So Team A-Game kinda went down in flames over the weekend at Kiawah Island. I'm not sure Secretariat could have kept pace with the blossoming thoroughbred named Rory McIlroy.
It was another command performance by the 23-year-old Northern Irishman, who added an 8-shot PGA Championship victory to his 2011 U.S. Open win of the same margin and, hopefully, ended titillating speculation that his girlfriend, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, is bad for his game. For now, I'm holding off on the obvious Tiger Woods comparisons. But they're certainly worth exploring.
As for Woods himself, it was deja vu all over again at the Ocean Course. Two solid rounds and a spot at or near the top of the leaderboard, followed by a weekend of mediocrity. In a rare and welcome bit of candor, Tiger admitted to pressing in the majors this year -- exactly as I and many others suspected. Granted, it was pretty obvious...
The majors are over, the Ryder Cup coming up. And we may soon hear from the USGA and R&A on the future legality of anchored putters. How long can Webb Simpson, Ernie Els, Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley hold their collective breath?
If long wands are banned, McIlroy gains further advantage over his peers. Just what the young fella needs.
Showing posts with label Webb Simpson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Webb Simpson. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
All These Guys are Good
Further proof of the fine line separating golf's very best from the rest: Ted Potter Jr.'s playoff victory over Troy Kelly at the Greenbrier Classic.
Potter entered the event at No. 218 in the World Golf Ranking. Kelly was 464th. Meanwhile, the No. 4-ranked player, Tiger Woods, missed the cut, as did No. 16 Phil Mickelson. Webb Simpson, ranked fifth after his U.S. Open triumph, faltered down the stretch to finish T7 at the Greenbrier. Steve Stricker and Dustin Johnson were non-factors.
Meanwhile, someone named Charlie Beljan (pronounced "Belgian") nearly stole the show with a pair of spectacular Sunday pitch shots. He finished T3 -- not bad for a guy without enough points to even register on the world rankings.
There's a lot to be drawn from the results, but my bottom line is this: Any 2-handicapper who thinks he's even remotely close to being Tour caliber is fooling himself. Badly. Start playing every round from 7,300 yards and knock another eight shots off your handicap, and you might have a chance to break through in a Monday qualifier.
Seriously, they're that much better than you.
Potter entered the event at No. 218 in the World Golf Ranking. Kelly was 464th. Meanwhile, the No. 4-ranked player, Tiger Woods, missed the cut, as did No. 16 Phil Mickelson. Webb Simpson, ranked fifth after his U.S. Open triumph, faltered down the stretch to finish T7 at the Greenbrier. Steve Stricker and Dustin Johnson were non-factors.
Meanwhile, someone named Charlie Beljan (pronounced "Belgian") nearly stole the show with a pair of spectacular Sunday pitch shots. He finished T3 -- not bad for a guy without enough points to even register on the world rankings.
There's a lot to be drawn from the results, but my bottom line is this: Any 2-handicapper who thinks he's even remotely close to being Tour caliber is fooling himself. Badly. Start playing every round from 7,300 yards and knock another eight shots off your handicap, and you might have a chance to break through in a Monday qualifier.
Seriously, they're that much better than you.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Rooting for Ryan
While the hometown crowd will be strongly in Webb Simpson's corner, with plenty of others pulling for Rory McIlroy, I'll be rooting for Ryan Moore to win today at the Wells Fargo.
I had the good fortune to cover Moore's incredible 2004 sweep of golf's major amateur championships -- the NCAA, U.S. Publinx, Western Am and U.S. Amateur, plus the Sahalee Players for good measure -- as editor of Golf Washington Magazine. I interviewed Ryan on several occasions and got to know his parents a little too. Great folks.
I like to think I'd be a fan of Moore's even without that experience. He's a little different from most tour pros, in a good way. For one thing, he dresses differently, right down to his TRUE Linkswear shoes (which are fantastic, I can tell you), and generally gives off a more laid-back vibe than his peers.
Bring it home, Ryan.
I had the good fortune to cover Moore's incredible 2004 sweep of golf's major amateur championships -- the NCAA, U.S. Publinx, Western Am and U.S. Amateur, plus the Sahalee Players for good measure -- as editor of Golf Washington Magazine. I interviewed Ryan on several occasions and got to know his parents a little too. Great folks.
I like to think I'd be a fan of Moore's even without that experience. He's a little different from most tour pros, in a good way. For one thing, he dresses differently, right down to his TRUE Linkswear shoes (which are fantastic, I can tell you), and generally gives off a more laid-back vibe than his peers.
Bring it home, Ryan.
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