Jim Furyk was disqualified from The Barclays, this week’s tour stop, because he missed his tee time for the pro-am. It’s interesting to see all of the pros and cons on The Golf Channel Blog. Surely Jim just flat out screwed up. His cell phone, which he used for an alarm clock, was out of power and did not work. This seems like the kind of mistake that could happen to many of us.
The tour had to pass the rule about missing the pro-am, because it has to be a nightmare for a pro trying to make a living, to have to play golf for 6 hours with dreadful hackers.
On the other hand, the most sensible comments I ever heard from a pro about pro-ams came from Greg Norman. Norman talked about how he appreciated the money the amateurs paid (much of which ends up with a charity). But Greg tried to establish a rapport with the business savvy golfers, and, over the years, established many great business connections in the process. This seems like a real win win for Greg AND the players. How much fun would it be to talk to your local country club friends about your business relationship with Greg Norman?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tiger in the news again.
Well there are 2 big news stories about the world of golf floating around cyberspace.
The first is about Elin Nordegrin, Tiger Woods’ now ex-wife, who gave an interview to the esteemed “People” magazine. I’m not really interested in Tiger’s private life, and I doubt if many golf fans are. I am kind of interested in the divorce from a divorce lawyer point of view. None of my cases involve a husband who is one of the most famous people in the world, and who has made a billion dollars in his 33 year life. It is interesting to see that no matter how charmed one’s life is, as Tiger’s appeared to be, he is not immune from the mistakes, heartache, trouble, and stress that ordinary Joes out there suffer.
I’m still rooting for Tiger to return to top form next year, win a Major or two, and gain a little ground on the greatest golfer in history, Jack Nicklaus.
The first is about Elin Nordegrin, Tiger Woods’ now ex-wife, who gave an interview to the esteemed “People” magazine. I’m not really interested in Tiger’s private life, and I doubt if many golf fans are. I am kind of interested in the divorce from a divorce lawyer point of view. None of my cases involve a husband who is one of the most famous people in the world, and who has made a billion dollars in his 33 year life. It is interesting to see that no matter how charmed one’s life is, as Tiger’s appeared to be, he is not immune from the mistakes, heartache, trouble, and stress that ordinary Joes out there suffer.
I’m still rooting for Tiger to return to top form next year, win a Major or two, and gain a little ground on the greatest golfer in history, Jack Nicklaus.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Dustin Johnson was robbed by erroneous decision.
I have been away in Cape May on vacation, and away from the keyboard, so I haven’t had a chance to blog on the PGA. But I’m home now, and I just had to weigh in on the developments in the PGA. After all, I’m probably the only golf writer in the country who is also an experienced lawyer and a sitting judge. I do interpret rules and laws for a living, so maybe I’m the right guy to speak on this.
In my opinion, Dustin Johnson was robbed. He was robbed by an incorrect decision by the PGA rules officials, who incorrectly assessed him a 2 stroke penalty on the 72nd hole of the tournament. The penalty raised his score, which meant that he was no longer ties for the lead, and therefore was not in the playoff.
Before I explain why I think they erred, I’d like to point out a couple of things. First, Johnson hit a terrible tee shot, way off line, for one of the most critical shots of his young career. If he had hit the ball in the fairway, none of this would have happened.
Secondly, the rules official who was widely interviewed about the decision explained his decision well and competently. He appears to be a well informed, well spoken gentleman who no doubt would have preferred the whole mess had never happened.
There was no question that Dustin grounded his club before he hit his second shot. That meant that the only question was whether he was in a bunker when he grounded the club. The official based his decision that the ball indeed was in a bunker on the rules sheet which was handed out to players, and posted in the locker room read, in pertinent part:
Notice to Competitors - Bunkers
1. All areas of the course that were designed and built as sand bunkers will be played as bunkers (hazards), whether or not they have been raked.
Johnson knew, as does every golfer with a decent amount of experience, that you cannot ground your club in a hazard. If he had known it was a hazard, he would not have grounded his club. My question is: How was he supposed to know he was in a sand bunker? It did not look like a bunker. It was not marked like a bunker. It did not appear to be designed and built as a sand bunker. There were thousands of fans standing and walking around in the area.
There was no reason whatsoever to think that this was a bunker. I see no reason whatsoever to conclude that the area where his ball lay was “designed and built” as a bunker, which is the key language here.
This fantastic young player was unfairly deprived of a chance to win in the playoff by an incorrect ruling. It is a damn shame.
In my opinion, Dustin Johnson was robbed. He was robbed by an incorrect decision by the PGA rules officials, who incorrectly assessed him a 2 stroke penalty on the 72nd hole of the tournament. The penalty raised his score, which meant that he was no longer ties for the lead, and therefore was not in the playoff.
