tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27915778581190934602024-03-05T16:48:48.079-06:00Chasing BirdiesTexas Links Magazines editor Mark Button blogs on all things golfMark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-46733588147510453662012-06-09T13:32:00.000-05:002012-06-09T13:47:57.004-05:00An Unresolved Ace in the HoleIf there is one thing all
golfers crave, it’s the elusive hole-in-one. I finally got mine a few days ago.
It should have been one of the greatest days of my life. And it was. But to
tell you the truth, I feel the tiniest bit slighted.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCwVw4weCSqexUy3krHgBcExhav_iBp-AvsGg_0w4ORK4S-yRLbzjLOrZad6c1Z6CwlIWu2IzApgahYFhn6sDii5xhjhwPkvzzNXNjiQaXUcp06kG4o9n-ZTzmjRtsoqi-gG4XqylDWo/s1600/Ace+in+the+Hole+(low+res).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCwVw4weCSqexUy3krHgBcExhav_iBp-AvsGg_0w4ORK4S-yRLbzjLOrZad6c1Z6CwlIWu2IzApgahYFhn6sDii5xhjhwPkvzzNXNjiQaXUcp06kG4o9n-ZTzmjRtsoqi-gG4XqylDWo/s320/Ace+in+the+Hole+(low+res).jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>I aced the 176-yard, par-3 seventh hole at </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Memorial Park </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Golf Course with a 6-iron</strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
If I’m honest about it, I
feel cheated two ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Even though I hit a solid
shot, I didn’t get to see my ball go in the hole (cheated!). Worse still, I
didn’t get to buy drinks for my playing partners after the round ended (double
cheated!).<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Where’s my closure? Where’s
my resolution? <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
The hole-in-one is Bucket
List kind of stuff. You don’t get to cross off those things often. So I do feel
truly blessed, and I’ll never forget June 7, 2012. It was one of the greatest
days of my life … but it also feels unfinished. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Maybe it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
I started playing golf when
I was 14. My mom didn’t want me playing junior high football, so she dug holes
in our backyard, stuck coffee cans in the ground and marked them with little
red flags. She bought me a starter set of clubs and turned me loose. A few
broken windows later, I fell in love with the game. And even though I still
played football, that year marked the start of my quest for a hole-in-one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Twenty-six years later, I
finally got one. It came on one of my favorite courses in the world – <a href="http://memorialparkgolf.com/" target="_blank">Memorial Park Golf Course</a> in Houston. I live just a few minutes from the classic John
Bredemus-designed parkland course that opened in 1936. Memorial Park played
host to the Houston Open from 1951-63 and challenged some of golf’s greatest legends.
Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino played there. Arnold Palmer
won the 1957 Houston Open at Memorial Park, and Jackie Burke Jr. won there in
1959. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
The course drips with
history. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
There’s something uniquely special
about walking down the same fairways in which Hogan and those others showcased
their mastery. Talk about following in the footsteps of greatness. Can you
imagine what it would feel like to play football with your friends on Lambeau
Field? Or pick-up basketball in Madison Square Garden?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
That’s what playing golf at
Memorial Park feels like to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
So there were we on the
seventh tee. Like so many times, I was playing with Vince, a friend who is more
like a big brother. He got <a href="http://www.myavidgolfer.com/articles/?view=article&article_id=205&no_current=1" target="_blank">his first hole-in-one</a> six years ago at Royal Oaks
Country Club, and I was honored to be there. I know he feels the same about
seeing mine. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Our threesome also included
John O’Reilly, the longtime Houston TV and radio sports broadcaster. Among other
posts, he was the voice of the Houston Oilers in the mid-1980s. It was by
chance that Vince and I were paired with John, who couldn’t have been more
enjoyable. He encouraged and complimented us throughout the day and hit several
great shots of his own. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
That’s part of the magic of Memorial
Park. It’s the best place to play as a single or twosome because you almost
always get paired up with great people who often become your friends. As the
day progressed, I learned that John and I have friends in common, including my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Texas Links</i> colleagues <a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/about-us.html" target="_blank">Kenny Hand</a> and
<a href="http://www.redstonegolfclub.com/html/news_content.cfm?cid=55280" target="_blank">Charlie Epps</a>. John and Charlie hosted a nightly golf radio program together in
the late 1980s and early ’90s. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
I’ve been writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Texas Links</i> columns with Charlie going
on four years. He’s known as “The Golf Doctor” to most, but he’s really the
godfather of Houston golf. He’s been a professional for more than 30 years and has
won every award there is to win from the Southern Texas PGA section. Spending
time with him and soaking up his knowledge is one of the great perks of my job.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
In fact, I spent the
afternoon with Charlie the day before my hole-in-one. While in Argentina a
couple weeks prior, Charlie had an epiphany about Ben Hogan and the “secret” to
the golf swing. Charlie figured it out, he told me. Then he showed it to me
during a 90-minute lesson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
We’re planning to write a
book about it together, so I can’t tell you the secret here. But I can tell you
it works. I played a quarter-century without knowing this move. Then one day
after learning it, I made my first hole-in-one and shot 74. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
So you tell me if it’s legit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
By the time we reached the
seventh hole, I was in a rhythm at 1-over par. I three-putted the second hole
for bogey and made pars everywhere else. I had grooved Charlie’s secret move
and was hitting the ball pure and straight. To be fair, the five years I spent
working with <a href="http://www.swingimprovement.com/" target="_blank">Neil Wilkins</a>, another of Houston’s decorated golf pros, put me in
the position to implement Charlie’s move. Starting back in 2006, Neil straightened
out my nasty slice and took 10 shots off my handicap. If I lived closer to his
academy at Sienna Plantation, I would be able to see him more often. Neil is
the one who fixed my golf swing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Charlie is helping me fine
tune it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
As Vince and I often do, we
had a short discussion about the seventh hole before hitting our shots. The
hole played 176 yards and into a slight breeze. The pin was cut in the
back-right part of the green, tucked behind a sand trap. I debated whether to
hit an easy 5-iron or a hard 6-iron. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Neil taught me to never go
long on a back pin (or be short on a front pin). If you’re stuck between two
clubs with a back pin, he taught me it’s better to hit the shorter club hard. That
way, even if you end up short, you’re probably still on the green. In course
management terms, it’s called playing aggressively to conservative
targets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
I decided to hit the hard
6-iron.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
“This hole begs for a cut
shot,” I said to Vince. “I’m going to aim at the middle of the green, and my ball
should cut toward the pin.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
I swung with confidence and
hit the ball crisply. It started at the center of the green and began cutting
to the pin. I’m pretty sure I held my follow-through pose until the ball landed.
