John Daly always makes his appearances with a bang…just look at the Loudmouth pants collection that is currently keeping him financially afloat.  It is difficult to recall that weekend in August of 1991 when a seriously unknown pro from Arkansas snuck under the radar to qualify for and win the PGA Championship by three shots at Pete Dye’s Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana.

As you can read in John Garrity’s Sports Illustrated article no one, absolutely no one, saw this coming.  Daly was the ninth alternate and did not know until Thursday morning that he would be playing in the spot of Nick Price (and borrowing the services of his caddie as well) who was skipping the event to await the birth of his first child.

What happened over four days-21 birdies, an eagle, and a three-shot winning total of 12-under-is the stuff of fairy tales.  With a backswing that insulted parallel and a resultant ball speed that seemed to defy slow motion cameras Daly played without a dimmer switch on a course that Nicklaus called “the most difficult he had every played”.

After an opening 69 on a course he had never seen, Daly defied all logic grabbing the lead Friday morning.  As Garrity says “From the moment his name went on the leader board, the crowds at Crooked Stick thought he was a sand castle and the golf course a rising tide”.  His tour ranking of 185th in driving accuracy was not a prescription for success at a major, even if it had no rough.

Saturday he made it clear that the grip-it and rip-it mantra had staying power if only for this weekend.  A three-under stretch starting on the fourth was the behavior of a major champion and his legions, and their enthusiasm, began to grow.

As is always the case a Cinderella needs a little luck on the way to the ball and Daly got an extremely favorable ruling when his caddie unintentionally rested the end of the flagstick behind the hole as Daly lined up his putt on 11 on Saturday.  This is a clear violation of 8-2b that says a player or caddie may not touch the surface of the green along the line of the putt.  The two-stroke penalty that would have resulted could have been disastrous.

Fortunately, after reviewing the tape,the officials “honored the spirit rather than the letter of the law….and avoided what would have been the most unpopular rules decision since the Roberto de Vicenzo scorecard fiasco at the 1968 Masters”.

The rest is history, including Big John’s over-the-head whirly-bird fist pump after hitting his final approach into 18 on Sunday.  It was quite a show and it is fun to relive it, even if for just a moment.

(Click to read John Garrity’s “Over Drive” from the SI Vault)

John Garrity

Sports Illustrated

August, 1991

The hay, gorse, and ocean at Bandon is not for everyone.

Mike Keiser likes to say the “Retail Golfers” are the seven handicap and above guys who will travel to anywhere to play a golf course from the Golf Digest 100 Best List. They do this so they can return to the grill room at their home course and brag that they have just played the latest from Doak, Coore-Crenshaw, Nicklaus, Dye, or maybe a classic of the Golden Age from Tillinghast or Ross. The more peer envy then can engender the better.

But as Thomas Dunne, the accomplished golf travel writer, articulates in this article from Links Magazine the opinions on many of the top courses are by no means universally positive. Truth is the most famous courses in the world, St. Andrews, Muirfield, PInehurst #2, and TPC Sawgrass for example, can render the highest praise from some and the greatest disdain from others.

Sometimes it is circumstantial-the weather was lousy or the wind was up at Whistling Straits making it a virtually unplayable experience. They got goaded into playing the macho tees at the Ocean Course which would make it even more Dye-a-bolical than it really is. The course simply does not fit the eye or strengths of their game-they hit it long and the tight driving areas at Harbour Town take away that advantage. Or maybe, in spite of all the hype, the great course just doesn’t present spectacular. Pinehurst #2 has few memorable holes, St. Andrews looks like a moonscape, or Seminole is just another Florida course.

Dunne points out that great holes, great courses need to be played a number of times before they grow on you. Alistar MacKenzie said, “My experience of really first class holes….is at first sight excite the most violent spirit of antagonism….only after being played many times that the feeling of resentment disappears.”

Keiser’s intuition is correct though in that people will seek out the most reputable courses as must plays for their bucket list. Whether excited or disappointed by the experience it is the post play controversy with their friends that keeps the discussion, reputation, and the lure alive.

