Tiger and the Media – Time to Cut Their Losses?

Is it time for an overhaul?

Thrash TalkA frosty relationship between Tiger Woods and the media is nothing new. Several times a week Tiger Woods walks up the microphone, does his best Bill Belichick impersonation, and spends 30 minutes speaking words devoid of meaning. He’s not a Michael Jordan (despite what Michael Lusetich of Fox would like you to believe), and if he wasn’t the undisputed best golfer of his generation, he would be much more comfortable being a Jonathan Byrd, the guy who only had to give an interview when he jumps out to a first-round lead before fizzling on the weekend.

I bring this up because recently, at his pre-Greenbrier press conference, Tiger called the golf media’s incessant “are you back, now?” line of questioning “a little annoying.” That sparked a small firestorm among media members because, well, they have been annoying. This is just the latest in a recent string of cold-shoulders given to the media by Tiger.

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My Thoughts on The Dan Plan

Dan is trying to become a professional golfer, does he have any chance?

Thrash TalkI was first turned on to the The Dan Plan by a friend of mine who is a member at the same club Dan has been using for his practice sessions. He did not provide me much detail so I looked him up on the web. He has a blog and a video diary which for the most part I have been keeping up to date on.

For those of you who don’t know Dan has given up his regular day job to test the theory that after 10,000 hours of deliberate practice one can achieve an elite level within that given activity. The 10,000 hour number came from Anders Ericsson and was then popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. Dan had never picked up a club prior to this endeavor and has aspirations of becoming a touring pro after 10,000 hours of dedicated practice.

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty One

The John Deere Birdie-fest, Bubba saves the day, and The Open Championship.

Hittin' the LinksIt was a birdie fest at the John Deere Classic this week. As usual the field had to take it low to compete. And what a shot by Zach Johnson Sunday afternoon to win the playoff. After tying the first hole with a pair of doubles, he almost makes a two out of the very same bunker he was in previously. Now the golf world will turn its attention to Lancashire, England for the third major of the year. I do not believe we will have quite the number of birdies this coming week.

Welcome to Hittin’ the Links. In this edition we combine a couple of weeks and begin with a look at an amazing young man, then look into Lee Westwood’s unlikely injury last week, and check out the official site of the Open Championship. Also, we investigate a golf program in India, find out how Bubba saved the day, and do a wrap-up of the last two week’s events. Read on!

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty

It’s number three for Tiger!

Hittin' the LinksWhile his major finishes have left a little to be desired so far this year, Tiger’s performances otherwise have been pretty good. He looked very much in control of his game this weekend as he won the tournament he hosts with a solid round on Sunday. I am telling you, it’s only a matter of time until he gets that 15th major.

Welcome to Hittin’ the Links, in this volume we begin with a name change, and then see who is doing their part for charity, and find out who is a badass. Also on tap, we look back at the spectator-less third round at the AT&T, look into some Ryder Cup assistants, and do a wrap-up of the weeks events. Read on!

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Who Introduced You to Golf?

There are many memories that all of us treasure, your introduction to golf is likely one you will never forget.

Thrash TalkFor many golfers, the answer to this question is their father. Likely your father was a semi-serious golfer who enjoyed the game and taught you to enjoy it as well. Of course there are many of you who like me had another family member do the introduction. For some, maybe it was a friend even a friend’s dad. Maybe you found the game on your own. Whoever it was, the day you finally beat that person is something that sticks in your memory bank forever.

My father didn’t play golf. My mother sold his clubs a few months after I was born and she told me she did it because he never used them. He came home one day from work and they were gone. To many of you this is an unforgivable sin, but my dad shrugged it off and later said she was right, he never used them. Much later on in my golfing career he joined me a few times for scramble events. He liked to play in scrambles because there was no pressure and he could enjoy himself. He did not swing much past his waist and did not hit it very far. Looking back, though, he was in his sixties and not doing much stretching at the time. He claimed he was a good putter, but I never actually saw that.

