The Ryder Cup just ended and the next Ryder Cup is two years away, but the PGA will name the next American captain before the end of the year. Rumor has it that the odds-on-favorite is Davis Love III, but I am sure that DL III will find some way to choke and lose his lead.
At the McGladrey Classic, which DL III hosted at the Sea Island, Georgia, Resort, he began his normal Sunday slide by waffling to the press when asked if he wanted to captain the 2012 Ryder Cup team, saying "[i]f players ask me, are talking to me about it and they want me to do it, that's what I want to do. That's what it boils down to.” Not exactly the enthusiasm that the PGA would like to hear from its captain-in-waiting.
Assuming that the PGA will not call back the Zinger (Paul Azinger, the 2008 captain), the choices are pretty meager. Lee Janzen? Larry Nelson? Jeff Sluman? Those three do not create much excitement. Freddie Couples would be a good choice (if the Ryder Cup were played earlier in the year, Corey Pavin might have chosen Boom Boom as a player this year). Mark O'Meara would be interesting if his relationship with Tiger Woods is still solid.
DL III could not stand up to the pressure of the "World Of", let alone the Ryder Cup. His personal Ryder Cup record is 9 wins, 12 losses and 5 halves, not the stellar performance you would like from your captain, but the pickings may be slim. How about bringing back Tom Watson? He had a renaissance as a player the last few years and is the last U.S. Ryder Cup captain to win in Europe. Thinking outside the box, how about Jerry Colangelo? He brought USA Basketball back to prominence by winning an Olympic Gold Medal and the World Championships. Maybe he could do the same for American golf.
Showing posts with label Fred Couples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fred Couples. Show all posts
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
2010 Masters - One for the Ages
Wow! What a great Masters! There were so many great story lines this year. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus with the ceremonial first drives. Tom Watson near the top of the leaderboard after round 1. Fred Couples, at 50 years old, trying to become the oldest Masters champion and hitting it longer than the young guns. Phil Mickelson playing his heart out for his wife who was too weak from her breast cancer treatment to attend the event until Sunday afternoon. Lee Westwood trying to win his first major after falling out of the top 100 golfers in the world a few years ago. Anthony Kim, the possible future of American golf. And, of course, Tiger Woods returning to competitive golf after an eventful 5 month hiatus.
And what spectacular golf! Phil Mickelson's stretch of eagle, eagle, birdie (missing an eagle by inches) on holes 13, 14 and 15 on Saturday was unbelievable. His bogey-free 67 on Sunday splitting the trees from the pine needles on No. 14, carrying Ray's Creek and stopping 5 feet from the flagstick ranks up there with some of the great shots in Master's lore. Lee Westwood's steady nerves and clutch shot-making and putting in the midst of Mickelson's barrage on Saturday and Sunday showed everyone that it is only a matter of time until he wins his first major. And Tiger Woods shooting 11 under par at the Masters without playing competitive golf for 5 months.
Tiger's round on Sunday was both bizarre and beautiful, although not at the same time. Tiger started out +3 through five holes and did not hit one good shot. He then holes a shot from the fairway on No. 7 for an eagle and birdies No. 8 and No. 9 to finish the front 9 at -1. On the back nine, Tiger either cannot find the fairway with his driver or pops up his drive like a mid-iron, and when he hits a great iron into No. 14 he misses the birdie putt and then misses the par putt! Somehow, Tiger grinds and makes some spectacular shots and finishes the back nine at -2 for a 69 (some of my "World Of" friends thought that the 69 score was apropos for Tiger). If Tiger plays the first five holes at even par and makes the short birdie putt on No. 14, Phil needs to make the birdie on No. 18 to force a playoff.
Now that the Masters is over, I need to get back to the important business of breaking 85 and reducing my handicap to single digits.
And what spectacular golf! Phil Mickelson's stretch of eagle, eagle, birdie (missing an eagle by inches) on holes 13, 14 and 15 on Saturday was unbelievable. His bogey-free 67 on Sunday splitting the trees from the pine needles on No. 14, carrying Ray's Creek and stopping 5 feet from the flagstick ranks up there with some of the great shots in Master's lore. Lee Westwood's steady nerves and clutch shot-making and putting in the midst of Mickelson's barrage on Saturday and Sunday showed everyone that it is only a matter of time until he wins his first major. And Tiger Woods shooting 11 under par at the Masters without playing competitive golf for 5 months.
