There are only a handful of golfers playing today who can compete consistently with the Tiger Woods of 2012; none can compete with the Tiger Woods of 2000. Nobody else has won as many PGA tour events in 2012 as Tiger Woods: three. That being said, in grand slam events this year Tiger has adopted an old high jump maneuver perfected by Dick Fosbury in the 1970's, the Fosbury flop. He could be a leader or a co-leader on Friday or Saturday when he implements the Tiger Flop. Drives grow erratic, second shots grow inaccurate, or putts grow nervous. In the British Open last month, he challenged a pot bunker and lost.
Regardless of the way he stumbles, Tiger is consistent in his spectacular falls, his epic fails. Will he reach Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major championships? Don't count him out yet. But in the tournament in which this reporter thought he had the best chance this year of capturing a major, Woods is following form again. Starting in the last pairing on Saturday with one of his least favorite golfers on the tour (and vice versa) Vijay Singh, Tiger had anti-crafted a three over par round through seven holes when the weather warning sirens sounded, and play stopped for the day.
In contrast, Singh played two under par through the same seven holes and is tied for the lead heading into Sunday with Rory McIlroy, who was four under par through nine holes of play. What's worse, CBS broadcasters were claiming that the front nine were the easy scoring holes. What does that foretell for Tiger? He did catch a break with the early halt to Saturday play.
How big a choke is the latest version of the Tiger Flop? Of the top 34 on the leaderboard, only Blake Adams had as bad a day, and you could argue it was not as bad, for Adams was three over through ten holes.
What other golfers "flopped" at Kiawah Island in South Carolina? Sergio Garcia, U. S. Open champ Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, and Brandt Snedecker missed the cut. World number one Luke Donald is tied for 65th at eight over par, British Open champ Ernie Els is tied for 43rd at four over par, and Louis Oosthuizen is tied for 35th at three over par.
Bubba Watson is three shots worse than Tiger, while Phil Mickelson and defending PGA champ Keegan Bradley are two shots worse than Tiger.
Still, it will be difficult now for Tiger to pass other great players above him on the leaderboard. Graeme McDowell and Steve Stricker are one shot up on Mr. Woods, Adam Scott is four shots better, and Rory and Vijay are five shots up.
What's in Tiger's favor? He has 29 more holes to play. Who would bet on Tiger now, after seeing his steady slide on Saturday? Almost nobody.
Could Singh at age 49 pull it out? Yes. More likely, however, would be McIlroy capturing his second major or Scott his first. Even rotund Carl Pettersson could pull it out.
Of the Americans, Stricker has to be the favorite. Why? Why not Tiger Woods? It's not the year 2000 anymore. Mr. Nicklaus, get ready to crack open another bottle of champagne when the Wanamaker Trophy is awarded.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Summer Olympics 2012 at Halfway Mark: Highlights, Lowlights, and General Impressions
The Olympics roll on in London and surrounding sites, and by now it should be obvious that the security "glitch" which resulted in actual British military troops being re-assigned to guard the games was a bit of good fortune. Who would you rather have guarding elite athletes, members of royalty, politicians, staffers, vendors, media personnel, and spectators: actual soldiers or rent-a-cops? Security is a highlight.
In the games themselves, double-amputee South African runner Oscar Pistorius is the greatest highlight just for showing up. Finishing second in the first round heat of the men's 400 meters, Pistorius proved he's competitive, too. Anybody who says he has an advantage for using blades and not having legs below the knee should be given a long, slow walk barefoot over Tony Robbins' hot coals.
The biggest unexpected highlight of the 2012 Olympics has to be the performance of the host athletes of Great Britain. At this time, Great Britain is third in total medal count with 37, which includes 16 gold. Even Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter won a silver in the three-day equestrian event, and the one anticipated British gold-medalist, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, did not choke, winning the final 400-meter event portion in front of cheering Brits and royals in a packed stadium.
Other unexpected highlights include the fascinating sports of team handball, field hockey, and water polo
American team highlights include the men's and women's swimming teams. They have achieved unexpected overall excellence during the first week (and only week for swimming) of Olympic competition, for the most part shaming the previously strong Chinese and Australian teams. Outstanding performers included Brendan Hansen, Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers, Dana Vollmer, Missy Franklin, Allison Schmitt, Rebecca Soni, Shannon Vreeland, and, yes, even slow-to-warm-up-in-London Michael Phelps.