Golfers do that when they hit good shots. My ball bounced once and disappeared.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
This is where I first felt
cheated. We didn’t see it go in the hole because the bottom of the pin was
hidden behind the lip of the sand trap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
“That might be inside the
leather,” Vince said, meaning he thought it could have been within three feet
of the hole. I wasn’t sure. It could’ve bounced over the green for all I knew.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
When we got up there and
didn’t see my ball, something in my stomach dropped. Time sped up and stood
still at the same time. I nervously walked to the flagstick and looked down. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
My ball was in the hole. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
You’d think after 26 years
of chasing golf’s Holy Grail, I’d scream and jump and do 15 cartwheels across
the green. You’d think I would have <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1138&bih=476&tbm=isch&tbnid=MNqKOG_2wPwU6M:&imgrefurl=http://whoisbraxton.com/2012/01/10/the-art-of-tebowing/&docid=yg8tUQFdyg0tDM&imgurl=http://whoisbraxton.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/tebow_wins_11.jpg&w=500&h=374&ei=T5XTT5TFHMKK2gWzvdGhDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=278&vpy=177&dur=535&hovh=125&hovw=165&tx=141&ty=106&sig=107890440902324839853&page=4&tbnh=125&tbnw=165&start=43&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:43,i:217" target="_blank">Tebowed</a> or kissed the ground.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
I didn’t do any of that. I
didn’t do anything at all. Vince and John gave me high-fives and I think one of
them bellowed a celebratory shout. I don’t remember. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
“I think you were in shock,”
Vince said later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
He might be right. I
remember not knowing what to do, so I smiled and asked Vince to take a picture.
Then we moved on to the next hole. When the round ended—I bogeyed the 18th hole
and shot one stroke off my career low—I offered to buy drinks for Vince and
John.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
But Vince was running late.
And John already had a soda in his hand. So John and I went inside, sat down
and talked for a bit. He told me about his career and we traded stories about
Charlie and Kenny. We also promised to play golf again together soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
It was a great day, an
unforgettable one. But if I’m honest, it felt a little hollow. I should have
insisted on buying drinks (as I did later that night with Vince and <a href="http://birdiechasing.blogspot.com/2011/07/ego-golf-vs-having-fun.html" target="_blank">Tony Belzer</a>, my other brother). As it happened, one of the best moments of my life
felt incomplete.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Can you imagine turning off <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Shawshank Redemption</i> while <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SheaMMd8H5g&feature=related" target="_blank">Andy Dufresne crawls through the sewer</a>? You wouldn’t get to see how one of the all-time
greatest movies ends. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
What’s the point of
achieving a lifelong pursuit without complete closure? Why can’t I let it go
and focus on the glorious achievement?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Maybe it’s not for me
ponder. Maybe my closure is writing this story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt;">
Or maybe it means I’ll get
another hole-in-one someday so I can get it right. I promise you this much: If it ever
happens again, whoever plays with me that day is getting a drink bought for
them whether they like it or not.</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-83847344012273449742012-05-25T09:26:00.001-05:002012-05-25T09:30:46.629-05:00A Stroke of Perspective<em><strong>NOTE:</strong> This is exclusive content from the June issues of </em>Texas Links <em>magazines</em>.<em> </em><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In this most serious
of endeavors called golf, every once in a while we’re offered proof that life
is more important than sport. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeFx7qMsS01Q2X1yNFi69O2kxAfGohSiH0yTB_onK3DJSWyOg81TR_5FP-k3A2bjNzQ65uZXMzoIKdyt7cHPElxoPh0CRNq5TKXTv95Ss7GZU01pFug7Y2RwxWJRJmVIPrCzWccVf3HA/s1600/gilley+t1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeFx7qMsS01Q2X1yNFi69O2kxAfGohSiH0yTB_onK3DJSWyOg81TR_5FP-k3A2bjNzQ65uZXMzoIKdyt7cHPElxoPh0CRNq5TKXTv95Ss7GZU01pFug7Y2RwxWJRJmVIPrCzWccVf3HA/s1600/gilley+t1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>After suffering a stroke on March 31, The Woodlands' </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Steve Gilley is 36 holes awy from playing in the U.S. Open.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Steve Gilley
provides the most recent example. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In his 16 years as a
professional mini-tour player, the 40 year old from The Woodlands has an
impressive list of accomplishments. He once shot a record-setting 55 in a
practice round prior to a U.S. Open qualifier. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Only two other pros have shot 55s,
and one of them is Texas Golf Hall of Famer Homero Blancas. Gilley’s came in 2004
on a par-71 course in Virginia. He eagled the 10th hole and birdied in from
there to shoot 25 on the back nine. He once shot a 60 on the same course as a
teenager.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You get the point: the
man can play. He’s won 25 mini-tour events and owns no less than 20 course
records. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But none of it quite
compares to what Gilley did earlier this year. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Just 45 days after
suffering a stroke, he advanced through local qualifying for the U.S. Open with
a 3-under 69 at Miramont Country Club in Bryan. Catch that? He had a stroke and
a month and a half later made it through a U.S. Open qualifier. He shunned the
doctors who said he’d never play again at a high level and was one of eight out
of 132 professional golfers to advance to sectionals June 4 at Lakeside Country
Club in Houston.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He’s 36 holes away
from playing in the U.S. Open. The man who crumbled to the grass as a stroke seized him in March could be playing in June for a national championship at The Olympic Club in
San Francisco. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I signed up for the
local qualifier on a whim. It was the last day of registration,” the
soft-spoken Gilley said. “I basically had no preparation, but it gave me
something to look forward to. I got pretty depressed after the stroke.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At the Lakeside
sectional qualifier, about 40 golfers<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—including PGA Tour players like Tom Kite and Bob Estes who haven’t otherwise qualified<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—</span></span>will compete for two or three spots in the
U.S. Open. Gilley is one of them. Whether or not he realizes the dream and
qualifies, Gilley already is a major champion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He is a champion in
life because he now realizes that golf isn’t life or death. Things like family
and health are more important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It wasn’t an easy lesson.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gilley and his wife
Kelly, a Class-A PGA Member and the marketing manager with Sequoia Golf, which
owns and operates Canongate Texas and The Woodlands Country Clubs, along with
daughters Cameron (10) and Liza (8), moved from Atlanta to The Woodlands in
2010. Gilley gave up the mini-tours for a bit and helped support the family
with a gig as the assistant superintendent at The Woodlands Country Club’s
Palmer Course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Even though he
worked 50-plus hours a week and stayed engaged in the lives of his family,
Gilley sneaked in time to practice his golf game, too. He never quit on his