Before I explain why I think they erred, I’d like to point out a couple of things. First, Johnson hit a terrible tee shot, way off line, for one of the most critical shots of his young career. If he had hit the ball in the fairway, none of this would have happened.
Secondly, the rules official who was widely interviewed about the decision explained his decision well and competently. He appears to be a well informed, well spoken gentleman who no doubt would have preferred the whole mess had never happened.
There was no question that Dustin grounded his club before he hit his second shot. That meant that the only question was whether he was in a bunker when he grounded the club. The official based his decision that the ball indeed was in a bunker on the rules sheet which was handed out to players, and posted in the locker room read, in pertinent part:
Notice to Competitors - Bunkers
1. All areas of the course that were designed and built as sand bunkers will be played as bunkers (hazards), whether or not they have been raked.
Johnson knew, as does every golfer with a decent amount of experience, that you cannot ground your club in a hazard. If he had known it was a hazard, he would not have grounded his club. My question is: How was he supposed to know he was in a sand bunker? It did not look like a bunker. It was not marked like a bunker. It did not appear to be designed and built as a sand bunker. There were thousands of fans standing and walking around in the area.
There was no reason whatsoever to think that this was a bunker. I see no reason whatsoever to conclude that the area where his ball lay was “designed and built” as a bunker, which is the key language here.
This fantastic young player was unfairly deprived of a chance to win in the playoff by an incorrect ruling. It is a damn shame.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Oosthuizen has a great day, wins British Open
Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa for his dominating victory at the British Open! Oosthuizen beat one of the best fields of the year by 7 shots, which is a huge margin of victory in one of the greatest golf events in the world all year.
Oosthuizen rises from a merely great player to one of the superstars of the game with this major victory. For those who don’t follow pro golf, there are 4 Majors each year. They are the Masters, U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA. A victory in one of these events is the kind of achievement that elevates a player to elite status.
Oosthuizen is not the first relative unknown to make it big by winning the British Open. Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, and Paul Lawrie also came to prominence by winning this great event.
Oosthuizen’s life will change forever as a result of this great victory. Congratulations.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
British Open a great show
Every year, I look forward to watching the British Open on TV. The 5 hour time difference between the UK and our time zone makes for some convenient viewing. The tourney is on when I get up, and lasts until late, especially when including replays.
It seems like every year, there is a player who is not so well known holding the lead after the first or second round of play. This year, it’s Louis Oosthuizen, a great young player from South Aftica. He benefitted hugely from the timing of his first two rounds, when the conditions were not as severe as for many of the other players.
As always, we’ll have to see how it plays out, but it should be a great show no matter what.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Suggestions for speeding play
Our golf league, the Montgomery Golf Association, has taken steps this year to try to speed play. At the league’s annual meeting earlier this year, league President Dave Keightly (the undersigned), Vice President Kevin O’Connor, and Treasurer Joe Ochotny decided we could improve the enjoyment of the members if we could find ways to speed up play. Under the direction of league administrator Eric Holmquist, we have tracked the time spent to play various matches, and are evaluating the data as it comes in.
This ongoing process has given me the impetus to write down some suggestions for players on how to speed up the play. These ideas have been compiled from memories of some 35 years of caddying, playing, and watching golf. I hope other folks will chime in with other ideas.
First, hit the ball in play. If everybody hits their ball in the fairway, on the green, or somewhere else where it is easy to see and find, the single greatest time waster, looking for wild shots, is eliminated. Don’t go accusing me of hypocrisy here: I know I can hit some of the most ridiculously errant golf shots ever seen. But still, if everyone knows where their ball is, things move more quickly.
Second, if you do hit your ball somewhere ugly, don’t spend a lot of time looking for it. If you stink at this game, like me, you don’t need to play with expensive golf balls. Throw down another ball, and get on with it.
If your ball is somewhere where the cart can’t be taken, for whatever reason (cart path only, another fairway, too wet), and you are not sure what club you need, take a few clubs with you and use the one you decide on. Don’t walk back and forth to the cart a few times.
Once you are done with the hole, get the heck off the green, and away from it, so the next group can play. There will be plenty of time to write the scores on the card at the next tee.
You don’t need to re-arrange your golf bag after every shot, especially not during the middle of the hole. Just put your club back in the bag, get back in the cart, and move on. Your cart mate probably wants to get to his ball and hit, not wait for you to fiddle with your clubs.
Put your clubs or bag down in the direction you will be going after the shot is finished. If you have a wedge that you used, and now you are putting, put the wedge in the direct path you will be walking to the next tee. Not only will this save time, but it will help to prevent losing clubs.
Get a Sharpie. Put your initial or some other mark on every ball you use. This helps in several ways. First, there will be no doubt whose ball it is. I write a K on every ball. Others use dots. One friend even writes his full name, which really eliminates any doubt. Marking your ball will also hopefully eliminate the dunces on the other hole who come across your ball from picking it up. A plain Titleist Pro V 1 x is easy to confuse. The same ball with “Dave” written on it is not. Marking your ball may also prevent an ugly incident like I just heard of, where a player forfeited a hole because he hit the wrong ball. It wouldn’t have happened if he had marked his ball.
