Golf Legends - Tom Watson

Image Courtesy: BBC


Each time Tom Watson stepped on one of the link courses for the Open Championship, it would be fair to say, love was in the air. Such was the dominance of this great American golfer who produced some of his best golf in some of the most difficult conditions endured by golfers on the course. Not for nothing was he known as the best golfer in terrible conditions, although I am not quite sure how delighted he was with that monicker being associated with him but it was still a shade better than being called Huckleberry Dillinger.


Tom Watson was not your usual Golfer. In fact with a degree in Psychology from Stanford University he was anything but the usual golfer. Shortly after his graduation from Stanford, Tom Watson turned pro but his first few years did not yield much success. Despite his degree in psychology what seemed to fail Tom Watson was his ability to close out tournaments. After another one of his meltdowns in a tournament, the great Byron Nelson approached him and offered his assistance. That was the fillip that Tom Watson needed and his career was up and running. Under Byron Nelson’s guidance he transformed himself from an ‘almost there’ golfer to a complete golfer adding victories to his kitty.


With the new found streak of mental strength Watson began his quest for tournament wins which finally ended with 39 victories on the PGA Tour. He built up a reputation as a scrambler which led to the term ’Watson Par’. It clearly represented the frustration and amazement experienced by other golfers who would see Tom Watson launch wild shots, find himself left with an improbable putt for par and see the ball being drained into the hole time and again. But the enduring legacy that Tom Watson left was his incredible dominance of the Open Championship, winning it as many as 5 times. Any discussion of Tom Watson would be incomplete without a mention of the most famous ‘Duel in the Sun’. Golf folklore is full of stories of that day in Turneberry, of the burning sun, sunburnt fairways, blustering wind and that duel between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson which was perhaps the greatest between two people over the course of a championship in Golf.


But that was not the only time Jack Nicklaus was pipped to the post by Watson. He did it again in dramatic fashion in Pebble Beach at the 1982 U.S. Open, chipping in an improbable shot from thick rough to birdie a hole that had Bogey stamped through the length and breadth of that 17th green, leaving Jack Nicklaus distraught once again. Through the course of his career,


Tom Watson proved to be Jack Nicklaus’ greatest nemesis. In 5 of Tom Watson’s 8 major wins, it was Jack Nicklaus who finished second. But as fierce as their competition was, what will also be remembered is their great friendship and that remarkable moment of sportsmanship when Jack Nicklaus gave Watson a ‘Bearhug’ after they completed their ‘Duel in the Sun’. What embodied Tom Watson’s love for the game could be captured in that one line in the heat of the moment during the 1977 Open Championship when he looked over at Jack Nicklaus in the middle of their incredible fight and said-:

“This is what sports is about, isn’t it?”

Golf Legends - Ben Hogan

To understand why Ben Hogan is attributed with the greatest swing and considered the finest the game has seen, all you need to know is that it is believed he “invented” practice. Not only did he play a near flawless game, he spent many hours early in the morning just working on his game. Apart from that, his meticulous planning and concentration made him stand apart from the rest of the players in his generation. Ben Hogan started his career as a caddy at Forth Worth where another famous golfer of that time, Byron Nelson was also a caddy. He won as many as 63 professional titles in a period of over 20 years but unlike his compatriot Sam Snead he could not extend his career for much longer.

Even during the period he dominated the game, it was an interrupted career. Firstly he was sent on war duty during the second world war and then later in 1949 he was involved in a life threatening car accident. The car in which he was traveling, had a head-on collision with a Greyhound Bus. Many doctors feared he would never be able to walk again. ‘Walk again’ he did but not just did he walk again, he went on to win his second U.S. Open the very next year. Who can forget that moment, captured in a frame by famous photographer Hy Peskin with Ben Hogan hitting a one iron from the tee and as he holds his pose the 16,000 strong crowd, lining the fairway on either side right up to the green wait with bated breath to see the outcome of that shot. Despite the fact that Sam Snead won 11 tournaments in that year, it was Ben Hogan who was awarded the player of the year title. It was in recognition of his remarkable courage, grit and determination.

Ben Hogan largely kept to himself and was an introvert by nature. This led to him being misunderstood and characterized as cold and aloof on the golf course. But that was not the case. It was a testament to his incredible concentration and focus; he completely blocked the world out while playing, fuelled by the desire to win. Jimmy Demaret a pro and one of the players who used to practice with Ben Hogan once said he couldn’t understand why people think Hogan keeps to himself. "When I play with him, he talks to me on every green, he turns to me and says, 'You're away.' "

Perhaps the stat that best portrays his consistency is that he finished in the Top Three on the leaderboard in nearly 50 percent of the 292 tournaments he entered on the PGA Tour. The reason behind that is as he says-:

“The secret is always the next shot”

Golf Legends - Sam Snead

Image Courtesy: www.vulcanhammer.org

“Sam Snead did to the tee shot what Roger Bannister did to the four minute mile”

-Byron Nelson

Samuel Jackson Snead, a phenomenon from Ashwood, Virginia who redefined power hitting in Golf. His ‘Honey Sweet’ swing helped him in a large part to build up a legacy as one of the finest the world of golf has ever seen. In a career that spanned nearly four decades, Sam Snead notched up as many as 82 PGA Tour victories, the maximum by any player and a record that is being chased down in great earnest by Tiger Woods.

