and Woods have a right to not show up? Absolutely. They were under no contractual obligation. And that's my point. If you want these guys to appear, it has to be built into any contract you sign with them or the PGA Tour.
Will this work against the "independent contractor" argument the PGA Tour uses when a top player doesn't show? No question. Woods is already tied to several tournaments that benefit his foundation.
In summary, the PGA Tour sponsors should not show any loyalty to individual players. Those players do not show loyalty to the sponsors. It's not right or wrong, just the way it is.

Regards,
Steve

Snedeker A Breath Of Fresh Air At Wyndham

Hello. Congrat to Brandt Snedeker for winning the Wyndham Championship Sunday. It's his first career win and pretty much secures Rookie of the Year honours.
Many people will say the Wyndham was a low calibre event. They're right. Only one player out of the top 50. Pathetic!
Where then are the top players who haven't won this year? Why not go to Wyndham and "cruise" to victory? Why not be "the man" who's sought out for press conferences, or lavished on for making the tournament a priority? I've never understood this.
Snedeker does something which I think will make him a future star - he plays fast. While it is possible to play too fast, it's much easier to play too slow, which I see most players at all levels do. Snedeker plays at John Daly speed, and it's no coincidence both players have had success.
Why don't more players play quickly? Two words - Jack Nicklaus. I think as people forget how slow he was, the PGA Tour may speed up. However, unless a study is done confirming my fast play belief, or Snedeker skyrockets to the top of the money list, the change will be more gradual.
Congrats Brandt!

Regards,
Steve

I'm Totally Shocked!

Hello. What a shocker! Tiger Woods announced he wasn't coming to the Barclay's this week, siting fatigue. Who would've thought this was going to happen? I would say everyone except those who organized the Fedex Cup, that's who.
There is no way Tiger was going to play 4 weeks in a row, especially after the majors are over for the year. That's all Tiger plays for. I'm guessing last year he maybe only played 4 events after the PGA, and they were spread out over 2.5 months.
Do any top players play 4 events in a row anymore? Only the ones who are trying to keep their cards play that often. To expect them to do it for $10 million of deferred money is strange. Most don't care about that type of money, as hard as that is for us normal stiffs to believe.
What I would do for next year (if Fedex doesn't pull the plug), is have the top players get a bye to the Tour Championship, with some cash incentive tied to it. That would get players much more interested in doing well during the year.
I haven't been following the Fedex Cup points race this year. I don't think I'm alone. I'm pessimistic about its success. Time will tell.

Regards,
Steve

Ochoa and CN Win

Hello. Congrats to Lorena Ochoa for winning the CN Canadian Women's Open. Ochoa had a 4 shot lead heading into Sunday, and managed to hold off Paula Creamer.
What more can you say about Ochoa now? She has silenced all critics now. She's won a major. She's won 5 times this year. She also got her first playoff win. And she held the lead yesterday, something which used to be a problem.
There is no disputing women's golf is in a winning mode now. It's happening without Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie, who are both battling to get back to where they were. Before a tournament had to have one of these players in contention. Now that's not the case (and since it isn't, could we give Wie the attention any other player with her yearly earnings has, which is minimal?).
Part of the momentum the LPGA has even though Sorenstam and Wie are not challenging has to do with the event sponsors. CN has really turned around the Canadian Women's Open to the point where it could be a future major. They must be very excited that Ochoa won this year, and Cristie Kerr won in 2006. Needless to say, a high profile defending champion is great for marketing.
Congrats to Lorena and CN for a fine week!

Regards,
Steve

A Tale of Two Opens

Hello. Today the CN Canadian Women's Open begins in Edmonton. 45 of the top 50 players are there. What a turnout!
It's ahrd to believe that two years ago this event was all but dead. CN came in, tripled the purse, and the rest is history. Now there's talk of it regaining its major status, something it hasn't had this millenium.
With things going so well for the ladies event, is it possible the same thing could happen for the men's Canadian Open? In a word, no.
Why not? First, the women play for much less money. $2.25 million in purse money for the women is affordable. That money would have to all go to the men's winner to get some serious attention from the PGA players.
Second, the only reason anyone is panicking at the RCGA about the Canadian Open is the TV contract, which requires them to pay CBS $2 million dollars more than previous years. Gate receipts, TV viewership, etc are fairly high. Raising the purse would only add expense, which would mean even more money for a sponsor to pay.
It's definitely going to take more than what CN did to fix the Canadian Open.