Last night was the coup-de-grace, with both 400 meter medley relay teams capturing gold and breaking world records in the process. Retiring superstar Phelps and emerging superstar Franklin spearheaded their team's victories, with Phelps' amazing turn in his butterfly leg pretty much symbolizing his athletic excellence through three Olympics (his first in Sydney in 2000 doesn't really count, where a 15-year-old Phelps finished fifth in his one event--the 200 butterfly). Though his start to the meet was unusually lethargic, resulting in two silvers and one fourth, he concluded with four consecutive gold medals, split evenly between relays and individual events.
Eighteen gold medals out of 24 total events is an amazing career for Mr. Phelps, and while he'll never be mistaken for an English professor or Boy Scout, one should give him props for showing humility and honesty when he admitted to interviewer Bob Costas that he won the 200 IM on Thursday because Ryan Lochte was fatigued from swimming a heat for another event only a short time before. He also indirectly gave kudos to another competitor in a race he lost by a finger when he said he didn't mess up the ending and did swim his race, meeting his time goal.
Despite youthful indiscretions, Mr. Phelps deserves more cereal boxes and other endorsements despite this reporter's enjoyment at watching him fail on occasion, probably more the result of the showboating antics of his mother in the stands than of the swimmer's own showboating in the water.
Another highlight of the week was the American women's indoor volleyball team beating powerful China and Brazil, 3-0 and 3-1, respectively.
Lowlights include two American teams' behavior both on and off the courts and fields. First, Team USA male basketball players are crying foul over the real possibility that they will be excluded from future games if FIBA adopts an under-23 policy. While superstars say that such a restriction would diminish the quality of the competition, who really wants to see 84-point blowouts of third world countries?
However, most readers and viewers with a triple-digit IQ get it: what the players are most upset about is being denied future candy stores of recreational interplay with young, attractive athletes in the village and beyond. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have both been photographed having great times at local nightclubs. One female Olympic athlete bragged through a tweet that LeBron asked her to join him on a "dinner date" at the athletes' cafeteria. A female USA athlete snapped a photo with her smartphone and put it online of center Tyson Chandler lying on her too-short bed in her dorm room. Obviously, the dazzling wealth and fame of NBA superstars gives them a Big Man on Campus status (ironic, since a few like Kobe and LeBron never went to college, or stayed for two years at most) and an unfair advantage in the "courting"/pickup game over almost all other athletes not named Federer.
The other American team lowlight is an ugly display of "showmanship" regularly coming from the USA women's soccer/world football team whenever they score a goal. The on-field team goes through elaborate choreographed celebrations, including cartwheels, written messages for non-present players, and the worm. All in all, it's a rather odious display of one-upsmanship and non-sportsmanship. Where's the yellow card?
Additionally, Hope Solo went and defensively slammed media analyst and former American soccer/world football star Brandi Chastain for criticizing the current team's erratic defense (although Team USA has given up very few goals since their first game). Ms. Chastain is entitled to her opinion, and the game has not changed that much in the dozen years since she played, regardless of what Ms. Solo claims.
All in all, the players' smug aura of entitlement and superiority makes one wish for an upset.
Out of the two competition scandals, only one counts as a true lowlight. Something has to be done about the judging of boxing matches to avoid some of the ludicrous results seen so far. Corruption or incompetence, both should be removed from the Olympic games where subjective judging is involved. Ironically, boxing thought its new point system was a more objective solution. Wrong.
The other scandal saw South Korea and China both trying to throw their badminton match. China "won" by losing in a farcical 43-minute match. Still, it's badminton. Get over it. Move on.
The biggest lowlight remains the IOC refusing to recognize during the opening ceremonies the Israeli victims of the 1972 terrorist attack on the Olympic village in Munich. Perhaps the authorities feel they don't have enough security, notwithstanding the soldiers, to fend off an attack from an outraged Islamic cell offended at such a gesture.
Hopefully, they will pay tribute to the eleven fallen members of the 1972 Israeli contingent at the closing ceremony to make up for their prior omission.
In the games themselves, double-amputee South African runner Oscar Pistorius is the greatest highlight just for showing up. Finishing second in the first round heat of the men's 400 meters, Pistorius proved he's competitive, too. Anybody who says he has an advantage for using blades and not having legs below the knee should be given a long, slow walk barefoot over Tony Robbins' hot coals.
