Belly Putters

Rumblings by players on the PGA Tour calling for a ban on the belly putter.

Over the past few months there have been rumblings by players on the PGA Tour calling for a ban on the belly putter.

The USGA doesn’t want any part of this issue, and The Rules Committee of the R&A indicated earlier this year that they won’t bring in any further changes to the game until 2007. I, for one, still can’t shake the perception that belly putters are for old guys who have bad backs.

I can understand why some players want to make the belly putter a thing of the past. The claim that these putters provide a stabilizing effect is a very strong argument, but just look at the statistics. Other than the PGA Tour’s leading money-winner, Vijay Singh, none of the top pros use them. So, unless Bernhard Langer starts breaking scoring records, and ripping up the PGA Tour, I believe it’s an argument better saved until ’07.

The European Ryder Cup Team

Bernhard Langer adds Montgomerie and Donald to his Ryder Cup team.

Bernhard Langer has his Ryder Cup team. Qualifying on their own:

  1. Padraig Harrington
  2. Sergio Garcia
  3. Darren Clarke
  4. Miguel Angel Jimenez
  5. Lee Westwood
  6. Thomas Levet
  7. Paul Casey
  8. David Howell
  9. Paul McGinley
  10. Ian Poulter

Bernhard then chose something old

  1. Colin Montgomerie

and something new

  1. Luke Donald

to round out his 2004 Ryder Cup Team.

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Commercials at the Masters… Again

Commercials are returning to the Masters.

The Masters, which became the first commercial-free major sporting event, is returning to the “old way” of doing things: four minutes of commercials per hour from ExxonMobil, IBM, and SBC Communications. Augusta National Golf Club chairman William “Hootie” Johnson has added 90 minutes of TV coverage to offset the commercials.

Many are disappointed with this move. Me? I’m just happy to have some bathroom and refrigerator breaks built in again. 🙂

The Tadalafil Open

The Western Open has a new title sponsor… a sexual potency drug.

It’s hip to say that sports has “sold-out” in the name of the almighty dollar, but the Cialis® (tadalafil) Western Open has done just that.

The oldest non-major tournament on the PGA tour, with esteemed past champions that include Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Tiger Woods is title-sponsored by a sexual potency drug. I can just hear it now: “Son, I remember Tiger winning The Masters, The US Open and three Cialis Western Opens.” Very Nice.

Apparently, The PGA Tour was hurting pretty badly for sponsors, and the only taboos are “hard alcohol and tobacco” companies. Why? How is the Baccardi Western Open worse than the Cialis Western Open? It’s not, but money talks, and the world keeps spinning.

Welcome!

Welcome to The Sand Trap .com!

Welcome to The Sand Trap .com. We hope to become the premier golf blog – short for “web log” – in the universe! Planet? Country? State? How about town? This is the first entry, and is primarily being created simply to test some things out.

Sit back and enjoy. We’ll be building up our content soon.