Birthday wishes to golf babe Sophie Sandolo. For some reason which I can’t quite pinpoint, I really like Sophie….
100 degree temperatures. 4200 above sea level. No moisture in the air. The back is loose. The ball striking is pretty good. Bridgestone B330-RX golf balls.
These are all reasons why the ball is FLYING right now. Every summer I have to readjust my yardages. “Summer yardages” are now in effect.
During Saturday’s Sandy Amateur, which I had great ball striking except for three swings, I had all sorts of trouble with yardages. I hit a gap wedge with no wind with no elevation change, about 150 yards. I was hitting my sand wedge about 130 yards. On the 1st hole (my 9th because it was a shotgun start), I hit my 6-iron onto the green from 200 yards and made an eagle putt from about 12 feet. That was the highlight of the day. The lowlights are that the ball was going so far I was flying over greens. On the 5th hole I had 135 to the back pin. I flew my gap wedge to pin high, it bounced off the green into the hazard behind it. Blech.
League play is today, and the temps will be 95-98. I’ll be using summer yardages today for sure.
Thanks to my buddy Jason W. for referring me to an article from Joe Posnanski from SI. Had he not pointed it out I never would have read it. I rarely read articles by the regular sports media, or as they like to be called, “journalists.” I prefer to read my fellow golf bloggers. Most journalists love to point out that us bloggers are not journalists. In my case I take that as a compliment. Actually, I insist that I’m a blogger and not a journalist. That whole discussion is for another day.
All that circular gibberish aside, I officially like Joe and I’ll check out more of his pieces.
Joe’s article basically ponders the possibilities of Tiger’s “time” being over. Has his incredible run of regular PGA Tour and major championship victories ended? The bookies and many people in the media sure don’t seem to think so and neither did many of my buddies. I had Lee Westwood, Paul Casey and Padraig Harrington at the top of my list.
I reckon back to my golf round Tuesday in my men’s club when my buddy Dan asked me how Tiger would do in the (British) Open Championship. He asked me “field or Tiger?” I clearly and confidently answered “field.” Then I told him that despite the fact that St. Andrews seemed like a pitch and putt for Tiger in 2000 and 2005, I doubted Tiger would record a top 10 finish. My reason wasn’t that Tiger’s time was done, but rather his mind can’t be clear enough to concentrate at a level high enough to win a major so close to his personal issues and (apparent) divorce.
The next few years will be interesting to say the least. Can Tiger break Jack’s record or even threaten it? Many new players are surfacing and the fields do nothing but get stronger. Winning a major for anyone continues to get more and more difficult. Meanwhile, Tiger gets older. The mental drain he endures with his personal life and the ever irritating (to him) media grinds away at him and his ability to focus. It has to. He’s human.
Morning coffee, and a headache for me today. I spent too much time out in the sun and the 100 degree temps yesterday. I played in a city amateur, then hiked several miles in the local mountains. I have mild heat stroke.
After four holes Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa isn’t showing any signs of folding. Typically in major championships, players who are in his position tend to melt down. But Louis is looking good. He’s sitting on a five shot lead and nobody in the field is making any kind of run at him. Oosthuizen is leading in nearly every important statistical category.
Tiger Woods (currently tied for 27th) will be on his private jet on the way home before Oosthuizen finishes his round.
Phil Mickelson, who doesn’t typically play well in the (British) Open Championship is 13 shots back after 14 holes.
Paul Casey is in the final group and is five shots back. He’s +1 on the day.
Barring a nuclear meltdown, Ousthuisen will become a household name. I’ve already added him to the HOG tag list, which means he’s made the big time. But this is the Open and conditions are tough. Anything can happen.
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