2009...

Just a quick post to highlight a new blog that I have decided to add starting in 2009. My intention is to use it to feature a different golf-related site each day of 2009. This will include other golf blogs, network sites like The Golf Channel, golf practice, tech and fitness sites, some of my favorite golf podcasts or maybe even golf stores at times. Anyway, I have added a link to my blogroll and I will probably post a reminder at the beginning of the year. For the time being, be looking for a "beta" version of Golf Site a Day on this very site in a couple of days, as I am working up a review of a great new site I have discovered called Wonder How to Golf.

Stay tuned...

Faldo FTW

I just wanted to give quick props to Nick Faldo for his handling of the European Ryder Cup loss last weekend. He was very gracious after the loss, even though you could see it was killing him behind those cool Adidas shades he was wearing. Top that with all the criticism he has been receiving across the pond, yet he still shows up and does his job graciously and professionally on the five hour block of Golf Channel coverage of the Tour Championship yesterday. It had to be eating him alive to have to hear the constant comments and questions from his partner Kelly Tilghman, as she constantly referred back to last week's events. That's no knock on Kelly. It's her job, and she would have done the same in any other week.

I always thought Faldo was a class act, and this week has only solidified my opinion.

Gator Cup, 5-4

So my team ended up losing the inaugural Gator Cup this weekend, 5-4. It was quite competitive though, moreso than I thought it would be. It actually came down to the approach shots of the final match of the final day to find out if we were at least going to tie, in which case I had planned on having a chip-off to determine the winners.

In a way though I was glad to see a clear winner crowned. I was thinking as I was watching my partner hit his approach into 18 that it would be a shame to decide it with a chip-off, considering the battle both teams had gone through for the past 3 days. It was fitting that there was a winner crowned, and I think anyway that a good time was had by all.

We have already started planning next year's rematch, with others giving input into how they think the matches, rules and so forth should be tweaked to make it even better for next year. In my eyes, that's a clear sign that everyone had a good time with the whole experience, because they are already excited about next year's rematch. I for one can't wait.

I wonder if I can get Boo Weekley to show up and play for my team?

Anthony Kim

Cup debut means more to Kim than Tour titles

I have to say, I'm liking this kid's action more and more every day. I understand that he's got one of those 'like him or hate him' personalities, but these days with Tiger's dominance, I have to give props to anyone who comes out and shows that they are actually hungry to win, rather than just make a living. His comment in the BMW a couple of weeks ago only solidified him as a player in my book... "well, I'm not playing for second."

That attitude will serve him well, in my opinion.

And the guy he was chasing, Camilo Villegas, seems to be the same kind of player. Again, he's one of those 'like him or not' kind of guys, and he obviously thinks a lot of himself, but I think that's the attitude you have to have on the modern tour... if you're going to win that is.

I like both of these kids, and I hope to see more just like them in the future. Competition for Tiger can only be good for the game in the long run.

News Conferences

I suppose in a way the Ryder Cup starts today, albeit not officially. News conferences start today, for most of the afternoon both today and tomorrow, and although I have my DVR set to record them, I have a feeling I will be skimming through most of the coverage, as I will quickly realize that all I'm going to hear is the same five points over the roughly five hours of coverage. Those points being:

- Phil absolutely must play well, and hopefully his pairing with Anthony Kim will inject a little life into his game (but the fact that Phil doesn't play well is not because he doesn't want to be here, because he loves the Ryder Cup, even though everyone knows he doesn't).

- The Europeans need to find someone for Lee Westwood to get drunk with because Faldo was dumb enough not to take Darren Clarke as a Captain's pick.

- The US Team absolutely has to win this year, but there's no pressure on them at all and no one understands why they play "not to lose".

- Azinger set the course up for our long hitters, because even though we should win because we are more talented individually, we are the underdogs because we can't keep a drive on the golf course.

- J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley are just "good ole country boys" and everyone gets a kick out of them, especially Boo.

Day 1 Results

In reference to my earlier post about our Ryder Cup style match, Day 1 was yesterday, and I thought I would post results.

Yesterday was 9 holes scramble, and 9 holes better ball, 1 point available in each match. We were playing in windy conditions, so I thought some of the group might want to delay the match until another day. But everyone was game, stating that it was fair for one and all.

The front nine match was a barn-burner, with the lead passing back and forth between teams all morning. In the end, our team managed to win the eighth hole to go 1 up, and we were conceded the ninth for a 2 up win on the front.

At this point I was extremely happy, as my only goal for the entire matches was not to get swept.

