Heathlands Love Affair Continues

Hello. Today I played Osprey Valley Heathlands for the first time this year. And my love affair with this course, my favourite in the world, continues.
I walked out of the pro shop at 8:45am and went right to the first tee. I put my stuff in the trunk at 11:50am. And in between, I followed a twosome in a cart, looked at the new hole numbering (for the first time ever, I started on the actual 1st hole!), and talked with friendly staff.
What makes Heathlands #1 in my books? At 6800 from the back, it's long enough to challenge me without being ridiculous. I love the layout. It's easy to walk. It's relatively inexpensive at $80. And I can play fast.
In short, it suits me to a tee.
When I resigned from the private club I belonged to, the main reason was I couldn't play enough to justify a membership. Knowing Heathlands was there at $80/round cushioned the blow. And it still does.
I've played my great courses in Canada and the US. Osprey Valley Heathlands is #1.

Regards,
Steve

Wie Starting Over

Hello. It's hard to believe Michelle Wie is coming into the US Women's Open as an afterthought.
She had to qualify to get in. That was something she hadn't done in 5 years.
Up until two years ago Wie had been great in majors. She had the lead on Sunday multiple times.
Now she's just one of many young players in the field. At 18, a lot of the curiosity has worn off. She's been thought of as a has-been by many. She's not even the youngest in her group!
Wie is so far down the rankings, that if she was anyone else I wouldn't be talking about her now. Many have stopped. And I will too unless she does something on the course.
It's easy to look back now and say she was rushed into things. Maybe she should've spurned the "cash now" offers. On the other hand, you could also go back and say that maybe she should've become a pro even earlier, like when she was near the top of the leaderboard.
Will Michelle Wie be someone we talk about this week in the present tense, or the past tense? Time will tell.

Regards,
Steve

US Women's Open The Place To Be

Hello. Now that my interest in the PGA is at an all-time low thanks to Tiger's injured knee, it's time to focus on the LPGA, and the US Women's Open.
The storylines are just jumping up at us:

1. Lorena Ochoa looking for her 2nd major of the season, which would give her a virtual lock on Player of the Year honours.
2. Annika Sorenstam trying to win her 4th US Open in her final season.
3. The young South Korean contingent looking to win more majors.
4. Suzann Pettersen trying to erase last week's collapse and win another major
5. The young Americans (Pressel, Creamer, Gulbis et al) looking to reestablish American superiority prior to the Solheim Cup
6. The further branding of the LPGA as the place with recognizable stars.

Will this tourney get the attention it deserves? We'll see.

Regards,

Steve

Cink Ends Four Year Drought

Hello. Congrats to Stewart Cink for winning the Travelers Championship on Sunday. It's his first win since 2004.
Many people have called this the first win of the 'post Tiger era'. That is not the case. Tiger would not have played in this event if he were healthy. The real post Tiger era starts at the British Open.
So will players like Cink start winning in bunches? Hard to say. In some ways there may be more pressure on them, because the expectations are higher. Earlier this year Tiger creamed Cink in the WGC Match Play. If Cink were playing Trevor Immelman, does he feel more or less pressure in a supposedly more even match?
The opportunity is there for the taking. And hopefully the focus will be on the players who are playing, and not on the ones who aren't. And let's not talk about an asterisk, or have a Tiger knee cam, or press around Windermere Florida.
Let's just see how good these guys really are. And if it turns out they're not that good (which could happen), then let's see if they get any better.

Regards,
Steve

How Far Can Tiger Go? II

Hello. Well, obviously my Wednesday post was done before hearing the "Tiger is done for 2008" news. That means my prediction of 3 more 2008 tournaments was high. However, we will definitely be seeing a lot less of Tiger.
Apparently Woods has been having problems since July 2007. All he did since then was win 9 times in 12 starts. Amazing!
Some people will criticize Tiger for playing in the US Open. Can you imagine the criticism if he would've lost? But Brian Hewitt of The Golf Channel probably said it best. Tiger probably would've had this surgery anyway, with or without playing the US Open, so he might as well have gone for it.
So what lies in store for Tiger? The indication is he can be ready in time for the 2009 Masters. Obviously he proved he can win a major after an extended layoff. So to the rest of the players, watch out!
What will happen to the players' mindsets knowing Tiger isn't around to challenge them? As Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star said best, the chokers will probably still choke. Time will tell.

Regards,
Steve

How Far Can Tiger Go?

Hello. Tiger Woods' bio is almost too long to put in this space. Here are some highlights.

1. He has won 14 majors, 2nd all-time, 4 behind Jack Nicklaus
2. He's won 12 majors in the 2000's, more than anyone in any other decade (and it isn't over).
3. He's won 65 times, now 3rd all-time behind Sam Snead (82) and Nicklaus
4. He's won each major at least 3 times, tying Nicklaus. Player, Sarazen and Hogan won each major at least once, the rest never.
5. He's won 4 times in 6 starts in 2008. Phil Mickelson is next with 2 wins.

And on and on.....

