Driver Coming Around?

Jerry Potter looks at Walter Driver taking over as USGA president.

"The main thing we have to do is remain vigilant," Driver said, "and make sure technology doesn't outweigh skill, especially among the elite players."

Lerner On Recent Events

Rich Lerner offers a bit of this and that looking at recent events in golf.

The Presidential Address

Consider the difference between the USGA presidential acceptance speeches of Fred Ridley and Walter Driver.

Ridley outlines "four clear goals," then goes to discuss them at length.

Driver outlines goals too:

1) The USGA continue to conduct the very best championships in golf;
2) Communicate better with all our constituencies so every golfer will be a true advocate for amateur golf and for the USGA; and
3) Continue to monitor technology in equipment developments to preserve the game and adhere to our charter -- "To promote and conserve the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf."

That ends the substance of tonight's speech. It's time to talk about himself.

"Instead of the ‘normal’ speech, I want to do that by recognizing some people who have meant a great deal to me in my life on and off the golf course."

Sure looks like it's not going to be a "normal" year with Driver. 

Oh, wait, apparently he believes he has been elected to a two year term!?

And my commitment to you tonight is that in my two years as president of the USGA, I will do everything I can to bring out that passion in all the members of our organization and to the members still to join.

Sounds a bit presumptuous if you go by the USGA press release.

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Vol. 5

The PGA Tour driving distance average rose 2.3 yards in Scottsdale to 289.4 yards for the season.

In the 350-yard or longer drive category, the tally was boosted by 22 tee shots, pushing the season total to 481 for the season. (Sheesh, J.B. Holmes must have had at least half of those 22!?)

There were 2059 drives of 350 yards or more in 2005.

Ah but the two-week streak without a 400 yarder ended, with 2 hit, bringing the season total to 15 and just four behind last year's total of 19.

Sirak on Long John (Holmes)

Ron Sirak writes about the emerging youth in men's and women's golf, with J.B. Holmes as his prime example of the next generation inspired by Tiger Woods.

While there is no doubt that the occassional power player that comes out of no where and drives it insane distances proves fascinating (as Sirak says), there does not seem to be much consideration for the ramifications that this equipment-aided boom might be having on say, course design or setup.

Nor is there acknowledgement that this phenomenon is in large part the product of improved equipment, not necessarily improved skill.

It would seem the question of skill and what exactly it means is one worth debating. Because if nothing else, it would be an interesting debate. No?

Ballmark Study

Not the sexiest topic, but there are some interesting findings with photos in this Kansas State study on ballmarks.

I wonder if most golfers do it incorrectly because they see how PGA Tour pros fix ballmarks? 

True Bomber's Paradise

From an AP story on Justin Leonard and David Toms at Scottsdale:

One explanation for the two's demise on Sunday is that the TPC of Scottsdale course is a true bomber's paradise. The fairways were hard and fast and the rough thin, both caused by 109 consecutive rainless days.

Remember that last comment.

Consider the last six golfers who have won this event: Phil Mickelson, Jonathan Kaye, Vijay Singh, Chris DiMarco and Mark Calcavecchia. All but DiMarco are ahead of Leonard and Toms in driving distance average and are plenty capable of bombing it well past 300 yards.

"I think [length] is a huge advantage," Leonard said. "You can carry the bunkers and the water and avoid the trouble."

Can carry the bunkers and water. Not roll it through the bunkers and around the water. Carry it. Hmmmm...

Toms was resigned to his lack of length, but is concerned that it is starting to overrun the game.

"Some guys have to work between the bunkers like me," Toms said. "Other guys can blow it over. That's just the way it is."

Just blow it over? Wait, what about the roll? The agronomy?

This year's event provided more evidence that long drivers rule in the desert.

The final threesome of the day averaged more than 300 yards off the tee.

Holmes was first in driving distance average at 319.7 yards. His longest drive was 365 yards on No. 13 in round two. Henry was averaging 303.9 yards and was ranked 12th. His longest drive was 353 yards on the ninth hole in the first round. Palmer was the short hitter of the group, only ranking 16th and averaging 301.5. His longest drive was a paltry 340 yards on the 13th hole in the final round.

Conversely, Leonard averaged 284.1 yards off the tee, 67th out of 72 players. Toms was 47th, averaging 290.8 yards.

Holmes Post Round Talk

J.B. Holmes after his round: 

J.B. HOLMES: Yeah, 13 was in the fairway. I was in between clubs, picked the wrong one, hit a great shot and just landed in the middle of the green and went over. Then went over in about the worst spot it could be. I played an okay shot, really wasn't that great of a shot to 25, 30 feet.

Then hit a great putt and it went in. So that was all the way around.

