President's Cup Vs Ryder Cup? Watch Both! II

Hello. Well, after today's results, the Ryder folks have all the ammo they'll ever need to say it's way better than the President's Cup. What a thrashing! 5 1/2-1/2 for the US. How can they lose now? The rest of the event should be anti-climatic. And all this effort to get Mike Weir on the team for crowd support has probably been for naught. Bring on a Woods-Weir Sunday match now, because the event may be decided on Saturday.
One thing we'll never see if a Europe vs International match. Love them or hate them, the US in general and Tiger in particular have to be in it or else no one will tune in. Can you imagine what the ratings would be if Europe was ahead of the Internationals by this current margin? Can you say NHL playoff hockey in the US?
One thing the Internationals may consider doing after this is getting a new captain. Gary Player's interview today made him look like he was having trouble seeing through his rose-coloured glasses. He appears to be out of touch with reality. I can't see him giving the kind of speech the troups need to get back on even terms.
In spite of today's result, I'll still tune in, because I love both events.

Regards,
Steve

President's Cup Vs Ryder Cup? Watch Both!

Hello. I see some arguments (the most famous maybe being between Gary Van Sickle (Ryder)and Alan Shipnuck (President's) on golf.com) about which team format is better. Some say Ryder (US vs Europe), some say President's (US vs Rest of the World) and some say it should be a rotational thing, where the winner of this week's event plays against the Euros in 2008.
Well, I can honestly say I enjoy both the Ryder Cup and President's Cup equally. I think we as golf fans are lucky to be able to have both. After all, the top players could balk at playing them, which could kill either or both events. They're not getting paid, so it would be easy for them to say "no thanks". Certainly some Canadian hockey players have done that in the past.
Let's look at what happened at the most recent events. Chris DiMarco sealed the 2005 President's Cup victory on the 18th hole for the US in one of the tightest well-played events in history. All the matches were great.
Then last year, the 2006 Ryder Cup definitely delivered on emotion. I'm crying my eyes out thinking about Darren Clarke's performance and the crowd reaction afterwards.
So which is better? Both are great! More tomorrow.

Regards,
Steve

Is This A President's Cup Make Or Break Year?

Hello. The President's Cup will be contested in two days. The question is, will it generate Ryder Cup type interest? And, if it doesn't, will it be the beginning of the end for the event?
Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are once again leading the troups. Do they have to always be captains for this event to thrive? The Ryder Cup captains are changed almost always before each event. There's usually a lot of speculation, then second-guessing about the choices. Are Nicklaus and Player the only ones interested in the President's Cup?
Next, the event is being held in Canada for two reasons - Mike Weir and its proximity to the US. The latter was done to see if Yanks would come north. With the dollar being the way it is, and football in full stride, will the turnout be as good as hoped?
Finally there's already talk of a Tiger vs Weir singles match. My question is why? Wasn't Nick O'Hern picked because he's 2-0 in match play? And could Weir be guaranteed to beat anyone in match play? If this pairing does happen, I'd bet my mortgage (which is at $0) on Woods.
Hopefully the President's Cup can become the scale of event the Ryder Cup is. This year's event will go a long way to deciding it.

Regards,
Steve

Flesch Hangs On

Hello. Congrats to Steve (love your first name) Flesch for winning the PGA stop yesterday. In spite of an indifferent final round, Flesch cashs in with his second victory of the year.
There was some talk yesterday about including Flesch into the Masters field because he has two wins. While a win is a win, and more guys like Mike Weir should be doing everything in their power to win, I don't think Flesch belongs. His victories have occurred when the top players have been out of the field. He is not high enough on the money list (in spite of two wins) to crack that barrier. That may indicate how he's played the rest of the year.
In a way Flesch reminds me of Ben Curtis, who won twice last year, yet wasn't even on the Ryder Cup radar. Needless to say, it's tough to defend Curtis or Flesch as upper echelon players.
Is this unfair? Maybe. But let's just say consistency should be rewarded. If Flesch continues to play this year, and make money, and increase in the World Rankings, then he should be able to earn his way to Augusta.

Regards,
Steve

Drug Testing Policy Overdue

Hello. When I was a junior, many others were cheating with their handicaps. They'd say they were a 20 handicap, when really they were a 10. Then they'd go shoot 80, and instead of having a 70 net score, they'd have a 60 net score, and win a great prize.
So is it safe to say, in a sport that is mostly self-policing (which is a good thing) and with millions of dollars at stake, that a golfer would at least consider cheating, especially when there is no policy or rules in place? I think so. And how long does it take for someone in some state of desperation to decide to try anything, legal or not, to maintain a current level or reach a higher level?
This example always puts things in perspective for me. Suppose someone told you that all it took to be a dominant baseball pitcher was cutting your middle finger off. Would you do it? I wouldn't, but many would when the pot of gold (money, fame, etc) is at the end of the rainbow. Would those people also consider steriods, betablockers, and so on to get an edge?
I'm glad Gary Player spoke up about knowing someone, because now a policy can indeed confirm or deny these statements.