On the back, we started out strong, with me winning the 10th hole and my partner winning the 11th. My partner had a 4 footer on the 12th to go three up, but it broke off the world and he missed. At that point, I totally left the game for about three holes. I couldn't get a drive to stay on the course. I put a lot of pressure on my teammate, and we subsequently found ourselves 1 down going into the 16th hole. At that point the wind started kicking up like crazy, and both teams were fighting for their lives for the last three holes. We managed to win the 17th to bring the match back to even, but they won the last for a 1 up victory and a point in match two.

So after Day 1, the matches stand tied at 1-1.

Wind Damage at Valhalla

Wind Damages Ryder Cup Site

Looks like there's been a little shake-up at Valhalla even before the beginning of the festivities this week. I have to say, I live in Kentucky, played golf yesterday, and it was brutal conditions. Anyone with half a brain would have stayed home, but I've never been accused of having that attribute. Most of Louisville is apparently without power today. I hope everyone is okay and hope that the Ryder Cup goes on without a hitch.

Cup

Okay, I will freely admit that I've not gotten a lot done at work today, because I have been working on a Ryder Cup style match for my regular weekly foursome.

I'm really excited to spring it on my playing partners Sunday, even though I know my team won't have a chance in Hades on winning. I have ordered trophies to be presented to the winners so that they may display it proudly for the next year as "bragging rights". I plan on this being a yearly event in which the trophies are traded back and forth between winners. I have pretty much conceded this inaugural event to our opponents, but with the knowledge that in the coming seasons, my partner, who is a beginner, will improve exponentially. He's already shown marked improvement this season, so I am already looking forward to next year.

I know no one who reads this probably cares, but I am very excited about this little match I have devised, and had to write about it. More as the competition develops...

Why Can't the US Win?

I saw an interesting special on the Golf Channel last night, a 30 minute examination of the past several Ryder Cups which should have been titled, "Why Doesn't the US Dominate Like They Are Supposed To?"

Probably my favorite part of the program were the interviews with the Captains, and with Paul Azinger in particular. He addressed the comments that the US doesn't seem to have fun and gel as a team. He essentially says it's not because they are individuals and don't know how to play as a team, it's simply because they have not been winning. It's the chicken and egg thing. A lot of people think we are not winning because we don't have fun, but Azinger says we don't seem to have fun because we're not winning. It's a valid argument and one that I happen to agree with.

The sad thing is, if Europe ends up winning, Azinger's methods and opinions will probably be thrown out with the trash, just like Hal Sutton's pairing of Tiger and Phil in his year as Captain. Tiger and Phil will likely never be paired again, simply because it didn't work the one time. I think I've posted here before that I think the pairing didn't work because both weren't playing well at the time, Phil in particular. It wasn't because they don't like each other. They might well hate each other, I don't know, but they are both professionals and I guarantee you both of them wanted to win just as much as their opponents.

I hope Jack Nicklaus finds his way back to Captain again in either the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup. He's the only one I can think of who would have the guts to pair the two together again. And he would be able to put them out there with the right attitude, that at the end of the day, it's just a competition and win or lose, it's not the end of the world.

The Evil of Golf

Why is it that you can be playing your best one minute, and the next you play as if you've never touched a club?

That's what happened to me yesterday, and what's been happening to me for the past couple of weeks actually. I had a round going, it wasn't a great one, but I managed to hold it together for 15 holes. My driving and putting was off all day. I had given up par to bogey on more holes than I could count, but I was holding it together. But I reached #16 tee and all of a sudden I couldn't put club to ball. It was disasterous. I felt like I was 14 again and had just picked up a golf club for the first time.

It all started on #3 actually. I played the first two holes pretty well, and found myself behind some trees on the right side of the fairway on the par 5. I had a shot over the trees, which would have allowed me a realistic chance to get on the green in regulation, or I could have chipped out safely and taken probably a couple more to get on the green safely. I would have had a decent shot at par, and probably an easy bogey. I had picked up a couple of shots on my competitors on the first two holes though, so I decided to take my shot over the trees. I took an eight on the hole, and from that point on my game was in shambles.

I can't say that hole stayed with me mentally the whole rest of the round. I didn't consciously think about it. But once the round was over and I had lost, thinking back at my day, I could trace the wheels coming off to that one moment when I decided to go over the trees instead of taking the safe chip-out.

Golf is an evil game, but the evil comes straight from our minds. It's not the game's fault. It's not our equipment's fault. It's not our playing partner's fault. At the end of the day, it's our fault and ours alone.

Back Into It

Obviously I've not posted in a long, long time. I don't really have much of an excuse, other than life has been getting in my way these past months. I am going to make an effort to post on a much more regular basis from now on, hopefully a couple of times a week or more. I can't promise anything, but that is my intention.

The Masters

I must admit, I've not been following the world of professional golf as much as usual so far this season.  I've had a lot of other stuff going on, and truthfully, I'm just lazy like that.  At any rate, with the Masters coming up next week, and with it being my most favoritest major championship, I can't let it slide by without throwing up a few observations.