dream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He’d practice and
play in the late afternoon, often teeing it up alone. In the early evening
hours of March 31, Gilley hit about 30 balls at The Woodlands’ Player Course
and noticed the first tee was open. He decided to get in a quick nine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I hit my tee shot,”
he said, “and as I drove the cart to my ball, I started to get dizzy. I was
spinning. I figured, ‘What in the world is this?’ I pulled over to collect my
thoughts. When I got to my ball, I felt a little better.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Not for long. Still
steadying himself against the dizzy spell, Gilley striped an iron shot that
finished in the middle of the first green. The next thing he knew: panic. His
body seemed to shut down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I couldn’t walk
back to the cart,” he said. “I had to crawl. It was awful. My first thought was
that I was going to pass out and no one would find me till the next morning. There
was no one out there.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He inched his way
back to the cart on his hands and knees. It took a few minutes, but felt like
hours. That’s when the nausea kicked in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“My only goal was to
get back to the clubhouse,” he said. “I couldn’t see. I felt sick to my
stomach. I had to stop every few minutes. As soon as I got back to the
clubhouse, I started vomiting everywhere. I thought it was heatstroke or
something. I thought it would pass.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It didn’t. The next
thing Gilley remembers is losing the feeling in his right arm and leg. He
called Kelly and she rushed to him. They went to the emergency room, where
Gilley was diagnosed with vertigo. They gave him some anti-nausea medicine and
sent him home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The following day
was Saturday, and Gilley slept the whole day away. He went back to work on
Sunday and Monday, but still had trouble feeling his right hand. His motor
skills weren’t normal, and he started to worry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On Tuesday he got in
with his family doctor, who insisted on a CAT scan. Three hours later, the
results were in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“He called and said
I had a stroke and had to get to the ER right away,” Gilley said. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gilley spent the
next four days in the hospital hooked up to IV and oxygen machines. The doctors
and nurses poked him, prodded him, injected him and ran every test possible to
try and determine what caused the loss of blood flow to his brain. Everything
came back inconclusive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“They still don’t
know what caused it,” Gilley said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He asked about
regaining full feeling of his right hand and arm. He asked about playing golf.
One of the doctors asked, “You don’t play golf for a living, do you?” Gilley
told him playing golf was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> he had
done for almost 20 years. The doctor frowned and told him he probably wouldn’t
play at a high level again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A highly competitive
golfer who lived and died with every shot, Gilley dismissed that prognosis out
of hand without a second thought. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“That doctor didn’t
know me,” he said. “He didn’t know what kind of player I am or what kind of
drive I have.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gilley spent the
next several weeks in rehab. The therapy was grueling. It took two weeks for
him to build enough strength in his right hand to grip a golf club. It was a
week later that he could actually start to feel the club in his hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“At first I had
trouble writing and couldn’t shave,” he said. “But every trip to therapy I
started feeling better.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In spite of the
progress, Gilley’s spirits were down. The stroke not only atrophied the
strength of his right side, it robbed him of his natural, God-given talent to
hit a golf ball and make it go where he wanted. But rather than stay in bed and
wallow, he pressed on. He worked harder at his rehab. After a few weeks, he
started hitting wedge shots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Once I got to where
I could hit full shots, three or four days later I was fine,” he said. “The doctors
told me I needed to play golf. I needed to train my body to play again. I had to
wear a heart monitor for a month, but everything seemed normal there, too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All along, Gilley
knew about the U.S. Open local qualifier at Miramont. He needed a carrot to
dangle. Even though he knew he wasn’t ready, he signed up. That wasn’t like
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In preparation, he
played four rounds of golf. One was a charity scramble event. He didn’t even
keep score in the other rounds. That wasn’t like him, either.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Once I sent a text
to Kelly that said, ‘I made it to the third hole, so things are looking up,’”
Gilley joked. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Having a sense of
humor was just one sign of personal growth. Another was a fresh perspective on
golf and life. Previously, Gilley obsessed in his preparation for competitive
tournaments. His wife saw it more than anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“In the past, he
seemed to base his whole self-worth on how he played,” said Kelly, who was a
high-level junior golfer back in Georgia. “I think the stroke helped him
realize how precious life is and how little a bad shot or a bad round means in
the overall scheme of things. I think he also feels God has given him a
second chance, and he relishes the challenge of showcasing what he believes is
certainly a God-given ability to play.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gilley entered the Miramont
qualifier with a different mindset.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“For the first time
in my life, I was going in with low expectations,” he said. “My plan was just
to have fun. Whatever happens, happens. There are more important things.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He had to remind
himself of that after making bogey on the first hole. A birdie on his third got
him back to even-par. Another one on hardest hole—a 450-yard, uphill par 4—got
Gilley to the turn at 1-under par. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I thought, ‘I can
do this,’” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">With Kelly on the
bag providing moral support, Gilley colored his scorecard on the back nine with
three birdies and two bogeys. When they reached his drive on the 17th hole,
Gilley felt the blood start to rush out of his system. He was grinding hard. He
was gassed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I don’t think I’m
going to make it,” he told his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, you can,” she
said. “Come on, you just need one more birdie.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“No,” he said, “I
don’t think I can make it through the round. I’m exhausted.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s when Kelly
challenged her husband. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“She told me, ‘If I
can make it, you can make it. Let’s go,’” Gilley said. “That motivated me.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gilley smoked a
7-iron to a foot and kicked in the birdie. He was 3-under. He made par on the
final hole and recorded his 69. He was in fifth place, but the afternoon wave
had yet to tee off. With only eight spots available for the sectional
qualifier, Gilley waited around for his fate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He figured they
would be a playoff, but he was wrong. No one in the afternoon broke par on
Miramont’s challenging 7,174-yard course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“When they told me I
was in, I was shocked,” he said. “It was pure joy. I can’t even describe it.
