Does golf keep you young or make you grow old before your time?

I was always of the opinion that golf was one of those amazing sports that kept you young (maybe the only sport actually).

And then I watched Adam Scott brandish that broomstick at the Chevron Match Play Championships and suddenly the "sexiest golfer on tour" looked like an old man.



There has always been a lot of controversy over the use of the long putter, and since the beginning of that debate I've strongly supported the side that said, "Ban them on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour."

Ernie said it in 2004 when Trevor Immelman won his first event outside of South Africa - the Deutsche Bank-SAP Tournament Players Championship of Europe. As far as the Big Easy was concerned, "It's become such an easy way to putt. Nerves and skill in putting is part of the game. Take a tablet if you can't handle it."

It didn't surprise me to learn that Ernie was against the use of long flat sticks. And I wasn't even shocked to discover Colin Montgomery, who started using a broom handle in 2002, said they should be illegal.

“Though it is hardly in my interests to say so, I think that all long putters – yes, all of them – should be declared illegal. Long putters – be they anchored to the chin, the chest or belly – all give the player the three pivotal points of two hands and the body rather than just the two hands. It is extraordinary, to me, that golf officialdom (the Royal and Ancient Golf Club) has not acted on this score.”

What did surprise me was learning that Adam Scott had spoken out against them as well. Interesting...

There is no doubt that long putters help players get the ball in the hole sooner, but does that make them good for the game?  There are rules and standards on driver heads.  Square grooves that helped players nail their wedges from the rough were outlawed last year.  It's time to take another look at putters and enforcing some standards there.

I'm fine with keeping long putters on the Champions Tour to help seniors extend their careers when their aging bodies (or nerves) need a little help.

But for anyone under 50 who wants to compete as a professional, then they should just "take a pill" and learn to putt the hard way.  That's what separates the field into champions and also-rans.

And while I'm on this rant...Let me say that I'm absolutely against long putters on the greens at the 2016 Olympics.  It took over 100 years to get golf back into the Winter Games. Let's not embarrass the sport by allowing the 14th club in the bag to be a crutch.

Now that I'm enjoying my "twilight years" I keep hearing that 50 is the new 40. 

Adam just turned 30 last summer.  And putting long putters in the hands of flat bellies like Adam, 30 is sadly becoming the new 50.  :-(

Golfgal

Eldrick...What have you done with Tiger?

It was almost 3 years ago when I wrote a full post that was all about Tiger Woods.  It's not that he hasn't offered a wealth of stories or gossip to share, but as my Mom always said...

"People who live in glass houses..."
"He/she who is without sin..."
"If you don't have anything good to say..."

So "Mum" has been my word since that fateful Thanksgiving 2009, until now...

After watching Tiger get taken down at the Accenture Match Play by a man ready to give up golf for good (64th ranked player Thomas Bjorn) and then seeing him struggle at Doral during the first 3 rounds this weekend, I kept thinking to myself, "Eldrick, what have you done to Tiger!?"

The first 3 days at The Blue Monster were tough to watch, especially on the putting green.  What was once a nice smooth stroke, rarely misread, was suddenly short and choppy, causing more misses inside 10 feet than I can remember ever seeing from golf's miracle worker.

I wanted to see if his current 15 month slump was just a blip in the Tiger radar, so I started going through his stats starting in 1996. 

Certainly there have been some ups and downs during his swing/coach changes, his dad passing away and his knee surgery.  But what we might consider life changing events, only made minor dents in Tiger's overall statistics.  He still won tournaments, scored a number of top 3's and lots of top 10s.  But not this time...

Everyone said it was his mental fortitude that was his biggest strength, but after watching Tiger crash and burn smoulder over the past  15 months, there's little doubt in my mind that although  the former world #1 may be rebuilding his swing for the 3rd time, what Eldrick needs to do is rebuild Tiger Woods from the inside out.

Back when Tiger the phenom was hitting the headlines as an amateur, Dr. Jay Brunza, a retired naval commander, sports psychologist and friend of Earl Woods, was Tiger's mental coach and often caddie.  I remember reading an article about how Brunza boasted that he was able to hypnotize Woods almost instantly.

