Good day from The Sand Trap and Hittin’ the Links. I don’t mean to gloat but we had glorious weekend weather here. Spring fever is now in full swing. Probably just in time for the next snow storm. Golf season cannot get here fast enough.
Wow, what a weekend of golf. The Accenture Match Play championship delivered the goods, beautiful golf course, great golf, what else could you want? And that Tiger guy, he’s pretty good isn’t he?
In this edition, we take a couple of looks at the Accenture Match Play, check in on the other PGA Tour event south of the border, and also take notice of the rest of the professional tours around the world. In addition, we see who is our next Presidents Cup captain, take a peak at Michelle Wie’s opening weekend, take a glimpse at the state of golf in Cuba, and investigate why Americans are giving up our great game.
Hole 1: Accenture Match Play
Here is the final bracket from the Accenture match Play Championship from Tucson, Arizona. [Link]
Hole 2: Tiger, Yes You’re Good
Tiger beats Stewart Cink in the final of the Accenture Match Play Championship 8&7. And it wasn’t that close. [Link]
Hole 3: Couples Next Presidents Cup Captain?
A report is out naming fan favorite Freddy Couples as the next Presidents Cup captain. [Link]
Hole 4: Gay Wins South of the Border
Brian Gay wins his first PGA Tour event in 293 starts as he outdistances the rather weak field at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun. [Link]
Hole 5: Zoeller and Jacobson Win Wendy’s Champions Skins Game
Fuzzy and Peter rally Sunday to take the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game from the defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. [Link]
Hole 6: Creamer Finishes Strong in Hawaii
Paula Creamer makes a late run at the fields Open in Hawaii to claim her first victory of the year. [Link]
Hole 7: Michelle Wie
Michelle Wie closes her weekend in Hawaii in not-so-good fashion, finishing last among those who made the cut. [Link]
Hole 8: Fidel Out, Golf In
With the shift in power in Cuba some are looking for that almighty golf buck to return to its sunny shores. [Link]
Hole 9: Americans Giving Up Golf?
Americans are unfortunately giving up golf. See some of the reasons. [Link]
Newsflash on why Americans are giving up golf: IT IS BECOMING TOO EXPENSIVE. You can’t spend a saturday and a sunday golfing because a cheap two rounds is still $100, and pushes to much higher than that in the majority of cases. Make the green fees affordable, and they will come.
Agreed on the cost, but more importantly to me is how loooooooong the rounds take. 5 hr rounds are becoming the rule, not the exception.
Goodbye bozos. . . leave GOLF and take your SLOW PLAY and LACK OF ETIQUETTE with you. A few less on the course is NOT bad news to me.
Another reason people give up the game is because there is about 1 out of 1 thousand teaching professionals that truly understand the swing. So it’s try this and try that for most new players they do not get better and quit going away thinking the swing is hard!!
Wie would be a good example when she first came out her swing was PERFECT her coach has her creating so many angles she has no clue where the ball is going.
I fully agree with Garrett (G-funk13), SLOW PLAY and LACK OF ETIQUETTE are killing the game. FIVE hours for a round of golf at my home course is a fast round these days. I have a young son at home and it is getting harder and harder to get away for a ‘quick’ 18 holes. It takes all day basically.
I see this as more of a correction – as the article shows, there was an explosion of interest in golf in the 90s that is now officially over, so things seem to be getting back to pre-1990 levels. I won’t be sad about fewer people on the course, but I wonder about the long-term consequences of the slump.