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Cleveland Golf Goes Classic With New Drivers, Irons, and Wedges

Cleveland Golf goes old school with retro looking drivers and the reintroduction of the 588 series of wedges.

Bag DropCleveland Golf has long been a company that many golfers have turned to, especially when it came to wedges. The original 588 wedge was regarded as one of the best ever made and many of those wedges stayed in the bags of their owners until there were no more grooves left on the face. Since the time of the original 588 many things have changed at Cleveland Golf, such as the namesake of the company, Roger Cleveland, moving over to Callaway Golf. During that time Cleveland has continued to make high quality clubs and have been very successful with the CG line of wedges as well as their jump into the world of super light drivers.

Now the company has brought back the 588 wedge as well as introduced new irons to go along with them. In addition to that, they have taken their drivers and given them a classic look.

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Five Stories from Olympic

Recapping the 112th U.S. Open.

Trap Five LogoAnother major championship is in the books and you know what that means. Another Lee Westwood backdoor top-10, another Tiger Woods weekend mini-meltdown, and another drunk lunatic hauled from the trophy presentation by Mike Davis.

The Lake Course at Olympic Club put up a pretty tough test, producing the highest winning score since Oakmont in 2007. In fact, if you look past Oakmont and Winged Foot (2006), Webb Simpson’s +1 would be the highest winning score since Andy North won at Cherry Hills in 1978. After Rory McIlroy took advantage of moisture en route to a -16 last year, firm and fast was the name of the game this year, especially from Thursday through Saturday. A thick layer of fog blanketed the course on Sunday, and though players could stop the ball a bit easier, some of them struggled to actually take advantage of that fact (Tiger Woods being the most obvious example).

Though the three golfers who were really in it late (Simpson, 54-hole leader Jim Furyk, and 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell) aren’t the most jovial cast of characters, the last few holes were some of the most exciting of the year. We got to see two golfers play the 18th hole, a hole that doesn’t require particularly high stakes to produce good television, needing a birdie. Three shots from 341 yards could have forced a playoff, but in the end Webb Simpson held them both off.

Here are five of the most interesting story-lines form the 2012 U.S. Open.

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Volume Three Hundred Nineteen

Hey you, hiding clubs in the bushes is against the rules!

Hittin' the LinksIt was a little steamy in Connecticut this week when play began at the Travelers Championship. High nineties with humidity over 50% wore out several players including Bubba Watson who admitted he was a tad tired during his second-round 71. Hot beats cold though as far as I am concerned; I hate playing golf in a parka.

In this edition of Hittin’ the Links we begin by looking at why 87 players made the cut at the Travelers Championship, then find out what made Hunter Mahan’s Sunday so special, and investigate what love’s got to do with it. Also, check out the caddy banned from the European Tour, see why Webb Simpson will be absent from the British Open, and do a wrap-up of the events from around the world. Read on!

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In the Zone… Whatever that Means

Professionals talk all the time about being in the zone, what does that really mean?

Thrash TalkIt always seems that when we hear a golfer talk about playing well they will sometimes say that they were “in the zone.” Sadly for me I can honestly say that when it comes to golf I have never been, “in the zone.” I think if there were a zone, for me to get in over the course of the 4+ hours it takes to play golf, I doubt I could stay in that zone for all 18 holes. This likely explains why I am such a lousy golfer.

We hear this description as sometimes an athlete describing the game slowing down so that they could see each action sometimes before it even happened. Or we often hear it described as the athlete getting out of their own way. I have heard golfers explaining that they could see the line of the putt before they hit it. Whatever your description, the funny thing about golf is that it rarely lasts for long. We may be able to play a few weeks or a few months well but that bad round is out there waiting for us on the horizon. We all know it. I heard it described by a friend of mine as “when you are playing bad you think it is never going to end, and when you are playing well you are just waiting for it to end.”

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