The biggest unexpected highlight of the 2012 Olympics has to be the performance of the host athletes of Great Britain. At this time, Great Britain is third in total medal count with 37, which includes 16 gold. Even Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter won a silver in the three-day equestrian event, and the one anticipated British gold-medalist, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, did not choke, winning the final 400-meter event portion in front of cheering Brits and royals in a packed stadium.
Other unexpected highlights include the fascinating sports of team handball, field hockey, and water polo
American team highlights include the men's and women's swimming teams. They have achieved unexpected overall excellence during the first week (and only week for swimming) of Olympic competition, for the most part shaming the previously strong Chinese and Australian teams. Outstanding performers included Brendan Hansen, Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers, Dana Vollmer, Missy Franklin, Allison Schmitt, Rebecca Soni, Shannon Vreeland, and, yes, even slow-to-warm-up-in-London Michael Phelps.
Last night was the coup-de-grace, with both 400 meter medley relay teams capturing gold and breaking world records in the process. Retiring superstar Phelps and emerging superstar Franklin spearheaded their team's victories, with Phelps' amazing turn in his butterfly leg pretty much symbolizing his athletic excellence through three Olympics (his first in Sydney in 2000 doesn't really count, where a 15-year-old Phelps finished fifth in his one event--the 200 butterfly). Though his start to the meet was unusually lethargic, resulting in two silvers and one fourth, he concluded with four consecutive gold medals, split evenly between relays and individual events.
Eighteen gold medals out of 24 total events is an amazing career for Mr. Phelps, and while he'll never be mistaken for an English professor or Boy Scout, one should give him props for showing humility and honesty when he admitted to interviewer Bob Costas that he won the 200 IM on Thursday because Ryan Lochte was fatigued from swimming a heat for another event only a short time before. He also indirectly gave kudos to another competitor in a race he lost by a finger when he said he didn't mess up the ending and did swim his race, meeting his time goal.
Despite youthful indiscretions, Mr. Phelps deserves more cereal boxes and other endorsements despite this reporter's enjoyment at watching him fail on occasion, probably more the result of the showboating antics of his mother in the stands than of the swimmer's own showboating in the water.
Another highlight of the week was the American women's indoor volleyball team beating powerful China and Brazil, 3-0 and 3-1, respectively.
Lowlights include two American teams' behavior both on and off the courts and fields. First, Team USA male basketball players are crying foul over the real possibility that they will be excluded from future games if FIBA adopts an under-23 policy. While superstars say that such a restriction would diminish the quality of the competition, who really wants to see 84-point blowouts of third world countries?
However, most readers and viewers with a triple-digit IQ get it: what the players are most upset about is being denied future candy stores of recreational interplay with young, attractive athletes in the village and beyond. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have both been photographed having great times at local nightclubs. One female Olympic athlete bragged through a tweet that LeBron asked her to join him on a "dinner date" at the athletes' cafeteria. A female USA athlete snapped a photo with her smartphone and put it online of center Tyson Chandler lying on her too-short bed in her dorm room. Obviously, the dazzling wealth and fame of NBA superstars gives them a Big Man on Campus status (ironic, since a few like Kobe and LeBron never went to college, or stayed for two years at most) and an unfair advantage in the "courting"/pickup game over almost all other athletes not named Federer.
The other American team lowlight is an ugly display of "showmanship" regularly coming from the USA women's soccer/world football team whenever they score a goal. The on-field team goes through elaborate choreographed celebrations, including cartwheels, written messages for non-present players, and the worm. All in all, it's a rather odious display of one-upsmanship and non-sportsmanship. Where's the yellow card?
Additionally, Hope Solo went and defensively slammed media analyst and former American soccer/world football star Brandi Chastain for criticizing the current team's erratic defense (although Team USA has given up very few goals since their first game). Ms. Chastain is entitled to her opinion, and the game has not changed that much in the dozen years since she played, regardless of what Ms. Solo claims.
All in all, the players' smug aura of entitlement and superiority makes one wish for an upset.
Out of the two competition scandals, only one counts as a true lowlight. Something has to be done about the judging of boxing matches to avoid some of the ludicrous results seen so far. Corruption or incompetence, both should be removed from the Olympic games where subjective judging is involved. Ironically, boxing thought its new point system was a more objective solution. Wrong.
The other scandal saw South Korea and China both trying to throw their badminton match. China "won" by losing in a farcical 43-minute match. Still, it's badminton. Get over it. Move on.
