Commentary on a few of the responses to Mr. Watson’s near victory.
Amongst the usual clamor and sentimental nonsense affixed to any compelling happening in the world of sports, there surfaced a few interesting responses to Tom Watson’s performance at The Open Championship, which concluded Sunday with (arguably) one of the worst playoff performances in recent memory.
Continue reading “On Watson at the Open Championship, Briefly”
You know the drill by now: we predict, you laugh at our predictions a few days later.
Get your British Open Predictions here!
Who’s winning this thing, what’s Faldo going to shoot and other questions, answered (or at least cleverly guessed at) by your tireless scribes.
See what we think inside, and, maybe, take a look into your own crystal ball and tell us what you see.
Not content to wait until they no longer have a Tour to play on, LPGA players call for the resignation of Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. Good move.
The following news, as reported by a variety of outlets, but quoted here as it appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, has worked its way through the system of the of the golfing media, both formal and informal, over the past few days:
“A group of 15 players, including world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen, and top American stars Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, and Morgan Pressel, signed a letter demanding the resignation of commissioner Carolyn Bivens.”
Good for them. Far from looking like rebellious children, the LPGA’s stars look, now, like they give a damn about the fact that their Tour is coming apart at the seams.
Brown has a reputation for incendiary remarks. Does he have a point this time?
If you missed Jim Brown’s appearance on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumble, then you missed the Hall of Fame running back declaring the following about Tiger Woods, “He is a killer, he will run over you, he will kick your ass. But as an individual for social change? Terrible. Terrible. Because he can get away with teaching kids to play golf, and that’s his contribution.”
Have a look at how our panel of (quasi-) experts fared.
On the whole, the Staff could have done better in making its predictions for the Open. However, we made a few good calls in each category. The weather was something of a black swan, for the players, and perhaps it got us off our collective games game a bit as well. All that stopping and starting makes it hard to put together a paragraph, let alone an inspired set of predictions, after all.
A breakdown of “hits and misses” after the jump.
It’s time for The Sand Trap staff’s annual dose of U.S. Open speculation and prognostication.
In which we, your devoted Sand Trap staff tackle the following, and more:
Who wins? Who’ll be slamming the trunk on Friday? And, most importantly, which on-air catch phrases and fixations will have you angrier than the runner up in the media trailer on Sunday?
Come inside for a look!
Or, Kenny: Shut Up, Phil: Stay Home, John: Stop Wearing Those Pants.
In no particular order, I would like to see Kenny Perry stop saying things like he does in the linked USA Today feature, Phil Mickelson to spend a little more time with his ailing wife before returning to competition, and Mr. John Daly to stop wearing Loudmouth Golf pants.
I went to see the third round of the Corning Classic last week in New York… or some alternate universe.
Disclaimer: I freely admit that I am a latecomer to the practice of attending LPGA Tour events. With this in mind, the persons and events recounted in the following may seem commonplace or (dare I say) par for the course, to some. From the minute I walked into the gates of Corning Country Club, however, I had the distinct feeling of having entered a parallel universe.
I am not entirely sure what my expectations were, really. Enjoy a day off? To be sure. See some quality golf? Somewhat. Admire certain standouts? Yes. Have a few beers? Indeed. In no way was I prepared for the all-encompassing clown fest which ensued. This isn’t to be, as is perhaps fashionable, demeaning of the LPGA Tour. I certainly don’t believe the Tour is in any way deliberately attempting to attract the most bizarre galleries possible. Neither do I feel that the gallery I encountered is in any way representative of LPGA galleries at large.
Additionally, I am aware that public events attract, and probably always will attract, interesting individuals. I’ve had a multitude of strange encounters at PGA Tour events in the past. This event, however, was silliness to the tenth power. From the moment that I was ushered into my parking spot by a moderately incoherent limping geriatric from the Kiwanis club, I knew I was in for an experience.
In which our hero stands before his adoring public, platform, and priorities.
If you haven’t heard, we’re in a recession here, folks. Likewise, even the most casual devotee to any form of golf media has been bludgeoned with the news that private golf courses/ clubs have been suffering for quite some time. Now that I have established myself as the conduit of extremely obvious information, on to the business at hand.
I am, certainly, not in any position to give a “State of the Game,” or “National Golf Convention” address. Were I, however, appointed acting “President of Golf in America, Overseer of all Private and Public Golfing Establishments, Tours, Equipment Manufacturers, Governing Bodies, and the Golfing Media,” I would stand behind my podium, before my adoring public (think Kennedy in Berlin, or the Obama Inaugural Address) and deliver something resembling the following:
