Guide for Beginning Golfers

I can’t even say his name let alone acknowledge his victory at the British Open but Oostuizen’s  performance and final total score of -16 speaks for itself. The next player, Lee Westwood, finished seven shots back  at -9 which is an indication of how well  Oosthuizen really played for this prestigious tournament at the world’s oldest and most revered golf venue, St. Andrews. I have to admit this years Open was a bit boring for golf fans in the United States as the top American player, Sean O’Hair finished at -6, ten strokes back and tied for seventh place. None of our players even sniffed at  a chance for the top three spots, which is unusual for the U.S. team.

Tiger Woods, who has not yet returned to true form, struggled with the putter and had to settle for a tie for 23rd with a -3 finish total on Sunday. John Daly, who was on the leader board on Thursday with a first  round sixty six, Stewart Cink, last years winner in the Open over Tom Watson, and Phil Mickelson, a fan favorite, all shot plus one and tied for 48th place, which is not so impressive for these U.S. players. I had high hopes for Phil Mickelson coming into this championship but he his play has been less than stellar since his Masters victory in April of this year.

The British Open has been the second major golf tournament in a row where the European and other top world players have stymied the United States from the leaderboard. In the U.S. Open in June, the top three places went to McDowell, the barely known Frenchman,  Havret and Ernie Els from South Africa. The outcome and lackluster performance by the American players in these last two major venues does not bode well for the U.S. in the coming Ryder Cup championship in September of 2010. Corey Pavin, the captain for the U.S. has his work cut out for him if the Amercian team is to be competitive enough to win this years Ryder Cup. I wish them the best of luck as they may surely need some this year. Our players had better get to the golf range and start hitting golf balls to prepare for the challenge they face ahead.

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Since Tiger Woods joined the PGA Tour in 1997, his ultimate and maybe only real goal was to tie and then beat the record of the greatest golfer who ever lived, Jack Nicklaus. He may still accomplish this feat but he has a longer and more difficult road ahead as he has allowed himself to succumb to the many temptations and pleasures of super stardom. His extracurricular activities have sidetracked him from his once illustrious goal of becoming the best golfer in the world. I can understand to some extent what he might be going through but that is no excuse for his actions. He is not the only superstar golfer or superstar in any sport for that matter, who has ever found himself in this situation, but how a person handles the temptations is the mark of a true superstar. When any person has been gifted enough to be elevated to such a high position and constantly under the public eye and scrutiny, they also take on the responsibility to become a proper role model to the to their many fans, both young and old alike. You cannot always have what you want because it is there for the taking even though you may feel entitled. A single man may have gotten away with these actions, even though a bit over the top even for the single crowd, but a married man with a beautiful wife and two wonderful children, who allows himself to succumb to this type of lifestyle may in fact have an illness or addiction of some kind.

I’m sure Jack Nicklaus,  Arnold Palmer and many of the other tour professionals have found themselves in a position where they could have easily given in to similar opportunities for sexual misconduct or other indiscretions of the flesh. I think that most males, contrary to popular belief will remain loyal to their spouses, even under the most tempting of circumstances. This action or rather non-action is what separates true greatness from the pretender. This is a valid point of contention for whether Tiger Woods can ever be the golfer he was lauded to be just a few years ago. Tiger Woods was the golf hero to a new generation and was also admired by golfers and fans from any era as his skill at golf was perhaps second to none.  In reflecting about the real history of this great sport, golf was created as a gentleman’s game. Tiger’s dalliances and many indiscretions have now ostracized him from this category. It is a true shame as I was one of his admirers and fans but Jack Nicklaus has now taken that place for good in the number ONE position in golf history, at least in my book. 

Whether Tiger Woods beats Jack Nicklaus’s record or not he will no longer be remembered as the greatest golfer who ever lived but only as the golfer who was able to win the most majors or tournaments, if he can still achieve this goal. I can still see Jack hitting golf balls on the course as if it were yesterday and I remember the Masters of 1986 very well where he was victorious at age 46 . Phil Mickelson has a better chance than many to take over the number one spot in the modern day era of golf but he must make his move now if he will ever come close to the best of the best. Jack Nicklaus will also be the first one to readily admit that although there have been many great golfers, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and the like, but the only golfer who ever can come close or even exceed his status in golf history is Bobby Jones. In his seven years as a golf professional he won 13 majors, which may very well stand forever, or at least as long as Joe Dimaggio’s 56 game hitting streak. Try beating that one Tiger. Happy Golfing to All!