Q. What was the club on that?

J.B. HOLMES: I hit a 6 iron.

Q. What was your number in, do you remember?

J.B. HOLMES: I think it was it might have been 216 to the pin or something.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: 15, you had eagle?

J.B. HOLMES: I hit a good 3 wood. That was probably one of the bigger swings of the day, just getting it in that fairway. It's so firm and the ball can take off to the left there. Then just hit a great 4 iron right where I aimed it and just smoked it. It went up there, rolled right up there and then made a great putt.

Q. You had 257 to the flag and you hit 4 iron over water?

J.B. HOLMES: Yeah. It was only 230 to the front. It flew like 235 or something.

Q. Was that the second best shot of the day?

J.B. HOLMES: Yeah. The putt was probably the second best shot. The 4 iron was definitely huge. Ryan being in the water and then hitting it up there like that, that was a big change for me.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: 17, you had a birdie.

J.B. HOLMES: 17, just aimed middle of the green, hit it out there pretty good, and it started turning a little bit towards the hole and bounced up. I thought I made my first one, just didn't hit it hard enough, and tapped in for birdie.

Q. 3 wood?

J.B. HOLMES: Yeah.

Uh, that's a par-4 he's talking about, in case you were unsure. 

Oh and nice 77-yard approach into 18! Wow. 

Tiger In Dubai

This has to be scary for anyone dreaming of winning the Masters this year:

TIGER WOODS: I just have to my list of things I needed to work on is a lot shorter than it was last year at the same time. And I just felt like I didn't have this ability at this time last year to turn things around, because I had so many things to try and work onto get things to where I could do that, and my understanding of my new swing.

But after another year of experience with it, I had that ability now to turn things around because I have an understanding of ball flight and my swing and the mechanics that [instructor] Hank [Haney] has been trying to teach me.

And I'm not sure if this qualifies as a rally killer, a point misser, or a point missing rally killer?

Q. Did it ever cross your mind as you were going back on the 18th tee that you don't like that hole and Ernie Els has a fantastic record on that hole?

TIGER WOODS: No. I thought the hole was playing pretty easy for me today because it was into the wind. If I hit the ball on the line like I did earlier in the week, I can't get to the hazard. So it eliminates an obstacle for me. So even if I hit a straight ball, I'm still fine. I'm still going to be in the fairway. And so I don't have to turn it that much and the wind is coming off the right a little bit, just hit a straight ball at the indicate, kind of bring it over, and I can't run into the hazard. So for me, I thought it was playing easier being into the wind than it was downwind.

Q. Going back to memories, what is your fondest memory at Stanford?

TIGER WOODS: At Stanford? [Here Tiger's thinking huh!? But you'd never guess it...] There's so many, there really are...

Golf In China

Charles McGrath in the Sunday NY Times' new sports magazine:

Golf has now replaced karaoke as the preferred way of entertaining business clients.

What all this means, though, is that golf hasn't evolved in China: it has arrived more or less full-blown, in its high-end and even slightly decadent form. If you think of the country as a kind of golf laboratory, it's one that skipped over all the populist experiments — the developmental stage of public links and pitch 'n' putt and little rural nine-holers — and went straight to the exclusive clubs and the gated golf course communities whose manicured fairways are lined with McMansions. There are no munis, just a handful of daily-fee courses, and the membership at most clubs would set you back more than it would at Winged Foot.

Officially the Chinese government appears to be ambivalent about golf, which it eradicated, along with other vestiges of Western luxury and elitism, in 1949. In Shanghai, for example, where the British introduced golf to the Chinese in the 19th century and where the most famous club, Hung-Jao, was taken over by the municipal authorities and turned into a zoo, government officials are still discouraged from playing. Many do, anyway. They just use assumed names.

It has been said that if Hu Jintao, the country's president, were ever photographed holding a club, a million new golfers would come leaping out of the closet. Occasionally you also hear that China is in danger of turning into Myrtle Beach, S.C., with more courses than there are players to keep them profitable. But you would never think so from visiting Chinese clubs, which teem with golfers from dawn to dusk. At Mission Hills, the country's largest golf complex, outside the city of Shenzhen, people play under the lights until two in the morning.

Flogwatch: J.B. Holmes at the FBR

Another week, another flogger is born (and wins!). J.B. Holmes at the 2006 FBR Open:

Driving Distance   308.0 yards (13)
Driving Accuracy   31 of 56  (55%, T62)
GIR   50 of 72  (69%, T33)
Putts Per Round   27.0 (T1)
Putting Average (GIR): 1.660 (T8)

Oh, and he leads the Tour with 72% (128/168) of his drives finishing over 300 yards.  

