And now, a commercial interruption: Arnold Palmer does "This is SportsCenter":
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Pinehurst offering on-line gift giveaway today
Looking for that last-minute gift for a golfer?
Today, Pinehurst is conducting a 7 Days 'til Christmas giveaway through its Facebook page: http://bit.ly/893WKO. If you friend Pinehurst on Facebook, you can participate in answering questions that will be posted hourly by the resort.
Some of the giveaway items include golf packages, spa packages and apparel, among other things.
Today, Pinehurst is conducting a 7 Days 'til Christmas giveaway through its Facebook page: http://bit.ly/893WKO. If you friend Pinehurst on Facebook, you can participate in answering questions that will be posted hourly by the resort.
Some of the giveaway items include golf packages, spa packages and apparel, among other things.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tiger deserved to be Athlete of the Decade
Tiger Woods got something he deserved this week.
He was named Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press, being chosen over Lance Armstrong and Roger Federer, among others.
It was the right call and the obvious call.
Despite all that has happened over the past three weeks, Woods dominated the decade like no other athlete. The fact that more than half the votes were cast since the scandal surrounding him has unfolded speaks to the magnitude of his achievements over the past 10 years.
Woods' numbers are impressive enough: 64 worldwide wins, including 12 major championships. In this decade, Woods' 54 PGA Tour wins are more than all but four players have won in their careers.
But Woods' deserved the honor because he did more than win tournaments. He changed golf and the way it's viewed around the world. He became, arguably, the most recognizable athlete in the world.
Obviously, what we've learned these past three weeks has changed the way Woods is viewed as a person but that doesn't dim what he's accomplished on the golf course. He became the only golfer to own all four major championships at the same time and he made golf must-see viewing when he was in the chase.
Armstong, Federer, Michael Phelps and others did spectacular things over the past decade but none of them did as much as Tiger Woods. While the attention directed at Tiger has turned to his personal life and his sudden fall from grace, he remains the most transcendant and accomplished athlete of the past 10 years.
He was named Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press, being chosen over Lance Armstrong and Roger Federer, among others.
It was the right call and the obvious call.
Despite all that has happened over the past three weeks, Woods dominated the decade like no other athlete. The fact that more than half the votes were cast since the scandal surrounding him has unfolded speaks to the magnitude of his achievements over the past 10 years.
Woods' numbers are impressive enough: 64 worldwide wins, including 12 major championships. In this decade, Woods' 54 PGA Tour wins are more than all but four players have won in their careers.
But Woods' deserved the honor because he did more than win tournaments. He changed golf and the way it's viewed around the world. He became, arguably, the most recognizable athlete in the world.
Obviously, what we've learned these past three weeks has changed the way Woods is viewed as a person but that doesn't dim what he's accomplished on the golf course. He became the only golfer to own all four major championships at the same time and he made golf must-see viewing when he was in the chase.
Armstong, Federer, Michael Phelps and others did spectacular things over the past decade but none of them did as much as Tiger Woods. While the attention directed at Tiger has turned to his personal life and his sudden fall from grace, he remains the most transcendant and accomplished athlete of the past 10 years.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
2010 City Amateur goes back to Quail
Let's forget Tiger Woods for a moment.
Eventually, when the rain and the muck and the cold are gone, there will be golf played around here. Our own.
If you're good enough, you can make the Charlotte City Amateur your goal for 2010.
It will be played next year at Cedarwood, Carolina and Quail Hollow on the weekend of Aug. 20-22.
It's the second year in a row Quail Hollow will host the final round, changing the course rotation slightly. Because the U.S. Women's Amateur is being played at Charlotte Country Club Aug. 9-15, the decision was made not to play the final round of the City Amateur there next year. Quail Hollow agreed to host it the final 24 players again, a testament to the quality of the championship.
The Charlotte City Amateur does more than determine a champion each summer. It recently made a $10,000 donation to The First Tee of Charlotte.
Eventually, when the rain and the muck and the cold are gone, there will be golf played around here. Our own.
If you're good enough, you can make the Charlotte City Amateur your goal for 2010.
It will be played next year at Cedarwood, Carolina and Quail Hollow on the weekend of Aug. 20-22.
It's the second year in a row Quail Hollow will host the final round, changing the course rotation slightly. Because the U.S. Women's Amateur is being played at Charlotte Country Club Aug. 9-15, the decision was made not to play the final round of the City Amateur there next year. Quail Hollow agreed to host it the final 24 players again, a testament to the quality of the championship.
The Charlotte City Amateur does more than determine a champion each summer. It recently made a $10,000 donation to The First Tee of Charlotte.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Does scandal change Tiger's place in history?
How does the Tiger Woods' scandal change his place in golf history?
Ultimately, not much.
It changes the way we see Tiger, no doubt. There's a stain that will fade over time but it will never completely go away. The golden image has been forever tarnished but I expect he'll work hard at rebuilding his reputation when he returns to the public eye. It won't be easy to undo the disappointment he's caused.
But he'll get a second chance from almost everyone except a small group that will refuse to forgive him.
As a golfer, his legacy is still being written. He's reached a critical point now, closing in on his 34th birthday and facing the second long absence from the game in 18 months. He didn't win a major championship in 2009 and he's still five shy of surpassing Jack Nicklaus's all-time record. The work is getting harder.