With all that I’ve been through, it’s pretty cool.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s more than that.
The ordeal changed him. He’s still working full-time at the Palmer Course but
hopes to get into a financial position that will allow him to chase the tours
again. The burning desire to play professional golf hasn’t waned. He still
pours himself into every shot and practice session. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But there is change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s the results—and
how he responds to them—that are different now.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s not the
end-all, be-all like it used to be,” Gilley said. “Golf is a very selfish
sport. You devote a lot of time and effort into it. My wife knows that and has
known it for years. It was neat for her to see me just go out and play. I’ll
come home and have a job and my kids will love me. It’s not the end of the
world to play bad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Kelly sees it. She
said he appreciates quiet times with Cameron and Liza more. She sees a renewed
passion in his eyes for her as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“He has always been
a great husband and father, but I’ve noticed extra attention to spend time as a
family and make memories together,” she said. “Golf is and will always be a
driving passion for him, but he structures his practice so that he doesn’t miss
those events the kids have at school or something fun we can do as a family.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">They’ll be a family
at Lakeside Country Club on June 4. Kelly is back on the bag when her husband attempts
to qualify for the U.S. Open. With all he’s accomplished, he’s never played in
a USGA championship. He recognizes it will be an amazing story if he earns one
of the coveted spots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He also knows if he
doesn’t, he still has his health and his family’s love.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“It would be one of
the biggest thrills in my life,” he said. “But I’m not expecting too much. If
it happens, it happens.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe this is just
the beginning of the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-44167088803156944002012-04-02T07:29:00.000-05:002012-04-02T07:29:51.062-05:00The Hunter Games: Mahan Last Man Standing at SHO<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><em><strong>NOTE:</strong> This is exclusive content from </em><a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/"><em>myTXgolf.com</em></a><em> </em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><em></em>HUMBLE, Texas—Golf’s champions are so often made on the back nine. No one played the inward loop at the Shell Houston Open better than Hunter Mahan, and because of it the 30-year-old from Colleyville held off Sweden’s Carl Pettersson to become the PGA Tour’s first two-time winner this season.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mahan overcame a two-shot deficit with a final round 71 to finish at 16-under-par 272 for the championship. He beat Pettersson, a four-time winner on tour, by a single shot. Mahan, who two years ago broke down and cried after losing the final U.S. point at the 2010 Ryder Cup, is now the best American golfer in the game. He moved up to No. 4 in the World Golf Rankings—the highest spot held by a U.S. player—and leads the FedExCup points race, too.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For the week, Mahan, who also won the Wolf Golf Championships Accenture Match Play in February, tore through the final nine holes on The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club at 11-under par. He suffered only one bogey on the back nine all week and had just two for the tournament. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So once the former Oklahoma State All-American seized his first lead with a five-foot birdie on the ninth hole Sunday—after hitting 3-iron in tight on the 238-yard par 3—he had to feel good about his chances to notch his fifth career tour victory.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For the rest of the story, please <a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/blog/current-month-stories/153-the-hunter-games-mahan-last-man-standing-at-sho.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-33235984536349093682012-03-28T14:15:00.001-05:002012-03-28T14:15:54.740-05:00SHO and Tell: Meet the Mustache Guy<em><strong>NOTE:</strong> This is exclusive content from </em><a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/"><em>myTXgolf.com</em></a><em> </em><br />
<br />
HUMBLE, Texas—When the Shell Houston Open begins Thursday with the opening round, golf fans will roam The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club and watch their favorite PGA Tour stars. They’ll get up-close and personal looks at household names like Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Rickie Fowler.<br />
<br />
One player who fans might not know by name—but will by sight—is Johnson Wagner.<br />
<br />
People call him the “Mustache Guy.”<br />
<br />
Since last fall, the 2008 SHO champion has sported a bushy mustache that would make Burt Reynolds and Magnum P.I. proud.<br />
<br />
On lark last November, Wagner, who grew up in Amarillo and lives in Charlotte, N.C., stopped shaving. Despite his wife Katie’s complaints, Wagner kept the ’stache heading into the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, a trip he earned by winning the Mayakoba Classic last February.<br />
<br />
Players such as Harrison Frazar hazed Wagner, 32, about the facial hair, but when Wagner scored a top 10 in Maui, the mustache earned credibility. Even so, the heckling intensified days later at the Sony Open in Hawaii. One fan on the first tee box proclaimed, “The 1960s called. They want their mustache back!”<br />
<br />
Well, they can’t have it.<br />
<br />
For the rest of the story, please <a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/blog/mark-button/148-sho-and-tell-meet-the-mustache-guy.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">click here</span></a>.Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-36445152695211092012012-03-27T14:57:00.002-05:002012-03-28T14:16:49.454-05:00SHO and Tell: Mickelson's Putting Prowess<em><strong>NOTE: </strong>This is exclusive content from </em><a href="http://mytxgolf.com/"><em>myTXgolf.com</em></a><em>.</em><br />
<br />
HUMBLE, Texas—Headed into his Shell Houston Open title defense – and the Masters next week – Phil Mickelson feels confident about his game and optimistic about his chances for winning.<br />
<br />
And why not?<br />
<br />
Already this year the big left-hander has a win (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am) and a runner-up (Northern Trust Open at Riviera). A February fly-in visit from coach Butch Harmon at the Waste Management Phoenix Open helped Mickelson’s swing find a groove, and he won a week later. His short game looks as strong as it did a decade ago.<br />
<br />
Mickelson spoke with the media Tuesday morning at <a href="http://www.redstonegolfclub.com/" target="_blank">Redstone Golf Club</a> and told us that he feels his ball-striking is “starting to get as good as it’s been in a long time.”<br />
<br />
But there’s another reason why Mickelson is a favorite not only to repeat here on Redstone’s Tournament Course, but to win his fourth career Masters title and third in the past three years.<br />
<br />
It’s the flat stick.<br />
<br />
So far this season, Mickelson has rolled the rock better than he has in at least eight years. He ranks third in the PGA Tour’s official putting statistic, called “<a href="http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?02564" target="_blank">Strokes Gained – Putting</a>.”<br />
<br />