The biggest lowlight remains the IOC refusing to recognize during the opening ceremonies the Israeli victims of the 1972 terrorist attack on the Olympic village in Munich. Perhaps the authorities feel they don't have enough security, notwithstanding the soldiers, to fend off an attack from an outraged Islamic cell offended at such a gesture.
Hopefully, they will pay tribute to the eleven fallen members of the 1972 Israeli contingent at the closing ceremony to make up for their prior omission.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Summer Olympics 2012: Highlights and Lowlights
The opening ceremony was as idiosyncratic as its creator-director Danny Boyle. It included curious British humor (Mr. Bean), pompous British drama (Kenneth Branagh), and long-in-the-walrus-tooth British music (Paul McCartney). The storyline was laborious and borderline Ken Russell ludicrous at times. The light-card sections in the stands were fun: whatever happened to student card sections at football games? The highlight? The pre-recorded music soundtrack perhaps inadvertently began playing the old BeeGees' classic "Staying Alive" as the athletic delegation from Ethiopia entered the stadium.
Swimming, indoor volleyball, and skeet shooting have been the highlights so far. Swimming pleasures include Michael Phelps' epic fails.
Men's basketball: an NBA all-star team playing middle school junior varsities. Unwatchable. Women's basketball: 11-4 after one quarter. Unwatchable.
Soccer/ world football, field hockey, and water polo: watchable. Fencing and rowing: unwatchable. Synchronized diving: seriously?
Events to look forward to next week: everything in track and field/athletics.
Swimming, indoor volleyball, and skeet shooting have been the highlights so far. Swimming pleasures include Michael Phelps' epic fails.
Men's basketball: an NBA all-star team playing middle school junior varsities. Unwatchable. Women's basketball: 11-4 after one quarter. Unwatchable.
Soccer/ world football, field hockey, and water polo: watchable. Fencing and rowing: unwatchable. Synchronized diving: seriously?
Events to look forward to next week: everything in track and field/athletics.
Monday, July 23, 2012
The British Open 2012: Another Epic Fail at an Open and the Return of Another Epic Hero
The 2012 British Open concluded on Sunday with an overused scenario of late in major tournaments: the leader stumbled, allowing an earlier finisher who had a strong final round to claim victory. Last year at the Masters it was Rory McIlroy who did the colossal collapse in the final round. This year at the U. S. Open it was Jim Furyk. At the British Open on Sunday, it was Australian Adam Scott.
Scott had a five-shot lead at one point. He had a four-shot lead with four holes to play. Did he have a one-hole meltdown like Tiger Woods, who dared a pot bunker and lost, resulting in a triple-bogey? No. Scott's epic fail was methodical and meticulous, one bogey at a time.
As writer David Dusek reported, Scott's biggest bonehead move was using a fairway wood from the 18th tee, putting the fairway pot bunkers into play. However, by that time the Aussie was a shell of his former steady self. On the 17th, he had pulled his second shot into the rough near the green, resulting in a bogey. On the 16th, he had missed a three-foot putt, resulting in a bogey. He also heard the roar of the crowd on the 18th when Ernie Els sank a long putt, resulting in a birdie and a two-under par round of 68.
Rattled, Scott approached the 18th in a tie with Els, who was wolfing down a sandwich by the clubhouse. All Scott had to do was shoot par to gain a four-hole playoff. In case you had forgotten, Scott's caddy was Tiger Woods' former caddy, Stevie Williams. Williams had to know a fairway wood was the one club NOT to use on the 18th tee. Did Scott foolishly reject Williams' advice? If he had to reject the prudent suggestion of an iron, he could have at least been a man like Els and used a driver. He didn't. The fairway wood choice led to an impossible pot bunker lie, which led to a sideways pitch-out.
Scott wasn't done. He hit a great iron to leave him with a ten-foot putt on a relatively flat green. Unfortunately for him, the putt just drifted left at the last moment, and Scott found himself with his fourth consecutive bogey and second place all to himself.
Ernie Els backed into his fourth major victory, two British Opens and two U. S. Opens. Symmetry. He was not undeserving. He had shot four-under par on the back nine on Sunday. He had not only sunk two long putts, but he had defied the late-for-the-party stiff winds by using his driver at every opportunity. He played like a champion, and Els acknowledged another champion, South African President Nelson Mandela, in his gracious speech on the 18th green while accepting the Claret Jug.