Other stories went so far as to say that Tiger could hypnotize himself  "on command".  Allegedly you could tell when he was doing it by his blinking. Hmm....

Well, I don't know much about self-hypnosis, but anyone can see that Tiger's game is suffering beyond hooks and slices; it's a mental implosion that is keeping Tiger out of contention.

Today Tiger closed with a 66 and tied for 10th when McIlroy got wet off the 18th tee.  The new putter seemed to help his putting too today - only 25 putts in 18 holes.

But one round of 66 does not a cure make.

You know what they say, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."  And, given how impressive Tiger's mental strength once was, then perhaps one sports psychologist isn't enough.

Bring on experts extraordinaire: Dr. Bob Rotella, Dr Karl Morris, and Dr. Gio Valiante - I'm thinking an intervention may be in order.

Golfgal

Match play brings out the best and worst in golfers

I love match play and wish there were many more tour events like the Accenture Match Play Championships. They attract the world's best and every hole is a new game buzzing with renewed energy with every tee shot.

My golfguy and I compete at match play quite often ourselves and have a great time. But I know deep down that no matter how well I could ever strike the ball, chip or putt, I would never have excelled as a professional golfer.

I just don't have the killer instinct - a trait mandatory in match play, even more so than in stroke play.

In stroke play, you try and beat the course, except perhaps in a playoff, or down the stretch when you're tied with your playing partner for the lead.

While in match play, suddenly "threes a crowd" - you, the course and that guy/gal standing next to you on the tee.

And that change to a wide angle lens brings a whole new dynamic to this gentleman's game.  It's now beat or be beaten, kill or be killed.  Professional match play turns nice guys into ruthless warriors.  It's not just about winning anymore; it's about annihilating your opponent. 

I understand that attitude in Ryder/President Cups where it's country against country, but seeing Rickie Fowler bulldoze his good buddy Phil Mickelson last weekend was somewhat disturbing to watch, for me anyway.

Never once did Rickie let up on Phil. Never once did he think to give Phil a generous gimme, even when he was many shots ahead. But Phil didn't seem to mind it.  Perhaps that is because he and Rickie are so much alike; he probably sees a little bit of Lefty in the young motocross maniac.  In fact, he almost looked like a proud papa when shaking Rickie's hand at the end.

I once saw Tiger make his long time friend and mentor Mark O'Meara putt out when his ball was only 18 inches from the hole at a WGC match play event (Mark was already down by 4 at that point).

O'Meara was not pleased; Tiger just laughed and told him to putt it out. There's something very sinister in that. Tiger calls it gamesman-ship. I call it something else.

I recently read Jaime Diaz's article "My Five: Best Match Players". With a 7-1-1 record, Walter Hagen made the top of his list and I'm not the least bit surprised. Although he was playing long before my time, from everything I've read, Walter Hagen was a callous competitor, showing no mercy to his opponents.

I read that he once called his main rival out of the clubhouse to witness Hagen sink his final putt on the 54th hole, and then told the guy he would beat him the next day to win the championship, which he did. How much that little mind game helped derail his competitor, I don't know, but I do know that it didn't impress me much.

It's one thing to be tough mentally, but quite another to play mind games.

I know, I know, you're saying, "But Golfgal, that's what match play is all about." And you'd probably be right. I just don't like what it says about golfers who play with your mind to gain an advantage. What does that say about them in real life?

In the corporate world, I've heard the same rant for over 30 years, "You have to separate business from personal." I could never do that either. Seeing someone being raked over the coals in a boardroom and then watching the raker ask the rakee how his kids are, seems so...phony. I just can't trust people like that.


So I guess there is good reason why I'm not a Tiger Woods or Rickie Fowler or Walter Hagen.  I don't want to play their game.  Perhaps that is what separates the pros from casual golfers like me.  For them, it's not just about winning - it's about domination.

I guess I should be happy that I'm too old to compete in any professional capacity. It's a lot more fun to love golf  for what it is - a game.  I think I will stick to a friendly game of "greenies" and let the pros stick it to each other.

Golfgal