Born in a family that was not very affluent, Sam Snead’s first few golf clubs were nothing more than carved wood. But he wasn’t going to let that be a deterrent. At a time when Golf was still a rich man’s sport, Sam Snead with his country boy style was a refreshing change. He once said “If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do in a golf club, they'd starve to death”. That was the kind of person he was, proud to wear his ‘small town boy’ badge but talented enough to ensure that no one was going to forget his name in a hurry.

A tribute to the remarkable spirit of this great athlete was the fact that he played the game actively even when he was more than 70 years old. While this year everyone has been talking about Greg Norman’s remarkable third place finish as a 52 year old at the 2008 Open Championship, Sam Snead had in fact got a third place finish to his credit at the 1974 PGA Championship as a 62 year old. The eventual winner that year was Lee Trevino but he just finished three strokes behind. He attributed his remarkable athleticism even at an old age to his squirrel hunting days in his childhood in Ashwood.

He had patented the Wyndham Championship trophy in his name. During his playing days this regular PGA Tour event in North Carolina was known as the Greater Greensbro Open. He won it as many as 8 times, a record on the tour with his first victory coming in 1938 and his last win there came in 1965 when he won as 52 year old, the oldest winner of a PGA Tour event.

Somehow he could not transfer his voracious appetite for winning tournaments on the PGA Tour to the Majors. He managed to win his first major only after he had 27 tour victories to his credit. But if at the end of the career a professional golfer has 7 Major wins to his credit then he will go down in the annals of history as one of the better exponents of the golfing art. The only blot, if you may so, was that he never managed to win the U.S. Open. He later on went to write in his autobiography “whether it was some kind of a jinx or whatever, it seemed that whenever the USGA flag went up at the Open, so did my score”.

A charming person and a true legend, he will go down in the annals of history as a great champion

Golf Legends - Byron Nelson

Image Courtesy: Pat Perez Golf

The year 1945 in the game of golf will forever be associated with Byron Nelson. That year "Lord Byron" won 18 tournaments which included 11 tournament wins in a row. A record that still stands the test of time. Some say it is a record even more impressive than Joe De Maggio’s 56 game hitting streak. His 113 consecutive cuts made are second only to Tiger's 142 a streak that was snapped at the U.S.Open in 2006. But Byron Nelson's 113 consecutive cuts is a feat far more impressive than Tiger's achievement. According to the existing rules "The PGA Tour defines a cut as receiving a paycheck, even if an event has no cut per se. In Nelson's era, only the top 20 in a tournament received a check.”

In reality, Nelson's "113 consecutive cuts made" are representative of his unequaled 113 consecutive top 20 tournament finishes. Such a feat has never been accomplished by any other player. In the modern era, any player who makes the cut receives a pay but Nelson's feat is truly unparalleled because of the rule the PGA Tour had back then for cuts made.

A little known fact about his early days was that he caddied along with Ben Hogan at the Glen Garden Country Club and even beat him there in a tournament held for the caddies. Even though in 1945, some of the professionals on tour including Hogan were sent for active war duty, it would be unfair to say, that phenomenal win streak was because of a weakened field. Most of the top professionals played through the year and other than him, the other great during that period in Golf, Sam Snead, also won multiple tournaments. The reason why Byron Nelson was not sent for war duty was a peculiar health condition. It took his blood a lot more time to congeal than what is considered the norm.

He gave up golf the year after his special achievement because he wanted to spend more time in becoming what he thought was the reason for him to be on earth, a Rancher. The only reason he claimed he tried to win and in the process won 52 events on the PGA Tour was to get money to invest in his ranch. Obviously the windfall in 1945 ensured that his cattle would never have to worry about their next meal. The reason he took to Golf and chose to become a pro was because he had no other option. That was the period of The Great Depression and it meant he had no stable job and hence he took to the game as a source for earning income. This was one job he was never going to lose.

He was the first golfer after whom a professional event on the tour had been named, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Last year was the first time the event was played in his absence. He passed away in September 2006 and was awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal posthumously. It is the highest civilian award and he joined a club that includes the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and many other great people.

A great golfer and an even better human being.

