The 2006 Players Championship is behind us, and it’s time to get focused on The Masters. However, there are a lot of things to talk about after watching the crazy action at Sawgrass this past weekend. I watched every second of the television coverage on Saturday and Sunday, and it made me realize once again why The Players Championship is my favorite golf tournament in the world.
There were some feel-good stories, a great performance by a certain par-three, and a large amount of untimely bad shots played in the process. I want to talk about some of the positives and negatives I witnessed this past weekend. Therefore, I’m going to break down some of the key topics in The Players Championship aftermath, so hold on tight.
The third annual 
This is Season Two of the 460cc driver era. Nearly every major company has produced at least one – and up to three – drivers that have maxed out at the USGA/R&A arbitrary limitation of 460cc, plus or minus 10cc for manufacturing tolerances.
Spring is in the air here in Cleveland, OH… kind of. With an occasional dusting of snow here and there, I remain undaunted. The month of March and the blooming of my wife’s tulips point to a soon-to-be spring. Unfortunately for me, the misfortune of living in a climate where the ideal golfing weather takes a five month hiatus, I have grown rather rusty. Therefore, I have done a little research in hopes to get my body, mind and spirit back on the right track.
Stephen Ames managed to avoid a train wrecks all week long, never carding back-to-back bogeys. That’s more than Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, Camilo Villegas, Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, and Tiger Woods can say. He put on a clinic in the final round, staying steady under pressure and maintaining composure after a double-bogey on the 10th hole. He played with both skill and luck, the latter of which helped him enormously on the 16th hole when his ball took an unnerving bounce but wound up close enough to the pin for him to drain an eagle putt.
Greg Owen choked away a tournament at the 17th with a three-put from 40 inches, Sam Saunders may be the clup champion but he can’t play on the PGA Tour yet, and Fred Funk weighs in on Distance. Also this week, loud drivers, golf’s fifth major, making the 17th hole at the TPC of Sawgrass tougher, and some Tiger news – his dad, his putter, his interclub matches (the Tavistock Cup), and his Ryder Cup preparation. Plus, Tim Finchem gets a new contract. This and a whole lot more in this week’s Golf Talk Podcast.
If only the rest of us could pick golf up as fast as Kathy Whitworth did. She won the New Mexico State Amateur in 1957 and 1958, just a few short years after picking up a club for the first time. Her determination and natural ability put her on the fast track to success.
When it comes to the tee ball, TaylorMade leads, it does not follow. The 300 series driver was #1 on tour in 2000 and 2001 and TaylorMade followed with the successful r500. More recently the r5 and the r7 quad have been found worldwide in the bags of Tour professionals and amateurs alike.
It’s that time of year again. The Masters is right around the corner and it is never too early to start talking about the greatest golf tournament in the world.