Sunday, January 30, 2011

These Guys Are Good

Phil Michelson has Bones pull the stick on 18, just in case. When I am hitting a ball in from more than a hundred yards out, I just hope to get it close enough to avoid a four putt.
The Farmers tournament was really good this year and with no football, unless you call the pro bowl later, football, I hope the ratings were good.
Good to see David Duval, Tiger and John Daly hitting a few good shots and staying around for the weekend.
Nice to see Bubba Watson win again, remember the famous quote, when a very young Jack Nicklaus won the 1965 Master's? Golf legend Bobby Jones said he “was playing a game with which I am not familiar.” That is the game Bubba plays, but he seems like a great guy and is fun to watch.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Sorry Padraig --We Caught Ya

For the second time this year a professional golfer has been disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. After a viewer emailed in a rules violation by Padraig Harrington he became this years number two. Seems his ball may have moved a full dimple, or even a dimple and a half. This was determined after careful slow motion study of Padraig bumping his ball as he picked up his marker.

He said all the right things about the rules and the disqualification later, but I bet he was steamed. All of the sudden viewers think this is the home shopping network and they are supposed to call in.

I love golf but do not believe we should have turned the game over to television snitches. By the way if I could just move my ball a dimple and a half closer once in a while, I believe I could go to the tour – from my double digit handicap now.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Golf and Snow

We have snow and cold here but the PGA is off and running in Hawaii. Love watching golf this time of year. Can’t play golf in the snow, so watching on TV is the next best thing-

“I never did see the sense in keeping my head down. The only reason I play golf is to see where the ball goes.”
Charles Price Golfer-at-Large (1982)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Bridgestone, Davis Love III, and Me

I see Davis Love is switching to Bridgestone balls. I believe he has been a Titlist guy for his entire career. Bridgestone has done a great marketing job moving from tires to golf and being accepted in both areas. We all know that players get big bucks to play certain balls and clubs and even to wear their shirts. But not a single pro would use anything that would make their game worse.
I have played Bridgestone balls for two years—I like them. I play the RX –i.e., the old guy ball. I have found it to be soft and long, at least for me.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Viewer Call In Golf

So here we go again a viewer calls in a violation and Camilo Villegas is gone from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Villegas was chipping up a steep slope to the 15th green and twice the ball rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted (Craig Stadler and John Daly style) away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot while the ball was still rolling down the side hill.

That is a violation of Rule 23-1, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty was two shots. Villegas had already signed his card which disqualified him for signing what was now an incorrect score card.

Well, all is not lost, Camilo still got $50,000 plus for his day of golf.

Ever wonder what would happen if we started calling in basketball, football and baseball rules violations the officials missed? Sometimes the penalty seems a bit harsh for the violation. But that’s just me speaking.

-Enjoy the golf-

Monday, January 3, 2011

More Golf Now

If you just cannot get enough golf, the golf channel’s new morning show is just what you need. Just premiered, I think today, on the Golf Channel.
Morning Drive will show every weekday for two hours starting at seven A.M. Eastern Time. For those of us not living in Eastern we will have to figure it out all by ourselves.
The show host’s (Regis and Kelly of the Golf World) are Erik Kuselias and Gary Williams and will be talking everything golf every weekday. I will give it a try, but not until summer when I am in the real golf mode.