2016 Presidential Hopefuls: Hit The Links!

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Emily Kay does a nice job examining the most stunning Presidential electoral trend of all...pols who play golf in some form, at some point and in some way, stand a better chance of moving into the White House. (Thanks reader Todd.)

    •    1980: Ronald Reagan (golfer) defeats Jimmy Carter (non-golfer)
    •    1984: Ronald Reagan defeats Walter Mondale (non-golfer)
    •    1988: George H.W. Bush (golfer) defeats Michael Dukakis (non-golfer)
    •    1992: Bill Clinton (golfer) defeats George H.W. Bush
    •    1996: Bill Clinton defeats Bob Dole (non-golfer)
    •    2000: George W. Bush (golfer) defeats Al Gore (non-golfer)
    •    2004: George W. Bush defeats John Kerry (non-golfer)
    •    2008: Barack Obama (golfer) defeats John McCain (non-golfer)
    •    2012: Barack Obama defeats Mitt Romney (the anti-golfer)

Phil: "I don’t think you can take away what you’ve allowed players to use, practise and play with for 30 years."

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An AFP report quotes Phil Mickelson saying a ban on anchoring would be "grossly unfair.”

“It’s not an issue that I’m involved with, I understand both sides. It’s just that I don’t think you can take away what you’ve allowed players to use, practise and play with for 30 years. I think it is grossly unfair,” he said.

You may recall that Mickelson briefly toyed with the belly putter at the 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship.

"Greens are not changed because people are putting with a long putter."

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I know a lot of you do not think the anchoring and distance issues should be lumped in together by players like Adam Scott and Webb Simpson. But in the context of the USGA's concern for the health of the game, Scott did raise a fair point when it comes to the urgency of the anchoring ban compared to a more pressing issue for the long term well-being of golf.
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Guan Tianling And The Anchoring Ban

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Derek Lawrenson thinks 14-year-old Guan Tianling's win in the Asia Pacific and subsequent Masters berth using a belly putter should be yet another sign that the governing bodies need to act.

Yes, you’re right, the governing bodies should have snapped this dreadful implement in half at birth. But if you’re in any doubt that it is never too late to do the right thing, then the sight of 14-year-old Guan Tianling winning his spot at the Masters using one of the damn things should convince.

In other words, the future stars are now not even bothering learning the complexities of putting with orthodox equipment, and why should they when this form of legalized cheating offers such an easy way out?
The Royal and Ancient and the United States Golf Association have seen the future, and know that if they don’t act now a conventional putter in another decade will be about as common as a persimmon driver.

Gary Player, NY Times Frequent Flier

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Gary Player authors this week's NY Times Business section's usually entertaining Frequent Flier column/Q&A, claiming that in his 60 years he's spent 90 percent of his time on commercial airlines, logging more than 15 million miles. 

And sleeping on plane floors.

I remember a flight years ago when I was traveling from Los Angeles to Japan. I was seated next to a woman who was very engrossed in her knitting. I asked her if she would like the use of both seats, and I proceeded to go to the floor. I was out like a light. As I was coming out of my sleep, which was about eight hours, I heard the woman talking to the attendant. She thought I might be dead. All I could do was smile, and she was either quite relieved or scared when I stood up.