For the rest of the story, kindly <a href="http://mytxgolf.com/blog/mark-button/147-sho-and-tell-mickelson-s-putting-prowess.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">click here</span></a>.Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-90737551973453592052012-03-05T19:55:00.004-06:002012-03-05T20:33:20.551-06:00Playing Golf to Fight Cancer<i>This column appears in the March issues of </i><a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/" target="_blank">Texas Links Magazines</a>. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Take a look to your right. Now look left. Chances are you just saw someone who has been affected by cancer. One in three Americans will contract some form of the disease. Maybe that one in three is you. Maybe it’s someone you love. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHT2KiCixPZcFp0C4WXzPy8StpKgOuggldTMR0VB00AXECkJBgQFqYrrvQ3hyphenhyphenD-70dM4JBiKtCPwUKX7K7ff0ATXPNbL_oyIBACTRc4kqtsdBSO-5KRm39p22M06rk3IAoeX8YHAS9puI/s1600/Button_GAC_Walden2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHT2KiCixPZcFp0C4WXzPy8StpKgOuggldTMR0VB00AXECkJBgQFqYrrvQ3hyphenhyphenD-70dM4JBiKtCPwUKX7K7ff0ATXPNbL_oyIBACTRc4kqtsdBSO-5KRm39p22M06rk3IAoeX8YHAS9puI/s320/Button_GAC_Walden2.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Walden 100 raised $55,000 last year.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">My grandma turned 96 in January, and she’s a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and has been living cancer-free for five years. She’s my hero.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I lost an aunt and uncle to cancer when I was younger. My dad’s brother Melvin died from lung cancer in 1981. That same year, his sister Doris fell to pancreatic cancer. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My buddy Vince’s mom, Carol Sue, is a cancer survivor, too. But the deadly disease took down both of Vince’s grandparents on his father’s side. Dan McIntyre, the owner of Walden on Lake Conroe and a good friend of mine, is a survivor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just last year, another good friend (and a hell of a golfer) named Jeff Lam was diagnosed with colon cancer. He’s just 33 years old. As of mid-February, Jeff had endured eight of his necessary 12 chemotherapy treatments. He lost his hair, but not his will to fight or his optimistic attitude.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since he was diagnosed, Jeff has only had the energy to play five holes of golf. The treatments are torturous, he said, and they leave him drained beyond belief. But he’s hanging tough. I believe him when he tells me he’s going to beat this disease and get back to living a healthy, active life. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You probably know someone with a similar story. We all know someone who has battled cancer. It accounts for one in every four U.S. deaths, second only to heart disease. This year alone, the National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be about 1.6 million new cancer victims. About 577,000 of them will die.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That’s more than 1,500 deaths a day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But there is good news, too. Approximately 12 million Americans with a history of cancer are still alive today. Survivors like my grandma, Vince’s mom Carol Sue and Walden’s Dan McIntyre. These people stared down pure evil and endured treatments that take pain to levels we’ll never know. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And they beat cancer. They won.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Others like Jeff Lam are still fighting. All of these people are my heroes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But they need our help.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On June 18, I’ll do my small part to help the cause. For the second straight year, I’ll take part in the “<a href="http://www.walden100.com/" target="_blank">Walden 100</a>,” an all-day charity event in conjunction with <a href="http://www.golfersagainstcancer.org/" target="_blank">Golfers Against Cancer</a> to raise money for cancer research. Along with about 50 other inspired golfers, we’ll tee off at the crack of dawn and play 100 holes before we stop. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last year, we raised $55,000 in one day. We’re aiming to double that amount this year.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Golfers Against Cancer exists because there still isn’t a cure for the disease. GAC is about getting involved and helping however possible. Since its inception in 1997, GAC has raised more than $2.2 million for cancer research. The annual two-day tournament in November at the Clubs of Kingwood and Deerwood Golf Club brings in a lion’s share of the donations, but <a href="http://www.waldengolf.com/" target="_blank">Walden on Lake Conroe</a> has donated $625,000 from a decade of satellite events. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Playing 100 holes in one day is grueling. It’s a grind. You get sunburned and blisters on your hands and feet. By the end of the day, you’re definitely worn out. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">But however taxing it is to play in the Walden 100, it’s absolutely nothing compared to what cancer patients endure. It’s literally a walk in the park relative to what Jeff Lam, Dan McIntyre and millions of others have gone through. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope you’ll do your part to help find us a cure for cancer. More information on this worthy event is available on walden100.com. If someone you know is playing, please sponsor them and donate as much as you can. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Soon, I’ll start making calls to find sponsors and raise money. This year, I’ll play for everyone I know who has been affected, but I want to dedicate my efforts to Jeff Lam’s fight. He’s the type of guy who would be out there playing with us to raise money if he had the strength to do it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">I know all of my friends, family members and business contacts are going to pitch in and support me. Consider this a “thanks in advance” for your help. But this isn’t about me or you. It’s about those 12 million Americans still fighting against cancer. We owe it to them to help doctors and researchers find a cure. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope you’ll help.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-49567891890399193632012-02-21T15:41:00.004-06:002012-02-22T13:55:01.120-06:00Are You a Dishonest Golfer? <style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Why are people dishonest on the golf course? Because they’re that way in life, I suppose.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibygEZ2qrUMW7rbZUK98xMyvpcLXsSWYM0Sgi0jtDyzBnXY-dF7VkblC1tHX4GjM0y0ALhMBpNYT21LbY9zCzNBDvYAL7VEu39vgvuoYM6vTLMQJgx1WDywtGxSCXBFwZU-Ojt4Xzphoc/s1600/Hermann+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibygEZ2qrUMW7rbZUK98xMyvpcLXsSWYM0Sgi0jtDyzBnXY-dF7VkblC1tHX4GjM0y0ALhMBpNYT21LbY9zCzNBDvYAL7VEu39vgvuoYM6vTLMQJgx1WDywtGxSCXBFwZU-Ojt4Xzphoc/s1600/Hermann+Park.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hermann Park Golf Course near downtown Houston.</span></span></b> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">It stinks.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My friend and I recently teed it up at Hermann Park Golf Course near downtown Houston. For a municipal track next to a zoo, it’s a nifty layout with tight fairways and decent conditions for the price ($16.50 weekdays, $26.50 weekends). The greens are smallish and in better shape than you’d expect. They rolled just fine when we were there. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://hermannparkgc.com/course_tour/" target="_blank">Hermann Park</a> is basically what you make it. If you want to bang driver and play bomb & gouge all day, you can do that. But you don’t have to. You can also work on course management with 3-woods, hybrids and long irons off the tees. It’s not a championship course by any means, but it is plenty fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s a perfect setting for casual golf and casual golfers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Land is especially precious in urban settings, and Hermann Park does suffer a bit from adjacent fairways and the occasional golf ball whizzing by from other holes. We’ve all played on these kinds of courses. You keep your head on a swivel, but otherwise have a great time playing a game you love in a unique setting for a good price.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One thing inevitably happens in these situations, however. The idiot golfer who picks up someone else’s ball.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Why do people do that? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This happened to my friend at Hermann Park. We were humming along, playing our match with the two other fellows we were paired up with<span style="color: red;"> </span>on the first tee. They were plenty nice. Not the greatest golfers, but that was never an issue. They were encouraging to us, as we were to them. We played the first seven holes at a good pace, everyone having a great time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then, on the eighth hole, my friend’s approach shot came in hot and bounced over the green. I saw it hit the back fringe and carom to the rough behind the green. When we got up the green and looked behind it, her golf ball was nowhere to be found. Along with one of the other guys in our group, we spent a full five minutes looking for it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, the fourth member of our group was on the green, lining up his putt. I hadn’t noticed him behind the green before we got there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally, my friend takes a drop (and two-stroke penalty) and we finish the hole. On the way to the next hole, she says to me, “That guy picked up my golf ball.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“What? You saw him?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, I think so.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the next tee, I ask him: “Hey, did you happen to pick up a Precept back there behind the green?”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-wb1aBwpBHJ5O5z5SUV_h1rCNHlfDBOY7SyjTWwH7HyiL3k2-8HBhf3PoLTiN2jnQYF_GfiYNUIlkpK-U7qeeiPLAnRnBQx1WI329zWfMwssO5iiJxSOmrdP-Za5QnOYDJn-ZjqSosQ/s1600/lost_golf_ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-wb1aBwpBHJ5O5z5SUV_h1rCNHlfDBOY7SyjTWwH7HyiL3k2-8HBhf3PoLTiN2jnQYF_GfiYNUIlkpK-U7qeeiPLAnRnBQx1WI329zWfMwssO5iiJxSOmrdP-Za5QnOYDJn-ZjqSosQ/s320/lost_golf_ball.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">He looks at us sheepishly, points at his buddy and says, “Yeah, I did. He told me not to say anything.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While blushing, he reaches in his pocket, pulls out her golf ball and tosses it to us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We said, “Thanks.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What the heck? I didn’t get it then, and I don’t get it now. First, why would anyone pick up someone else’s ball at a claustrophobic course where so many stray shots are being hit? If it wasn’t our ball, it surely belonged to someone else on a nearby hole.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Second, he “wasn’t going to say anything” because his buddy said not to? Were they embarrassed? Why, then, did he admit it when I asked him directly?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We finished the rest of the round in relative silence. Not a lot of chatter between carts. My friend and I weren’t exactly <i>mad at them</i>; we were mostly confused. Why did he pick up the ball? Then for five minutes, he hung out on the green while watching us search for it. And then he cops to the theft on the next tee box. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Confounding.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What’s equally mystifying is why <i>anyone</i> would pick up someone else’s ball near a green at a public course. I understand finding the Pro V1 in a hazard or deep in the trees. When it’s fairly obvious that you’ve found a ball that someone else lost – and isn’t currently searching for – there’s no harm in claiming a diamond in the rough. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But when you see others looking for a ball, and you find one … the proper thing to do is say, “Here’s one! What kind of ball are you playing?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our playing partners that day needed a lesson on honesty. They could benefit from reading a copy of my book, “<a href="http://www.timingandtempo.com/" target="_blank">Finding Ti Ming & Tem Po, Legend of the golf gods</a>.” In the story, the golf gods Ti Ming and Tem Po not only come alive in the dreams of children to teach them how to play golf, they also teach them how to live with the values we learn from the game, such as honesty, respect and sound decision-making.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The kids in the story learn to play golf at the highest levels, and along the way they learn how to live honest, honorable lives. Our playing partners from Hermann Park could use the lessons found in my book. So could all junior golfers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Golf is a game of a lifetime. Its lessons and values are equally enduring. Next time you see a ball in the rough that isn’t yours, please ask everyone within sight if it’s their ball.</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-74242935880297896912012-02-06T15:21:00.006-06:002012-02-06T15:31:07.388-06:00USGA Denies McCaffery's Appeal for Amateur Status<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>NOTE:</strong><em> </em>This is exclusive breaking news from <em>Texas Links Magazines.</em></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The United States Golf Association today upheld its ruling that Mike McCaffery professionalized his amateur status on Aug. 21 by accepting a check for $8,500 in a skins game at Beeville Country Club.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ke0f6bZ2vEWp2XWJRvA3ZB412zi67AGSxmYINZDplky2clC5-KKoxs1lTkEFE2kq4pQuSAx7paII70lPCIrpS5Y6MMMZ7Ec3RZUeLC83xQ2gDW0y4LW9mmSDC5dzbbcFDe4z3bitDHg/s1600/McCaffery_purpleshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ke0f6bZ2vEWp2XWJRvA3ZB412zi67AGSxmYINZDplky2clC5-KKoxs1lTkEFE2kq4pQuSAx7paII70lPCIrpS5Y6MMMZ7Ec3RZUeLC83xQ2gDW0y4LW9mmSDC5dzbbcFDe4z3bitDHg/s320/McCaffery_purpleshirt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>League City's Mike McCaffery last year had one of the best </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>summers in Texas amateur golf history. Much of it was</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong> voided after he accepted $8,500 in an August skins game.</strong></span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
McCaffery, 41, met with the USGA Executive Committee for 30 minutes on Feb. 3 to appeal on the decision that stripped him of his amateur status last October. The ruling negated the bulk of one of the most impressive competitive seasons in recent Texas amateur golf history.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“The hearing was respectful and the dialogue was constructive,” Managing Director of USGA Communication Joe Goode told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Texas Links</i> in an exclusive interview. “The decision is final and we consider the matter concluded.” <br />
<br />
