Tiger and Rory, the bald Eagle and the intimidator, the old man and the kid, the champ and the contender -- no matter how you look at it, the PGA Tour could not have scripted a more exciting FedEx Cup finale than the featured Woods-McIlroy showdown.
To our faithful Waggleroom.com readers,
I have been asked by SBNation.com's leadership to inform all of you that this blog, Waggleroom.com, will be fully transitioning to the SB Nation Golf section, effective immediately. (For real this time; I swear)
As a result of this transition, there will no longer be any new golf coverage found on Waggleroom. However, fresh new content from myself, Emily Kay, and the entire team of golf writers at SB Nation can be found daily in the general golf section.
The reasoning behind this transition is simple: we at SB Nation would like to focus on providing the highest quality of timely golf coverage possible, and keeping that content in one place is vital to achieving that goal. We realized that having two main golf blogs/sections dedicated to golf through the website became confusing at times, so this transition will hopefully clear things up for both writers and readers alike.
As a result, we ask that all former Waggleroom.com readers visit the SB Nation Golf section for up-to-the-minute golf coverage as we continue to work toward making that site the go-to destination for all your golf news.
On behalf of Charles, Emily and myself, I would like to thank all of our readers for your support, comments, FanPosts, and discussion throughout the years. As with any blog, your contributions helped make this a meeting ground for many readers to discuss the game we all know and love.
Hit'm straight,
Adam
Let's face it; most of us will never play golf well enough to win a tournament, or play on an amateur golf tour, let alone the PGA TOUR. Speaking for myself, playing golf has become less frequent over the years as other responsibilities have taken "golf-time" out of my week. When I do have the opportunity to go out and play a round of golf, I want to score well and have fun while doing it.
So basically, I want to score better than I do now despite being able to practice less. Makes a lot of sense, right? Not so much.
Many golf equipment manufacturers have pinpointed people like me to market their latest 'quick fix' products and are making a financial killing in the process. And why shouldn't they? After all, nobody really cares howyou got to break 100, 90, or 80 this past weekend. What's the harm in using a product that provides... a bit of a lift to your game?
Products like the Polara golf ball, for example, advertise that not only will they help keep your ball in the fairway, but you will enjoy the game of golf more in the end because of lower golf scores. Fun is a good thing last time anyone checked, and the folks at companies like Polara know how to market toward that cause.
But then that pesky little thing called a conscience sneaks up in the back of the player's mind. How in the world will you know if your golf game is improving if the equipment you use is literally designed to keep the ball in play? Golf is a game for gentlemen and ladies; who are we to sully tradition by using doo-hickeys and widgets that disallow our golf balls to find the bottom of a lake instead of the bottom of the cup? Golf's forefathers are spinning in their graves!
Yet... hold on just a second. What is really at stake here? Do I not have the right to the pursuit of golf happiness? Am I not inclined to spend my hard-earned money in healthy ways to make myself happy while playing a game I enjoy?
It is a question less of etiquette and more of personal preference. Nobody is going to jail because they used a 500cc driver, but they also aren't really improving their game by doing so, either.
What say you, fellow golf enthusiasts?
Seems like everyone is throwing their opinions around on Tiger Woods' swing trials and tribulations nowadays, including your's truly. Should he ditch swing coach Sean Foley? Should he go back to Butch Harmon or Hank Haney? Does he even need a swing coach at this point in his development? Everyone seems to have a thought, but nobody has the answer.
Not even Tiger himself, it seems.
Let's get something straight first: the only thing anyone would be missing out on if Tiger doesn't get his game back on a consistent track is seeing history by breaking Jack's major record. In order to do so, Woods really only has to win a handful of more tournaments in his career. He doesn't have to win every week, and nobody (besides Tiger) cares how many PGA TOUR victories he ends up with when he retires. Majors are the only thing that matter now.
So how does Tiger get back to his major-winning form? The talking heads have their theories.
Nick Faldo believes Tiger's confidence is completely shot despite having won at Bay Hill earlier this season. "The real bottom line is for me, (Woods) just doesn't have the self-belief, the self-confidence that he obviously had, the Tiger of old, simple as that," Faldo said during a recent media call prior to The Players Championship. Tiger didn't seem to like that very much, claiming that he found it "interesting, since (Faldo and others) aren't in my head".