To his credit, Adam Scott did interviews after the collapse. Will he ever win a major tournament? At 32, Scott's in his golfing prime. What did he do after the interviews? Perhaps Jim Furyk bought him a drink at some out-of-the-way pub.
Who were the winners and losers of the week besides Els and Scott? First, eight Americans finished in the top 20. Second, 52-year-old Mark Calcavecchia had a top ten finish, tied for ninth seven strokes off the pace.
Scott had a five-shot lead at one point. He had a four-shot lead with four holes to play. Did he have a one-hole meltdown like Tiger Woods, who dared a pot bunker and lost, resulting in a triple-bogey? No. Scott's epic fail was methodical and meticulous, one bogey at a time.
As writer David Dusek reported, Scott's biggest bonehead move was using a fairway wood from the 18th tee, putting the fairway pot bunkers into play. However, by that time the Aussie was a shell of his former steady self. On the 17th, he had pulled his second shot into the rough near the green, resulting in a bogey. On the 16th, he had missed a three-foot putt, resulting in a bogey. He also heard the roar of the crowd on the 18th when Ernie Els sank a long putt, resulting in a birdie and a two-under par round of 68.
Rattled, Scott approached the 18th in a tie with Els, who was wolfing down a sandwich by the clubhouse. All Scott had to do was shoot par to gain a four-hole playoff. In case you had forgotten, Scott's caddy was Tiger Woods' former caddy, Stevie Williams. Williams had to know a fairway wood was the one club NOT to use on the 18th tee. Did Scott foolishly reject Williams' advice? If he had to reject the prudent suggestion of an iron, he could have at least been a man like Els and used a driver. He didn't. The fairway wood choice led to an impossible pot bunker lie, which led to a sideways pitch-out.
Scott wasn't done. He hit a great iron to leave him with a ten-foot putt on a relatively flat green. Unfortunately for him, the putt just drifted left at the last moment, and Scott found himself with his fourth consecutive bogey and second place all to himself.
Ernie Els backed into his fourth major victory, two British Opens and two U. S. Opens. Symmetry. He was not undeserving. He had shot four-under par on the back nine on Sunday. He had not only sunk two long putts, but he had defied the late-for-the-party stiff winds by using his driver at every opportunity. He played like a champion, and Els acknowledged another champion, South African President Nelson Mandela, in his gracious speech on the 18th green while accepting the Claret Jug.
To his credit, Adam Scott did interviews after the collapse. Will he ever win a major tournament? At 32, Scott's in his golfing prime. What did he do after the interviews? Perhaps Jim Furyk bought him a drink at some out-of-the-way pub.
Who were the winners and losers of the week besides Els and Scott? First, eight Americans finished in the top 20. Second, 52-year-old Mark Calcavecchia had a top ten finish, tied for ninth seven strokes off the pace.
Friday, July 20, 2012
The British Open 2012: Progress Report at the Halfway Mark
As William Blake might have said if he were a golf commentator at Royal Lytham this week, the course is playing like a lamb, not a tiger. However, Tiger is playing like a tiger. Sure, the rough is treacherous, the fairways narrow, and the pot bunkers deep. Yet the overnight rains have made the fairways and greens more manageable, and the lack of trademark blustery winds has led to some very low scores indeed. The mild weather has given the Americans a huge edge. It has thrown off some of my predictions. Some, not all.
First, I said Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, and Dustin Johnson would wilt under pressure, while Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and Darren Clarke would thrive. What actually happened? The "wilters" all made the cut, including an imperious third-place standing for Woods at this point. Only one "thriver"-- McIlroy--made the cut, and he's 12 shots behind the leader.
Second, I said a non-American would win. After two rounds, an American--Brandt Snedeker--leads at 10 under par, and five other Yanks are in the top 15, including a surprisingly determined Woods.
Third, I said Jim Furyk would bounce back from his U. S. Open meltdown and make the cut. He did.
Fourth, I said Woods would miss a top ten finish. Based on his weekend troubles at the Olympic, one shouldn't be too confident of his torrid pace continuing. However, if the weather remains benevolent, Tiger should be top ten, top five, perhaps even numero uno. If the winds kick up, expect the worst and a more accurate prediction on my part.
Fifth, I said at least one over-40 golfer would enjoy a top five finish. At this point, 43-year-old Paul Lawrie is tied for fifth. Ernie Els and Steve Stricker are close behind, but better storylines would come from Tom Watson (62), Mark Calcavecchia (52), or John Daly (46) making a run on Sunday.