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaking through his attorney Guy Fisher at the closed-door meeting, McCaffery again admitted his wrongdoing and asked for leniency in his punishment. McCaffery noted that he returned the $8,500 check once he realized it violated The Rules of Golf’s Amateur Status. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Rule 3-2 states: <span style="color: black;">“<em>An amateur golfer must not accept a prize (other than a symbolic prize) or prize voucher of retail value in excess of $750 or the equivalent, or such a lesser figure as may be decided by the USGA.</em>”<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“We told them I used poor judgment and that I understand and acknowledge that,” McCaffery told </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Texas Links</i>. “So what is the punishment? A month, a year, a lifetime ban? They can shorten or lengthen the punishment as they see fit. I was basically asking for mercy. I asked for ‘time already served,’ I’d give up medals and titles and asked for my status back.”<br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A former professional mini-tour player from League City, Tex., McCaffery in February 2011 was reinstated by the USGA as an amateur. Routinely blasting drives beyond 300 yards and showcasing a deft short game, McCaffery went on to have a phenomenal run on the state and national levels. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The highlight came in September when he won medalist honors during the 36 holes of stroke play in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Shadow Hawk Golf Club. During match play of the USGA national championship, McCaffery advanced to the quarterfinals. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Prior to that, he won the medal for the nation’s best U.S. Mid-Am qualifying score, an 8-under 64 at Pine Forest Country Club. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">McCaffery also won the 2011 Texas State Mid-Amateur at Carlton Woods, the Texas Golf Association’s South Region Mid-Am at Riverbend Country Club and the Harvey Penick Invitational at Austin Country Club. He finished third in the Texas Amateur, played at scenic ACC. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TGA president Rob Addington said he couldn’t remember a player having so much success at the amateur level in one year. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After McCaffery accepted the skins game money in August, however, <a href="http://birdiechasing.blogspot.com/2011/10/us-mid-am-medalist-forfeits-amateur.html" target="_blank">he professionalized his status</a>. The October USGA ruling voided all his results past Aug. 21, which included the U.S. Mid-Am, the Texas Mid-Am and the Harvey Penick. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Part of McCaffery’s confusion, he said, was delineating the difference between “prize money” and “gambling.” At the Aug. 21 tournament in Beeville, McCaffery, who indicated on the entry form that he was playing as an amateur, won a $2,000 check for second place in addition to the $8,500 he won for skins. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Knowing that accepting the prize money was in violation of the Rules of Golf’s Amateur Status, McCaffery did not take the second place winnings. He believed that skins games fell under the Rules of Golf’s “Acceptable Forms of Gambling” provision, however, and accepted the $8,500. He returned the money a couple of weeks later once he realized that, too, was a violation. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In the Rules of Golf’s Appendix, the “Policy on Gambling” includes the following: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There is no objection to informal gambling or wagering among individual golfers or teams of golfers when it is incidental to the game. It is not practicable to define informal gambling or wagering precisely, but features that would be consistent with such gambling or wagering include: the players in general know each other; participation in the gambling or wagering is optional and is limited to the players; the sole source of all money won by the players is advanced by the players; and the amount of money involved is not generally considered to be excessive.” <br />
</i><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What made this an unacceptable form of gambling, according the Rules of Golf, is the fact that the skins money came from the tournament organizers and was not solely put up by the players. This wasn’t a friendly bet between buddies; the skins money came from tournament dollars. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After the October ruling, Goode also said that McCaffery’s repayment of the money was a non-factor. </span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
<br />
“After-the-fact repayment of prize money isn’t a valid defense of a violation of the rules of amateur status,” Goode said on Oct. 22. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For his part, McCaffery said he understood the USGA’s position. He was content with the time he was given to state his appeal, he said. At the same time, he believes he did the right thing by giving the money back and wants the chance to play amateur golf again. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The USGA didn’t have to give me the opportunity to floor my appeal, so I’m satisfied from that standpoint,” he said. “But I don’t think (the ruling) is right. I’m not looking for anything other than to be able to play golf at the amateur level. I’ve had my time to play at the professional level. I would love to play as an amateur on the local, state and, God willing, national level. That’s what I want to do.” <br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately for McCaffery, he remains ineligible to play in sanctioned amateur events. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I don’t have anyone to blame except myself,” McCaffery said. “It’s not about all the other guys who have done this exact thing. It’s not about the all the folks who are so jealous that they turned me in. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I don’t think it’s about the USGA making an example of me, either. At the same time, if others can learn from this, maybe that’s the bigger picture for me.” <br />
</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Goode said that there is indeed a lesson here from which all amateurs can benefit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“The USGA takes no pleasure in its ruling, but it’s our responsibility to enforce the rules of amateur status,” he said. “This case provides a cautionary tale of conduct that undermines the spirit of the amateur game and the importance of playing by the rules.” <br />
</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where McCaffery goes from here is yet to be determined. He said he’ll digest this ruling and investigate what playing opportunities he’ll have. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“It really leaves me in limbo,” he said. “My actions ‘professionalized’ me, but I haven’t declared myself a pro yet. I’ll see what events I can play in around the area. If there’s no chance I’ll ever get to play as an amateur again, I’ll probably look at playing at some mini-tour events and pro-ams. It’s all a big ‘What if?’ right now.” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For more updates on Mike McCaffery, the USGA and all the events surrounding golf in Texas, visit <a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/">www.myTXgolf.com</a>. </span>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-46535847083865596462012-02-03T10:36:00.003-06:002012-02-03T21:45:20.614-06:00Spieth to Play in PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> J</span>ordan Spieth is headed back to the PGA Tour.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzn7DHS5OcSWz53hJvSfgVb_hjHx_lEhw5GnQAuHGqeySC9CnnnGZWA99Sh14EQ7Tpbk3Nz2Y8JAdDKlTRJoB2AgzHyaXGrXWxT5wtNyY9pIKbpXZFpbXuqV2mYF_whaC4qwKZQeKmvHw/s1600/Spieth+fist+pump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzn7DHS5OcSWz53hJvSfgVb_hjHx_lEhw5GnQAuHGqeySC9CnnnGZWA99Sh14EQ7Tpbk3Nz2Y8JAdDKlTRJoB2AgzHyaXGrXWxT5wtNyY9pIKbpXZFpbXuqV2mYF_whaC4qwKZQeKmvHw/s320/Spieth+fist+pump.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Spieth ranks second in the nation in scoring </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>average for the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Dallas native and University of Texas freshman received a sponsor’s exemption to the Feb. 16-19 Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club outside of Los Angeles. Spieth, a two-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion and 2011 Walker Cup member, has played in three PGA Tour events as an amateur. He finished tied for 16th place as a 16-year-old high school junior at the 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship. He tied for 32nd there last year. <br />
