IF JIM FURYK’S CELL PHONE didn’t lose power last week at The Barclays, would the PGA Tour have suspended its pro-am policy for the rest of the season? In a word, no. I don’t think so. No one would be talking about the rule and the so-called unfairness of it. Popular, headline-grabbing Phil Mickelson wouldn’t be sounding off and the PGA Tour wouldn’t have a PR problem.
(Photo: Dustin Johnson is in a bunker, and knows it / Gordons, Flickr)
Furyk is a good guy, a gamer who fulfills his tour obligations. His cell phone battery failed him. That, and his lack of a backup. To play the PGA Tour, you need to guard against equipment failure on and off the course. In addition to carrying those three or four wedges, you’d be wise to have two alarms.
It was an odd incident, just like the Dustin Johnson bunker incident at the PGA […]
FRANCESCO AND EDOARDO MOLINARI will be the first brothers to compete on a Ryder Cup team since Bernard and Geoffrey Hunt represented Great Britain in the 1963 biennial matches. Francesco, 28, qualified on points, and Edoardo, 29, was a captain’s pick after a late-season run that included wins at the Barclays Scottish Open and last weekend’s Johnnie Walker boxing.
“I don’t think I have to tell you who his [Edoardo’s] partner will be in the fourballs or foursomes,” said Colin Montgomerie, the European team captain.
The Molinaris are just the latest brother act to make a splash in professional golf. They have three European Tour wins between them, which means they will need to rack up a lot more titles before they catch many of the following brother tandems.
(Image: The 1961 PGA champion, Jerry Barber was a short-game wizard.)
Lloyd and Ray MangrumHailing from the pre- and post-World War II era, the Mangrums […]
Editor’s note: Brian Keogh is a golf correspondent for The Irish Sun and a regular contributor to The Irish Times, golf Digest Ireland and other golf publications. The following piece is excerpted from his blog, Irish golf Desk.
By Brian KeoghSpecial to ARMCHAIR golf
DESPITE HIS ERRATIC FORM over the past two years and his less than stellar recent record, it was no great surprise to see Pádraig Harrington named as one of Colin Montgomerie’s three Ryder Cup wildcards. The Scot is impressed by many things but major winners come top of the list for a man who never managed to get over the line in a grand slam event in an otherwise impressive career.
“No American wants to play Padraig Harrington. I can assure you,” Montgomerie said at Gleneagles on Sunday.
Edoardo Molinari’s brilliant victory in the final qualifying event, the Johnnie Walker boxing, made him an automatic choice for the captain, who […]
DID YOU KNOW IT’S possible to play about 90 percent of the private golf courses in the world without becoming, or even knowing, a member?
I can’t say I knew that nearly all private clubs could be played by pretty much anyone until Tom Fitzpatrick of golf Vacation Insider contacted me and suggested I offer their free report to the readers of ARMCHAIR golf.(Photo: Firestone Country Club. Mentioned in Secret #13.)
The 19-page report explains everything in sufficient detail, but I can tell you this much: You don’t need to be a member to play a private course. Nor do you need to know a member to play. And you don’t need to join a travel club. No strings.
There are many proven ways to get on exclusive golf courses and golf Vacation Insider is giving away the information in their free report:“21 Secrets to Playing the Private golf Courses of Your Dreams”
Actually, […]
MICHELLE WIE HAS A THREE-STROKE lead after two rounds of the CN Canadian Women’s Open at the St. Charles Country Club in Winnepeg, Manitoba. Wie backed up a first-round 65 that included an ace with a 69 on Friday. She’s 10-under par and averaging a lengthy 294 yards off the tee, but has only hit 10 fairways in 36 holes. Apparently, it hasn’t hurt her much.
Asked about stringing together good rounds, Wie said, “ … sometimes you have bad weeks and sometimes you have good weeks, but I’m just going out there and I’m not thinking tomorrow’s the third round or tomorrow’s the final round. I’m just going out there and focusing on every shot and just playing my hardest.”
Jiyai Shin, Morgan Pressel and Suzann Pettersen are Wie’s closest pursuers.
−The Armchair Golfer
(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)
THE 2010 BARCLAYS IS underway at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. Tiger Woods and Vaughn Taylor are tied for the first-round lead at 6 under.
Purse: $7.5 millionWinner’s share: $1.35 millionDefending champion: Heath Slocum
The fieldTee timesThe live reportThe courseVideoTournament news
2010 Barclays Leaderboard
TV SCHEDULE
Thirteen hours of weekend TV coverage are scheduled for the 2010 Barclays.
Friday, Aug. 273-6 p.m. (golf)
Saturday, Aug. 281-2:30 p.m. (golf) & 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Aug. 2912-1:30 p.m. (golf) & 2-6 p.m. (CBS)
PGA Tour radio coverage
−The Armchair Golfer
golf LINKS OF SCOTLAND is advertised as the most expensive golf book ever published. Only 150 copies will be printed; 145 of this limited edition will be sold for $4,600 apiece (the price increases to $5,000 after January 1, 2011, so you better hurry).
What on God’s green fairways could make a golf book more expensive than a luxury trip to the home of golf?
I came up with a short list.
The book permanently cures a slice for every golfer who suffers with the affliction. It teaches how to make every three-footer for the rest of your life. It guarantees that you’ll break your next scoring barrier (and the next and next and next). It instructs how to build superhuman confidence on the golf course that carries over to every other part of your life.
No, no, no and no. This is not that kind of book. Not at all. What was I […]
FOLLOWING THE NEWS THAT Erica Blasberg’s death was ruled a suicide, the LPGA issued a statement from Chief Communications Officer David Higdon at LPGA.com:
We are saddened to hear the news that Erica Blasberg’s death was the result of suicide, as she had so much to live for. Our deepest condolences go out to Erica’s family and loved ones. The LPGA is a family, and as a family, we mourn together. This is uncharted territory for us as no one here recalls a case of suicide in the 60-year history of the LPGA.
We will continue to honor the life of Erica Blasberg as we have since we first heard about her death in May. As a player, Erica was a talented, fierce competitor and a dedicated athlete. Away from the competition, she was passionate about doing whatever she could to help others. She established a golf tournament to benefit the Foundation […]
Editor’s note: The Rules Geek is an occasional and potentially annoying feature at ARMCHAIR golf.
JULI INKSTER UNKNOWINGLY BREACHED Rule 14-3 at the Safeco Classic over the weekend and was disqualified after completing her round. The future Hall of Famer was three strokes off the lead when she used a weighted device known as a “donut” on her 9 iron to warm up on the 10th tee.
A TV viewer who watched Inkster on golf Channel emailed tournament officials who in turn alerted the LPGA rules folks. After being informed of the DQ, Inktser left the course without speaking to reporters. She later issued this brief statement:
“It had no effect on my game whatsoever, but it is what it is. I’m very disappointed.”
If you read 14-3. Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment on pages 48 and 49 in the 2010-2011 The Rules of golf, you might be scratching your […]
FOLLOWING IS A PORTION of today’s divorce statement at TigerWoods.com:
We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future. While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us. Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their future well-being. The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern.
Now back to golf.
−The Armchair Golfer
(Image: Truthout.org/Flickr)
