Fred Funk, one of the shorter hitters on the PGA Tour (which, at 49 years of age and 5’8″, is not altogether shocking), is feeling left out these days. He believes that the modern golf ball gives players who swing 115 or 120 MPH a “boost.” More specifically, as he said in a recent interview, “You just get this huge gain hitting the ball a certain speed.”
Unfortunately, despite what Fred and others believe, the facts on this issue have recently been made quite clear. The USGA, on April 11, dispelled some commonly held beliefs in an article called “Myths About Golf Equipment and Performance.” The first myth was “Golfers with faster swing speeds get disproportionately greater distance benefits from new golf balls that have been introduced after 2000.”
Hybrids were once known as golf clubs for the elderly. My how times have changed. Not only do Champions Tour golfers swear by them but now even the PGA Tour pros are choosing these easier-to-hit clubs in exchange for their longer iron counterparts.
Last year we had a couple of rookies that burst onto the scene. Sean O’Hair and Lucas Glover both got onto the Tour last year by going through and surviving the rigors of Q-School. Both won over $2 million and made the Tour Championship in 2005… not too bad in your first year.
Vijay Singh goes into this year’s Shell Houston Open with history on his mind. Not only has Singh won the past two Shell Houston Opens, but should he win this year, he’ll accomplish something only Tiger Woods (The Memorial, Bay Hill), Tom Watson (Byron Nelson Invitational), and Stuart Appleby (Mercedes Championship) have accomplished: back-to-back-to-back wins in the same same tournament.
I want to start this week by congratulating Aaron Baddeley on his victory at Harbour Town. Baddeley took advantage of a sluggish Jim Furyk on Sunday to earn his first PGA Tour win. Most of the golf media expected “Badds” to win a long time ago, but a win is a win any way you slice it. I hope this win helps elevate the young Aussie to new heights on the PGA Tour.
First were the bushes planted at 150 yards. Then came the 150-yard stakes. Then the yardages engraved on sprinkler heads. Then colored circles and lines painted on cart paths. And of course, finally, detailed yardage books. Now technology has come to the rescue with amazingly accurate laser range finders and GPS systems.
The explosion of youth in the golf world has done wonders for the game. Golf is now cool. Thanks to the young guns, golfers are now athletes and golf is considered a sport. This newfound level of awesome is unprecedented in our realm and we can all try to look the part, no matter our handicaps. This week is dedicated to cool equipment, cool apparel, and cool accessories.
The Masters and the LPGA’s first major are in the books. We discuss Phil Mickelson’s victory, Karrie Webb’s win, Michelle Wie’s mistakes, Fred Couples’s inability to putt, Tiger Woods’ “spazzy” putting, comments from Ernie Els regarding Phil and David Toms regarding Augusta National security. It’s a very rousing week on the Golf Talk Podcast, so join us for this and a whole lot more.
There is so much attention given to those who can hit the golf ball a country mile that guys like Corey Pavin are largely left in the dust. Pavin was one of the best players on Tour through the 80s and 90s after having quickly established himself as a contender by winning a PGA Tour event only two years after turning professional.