Swing thoughts to ponder
In a dressing down, time to speed up play
With the warmest and laziest summer weather upon us, it is the perfect time to play some golf, then move slowly into the shade and ponder even further the game and all its mysteries.
Start with these so-called professional golfers who seemingly can't do the simplest thing without help. You know the ones. They take hold of the club, get into position, then stay frozen as if they've just read their latest 401k report. They remain so until the trusted caddie settles in behind them, surveys the positioning, and announces the golfer is properly aligned and so are the stars.
What in the name of Leo Diegel is that all about? Good golly, if you're not able to stand up on your own and get properly aligned, then turn in your Tour membership card and start looking for some member-guest tournaments for competition.
As soon as I get the OK to become czar of the professional golf world, I'll assess three-stroke penalties to those who request help with their alignment. Oh, and it will be four strokes if it involves putting.
For those who are caught in violation of this policy more than twice, they'll be subjected to pairings alongside J.B. Holmes (PGA Tour) and Young Kim (LPGA Tour) for the remainder of the season.
Once I've tackled this alignment issue, it will be onward to the disconcerting situation on the LPGA Tour in which players inexplicably mark their balls after missing a putt, no matter that it may be sitting within 2 feet of the hole. There are two words that would help alleviate this problem - continuous putting. If it's your turn to putt, you do so until the ball's been holed, thank you very much.
Paula Creamer and her pink ensemble on Sundays? OK, it's the world in which we live and there are those who'd suggest it's not much different from Tiger Woods declaring that red is his Sunday color. But I draw the line at her caddie, Colin Cann - who happens to be one of the very best, by the way - being swept into the silliness by donning a pink hat.
As for Ian Poulter wearing all pink, well . . . heck, why doesn't Ian Poulter just wear a sign on his back that says, "Look at me. Please!"
A veteran caddie once stared at Poulter heading down the fairway in one of his outrageous outfits and said, "In the old days, if players wanted to get noticed, they played better."
Alas, those days are long, long gone, and for proof, look no further than Christina Kim on the LPGA Tour. Are there no mirrors on the way to the first tee?
Returning to Poulter for a moment, apparently Colin Montgomerie had a bit of a spat with his European colleague during the second round of last week's European Open. It's not their first, either, which proves that while Poulter's taste in clothing is suspect, at best, his dislike of Montgomerie proves that he's got sound character judgment.
You know golf has a serious lack of controversial characters when Kenny Perry gets himself embroiled in a tug of war. Closing in on his 48th birthday and in the midst of his 23d year on the PGA Tour, Perry has pretty much from Day 1 just teed it up and hit those high, sweeping draws with minimal discontent. Maybe he hasn't been the model PGA Tour professional, but never has he been far from it. So what happens? Well, in a seven-tournament stretch he wins twice, loses in a playoff another time, finishes joint sixth once, and gets into contention to win The Players, and announces that he'll not only skip trying to qualify for the US Open, he'll not accept his exemption into the British Open, either.
That's right, the hottest player not wearing a cast on his left leg brushes off the major championships like they're a side order of prunes. He knows he's opened himself up for a backlash of criticism, but there are certain angles to this story that make it different from the year Fred Funk skipped the British Open to play in the B.C. Open or even last summer when Woody Austin refused to play the British Open.
Funk was taking the easy way out in 2004, thinking Ryder Cup points would be easier at the weak-field B.C. Open than at Royal Troon. And Austin? Well, he's Woody, so if you want to explain him, good luck.
But Perry's situation is different. He put pressure on himself by announcing early in the season that his goal was to make the Ryder Cup team, which will be contested in his home state (Kentucky). With wins at the Memorial and the Buick Open, Perry has pretty much locked up a spot, so give him credit for that. As for his decision to play the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee instead of the British Open, two thoughts come to mind:
1) We often criticize players for not supporting blue-collar, off-the-beaten-track PGA Tour events, and Perry has been at Milwaukee every year since 2000 and 12 previous times since 1987, so give him points for being fairly loyal to parochial concerns.
2) Maybe he's sick of bangers and mash.
Seriously, observers do have a right to criticize Perry, because it says something about his suspect layers of competitive fire when he turns down a coveted exemption into a major championship. Bad enough he doesn't have the fight to do 36 holes in a quest for a US Open spot, but to turn down an exemption?
Who is he, Groucho Marx? ("I don't care to belong to any tournament that would have me in its field.")
And who is Mads Vibe-Hastrup and what is he doing ranked 301st in the world?
Hurst latest teen to shine
Don't look now, but another teenager is all the rage in women's golf - and she'll have a New England appearance the next few days.Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla., turned 18 last month but has already won three times in just seven starts on the Futures Tour, which sets up shop in the
If the women had a "battlefield promotion" clause like the men do - that is, three wins in a season earns immediate promotion from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour - Hurst would already be on the LPGA Tour. Sure, that means she'd be competing against women old enough to be her mother. But it also means she'd be going against girls old enough to be her sister, because the big stage of late has been dominated by the youngsters.
In addition to major championships won by 18-year-old Yani Tseng (LPGA Championship) and 19-year-old Inbee Park (US Women's Open), 21-year-old Paula Creamer has triumphed twice this season and so have 22-year-olds Seon Hwa Lee and Eun-Hee Ji. Meanwhile, Morgan Pressel, now 20, captured a major championship as an 18-year-old.
So it's clear that Hurst is not out of her element and her decision to turn professional has probably already been validated. Berths in the US Women's Open were achieved in 2006 and 2007 and already this season Hurst has received her second and third exemptions into LPGA Tour events. But while Hurst shockingly missed out at the sectional qualifier for this year's US Women's Open, it proved to be beneficial, because instead she was able to play in, and win, a third Futures Tour event. That vaulted Hurst to atop the money list and while the number beside her name - $51,701 - isn't that substantial, the real prize rests beyond the money: The top five on the money list earn exempt status for next year on the LPGA Tour.
