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!
Hole 1: LPGA Pep Rally
The LPGA held a mandatory meeting of players and officials to discuss its shrinking popularity and schedule. [Link]
Hole 2: Sad Day for Amateur Golf
19 year-old Welsh amateur golfer Ben Enoch dies in a car crash on his way to a tournament. [Link]
Hole 3: Ballesteros Makes First Public Appearance
Seve Ballesteros recently attended a football (soccer) match, receiving a standing ovation. [Link]
Hole 4: Nationwide Mexico Open
The Nationwide Tour announced it has decided to postpone its Mexico event until later in the season. [Link]
Hole 5: Daly Working his Way Back
A very colorful John Daly tied for 31st place in the recent Open de Espana, a small step in the right direction. [Link]
Hole 6: Levet Wins Spanish Open
Thomas Levet wins the Spanish Open becoming the first Frenchman to have five European Tour titles. [Link]
Hole 7: The Ketel One Open?
Or perhaps the Grey Goose Championship might be on the horizon as the PGA Tour looks at loosening the sponsorship rules for distilled spirit companies. [Link]
Hole 8: The Players Championship
We once again look forward to the Players Championship, and here is the finalized field. [Link]
Hole 9: O’Hair Holds On This Time
Sean O’Hair managed to hold on and take home the title at the Quail Hollow Championship, [Link]
The Ketel One Open?
Funny how the loss of key corporate sponsors can result in the PGA Tour “loosening” sponsorship rules. Makes one openly question the motives and morals of the PGA Tour. It’s really all about the money then, isn’t it?
Funny you should mention that. I was watching the last round at Quail Hollow and was struck by how often the announcers commented on how much money the players were making, or how much that missed putt cost, or what the payout for the win was, or where so-and-so was on the career money list, etc. I’d never really noticed how ubiquitous such talk was, but make a mental note to keep track, and you will be appalled. It’s not only distracting and irrelevant to the game, but incredibly low-class and tacky. Sure, everyone who golfs has (at least momentarily) fantasized about making it to the Tour, and if you make it to the Tour you will have some decent paydays, if only from equipment company endorsements. And everyone who follows golf knows that the top earners on the “money list” stay on Tour, and everyone else goes back to Q-school (with some exceptions), but what on earth is the point of talking about how much the players make (apart from sheer envy)? I don’t golf because I’m thinking about money; I golf because I love to golf. And I want my kids to golf because they love the game, period. I was taught that talking about how much you earned was bad manners, and I still think that’s true today, but the gentlemen who run the PGA seem to think otherwise, while feigning horror at taking money from — gasp!! — alcohol purveyors. As if the home of golf didn’t harbor an affection for whiskey and small beer.