Here’s a business section you might actually want to read.
After a brief sabbatical to welcome another future golfing buddy into the world, I’m back to deliver the goods. Or what passes for “the goods” in my sleep-deprived, dirty-diaper-disposing state. Nonetheless, I’ve got a few tidbits from the business side of golf from the past month or so to get your through your morning latté.
So kick back and read some random business dealings from the golf world.
The key to John Daly’s comeback; day glow pants!
Good day ladies and gentlemen and welcome again to The Sand Trap and Hittin’ the Links. Has anyone seen Tiger’s swing? I’m pretty sure he’s looking for it. ::rimshot:: Maybe it’s off hiding somewhere with Alex Cejka’s game. Hopefully both are reunited with their proper owners soon.
In this newest edition of HTL we look into what’s got David Feherty in hot water, take a peek at John Daly’s latest fashion and finish, and investigate what’s wrong with Sergio. Also on tap, we find out what’s going on with The Skins Game, check out what’s happening at Titleist, and do a review of this week’s winners on tour. Read on!
The Players is here. Time for the annual “fifth major” nonsense!
I think we’ve all heard the banter of talking heads, players and enthusiasts revolving around whether or not The Players Championship deserves to be evaluated in the same way as a Major, or formally considered such by golf’s governing bodies. My argument, which will be laid out in the succeeding paragraphs, is that it doesn’t.
Further, I believe the only two legitimate Majors are The Open Championship and The U.S. Open. I wasn’t sure any golf literate or marginally sentient being could make such a claim when I took to my easy chair to massage my temples and consider this issue. However, I am now convinced that it is the most historically honest and consistent evaluation of the golfing calendar, even though I am neither beating the drum of reform or expecting any semblance of change, save for that of popular perception and (add this to Jon Stewart’s list of “Sh*t That Will Never Happen) media sensationalizing.
Wait!
Stop the press! What of Augusta… and the Masters… Amen Corner, patrons and not fans… Sarezen’s double eagle… Green Jackets… Champions Dinners… Magnolia Drive?
Fear not. I’ll deal with those concerns in another article. The beast in the trap is The Players. I’ll approach Major classification next week, maybe. Before any of this, however, we need clarity and, alas, defintions.
We’ve finally had good enough weather to test the latest drivers, and the R9 may be the most advanced of the bunch, but does “advanced” warrant consideration?
We’ve all seen the ads. We’ve all seen the large number of TaylorMade staffers with “R9” sewn on the sides of their hats or visors. We’ve had it beaten into our heads that TaylorMade owns the tee box. Oh, wait, that was a few years ago. What are they saying these days?
“Until now.”
That’s their new slogan. “Until now, you’ve never had a customized driver.” Or something like that.
Logic aside (I’ve had customized drivers because I’ve gone to get fitted for my drivers), the message is clear: TaylorMade is big on customization, and the R9 not only offers “MWT” for “Movable Weight Technology” but their new hosel adjustment feature, dubbed “FCT” for “Flight Control Technology.”
Suffice to say even if TaylorMade doesn’t own your tee box, they own the most acronyms. Does all of this FCT and MWT make a difference in the R9 driver? Read on to find out.
By the time you read this, Sean O’Hair will have finished his 72nd hole at Quail Hollow. Maybe.
Sean O’Hair catapults over a stalled Tiger Woods, a failing Bubba Watson, a gutsy Lucas Glover, and a headache-affected Zach Johnson to take the biggest win of his career at Quail Hollow. What’s wrong with Tiger and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.
You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 113 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.
For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.
The second time’s a charm for O’Hair
Good Day Sand Trappers and welcome again to another volume of Hittin’ the Links. Another fantastic finish on the PGA Tour this week, and what a nice course: Quail Hollow has it all.
In this most recent edition of HTL we begin by investigating the LPGA and their efforts to stay afloat, look at a sad occurrence in amateur golf, and find out where Seve showed up this week. Also on tap, we see how the swine flu has affected the Nationwide Tour, check out the PGA Tour’s changing policies on booze, and congratulate Sean O’Hair for winning in Charlotte. Read On!
Is the last r7 the best of the lot?
More than four years after the original TaylorMade r7 brought movable weights to golf, TaylorMade released what is most likely the last of the line this winter – the r7 Limited TP. It emerged a few months after the non-TP model, which hit stores in mid-September. TaylorMade also produced a limited edition of the Limited for Patriot Golf Day, which sported a Patriot Golf Day logo on the toe, the image of an F-16 jet etched onto the sole, and a specially-designed headcover in red, white and blue.
TaylorMade is known for releasing many models of clubs in rapid succession, which is why we have the r7 Limited TP review after the R9 driver’s release (which will be reviewed, itself, shortly). Every time a new model comes out it tends to lower the retail price and resale value of the previous models. This can be frustrating to TaylorMade owners who want to upgrade and find that their old model has lost resale or trade-in value. On the other hand, virtually any golfer can find a recent model of TaylorMade driver that fits their game for a relative bargain.
So what kind of golfer will most benefit from the r7 Limited? Read on to find out.
Does Doug Ford deserve a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame?
Lanny Wadkins was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in April 2009 for induction next November. It was about time. Wadkins has been passed over on the list of candidates for most of the last 10 years.
Still, Wadkins election wasn’t without drama. He was the only player elected from the PGA Tour ballot, which requires 65 percent of the vote from Hall of Famers, media, and golf executives. Wadkins got 61 percent of the vote. He made it in because of a provision to the 65 percent rule: if no one receives the minimum vote, the player with the highest percentage (provided it is over 50 percent) is elected. (Vijay Singh got in the same way in 2005.)
Wadkins absolutely deserves to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame. He’s earned it as both a player and a commentator. He should have been in long before this. But I want to talk about Doug Ford.
Lorena wins and we don’t even get to see it on TV. All we get instead is an awkward Tom Lehman chest bump?
Jerry Kelly gets it done in Louisiana while Charles Howell III comes up short. Again. Also Brian Gay’s dominating performance at Hilton Head, the LPGA’s lack of TV coverage, Nick Price, Michelle Wie, and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.
You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 112 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.
For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.
