Observation of the Day!
This USGA Woman's Open week in Minnesota. I love the woman golfers of the LPGA and all amateur players. I have seen many tournaments over the years. The three main reasons I support woman golfers.
a. They had to work perhaps a little harder to develop their golfing skills, and they were all mentored by a loving father or grandfather.
b. They play a game the ordinary golfer can relate to. They are not as long as the men, but still play a game closer to our skill level. It shows you don't have to be long to have an outstanding game. Closer of course is a relative term
c. I am a dirty old man.
I went to a practice day Tuesday and the opening round on Thursday. Here are a few observations.
1. The thing about the Donald Ross designed Interlachen Country Club course I love is the history that lies beneath the grass. Interlachen has hosted practically all major championships, both amatuer and professional over the ninety-nine years of its existance. It was opened in 1909. The most memorable was the 1930 win by Bobby Jones completeing the third league of the Grand Slam. It was also the home course of the late great Patty Berg, one of the founders of the LPGA. I have had the pleasure of playing the course five or six times over the years. Interlachen is by far my favorite course. It is private, and if I had the money, it is the place I would want to belong. It is a classic.
2. This was the second Woman's Open I have attended. The other one was at Hazeltine in the seventies, won by Hollis Stacy and was Nancy Lopez's first Open. Hotty Jan Stephenson also was in the field. I have also attended several Kraft Nabisco Dinah Shore majors in Palm Springs as well as the Solheim Cup at Interlachen and other tournaments whenever I could.
3. The number of Asians in the tournament is amazing. There are 3 Ohs, 8 Kims, 7 Parks, 27 other Asian names. They are good too.
4. There are not many players that play for the other team anymore, if you know what I mean? However, there are plenty of old switch hitters in the crowd. They are not hard to spot. Not that I have anything against them. I have always wondered why, if they hate men so much, why does one partner usually look like a man.
5. There are plenty of good looking young women playing in the tournament. Natalie Gulbis has legs up to her shoulders. She walked up to her ball on 18. She stood there waiting for a ruling for one of her playing partners and put her arms around to her back and doing a big stretch. Can anyone say perky?
6. Why do some woman wear high heels to a golf tournament? They were most lower heals, (only one with spiked heels) ,but there is a lot of walking on soft ground. Dare I say, they don't know s*** about golf.
7. We were transported to the course on school buses. When I got on the driver said." Does this make you think of your old school days?" I said, "No, actually I was thinking about Natalie Gulbis."
8. No cell phones allowed. This must drive the Blackberry crowd nuts.
9. Michelle Wie was nine over. Nike made her rich, but this poor girl's career has been ruined to date by her parents. She has only won one major amateur tournament. Never played junior golf learning tournament play. Turned her back on the LPGA after they gave her the opportunity to play in their tournaments. She opted to try and play on the PGA tour and has been an embarassing failure. Check out Pat Ruesse's column at startribune.com on Michelle Wie. It is a real rip and pretty much sums up how I feel about her and her parents.
10. Kids got in free.
11. We say goodbye to Annika, unless she pulls a Michael Jorden. I don't think she will. She is class.
12. The hug! I noticed there is a standard procedure for the post round hug. Lean in and pat the opponent twice on the back. Christy Kerr a bit of a hard nose only pats once. There is also a hug for the caddies. An occasional kiss for their own caddie. Asians hug opponents, but lean out and shake hands with the opposing caddies. Hugs for the opponent are friendly hugs, not passionate hugs like the old LPGA.
Keep your head down!
Sam
a. They had to work perhaps a little harder to develop their golfing skills, and they were all mentored by a loving father or grandfather.
b. They play a game the ordinary golfer can relate to. They are not as long as the men, but still play a game closer to our skill level. It shows you don't have to be long to have an outstanding game. Closer of course is a relative term
c. I am a dirty old man.
I went to a practice day Tuesday and the opening round on Thursday. Here are a few observations.
1. The thing about the Donald Ross designed Interlachen Country Club course I love is the history that lies beneath the grass. Interlachen has hosted practically all major championships, both amatuer and professional over the ninety-nine years of its existance. It was opened in 1909. The most memorable was the 1930 win by Bobby Jones completeing the third league of the Grand Slam. It was also the home course of the late great Patty Berg, one of the founders of the LPGA. I have had the pleasure of playing the course five or six times over the years. Interlachen is by far my favorite course. It is private, and if I had the money, it is the place I would want to belong. It is a classic.
2. This was the second Woman's Open I have attended. The other one was at Hazeltine in the seventies, won by Hollis Stacy and was Nancy Lopez's first Open. Hotty Jan Stephenson also was in the field. I have also attended several Kraft Nabisco Dinah Shore majors in Palm Springs as well as the Solheim Cup at Interlachen and other tournaments whenever I could.
3. The number of Asians in the tournament is amazing. There are 3 Ohs, 8 Kims, 7 Parks, 27 other Asian names. They are good too.
4. There are not many players that play for the other team anymore, if you know what I mean? However, there are plenty of old switch hitters in the crowd. They are not hard to spot. Not that I have anything against them. I have always wondered why, if they hate men so much, why does one partner usually look like a man.
5. There are plenty of good looking young women playing in the tournament. Natalie Gulbis has legs up to her shoulders. She walked up to her ball on 18. She stood there waiting for a ruling for one of her playing partners and put her arms around to her back and doing a big stretch. Can anyone say perky?
6. Why do some woman wear high heels to a golf tournament? They were most lower heals, (only one with spiked heels) ,but there is a lot of walking on soft ground. Dare I say, they don't know s*** about golf.
7. We were transported to the course on school buses. When I got on the driver said." Does this make you think of your old school days?" I said, "No, actually I was thinking about Natalie Gulbis."
8. No cell phones allowed. This must drive the Blackberry crowd nuts.
9. Michelle Wie was nine over. Nike made her rich, but this poor girl's career has been ruined to date by her parents. She has only won one major amateur tournament. Never played junior golf learning tournament play. Turned her back on the LPGA after they gave her the opportunity to play in their tournaments. She opted to try and play on the PGA tour and has been an embarassing failure. Check out Pat Ruesse's column at startribune.com on Michelle Wie. It is a real rip and pretty much sums up how I feel about her and her parents.
10. Kids got in free.
11. We say goodbye to Annika, unless she pulls a Michael Jorden. I don't think she will. She is class.
12. The hug! I noticed there is a standard procedure for the post round hug. Lean in and pat the opponent twice on the back. Christy Kerr a bit of a hard nose only pats once. There is also a hug for the caddies. An occasional kiss for their own caddie. Asians hug opponents, but lean out and shake hands with the opposing caddies. Hugs for the opponent are friendly hugs, not passionate hugs like the old LPGA.
Keep your head down!
Sam
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