Golf Legends - Bobby Jones

Image: Painted portrait of Bobby Jones at Hoylake

“You may as well blame a man for not robbing a bank”- Bobby Jones

That was the famous line that exemplified Bobby Jones’ great sportsmanship, a quality for which he would also be remembered, other than the fact that he was perhaps the best golfer before the Open Era. This happened in the 1925 U.S. Open when he called a two stroke penalty for causing the ball to move when no one else noticed to it. When praised for his act, his response to the praise was the above line. The U.S.G.A has named the Sportsmanship award after him.

He still remains the only golfer to have achieved the Grand Slam in golf, winning all the four major championships in the year 1930, which at that time included the U.S. Open, the British Open and the two amateur championships. No one really thought it was possible except for Bobby Cruickshank a golfer from Scotland who early in the year bet $500 that Jones would win all the four majors. He got 120-1 odds on that. By the end of the year he was richer by $ 60,000. Of course it was a real pity that Bobby Jones decided to retire from competitive golf at the age of 28. A degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and one in English Literature from Harvard meant he was a very accomplished man. The greatest tragedy of it all was the fact that Golf was just a part time activity for him, something to which he only devoted a few months in a year.

The fact that he was a child prodigy who started winning events from the time he was 6 hardly helped his cause. Through most of his teenage years he failed to captivate the imagination of the golfing world and that is when the many stories of his famed temper started doing the rounds. Legend has it that he managed to control his temper after a championship in 1921 where he was paired with Gene Sarazen and the two bet against each other’s temper. Bobby Jones never threw a club through the round and did not have to let go of the $10 note, the amount of the wager. Not till he was 21, did he make the first big splash by winning the U.S. Open that started his period of domination which finally culminated with the Grand Slam in 1930 after which he curiously chose to retire from active golf.

His tryst with the British Open was an interesting one. He withdrew halfway through his first appearance at St Andrews in 1921, expressed his dislike for the Old course and thus incurred the wrath of the locals. He didn’t even bother to play in the Open championship the next few years. He only played the Open three times after that and won it on all three occasions.

But retiring from active golf did not mean that his contribution to golf had finished. He designed the Augusta National golf course along with Alistair Mckensie and founded the most prestigious Golf tournament, the Augusta Masters. His instruction manuals became a rage and still many young golfers around the world religiously follow his tips. A gem that I picked up from the lot, truly describes why he was such a great golfer-:

“The secret of golf is to turn three shots into two”

Golf Legends - Old Tom Morris

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia

Simply put, he was the W.G. Grace of Golf. There is no better way to describe the grand old man of golf who rose to fame through the second half of the 1800’s. Born in the ‘home of golf’, he went on to win the Open Championship four times. Old Tom Morris started his career as an apprentice to Allan Robertson who was considered by many as the first professional golfer. Robertson, in fact taught Old Tom Morris the art of making Featherie balls which was the norm during those days. It was one of the changes in the game that led to Old Tom Morris parting ways with Allan Robertson. The reason was the Gutta Percha ball which was a new invention and the standard ball adopted in golf after the Featherie.

He was born in St Andrews but he moved to the West coast of Scotland to take over as the custodian of the links of Prestwick. He was back at St Andrews after being offered a royal annual salary of 50 Pounds which was a lot of money during that time. Tom Morris spent nearly 40 years as the greens keeper at St Andrews and in his honour the green on the 18^th hole at St Andrews is named after him. He was a master of many trades. Not only was he one of the best golfers of his times, he was also a club maker, course designer and a greens keeper.

Although he failed to win the Challenge belt on his first attempt it was not to elude him for long as he went on to win it four times, in 1861, 1862, 1864 and 1867. Contrary to popular belief, the Claret Jug was not the original prize for the winner of The Open. It was the Challenge Belt made of rich Moroccan Leather embellished with a silver buckle. Incidentally when the Claret Jug was first introduced in 1872, it was Young Tom Morris, son of Old Tom Morris who was the first owner of the Claret Jug.

A record that Old Tom Morris held for a really long time was that of the greatest margin of victory in a major. He won the 1862 Open by a margin of 13 strokes. It was a record that stood tall for a very long time till a certain player called Tiger Woods went on to win the U.S. Open in 2000 by a margin of 15 strokes. The record that Old Tom Morris still holds is that of the oldest winner of the Open Championship while his son, still holds the record for the youngest winner of the Open Championship. They became the only father-son pair to finish Winner and Runners Up when Young Tom Morris won the Open in 1869 and Old Tom Morris finished second. Together the two of them shared 8 Open Championships. Unfortunately Young Tom Morris passed away at the tender age of 24.

2008 happens to be the 100^th anniversary of his death. After a fall down the new club at St Andrews, it is believed he never regained consciousness and died a few months later due to the injuries sustained by him.

