If you imagine Billy Crystal’s reaction, doing his best Mafioso accent, after reading that another athlete is in the headlines about not wanting to participate in the Summer Games in Brazil.  This is the thought that came into my head when I heard this week that Rory is passing on this supreme opportunity as golf returns to the Olympics after 100 years.

Not withstanding Zika, unsanitary water, fear of being mugged, or the complete fracturing of the political system in the country, who really cares whether any of these high profile super wealthy athletes decide to show up.  More important who cares whether golf returns to the Olympics at all.

To me this is all a cash grab on the part of the IOC and NBC who have very little interest in the health and well being of the sport and only want to collect fees as a result of selling Doritos and Diet Coke to viewers across the globe.

Rory has about this same level of enthusiasm for playing in Rio

As Greenie from Mike and Mike said this morning on his show, the Olympics should have sports participating where winning the gold medal represents the pinnacle achievement in their game.  That is how it used to be.  Fencing, swimming, gymnastics, track and field, white water slalom….there were no other forums for these athletes to excel and therefore enrich their careers.  The Olympic exposure is there meal ticket.

In spite of the fact that the NBA used the exposure of the Dream Teams of the 90’s  to “globalize” their product-this year 15 of the first 30 guys picked in the NBA draft were international players-this was happening anyway as scouts from the NBA began to travel across the globe in search of new talent.  Once that talent signed on-the TV rights back into those countries followed as did the cash payouts for the league.

Folks like Lebron James, Steph Curry, Candace Parker, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Lionel Messi, and Erin McLeod do not need the exposure, the money, or the additional wear and tear on their bodies just for the chance to add another gold implement to their trophy case.

The selling of golf in the Olympics is particularly puzzling.  On the men’s side there are two majors, a few World Golf Championships, a FedEx Cup Championship, and a Ryder Cup already putting demands on their schedules in a two month period.  Where does a week off in appetizing Rio fit into this.  For the women who already have a dominated foreign presence who needs to expose the sport even more in South Korea, China, or Spain than it already is.

What is worse is that the format for the return of golf to the Olympics is a four round individual stroke play competition.  There is no team aspect to this at all no drama of head-to-head matches.  They could have chosen a cool team format like the LPGA International Crown or a pool version of match play like the revised WGC Match Play but instead decided to make it just another medal play week on either tour.  This will create the absolute minimum of partisan displays by the fans in attendance.

Another lavish Olympic facility that few will use after the games are done

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As to the benefit to Brazil, yes they have an expensive first class Gil Hanse designed golf course as a result. But they do not have the government cash to keep it up after the games and likely do not have the regional demand of well heeled players to support it either.  Ten years from now it will look like another tired, overgrown muni with great architectural bones.

Getting back to the health, welfare, and safety considerations of these uber wealthy athletes, if you don’t need the Olympics to stoke your bank balance and help create your personal nest egg why would you willfully go to a place where you have to bring a personal body guard, a stash of bottled water, and disinfect yourself after you take a shower.  Does not seem like a sound career move.

If it wasn’t for the financial commitment  of NBC and their sponsors the Olympics would have been moved to another safer more neutral venue a year ago.  Conversations about how meaningful bringing golf back to the Olympics for growth of the game have a very hollow sound to me.

June, 2016

It has never been more evident to me that the entertainment factor in major championships has been diminished by the ability of today’s professional golfer to hit it long and hit it straight. All the trouble off the tee and into the greens have been muted by the pros ability to see and hold an intended flight line with less trepidation about the ball wandering.

Spring board club faces propel it further, launch it higher with less spin to produce roll out. Asymmetric dimple patterns on the balls are diminishing the side spin on mishit shots and thereby reducing the slice or hook that could deliver the evil decree of the trees, bunkers, or water not on the line of charm.

Scientific advances are diminishing skills required to master the game

To the chagrin of the tournament officials and members of Oakmont they have seen this in spades this week.

The short 17th which was a pivotal hole in so many of the previous majors used to require players to hit a hard draw just to get it far enough up the hill to the reach the green and then have to control the side spin to hold the line and avoid the gnarly hillside rough on either side. A disastrous bogie or worse was as likely as an eagle for those with the moxie to take on driving the green.