Brandel Chamblee thinks Sean Foley is to blame for Tiger's swinging woes (no pun intended) and that a return to Butch Harmon is the answer: "Simply, he needs to fire Sean (Foley), call Butch (Harmon)," Chamblee said Tuesday during the same media call. "I think that would get it done right there."
Even Woods' long-time friend and mentor Mark O'Meara had a few thoughts on what he believes will benefit Tiger the most.
"I just think he needs to just play the game and quit over-thinking, quit over-reacting," O'Meara stated on Monday. "I think he's definitely got a lot on his plate and he needs to get out there and just play.
'I just don't know if he can ever dominate like he once did because...the intimidation factor's probably not as great as it once was,' O'Meara said about the perception that Woods' mere presence on the leader board would cause his opponents to wilt. 'I don't know if he'll ever get to where I think he could have gotten.'
At this point it appears that Tiger can do nothing right in the eyes of many despite maintaining a spoken confidence in himself during media events and prior to tournaments. His actions and body-language on the course may appear to contradict that confidence most of the time, but as Woods said himself, we're "not in his head".
Maybe being too much in his own head is the problem, afterall?
Phil Mickelson has been called a modern-day Arnold Palmer by many for his contributions to the game of golf both on and off the course. Last night, he joined two-time major champion Sandy Lyle of Scotland, writer Dan Jenkins, British player-turned-broadcaster Peter Alliss, and four-time LPGA major champion Hollis Stacy on stage as all were formally inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Unique to the sport, golf's Hall of Fame allows currently-competing players to be inducted (as was the case last year with Ernie Els, also). Mickelson is certainly still able to perform at an extremely high level and seems to be a favorite for any tournament he plays. He currently sits in the top-20 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Mickelson's rise to greatness was the result of both highs and lows in his career, as the man himself acknowledged during his heartfelt induction speech last night in Florida. Every golf fan remembers the amazing shots he has crafted throughout his career - perhaps none more amazing than one particular effort at Augusta National - and even a few of the man's failures on the course. Regardless, Mickelson remains a fan-favorite for his charitable efforts, his attention to fans, and his unwavering ability to create spectacular golf memories more often than not.
On Monday night Mickelson shared a few stories about his family and how his children would react to various moments in his golf career:
There were memories of his oldest daughter born after the first of his record five runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, the blonde curls of his second daughter, Sophia, whom he told, "Daddy won!" after his first major at the Masters. He told of the 2005 PGA Championship win, how son Evan was high-fiving the New Jersey state troopers.
However, the main topic of his speech was more on following one's dreams and allow one's self todream. Referring to his fellow-inductees on stage that evening, Mickelson stated, "They can attest that you can't start fulfilling your dreams until you dream big."
Indeed, Phil. You have dreamed bigger than most, and have succeed more than most in the process. Congratulations on an honor well-deserved.
Seems like everyone is throwing their opinions around regarding whether Augusta National should open their doors to female members. And when I say "everyone", I mean everyone. Next up? Billionaire investor Warren Buffett.
According to various sources, the 81-year old Buffett is all for allowing female members at Augusta National, saying he would have it no other way if he had a say in membership committee proceedings.
"I'm not telling the group at Augusta what to do, but if I were running the club I'd have plenty of women," Buffett said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
"I might prefer having female members, but I'm not on the (membership) committee."
Warren, you old fox! We all know you would love to see the addition of female members donning the Green Jacket if you were in charge. Heck, that was never even a question with you, Mr. Buffett.
But in all seriousness, the dub-dub-dubya-bee has a point. Somebody just needs to knock some sense into Augusta Head Chairman Billy Payne first.
Is it really that big of a damn deal to allow female members, Billy? I mean really; what's the worst that can happen? A bunch of old coots frowning at you for allowing women into membership locker rooms and other club functions? Big flippin' deal. Those guys will get over it soon enough, or die of old age in the process.
