Question of the Day

20 Seconds of Insane Courage in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Golf is a challenging game. It offers the opportunity to be great and all that is needed is 20 seconds of insane courage! I am not talking about trying to hit a shot that impossible (and I have tried believe me) but, to make that shot when the entire round is on the line!

Yes, it is difficult to know what to do, but you will know when the opportunity arises. It is a time to throw caution into the wind for the big prize! For me the that prize is breaking par or winning a tournament. That is my goal every time I play and through the years the opportunities were few, but memorable. Continue reading →

In or Out?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

A couple of days ago, I asked if you thought Mike C’s putt would go in or out! In case you forgot, here is the picture!

In or Out

Well congratulations to Vet and Josh for calling it. Mike C left it pin high on the left! It was quite close, but we decided he choked, but he thought he was robbed!

Frog 2 golf balls

Not the real picture, but Mike C missed on his left. The frog is just for fun!

Thanks to everyone for playing!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

What’s in Your Golf Bag?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 19 Comments

Before you start telling me about your clubs, that is a topic for another day. What I am interested in deals with what you carry while you play golf. I borrowed a set of clubs from a friend on my last trip to the UK (the clubs actually belonged to his son) and I had to take some things out just to lighten the load.

I was amazed to find 4 bottles of Gatorade in various stages of emptiness, two rain jackets, about 100 tees, an umbrella, and at least 4 dozen golf balls! Needless to say, the bag was considerably lighter once I removed all the non essential stuff. As this new season has started, I decided to check to see what I have in my golf back.

Well, I had one wind shirt, an umbrella (most of the time), 50 tees, and about 18 golf balls (in various states of use). If you think that is not too bad, I also found rain cold gloves although it is really warm, 7 divot repair tools and 10 ball markers. I also carry a brush to clean my clubs, a copy of the golf rules, two towels and a key chain with my favorite hockey team’s logo (a present from my daughter). 

In my car, I carry spare spikes, 2 dozen golf balls, rain suit, 2 spare sets of shoes, spare towels, sun screen, golf hats and sharpies for marking my golf balls. I guess I have turned my car into a traveling locker for golf.

I bet if you emptied your golf bag, you would be surprise at what you find. If you do decide to look into the dark crevasses of your golf bag, what is the oddest thing you think you will find? We all want to know!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links! 

Rory McIlroy – World’s Best Golfer

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

If anyone is wondering why Rory McIlroy is considered the world’s best golfer, I suggest you take a look at these shots!

The real question on all the golfing pundits mind is whether Rory McIlroy will have the staying power to remain atop of the golfing world!

There appears to be many flash in the pan players who on any day can win a golf tournament. Plus the competition from all the young guns like Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson is amazing. For now, he is the best, or is he? What do you think?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Pádraig Harrington – Do Not Count Anyone Out

/ The Grateful Golfer / 12 Comments
Last Appearance of the Duck! Going Back the UK this weekend!

Going Back to the UK!

Recently, I wrote about the ‘new normal’ in golf. Things are a changing and many of us golf fans are excited to see what is in-store for professional golf. I am convinced that 2015 is the year of the young golfer! These high-speed low-drag players have come into their own and are ready to show that they are ready for the big league!

Every time the conversation focuses on the young players, pundits, like myself, suggest that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson still have plenty of game left. They will not go away quietly and have the experience to understand that on any given weekend, anything can happen. But are these two aging superstars the only aging professionals worth mentioning?

What about players like Padraig Harrington? This 43 year-old veteran might be considered a journey man, but I am not sure he falls into that category. This is a great discussion for another time. Regardless, Harrington surprised the golfing world this year by winning The Honda Classic. Harrington has missed 5 cuts, finished T56, T75 and T73 in his starts before his huge win. Additionally, he missed the cut the very next week at the Valspar Championship.

If golfing experts were to check Harrington’s last three years on the PGA Tour, they would suggest that it was time for him to fade away into the sunset. Before his win at The Honda Classic, Harrington was rated 297th in the world; after the win, he jumped to 82nd, and now sits at 80th. His win has changed his golfing financial future because he will be able to keep his card for the foreseeable future.

Should we really be surprised that Harrington won a PGA Tour tournament in 2015? He is a 3-time Major champion (The Open 2007, 2008 and PGA Championship 2008), PGA Player of the Year (2008), PGA Tour Player of the Year (2008), European Tour Order of Merit (2006) and has 35 wins worldwide! So I ask again, Should we really be surprised that Harrington won a PGA Tournament in 2015?

Many armchair experts would still say ‘yes’, the stats show that Harrington’s win at The Honda Classic was a fluke! I suggest that it was unanticipated, but not really surprising! Harrington winning is not any more surprising that Nick Taylor winning for the first time at the Sanderson Farms Championship in November 2014. The only difference is that Harrington has a proven track record and knows how to handle the press of a Sunday afternoon.

It may sound like I am contradicting myself, but actually I am not. I do believe that the young players are taking over professional golf. But, it would not be wise to count out all the veterans, every week. As Padraig Harrington proved, in professional golf – Do Not Count Anyone Out!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!