(Click to read Thomas Dunne’s Links Magazine article “The Polarizers”)

Thomas Dunne

Links Magazine

Fall, 2012

Let’s face it, it is not for everyone.  As Nick Seitz says in this archive article from 1992,
“At it’s best, golf in the winter is sublime…..at it’s worst, it’s vastly preferable to no golf at all”.

George Crump conceived of Pine Valley as a winter respite for his Philly golfing buddies because there was virtually no snow cover at the time in Camden, New Jersey just across the Delaware River.  Seitz’s relates of a friend still playing there year round, albeit “the greens were frozen and his approach shots bounded 40 feet high until he adjusted and began to play bump-and-skate shots.”

This is not a brand of golf for the faint of heart, it requires real dedication to go out when it is 40 degrees and a wind chill to boot.  There is no dress code, just have enough layers to peel off or add on to deal with the chameleon elements.

Since there are really no rules and a limited audience winter golf lends to real creativity.  Whether it is playing “hurricane rules” rather than preferred lies or test driving that redesign of your home course you have worked out so many times in the middle of the night, it is an opportunity to share a good walk with dedicated friends.

You don’t have to deal with tee times or crowds, and “nothing surpasses the supernal quiet and beauty of a blue-skied winter golf day”.  Best part is there is some warm soup or a hot toddie waiting for you when your day is done.

(Click to read Nick Seitz’s “The Bracing Joys of Winter Golf”)

Nick Seitz

Golf Digest

March, 1992

Waiting in line to get onto a plane recently the stewardess who was greeting the passengers made it a point to stop any person wearing a military uniform and thank them in a very personal way for all they had done for us in serving in our military.  It was a poignant gesture, one not lost on any of us who had to wait a few extra minutes before getting on our way.

The attached Golf World article, “Rewarding True Heroes”, by Roger Schiffman, describes his experience in a similar endeavor as he took part in a very special 12-day golf trip to Ireland with 11 of our soldiers.  There is something riveting in the juxtaposition described therein of courageous individuals who have suffered life changing injuries against the rugged and surreal landscapes of Irish links courses like Royal County Down, The European Club, and Waterville Golf Links.

Maybe more interesting is to try to get your head around how much golf, and the opportunity to play golf at such storied venues, has helped to put a semblance of normalcy back into the lives of these wounded veterans.  Through the great work of organizations like Jim Estes’s Salute Military Golf Association veterans returning from active military theaters find the opportunity to access professional instruction, playing opportunities, and the equipment aids they need reconnect to a game they love and the therapy it can provide.

At an SMGA Clinic last spring I was watching a young veteran balancing himself on his two prosthetic legs and a crutch struggling to roll putts one-handed with a conventional putter.  Noticing his frustration one of the pros grabbed a long putter and said to him “Try this”.  Discarding the crutch and anchoring the putter to his body he found his secure balance and a smooth stroke.  The ball started running true to the line finding the hole with gratifying regularity.  An ear-to-ear grin replaced the tensed cheeks on the vet’s face and it was something beautiful to behold.

Reading these stories of truly courageous individuals determined to take control of their lives is an inspiration to all of us as we consider the challenges that life presents us.  We should also be cognizant of the sacrifices these folks have made on our behalf and, as the stewardess on that plane showed us, take the time to thank them for all they have done in protecting the freedoms we enjoy.

(Click to read “Rewarding True Heroes” from Golf World Magazine)

Roger Schiffman

Golf World

November, 2012

(Find out how to support SMGA/Wounded Warriors or the Folds of Honor Foundation)

Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey finally took off the gloves, albeit after shooting 60 in the final round, to put his hands around the trophy he won capturing the McGladrey Classic this weekend.  It was the first PGA Tour victory for a guy who used get paid $8.25 an hour insulating hot water heaters and got his start winning the Golf Channel’s Big Break in 2007.  He has earned around $3 million in winnings in his last two years on tour.  Now that is a journey!

His phenomenal final round included eight birdies and an eagle to best by one tour veteran Daivd Toms who shot his own final round 63.  Gainey left in his wake Davis Love III and Jim Furyk whom he trailed by 7 shots at the beginning of the day-both seemed to experience unexpected turbulence down the stretch on Sunday.

