My prediction for the Masters winner is Rory McIlroy. Right. Pretty safe. But not really, given the depth of the field. Hell, an amateur could win. Freddie could win. As could Bernhard Langer. And certainly Tiger Woods, at 43, could take the green jacket. There are probably 20 players who could easily win, and 20 […]
Putting
Notes During The Players
A few notes during The Players And now the Players, considered by some a fifth major. All the big guns are there: Koepka, Thomas, DJ, Spieth, Fowler, Rose, McIlroy. And Cameron Champ, the longest driver on tour, who was in last place after the first round and withdrew during the second with a sore back. […]
Golf as a Meditation
Golfers don’t often think of golf as a meditation, but since it could lower one’s handicap and raise one’s consciousness, perhaps they should.
The Marvelous Mr. Mickelson
Phil Mickelson is truly a wonder, a phenomenon, a likable bloke who, at 48, plays a kind of all-out golf, like a youngster might. Phil takes chances, something we amateurs can relate to. We also take chances because a lot of the time chance, or risk/reward as we call it, is part of the equation […]
Masters Sunday: Rory or Reed?
OK. Final day at the Masters. Iconic. Historic. Tense. Dramatic. Who will triumph? Reed is a bulldog. He won’t let go of that three shot lead so easily. His game is sharp, decisive, intelligent, in control. As he reports, he is patient. That’s the word he keeps using, and it’s one of the most demanding […]
The Return of Tiger
Yes, amazingly, he is back. Months ago, I had recommended he retire and go out in relative style. But the guy obviously has little or no quit in him, especially after this fusion surgery has him feeling, and playing, quite well, thank you very much. In fact, he’s been in contention–top tens–in his last several tournaments. […]
A Buddies Trip to Bandon
Just returned from a buddies trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, on the southern Oregon coast, and am in recovery from the monstrous winds we encountered. What a scene! Forty, fifty mile an hour winds pelted us almost every inch of the way, knocking our balls and our bodies about like sailboats in a gale. […]
The 75-foot Bomb
One of the great things about golf is that, at times, any golfer can experience what the pros experience. So the other day at Bennett Valley, I’m a single, joining up with two welcoming guys, James and Daniel, originally from Kenya and now Americans. I only have time for nine, and my round is going […]
Zen Putting: Overcoming Age and Doubt
In my informal research as a student of the game, I have observed that the older we get, the less adept we are in reading greens. This, of course, doesn’t always hold true, but witness Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, John Daly, and other pros in their late 30s and 40s. […]