“Now you have to try the haggis, she’ll be insulted if you don’t,” my girlfriend cooed soothingly, as if that would make the ordeal any more bearable. Yes, it’s my favorite time of year again, the Open Championship: sparkling seaside links, brisk winds wreaking havoc on poorly played golf shots, the ground game back in vogue, and the...
ARDMORE, PA – As Merion and all its dryad loveliness, incomparable history, and ingenious golf architecture which perennially stands the test of time and technology fades into the mists of time for what may be the last time on the U.S. Open stage, we can’t help feeling somewhat deflated and underwhelmed. Of course we rousingly celebrate our newly-minted...
[Editor’s Note: While we wait for Cybergolf to run Jay’s wrap-up, here is his piece from Saturday. We include it in this position to keep continuity with the rest of the week’s work.] Philly Mick – Fan Fave Mickelson One Round From U.S. Open Title at Merion ARDMORE, PA – And now the golf world holds its collective breath. In his typical...
Dear Pat: Thank you for the gift of your new book “Rosapenna – Beyond his Lordship’s Wildest Dream,” which details your design work at the club. It was a surprise to get it in the mail unexpectedly, but a welcome one. Congratulations to you on your work there, and good luck going forward. I look forward to seeing Rosapenna when I visit the...
In the interest of transparency, I publish my yearly vote for Player of the Year and give the man a Jazzy as a bonus. With his record romp at the PGA Championship, his “oops I just made my tee time and beat the hottest golfer in America” Ryder Cup performance, and his double-whammy Road to Dubai/European Tour World Championship victory still ringing in...
“When something like this happens, the memory becomes completely black to you. You don’t remember a single shot,” said Tom Watson. The eight-time major champion was talking about his disheartening collapse at Turnberry in the 2009 Open Championship, but he might as well be describing the 2012 U.S. team which suffered the most historic collapse in...
They will represent Europe, but they will feel like they are on an island. When the Ryder Cup comes to Chicago with all its pomp, circumstance, and ethnocentrism, you can expect a rough ride for the European team. This year, all the momentum is with the American side. It’s Chicagoland, a fists-up, bare-knuckle, roughneck of a town perfectly reflected in long...
This year, it’s been a warm winter and a hot spring in more ways than just the weather report. The PGA Tour season has heated up like a microwave, with nearly every big name either winning outright or rounding into shape in time for the Masters. Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, Bill Haas, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Adam Scott and, yes, even Tiger...
The re-coronation of Tiger Woods will have to wait at least another week as unheralded World Number 117 Robert Rock fired a 2-under 70 en route to winning the Abu Dhabi Championship. An erratic Woods, who started the day tied with Rock, fired a sloppy level par 72 to finish two strokes back. Woods still has not won a full-field, regular season event since his...
If it’s the day after Thanksgiving, then it must be time for our annual Jazzy Awards to start the holiday season! As usual, we kick off with the Turkey of the Year, where we celebrate the ludicrous, lunatic lunkheads and lugnuts that have ruined the sports year. As always, we do this feature in conjunction with our buddy and colleague Tony Korologos of Hooked...
Though Rio 2016 and the International Golf Federation were expected today to possibly announce the finalists for the name of the architect selected to design the golf course for the 2016 Olympics, sources say that all 29 bids were preliminarily rejected and no announcement is forthcoming. Some of the biggest names in either golf or golf design, including Robert Trent...
Yesterday, the R&A announced what we already knew – The Old Course at St. Andrews will host the 2015 Open Championship. My guess is Royal Troon for 2016…it’s been absent since 2004 when Todd Hamilton bunted his way to victory over Ernie Els. Here are your future Open Championship (British Open) venues: 2012 – Royal Lytham & St...
After sending a twisting, long-distance, double breaking putt towards the cup, the PGA of America left itself with just a tap-in, so allow me to do the honors: the PGA Championship is not “Glory’s Last Shot,” but “Glory’s Best Shot.” Make that small change and watch the slogan catch fire like a hit song by U2. Nobody gives a...
It’s the Miguel Angel Jimenez workout routine, (cigar and stripper pole not included). As Steve Czaban would say, “This is wrong…very, very, wrong!!” It is also…wait for it…completely reedonkyoulous!!”
FOREST HILLS, NY – Golf is at a crossroads right now, but none of the issues it faces are as lethal as the scaremongers would have you believe. Sure rounds are down, costs are up, and American players haven’t won a major championship in six tries. Nevertheless, with a little patience, wisdom, and foresight, golf will do what it has always done best...