Long John Holmes

AP's Bob Baum has the story on Sunday's FBR Open, including the story of winner J.B. Holmes' father arriving just in time to see his son capture his first win.

And I had to do a double take on this line:  "On the 15th, Holmes reached the green easily in two with a 263-yard 4-iron shot over the water, then sank the 14-footer to go to 20 under."

Q&A With Walter Driver

Now I know this is a no win situation for David Shefter of the USGA. Ask a remotely difficult question and find yourself covering swap meets for the New Jersey Pennysaver.

So in that light, this softball session with new USGA president Walter Driver has its moments. Compared to say, his inaugural address, which we'll get to later.

Driver: There are three main things. I want us to continue to conduct the very best championships in golf (U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur, etc.). I want to communicate better with all of our constituencies where every golfer will become a true advocate for golf. And finally, we need to continue to monitor the technology and equipment issues in accordance with the 2002 Statement of Principles.

Hey, so far so good. In fact, darn good. Better setups. Better communication. And they remember the Statement of Principles!

Question: The 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills brought plenty of criticism to the USGA about course setup because of the conditions on the weekend, but the Association seemed to learn a lot from that adversity if you consider that the 2005 Open at Pinehurst was a huge success. As the chairman of the Championship Committee, what things did you personally learn from those two events?

Driver: Everybody learned a lot. The staff and all the volunteers had a renewed dedication at Pinehurst to have a flawless Open. And I think it was flawless.

Well, let's not forget that guys disregarded the fairway setups and flogged their way down the holes as far as they could because there was no clear benefit for positioning yourself in the fairways. And why was that? Perhaps because the landing areas were only 21-24 yards wide. Oh, and don't forget you had to water greens during play extensively. Flawless?

Question: I understand there’s an interesting icon that sits in the chief executive’s office at King and Spalding?

Driver: It’s an actual fire hydrant and it weighs about 200 pounds. There’s a plaque that says, “Being chairman of King and Spalding is like being the only hydrant on a block full of dogs.” You are running a large business with a lot of individual egos and it takes a lot of work to build a consensus.

Southern lawyer humor, I guess.

Question: It sounds like you are a golf history buff. Did you have a good grasp of the game’s traditions when you started playing?

Driver: Not really. The real exposure to the history of the game was significantly enhanced by living in Atlanta where the Bobby Jones legend began. I would say I am an interested historian. My [three] children learned years ago that whenever they couldn’t figure out what to get me for a gift, they could always get me a golf book. I now have a very nice collection of golf books in my library at home, and I have read all of them.

Question: How big a collection are we talking about? 

Driver: I would say I have over 100. It’s tough to find enough shelf space. My wife may quarantine it at some point.

Wow, a whole 100 books and you've read all of them?

At this point there's a bunch of frat house type talk about who has a bigger who has a better golf game, etc... 

Question: Obviously your relationship with Fred Ridley has evolved quite nicely since the 1989 Walker Cup.

Driver: Fred and I are very good friends and we talk all the time. Our wives are close friends. We agree on virtually every issue [facing the USGA].

And we have talked a lot about these issues flying together on the Citation. 

Huggie and Woosy

John Huggan profiles Ian Woosnam in the Sunday Scotsman (or whatever they call it).

Apparently it's not too early to hear what the Euros are doing to make the K Club favor their games (they wouldn't have to do anything if they $elected a link$).

"There are a lot of hollows and bumps around the greens, and I want to get them more into play by cutting the grass short," he reveals. "So there will be some run-offs around the putting surfaces. I'm hopeful the weather is dry in the weeks before, so that we get the full benefit of that. I've also put a few more trees in.

"Because of the distances the top guys hit the ball these days, it is too easy for them to cut corners on too many holes and make them look stupid. So I've tried to stop some of that. If they do take a chance and go across the corner, they are going to have to hit perfect shots. If they don't, they'll be in trouble."

I bet those new trees look splendid.

Woosnam on the state of the game:

"When I watch the game on television I don't see the variety of shots I used to maybe 30 years ago," he sighs. "The modern swings are a lot more similar than they used to be. Which is a consequence of the equipment and the desire to hit the ball high. They don't seem to bother about the wind any more.

"In defence of the players today, I don't think they can't play shots, it's just that they don't have to. The equipment has brought everyone closer together, too. It's harder to separate yourself from the others. Almost anyone on tour can win now." 

198 yards...8 iron

Carl Spackler: He's the Cinderella boy...he's got about 195 yards left, he's got about a - it looks like he's got about an 8-iron. This crowd has gone deathly silent. The Cinderella story, outta no where, a former greenskeeper now - about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac - It's in the Hole!

J.B. Holmes, FBR Open, 13th hole Saturday: 8 iron from 198 yards.