Golf 2K10

This Average Golfer's been on a bit of a hiatus. A career in the big box retail industry has been a large factor, coupled with a dearth of fresh news in the golf world, other than the Woods boondoggle. I written my fill on  Woods' 0ff-course dilemma and will leave to the other myriad outlets to drool and speculate. What's left is the season ahead of us, a season in question thanks to a floundering economy and a starless franchise. Should be interesting at the very least.

PGA

The 2010 PGA season will field 43 events counting the off events during majors and the fall season tournaments following the FedUp Cup. That's really not too bad considering the potential for a sponsor walk out. The majority of the regular tour events have purses in the mid-5 million dollar range, which should keep the Mercedes dealers happy. What remains to be seen is the interest level maintained if Woods doesn't return to the tour for a protracted stretch. I think many sponsors are locked in for 2010 and are nervously awaiting for the recluse to surface and announce his tee tomes for next year. All this adds up to an unsettled start in 2010 for the big business of golf. My prognostication record is woeful, but I'd expect to see Woods at Augusta and be knocked over by the collective sigh of relief. Remember, "Time wounds all heels." In the meantime, with the minor exception of Mickelson, don't rely on "casual" golf fans to fill advertiser's coffers during the Woods void. With typical TV ratings down 50% during a Woodsless tournament, the fact that many remotes are clicked just for the star power, not the golf, is proven. Still, the core demographic of "serious golfers" is an attractive one, just anticipate a shrinkage of the ten or so year gravy train that the pro golf behemoth has enjoyed. After all, why shouldn't they share some of the economic pain that the rest of us have enjoyed? Late in the year I'll have an eye on the Ryder Cup. On the slim chance that Woods is still meditating, the consequences will be worth following. Either way really it should be good theater.

Many have suggested that a Woodless stretch is the opportunity for the Tour to promote it's lesser known stars. Great in theory, tough in practice. I for one doubt I'll use some precious downtime to tune in a Streelman/Thompson duel at the Northern trust Open, regardless of how scintillating. the possible hope is for some recognized stars that haven't been ringing the cash register lately, (see Els, Garcia), to re-surge and prop up the Tour. that is a very large "remains to be seen". No doubt some younger guns, (see Kim, Fowler) will eventually take their place at the head of the class, I just think we're a few years away. Prove me wrong.

LPGA  

The fallout from the "Bivens Bounce" has turned out to be as well as could be expected under the circumstances for the ladies. This was a tour on the verge of collapse. In 2010 they will offer 24 tournaments with 11 being played on foreign soil. I reckon it's a credit to them for the salvage operation. The LPGA is a niche sport within a niche sport. The average golf viewing fan is male. The average male will usually watch men play golf. After a 5+ hour sit down watching a men's event his appetite for golf is satisfied. That's it. That's why virtually no one watches women's golf. The LPGA is wise to embrace a global strategy. That's where the game is growing. Arguing about losing the game to foreigners is like splitting hairs on a gnat's behind. Before long the only thing "American" about women's golf will be the Tour's mailing address and that's not a bad thing. Before you lose all hope however, there is a scenario that would prop up parochial interest. Michelle Wie continuing to win is the Tiger Woods effect for the ladies. Oh sure, a Creamer or Kerr victory helps, but nobody has the star power of Wie. So, you want a comeback of American women's golf? Root for Wie.

Suffice it to say that 2010 will be the LPGA's survival year. Much of their future will be predicated on 2010 results. Network and cable contracts, (Sorry about that Golf Channel), will be decided on the noise they make in 2010. Perhaps they should schedule an annual Solheim Cup. Expect a scaled down LPGA for the foreseeable future and see if Wie can inject some new found excitement and interest.

In the coming days I'll comment on 2010's effect of your personal game.




Til' next,

Merry Christmas!

Farväl Annika.

It's arguable that Annika Sorenstam is the best woman golfer of all time given the time she played in and the level of international competition. What's certain is that as great a golfer she is, she's an even better person.

Her career came to an "end" yesterday at the Dubai Ladies Masters on the Ladies European Tour, fittingly the organization she started her career with. Her 1 under 71 gave her 7th place in the event she'd won twice previously. The golf gods deemed it necessary that she birdie her final hole. She acknowledged the crowd, then hugged her long time looper Terry McNamara. “I have had many farewells since I announced my decision some five months back, but this one was special,” Sorenstam said.