Finally, I said the winner would come from a carefully culled list of 24 golfers. How am I doing? The bad news is that seven (Kaymer, Schwartzel, Rose, Mickelson, Garcia, Love III, and Darren Clarke) won't be playing this weekend, leaving me with 17 possibilities. The good news is that, apart from cinderellas Snedecker, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Thomas Aiken, and surprisingly steady (so far) Tiger Woods, six of my picks are in the top ten (to this point, anyway): Adam Scott, Jason Dufner, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Paul Lawrie, and Ernie Els.
Who will crumple and fold? Who will rise and triumph? Here's hoping for weather foul, play inspiring, and leads interchangeable. Here's hoping the scores will fall back towards even par overall. Here's hoping an American like Calcavecchia, Furyk, Stricker, and new "kid" on the block Ted Potter, Jr., makes things interesting on Sunday. Here's hoping a Brit like Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, or Ian Poulter keeps the hometown crowds engaged until the last putt on the last hole Sunday. Golf needs drama. In the land of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Shaw, and Stoppard, the British Open needs great drama.
First, I said Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, and Dustin Johnson would wilt under pressure, while Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, and Darren Clarke would thrive. What actually happened? The "wilters" all made the cut, including an imperious third-place standing for Woods at this point. Only one "thriver"-- McIlroy--made the cut, and he's 12 shots behind the leader.
Second, I said a non-American would win. After two rounds, an American--Brandt Snedeker--leads at 10 under par, and five other Yanks are in the top 15, including a surprisingly determined Woods.
Third, I said Jim Furyk would bounce back from his U. S. Open meltdown and make the cut. He did.
Fourth, I said Woods would miss a top ten finish. Based on his weekend troubles at the Olympic, one shouldn't be too confident of his torrid pace continuing. However, if the weather remains benevolent, Tiger should be top ten, top five, perhaps even numero uno. If the winds kick up, expect the worst and a more accurate prediction on my part.
Fifth, I said at least one over-40 golfer would enjoy a top five finish. At this point, 43-year-old Paul Lawrie is tied for fifth. Ernie Els and Steve Stricker are close behind, but better storylines would come from Tom Watson (62), Mark Calcavecchia (52), or John Daly (46) making a run on Sunday.
Finally, I said the winner would come from a carefully culled list of 24 golfers. How am I doing? The bad news is that seven (Kaymer, Schwartzel, Rose, Mickelson, Garcia, Love III, and Darren Clarke) won't be playing this weekend, leaving me with 17 possibilities. The good news is that, apart from cinderellas Snedecker, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Thomas Aiken, and surprisingly steady (so far) Tiger Woods, six of my picks are in the top ten (to this point, anyway): Adam Scott, Jason Dufner, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Paul Lawrie, and Ernie Els.
Who will crumple and fold? Who will rise and triumph? Here's hoping for weather foul, play inspiring, and leads interchangeable. Here's hoping the scores will fall back towards even par overall. Here's hoping an American like Calcavecchia, Furyk, Stricker, and new "kid" on the block Ted Potter, Jr., makes things interesting on Sunday. Here's hoping a Brit like Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, or Ian Poulter keeps the hometown crowds engaged until the last putt on the last hole Sunday. Golf needs drama. In the land of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Shaw, and Stoppard, the British Open needs great drama.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The British Open 2012: Two Dozen Favorites and a Few Observations
With the first threesome only an hour away from teeing off at Royal Lytham and St. Annes to start the third Grand Slam golf tournament of the year, it's time to make a few more predictions, accurate or not.
First, I believe the American streak of three consecutive Grand Slam wins will be snapped. Why? For the most part, the Americans are allergic to inclement (read: rainy and windy) weather and pot bunkers. While they don't handle nasty roughs well, neither do the internationals, based on recent memories of the U. S. Open last month at Olympic.
Second, I believe Tiger Woods will not finish in the top ten here, but he has a great chance of winning the PGA Championship next month.
Third, I believe Webb Simpson and Jason Day withdrawing due to non-emergency family events says more about their fear of links golf on wind-battered terrain than their love of family.
Fourth, I believe Jim Furyk will recover from his Olympic meltdown last month and at least make the cut.
Fifth, I expect at least one over-forty golfer, someone like Phil Mickelson, defending champion Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Vijay Singh, or the ever-wiley Tom Watson, to enjoy a top five finish.