He is the best there's ever been. He doesn't have all the records yet but chances are he will. We've never seen anyone play golf the way he has -- as spectacularly as he has -- for as long as he has.
Woods has always judged himself against Nicklaus's record and that will continue. The public, however, will also judge him against the Nicklaus image and that's where Woods has taken a devastating hit. Time and hitting all the right notes in his public and private life can soften the long-term impact.
It makes for a more awkward comparison now, however.
When he plays again -- and when he wins again -- Woods will remind us of why we were drawn to him in the first place. When the subject is golf, Woods' place in history is secure.
Ultimately, not much.
It changes the way we see Tiger, no doubt. There's a stain that will fade over time but it will never completely go away. The golden image has been forever tarnished but I expect he'll work hard at rebuilding his reputation when he returns to the public eye. It won't be easy to undo the disappointment he's caused.
But he'll get a second chance from almost everyone except a small group that will refuse to forgive him.
As a golfer, his legacy is still being written. He's reached a critical point now, closing in on his 34th birthday and facing the second long absence from the game in 18 months. He didn't win a major championship in 2009 and he's still five shy of surpassing Jack Nicklaus's all-time record. The work is getting harder.
He is the best there's ever been. He doesn't have all the records yet but chances are he will. We've never seen anyone play golf the way he has -- as spectacularly as he has -- for as long as he has.
Woods has always judged himself against Nicklaus's record and that will continue. The public, however, will also judge him against the Nicklaus image and that's where Woods has taken a devastating hit. Time and hitting all the right notes in his public and private life can soften the long-term impact.
It makes for a more awkward comparison now, however.
When he plays again -- and when he wins again -- Woods will remind us of why we were drawn to him in the first place. When the subject is golf, Woods' place in history is secure.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
How long will Tiger be gone?
How long will Tiger Woods take an indefinite break from golf?
It's anybody's guess right now.
It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't play before the U.S. Open in June at Pebble Beach but that's purely a guess. He might be away longer than that.
It's safe to say he won't show up at Torrey Pines for the San Diego Open in late January, which is when he was expected to make his 2010 debut. If he were only going to miss one event, there wouldn't be much need for the announcement he made Friday evening.
That probably takes out the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and maybe his regular stops at Bay Hill and Doral.
If he skips the Florida events, it seems unlikely he'd debut at the Masters. That's not a place for the circus that will surround his return.
Could he return at the Quail Hollow Championship? The Memorial? The U.S. Open?
That's Tiger's call and I'm guessing he doesn't know when he'll come back.
Some have suggested Woods should take all of 2010 off. Repair the personal damage he's done to his family and himself. Maybe that's his plan.
We'll have to wait and see.
It's anybody's guess right now.
It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't play before the U.S. Open in June at Pebble Beach but that's purely a guess. He might be away longer than that.
It's safe to say he won't show up at Torrey Pines for the San Diego Open in late January, which is when he was expected to make his 2010 debut. If he were only going to miss one event, there wouldn't be much need for the announcement he made Friday evening.
That probably takes out the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and maybe his regular stops at Bay Hill and Doral.
If he skips the Florida events, it seems unlikely he'd debut at the Masters. That's not a place for the circus that will surround his return.
Could he return at the Quail Hollow Championship? The Memorial? The U.S. Open?
That's Tiger's call and I'm guessing he doesn't know when he'll come back.
Some have suggested Woods should take all of 2010 off. Repair the personal damage he's done to his family and himself. Maybe that's his plan.
We'll have to wait and see.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Charlotte Country Club wins top honor
Charlotte Country Club's recent renovation project has earned it a high honor -- it has been named the top remodeled golf course in 2009 by Golf Digest magazine.
It's one of the premier honors in the golf course business and further enhances the reputation of the course. Ron Prichard handled the remodeling project, working to bring back the classic elements created in the original design by Donald Ross.
Charlotte Country Club was ranked ahead of Olympia Fields outside Chicago, which hosted the 2003 U.S. Open, the California Golf Club of San Francisco and Austin (Tex.) Country Club in the remodel category.
The Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort was named best new public course while Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, W.Va., was named best new private club. Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club was named best new course in Canada.
“America’s Best New Courses of 2009 are all about old school. All four winners were designed by senior golfers with decades of experience…and all four courses built for the purest of reasons, the sheer enjoyment of the game," wrote Ron Whitten, Golf Digest's senior editor for architecture.
More than 900 panelists were involved in the selection process.
It's one of the premier honors in the golf course business and further enhances the reputation of the course. Ron Prichard handled the remodeling project, working to bring back the classic elements created in the original design by Donald Ross.
Charlotte Country Club was ranked ahead of Olympia Fields outside Chicago, which hosted the 2003 U.S. Open, the California Golf Club of San Francisco and Austin (Tex.) Country Club in the remodel category.
The Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort was named best new public course while Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, W.Va., was named best new private club. Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club was named best new course in Canada.
“America’s Best New Courses of 2009 are all about old school. All four winners were designed by senior golfers with decades of experience…and all four courses built for the purest of reasons, the sheer enjoyment of the game," wrote Ron Whitten, Golf Digest's senior editor for architecture.
More than 900 panelists were involved in the selection process.