Will Phil Mickelson win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in June? I think that is a good question. His golf game over the past few months has led me to believe he stands an excellent chance to do just that. His win at The Masters with an incredible run on the back nine which included two eagles, his second place finish at The Quail Hollow Championship, where he could have easily won had it not been for a course record breaking 62 shot by Rory McElroy, and his tie for 17th place finish at The Players Championship this past weekend have given all indication that he is in a groove and can win any tournament he enters if he gets any momentum going. Phil struggled in the final round at The Players making five bogies. This shows he is not infallible and will have his good and bad days on the golf course as every golfer has experienced, both professional and amateur alike.

There are a number of excellent golfers on the PGA Tour  and with Tim Clark’s victory at The Players Championshiphe may have broken the no win streak by the foreign players.  Since Tiger Woods is out of the picture for now, in my opinion Phil Mickelson is the main contender to win the majors this golf season. Tiger’s missed cut at the Quail Hollow Championship and his neck injury that caused him to with draw from the competition on Sunday at The Players, indicate he is definitely not in form mentally or physically to play the type of golf required to beat Mickelson or an assortment of other good players who will be in the field. I’m not saying another star player such as McElroy, Villegas, Els, Harrington or Anthony Kim could not rise to the occasion but just stating that Mickelson is the man to beat. Any of the players mentioned here can hit golf balls with the best of them but Phil Mickelson is poised to win and he may do it just it a little better than the rest. I also feel he has gained the confidence needed to maintain his poise on Sunday and not fold under the pressure as he did so blatantly at Bethpage Black in 2002 and Winged Foot  in 2006 ( see photo above) where he had real opportunities for victory in the U.S.Open.

I wish Phil Mickelson much success and hope he can be the great player he was meant to be. His sheer pleasure in victory is indicated by the smile on his face in the photo on the left as he gets his second green jacket at the 2006 Masters.  The presenter was none other than Tiger Woods who had won the previous year. Happy Golfing to All!

After winning The Masters a few weeks back, Phil Mickelson has emerged once again as the ace golfer he was predicted to be early in his career, some 15 years ago and it appears he may be ready to take possession of the # 1 spot. His victory at The Masters in 2004 and 2006 got a major monkey off his back as he was  winless in the major golf tournaments up until that point. His third Masters victory this year also solidified his place in golf history with notables like Jimmy Demaret, Nick Faldo, Gary Player and Sam Snead who also had three Masters victories during their golf careers. Only Arnold Palmer and  Tiger Woods with four and and Jack Nicklaus who has six have more wins at this prestigious golf tournament. Tiger Woods will not go quietly as he is still a force to be reckoned with and he will not easily resign himself to second place. The only way that Phil Mickelson has a chance is if he believes in himself  as he did so successfully in The Masters. He is the only player in the modern era of golf who has excelled to a point where he can possibly fill the slot that no one has been capable of achieving since Tiger’s arrival on the scene over ten years ago.

The advantage that Phil Mickelson has it that he is still a young man with all the skills he needs to win again. When Tiger Woods presented Phil Mickelson with the Green jacket in April of 2006 it was a great day in golf. The world’s two greatest golfers of the modern era shared back to back victories as Tiger Woods had won the Masters the previous year in 2005. Phil was also the victor in his second major, the PGA, that same year. His four wins in the major golf tournaments since 2004 have provided him with the confidence he needs to win more majors even though he let the U.S. Open at Winged Foot and Bethpage get away. Phil has finally found the zone and his putting stroke as he has stood toe to toe with Tiger on a few occasions recently, like the WGC last year, just prior to Tiger’s sex scandal, and this year’s Masters and has come out on top. If he can maintain this momentum he may put another major or two under his belt before this golf season is over, which is what the sport so desperately needs right now.  Tiger has lost the respect of some fans, his sponsors and his peers and justifiably so. I was a huge fan and had never expected Tiger Woods to become embroiled in such a scandal as he appeared to be almost superhuman in his golf career and personal life. Since he has shown the frailty of being a mere mortal he may have left the door open for another golf hero to emerge and I can think of none other more deserving than Phil Mickelson.  