Unfortunately this will be the first major tournament in a long time without Davis Love III in attendance.  I must admit, earlier in his career (and earlier in my maturity level) I didn't like Davis a lot.  I think it was because he was just one of those guys who unfortunately don't exhibit a lot of personality out there.  In my earlier days of growing up with folks like Greg Norman to admire, Davis rubbed me the wrong way.  I have since learned to like and admire Davis and wish that he would be in the field this week.

I don't know what's going on with Phil Mickelson this season.  Sure, he's playing well, but not well enough.  He's not playing like the superstar that he is, but just as a Regular Joe tour player who has a very good chance of winning in any given week.  This is one major difference between Tiger and players like Phil, Vijay and Ernie.  Everyone but Tiger seems to go through lulls in their season.  Tiger is a superstar 100% of the time.

I predict Tiger to win, but I also predict good weeks from Steve Stricker and Fred Couples.  Both have been playing well, and Freddie loves Augusta.  And with Stricker's good tee-to-green game and excellent putting, I don't see any way he can have a bad week.  He might not win, but I don't think he will shoot himself out of it either.

That's all I've got for now.  Hopefully more updates to come...

Tiger's Achilles?

I've been thinking about the Presidents Cup matches and have come to a startling conclusion, one that might shake the very foundations of golf. First I will submit my evidence:

• September, 2004 - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are romped in their only appearance as teammates in Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup competition.
• February, 2005 - Tiger is beaten by Nick O'Hern in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
• February, 2007 - Tiger again falls to O'Hern in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, this time in the third round. O'Hern is annointed a 'Tiger Killer'.
• September, 2007 - Even though the US Team gets the victory, Tiger is beaten by Canadian Mike Weir in the Sunday singles matches.

Conclusion: Tiger doesn't gel with lefties when walking the same fairways in match play competition, whether as part of their team or against them. So take note of this, European and International Teams. The next time you have a competition coming up, burn one of your Captain's Picks on some left-handed dude who just won a club championship of you have to. Tiger can't beat them.

The Cup

With the Presidents Cup starting this week, as a US Team fan I have to wonder which team will show up this time. The US has a fairly good record in this particular exhibition, as opposed to their recent Ryder Cup meltdowns, but the fact remains that one just doesn't know which version of what is essentially a Jekyll/Hyde US Team will show up. And with the rise in confidence of International talent like Rory Sabbatini, Geoff Ogilvy and K.J. Choi over the past two years, and as well as they are playing right now, I can't help but feel we're in for a dogfight this time around. One thing's for sure, I want to see Sabbatini and Tiger square off in at least one match this week. Whether it be individually or as a team, I want them to play the same holes at the same time.

We Have a Winner

Looks like Tiger pretty much ran away with the inaugural FedEx Cup trophy. I mean seriously, was the really ever any doubt? I bet Tim Finchem and the Tour have been drunk for the past 2 days. I mean, what better way to "validate" your new baby than having the #1 Player in the world win it the first time out. I mean, it's great isn't it? Tiger wins, some other big names were in the hunt, they got a showdown of sorts between Tiger and Phil, new stars were born, and oh yeah, Tiger won. Seriously, with all the criticism the format has taken this past year, I can't think of a better outcome for the Tour and its fans. I really believe this thing can only get better from here. If they can figure out a way to tweak this thing just right so that the big names aren't basically making political, back-door deals to blackmail each other into playing in this thing, and actually get them interested in competing in it, it will be huge. I enjoyed watching the entire playoff series a huge amount more than I thought I would.

Next stop, Presidents Cup.

Does Solheim Beat Ryder?

As I sit here writing this post, Solheim Cup, Day 2 is in progress in Sweden. Well, maybe not. I don't know about the time difference and all. Annika might be kicked back eating dinner right now and what I'm seeing is on tape delay. But here's my point: I am watching the Solheim Cup, and I might be enjoying it a lot more than I will be enjoying the Presidents Cup in a couple of weeks. Why? I don't know for sure, but my sense is that I am impressed with how much these girls want it. The US Team, over the last two Cups, have given me the impression that I get from the European Team in the Ryder Cup matches. They appear to truly enjoy being there and really want to win for their country and for their own pride's sake. That's what the Men's US Team needs. I don't care who plays in the events. I don't care if Tiger and Phil stay home and play with their kids. I want 12 guys on our team who want to be there and want to win. If nothing else, I will get three days of seeing emotion, instead of the same stone faces that have become prevalent in the past several Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup matches.

