It's Northern Trust Open Week!
;)
Riviera and No. 10 circal 1929, soon after greenside bunkers were added on the famed short par-4 (click on image to enlarge)I know this week is blocked off on your calendars and your bingo boards are all ready to go, just waiting for Gary McCord to describe kikuyu with the word velcro or Jim Nantz to make his first Bel-Air Hotel reference so you can mark off the upper left corner while hoping they'll show a little tenth hole play before a witty segue into a CSI Los Angeles plug.
I'll do my best to highlight the best and worst of the event formerly known as the L.A. Open. Because it's one history-rich event played at a still-great course with a strong field this year. This cool PGA Tour Productions film gives just a flavor of the recent tournament fun, but they are just scratching the surface. The fun has been going on at Riviera and other L.A. area courses since 1926.
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 10:50 PM
Reader Comments (20)
Have fun out there....
DM
How about that putting stroke of Mayfair's!
The 3-wood Allenby hit was one of the old Callaway original Bertha's....the whole head wasn't much bigger than a walnut and the sweetspot was about the size of a peanut. It was a helluva shot.
How about that putting stroke of Mayfair's!
The 3-wood Allenby hit was one of the old Callaway original Bertha's....the whole head wasn't much bigger than a walnut and the sweetspot was about the size of a peanut. It was a helluva shot.
jb
jb
jb, I don't think most people realize that Billy Mayfair has been a world class player, and prominent, since he was 12 years old. He was the US Am Champ, US Publinx Champ, NCAA POY, 5 PGATour wins including a Tour Championship back when it meant something. He lost 5 other events in playoffs. Heck, he even won Tour School a couple years ago!
Two years ago I was looping for a buddy who was trying to 4-spot for the Quail Hollow event, Mayfair flies in last minute, literally goes straight from baggage claim to the 1st tee, makes 6 birdies and 12 pars on a course he's never seen before to shoot 66 thank you very much, and leads the Quail event for 3 rounds before he runs out of gas -- that's talent folks!
And by all accounts he's a pretty darn nice guy. But that putting stroke has always been sight to behold, he makes it work!
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
jb
I was once at an outing at Grand Cypress and we were warning up to play, but first The Hitman was performing. Grudgingly I quit hitting balls and went over to watch -- probably the best golf related decision I ever made! I'm actually just laughing out loud about it right now...most unbelievable thing I've ever seen.
He had the 5-wood version (think even smaller) of the 3-wood Allenby hit (made me think of Hiter). The Hitman would throw a ball in the air and before he hit it call out "high hook", and he'd hit a high hook...."low fade", hits a low fade...and on and on and on...I'd love to see that show again. And I'd be shocked if there's anyone else in the world that can do the things he does with a club and a ball.
I'm pretty sure he did play baseball at at least the college level. The outing was a scramble that day and when we went out to play the course they stationed him on a tee and for each group he'd toss a ball in the air and pound it out there with a driver, if his drive was the best you could use it. It was the best. But I asked him how he got started and said it was picking balls at a range. They'd walk around the perimeter with a wedge digging balls out of the long grass or edge of the fence where the picker couldn't go, and he'd flip the ball up in the air and hit it into the range with the wedge. He got pretty good!
So who's the favorite this week, Phil? Does he go back to back?
Wouldn't surprise me...