2022 Golf Thread

[BuckeyeRed27]

He's going to forever have problems when it's cold and/or wet. That doesn't bode well for playing in Great Britain. It must have killed him to withdraw from a tournament much less a major. Going back on the tour - even on a semi-regular basis - is going to be more difficult than playing with Charlie down in Florida.

Let’s get the Tiger cart!

Seriously though, just let guys have carts. Would speed things up, provide a lot of marketing opportunities and let old guys be more competitive.

[Stray]

Final takeaway I forgot to add is that I can't stand these guys putting with the flagstick in. I can't even take the guy seriously if he's putting 8 footers with the flagstick in.

I like Fitzpatrick's game, but cmon man.

[Stray]

He's going to forever have problems when it's cold and/or wet. That doesn't bode well for playing in Great Britain. It must have killed him to withdraw from a tournament much less a major. Going back on the tour - even on a semi-regular basis - is going to be more difficult than playing with Charlie down in Florida.

Was thinking the same about British Open weather. He's suffered from rare cold wet conditions both at Augusta and Tulsa.

[Chip R]

Let’s get the Tiger cart!

Seriously though, just let guys have carts. Would speed things up, provide a lot of marketing opportunities and let old guys be more competitive.

They can have carts. Daly had one. Tiger said he didn't want one.

[Stray]

They can have carts. Daly had one. Tiger said he didn't want one.

I'm pretty sure Tiger's leg could be hanging from a thread and he'd refuse a cart. If it ever came to that he'd quit.

[Boston Red]

It looks like Michelle Wie is giving up professional golf in the very near future. For a "failure", she had a pretty nice career. Five wins, including a major. Obviously just didn't live up to the absurd hype from when she was 13 years old.

[Redhook]

It looks like Michelle Wie is giving up professional golf in the very near future. For a "failure", she had a pretty nice career. Five wins, including a major. Obviously just didn't live up to the absurd hype from when she was 13 years old.

Her ballstriking was off the charts and I was lucky enough to see it in person. She doesn’t hit it as far as PGA Tour players do, but for a women it was really far. For context, I hit my 3W as far as her driver and I’m one club longer with my irons.

There were many reasons why she didn’t live up to the absurd hype. First and foremost, was her parents. They suffocated her and made many many poor decisions. Second, is her putting. For a professional golfer, it was pretty bad. Third, switching to Leadbetter ended her “Big Wiesy” swing. He turned her swing into a shortened more aggressive move which, most likely, lead to some of her many injuries. Leadbetter hurts more professionals than he helps. And last, her parents thought it’d be wise to have her play against men and other players way more advanced than her in her early teens. She really didn’t learn how to win. Without a doubt, it would’ve been better for her to play against girls around her age and learn how to win and dominate like Tiger did.

[Redhook]

I'm pretty sure Tiger's leg could be hanging from a thread and he'd refuse a cart. If it ever came to that he'd quit.

Exactly. He’ll never ride on the PGA Tour. That said, if he plays on the Champions Tour, everyone rides. I’d be surprised if he played that tour though.

Casey Martin, Tiger’s teammate at Stanford, was the one who got the cart rule changed. That was a battle getting that rule changed. Before Martin, no one could take a cart. Now, if you have a long-term medical issue and you request a cart you can get one. “Healthy” players cannot.

On a similar note, I played with Martin on the Canadian Tour 20 years ago. He’s really nice and an exceptional ball striker. He hit it so good. He was allowed to ride in a solo cart at the time. I remember watching him walk and not only feeling bad for him, but also scared that his leg might break in half at any moment. His leg was soooo fragile. It was tough to watch at times.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Exactly. He’ll never ride on the PGA Tour. That said, if he plays on the Champions Tour, everyone rides. I’d be surprised if he played that tour though.

Casey Martin, Tiger’s teammate at Stanford, was the one who got the cart rule changed. That was a battle getting that rule changed. Before Martin, no one could take a cart. Now, if you have a long-term medical issue and you request a cart you can get one. “Healthy” players cannot.

On a similar note, I played with Martin on the Canadian Tour 20 years ago. He’s really nice and an exceptional ball striker. He hit it so good. He was allowed to ride in a solo cart at the time. I remember watching him walk and not only feeling bad for him, but also scared that his leg might break in half at any moment. His leg was soooo fragile. It was tough to watch at times.

Yeah he won’t do it because there is basically a stigma about it. I was kind of against it too but those made for TV things with Tiger and Tom Brady and all that changed my mind.

The carts are cool, it sped it all up, they could talk to the players. It all makes for a better TV product. Plus they’d all make more money because they could cover those carts like a NASCAR.

[bucksfan2]

Her ballstriking was off the charts and I was lucky enough to see it in person. She doesn’t hit it as far as PGA Tour players do, but for a women it was really far. For context, I hit my 3W as far as her driver and I’m one club longer with my irons.

There were many reasons why she didn’t live up to the absurd hype. First and foremost, was her parents. They suffocated her and made many many poor decisions. Second, is her putting. For a professional golfer, it was pretty bad. Third, switching to Leadbetter ended her “Big Wiesy” swing. He turned her swing into a shortened more aggressive move which, most likely, lead to some of her many injuries. Leadbetter hurts more professionals than he helps. And last, her parents thought it’d be wise to have her play against men and other players way more advanced than her in her early teens. She really didn’t learn how to win. Without a doubt, it would’ve been better for her to play against girls around her age and learn how to win and dominate like Tiger did.