Listen, I know I am not the fastest player out there, so don’t get all over me about that. But I do know some ways to speed things up. It is not meant to insult you. It’s meant to help you and the others on the course.
League leaders, fellow golfers, readers, and friends, I’m asking you, please: Send in your suggestions for speeding up play. We will pass them along. Thanks.
This ongoing process has given me the impetus to write down some suggestions for players on how to speed up the play. These ideas have been compiled from memories of some 35 years of caddying, playing, and watching golf. I hope other folks will chime in with other ideas.
First, hit the ball in play. If everybody hits their ball in the fairway, on the green, or somewhere else where it is easy to see and find, the single greatest time waster, looking for wild shots, is eliminated. Don’t go accusing me of hypocrisy here: I know I can hit some of the most ridiculously errant golf shots ever seen. But still, if everyone knows where their ball is, things move more quickly.
Second, if you do hit your ball somewhere ugly, don’t spend a lot of time looking for it. If you stink at this game, like me, you don’t need to play with expensive golf balls. Throw down another ball, and get on with it.
If your ball is somewhere where the cart can’t be taken, for whatever reason (cart path only, another fairway, too wet), and you are not sure what club you need, take a few clubs with you and use the one you decide on. Don’t walk back and forth to the cart a few times.
Once you are done with the hole, get the heck off the green, and away from it, so the next group can play. There will be plenty of time to write the scores on the card at the next tee.
You don’t need to re-arrange your golf bag after every shot, especially not during the middle of the hole. Just put your club back in the bag, get back in the cart, and move on. Your cart mate probably wants to get to his ball and hit, not wait for you to fiddle with your clubs.
Put your clubs or bag down in the direction you will be going after the shot is finished. If you have a wedge that you used, and now you are putting, put the wedge in the direct path you will be walking to the next tee. Not only will this save time, but it will help to prevent losing clubs.
Get a Sharpie. Put your initial or some other mark on every ball you use. This helps in several ways. First, there will be no doubt whose ball it is. I write a K on every ball. Others use dots. One friend even writes his full name, which really eliminates any doubt. Marking your ball will also hopefully eliminate the dunces on the other hole who come across your ball from picking it up. A plain Titleist Pro V 1 x is easy to confuse. The same ball with “Dave” written on it is not. Marking your ball may also prevent an ugly incident like I just heard of, where a player forfeited a hole because he hit the wrong ball. It wouldn’t have happened if he had marked his ball.
Listen, I know I am not the fastest player out there, so don’t get all over me about that. But I do know some ways to speed things up. It is not meant to insult you. It’s meant to help you and the others on the course.
League leaders, fellow golfers, readers, and friends, I’m asking you, please: Send in your suggestions for speeding up play. We will pass them along. Thanks.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
A few suggestions for next year
As much as I love this tournament, I do have a few suggestions I’d like to make it even better.
First of all, the published parking options were not good. The free parking was in Oaks, with shuttle busses going back and forth. Oaks is 15 miles from the course. I can only imagine how long that took through crowded roads, especially at rush hour. I’d like to see lots much closer to the course next year. I figure that organizers did look into that, but maybe they can try again now that they have experience in the area and a year to prepare.
I’d also like to see the tour assign volunteers to rake the traps after a player hits a ball in and out of there. Of course, the caddies do this job now, but sometimes, they must lag behind their player to get this done. Most of the volunteers are enthusiastic golfers anyway, and any additional training needed could be done easily.
There should be water fountains out on the course. It wasn’t overly hot our there this week, but it was brilliantly sunny, and water should have been available to the fans to refill their water bottles. There was water available at the concession stands, but it still should have been provided. It’s going to be really hot today, and I’d hate to see or hear of a fan getting sick because of a lack of water.
First of all, the published parking options were not good. The free parking was in Oaks, with shuttle busses going back and forth. Oaks is 15 miles from the course. I can only imagine how long that took through crowded roads, especially at rush hour. I’d like to see lots much closer to the course next year. I figure that organizers did look into that, but maybe they can try again now that they have experience in the area and a year to prepare.
I’d also like to see the tour assign volunteers to rake the traps after a player hits a ball in and out of there. Of course, the caddies do this job now, but sometimes, they must lag behind their player to get this done. Most of the volunteers are enthusiastic golfers anyway, and any additional training needed could be done easily.
There should be water fountains out on the course. It wasn’t overly hot our there this week, but it was brilliantly sunny, and water should have been available to the fans to refill their water bottles. There was water available at the concession stands, but it still should have been provided. It’s going to be really hot today, and I’d hate to see or hear of a fan getting sick because of a lack of water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)