One of the greatest quotes attributed to Old Tom Morris is one where he described the people of St Andrews by saying “We were all born with a webbed feet and a golf club in our hand here”

Byron Nelson and the Congressional Gold Medal

One of Golf's greatest ever players Byron Nelson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civillian award that can be bestowed upon an individual by the United States congress. He now joins an elite club of people which includes some of the greatest people the world has ever seen such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa among many others. George Washington was the first recipient of this award way back in 1776.
Byron Nelson became only the fifth athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the first golfer.

The year 1945 in the game of golf will forever be associated with Byron Nelson. That year "Lord Byron" won 18 tournaments which include 11 tournament wins in a row. A record that still stands the test of time. His 113 consecutive cuts made are second only to Tiger's 142 a streak that was snapped at the U.S.Open in 2006. But Byron Nelson's 113 consecutive cuts is a feat far more impressive than Tiger's achievement. According to the information available "The PGA Tour defines a cut as receiving a paycheck, even if an event has no cut per se. In Nelson's era, only the top 20 in a tournament received a check. In reality, Nelson's "113 consecutive cuts made" are representative of his unequaled 113 consecutive top 20 tournament finishes." Such a feat has never been accomplished by any other player and although in today's time any player who make a cut receives a pay, Nelson's feat is truly unparalleled because of the rule the PGA Tour had back then for cuts made.He was the first golfer after whom a professional event on the tour had been named, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. This year was the first time the event was played in his absence. He passed away in September 2006.

This recognition by the U.S. congress is the true testament to the impact the great golfer had on the game and his contribution to the society at large after his playing days. A champion and a gentleman, the world of Golf stands to applaud this great man.

Angel " El Pato" Cabrera quacks his way to victory

It was riveting stuff right from the time Aaron Baddeley hooked his first tee shot into deep stuff to the last putt that Tiger had on the last hole to force the U.S. Open into a playoff. In the end it was Angel Cabrera who clinched the trophy despite struggling to finish in a clinical fashion. It wasnt a beauty pageant and it does not matter if you win ugly, as long as you win. Cabrera is the first Argentine golfer to win a U.S. Open and he did it in fine fashion becoming only the second Argentine golfer to win a major. With three holes to go he had a three shot lead but two consecutive bogeys saw him come periliously close to Tiger and Furyk was close by lurking in the shadows. Furyk would have been in a perfect position had it not been for the unfortunate bogey on the 17th hole brought about by a poor shot off the tee.

Most of the week I was fascinated by the difficult greens at Oakmont and had great fun in seeing player after player struggling from tee to green but the final round provided a new perspective to the entire spectacle. Although it was still tough, the course seemed to be playing easier than the earlier rounds and this gave the players far more opportunities to turn in birdies and the roar that went up for every birdie that was sunk brought out a very interesting fact. The crowds are not going to cheer every par that a player makes but the number of birdies they can sink.

The real thrill is in seeing someone make a charge on the final day and give the leaders a fright. The real thrill is in seeing, who manages to steady their already frailed nerves. The real thrill is in anticipation of that pefect iron shot from the middle of the fairway, 3 feet from the flagstick,on the final hole, good enough to knock the winds out of the clubhouse leader. Unfortunately if tournament organisers go out of their way to make the course unplayable the connosieurs of the game will be left wanting for more and the true Joie de Vivre of the game would be forever lost.

Perhaps the time has come for the officials of the game to revisit their approach towards the majors, or else all the leaderbaords will be bereft of the big names and an unwanted Russian Roulette will ensue to determine the winner at each venue. Time for serious thinking. While they are doing some soul searching "El Pato" or The Duck can dig into a plate of Matambre and savour his glorious victory!

The Church Pews Bunker

One of the most famous bunkers in all of golf is the Church Pews bunker found at the Oakmont Country Club. Almost as famous as the Road Hole bunker found on the Old Course at St. Andrews. It would perhaps be unfair to say that the Church Pews bunker is the most dreaded part on the Oakmont course because players seem to be getting spooked by almost every available inch of space on the course but one can say with a great deal of certainty that the Church Pews bunker is quite possibly the most graceful looking hazard in all of golf. When the golf course was initially designed it was a set of eight bunkers one after the other. When the golf course was later redesigned and the number of bunkers considerably reduced(at one point the course had over 350 bunkers) the eight bunkers were redesigned to form the beautiful looking Church Pews.

A dictionary definition of a Pew tells us that they are long, fixed, backed benches that are arranged in rows for the seating of a congregation in church. No wonder then that the bunker has been aptly named the church pews bunker. Not much is known as to when members began to use the name but the year when Jack Nicklaus won the U.S. Open in Oakmont the name seems to have gained a lot of prominence with the bunker finiding a lot of print space. Legend has it (ok,slight exaggeration), once when a player could not locate his golf ball in the bunker a spectator is believed to have shouted out to him it is in the seventh aisle!

This bunker is found between the third and the fourth fairway and it becomes impossibly difficult for a player to reach the green once they find the bunker. Just recently during one of his interactions with the press, Tiger was asked why he was not practicing shots out of the church pews bunker like most other players. His response-:"Why should I practice negativity?"