Sixth, I expect some very good golfers to get the jitters because of the Thursday-Friday pairings. I see Tiger wilting when paired with Sergio G. and Justin Rose. I see mad bomber Bubba Watson losing his cool and going ballistic when paired with rock-steady and majors-hungry Lee Westwood. Similarly, I see long-hitter Dustin Johnson failing to make the cut when paired with used-to-the-elements-and-links set-up Graeme McDowell.
Seventh, in contrast to sixth, I expect some power pairings to elevate the play of talented golfers having a less-than-stellar 2012. Darren Clarke will be steadied by the crowd and by playing partners Ernie Els and Zach Johnson. Phil Mickelson will rise to the occasion not only with vivid memories of his runner-up finish last year, but by playing shot for shot with current world number one, Luke Donald. Rory McIlroy will regain his game not only by temporarily forgetting about his Miss Danish Tennis, but by going toe to toe with other recent majors champions Keegan Bradley and Louis Oosthuizen.
Eighth and finally, I expect the 2012 British Open champion to come out of a pool of two dozen names. Please note only a third of the names are American. In no particular order, they are as follows:
Zach Johnson (A) Charl Schwartzel
Ernie Els Justin Rose
Graeme McDowell Phil Mickelson (A)
Louis Oosthuizen Adam Scott
Martin Kaymer Steve Stricker (A)
Luke Donald Lee Westwood
Keegan Bradley (A) Francesco Molinari
Darren Clarke Hunter Mahan (A)
Ian Poulter Rory McIlroy
Davis Love III (A) Sergio Garcia
Padraig Harrington Matt Kuchar (A)
Jason Dufner (A) Paul Lawrie
Could a dark horse like Webb Simpson at the Olympic Club last month emerge at Royal Lytham this weekend? Of course. All 156 golfers entered are so talented that even an amateur like Alan Dunbar or a has-been like John Daly could take it. Here's hoping for more surprises.
First, I believe the American streak of three consecutive Grand Slam wins will be snapped. Why? For the most part, the Americans are allergic to inclement (read: rainy and windy) weather and pot bunkers. While they don't handle nasty roughs well, neither do the internationals, based on recent memories of the U. S. Open last month at Olympic.
Second, I believe Tiger Woods will not finish in the top ten here, but he has a great chance of winning the PGA Championship next month.
Third, I believe Webb Simpson and Jason Day withdrawing due to non-emergency family events says more about their fear of links golf on wind-battered terrain than their love of family.
Fourth, I believe Jim Furyk will recover from his Olympic meltdown last month and at least make the cut.
Fifth, I expect at least one over-forty golfer, someone like Phil Mickelson, defending champion Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Vijay Singh, or the ever-wiley Tom Watson, to enjoy a top five finish.
Sixth, I expect some very good golfers to get the jitters because of the Thursday-Friday pairings. I see Tiger wilting when paired with Sergio G. and Justin Rose. I see mad bomber Bubba Watson losing his cool and going ballistic when paired with rock-steady and majors-hungry Lee Westwood. Similarly, I see long-hitter Dustin Johnson failing to make the cut when paired with used-to-the-elements-and-links set-up Graeme McDowell.
Seventh, in contrast to sixth, I expect some power pairings to elevate the play of talented golfers having a less-than-stellar 2012. Darren Clarke will be steadied by the crowd and by playing partners Ernie Els and Zach Johnson. Phil Mickelson will rise to the occasion not only with vivid memories of his runner-up finish last year, but by playing shot for shot with current world number one, Luke Donald. Rory McIlroy will regain his game not only by temporarily forgetting about his Miss Danish Tennis, but by going toe to toe with other recent majors champions Keegan Bradley and Louis Oosthuizen.
Eighth and finally, I expect the 2012 British Open champion to come out of a pool of two dozen names. Please note only a third of the names are American. In no particular order, they are as follows:
Zach Johnson (A) Charl Schwartzel
Ernie Els Justin Rose
Graeme McDowell Phil Mickelson (A)
Louis Oosthuizen Adam Scott
Martin Kaymer Steve Stricker (A)
Luke Donald Lee Westwood
Keegan Bradley (A) Francesco Molinari
Darren Clarke Hunter Mahan (A)
Ian Poulter Rory McIlroy
Davis Love III (A) Sergio Garcia
Padraig Harrington Matt Kuchar (A)
Jason Dufner (A) Paul Lawrie
Could a dark horse like Webb Simpson at the Olympic Club last month emerge at Royal Lytham this weekend? Of course. All 156 golfers entered are so talented that even an amateur like Alan Dunbar or a has-been like John Daly could take it. Here's hoping for more surprises.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Open or the British Open: Didn't We Have a War Over British Arrogance to Settle This and Other Issues Before?