Regards,
Steve

Should The Solheim Be On This Week? II

Hello. For years, the LPGA's scheduling has surprised me (for lack of using an impolite term). They used to have the Kraft Nabisco, their first major of the year, head-to-head with the Players Championship, the first PGA Tour event anyone really cared about. They also used to have their Skins Game opposite an LPGA event, meaning 4 top players were missing from the field.
Now they scheduled the Solheim Cup opposite the Tour Championship, the last Fedex Cup event. Why? It doesn't make sense to me. If it was starting this Friday, many more golf fans would be tuning in, and they wouldn't have the conflict they had last Saturday.
What does it take to align the LPGA events so they don't conflict with significant PGA tournaments? Whatever it takes, it should be worth it. Many fans are not going to care about this Fall series starting tomorrow. The added exposure goes a long way to getting the LPGA where it belongs.
Finally, let's cut Dottie Pepper some slack. She made a comment when she thought the mike was off. There was no profanity. And it was possibly a true remark.

Regards,
Steve

Should The Solheim Be On This Week?

Hello. Congrats to the US team for winning the Solheim Cup. The US managed to overcome being one down after Saturday's play. They won most of their Sunday individual matches on the way to the victory.
It was very adverse weather to be sure. High winds, rain and cold make for tough times. In spite of this the women played very well in the parts that I saw.
My question is, why was this event on last week, head-to-head with the Tour Championship? It forced The Golf Channel into a conflict Saturday, when they were originally going to televise the Tour Championship at 12:30pm Eastern. That time was moved back to 1pm because of a weather delay in Sweden. The telecast did switch at 1pm, however that was after the announcers had told us the ladies would be done at 1:15pm Eastern.
Why didn't The Golf Channel stay with the ladies until 1:15pm? It was before Phil Mickelson or any of the leaders were teeing off. We would've seen and known where the matches stood prior to the 2am Sunday start time.
Then again, why was the Solheim Cup played last week? More tomorrow.

Regards,
Steve

Fedex Final Thoughts

Hello. Congrats to Tiger Woods for winning the Tour Championship and the Fedex Cup. If I started listing all the milestones and records Woods set with this win, my fingers would be bleeding. The best word to summarize is WOW!
The Fedex Cup is easier to summarize. It was good for the end of "real" season. There was some drama. But the bottom line is, 4 weeks is too long. Very few guys play that many tournaments in a row, especially the top players.Tiger said it best in his post-round interview - too many players made the playoffs. In other words, start with 120, then go to 70, then 30 if you have to.
What would I do? Get rid of the Barclays if you have to as a playoff tournament. Keep it as counting the same number of Fedex points as the playoffs count. That way, guys who are on the fence can decide whether they will play it or not.Will the field be good? I think so. Someone like Phil Mickelson may play it to try to get closer to Tiger. And many more guys around the 30 mark would play in it.I'll be interested to see what it looks like next year. Here's hoping the sponsors want to stay.

Regards,
Steve

Is The Solheim Cup Missing Something?

Hello. While the Fedex Cup winds down, another cup is being contested for in Sweden. The Solheim Cup is the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup, US vs Europe.
The event has become very prestigious. However, something seems to be missing (besides a favourable date where it's not up against the men).
There is unfortunately no women's equivalent of the President's Cup. As a result, there's no Lorena Ochoa, Karrie Webb, or South Koreans (or Canadians for that matter). These players have been front and centre on the LPGA in the last couple of years, yet they do not have an event which unifies them against the US like the Solheim Cup.
Should there be another event for the women? Hard to say. There have been many vocal people who don't like the Asian dominance on the LPGA. They feel there needs to be Americans on top for the fans to come out. If that thinking is for the majority of potential women's golf fans, then a female President's Cup may not be well-attended in the US.
Should the Solheim Cup change to be US vs the World? I don't think so, because of the tradition already established.
Good luck to both teams!

Regards,
Steve

Is This Progress?

Hello. Tomorrow the Fedex Cup finale, the Tour Championship, begins.
Is there more buzz than previous years? Absolutely. And much of it is for good reasons. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker all have a realistic chance to win the Fedex Cup. Rory Sabbatini and KJ Choi have an outside chance. Those are big names, and a marketer's dream. Woods and Stricker will play together for the 3rd time in 5 rounds.
But not everything is rosy. People have been critical of Woods, Mickelson and Ernie Els for missing playoff events. East Lake is in brutal condition. And only 5 players can win the Cup, as opposed to 30 in previous years who could win the Tour Championship.
The question everyone has on their minds is, will TV follow Phil and Tiger no matter what, even if they aren't contending this week? The answer is absolutely, because TV always follows Tiger and Phil no matter what they're shooting.
Will we care who wins the Tour Championship this week? Or will we care only about who wins the Fedex Cup, at the exclusion of the winner? And will the deferred money prize generate any interest? This weekend will hopefully answer those questions.