Her career achievements are a longer read than War and Peace. 10 major championships, 59 LPGA victories, 16 additional international wins, a 59 in an LPGA event, and member of the Hall of Fame. All of this in a few short years since her pro debut in 1994. Surely her numbers would have only increased should she not have "retired". After all, she won three times this year and is among the top players in almost every statistical category. At age 38 she definitely has great years left as Julie Inkster and Vijay Singh have proven.

The tease is her not actually using the word retirement. Her desire to start a family and tend to her business interests is understandable. Let's assume she and fiance Mike McGee are off to a fast start and the little girl/boy arrives about a year from now. Allow a year to get the new one off to a great start and we could be seeing the reemergence of Annika in the spring of 2011. Just in time to remind the likes of Wie, Tseng, Creamer, Lewis, and Shin who is the rightful throne holder. Musings? Certainly, but possible. If not, relish the memories this great lady has given us over the years.

Til' next,

Michelle Wie Easily Jumps 1st Q-School Hurdle.

Michelle Wie cruised through the 1st stage of LPGA qualifying school today at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA. Her 4th round-1, 71 left her in 4th place, eight shots behind the winner, Sun-Ju Ahn, of South Korea. Stacy Lewis' 69 tied her with Wie in the 4th spot.

The top 30 advanced to final qualifying school in Florida this December. Wie, as promised spoke to the press after her final round. “When I came the first time (this week), I didn’t know where anything was because I was so used to everything being here by the grandstands,” she said. “Sometimes you play in big crowd and sometimes you don’t. The game’s the same, the goal’s still the same, the opportunity still’s the same. I just try to play my game.”

Sounds like young Michelle is on the right path, letting her prodigious skills do the talking.

Til' next,

Bivens Backtracks, (and not a moment too soon).

This worked out great for me. I get to address a controversial topic after the fire was doused. No flames licking at my feet. I used one of my Dad's adages, "When in doubt, don't." Worked here. I really did see the impetus behind the LPGA's desire to force feed English down the throats of, and let's be real here, their Korean contingent. Let's not pretend that Hispanic and European players were part of the discussion. The LPGA, hearing the sucking sound of tournament money running away in a bad economy, figured they'd take zero chances and circle the wagons around a Anglo-centric tour and not let any more horses out of the barn. The problem is that the remaining horses don't finish first often enough.

To start, who were the legal counsels that ever allowed this Titanic-like decree to see the light of day to begin with? Where did they go to law school, Kmart? I'd hope they all have Monster.com user names by now. My dog could have won this case for the Koreans on any planet in the universe, and he hates court rooms. Ms Bivens and the LPGA deserve a top shelf PR firm to polish their wounded image. May I suggest mine, Laybach & Whackit. I'm certain the bulk of the rule reversal was due to it's indefensible position where it counts, lawsuits and money.

Perhaps an odd comparison, but I like it. The NBA is an African-American dominated league. Why pray tell? Because African-Americans play more competitive basketball, practice more, and devote themselves to that craft more than their Caucasian brethren. If the collective Caucasian community wanted more players on NBA rosters I would suggest the answer is simple, play better. Professional golf tours are merit based at it's purest. Play better, keep your card, make more money. If not, lose your playing privileges. The Korean's meteoric rise is because of this alone.

Let's get a little realistic. In the best of times the LPGA tour is a pimple on major sport's rear ends. TV ratings, dollars generated, and the associated trappings of big time sports will never be the LPGA's strong suit. Losing Annika is just a harbinger of what a "Woodless" PGA may face some day. It's a wonderful venue to showcase the world's best female golfers and have a nice little business to boot. Golf viewers, men, want to watch men. They want to see the people that hit it the farthest and score the lowest. That's men. Sorry Ms Steinem, that's the facts. I love women's golf, but if I could only watch one tour......well, you know.

I submit to the LPGA that they focus on what they do well. Showcase women's golf, but don't let PGA envy and huge dollars be your goal. Be realistic in your projections and grow the game internationally. Play year round. It's always warm somewhere. Make some money overseas. For crying out loud, the rest of the world is doing it to us. Try to buy a piece of clothing or electronics made in the good 'ole USA. Go with the inevitable flow and market your product where the fans and advertisers live. In the meantime, search yourselves and ask why more home grown talent isn't making it into the ranks. It sounds like the recent controversy has given the LPGA an opportunity to reexamine, albeit through the back door. Let's hope they make some lemonade out of those lemons.