This one will definitely make the top 10 list of the most famous bunkers list but as for the title of the most famous bunker, the Scots will continue to make their case for the Road Hole bunker and wont take lightly to any suggestion to the contrary.

The horror story continues

If you were not petrified by the Exorcist, Oakmont is sure to scare the living daylights out of you. You can be rest assured that Henry Fownes was looking down from his heavenly abode with a great deal of glee, seeing big names being swallowed effortlessly by the beast like course. Those who survived were left nursing their shattered pride for the course spared no one. Phil Mickelson was the biggest name to miss out on the weekend action with a 7 over par round which gave him a total of 11 over par, missing the cut by one stroke. Yes, you heard that right. The cut fell at 10 over par.

At the end of day two Angel Cabrera takes the lead at even par, his final putt for birdie ensuring that Phil missed out on the weekend. The rule for the cut line is the top 60 and ties and anyone within 10 shots of the leaders are saved from the cut line. Had it not been for the amazing birdie by Cabrera on the final hole, Phil would still have been in the competition. I guess that's why the French came up with expression C'est la vie...Such is life!

With the early pace that Dougherty had set it seemed that he would pull away from the field after he found himself 3 under par for the tournament and three shots clear off the field, but Oakmont spewed enough venom to ensure Nick's collapse over the rest of the round. He finished at 5 over par where he accompanies Tiger Woods and some others for tied 13th position. When he tees off on Saturday he will be accompanied by Tiger Woods. Atleast they are fortunate(we will look for a better word) enough to have an excuse to return on Saturday. There will be several notable absentees such as Colin Montgomerie, Henrik Stenson and Richard Beem who are presently looking to get as far away as possible from the Oakmont Country Club.

After good iron shots from the fairway players are often found sizing up their putt for what looks like a likely birdie. If they miss the putt, they end up with a good 5-6 footer coming back for par.That is how difficult the greens are. It is the par's which will determine the champion this year at Oakmont and not birdie's. Nothing sums up the difficulty of the greens than a comment once published by a reporter covering the Open quite a few years back-:

"Putting on the greens at Oakmont is like putting on a marble staircase and trying to hole out on the third hole from the bottom"

Nick Dougherty sets the early pace(er..crawl)

One things for sure, overnight rain at the Oakmont country club made the players' affair with the beastly greens a little bit easier than expected. But if you are harbouring any thoughts of a scoring spectacle at Oakmont, wash that thought away because at the end of the first day only two players managed an under par score. Nick Dougherty with a well crafted 2 uner par 68 was the leader by one stroke over Angel Cabrera. Tiger was lurking in the shadows, just three off the pace and at tied fifth position with a round of 1 over. He is placed perfectly to launch an attack over the weekend. Phil Mickelson returning after the injury layoff turned in a round of 4 over par and would have to play some steady golf to book his place for the weekend. Among other players, the long hitting Bubba Watson turned in a nice round of even par and the Spanish veteran Jose Maria Olazabal also found a spot on the leaderboard with an even par round. Defending champion Ogilvy was right up there with a round of one over par and the previous winner at Oakmont, Els was at 3 over par and in tied 34th position.

The longest par 3 in open history, the 8th hole was the second most difficult hole on the course with most players struggling to make par there. The honour for the most difficult hole though went to the 18th hole as most players struggled to find the fairway there and if you miss the fairway there you might as well kiss your par goodbye. A par is golden and anything better than that should be considered a bonus at Oakmont.

The only thing working in the favour of the players is the weather and it is expected to be cloudy over the course of the tournament. While thats a good thing it would help if the wind stays down or else we could see major upheavals on the leaderboard. The second round promises to be an interesting affair with players jostling for a spot on the leaderboard while other try to hang on and make the cut.

Alexis Thompson-The next big thing in Women's golf?

While most 12 years old try and find a way to grapple with their new found adolescent status(and that also includes their travails with Algebra) not many would expect them to be on the golf course mastering their swing. So if last week someone asked Alexis Thompson what were her plans for the week, not many would have taken her seriously when she would have told them "I intend to qualify for the U.S. Women's open". She may be a good golfer but to qualify for a major on the LPGA tour surely is no child's play. Think again. Alexis Thompson, a 12 year old qualified for the U.S. Women's Open, one of the four majors on the women's tour in a sectional qualifier in Florida.

At the age of 12 years, 4 months and a day she achieved the distinction of the youngest qualifier by pipping the previous record holder Morgan Pressel by nearly 8 months. Is this possibly an indication of the lack of depth in women's golf or is this girl a special talent? While the jury is still out on that one, she may well be a special talent looking at the achievements of the previous record holder Morgan Pressel. Before Alexis Thompson, Morgan Pressel had become the youngest qualifier when she qualified for the U.S. Women's Open in 2001. This year, in the first major on the LPGA Tour, the Kraft Nabisco championship, Morgan created a sensation by becoming the youngest player to win an LPGA major and a cool cheque of 300,000 dollars to boot! It could have been even earlier when she came close to winning the U.S. Women's open in 2005 but had to settle for a tied second place finish.