Players just look beyond all the mishugas on the drivable 17th hole

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This year even the modest hitters on the tour are taking dead aim over the bunkers on 17 confident that with today’s forgiving drivers they can produce the 270 carry over the nest of bunkers, hold a line to the opening, and trundle one up to give themselves an eagle opportunity. A slight fall to the left or right simply means a sand recovery from the green side bunkers which is like taking candy from a baby for these guys.

The USGA and R & A together have failed to protect the integrity of the game by letting manufacturers of clubs and balls use advanced aerospace technology to turn the game into a bomb, pitch, and putt affair.

Serious teeth have to be reintroduced to the required specs on clubs and balls to bring back the good old days of using and controlling curve to avoid the fairway bunkers and heavy rough off the tee and maneuver past the green side trouble to get at the Sunday pins.

Needless to say this would remove the need to keep lengthening courses to maintain their challenge for these events and reduce the capital budget requirements for all golf clubs trying to keep up. It would also bring back skill level and artistry of shot making and provide a much more entertaining product to watch on these Major Sundays.

June, 2016

Jordan Spieth has quashed the Mark Twain adage “reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” as it applies to his golf game with a stunning six birdies on the back nine on his way to 17-under and a three-shot victory at the Dean and Deluca Invitational in Fort Worth.

Colonial Country Club has the storied Wall of Champions next to the first tee and it holds names like Hogan, Snead, Palmer, Trevino, Crenshaw, Watson, and Mickelson. They can now proudly add to it their favorite son’s name as Jordan notched his first professional victory in his home state of Texas.

Ever since his epic collapse on the 12th at Augusta a month and a half ago there have been whispers everywhere that the young knight might never recover from such fall. After missing the cut at The Players people were scratching their heads and with a final round collapse of 74 at last week’s Byron Nelson the growing level of concern turned to full torrent.

But Jordan was determined to right the ship in front of the home town crowd. 67-66-65 was steady improvement and left him with the 54-hole lead coming into Sunday. His record with 54-hole leads is quite impressive for a 22-year old (he has won 4 out of 6 when he led after three round) but then there was that pesky little quad in Amen Corner.

Winning in his own backyard had special meaning to Spieth

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Playing even par over the first nine holes Jordan seem to be ceding his chances to the field but as true champions do Jordan lit it up with three birdies to start the inward nine and sink his nails into the hem of the Red Tartan Blazer that goes to the winner. After a bogey on 13, a huge 14-foot par saving putt on 14 snuck in the corner of the cup to jab fate in the solar plexus. His ensuing par on 15 had him tied for the lead at 14-under with the man with two last names, Harris English.

Here is where championship lore begins once again, a totally improbable finish that will expunge a closet full of demons and put questions of his premature demise to rest. It begins on the Par 3 16th where Jordan hits it into the center of the green leaving a windy 20 footer which he buries for an unlikely birdie. Lead is now 1.

The first fist pump of the trilogy…making birdie on 16…

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On 17 he pulls his drive left seemingly headed for Sherwood Forest only to careen off the leg of a volunteer marshal that propels the ball to a clear line on the edge of the first cut of the rough. From 173 his flyer 9-iron has wings and air mails the green to lodge up against the grandstand. Granted a free drop which makes saving par a possibility Jordan one-ups the field by softly landing his short side pitch on the fringe and feeding it down the short slope into the cup for an earth shattering birdie. Lead is now 2.

Even Jordan was startled by the power of his magic wand on the 17th

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So it only remained to hit it to center of the fairway, center of the green and have three putts to win. Not good enough for the demon dragon slayer, Jordan coolly rolls it in down the slippery slope for one more birdie. Wins by 3.

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One last exclamation point….from 35 feet on the 18th

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@hat we love about Jordan is his realism and humility. Admitting that luck has a lot to do with fate he said of the escapade on 17, “One of the luckiest holes I’ve ever had personally. I hit a guy on the side on the tee ball that goes into the first cut, and then I get that drop and then chip in….If I’m anyone playing against me, I’d be pretty upset at that.”

Anyway you cut it 67-66-65-65 says it all……the Gifted and Talented One Is Back!

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A patriotic look….especially if you hail from the Lone Star State

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May, 2016