Regards,
Steve

Weir Going To See A Token Canadian II

Hello. Does Mike Weir belong on the President's Cup team? Let's ask this in other ways:

1. If Stephen Ames would've had Mike Weir's record the past 2 years, and Weir would've had Stephen Ames' record, would Ames have gotten on?
2. If this event was not in Canada, would Weir have gotten on?

My answer is no to both. However, you can say Weir will get the crowd involved, and he has previous President's Cup experience, with an 8-6 record. Hopefully that will translate into some points.

Let's just say that in no way was Mike Weir a captain's pick. Gary Player had a lot of pressure to pick Weir from sponsors, media and fans. In hindsight, there's no way Player was going to NOT pick Weir. In fact, the only ones who didn't seem to know this were Weir himself and Stephen Ames.

It's been my experience that captain's picks do very well in these events. It's the ones who automatically qualify who seem to struggle. That's good news for Mike Weir.

Regards,

Steve

Weir Going To See A Token Canadian

Hello. The captain's picks are in for the President's Cup. Jack Nicklaus picked Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan. Gary Player picked Nick O'Hern and Mike Weir.
Congrats to Nicklaus for two outstanding picks. He resisted the urge to pick Chris DiMarco, who has a great record but is not playing well, and chose two young players who are coming into their own. These were very enlightened selections, and make the US team a force to be reckoned with.
The same cannot be said for Player's picks. He's chosen one player (O'Hern) whose career highlights are beating Tiger Woods in match play twice. The other (Weir) was chosen because of where the event is being played, and who he was.
Before I go any further, please note the President's Cup is being played in Montreal next month for two reasons:

1. It's close to the US, so the PGA players don't have to travel far
2. In 2003, when the site was chosen, Mike Weir was on the top of his game

Mike Weir has done a lot for Canadian golf. But should he be on this team? More tomorrow.

Regards,

Steve

"Coach" Woods Wins At PGA

Hello. Congrats to Tiger Woods for winning the PGA. It's now the 8th year Tiger has won 5+ times. He's a lock for his 9th Player of the Year award. It was his 13th major. He's 13-0 when leading after 3 rounds. He's 8-0 when leading after 2 rounds. And so on.....
I was a bit upset at Jim Nantz on Friday, the only day I watched, when he said Tiger had taken control of the tournament. At the time, Tiger was at -3, one shot behind Scott Verplank. However, Nantz was proven to be right, although a bit premature.
Rich Lerner said something of interest in his wrap-up: he feels Tiger is the best coach ever. Lerner bases that on Tiger's ability to map a strategy and then execute.
Two points - Jack Nicklaus was pretty good at doing the same thing. Jack made using driver sparingly an artform. He was also the first to use yardage books.
Second, Tiger only has to coach himself, which is far easier than motivating a team of individuals with different goals and desires.
Tiger is now a master strategist. His attention to detail and willingness to improve are now at a high level. However, I still think he has to work on not being so aggressive at times. I think he'll have a good career as a player, but not as a coach.

Regards,
Steve

Weir Not Going To Make It?

Hello. Mike Weir is in trouble. He's out of the top 10 in the President's Cup standings. He's injured. And he needs a win at the PGA to get on the squad on points. What seemed like a lock for Canada's golf prince when Royal Montreal was announced as the President's Cup site now seems like a longshot. There are simply too many good players, including Stephen Ames, for anyone to justify having Weir on the team.
If anyone thinks my last statement was cruel, ask yourself if Weir would be on the squad if he weren't Canadian. Thought so. There's simply no way to logically have him on the squad.
So, what to do? Here's a thought - make Weir an alternate captain. Say his neck injury is too advanced to risk permanent damage. Let him handle all media conferences except for the occasional word from Gary Player. Emphasize how Weir's spirit and knowledge contributed to the overwhelming victory the Internationals achieved. In short, make Weir a hero.
Will it work? Will Canadians be cheering hard if Weir is not playing? I think so. They'll still see 24 of the best golfers in the world, something that hasn't happened in Canada in quite a while.
Whatever happens, Mike Weir should be part of the President's Cup. Right now, he shouldn't be playing in it.