Tiger's round on Sunday was both bizarre and beautiful, although not at the same time. Tiger started out +3 through five holes and did not hit one good shot. He then holes a shot from the fairway on No. 7 for an eagle and birdies No. 8 and No. 9 to finish the front 9 at -1. On the back nine, Tiger either cannot find the fairway with his driver or pops up his drive like a mid-iron, and when he hits a great iron into No. 14 he misses the birdie putt and then misses the par putt! Somehow, Tiger grinds and makes some spectacular shots and finishes the back nine at -2 for a 69 (some of my "World Of" friends thought that the 69 score was apropos for Tiger). If Tiger plays the first five holes at even par and makes the short birdie putt on No. 14, Phil needs to make the birdie on No. 18 to force a playoff.
Now that the Masters is over, I need to get back to the important business of breaking 85 and reducing my handicap to single digits.
Monday, January 25, 2010
A 50-Something Year Old Sports Fan's Dream
Sunday afternoon was a 50-something year old sports fan's dream. On the football gridiron, 40-year old Brett Favre and the 31-year old youngster, Drew Brees, were slinging footballs up and down the field in the NFC Championship Game, and on the golf course 60-year old Tom Watson and 50-year old Freddy Couples were shooting darts at the flagsticks at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii! I was wearing out the remote control.
The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, the two best teams in the National Football Conference this year, were never separated by more than a touchdown and extra point. Favre led his team down the field for a touchdown and Brees answered. It was like an Ali-Frazier heavyweight championship fight. It was fitting that the game ended in overtime, although a Lou Groza look-a-like kicking the game-winning field goal would have been perfect.
The golf was even better! Two great champions playing like they were in their prime punching and counter-punching. It was like being in a time machine. Watson started the day up two strokes, but when they made the turn Couples was leading by one stroke. On the back nine, Watson birdied the first 3 holes and Couples eagled the 10th hole and birdied the 12th hole. Couples birdied the 16th hole for a one-stroke lead but Watson answered with a birdie of his own on No. 17 by sinking a 6-foot putt. Watson hit the ball into the light rough on the 18th hole and Couples bombed his drive down the middle of the fairway. Watson's second shot out of the rough from 147 yards stopped 5 feet from the hole. Couples hit his wedge to 15-feet from the hole but just missed the birdie putt and Watson sank the 5-footer for the win. Couples shot a final round 64 and Watson matched him stroke-for-stroke with a 65. Both players experienced problems with the putter late in their PGA careers, but today both made some great long putts and neither one of them missed a putt inside 10 feet.
The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, the two best teams in the National Football Conference this year, were never separated by more than a touchdown and extra point. Favre led his team down the field for a touchdown and Brees answered. It was like an Ali-Frazier heavyweight championship fight. It was fitting that the game ended in overtime, although a Lou Groza look-a-like kicking the game-winning field goal would have been perfect.
The golf was even better! Two great champions playing like they were in their prime punching and counter-punching. It was like being in a time machine. Watson started the day up two strokes, but when they made the turn Couples was leading by one stroke. On the back nine, Watson birdied the first 3 holes and Couples eagled the 10th hole and birdied the 12th hole. Couples birdied the 16th hole for a one-stroke lead but Watson answered with a birdie of his own on No. 17 by sinking a 6-foot putt. Watson hit the ball into the light rough on the 18th hole and Couples bombed his drive down the middle of the fairway. Watson's second shot out of the rough from 147 yards stopped 5 feet from the hole. Couples hit his wedge to 15-feet from the hole but just missed the birdie putt and Watson sank the 5-footer for the win. Couples shot a final round 64 and Watson matched him stroke-for-stroke with a 65. Both players experienced problems with the putter late in their PGA careers, but today both made some great long putts and neither one of them missed a putt inside 10 feet.
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