Now all eyes will be on Alexis Thompson when she tees off at the U.S. Women's Open. There will definitely be great expectations from her in the future and it is left to be seen how she deals with the pressure. This young girl who lists dancing as one of her hobbies can do just that for the time being. Sterner tests lie ahead.

AsianTour V/s European Tour

What was supposed to be a major boost for golf in India could now be the reason for confrontation between the Asian Tour and the European Tour. Just yesterday it was confirmed that India would be the newest destination on the European Tour with a yet to be disclosed location(most likely New Delhi) to host an event from the 7th to the 10th of February. The event would have a purse of 2.5 million dollars, the highest prize money ever to be offered for a professional Golf event in India. While this news has been welcomed with a great deal of enthusiasm by the golfing community of India, it has struck a discordant note with the Asian Tour officials.

Apparently the Asian Tour was not approached before this announcement had been made. All the new events on the European Tour in Asia have been co sanctioned with the Asian Tour, hence it does come as a surprise that the Asian Tour was not informed of this move. The executive chairman of the Asian Tour Kyi Hla Han has left no leaf unturned to ensure that the message gets across to the European Tour officials that he is revulsed by this move. He has termed it unethical on part of the European Tour for not having bothered to inform the Asian Tour. He further goes on to say "Despite media reports and quotes attributed to the European Tour, there has been no approach or communication to inform the Asian Tour about the event or its intentions".

His statement has been put on the Asian Tour website and it clearly reflects the seriousness with which the Asian Tour officials are approaching this matter. While the European Tour is not bound to inform the Asian Tour, it does seem like a violation of protocol. It would be interesting to see how the European Tour responds to the charges made against them. Would this have any impact on the Indian masters which is a regular part of the Asian Tour? One does not know, but for the sake of Golf in India where the game has grown by leaps and bounds one does hope that this issue is resolved amicably between the two tours. It would be a great pity if this "miscommunication" has any greater ramifications. The young golfers in India would definitely hope that common sense prevails so that they get an opportunity to compete against and watch some of the best golfers from the world in action.

Here is the complete statement of the executive chairman of the Asian Tour.

U.S.O 107 is upon us!

The U.S. Open has always been known to be the toughest of the four majors. To top that this year the U.S. Open is being played at Oakmont which has a reputation for being the most difficult U.S. Open course.



-> The defending Champion Geoff Ogilvy


The last time the event was played at Oakmont was in 1994. It was then that Arnold Palmer played for the last time at the U.S. Open and it was his 32nd appearance at the Open. Ernie Els won the title that year. It was Ernie's first major victory. Although he has won two more after that Ernie's golfing career has been punctuated by near misses more than victories. With one of the most graceful and pleasing swings on the golf course one would have backed Ernie to have won far more tournaments than he has actually won.


Listening to what a lot of players have to say during the practice rounds it clearly seems that everyone is apprehensive about the course and it would not be an understatement to say they are terrified by the prospect of having to face the greens which are bound to be severe, made worse by the dry conditions prevailing in Pennsylvania.

One person the players would turn towads to take advice from is Johnny Miller, the player who shot a 63 in the final round of the U.S. Open when it was hosted in Oakmont in 1973. That was the first time anyone had shot a 63 in any of the major championships. That remarkable closing 63 gave Miller the first of his two major championships. The other one being the 1976 Open championship. It will be fascinating to get inside the players heads and see how they intend to tackle the course, especially the 8th hole, a 288 yard par 3. If the wind aint backing them, most players would struggle to reach the green even with their driver. I think they would be more than happy to settle for a bogey or a par at best on this hole.


During the Augusta Masters a lot of players were complaining about how difficult the conditions were and they were very upset with the changes. It will be interesting to see what they have to say here. Their argument being that people applaud for birdies hit and not for bogeys. Be that as it may, in an era where golf clubs have become insanely good the organisers are trying their best to neutralise the players weapons and only the best will be able to respond to the challenge. Who will come out on top? We will just have to wait and watch!

Lee Sung and the true spirit of the game

"The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work." - Harry Golden

Quite often the best stories in sport are those of a sportsman's conquest over difficulty and victory in the face of adversity. Lee Sung's triumph is a heart warming story.He won the Bangkok Airways open, an event he dominated from start to finish. There are few stories that touch the heart like that of a player fighting against odds to make a name for himself in the game. Lee was born deaf but his disability has not stopped him from reaching the pinnacle of sport with his maiden triumph on the Asian Tour.

