Imagine if the Mafia decided to start a golf tour, offering millions to cash-strapped PGA players who jumped ship–players like Westwood, Garcia, Fowler, Norman, and Mickelson. Well the Saudis, yes the same country which birthed 19 of the 9/11 hijackers, and who murdered Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, and who just recently “allowed” women to […]
Phil Mickelson
Troubleshooting
We’ve watched Phil get out of trouble time after time. We’ve watched Tiger get out of trouble often. And before these two magicians, we watched Arnold get himself out of trouble. But few of us have the skills of these experts, and practically all of us, handicappers and pros, get into trouble a number of […]
Pace: Find your Model
When I was a kid, one of the pros I admired was Gene Littler who won the U.S. Amateur, scored 29 victories on the PGA Tour, including the U.S. Open in 1961. Gene the Machine, they used to call him, for his smooth, easy, repeating swing. For a time, he was my model for how […]
Notes, Questions, and My Two Cents
Long hitting Jason Kokrak won his second tournament of the year at Ben Hogan’s old haunt Sunday, beating Jordan Spieth and his cheering minions by two shots. I think if Kokrak can figure out how to control the spin of his wedges, he may be close to unbeatable. Faldo thinks he should get new wedges […]
The Players
Some call it the Fifth Major. Some pros consider their careers incomplete unless they win this one. And unlike most other tournaments, people remember, generally, if a golfer ever won The Players. Why? It’s a very elite field, drawing all the greats of the current game. It’s held on the same course every year: the […]
Moxie
Moxie. Some say you either got or you don’t. In golf, moxie is right out in front with every step a pro takes. Even with handicappers, its pretty easy tell who’s got it. So what is it, and why is it important? Can it be developed? If I had to choose one word to describe […]
And Yet More Player Assessments, Pre-Masters
This may be the deepest PGA tour field I’ve seen in years. There’s a lot of talent out there, with just a putt or two separating those who win from the others. Patrick Cantley. Great college player. Has been solid on pro tour. I’ve seen better putters, but otherwise, I can find no flaws in […]
Anthony Kim and Other Odds and Ends
So whatever happened to Anthony Kim? Kim hasn’t played since he tore his Achilles in the summer of 2012. Before that he dealt with a tsunami of injuries to his forearm, wrist, and thumb that scuttled his career after a brilliant season in 2008 where he won two tournaments and earned $4.6 million in prize money.
Fixing Jordan Spieth
In trying to help Jordan Spieth fix his game, former World Number One and now Golf Channel commentator David Duval came up with what he calls “reactionary golf.” In my thinking, it’s quite wise, and may have two, or possibly even more, meanings.