Rory McIlroy is one of the young lions in golf. He has all the tools to be one of the best players every, however I am not convinced he is ready or even wants to stay at the top of the golfing world all the time. Unlike Tiger Woods, Rory’s burning desire to be the best, all the time, ebbs and flows.
Before you start yelling at your computer and writing a blazing retort, read a bit further to see where I am heading. Continue reading
Golf is all about economics. Despite what any golfer thinks, if the golf industry is not making money, there will be no golf industry. Of course, the consumer (us) thinks they have a great deal of influence, yet I am not entirely sure this is true. Over the years I have read many articles about “rabbit hole” issues that are the symptoms of my opening statement, but if you peel away the layers like an onion, money is the at the core.
The issue of Jason Day’s comment that he plays golf to win and he will use whatever routine he needs to make that happen is at the forefront of the recent media hype on slow play. Considered one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour, Day can be extremely tiresome to watch. But yet, there we sit living vicariously through his long drives and smooth chips. Golf pundits have wailed on the PGA and European Tours for being ineffective to change this issue and still nothing really changes! Why, because the revenue gained from TV sponsors regardless of the pace of play outweighs the efforts needed to fix the slow play issue. It is all about economics.
According to TigerWoods.com just over a month ago, Tiger Woods announced he would be returning to competitive golf. “……he hopes to play in the Safeway Open, Oct. 13-16, at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California. Woods also intends to compete in the Turkish Airlines Open, Nov. 3-6, in Antalya, Turkey, and the Tiger Woods Foundation-run Hero World Challenge, Dec. 1-4, at Albany in the Bahamas. He will participate in the Tiger Woods Invitational presented by USLI, Oct. 10-11, on the Monterey Peninsula.
Jesper Parnevik says that Tiger is ready and is “flushing” the ball during practice. Parnevik also indicated that Woods is ready to play competitively. Having not played at the élite level since 2015 at the Wyndham Championship, it is difficult to judge if he is actually ready. Regardless, the golfing world is anxiously waiting for Woods return next weekend at the Safeway Open. Are you? Continue reading
With the 10 million dollars on the line this weekend at the Tour Championship, the remaining 30 players are excited to tee it up at East Lake GC, Atlanta. I have said earlier that I am not overly excited about the FedEx Cup and that has not changed. I do, however, enjoy trying to pick the champion each week in my fantasy leagues.
I am in 4 leagues, but late entry has basically eliminated me from any potential winnings. To date, I have picked only one winner with a couple of second places. My lack of success this year has not quelled my continued efforts to succeed.
I enjoy watching Dustin Johnson, Jason Day or Jordan Spieth crush the ball off the tee. Something about seeing a tiny white sphere rocket through the air with bullet like speed is mind-boggling. Yet, as we revel over the distances many professional and amateurs have gained over the past 20 years, golf remains a game of inches!
Regardless of where a player is on the course, an inch in any direction can turn a poor shot into an awesome one. Receiving a ‘member’s bounce’ or feeling utterly disappointed boils down to inches. The real challenge for most players is to understand how to maximize these inches and still crush the ball 300 yards! Continue reading
The Grateful Golfer 