The Cigna field will include Futures Tour regulars Briana Vega of Andover; Lynn Valentine of East Lyme, Conn.; Kim Augusta of Rumford, R.I.; Haley Gildea of East Greenwich, R.I.; Morgan Olds of Stamford, Conn.; and Kate Stepanek of Guilford, Conn., whose sister, Morgan, has been granted a sponsor's exemption. Valerie Blinn of Seekonk and two Connecticut amateurs, Nara Shin and Natalie Sheary, will also tee it up.
In Toledo, Wie out of luck in British Open qualifying
Her summer travels have her in Toledo, Ohio, for the Jamie Farr OwensWie indicated that a bonus to her sponsor's exemption into the Jamie Farr was the chance to earn a spot in the Women's British Open (July 31-Aug. 3).
"I would love to play," she told reporters. "Hopefully, things will work out this week."
Wie apparently knew half of this week's equation - after two rounds of the Jamie Farr, the top five not already qualified for the Women's British Open will earn spots. But there was a disclaimer attached that apparently slipped by her - the berths go to the top five LPGA Tour members who aren't already qualified. Wie is not an LPGA Tour member.
Some might raise eyebrows that the exemptions go to the leading players through two rounds of a four-round tournament and that a possible spot could elude the grasp of a name player such as Wie, based on her lack of LPGA Tour membership, but don't direct those shakes of the head toward the LPGA Tour. Not on this front. The ground rules were drawn up by the Ladies Golf Union over in the United Kingdom.
What happens if there's a tie after two rounds between players within the top five? Third-round scores would be used as a tiebreaker and, if necessary, the fourth-round numbers would be used.
Of course, such a tiebreaker doesn't matter to Wie. Instead, she can stop concerning herself with the Women's British Open and focus instead on her next two sponsor's exemptions - next week in Springfield, Ill., for the State Farm Classic, then Aug. 14-17 for the Canadian Women's Open.
Etc.
Big prize on Nationwide TourFrom West Lancashire, England, to Bridgeport, W.Va., it's the have-clubs-will-play world of Scott Dunlap. One of just a handful of Americans who ventured overseas to try local qualifying for the British Open, Dunlap played Monday and Tuesday at the links course, but fell short. Disappointing, yes, but no worries. He flew back to the United States and today will tee it up in the Nationwide Tour Players Cup. Why would he make such an effort? Consider that this week affords Nationwide Tour players their first purse of $1 million. While those on the PGA Tour may yawn at such news, the guys at Triple A do not. "It's pretty nice, a great opportunity for us, especially in this economy," said Geoff Sisk of Marshfield. The winner will receive $180,000 and to put that in perspective, consider that Bob Burns just 10 years ago earned $178,664 for the season to lead Nationwide Tour in money. Sisk sits 81st on the money list, with $37,693, so he's got good reason to be focused on this week's tournament.
These guys travel in style
Unfortunately, Dunlap doesn't travel like his brethren on the PGA Tour. Consider the players at this week's John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., who are headed to Royal Birkdale for next week's British Open. As an incentive to keep them in the field, Deere organizers have arranged for a private flight to England and currently 21 players have signed on, including Woody Austin, Rich Beem, Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Lehman, Sean O'Hair, Pat Perez, Jerry Kelly, Zach Johnson, and Todd Hamilton.
Romo plays with handicap
Fairway news: Tony Romo leaves a Wisconsin amateur tournament in mid-round to give Jessica Simpson a ride to the airport.
Clubhouse view: It's clear what his handicap is.
Funked-out by dragonfly
Fred Funk, famously short and straight, was short and crooked with a drive at the 18th hole at Congressional Country Club during the first round of the AT&T National, but there was an explanation. As he swung, he noticed a dragonfly on the shaft of his club. "I just totally flinched and hit 150 yards off the tee, dead right in the trees," said Funk. Given that he's won tournaments at the highest level, it's understandable that Funk would be given a pass, but one has to wonder if you could get away with that excuse within the confines of your Saturday morning four-ball.
Lopez commits to BJ's
Nancy Lopez has committed to play in the upcoming BJ's Charity Championship at Granite Links GC in Quincy. Part of the Legends Tour for former LPGA Tour standouts, the tournament will include a pro-am Aug. 1, followed by competitive rounds Aug. 2 and 3, with the format once again a best-ball affair between 28 two-women teams. Lopez will play alongside Val Skinner. Some other announced teams include JoAnne Carner and Judy Dickinson, Jane Blalock and Lori West, Sherri Turner and Cindy Figg-Currier, and Debbie Massey and Allison Finney. For tickets, call 617-721-3931 or refer to thelegendstour.com.
A league of his own
When it comes to earning the most money for the least amount of work, Tiger Woods remains in a world of his own, even while sidelined. He calls an end to his 2008 season after having averaged a whopping $962,500 per start over six tournaments. His average alone would have him sitting 68th on the money list.
Charles a Hall of Famer
Bob Charles, the lefthander who won the British Open in 1963 and earned 60 victories worldwide - including five on the PGA Tour - has been named to the World Golf Hall of Fame through the veterans' category. The first New Zealander to be so honored, Charles won the Digital Seniors Classic at Nashawtuc CC in Concord in 1989, then successfully defended the following summer . . . Jean Van de Velde birdied the final hole Tuesday to earn the fourth and final spot into the British Open during a local qualifier at Hillside GC in Southport, England. Of course, that begs the question: Jean, where was that finishing touch nine summers ago?
