When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
I finally mustered up the strength to read Bill Fields' emotional piece on Davis Love Jr.'s plane crash. For some odd reason Davis III's win Sunday made it a little easier to tackle.
It's tough to read these things when it falls into the lousy-things-happening-to-great-people-file. I still remember chatting with him while watching Davis play at Riviera when he was a rookie and hitting the ball incredible distances with persimmon. What a gentleman.
Yes, the 1999 Open Championship winner is throwing his name in the mix for somewhere down the road even though he has only played in one Ryder Cup and American's don't know how to pronounce his name (or care!). John Huggan reports.
Bob Harig reports on Erik Compton accepting an invitation to the PGA Tour's season ending Children's Miracle Network event at Disney World. Let's hope no one questions his use of a cart.
Thanks to reader Patrick for Martin Blake's look at Stuart Appleby and his decision to consult a sports psychologist about his disgust for speaking to pro-am partners better coping with major pressure.
"I really felt like: 'This is bullshit. I've got to find a way to not let this happen again.' That was the catalyst.
"What would I do different? I'm not really sure. I'm not saying to avoid being chased by the shark, but to have a coping strategy. That's when I bumped into Gio.
"You go through the basics of tension, pressure, chemicals in the body, heart-rate, all these sorts of things you actually can control. The Masters (was) a little bit (of a catalyst), but the US Open put me over the edge: 'This is bullshit. I don't want to do this again.' If it does happen again, I look at it and I'm excited."
I think we know Stuart's key word now. Does the PGA Tour levy fines for comments in The Age?
Ben Harding reports on the latest complications with a diagnosis on his tumor. No good news.
...so I guess it wasn't just IMG looking for a reaction. Norman Dabell reports.
Mike Aitken reports on Seve's turn for the worse.
Lewine Mair files a thorough summary on Seve's biopsy-turned surgery, the latest on his morning recovery and his prospects for survival.
Doug Ferguson talks to some of Seve's greatest American rivals and ends the piece with this anecdote:
Mark Garrod, the golf correspondent for PA Sports the last three decades, remembers Ballesteros hitting one shot so far right during the '93 European Masters that he was 3 feet away from a wall with a swimming pool on the other side. The situation looked hopeless until Ballesteros saw enough of a gap in the trees that he hit pitching wedge to the fringe, then chipped in for birdie.
Garrod later asked Ballesteros about the shot, and the response is worth remembering now.
“I just like to keep going forward.”
Plenty of nice memories of Seve Ballesteros filed by writers contemplating his health predicament.
James Lawton writes the most evocative piece:
Yet in the crisis that has come to him these last few days, there has been at least a hint of a more philosophical and composed Ballesteros. The flood of affection that has poured into the hospital from all over the world has plainly been of comfort, reminded him, if he had forgotten somewhat in the darkest days of his divorce and the death of a girlfriend and the accumulated angst that life can bring in less dramatic circumstances, that he had indeed touched so many hearts with his extraordinary talent and, not least, his competitive cojones.Ron Sirak shares his thoughts and memories:
"I have always sympathised with those people who face illnesses. Therefore, I want to remind them that with bravery, faith, serenity, confidence and a lot of mental strength, we have to face any situation, no matter how difficult it is," he said.
Maybe it remains only to pray that this proves more than a noble epitaph to one of the most engaging, and thrilling, sportsmen who ever lived. Seve Ballesteros, at the worst of times, has always been full of life. Serenity? Perhaps not so much, but for this he has, no doubt, reached into the bag at precisely the right time.
If Arnold Palmer gets credit for bringing the Open Championship back to major championship status by traveling to Britain in 1960 to play in it, Ballesteros gets at least equal credit for making the Ryder Cup relevant again and for expanding the borders of golf beyond the United States and Britain to Europe and eventually Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.John Hopkins considers the magnitude of Seve's plight has hit Europe and in particular, golf fans in the U.K., as does Lewine Mair in the Telegraph.
Doctors have said Seve had a "partial epileptic fit" and are awaiting more test results. Meanwhile, John Huggan reflects on the great champion's career and like so many others, hopes for the best.
Hopefully that legendary desire to succeed, along with the good wishes of millions of golf fans around the globe, will be enough to sustain Ballesteros as he awaits the results of tests that may or may not confirm the presence of a brain tumour. Los mejores deseos para el futuro, amigo.
A biopsy is planned for this week.
Ron Sirak offers more Seve stories.
Graham Keeley in The Times reports that Seve has a brain tumor, but the hospital won't confirm. Say it ain't so.
Monty:
“What we are hearing puts everything into perspective in a heartbeat,” said Montgomerie, who played under Ballesteros at Valderrama.
“Seve has this fighting spirit, this never-say-die approach. He has come back from four down with nine to play to defeat both Paul Azinger and Raymond Floyd and he has done much the same against me a couple of times. His great attitude and his passion should serve him well now.”
For those who read Jim Moriarty's excellent story on heart transplant recipient Erik Compton,
Golfweek reports the passing of the golfing great.
For the best of Bolt, check out his Golf Digest My Shot from six years ago.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