Its hard to believe that much time has passed that she is hanging it up. Her playing in a mens event was a marketing gig, and unfortunately something she just wasn't good enough to play in. It got eyeballs for smaller events at her expense. She played in her first mens event as a 17 year old??? I remember when Annika Sorenstam, probably the most decorated LPGA golfer at the time, played in a mens event. There was legit curiosity as to whether or not Soremstam could play with the men. I don't remember that same buzz with Wie.

Wie's parents kind of remind me of Ty Tryon, who only started to succeed once he got away from his overbearing parents.

[Chip R]

Yeah he won’t do it because there is basically a stigma about it. I was kind of against it too but those made for TV things with Tiger and Tom Brady and all that changed my mind.

The carts are cool, it sped it all up, they could talk to the players. It all makes for a better TV product. Plus they’d all make more money because they could cover those carts like a NASCAR.

I'm not crazy for it. In a case like Casey Martin, I was OK with it because I don't think it was giving him an unfair advantage. The silly season stuff is OK for carts too. But I don't know if I'd want to see guys playing the U.S. Open in carts. Now if Tiger were willing to use a cart I'm positive that there would be tournaments he would play in. And we all know that Tiger playing in a tournament = ratings.

[Redhook]

Its hard to believe that much time has passed that she is hanging it up. Her playing in a mens event was a marketing gig, and unfortunately something she just wasn't good enough to play in. It got eyeballs for smaller events at her expense. She played in her first mens event as a 17 year old??? I remember when Annika Sorenstam, probably the most decorated LPGA golfer at the time, played in a mens event. There was legit curiosity as to whether or not Soremstam could play with the men. I don't remember that same buzz with Wie.

Wie's parents kind of remind me of Ty Tryon, who only started to succeed once he got away from his overbearing parents.

She was 14!! And, she shot 68 one of the rounds and missed the cut by one shot. Overall, an incredible performance. It’s really hard to comprehend how unbelievable that was.

Power is such an important part of the game now. Annika was amazing, no doubt, and probably could have made a handful of cuts had she played the entire year out there. Those cuts would’ve been at the shortest course like Colonial, Harbour Town, etc. That said, with the firmness of the greens on the PGA Tour and due to the fact that she would be hitting 2-4 clubs longer into the greens on average than men, she wouldn’t have been able to finish near the top. I would say best case scenario would’ve been around 40th.

I lived in Orlando when Ty was coming up. I’ve seen him play. He was really good, but they tried accelerating everything and he became a mess.

Remember Sean O’Hair’s dad? He was the worst. Some parents are just clueless.

[bucksfan2]

She was 14!! And, she shot 68 one of the rounds and missed the cut by one shot. Overall, an incredible performance. It’s really hard to comprehend how unbelievable that was.

Power is such an important part of the game now. Annika was amazing, no doubt, and probably could have made a handful of cuts had she played the entire year out there. Those cuts would’ve been at the shortest course like Colonial, Harbour Town, etc. That said, with the firmness of the greens on the PGA Tour and due to the fact that she would be hitting 2-4 clubs longer into the greens on average than men, she wouldn’t have been able to finish near the top. I would say best case scenario would’ve been around 40th.

I lived in Orlando when Ty was coming up. I’ve seen him play. He was really good, but they tried accelerating everything and he became a mess.

Remember Sean O’Hair’s dad? He was the worst. Some parents are just clueless.

Forgot about Sean O'Hair. I don't really follow golf as intently as I did years ago, too much on my plate. But you do remember crazy or sensational stories.

Power is what separates the men from the women in todays game. And IIRC Annkia wasn't even one of the longer hitters on the LPGA tour. As you mentioned, she probably could have hung tough on shorter courses, probably never scared a top finish, but would have made a handful of cuts. If I remember correctly she had a very smooth repeatable swing. But when you are hitting driver and a long iron into a green and you opponent is hitting driver nine iron into a green, its a completely different game.

[Redhook]

Forgot about Sean O'Hair. I don't really follow golf as intently as I did years ago, too much on my plate. But you do remember crazy or sensational stories.

Power is what separates the men from the women in todays game. And IIRC Annkia wasn't even one of the longer hitters on the LPGA tour. As you mentioned, she probably could have hung tough on shorter courses, probably never scared a top finish, but would have made a handful of cuts. If I remember correctly she had a very smooth repeatable swing. But when you are hitting driver and a long iron into a green and you opponent is hitting driver nine iron into a green, its a completely different game.

Yeah, among other crazy things, Sean had to run a mile after making a bogey.

Annika was a machine. She hit the ball so straight it’s scary. Annika put on some muscle when she became friends with Tiger and was longer than average. I remember sitting on the range with my old instructor at The Michelob watching her for an hour. Stripe show. The only one similar to that was Nick Price who I was fortunate enough to watch up close for an hour at The Leadbetter Academy.

For sure, power is the biggest difference, however, you’d be surprised how much better the men’s short games are in comparison. It was shocking to see up close for a year+ on the LPGA (caddy). Men are more creative and aggressive, they create more spin and they don’t lag putts from 15’. That said, I’m sure the LPGA players have improved their overall short since 2005, but I would say the 125th best short game on tour would be top 20 on the LPGA.

On the flip side, the ladies hit it straighter than men and their distance control is off the charts. It’s very impressive to watch. My player had 11 yard gaps between her clubs (men are 13-14 yards) and I can probably count on one hand how many times she hit it over the green.

[texasdave]

Tiger Woods pulls out of US Open, saving fans tons of money, while causing much heartache in Las Vegas. Phil Mickelson will be there.