He probably did not hear the crowds egging him on when he strode out on to the final green with a comfortable lead or the cheer that went up when he sunk the final putt to clinch his victory but that did not stop him from enjoying every bit of the experience. This victory has reaffirmed his belief that he can compete with the best golfers in the world. He may not be Korea's best golfer nor is he in a position to challenge K.J.Choi's status as the best golfer from South Korea any time soon but Korea has definitely found a new star and his story will definitely ensure that people from across the world will root for him. Not for one moment should you mistake this support for pity. Sport has no place for pity, if you don't have the ability to perform, no one will take notice. People will always stand to applaud those who have it in them to conquer adversity and achieve glory and Lee Sung is one such golfer who will always receive warm accolades from the followers of the game and his contemporaries. Ernie Els after finishing at the same postion as Lee in a recent event in Shanghai had said during a press conference "It must be very difficult for him.what he's doing is unbelievable."

His brother and father have always been with him. His brother caddied for him and had to come up with special signs to explain the kind of shots that needed to be hit. En route to the victory he shot a course record 62 on saturday that gave him a comfortable lead over the others in the field.

The other remarkable story came from across the Atlantic where Woody Austin, an almost out of the game golfer shot the best round of his life to clinch a victory in the St Jude Classic. The PGA Tour website has likened his victory to the "PURSUIT OF golf HAPPINESS" . Just last week Austin had qualified for the U.S. open in a bizarre fashion, playing his last few holes with a sand wedge as his putter because he had broken his putter half way through the round. His proverbial "rise from the ashes" has only instilled more fire in him to pursue the game he loves and the want to continue to chase his dream.

We must salute the efforts of these two great sportsmen who have showed us that more than the victory itself it is the route to victory that teaches us a lesson or two!

Eavesdropping on the golf course

Looks like the media in Japan just cant seem to get enough of their "shy prince" Ryo Ishikawa.
Recently in a tournament, Tokyo Broadcasting System made a request to place microphones on the participants playing in the same group as Ryo. They even wanted to place the microphones on Ryo's bag. The organisers refused to comply and rightly so.
It seems a helicopter was sent over the golf course when the round was in progress to cover the exploits of Ishikawa. This was done without the permission of the organisers. TBS has apologised for this senseless act but one wonders who came up with such a mindnumbingly dumb idea to send a chopper on a round above the course when there were participants playing in a tournament, trying to finish as high up on the leaderboard as possible so that they could secure a spot in the Japan Amateur championship.

Just recently PGA Tour golfer John Daly had suffered serious shoulder and rib injuries when he had to abort his swing midway through because of the distraction posed by an over enthusiastic photographer. In a sport like golf which requires such high levels of mental alertness one is surprised the young golfers from Japan did not lodge a strong protest against the Broadcasting station even though it may have apologised for it's utterly stupid act.

Although Ryo may have made a wonderful start to his golfing career by winning a professional event at the age of 15 , the media in Japan must tread with care and make sure that they do not unnecessarily overhype Ryo's achievements. No doubt he is fantastic player to watch out for in the future but this sort of attempt to track his every move could prove to be detrimental to his cause

Michelle Wie - Whipping up a controversy

The golfing world is abuzz with everyone discussing Michelle Wie's decision to withdraw from the Ginn Tribute, an LPGA tour event hosted by Annika Sorenstam. Wie who was recuperating from a wrist injury withdrew after playing just 16 holes. Wie was 14 over after playing 16 holes and she went to the tournament officials and told them that she had to withdraw. She cited a flare up in the injury to her wrist. You would be compelled to ask what's wrong with that?? Well, nothing really! The controversy really started when it was reported that Wie's agent came and had a word with her after which she went upto the tournament officials and told them that she intends to withdraw from the event. Just a couple of days later it was reported that she was practicing at the venue of the next event on the LPGA tour.

The question that arises is why would Wie just fake an injury and withdraw from an event? The reason to that is being attributed to the fact that there is a rule that says nonmembers of the tour who shoot 88 or higher are disqualified for the year. Therefore some players feel that to avoid being forbidden from appearing in any other tour event, Wie decided to withdraw on the advice of her agent. This act has certainly not gone down well with many players and they havent really made an effort to hide their displeasure.

After being told about Wie practicing at the venue of the next event Annika said " I just feel there's a little bit of lack of respect and class just to kind of leave a tournament like that ". Quite clearly Annika was not thrilled by Wie's act. Annika in fact gave Wie a chance to apologise but Wie was in mood for reconciliation because in her opinion she has done nothing wrong. Wie is not yet a member of the LPGA tour because she is below the minimum age of 18. She will turn 18 later this year in October.

While Wie's act of withdrawing and just a couple of days later turning up for practice at the site of the next event definitely reeks of insincerity, the LPGA officials need to revisit the terribly silly rule which bans a non member from all other events for the rest of the year if they shoot a score over 88. Surely one bad day cannot be the sole basis on which a player is banned from appearing in all other events that year.