The question now, after his knee problems, is how far will Tiger keep going? I think he'll play the following events in 2008:

British Open, PGA, World Golf Championship Invitational

After that, I don't know. I think we'll see a lot less of Tiger, no matter how good his knee is.

Regards,

Steve

18 Playoff A Joke II

Hello. Congrats to Tiger Woods for winning the US Open playoff Monday. Woods beat Rocco Mediate on the 1st sudden death playoff hole.
In spite of this playoff being close, I still think the 18 hole playoff is a joke. Put it this way - I didn't tune in until the 6th hole, because I had a golf game arranged. I didn't feel like I missed anything. And since it ended up tied after 18 holes, I guess it really wasn't needed, was it?
Both Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star and Gary Van Sickle of si.com also thought it was unnecessary in their Monday columns. And if the announcers were excited about 25,000 fans showing up for the Monday playoff, my question is why? There were twice as many there Sunday. And way more TV viewers, although I don't know the exact total.
Anyway, it was a memorable US Open, and will go down historically because of Tiger winning, bad knee and all. I won't doubt him again. My pick, Andres Romero, only finished 10 behind.
Woods now has 14 majors, and the question now seems to be how long will it take him to get to 19. With the next two US Opens being at Bethpage Black and Pebble Beach, sites of his previous US Open wins, it may not be long. More on that tomorrow.

Regards,
Steve

18 Playoff A Joke

Hello. First of all, congrats to Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate for advancing to today's 18 hole US Open playoff. There have been plenty of exciting shots in this year's event. Hopefully today will be more of the same.
I'm posting this before reading anything on the subject. I didn't listen last night to any long discussion on the topic. This is just me talking - the 18 hole playoff today is a joke.
Think about it. You've changed your event to be in prime time to attract a non-golf audience. You have THE GUY, Tiger Woods, in contention. He makes a pressure birdie to get into a playoff. And then you tell 50,000+ at Torrey Pines and millions on TV you can't decide a winner today, even though every other professional golf tournament (including the US Women's Open, run by the same USGA) decides their events with either sudden death, 3 or 4 hole playoffs.
How many people are going to be at Torrey Pines today? 10,000 maybe? How many are going to be watching on TV? I'm retired, and I'll be hard-pressed to see it all.
If the USGA doesn't change their playoff format after this, I'll be shocked. I'll also be surprised if this playoff will be as memorable as a shorter one. Hoepfully it is. We'll see.

Regards,
Steve

The Hockey Theme Has A Home

Hello. Congrats to CTV for acquiring "The Hockey Theme". And shame on CBC for letting it go.
Is this not the signature story for what happens at companies with employees everywhere? A song so popular it's almost taken for granted. "The 2nd Canadian national anthem". CBC was paying $500 per broadcast for it, adding up to $65,000 for the past season.
Apparently they weren't paying for the phone rings when sending messages. What would that have cost, another $30,000 a season? So instead of doing what CTV did, which is buy all the song rights, they decide to let it go due to the lawsuit they received.
A cynic would say the CBC is doing fine with this. They're getting a lot of publicity (most of it bad), they're going to have a contest for the new song, and even Stompin' Tom Connors's son has said they can use "The Hockey Song" his father wrote.
The big winner is the CTV however, for "rescuing" this classic. It shows what a soundly managed company can do. For a minimal amount of money, they got a lot of exposure and goodwill.
Congrats CTV! Shame on you CBC!

Regards,
Steve

My US Open Pick

Hello. Well, here goes. A chance to pick a US Open winner. Really like picking a needle in a haystack.
Obviously there are favourites. Tiger and Phil come to mind because it's at Torrey Pines. However, I'm not picking either of them.
The last 4 years the US Open has been won by someone south of the equator (Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen, Angel Cabrera and Geoff Ogilvy). Three of those men had never won a major before. I think the string will continue.
My pick is Andres Romero.
Who? The guy who could've easily won the 2007 British Open save for one misclub on the 71st hole. He had 10 birdies at Carnoustie that day. 10!
A guy who has won on the PGA Tour this year, something a lot of European Tour players (Tim Clark and Colin Montgomerie come to mind) haven't done.
I have no idea if Romero has played Torrey Pines, let alone how he's done. I just think he can do it. You heard it here first.

Regards,
Steve

Can Lorena 3-Peat? Unfortunately No II

Hello. Can anyone win the Grand Slam in golf, male or female?
To do so, a player has to win 4 times in a season. Prior to players like Woods, Sorenstam, Singh, Ochoa, Mickelson and Webb, a player was lucky to win that many times in a year. In fact, over 90% haven't won that many times in their careers! Lorie Kane has won 4 tournaments, and she's considered a Canadian darling. John Daly is a legend for 5 wins.
Not only does a player have to win 4 tournaments, they are arguably the 4 toughest tournaments. Everyone is hungry to win them, because winning one will make your career. Here's a short list of some PGA one-time major winners: Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Trevor Immelman, Padraig Harrington, Paul Azinger, Tom Lehman.
If winning one sets you for life, where's the incentive to win more? Woods, Sorenstam and Ochoa are already considered amongst the greatest of all time. Will anyone look differently at them if they don't win the Slam? I sure won't.
All the best to everyone at the majors!