This week features another Grand Slam sports event in England. Last week saw Serena Williams and Roger Federer both reclaim singles tennis crowns at Wimbledon in surprisingly dominating fashion, considering they are both past their physical prime.
This week might see another player past his physical prime--Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, or even Tom Watson--reclaim another British Open trophy, the Claret Jug.
Did I say "British Open trophy" in error? No. It's not "The Open." It's the British Open. Such arrogance is akin to Ohio State University believing it is the only college that deserves to be called "The University." It's akin to the Rose Bowl, the granddaddy of all bowl games, insisting on being called "The Bowl," or the Indianapolis 500, the granddaddy of all auto races, insisting on being called "The 500" (not that they would). It's akin to American football believing it is the only sport in the world that deserves to be called football. Well, doesn't it? When the NFL and AFL merged decades ago, the American Football League name should have been the one retained. It was more descriptive and more humble.
There are many great golf tournaments and many great opens, including the U. S. and the U. S. Amateur. The British Open is a great golf tournament. It is not the only great golf tournament.
The issue was settled before. Around 1776, the United States declared itself independent of British sovereignty. The fledgeling country didn't believe in worshipping royalty or following the unjust edicts of an irrational king across the pond. America also didn't believe in the rigid class system of the Brits. The founding fathers couldn't accept the impositions of the Crown. They didn't believe England, or Great Britain (consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales) for that matter, was "The Country." Hence, they created their own.
In short, the Revolutionary War lasted six years, ending with the defeat of the British in 1781. The second round, known as the War of 1812, lasted three years, with British forces again retreating to their own shores or other regions of their vast world empire. Still, to the United States, Great Britain was not "The Country." It did not control "The Empire." There were other countries. There were other empires.
Get off the pedestal, you Brits. The British Empire is only a memory, and the Queen nothing more than a symbolic figurehead of a glorious past. Just because some non-Brits remain fascinated with your royal family does not mean you control the world again and can continue passing unreasonable and unjust edicts.
Persuading the world-wide media and international golf communities alike to refer to Great Britain's professional championship as "The Open" is arrogant and pompous, if not unreasonable and unjust. It doesn't play any better in 2012 than it did in 1776.
This week might see another player past his physical prime--Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, or even Tom Watson--reclaim another British Open trophy, the Claret Jug.
Did I say "British Open trophy" in error? No. It's not "The Open." It's the British Open. Such arrogance is akin to Ohio State University believing it is the only college that deserves to be called "The University." It's akin to the Rose Bowl, the granddaddy of all bowl games, insisting on being called "The Bowl," or the Indianapolis 500, the granddaddy of all auto races, insisting on being called "The 500" (not that they would). It's akin to American football believing it is the only sport in the world that deserves to be called football. Well, doesn't it? When the NFL and AFL merged decades ago, the American Football League name should have been the one retained. It was more descriptive and more humble.
There are many great golf tournaments and many great opens, including the U. S. and the U. S. Amateur. The British Open is a great golf tournament. It is not the only great golf tournament.
The issue was settled before. Around 1776, the United States declared itself independent of British sovereignty. The fledgeling country didn't believe in worshipping royalty or following the unjust edicts of an irrational king across the pond. America also didn't believe in the rigid class system of the Brits. The founding fathers couldn't accept the impositions of the Crown. They didn't believe England, or Great Britain (consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales) for that matter, was "The Country." Hence, they created their own.
In short, the Revolutionary War lasted six years, ending with the defeat of the British in 1781. The second round, known as the War of 1812, lasted three years, with British forces again retreating to their own shores or other regions of their vast world empire. Still, to the United States, Great Britain was not "The Country." It did not control "The Empire." There were other countries. There were other empires.
Get off the pedestal, you Brits. The British Empire is only a memory, and the Queen nothing more than a symbolic figurehead of a glorious past. Just because some non-Brits remain fascinated with your royal family does not mean you control the world again and can continue passing unreasonable and unjust edicts.
Persuading the world-wide media and international golf communities alike to refer to Great Britain's professional championship as "The Open" is arrogant and pompous, if not unreasonable and unjust. It doesn't play any better in 2012 than it did in 1776.
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