The End Of The Golf Amateur IV

Hello. Another person I will be watching in the Q-School this weekend is Colt Knost, the 2007 US Amateur champion. He shot a first round 75 (+3). Needless to say, he's got a lot of ground to make up, because if the qualifying was only one day, it would've taken -4 to get on the PGA Tour card. If the scores continue as they are, it may take -20 or lower to do the job.
So do I still agree with Colt's decision to go pro, and bypass the 2008 Masters, US Open and British Open? Yes, I do. Worst case, Knost will be on the Nationwide Tour. It has proven to be the best training ground for pros long-term. Many top players (major winers David Duval and Tom Lehman come to mind) have gotten their starts there. No matter what, Colt will be earning an income, something he wouldn't have done these past few months if he'd stayed an amateur.
And once again I will say Knost should not have had to make this decision. He should've been able to still qualified for these majors. HE EARNED IT! It's like saying Duval shouldn't have been allowed to play in majors after dropping to 10,000th (just kidding) on the World Ranking list.
All the best Colt!

Regards,
Steve

Q-School Begins

Hello. Welcome to Q-School. It begins today in Florida, the first day of 6 that will decide if a player will play on the PGA Tour next week.
There are many familiar names to me in this year's event. Robert Gamez. Skip Kendall. Duffy Waldorf. Steve Lowery. And one of my youth playing companions, Ian Leggett from Cambridge Ontario.
All of these 5 played multiple years on the PGA. Gamez, Waldorf, Lowery and Leggett have won on the big stage.
How would you like to be them having to requalify? And how would you like to be someone at the final stage of Q-school for the first time, looking at those kind of players you have to beat?
It just shows how quickly things can change for a golfer, either positively or negatively. While many of the media focus on the top players (and rightfully so), more attention could be placed on these guys. How they fare over the next few days will be interesting to see.
The televised rounds don't start until Saturday (4th round). By then guys could already have their dreams ruined. Time will tell! Good luck everyone!

Regards,
Steve

The Full Monty Shows In Team Events

Hello. Congrats to Colin Montgomerie for winning the World Cup Sunday. Scotland defeated the US in a playoff.
Is it now time to say Colin Montgomerie is the greatest team player in golf history? I cannot think of anyone past or present who can equal Monty's team performances. And only Sergio Garcia is even in the running to get Monty's crown.
Having said that, why hasn't Monty been able to play the same way individually? While his European Tour exploits have been above average, the fact he hasn't won a golf major will always be a bleamish. Of course he could still win one, but the odds are getting greater with each passing year.
Whatever happens to Monty from now on, he will be remembered for his team performances. What's his secret? I'm guessing he hits shots knowing he can rely on his partner if something goes wrong. Many of us (myself included) are worried about hitting a shot that will put our partner in trouble. Obviously Monty doesn't think that way.
Congrats Colin for Scotland's first ever World Cup win!

Regards,
Steve

Ames Comes Through Again

Hello. Congrats to Stephen Ames for winning the LG Skins Game. Ames won only two holes, but the last one was key as it enabled him to walk off with more than half the money. Fred Couples won the rest, while Brett Wetterich and Zach Johnson came up empty.
Ames may be Couples' heir apparent to the "Mr Skins Game" crown. It's his 2nd consecutive title. And he's done well in the Canadian Skins Game too.
For Ames' sake, I hope he did well. I'm not sure how much longer this event will keep going. While the money's good for you and I, it barely registers for this field. When the first Skins game was being played with Palmer, Nicklaus, Player and Watson, the money was way more than what they'd earn in a regular event. Now it isn't. It would have to probably be around a $250,000/hole to get the great players' attention. Even that would be iffy.
Should Skins Games carry on? I'm not sure. As long as charity benefits, I'm all for them. But if I'm a gallery fan, it's tough to watch only one group on a course. And if I'm a TV fan, I don't know if an event without top players will make me watch.