Show off some of that southern gentleman charm, Billy, and do the right thing. If nothing else, you'll get some of the negative attention off your back for awhile.
Let's face it; the United States is still looking for a dominant golfer to stand up to the competition offered by some of Europe's best players. With his first PGA TOUR victory this afternoon at the Wells Fargo Championship, Rickie Fowler through his (orange) hat in the proverbial ring as a new hope for American golf.
Fowler accomplished his career milestone while in the midst of Europe's best, including superstar Rory McIlroy (who once again took over the top-spot in the Official World Golf Rankings with another strong finish). Fowler and McIlroy would ultimately face-off in a playoff to determine today's winner.
In his 67th start as a professional, Fowler was able to finally silence his critics while holding off one of the best players on the planet.
"It's a good feeling right now," Fowler said. "There's definitely some relief, satisfaction. I'm definitely happy. It's not a bad thing, winning. It's kind of fun.
"I definitely knew I was good enough, and it was just getting everything to come together and stay patient. It's been a wait, but I'm definitely still young, and hopefully this opens the door to many more. Obviously there were a lot of people that have doubted me or said I'll never win.
"So it's nice to kind of shut them up a little bit."
Just a quick note before the Bulls game tips off on TV:
According to my friends on Twitter, Tiger Woods has officially missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship. Why is this news? Because this is only the eighth time in Tiger's career that he hasn't made it to the weekend in a golf tournament. I wonder what he'll have to say about this in his next fan question segment. (Note: Don't worry, it likely won't come up.)
Tiger had the following to say after his round:
"I figured I needed to get to 3 under to be safe, 2 under for sure," Woods said before departing. "It's frustration. I'm not playing a weekend where I have a chance to compete for a title. I've missed my share of cuts in the past, and none of them feel good."
Woods' next stop will likely be The Players Championship next week. Maybe golf swing guru Sean Foley will come up with another band-aid solution for his prized pupil. (Note: Don't worry, not likely)
Rickie Fowler is among a group of players tied for second place after the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship, placing him in a situation the young PGA TOUR star has not found himself often in his career. Fowler is joined by four others at 6-under par for the tournament.
Fowler was actually tied for the lead upon the completion of his opening round, however a late-afternoon surge from Stewart Cink, Webb Simpson and Ryan Moore catapulted the trio to a tie for the lead by day's end, currently at 7-under.
While each of the leaders has a win to his credit on tour, Fowler - and others tied for second - hope to break the seal on their first career victory this week. Fowler certainly has the talent to be a multiple-time winner on the PGA TOUR, however he has routinely fallen short whenever near the top of the leaderboard.
"I wouldn't be surprised if a win is right around the corner," Fowler told reporters following a flawless round that included an eagle on Quail Hollow's par-5 seventh. "Once it does, hopefully the doors open and we'll go from there."
This is not to say Rickie hasn't won a professional tournament before. In fact, his win at the Kolon Korea Open last season came in a tournament that also featured oft-World #1 Rory McIlory.
In other news, Tiger Woods shot a 1-under 71 in his opening round. Whoop dee doo.
A funny thing happened this past weekend at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Jason Dufner won a golf tournament on the PGA TOUR (and even showed a bit of emotion - although I am still not convinced what emotion that might have been).
While this was certainly a grand achievement for Dufner on a professional level, the 35-year old veteran from North Olmsted, Ohio is no stranger to receiving attention for his golf talents.
As a student at Auburn University, Dufner walked-on to the university golf teamand played for three years (along with fellow-PGA TOUR player Roland Thatcher). As his talents progressed, Dufner would ultimately earn an Honorable Mention All-American nod in 1997 (and nothing says "success" like an honorable mention!). He would graduate from Auburn in 2000 with a degree in Economics.
Dufner still makes his home in Auburn, which by no means is a large city. He often trains at the Moores Mill Golf Club, whose name was predominately displayed on his golf bag the last few PGA TOUR events. Commonly known as a gentleman around town and on tour, Dufner routinely stops to sign a few autographs for fans both at his home driving range and other tour events.