I have also been very impressed with the play of Tom Watson and Fred Couples, who are 60 and 50 respectively and who have played some of the best golf of their careers as of late. Their performance in this years Masters is a good for instance as Fred Couples finished in sixth place and Tom Watson placed tied for 18th, an incredible feat for both of them at their age. It is my guess that Tom Watson’s spectacular showing in last years British Open at age 59, where he finished second to Stewart Cink in a four hole playoff, after tying in the final round, has given him and other players nearing or in the senior tour age bracket the confidence they need to realize they can still remain competitive regardless of their years. I wholeheartedly agree with this point of view and I know I would not allow age to affect my thought process if the skills and health requirements to hit golf balls and score well were still intact.

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One picture says it all as Phil Mickelson wins this years Masters in dramatic style. During his final golf round on Sunday he shot a bogie free 67, not an easy task for any golfer. Last year I wrote about my disappointment in the major golf tournaments as golf ’s greatest players were never able to close the deal during the final round. If this tournament is any indication of what is to come this season I think we may be in for the best year in competitive golf  that we’ve seen in a long while. The last time I remember watching a Masters as exciting as this one would be in 1986 when my golf idol, Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer who ever lived, rallied on the back nine holes on Sunday to win at age 46. Fred Couples, a fan favorite and Tom Watson another golfing legend made an excellent showing at age 50 and 60 respectively. Although Tom Watson faltered after the first round he played well enough to make the cut which is an accomplishment in itself at his age.  Fred Couples at age 50 and a past Masters Champion from 1992, is now dominating the senior tour. Fred Couples led the field after the first round and played better than the majority of his peers finishing alone in sixth place at -9, just two shots back of Tiger Woods and K. J. Choi. Tiger and K. J. Choi were paired together, shot the same score for each of the four rounds and finished at -11, tied for fourth place. When Tiger Woods was interviewed on camera he expressed his disappointment in his performance as his goal was to win the tournament and his competitive nature will not allow him to settle for anything less.

I had been a Tiger Woods fan since he made his first appearance on the PGA Tour in 1997. Despite the incident involving his car accident last Thanksgiving and the revelation of his dalliances and indiscretions were revealed for public scrutiny, he was received well by his peers, the media and his golfing fans. Although he put on smile for his fans and the camera he seemed distant during this tournament and justifiably so in some respects. There is no doubt that Tiger Woods is an incredible golfer, as I know of no other who could have performed so well after his four month hiatus from golf and with his personal life virtually turned upside down since last November. There was, however, something missing in his game for as incredibly as he played he could have scored better. He made some mental errors down the stretch like taking a two foot par putt for granted, missing and having to settle for bogie when he was in contention for a possible second or third place finish which was unlike his normal performance when the competition heats up.

Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, played like a man on a mission and took home the Green Jacket for himself, wife Amy, his mom and his children. His play showed the golfing skills that make him the greatest player on tour in the present day era of golf, maybe second only to Tiger Woods. I say maybe because I think the incident with Tiger exposed him to the world as the mere mortal that he is and not the superman who some perceived him to be before the incident last year. Phil is a spectacular player who is coming into his own and is finally believing in himself. Unfortunately, it may have taken a family crisis to make that happen. His wife Amy courageously made her way to the tournament with their children to be by her husbands side despite her illness and not feeling well. She wanted to share in this historic moment as she played an important role by inspiring Phil to win his third green jacket. He now shares this honor with some of the most renowned names in golf, Jimmy Demaret, Nick Faldo, Gary Player and Sam Snead. Arnold Palmer, another golf legend has four wins along with Tiger Woods. Jack Nicklaus leads with an incredible six victories at this prestigious golf tournament, The Masters. I thoroughly enjoyed this years Masters and I look forward to seeing Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and the other great players on tour, hitting golf balls and competing in the rest of the majors in 2010. Happy Golfing to All!