Regards,
Steve

World Cup Woes

Hello. The World Cup has always been a mystery to me. There are several questions for which I have no answer:

1. How come it's played now? The European Tour has started its new season. The PGA Tour has ended theirs. Many countries (including mine) are shovelling snow. Is there any media interest?
2. In spite of it being played now, there are scheduling conflicts not only with the European Tour, but also the annual Skins Game, which could also fall into the same category of being a mystery event to me. Plus it's American Thanksgiving today. No wonder Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum are representing the US.
3. How do you qualify to get into this thing? Canada is represented by Mike Weir and Wes Hefferman. Who you may ask (along with me)? Hefferman is lower on the world chart than something on the ocean bottom. I could go into a lack of Canadian depth sermon, but I'll stop here.

Regards,

Steve

Ochoa, Pettersen Will Be Great in '08 II

Hello. FYI I looked at Sports Illustrated's Sportsman on the Year candidates. Many authors have created essays on who their picks are. The winner will be announced on Dec 3rd. My thinking is it will be someone who has not already been mentioned in this author collection.
There is one candidate of the many who stands out in my mind so far - Lorena Ochoa, as mentioned by Gary Van Sickle. Her numbers are obvious and will be briefly repeated here: #1 in the world, #1 on the money list with an all-time record, 8 wins, 1 major at St Andrews.
As a golfer, I'm of course biased. Unfortunately I think SI is too. I cannot remember the last time a woman won SI's top award. Certainly Annika Sorenstam had a few years where she was deserving. I also cannot remember when a non-American last won the award. Roger Federer could've won in the past.
Will Ochoa win this year? Based on my logic above, I'd say no. But the great thing is, '08 may be an even better year for Lorena, unless Suzann Pettersen gets in the way.
No matter what non-golf awards Ochoa wins, she is definitely the one to beat now, and has a lot of time left to prove it.

Regards,
Steve

Ochoa, Pettersen Will Be Great in '08

Hello. Congrats to Lorena Ochoa and Suzann Pettersen for having breakout seasons in '07. Pettersen won her first major and 4 other titles. A great season by anyone's standards, except Lorena Ochoa's.
Ochoa won her first major too, and 7 other titles for 8. That puts her with Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez as the only women in the last 30 years to do it. Ochoa also became the first woman to earn over $3 million and $4 million in one season.
The great thing is that both these women are in their 20s. They are still maturing as golfers. Yet they're already at the top.
This doesn't bode well for Annika and company. Ochoa and Pettersen are among the longest Tour hitters. Everyone privately, and Paula Creamer publicly, has said they'll have to get longer to compete.
Will next year be a two-horse race? I think so. And what a change that would be, after Tiger and Annika have dominated their tours for the past decade.

Regards,
Steve

ADT Championship One Of The Best

Hello. Congrats to the LPGA for getting it right. The ADT Championship is one of the best tournaments in professional golf. It showed why this past week.
Only 32 ladies qualified through objective standards (no exemptions, even for defending champion Julietta Granada). All had two rounds to get into the top 16. There was a 3 way playoff Friday with Annika Sorenstam being knocked out.
Then Saturday, one round decides who is in the top 8. A 4-way playoff results for 2 spots! Both Kims make it in with birdies!
Then Sunday, where one round determines a million dollar winner. Lorena Ochoa, #1 in everything meaningful, has a 4 shot lead with 2 holes left over Natalie Gulbis. Gulbis birdies, Ochoa doubles and it's game on!
A playoff seems likely after Gulbis hits it 20 feet. Then Ochoa hits, in her own words, her career shot from the rough to 2 feet! What drama.
It's probably the best way to decide the top players. I'd like to see it done elsewhere. It's great entertainment. Kudos LPGA!

Regards,
Steve

2008 PGA Tour Schedule Leaves Me Head-Scratching II

Hello. What would I do for the Fedex Cup schedule? I would alternate the Fedex Cup with the Fall finish the following way:

Week 1 - Fedex Cup first playoff round
Week 2 - Fall Finish first tournament
Week 3 - Fedex Cup second playoff round
Week 4 - Fall Finish second tournament
Week 5 - Fedex Cup third playoff round
Week 6 - Fall Finish third tournament
Week 7 - Tour Championship and Fall Finish fourth tournament
Week 8 - Fall Finish fifth tournament
Week 9 - Ryder/President's Cup and Fall Finish sixth tournament
Week 10 and beyond - Fall finish tournaments

I think this would give all players a break, and make for some great golf.