In terms of recent Auburn Tiger athletes, Cam Newton certainly holds his place as "most recognizable" in the eyes of most sport fans. With any luck - and continued success on tour - Dufner may just become the second-best athlete out of Opelika-Auburn.
While first-round leaders Ken Duke and Cameron Tringale - "The Triangle" - have yet to tee-off Friday, Jason Dufner has surpassed the duo to take the lead at 9-under par in New Orleans.
Dufner started his morning with a birdie on the par-4 opening hole, followed by three consecutive birdies on holes five through seven. He is currently playing his back-nine for the second round, but history tells us that Dufner will likely remain towards the top of the leaderboard for the remainder of this week thanks to his hot start.
The Auburn alum has been playing quite well over the past few months, but Dufner continues to search for his first win on the PGA TOUR. He came close twice in 2011 - including a major - but lost both of his playoff matches (Waste Management Phoenix Open to Mark Wilson; PGA Championship to Keegan Bradley).
Dufner also made some noise early on in this year's Masters tournament but would ultimately fall to a tie for 24th place.
Speaking of Masters champions, Bubba Watson currently sits at 1-under par and will tee off a little later today. Watson is also the defending Zurich Classic champion and has his work cut out for him as tournament leaders are quickly approaching the 10-under par mark.
Tomorrow morning the PGA TOUR will tee off at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and defending champion Bubba Watson will be the talk of the town as he competes for the first time following his Masters victory earlier this month.
Quick, cue the Overly-High Expectations Committee!
There's no doubt that all eyes will be on Watson when he tees off tomorrow, and rightfully so. The Rogue Golfer (which is a nickname I literally just made up for Bubba right now based on his lack of a swing coach and the fact that it is kind of difficult to think of a nickname for a guy named "Bubba") will continue to smash monster drives all over the golf course, work his golf ball around trees and over hills, and likely find himself in good position by week's end on the leaderboard. That's just how Bubba operates.
But it is important for golf fans to not lose sight of the fact that Bubba is a risk-taker, and he didn't win the Masters by playing it safe. In fact, he hasn't won anything on a golf course by playing it safe, so let's not be surprised if and when we see an odd shot by Watson sail into the woods or into a hazard. Again, that's just how he operates.
The spotlight is nothing new for the man from Baghdad, Florida. He has won TOUR events in the past, he's made a fool out of himself (in a good way) on YouTube, and he has begun starring in PING commercials that showcase his... um... skills as an actor. Bubba is a man who loves to have a good time when all eyes are on him, which is a far cry from his past anger management issues and poor attitude.
But he has never been in a spotlight this bright before. After all, he is now the only man who has a chance at winning the Grand Slam this year (which is highly unlikely to happen, but who would be surprised if it did?). Furthermore, American golf is yearning, begging, pleading for a new top-golfer to lead the United States in this country's uphill battle to match talents and accolades with our neighbors across the pond.
A lot is resting on the shoulders of Bubba, but I couldn't think of a better player to handle all the pressure.
Remember that time I said I was leaving to only work on SB Nation's golf section? Well, communication lines got crossed a bit and your friend Adam got himself all sorts of confused. So what does that mean?
Golf thoughts and other ramblings will continue to be posted here on Waggleroom from yours truly and the other writers! I know you are all incredibly excited to hear that news. Please, hold your applause.
Anyway, sorry for the confusion. You can still check out content from me and Emily over at SB Nation's golf section in addition to other content found on Waggleroom.
Earlier this morning I posted a story on the SB Nation golf section that involved a brief opinion on appearance fees for professional golfers at the sponsor's discretion. In that article I wrote:
A funny thing happened this past weekend on the PGA TOUR: Ben Curtis, winless since 2006, won an event where he very well could have been one of the bigger names in the field. That's right; Ben "I Almost Lost My TOUR Card" Curtis was one of a few standouts at the Valero Texas Open.
Meanwhile, Lee Westwood, the third-ranked player in the world, successfully defended his title at the Indonesian Masters, a tournament he likely would not have even played in had it not been for the appearance fee he was paid to attend. As a result, the Indonesian Masters became a strong ratings competitor to the Valero Texas Open, all because of one name golf fans everywhere recognize.