Regards,
Steve

My PGA Pick

Hello. Tomorrow the PGA begins. And while the Fedex Cup buildup is reaching off the scales on the hype meter (not really), the PGA is the last winner anyone will remember in years to come, unless you remember Jeff Maggert won the first WGC Match Play title.
So, who looks good to win here? Let's see, there's this Tiger Woods fellow. I think he went to Stanford. Plus he just won a relatively big event. Some may think he'll not fare well at Southern Hills, because it's not his type of golf course. However, if he does what he did at Medinah (use a 5 wood off the tee) or Royal Liverpool (use a 2 iron) he should roll here.
Why doesn't Tiger win every tournament he enters? I think it's fair to ask that question, even though it would've been crazy to ask it 15 years ago of any other golfer. I feel he should control his swing more, especially in the first 2 rounds. Tiger never has to take a huge swing to get results. He can reach almost all par 5s in two. Just take an easy swing, and let it go from there.
So who will win? I'm liking Tiger. He's defending, he's majorless, and he's all about ending streaks like not being able to win at such-and-such. If he's within the lead after Friday, I think he's a lock.

Regards,
Steve

No More Doubts About Ochoa Being #1

Hello. My apologies for not writing yesterday. It was a holiday in Ontario.
Congrats to Lorena Ochoa for winning her first major, the Women's British Open, at St. Andrews. Her wire-to-wire victory slammed the LPGA naysayers for the second week in a row (Natalie Gulbis did the same at the Evian Masters with her first win). She is now the clear #1 ladies player in the world. And while it's too early to say "Annika who?", Ochoa looks to be the overwhelming favourite in every event she enters from now on.
How did this happen? Well, as you've probably noticed, I like Ochoa's personality. She is a champion in every sense, and has been for a long time. She just had to learn how to win at different levels, the final level being Sunday.
For me the moment she became a champion in my books was 2 years ago at the Women's US Open. She had a great round going, and could've won the event with even a bogey at the last hole. She then hit a very poor tee shot into a pond, and made an "other". It was a disaster that would've been remembered for much longer if Jean Van De Velde hadn't raised the bar so high.
What did she do? Get interviewed, answer every question with class and dignity. No whining, no complaining, nothing.
Congrats Lorena!

Regards,
Steve

Women Tackle St. Andrews

Hello. Today is the first day of the Women's British Open at St. Andrews. This will mark the first time the women have held their championship at the birthplace of golf. Needless to say, they're really pumped. I'm sure most of them consider it a victory just to be playing on the course, and getting into the clubhouse.
And then there's Lorena Ochoa. As I write this, she is finished for the day at -6, 3 ahead of her nearest competitor. Ochoa has the ideal game for St. Andrews. She's long and good around the greens. And of course she's motivated to win her first major, lock up Player of the Year, and remain the #1 player in the world. What better stage to do it on?
Annika is motivated as well, as it may be her only chance to win at St. Andrews. And who can count her out? Right now she's even after 10 holes. While she may be as big a longshot as she's ever been, it's still very possible, certainly more possible than other unproven players in the field.
Will this be a tournament to remember? Let's hope so.

Regards,
Steve

Piper's Heath Review

Hello. Just played Piper's Heath today for the first time. While it is relatively flat, my best man and I decided to ride. Needless to say, it was the right decision on such a hot day.
When judging my enjoyment of a round, two things are at the top of my list. Course condition was very good considering it's a new course and it's been so dry. They've really been putting the water to the course, and it shows.
Unfortunately slow play was evident. It took us 5 hours to play teeing off at 8:10am. Unacceptable. Some people may say Piper's Heath has to be nice to everyone since they're in honeymoon mode. And the staff is very customer service conscious. However, long term it would be better if Piper's Heath (and other courses) established a firm slow play policy. As a golf marshall, I try to have a presence out there, and inform people when they're starting to slip. Everyone, including at least one person in the offending group, appreciates this.
How will Piper's Heath fare? I think they're on the right track. They have some good deals, and seem motivated. The course has some challenge, yet is not unfair. And it's the kind of course you think you can conquer next time.
All the best Piper's Heath!

Regards,
Steve