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
Ah yes, 2012 is here and with such a short off season it's a bit tough to get excited about Friday's kickoff, but at least Pond Scummers Huggan and Elling haven't lost their cynical touch while bouncing around several topics.
This exchange about the world ranking points up for grabs early in the season could play an interesting part in determining where some big names (Els, Goosen) play, how the final Masters field shapes up and how Americans playing the PGA Tour may fall behind.
Elling: Damned unlikely. For one thing, the fields over the first six to eight weeks of the season are frequently stronger on the European Tour than in the States. The ebb and flow of the world rankings at this time of year often see a slew of Euros rise to the top because of the points on offer early in the season. Then as the bigger U.S. events start kicking off, especially in March, the points start to swing back to this side of the Pond and the Yanks start to move up a few pegs in the pecking order. OK, there's your technical explanation, anyway. As for the emotional portion, read onward.
Huggan: I'd like to see an American make the top three or four of the rankings if only to stop the whining noise that has been emanating from your side of the Pond ever since it became clear that the very best players are no longer nephews of Uncle Sam. My goodness, can you guys not give it a rest? Does it really matter that much where the top players hail from?
Elling: Yeah, it matters. Ever since Francis Ouimet, we Yanks have believed we were the best of the best. It's been a rough three or four years. Men's tennis had ceased to exist as a sport here, in large part because there are zero American players at the top of the totem pole.
Huggan: I tell you one thing about the rankings: Any American wanting to be in the top five by the Masters is going to have to pull his finger out. With the Middle East swing, those at the top are going to, if anything, stretch their lead.
Allison Kropff of Tampa's 10 News with the ominous report on golf ball retriever and veteran David Voiles going missing at Sherman Hills Golf Course looking for balls.
"Equipment problems, breathing problems, with it being cold, even the gator could possibly be in here," says Shannon Baxter, a golf ball diver.
He says Voiles was a longtime diving enthusiast who just returned from a tour in the Middle East, awarded a purple heart, after surviving an IED attack that nearly cost him his life.
A friend told him about the diving job two years ago as a way to earn extra cash.
I must say, while the Players Championship turtle remains my favorite, getting to see a clean version of Sergio's recent club hurl backed by Scott Walker commentary, brought the artistry and technical brilliance of young Mr. Garcia's tantrum to another level.
Just think of all the hours in the gym he put in to get this one-handed (take that Tommy Bolt!) club torque and speed:
Meanwhile, John Huggan's year-in-review involves giving out awards, and while many Huggy's were great reminders of the year, this as-yet-unspoken gripe for the "Most offensive waste of money" was a favorite:
The Presidents Cup, like all events that fall under the PGA Tour umbrella, prides itself on the contribution it makes to charity. Which is great. But oh my, how much more could have been passed to deserving causes had a veritable tribe of golf officials from across the globe – there must have been at least 40 of them – not been expensively kitted out in cashmere suits and jackets for the opening and closing ceremonies at Royal Melbourne last month?
The Huggy committee does not normally jump to conclusions, but it is a safe bet that every one of those officials already owns a nice suit, one that would have failed to offend any of the watching public. What a freeloading disgrace.
Sean Martin asks a few questions of the golf course industry as we head into 2012. Namely, will we see more creativity and urgency to get golfers on the course?
Some of my local courses are getting creative. Not enough, though. More are beginning to embrace Twitter and Facebook. Kudos to them.
One morning, a local course sent an email saying their afternoon was light on tee times. They were offering discounted rates for anyone who wanted to play that afternoon. I thought it was a great idea. Golf, at least for me, has become more of a spontaneous activity. Unpredictable work and personal schedules, as well as the fact that playing golf has been pushed down our list of priorities, mean my friends and I no longer plan tee times 7-10 days in advance. I don’t think we’re alone in that regard.
Any nominations for creative facilities working to get golfers out to play?
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