After shooting 31 on the outward nine Gainey birdied 11, 13, and 14.  But it was his heroics on the par five 15^th that slung him to the top.  After hitting the green side bunker on this par five in two he lofted his bunker shot softly onto the fringe and let it trundle down to the hole where it obligingly fell in for eagle.  One more birdie on 16 and a par on 17 made it seven straight threes on his card on the back nine on his way to the 16-under winning score.

As you can read in Farrell Evans’s article on ESPN.com, Tommy Two Gloves is just someone you want to root for.  As he says, “In a sea of Iron Byron golf swings and marathon range sessions, Gainey stands out for his individuality and commitment to a life in the sport unencumbered by pressure to do everything prescribed by a mental coach, a physical trainer, and swing coach”.  He marches to his own drummer and seems to be able to abide the cadence quite nicely.

Tommy fits into the mold of the old school stars like Palmer, Thorpe, Trevino, and Floyd whose swing mechanics defied the conventional logic but just knew how to put the ball in the hole.  Farrell quotes the sage advice of Harvey Penick who once said to his college players, “If a guy with a bad swing and a bad grip is at your level, he is a very dangerous man to beat”.

With this victory and a two-year exemption we are assured to see Tommy Two Gloves regularly in the near future.  No question, it will be fun to witness the next leg of this journey.

(Click to read the Farrell Evans ESPN.com article on Tommy Gainey)

Farrell Evans

ESPN.com

October, 2012

With the Ryder Cup on our golf radar screens this week Golf Channel is airing a documentary on the most memorable and infamous edition of the Ryder Cup played at Kiawah Island in 1991.  It was captioned by the American promoters at the time as “The War By The Shore”.   You can read in the attached article by John Garrity, who covered this event for Sports Illustrated in 1991, that in spite of what many feel was the most compelling golf competition ever played it had a dark side to it that hangs in the air like a bad pail odor.

Garrity says in his recollections,  “The ‘91 Ryder Cup stoked the competitive fervor…well beyond the norms for athletic rivalry….The opening ceremonies were a paean to the American War Machine…The European golfers, watching from the stage, looked like Soviet dissidents forced to witness a Mayday parade of weaponry in Red Square”.  “Once play got underway, the two sides went at each other with uncharacteristic fury.”  “But mostly I remember the fear, I had seen nervous golfer’s before, but nothing like the boys of Kiawah Island.  European dominance of the Cup had turned the matches into a test of national character, and it was a test that even the best players approached with resentment and anxiety”.

The excessive behavior was not limited to the participants, the fans from both sides displayed rowdy partisanship that was akin to an acrimonious soccer match between sectarian  rivals not a golf competition between friendly allies.  Unfortunately this behavior carried on for years on both sides of the Atlantic and many players were subject to personal verbal abuse at the Ryder Cup and other major competitions.

I distinctly remember watching this competition and sharing Garrity’s basic sentiment, I was appalled at what I witnessed.  It seemed to me that all the vulgarity that was overwhelming professional tennis at the time had finally spilled over into what had been previously a dignified sanctum.  For me the fault laid at the feet of the prime protagonists in 1991, Dave Stockton the intense American Captain and Seve Ballesteros, of blessed memory, whose tenacity and competitive drive had reignited the fortunes of the European Ryder Cup team through the 1980’s.  The characterization of the competition as a war fostered a contentious atmosphere of winning at any cost, without regard to the collateral effect of those costs.  It made for some unbelievable golf drama, but not without it’s very ugly moments.

I watched this documentary by Ross Greenburg which used original TV footage and interviews with the participants to do an admirable job presenting the event very much as it went down.  It was great to see the compelling golf performances but there were once again moments when I cringed and shook my head wondering “what were they thinking” when they behaved like that.

It has taken over 20 years for The Ryder Cup to get back a semblance of it’s dignity and it’s stature as a fairly played international sporting competition.  Jack Nicklaus once said that the thing he loved about golf is that you could spend four hours on the course trying to beat the brains out of the competition and then wrap your arm around the other guy’s shoulder afterward and have a beer together to recount how much you enjoyed the game.  It is my hope that what we will witness at this year’s Ryder Cup at Medinah will move this event closer to that norm.