Regards,
Steve

East Lake An Issue

Hello. As if the Fedex Cup hadn't had its share of controversy. Last Saturday the word came that East Lake, which will host the Tour Championship, has next to no grass on its greens. The announcement went on to say the players would not be able to hit full shots into greens during their practice rounds. That has since changed to only having 3 greens out of play for the practice round.
Ernie Els said it best by calling the situation "unacceptable". Where everyone was when the grass was dying?
How could anyone not have a contingency plan in place for this event? I'm sure if Angus Glen North had not been ready for the Canadian Open, Angus Glen South, King Valley or even Glen Abbey would've been pushed into service.
There's no other Atlanta golf course that could handle an event for 30 players? I find it very hard to believe. While I can't think of one offhand, I did play on some nice Atlanta golf courses. Maybe Coca-Cola should buy or build its own course for future events.
Hopefully this situation will improve, and steps will be taken to see it never happens again.

Regards,
Steve

Tiger Set To Win It All

Hello. Congrats to Tiger Woods for winning the BMW Championship at Cog Hill Sunday. Tiger shot 63 to edge Aaron Baddeley, who shot 66, and Steve Stricker, who bogeyed 3 of the last 7 to shoot 68.
How would you like to be Baddeley and Stricker? In Baddeley's case, he shares the lead after 54 holes, shoots -5 for the round, and gets passed! I'm sure he wouldn't tee up if someone would've told him he'd shoot 66.
As for Stricker, this is the third time this year he's been in the running in a big event (the US Open and British Open being the others) before collapsing. He's going to have to learn how to solve Sunday disappointments if he's going to win the Fedex Cup.
Stricker, Woods and Phil Mickelson are now in the race for the top Fedex Cup spot. KJ Choi and Rory Sabbatini are still alive, but need lots of help.
My question is, with the season Tiger's having (6 wins, 2 runnerups in the Masters and US Open), why is there a race? Surely he must've wrapped it up by now.
As for what to expect this week, I'll address it tomorrow.

Regards,
Steve

Will The Fedex Cup Survive?

Hello. There has been lots of media attention on the Fedex Cup lately. Not all of it has been good. For those who think it's great, there are at least as many who think it has to be changed or eliminated. If I were a betting man, I'd favour the odds on changes, followed by elimination, then staying the same.
Obviously the 4 weeks in a row are causing the most noise. It's hard for me to comprehend this decision was made without player input. Someone was asleep at the wheel, or the money potential outweighed the perceived physical toll. If someone would've done a study they'd find the top players do not play 4 weeks in a row, especially after the PGA two weeks before.
Another problem is the points themselves. Tiger should've won this thing before the playoffs started. For someone to be able to overtake him after 5 wins and 2 seconds in majors is ridiculous.
Finally, the scheduling, and therefore the TV ratings. To be on during the college and NFL seasons debuts and US Open tennis (which I watch even though I'm not a big tennis fan) will limit exposure.
Change or die seems to be the message. Hopefully the Fedex Cup will do one or the other.

Regards,
Steve

Phil's Comments and Withdrawal Overshadow Victory

Hello. Congrats to Phil Mickelson for winning the Deutsche Bank on Monday. It was an impressive victory. However, what has happened since has overshadowed his accomplishment.
Phil said in his post-round comments he may skip the BMW Championship in Chicago, even though he was going to an outing there Tuesday. Instead of just saying he wanted to see his kids going to school, he mentioned he'd had discussions with Tim Finchem re playoff format changes that didn't happen.
On Tueday Phil made it official - he's not playing this week.
Is this a catastrophe? Well, as Scott Lee mentioned on thegolfchannel.com, there are more reasons for Phil to not play this week (rest, family, a relatively commanding lead) than play.
What the PGA Tour braintrust have failed to realize is golfers are like relief pitchers - they cannot pitch every day. They need rest. Otherwise they burn out.
There's no way the top players were going to play in every playoff event, because they don't play in every event. It's much easier for a guy who misses the cut every week and/or doesn't contend to keep playing. They aren't as worn out mentally.
Enjoy your rest Phil. And congrats.

Regards,
Steve

The End Of The Golf Amateur II

Hello. How would pro golf at all levels work?
Same as pro golf at the elite levels. There would be Q-schools to get your card to play at a higher tour. You'd have endorsement deals from golf equipment companies. You could get sponsors such as travel and hotel companies to assist you with your expenses.
So would you need a "card" to play in the US Amateur? Nope. You'd just have to be someone who didn't have a PGA or European Tour card. You could be a mini-tour player, or a regular amateur.
Would this make the US Amateur title a bit of a stretch then if pros were playing in it? I don't think so. The Olympics didn't use to have pros playing in it, but does now.
Would traditionalists be rolling in their graves? Absolutely. Then again, they probably were doing that when metal woods, graphite shafts and short socks came into play. Change is inevitable, especially in sports. Because of the travel and time it takes to be a top golfer these days, something has to be done. Otherwise, there will be more Richard Lees, Michelle Wies and Tadd Fugikawas turning pro as teenagers, and automatically getting 7 figures. Who wouldn't if they had that kind of talent?

Regards,
Steve