Regards,
Steve

2008 PGA Tour Schedule Leaves Me Head-Scratching

Hello. The PGA Tour released its 2008 schedule. And the Fedex Cup portion of the schedule has me scratching my head. Here's what changed, and my reaction:

1. There is now a break between the first 3 Fedex Cup playoff events and the Tour Championship of 2 weeks. While a break is needed, why that long? Also, wasn't the whole idea to get everything done before the NFL season (which didn't happen last year either)?
2. The first week in the 2 week period has no tournaments being played. Why not have the first Fall Finish event in this gap? Surely the players have pretty much been decided at this point after the playoffs. Why not get them going earlier, and as a result have them finish earlier?
3. The other week in the 2 week period is for the Ryder Cup. Why have this before the Tour Championship? How will it work in 2010, when the Ryder Cup will be in Europe?

What would I have done? More tomorrow.

Regards,

Steve

Santa Claus Parade Had Two Problems

Hello. FYI I attended the Georgetown Santa Claus Parade Saturday. It was really well-run, with lots of floats. However, two things became problems.
First, someone had a heart attack. I'm not sure how this individual is doing. I'm sure it will be in the paper Wednesday. All the best to this individual, family and friends.
Second, on obviously a much lower scale, the parade was at 5pm for the 3rd year in a row. The main reason it was changed from a 1pm start was to have the floats lighted.
It was a novelty the first year. However, it is very difficult to see the individual people on the float. Plus it was much colder in the evening than in the afternoon. The temperature dropped from double digits to around freezing.
Will the time change next year? I doubt it. My family had fun which is the main thing. And I eventually thawed out.
While some may object in this politically correct day and age to a Santa Claus Parade, I hope the tradition continues.

Regards,
Steve

Remembrance Day Stress Over

Hello. First let me say Remembrance Day is one of my most important dates. It's very important to look back on our history in conflicts. Hopefully they will encourage us to never get involved in a full-scale war ever again.
Having said that, the 2 weeks leading up to and including Remembrance Day are very stressful for me. I'm paranoid about losing my poppy. In fact I can't be anywhere without taking frequent looks at my coat or shirt to see if it's on.
I did lose it once. I almost crawled in a cave. Fortunately I was at a place where poppies could be purchased.
I did manage to hang onto it right through to Sunday. The ironic thing was on Sunday, when I was working, I had my uniform on. No poppy required. I did wear it proudly after my shift, however.
Of course now that Remembrance Day is over there's no way I could lose this poppy even if I tried. It would come back on my coat even if I buried it.
Please remember Remembrance Day and our veterans.

Regards,
Steve

Lindros A "Potential" Hall of Famer

Hello. Today Eric Lindros is expected to announce his retirement. The question I've now heard throughout is will Lindros be in the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF)? There have been many argue both sides. Here are some facts.
"The Big E" has battled injuries throughout his career. He was very highly regarded when drafted by the Quebec Nordiques. He never played for them, instead going to the Philadelphia Flyers. He won a Hart Trophy (MVP) in 1995, and led the team to the finals where they lost to Detroit. He was on the '02 Olympic team that won gold. He was on the '94 Olympic team that won silver. He was on the '98 team that finished 4th.
Here's the thing - the fact we're asking the question of his HHOF qualifications means he's not a slam dunk. No one asked if Gretzky or Lemieux should be in. And that's who Lindros was compared to before he played one game.
Was it unfair? Possibly. But I'm sure he didn't complain about it when he signed big contracts.
Many will say Lindros would've been a lock if he hadn't been injured. Maybe. But even now, Lindros hasn't lived up to his potential. And his potential, not his results, is the only thing that will get him into the HHOF without paying.