Regards,
Steve

Can Lorena 3-Peat? Unfortunately No

Hello. Congrats to Yani Tseng for winning the McDonald's LPGA Championship in a 4-hole playoff over Maria Hjorth. Tseng becomes the 2nd youngest LPGA major winner ever behind Morgan Pressel.
Tied for 3rd were some ladies named Sorenstam and Ochoa. And while the tournament was exciting as it was, imagine if one or both of those two ladies had been in the playoff. Imagine if Annika or Lorena had won the event. What would the media buildup have been for the US Womens' Open? In a word, immense.
So, unless Trevor Immelman wins the US Open (and believe it or not, some people now realize he CAN still win the Grand Slam!), there will be no historic Slam accomplishments this year, in spite of three of the greatest players of all time (Sorenstam, Woods and Ochoa) playing at or near the top of their games.
The question then becomes, will anyone ever win the Grand Slam? Or will new faces like Immelman and Tseng always emerge to thwart the attempts?
More tomorrow.

Regards,
Steve

Jack Complaining About Slow Play? Come On!

Hello. During his "State of the Union" address at the Memorial last week, Jack Nicklaus commented on many things. One of them was slow play. He said rounds should be faster in order to get more people interested in playing.
While I agree 100%, I'm shocked at the source of the comments. Jack Nicklaus is directly responsible for 2+ generations of golfers being slow. It's only now that I think his direct influence on pace of play is not a factor. To say Nicklaus was a turtle is too kind. For him to play as slow as he did in an era of fast players like Trevino, Watson and Wadkins made it even more obvious.
And that's why I'm on Tiger's side of the "who's better?" debate between Woods and Nicklaus. While this argument is a lot closer than many people may think, and you have to give Jack an edge until Tiger gets major #19, the fact Tiger plays faster than Jack ever did is a huge advantage. Tiger is more in his natural rhythm as a result.
If you want to change the game for the better Jack, tell us you would've done better if you played faster, and accept some responsibility for how things are. From a fan of yours.

Regards,
Steve

Can Lorena 3-Peat?

Hello. On Thursday the McDonald's LPGA Championship begins. And what a field it is. Having said that, the one person they're chasing is Lorena Ochoa.
Lorena is coming back from a week off mourning her uncle's death. However, she'll still be the overwhelming favourite to win her 3rd major in a row, and 2nd of 2008.
The question is, will she do it? Maybe not. Bulle Rock, the host site for the LPGA, is one Ochoa hasn't conquered yet. Others in the field (Webb, Pak, Inkster, Annika) have.
I think Lorena will do it. She still has something to prove in spite of her great record. She still has goals and doubters waiting to jump on a slip-up.
The truth is, this woman is definitely the female Tiger. She hits it longer than most, is calm, and has a great short game. She's matured a lot the last two years. And she's still young and keen. I know she wants to win while Annika's still around, because next year when she wins all she'll hear is that Annika wasn't around.
Here's hoping for a great LPGA!

Regards,
Steve

"No Flags Round" An Eye Opener

Hello. On Monday I played a round at my "office", the course I work at. There was a tournament in the afternoon, so the course was closed to most play. I'd gotten permission from an assistant pro to be out there. I did play with a member. And the 2.75 hours we played the course in was worth the minor inconvenience we experienced.
The greens crew was taking advantage of the lack of play to topdress the greens. As a result, they'd taken out all the flags and cups. On many holes, we did see the flags on the ground, so we had some idea of where the holes were, but otherwise we were shooting blind. As a result, we both decided hitting to the middle of the green was the best strategy.
It amazed both of us how close we were to the actual hole. In many cases I would've been hard pressed to get closer knowing where the hole was. And that pointed out to me something important - I'm "forcing" my iron shots to the hole, instead of just making a high percentage shot to the middle of the green. And because many of these forced shots miss the green, and my chipping is brutal, I was taking 1-2 shots/hole more than I thought I should be taking.
By using this "safely on the green" strategy, I feel my game will improve.

Regards,
Steve

Perry Realizes Dream?

Hello. Congrats to Kenny Perry for winning the Memorial Sunday. Perry finished 2 ahead of the rest, including Canada's Mike Weir.
In a way, Perry's win reminded me of Tiger Woods. He got ahead, then didn't make any mistakes. His bogey on the 71st hole just lessened the gap from 3 to 2. Meanwhile, everyone around him imploded.
Perry's dream this year is to play in the Ryder Cup at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky. US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger says he wanted guys who have won recently. Perry now qualifies in that department, and he's now 8th in points, which would guarantee him a spot if he stayed there.
But Azinger has always been known as a loose cannon. I'm wondering what he thinks of Perry skipping the US Open. It makes sense for Perry, although I'd never do it. I think Azinger feels the same as me. If he does, he could leave Perry off should he not stay in 8th spot. While the media stink would be big, Azinger is the type to weather the storm.
Here's hoping Perry makes Azinger's opinion academic. Congrats again Kenny!

Regards,
Steve