Now there is definitely more to the offering of "appearance fees" than what I lead on in the above excerpt, but the question remains the same: why doesn't the PGA TOUR allow for appearance fees?
ESPN.com's Bob Harig also chimed in on this topic in January 2012, this time involving Tiger Woods playing in Abu Dhabi instead of California to begin his 2012 season:
Asked if the payment of appearance fees influences his scheduling decisions, Woods said, "I'd have to say yes, it certainly does. That's one of the reasons why a lot of the guys who play in Europe, they do play in Europe, and they do get paid. I think the only tour that doesn't pay is the U.S. Tour."
The PGA Tour prohibits the payment of appearance fees. While the subject is not officially discussed among European Tour officials, it is a widely accepted practice. It is perhaps the biggest reason this tournament has attracted the best field of the year to date.
Seems to me that the PGA TOUR might be missing out on a practice many of the "big names" in the U.S. are already accustomed to when playing overseas. Then again, I'm sure Ben Curtis isn't complaining.
After roughly 5 years of posting at Waggleroom.com - first as a commenter and most recently as a featured writer - I am sorry to say that this will be my final post on this blog.
But fear not!
For those of you who are still interested in reading my thoughts on golfy things, you can visit the SB Nation golf section as I will now be posting regularly in that forum from this point forward. And, of course, I will also continue to work on my own blog, ChicagoDuffer.com, with content not found on SB Nation.
It has been fun fellow Waggleroom readers, and you will be missed.
Take care, hit'em straight, and may many fairways and greens be in your future.
Sincerely,
Adam
Ping announced Tuesday that it would commemorate Bubba Watson's victory by selling 5,000 limited-edition all-pink Ping G20 drivers and donate five percent of the proceeds to its fund-raising campaign, "Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by Ping." The drivers will be available for retail on or about June 1.
In addition to $10,000 in seed money, Ping donates $300 for every drive (up to 300) that Watson hits at least 300 yards. So far, Watson -- who leads the tour in driving distance with an average of just over 313 yards -- has generated $61,600 for Phoenix-based charities. The company's campaign is part of Watson's "Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million" initiative whose aim is to raise $1 million for charities in 2011.
After Watson's dramatic playoff win over Louis Oosthuizen, demand for his big stick went through the roof, according to John A. Solheim, Ping chair and chief executive.
"Even prior to his win at the Masters, golfers were requesting pink G20s," Solheim said in a statement. "Through word of mouth, social media, and phone calls, the interest was extremely high. We want to satisfy that demand while bringing even more visibility to Bubba's goal of raising $1 million."
The drivers, which will retail for $430 each, sport bright pink club heads and Ping TFC 169D shafts, and come in lofts of 9.5 degrees, 10.5 degrees, and 12 degrees for right-handed golfers. Southpaws like Watson will be able to buy the clubs with a loft of 10.5 degrees, while golfers with slower swing speeds may opt for a club with a 12-degree loft and a ladies-flex shaft. All clubs will come with matching pink head covers.
Watson hit the links all week at Augusta in white and pink Travis Mathew Apparel couture to publicize the first leg of his "Grand Slam Drive for Charity" push -- the proceeds of which will also go toward his "Bubba & Friends" philanthropy.
When Bubba Watson stopped by to chat with David Letterman Tuesday night, after a whirlwind tour of major media outlets following his playoff win at Augusta Sunday, the newly green-jacketed Masters champ offered the late-night host a brief glimpse into what it means to play Bubba Golf.
"Just close your eyes and hit it hard," Watson told Letterman about how he fashioned the hook shot from the pine straw to the 10th green that set up his tourney-winning two-putt par to beat Louis Oosthuizen on the second hole in overtime.
Watson, who owes his unique way of attacking golf courses not to any instructor other than himself, described his game as "Awesome," and confided that playing at the highest levels of the sport has not always been easy. Indeed, he conceded that he may have abused a few clubs in his time, a la Tiger Woods, who's still hearing from critics about his drop-kicking incident during the second round at Augusta National.
"Yes, but never on camera," he dead-panned. "Nobody knew who I was until I won."