Regards,
Steve

RCGA Breathes A Sigh Of Relief (For Now)

Hello. The RCGA got rescued again by a corporate sponsor. Two years ago it was CN coming to the Canadian Women's Open with much-needed funds. Now RBC is doing the same thing for the Canadian Open.
RBC's participation cannot be underestimated. If the Canadian Open would've gone without a 2008 main sponsor, the bill probably would've been larger than the $3 million the RCGA lost on the 2007 version. And that could've been disaster for Canadian golf, as we're finding the RCGA doesn't have a lot of money.
Is this a smart move on RBC's part? Hopefully if they are trying to penetrate the US market. But I still don't know why anyone would want to sponsor this event as things are now. Once you get by Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk (and Weir and Ames) the next PGA Tour player who cares about this event for what it is is John Daly, who will be very limited in 2008 appearances.
And while RCGA people must be breathing easier, now that this main issue is resolved, they must be concerned people will now see them for what they are - a very poorly mismanaged group. All the money in the world won't cure that.

Regards,
Steve

Els Causes Quite A Stir

Hello. Ernie Els (among others) did not play in the European Tour Championship last week. Instead he played in the Singapore Open. As a result, he missed out on winning the European Order of Merit, which he led going into the week. Justin Rose won both the ORder of MErit and the Tour Championship in a 3-way playoff.
Els was very vocal about the scheduling conflict, saying the European Tour knew months ago this situation could happen. He blamed the Euros for not scheduling accordingly.
My question is, why did Els wait until last week to say anything? Surely he knew months ago he had two events he wanted to play on the same week. Could he (and did he) point this out to the Euros? Could he (and did he) point this out to the Asian Tour? Could the Asian Tour have let him out of the contract he signed when the conflict was discovered?
As it turns out, it probably would've been best for everyone if Ernie had not gone to Singapore. He got food poisoning and missed the cut. And some of the media blasted him.
Is there a way to make these situations go away? I think so. Communication seems to be the key.

Regards,
Steve

Ames Gets An Important Victory

Hello. Congrats to Stephen Ames for winning in Disney. I've played those courses, so I know firsthand what a player has to go through there.
Ames will be going to Hawaii now, along with Mike Weir, to play in the Mercedes-Benz Championships.
Both Weir and Ames made the most of this fall finish. I think non-winners who didn't participate really missed the boat. Weir and Ames' victories, while not of the major variety, give them lots of rewards, many similar to a major victory.
Now both don't have to listen to the press all off-season. They can plan their schedules. And relax.
For a Canadian, is this now the best time ever to be watching the PGA Tour? Having two proven winners is not something we've had the luxury of for many years. Maybe Barr/Zokol, or Nelford/Zokol, or Barr/Nelford/Hallderson. But certainly not like now. Weir tied George Knudsen for most wins on Tour by a Canadian. Ames now has 3 victories.
Enjoy the off-season guys. Good luck in 2008!

Regards,
Steve

Requiem For A Country Club Comments

Hello. Rich Lerner wrote "Requiem for a Country Club" in thegolfchannel.com where he tells about the course he beloged to in his youth being sold. Following is the email I sent back to him:

Hello Mr. Lerner. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about The BerkLeigh. Your experiences reminded me of my golf past (I'm 46 too).
Unfortunately, The Berkleigh's story also reminded me of the 3 private clubs I used to belong to. One club became semi-private, then part of a network to survive. The other two are facing the aging membership/declining facilities problem, and may have to do what the first one did.
The age of the private club as we knew it is coming to an end. Unless you're born into a share of a high end club, there are now too many less expensive golf alternatives for people to consider "stand alone" private club memberships. People don't have the time and/or money to join them. And the friendships of 100+ people and familiarity of playing one course that you and I treasured are seen by many golfers, especially those who grew up playing on public courses, as either non-factors or disadvantages.
While we may not consider ourselves old, we may be the last generation who appreciates the "stand alone" private club for what it was, and mourn at its disappearance.
Regards,
Steve