Trying To Get Back Into It

So not a lot has been happening in my life since my last post way yonder back in June. I'm going to try to make a huge effort to start updating all of my blogs on a regular basis again. I can't guarantee anything, because I am a lazy slob by nature, but I am going to try to hold myself to at least 2 updates per week for each site. I don't have any type of schedule worked out or anything, as in "update Tech.rub on Monday/Wednesday and Rub Of The Green on Tuesday/Thursday", but maybe I should, and maybe I will. For now though, I'm just working on "twice a week, whenever the urge hits me and there's something significant to talk about". We'll see how that works for now.

FedEx Cup Opinion

I know a lot has been said about the FedEx Cup, its limitations and its flaws, but I have to admit, these last four tournaments have had me, for lack of a better term, "glued to my seat". I don't really have any excuse other than I just have this feeling as I'm watching that these tournaments somehow mean "more" than normal season-ending events. Heck, I hadn't even been watching the Tour Championship for the past couple of years, but somehow this season it seems like it's more prestigious than before. Have I fallen for what Finchem and Co. have put down; am I drinking the Kool-Aid on this?

Perhaps, but at the same time, who cares? If this little move accomplishes getting me more interested in post-major TV golf, and I enjoy what I'm seeing, what does it matter if I'm getting taken in by all the hype? It's like someone giving you a fake diet pill. If it's fake, but it does the job you want it to do even though it's all in your mind, who cares?

I know if they manage to stay with this thing, it will get better and better as the seasons go by. I don't know right now, if it weren't to be tweaked a little, if it would accomplish making the big guns play together more throughout the season and in the playoffs, but I think at the very least, based on what I'm seeing now, it has potential. And that's really all you can ask for something like this in its first season.

So How Did I Do?

Not too well, it seems.  Let's check.

• Mickelson misses the cut - I got this one, but only because of a birdie on the last hole by the eventual winner.
• Tiger doesn't finish in the top 20 - Wrong on this one.  Although you would think he would have finished out of the top 20, since he obviously must have had his daughter's impending birth on his mind.
• Johnny Miller pisses somebody else off on camera - Not sure if I got this one or not.  I'm going to give myself a point on this one, because I'm sure he ticked someone off.
• Someone shoots 88 and doesn't withdraw before finishing their round - I haven't checked this one either, but I bet I was close.
• Mark Rolfing makes me sick at least once a day because of his unquestioning devotion to Tiger Woods - I was wrong on this one.  I don't remember him doing too bad this time.
• Jim Furyk finishes in the top five and Sergio Garcia misses the cut - Right with both of these.
• Padraig Harrington is the top European finisher - Wrong here.
• Adam Scott wins - Majorly wrong on this one.  Scott didn't even make the cut.

So I was roughly 4/9, if you count the Furyk and Sergio predictions as one each.  And I might be 5/9 if the "88" prediction is true.

U.S. Open Predictions

Just a few predictions before the Open starts tomorrow:

1. Mickelson misses the cut. For anyone who reads this site, you know this one hurts me. I'm a big Mickelson fan, but I just worry about his wrist. And not so much that I think it's really that bad, but I know from recent experience how concern of an injury can haunt your mind and mess with your game. I say Phil gets in the rough one too many times and the fear of hurting his wrist more gets into his head and causes him to waste more strokes than usual. They say the rough is a 1/2 shot penalty. For Phil this week, I think it will be almost a full shot.
2. Tiger doesn't finish in the top 20. It all depends on his putter. If he's got it going, it takes a lot of stress off his tee-to-green game and it's lights out. But based on his putting in his past couple of events, and the difficulty of the Oakmont greens, I put him outside of the top 20.
3. Johnny Miller pisses somebody else off on camera. This is pretty much a no-brainer. I watched his "Open & Honest" interview on the Golf Channel last night. I like the guy and agree with a huge amount of what he says. I think the guys just don't like to hear the brutal truth sometimes. But I also think he says things sometimes just for effect.
4. Someone gets on the verge of shooting 88 or worse and doesn't withdraw before finishing their round. That's all I've got to say about that.
5. Mark Rolfing makes me sick at least once a day because of his unquestioning devotion to Tiger Woods. Seriously, is it just me, or is this guy the biggest Tiger fan in the business? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
6. Jim Furyk finishes in the top five and Sergio Garcia misses the cut. My Furyk prediction comes down to consistency. Sergio's prediction comes down to putting.
7. Padraig Harrington is the top European finisher.
8. Adam Scott wins. This is a difficult one as well for me. I predicted Scott to win the Open about 3 weeks ago, and I'm going to stick with my pick, simply because I'm stubborn. I'm not happy at all with his finishes the past couple of weeks, especially with his putting, so it's nuts to pick him based on my analysis above of Tiger's chances this week (because of putting), but I'm going to stick with my gut feeling from a few weeks back. I think Scott is "right there" as they say. If he can hold it together for 72 holes, he's got just as good a chance as anyone, in my opinion.