(Click to read John Garrity’s recounting of the ‘War By The Shore’)

September, 2012

Ivan Morris is a dedicated golf nut….he has the award to prove it.  But more than anything he is a thoughtful and insightful student of the game.  This interview with Golf Club Atlas reveals his thinking on a range of subjects including health benefits of golf, preference for match play, the contributions of Eddie Hackett to Irish golf, nuances of links course design, and so much more.

Ivan Morris’s wise old swing with modern equipment (golfclubatlas.com)

In many ways he has a unique Irish view of the development of the game but at the same time it is applicable to all of us.  As the co-author of Larry Lambrecht’s wonderful photographic collection “Emerald Gems-The Links Of Ireland” and a couple of books of his own,  Morris has an articulate and engaging way of expressing his opinion.  I am sure you will find some wise parables that apply to your golf experience in his answers.

On self flagellation: “If only I realized sooner that golf is a privilege….not a crusade or an obligation.  My life would have been more serene if I had realized that.”

On benefits of playing with hickory shafts:  “One is forced to ‘listen’ to the golf club and develop a more harmonious relationship with it.  One has to feel as if the club head passes your hands in the hitting area, a completely different sensation than the ‘late hit’ employed in modern golf.”

On the chances of hosting an Open Championship in Ireland:  “I would suggest that if golfing challenge alone was the criterion, The Open could just as easily be played at The European Club, Portmarnock, Waterville (in Ireland), Kennemar in Holland, Royal Zoute in Belgium, Falsterbo in Sweden, or Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania.  For heaven sakes, isn’t it supposed to be THE Open?”

The would be site of #2 an Inch Island Links (golfclubatlas.com)

He even takes the time to talk about potentially the best links course in Ireland, Inch Island on the Ring of Kerry, that may never see the light of day because of the myopic views of the Irish Planning Authority.

Take ten minutes and read this interview.  You will come away a bit golf smarter as a result.

(Click to read the Ivan Morris feature interview from Golf Club Atlas)

Ivan Morris Interview
Golf Club Atlas.com
August, 2012

Nine of the last nine majors have been won by first time winners.  Does this mean these premier events have become a game of chance or is this a testimony to the depth of young talent with mature competitive instincts that now pervades the game of golf?

Webb Simpson put on an unflappable 68-68 performance the last two days showing patience and resolve on Sunday after bogeying two of the first five holes.  Four birdies over the next five followed by eight straight pars proved that, at 26 years old, he has what it takes to win on a U.S. Open course setup.

As you can read in John Garrity’s SI article attached, the USGA was determined to reclaim the U.S. Open’s spot as the toughest test in the game after last year’s scoring mishap at Congressional.  So the real winner this weekend was the USGA whose head croupier Mike Davis set up a stern but fair test that would examine all the golfing skills of the greatest players in the game.

One fairway bunker, no water hazards, 7100 yards, yet no one was winning this one without great risk-reward judgment, the ability to move the ball in both directions on demand, and a willingness to accept the odd bad break and move on.

As to bad breaks, how about the Cypress tree on the 5^th hole swallowing Lee Westood’s errant drive that did the same to Lee Janzen 14 years ago.  This time the tree failed to regurgitate the ball and the double bogey that ensued banished Lee once again to the land of no majors.

Best story of the week has to be 17-year old Beau Hossler’s continued presence on the top side of the leader board in a major championship.  He too had a bogey skein in the first five holes but managed to make three more birdies before finally falling victim to the pressure on the back nine.  His attitude and his bunker play was that of a grizzled veteran not a high school junior.  Somehow I don’t think he will be looking at those high school matches with the same reverence.

In the end the guy who could handle the USGA’s enormous pressure cooker prevailed.  Simpson’s up and down for par from a knotty lie next to the eighteenth green showed remarkable aplomb in the face of a career defining challenge.

(Click to Read John Garrity’s “Golf’s Toughest Test” from SI.com)

John Garrity

Sports Illustrated.com

June, 2012