Til' next,

Yani Tseng Outlasts Maria Hjorth in McDonald's L.P.G.A. Playoff

Nineteen year old Tour rookie Yani Tseng made her first L.P.G.A. win a huge one as her 18th hole birdie bested Maria Hjorth on the 4th playoff hole at the McDonald's L.P.G.A. Championship. Tseng's 68 in regulation and Hjorth's 71 placed them one shot in front of Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa. This was Annika's farewell to the McDonald's and I'm sure falling one stroke short had to hurt. Truth be told, if Lorena or Annika could have putted on the back nine, they may have been the playoff. Putt after makeable putt missed their marks, with many coming up short. I was surprised to see the top two players in the world fall short on meaningful putts in a major. As wet as it's been at Bulle Rock, the players in the last groups have to contend with the mounds around the holes where earlier players have stepped. It puts the hole on a crown and forces the player to "firm" it in. I know they know that. They just didn't execute.

It was a seesaw battle on the back nine. Hjorth called on the golf gods on 15 when her second shot launched out of a hazard, caromed across the green to just on the fringe, from where she made birdie. She then proceeded to chip in for birdie on 16 which gave her the cushion to bogey 17 by missing a three footer that in hindsight would have won her the tournament. All this while Sorenstam and Ochoa were choking putts that would have rendered the rest of the action moot.

Tseng had nerves of titanium in the playoff. If she was nervous, she hid it well. Her lasered approach from the right rough on 18, the 4th and final playoff, to 5'9", and that was the putt that ended it. It was reminiscent of Se Ri Pak's dart to two feet on the same hole in a playoff two years ago to best Karrie Webb. Yani Tseng has a bright future. Previous to this break out win, the rookie had two seconds this year. She becomes at 19, the 2nd youngest major winner on tour, second to Morgan Pressel at 18.

The young US contingent of Pressel, Gulbis, Creamer, Kerr, and Lang played OK, but none were really in contention on the day that matters. Laura Diaz was in the hunt midway through the back nine and finished in solo 3rd at -10.

Pay attention to the future of women's golf. It's become a world game. New names and faces are, and will continue to be, the new fabric of the game. As it should be.

Average Golfer astute observation of the day....."Trevor Immelman is now the only player left with a shot at the Grand Slam".

Til' next,

2008 McDonald's L.P.G.A. Championship - Want Fries With That?

Before you write off the week in golf knowing that half of the men's tour is "resting" in anticipation of the US Open, the women are teeing it up for their 2nd major of the year. Ronald is again hosting the McDonald's L.P.G.A. Championship at it's now familiar site at Bulle Rock Country Club in Havre de Grace, MD. Par 72, 6,596 yards. That gives you enough info for Mapquest. If you leave now you'll make the opening tee ball from most areas of the country.

Suzann Pettersen, she of Nordic beauty, returns to defend. All the big names are here. Lorena, Paula, Morgan, Annika, Karrie, and 7 of the 11 Kims. The spotlight will be on Lorena, winner in 6 of the 9 events she's played this year. Those are better than Tiger numbers. She understandably bowed out of Annika's Ginn Tribute last week due to the death of her uncle. Let's hope it doesn't affect her too badly. It may spark her as a memorial to him. Who knows? Ochoa's the only one left with a shot at the Grand Slam. Oops, Trevor Immelman does as well. The others in the field will have to step it up for four days under major pressure to topple Ochoa. That's how dominate she's been. It's hers to lose. Would you take Ochoa against the field? Would you take Ochoa against all the Kims? $300,000.00 to the winner. Televised all four days, June 5th-8th on The Golf Channel. The winner also receives an automatic berth in the ADT Championship and a spiffy trophy.

June's a big month on the links. After the McDonald's is next week's men's US Open followed by the women's 3rd major, the US Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, MN. Everywhere you look it's raining majors.

Til' next,

Ochoa Again! - Imada Nabs 1st P.G.A. Win in AT&T Playoff

Lorena Ochoa didn't let a balky putter prevent her from capturing her 6th L.P.G.A. win in 2008. Her final round 71 netted a one stroke victory over five players and gave her three straight Sybase Classic victories. She wins them in routs. She wins them in playoffs. She wins them like she did today, grinding to the finish. She just wins them. The $300,000 she collected today launched her over the $12,000,000 mark for her career. Gee, wish my Spanish was better. The tie for second was made up of Sophie Gustafson, whose 12 ft. birdie would have forced a playoff, Morgan Pressel, who rocketed up the board with a 66, Catriona Matthew, Brittany Lang, and this year's leading rookie, Na Yeon Choi. Annika began the day five back and a 71 today didn't exactly enhance her position.

