JOHNS CREEK, GA – The fat lady was wasn’t just warming up, she was right there on the side of the stage, waiting for her cue to swoop on stage like a galleon in full sail, sing us all to sleep, and bring a merciful end to what was until then a dreadfully dull 93rd PGA Championship. Then (thankfully!) first-time major competitor Keegan Bradley dropped a...
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Just how famous was Robert Trent Jones, Sr. for making Hell out of a professional golfer’s day? There’s a great story about old pro golfer Jimmy Demaret teasing Trent when he ran into him at a golf course. He put his arm around Trent’s shoulder and said, “Hey Trent! I saw a golf course you’d love. You stand on the...
JOHNS CREEK, GA – “When Tiger Woods wins at Bethpage, or Phil Mickelson wins at Baltusrol, that’s the result we’re trying to achieve. The best player should rise to the top.” So spoke the stentorian tones of Rees Jones in a June interview with golf writer John Garrity. Now Rees Jones, the self-described “Open Doctor,” is in...
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Wave that flag, wave it wide and high! Americans covered the leaderboard on day one of the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club with an avalanche of stars and stripes, including a record-tying performance PGA Tour uber-nice guy Steve Stricker. The affable Stricker, Wisconsin’s favorite son but loved by all the golf world scorched...
A few quick bits of news and notes: 1. Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post takes Tiger to task by analyzing his back-tracking quotes and disingenuous talking points in this article. From the piece: “The only thing more curious than Tiger Woods’ decision to have his alleged sex scandal accomplice buddy on his bag at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this...
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...
My golf State of the Union Address is up at Cybergolf. Just one thing – you’ll need this photo, tweeted by none other than Rory McIlroy himself. From the article: “As for our drought in the majors, remember I said this: an American will win in Atlanta. The PGA Championship set-up usually invites everybody to the party. You don’t have the...
The self-immolation of Tiger Woods continues apace with no signs of slowing down. First, Woods announced today that he fired Steve Williams, who some in the media derided as his “bag ape” and which seemed to fit in certain instances, not the least of which was his throwing a photographer’s camera in a lake. Moreover, CBS’ Steve Elling had a...
So this is what Darren Clarke does for an encore. The last time we saw Clarke, he was riding off into the sunset after leading the 2006 European Ryder Cup team to victory. Only a few short months after the death of his wife Heather, a breast cancer victim, there he was going 3-0, inspiring everyone around him, European and American alike. It was a virtuoso...
Thanks to Jeff for handling the heavy lifting while I take the weekend off. Back soon with my own British Open recap, my PGA Championship preview, and more. Until then – here’s Jeff on the 3rd round of the Open Championship.
Although it’s certainly early days to be picking a winner for any Sports Book of the Year Awards, golf writer Adam Schupak stands a terrific chance of having to clear out space in his trophy case for some end of the year hardware. His his excellent new book “Deane Beman – Golf’s Driving Force” – a detailed review of the monumental...
Hat tip to Ryan Ballengee for catching this story about HGH Doctor Henry Galea of the “blood spinning technique” entering into a plea deal. Galea, a known commodity among PED and steroid cheats, treated Woods with mysterious knee injection treatments which PGA Tour Commissioner Timid Tim Finchem refuses to investigate. From the article: “Woods has...
BETHESDA, MD – The lightning blinded the eyes of all the spectators with its burnished reflection of the sun off the shaft of Rory McIlroy’s hybrid. We first heard the “Thwack!” as the clubface spoke its single word, and then the golf ball soared skyward, waving to Snoopy 2 as it cruised by on its way to the 10th green at Congressional Country...