As for Wie, she will definitely have to make amends to regain the faith of the tour players. All eyes will be on her when she plays this week at the Mc'Donalds LPGA championship. If she plays well it is likely to whip up a storm and if she does not perform that will definitely not translate into any great press for her.

Ever hit a hole in one?Meet Jackie Gagne

Ok. So you are 46 , bored of business and looking to move away from the monotony of daily life...Fair enough.

You take up golf and get addicted to it and spend most of your time on the golf course working on your game...Fair Enough.

You hit a hole in one.... Wow, but still, Fair enough(there is no dearth of luck on Earth)

Here comes the twist in the tale, since the third week of January she has hit 13 holes in one... yeah that's 13,THIRTEEN, 1+12=thirrrrteeeennnnn.

So, who is this wonderwoman? She is Jackie Gagne. Jackie who? Jackie Gagne a self proclaimed average golfer(YES, we can see that!). When the doubting thomas'(the press) showed up one day on the golf course to grill her on her achievement, she hit another hole in one. That was all the grilling they needed to do to believe her. The word amazing would be an understatement for this feat.

-> This is probably how Jackie sees the hole!

Someone like Tiger Woods, has only hit 18 of them, which one would consider pretty good but quite obviously pales in comparison to Jackie's effort. Of course if she goes at this pace within a year she would surpass the world record for the number of holes in one which stands at 59 right now, held by an amateur American golfer.

But would Jackie like to achieve that feat quickly? You would think yes, right? Well, not necessarily, because each time she hits a hole in one she has to treat everyone to a drink at the bar and while that maybe a feasible option a couple of times, 60 times within 15 months?? I am not so sure!
Here is a link to the article that appeared on abcnews

Just a couple of months back Elsie Mclean from California was on the Tonight show with Jay Leno for achieving the distinction of being the oldest golfer to hit a hole in one. She was 102 when she achieved the feat.Jackie may surpass quite a few records in the near future but she will have to wait for another 57 years to take a stab at this particular record!

Golf Quotes that will bring a smile to your face!

My Favourite Golf quotes


"Although Golf was
originally restricted to
wealthy Protestants, today ----------Dave Barry
it's open to anybody who
owns hideous clothing."

"It took me seventeen
years to get 3,000 hits in
baseball. I did it in one -----------Hank Aaron
afternoon on the golf
course."


"The difference in golf and
government is that in golf ---------George Deukmejian
you can't improve your lie."



"Tiger is like John Daly
but with total control. If
that's not a scary prospect -----------Paul Goydos
for the rest of us, I don't
know what is."



“If you are caught on a
golf course during a storm
and are afraid of lightning, -------- Lee Trevino
hold up a 1-iron. Not even
God can hit a 1-iron.”

How did you make a
twelve? I had a long putt -----Clayton Heafner
for eleven!!


"Fifty years ago, 100
white men chasing one
black man across a field -----------Anonymous
was called the Ku Klux
Klan. Today it's called the
PGA Tour."


They call it golf because
all the other four letter -------Raymond Floyd
words were taken.

**The earliest record of the word golf is believed to have been found in the scottish constitution(some 500 years back) which banned the game because it distracted the men from focussing on Archery!**



"The reason the pro tells
you to keep your head ---------------Phyllis Diller
down is so you can't see
him laughing."


"The first time I played
the Masters, I was so
nervous I drank a bottle of --------Chi Chi Rodriguez
rum before I teed off. I shot
the happiest 83 of my life."

Payne Stewart

Payne Stewart had just come back into the limelight. When many thought he was past his best he came back to win a golf Major, the U.S. Open in 1999, no mean achievement considering his last major triumph came 8 years back in 1991. Infact after his triumph in the U.S. Open in 1991 he had only won one other event on the PGATour till 1999. His U.S.Open victory in 1999 was nothing short of inspirational as he made a 15 foot putt on the final hole to clinch the title and edge past Phil Mickelson. That putt is believed to be the longest putt holed to win the championship on the final hole. Incidentally, Tiger Woods came third that year. After Stewart's victory Tiger had said "Payne Stewart's story is an inspiration to anyone who appreciates the spirit of a competitor. Early in his career he kept falling short of victory, but he had more inside than his critics could imagine, and with hard work he proved himself to be a true champion."



Unfortunately fate plays it's own games. Just when Stewart was back at the top of his game and playing some of the best golf of his career, his life was tragically cut short by an accident. While he was on his way to another PGATour event, the learjet that he was travelling on crashed in a field killing everyone on board. The plane seemed to be gradually losing cabin pressure. It was concluded that the people on board died of Hypoxia(lack of Oxygen). This freak accident cut short a career that promised many more victories and a lot more thrill for the lovers of this beautiful game.