Guide for Beginning Golfers

The world’s top golfers gathered for the 110th playing of the prestigious American PGA Tour event, the U. S. Open. Pebble Beach is one of the top golf venues in the country located in Monterey County, California maybe second only to Pine Valley Golf Course  in New Jersey. Pebble Beach was long renowned as the #1 or #2 golf course in the country and the world for an extended period of time and will always be a favorite of tour pros and amateurs alike. This years set up at Pebble Beach was one of the toughest tests of golf skills for the PGA Tour Pros in recent history.
I was hoping for a Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson battle for the championship on Sunday, but three foreign born players, Graeme McDowell, Gregory Havret and Ernie Els held off their charge and finished one, two and three respectively leaving the world’s two top players tied for fourth and no trophy for the United States in 2010. Dustin Johnson, an excellent American golfer, who was playing lights out through Saturday could not handle the heat on Sunday as he collapsed under the pressure shooting an 82 and finishing tied for 8th.  Dustin held the lead over eventual winner, Graeme McDowell, by two shots at the start of the final round and seemed to have tamed the beast but he gave back shot after shot in the final round as Pebble Beach showed her fangs and bit back. During the final round it appeared as if the players were all going backward and the title would go to the golfer who could best hold on for dear life. The final scores tell the tale of how difficult Pebble Beach was playing, as even par won the event, when these players can shoot between 12 and 20 under par under normal golf tournament conditions.

Tom Watson, a fan favorite, showed his tenacity as he hung on for a tied for 29th place finish. Tom could have finished tied for 27th had he made a short putt on the 18th hole but he let it slip off to the side as he was not the only player at Pebble Beach to miss on the short grass. There were three putts from inside two feet at this years Open. Tom Watson can still hit golf balls with the best of them as he bested the likes of VJ Singh and Stewart Cink, who just edged him out at last years British Open. Can this be Tom Watson’s last U.S. Open? In my opinion, I would have to say he is not yet done and we’ll see him back next year. Congratulations to Graeme McDowell on his victory as he held on for one stroke lead over Gregory Havret, the frenchman, who finished plus one and solo second place.  Next up – The British Open! Happy Golfing to All!

The British Open was the third major of the year that did not end the way I would have scripted it. The Masters had an improbable winner in Angel Cabrera when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were in the hunt and let it slip away on the last few holes and Kenny Perry, a 48 year old, had it all sewed up until the last two holes, which he bogied and opened the door for Angel to win in a playoff. In the second major of the year, the U.S. Open winner could have easily been Phil Mickelson, who was playing his heart out for his ailing wife Amy but he could not hold on Sunday and lost out to Lucas Glover, and now Tom Watson, one of the greatest golfers who ever lived, loses to Stewart Cink in a playoff that didn’t have to be.

Tom Watson had given the fans so many thrills all week and after the first round, even though tied for the lead, most of the golf authoritarians had already written him off and said he had virtually no chance for victory. Tom Watson had other ideas and I was rooting for him all the way. He kept coming back and even after four bogies in a row during one of the rounds, he bounced back with birdies and pars when he needed to and fought his way back into the lead. His play was reminiscent of the Tom Watson I so fondly remember when in his prime in the 70’s, and where at this very venue in 1977 he faced down Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer who ever lived, for the final 36 holes and beat him by a shot.

After a valiant effort for all four rounds, the 18th hole of the final round turned out to be the defining hole of the tournament. Tom Watson was leading by two shots going into the 18th hole and a par would have clinched it for him. But again at the British Open the improbable happened, Stewart Cink birdied the hole and Tom bogied to force a playoff. Tom hit his eight iron approach shot to the 18^th green flush and got a bad break when it hit on the green and instead of checking up it rolled off the back and left him with an uphill shot back to the green. He opted for the putter, which had served him well all week, but he hit it a bit too hard to get thru the fringe and went past the cup by about 8 to10 feet. The putt coming back was makeable but he hit it short and missed to the right. Had he sunk that putt the Open title would have been his and golf history would have been made. He may have lost the Claret Jug but he is a winner in my book.

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