Ochoa's showing no signs of being catchable on this tour. Sure, she won't win them all, but she may win half or more, Annika notwithstanding. That kind of domination in a large field event like golf is like a major league baseball player hitting .750. The conundrum is there doesn't seem to be any young players with the ability to challenge her. Perhaps Creamer or Pettersen, but after that any reasonable contender isn't on the tour yet. So, enjoy the history in the making. One woman record smasher is retiring and another is just reaching her stride.

Imada Wins AT&T in Bizarre Playoff.

The stage was set. Ryuji Imada and Kenny Perry stepped up to the 18th tee at TPC Sugarloaf. To say Imada had been there before would be the mother of all understatements. Last year he'd lost in a playoff with Zach Johnson on the very same hole, knocking his 2nd shot into the drink. It's was Kenny Perry's 2nd shot that swam this time though. His 5 wood from 230 yds. was pushed right, but not terribly so. Not terribly so until it nuked a green side pine tree, barreled straight across the green at about 80 mph, blew past the flag stick within 8 feet and deposited itself in the pond. After a drop Perry needed a 12 footer for par to put some pressure back on Imada. Not to be and Imada calmly two putted for his 1st P.G.A. Tour win. On the strength of the win and earlier high finishes Imada now stands 3rd in Fedex Cup point standings. Good for him! He seems like a decent guy.

3rd round leader Charles Howell III spit the bit with a final round 74. Up and comer Parker McLachlin got a taste of P.G.A. Tour pressure. His eagle on 13 gave him a three stroke lead. He then bogeyed three of his last five. Still, good effort, nice pay day, and valuable experience. For a "B" tournament this one had some sizzle at the end and watching was worth the electricity.

*Average Golfer Question ..... Who was the other announcer with Ian Baker Finch for the AT&T? The reason I ask is because I caught another inane "golf-type commentator" quote. While observing Imada line up the winning 4 foot putt he commented he'd noticed how steady Imada is with flat stick. He mentioned that a flat left wrist and "maintaining steady grip pressure" were the keys. Perhaps correct, but how did he measure his grip pressure from the booth?

Til' next,

Creamer Nips Inkster In SemGroup Playoff - Anthony Kim Runs Away With Wachovia.

SemGroup Championship

Julie Inkster had chalked up 8 L.P.G.A. victories before Paula Creamer was born. Had she won today she would have been the oldest L.P.G.A. winner at 47. She just missed. Creamer holed a about a 10 footer for birdie on the 2nd playoff hole to rack up her 6th career victory in the SemGroup Championship.

There were multiple ironies at work here. Inkster lost here last year in a playoff to Mi Hyun Kim. Creamer lost last week in a playoff with Annika Sorenstam. She evidently learned a little about playoff golf in a week. The final round was really a match play tournament as the rest of the field was so far behind they were playing for 3rd place. By rights, a balky putter most of the day prevented a Creamer victory in regulation. She'd missed a couple of three footers in regulation and a ten footer on the 18th hole of regulation that forced the playoff.

It was a great finish to watch. Inkster and Creamer are great friends. The empathetic look on Inkster's face when Creamer missed the potential winning putt on the 18th hole was wonderful to see. As much as she felt for Creamer though, there was no mistaking Inkster's desire to dispatch her. Interesting dynamics from two intense competitors. As an aside, Lorena Ochoa's win streak ended at four.

Wachovia Championship

Anthony Kim became the youngest winner on the P.G.A. Tour in 6 years by running away with the Wachovia Championship. He was never seriously threatened by posting a final round 69. His 272 total beat the tournament record held by Tiger Woods by 3 strokes. Ben Curtis had the day's best 65 and still finished 5 behind Kim. Kim became the youngest winner since Sergio Garcia and proved he made the right decision by turning pro after having been named the freshman of the year at Oklahoma.

Next week the boys move to The Players Championship, considered by many to be the 5th major. The women are at Kingsmill for the Michelob ULTRA Open.

*Average Golfer pet peeve.....When will ESPN2 remove the insidious trailers and score updates that reduce the usable size of my TV screen to 7 inches. I have to work to see the player's heads for crying out loud! Seriously, this would prevent me from watching a less riveting tournament.

Til' next,