<o:p></o:p> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/spieth_jordan00.html" target="_blank">Spieth</a> wasted little time establishing himself as one of the best players on the No. 1-ranked Longhorns team. He claimed his first collegiate title last October at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational in Windermere, Fla., with a score of 11-under-par 205. Spieth is ranked second in the nation in the <a href="http://www.golfweekrankings.com/ellington/default.asp?t=mi" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Golfweek</i>/Sagarin College Rankings</a> with a 67.64 scoring average. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The former <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Texas Links</i> junior golf columnist also is second in the Royal & Ancient’s <a href="http://www.randa.org/wagr.aspx" target="_blank">World Amateur Rankings</a>. UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay, the top-ranked amateur in the world, also received a sponsor’s invite to the Northern Trust, as did six others including two-time Riviera champ Fred Couples. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For Spieth and Cantlay, the experience in the Northern Trust Open is more than just another chance to play with the best of the world. It’s also an opportunity to scout Riviera Country Club, which plays host to the NCAA Championship May 29-June 3.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Via text message, Spieth told me he is excited for the chance to play in another PGA Tour event. As for his freshman campaign in Austin, he said, <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“</span>I<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>m loving every minute of it.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">”</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Texas is currently playing in Hawaii at the <a href="http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-golf/recaps/020212aaa.html" target="_blank">Amer Ari Invtational</a>. <strike>Through two rounds, the Longhorns lead the 20-team field, which includes No. 2 Oregon and fourth-ranked UCLA. Spieth shot a pair of 69s in the opening rounds and is tied for sixth place at 6-under with teammate Dylan Fritelli and six others. UT sophomore Toni Hakula is tied for second place at 8-under with Cantlay and USC’s Jeffery Kang. UCLA’s Pontus Widegrin leads at 9-under 135.</strike> <strong>UPDATE: </strong>Spieth led Texas to its fourth consecutive win on Saturday. He shot a final round 67 to tie USC’s Jeffery Kang for the individual title. The Longhorns went wire-to-wire for the win and shot 30-under to win by five shots. UT’s Dylan Fritellu and Toni Hakula tied for ninth at 6-under.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For more updates on Spieth and everything that<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>s happening in Texas golf, check out the new <em>Texas Links Magazines</em> website <a href="http://www.mytxgolf.com/index.php" target="_blank">by clicking here</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-32691610680392027502012-01-09T13:14:00.022-06:002012-01-09T13:42:01.307-06:00Win a Signed Copy of the Golf Gods Children's Book<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since my first crack at publishing a children’s book was released on Nov. 18, I’ve received a lot of positive feedback. Published by </span><a href="http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000506399/Finding-Ti-Ming--Tem-Po.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Author House</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, “Finding Ti Ming & Tem Po, Legend of the golf gods” tells the story of the mystical golf gods. The ancient and all-powerful Ti Ming and Tem Po come alive in the dreams of believers young and old and turn them into champion golfers. More importantly, the golf gods teach their students about the values we learn from the game, such as honesty, sound decision-making and the importance of self-confidence and respect for others. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mark_button" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hFN8jD_lCwbEKNJVT6Vt-vgqlXYI_X9oJtnlw285VsrQ6IUkWVrLvwogOO1opUPbAICZsF5FYkRLnHshisJNCUABLsAPkwlAKMIALbm7VI4Xg9xCeuw1b_u28xlQQHluivBpcXBwgio/s200/Ti+Ming+and+Tem+Po+-+Cover+Art+High+Res.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Win a Signed Copy!</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The results are life-changing for everyone involved. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">California-based golf writer Bob Fagan recently read and reviewed the book. He wrote that it “has the makings of a classic.” </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(</span><a href="http://robertfagan.com/golf/golf/book-reviews/6793/book-review-finding-ti-ming-amp-tem-po-by-mark-button" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Read Fagan’s review here</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.) Blair Howard, a golf writer for About.com, also reviewed it and believes the book is <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">an amusing and appealing way for golfers young and old to find, or recover their game.” (<a href="http://golftravel.about.com/od/newproducts/ss/Finding-Ti-Ming-And-Tem-Po.htm" target="_blank">Read Howard’s review here</a>.) </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fagan and Blair agreed that “Finding Ti Ming & Tem Po” is a fun, magical story filled with character-building morals and life lessons. While it’s targeted at children and teens aged 8-17, the book will be enjoyed by anyone who loves golf, regardless of age.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><u>Now you can get a signed copy of the book for free</u>.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">hrilled and humbled by the feedback from this special book, I want to give back some of the good Karma. To this end, I will send signed copies of “Finding Ti Ming & Tem Po” to five of the next people to start following me on Twitter. All you have to do is follow me at <a href="http://twitter.com/mark_button">twitter.com/mark_button</a> (or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mark_button" target="_blank">@Mark_Button</a>). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> In the coming days, I will randomly draw five new Twitter followers to receive signed copies of the book. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> For more information on the book and how it all started, please visit </span><a href="http://www.timingandtempo.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.timingandtempo.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. I hope to see you on Twitter and good luck in the contest! Thank you so much for reading.</span>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-54933086914109341752011-12-23T20:29:00.005-06:002011-12-23T20:39:34.378-06:00What a Year for Texas GolfI’m not big on New Year resolutions … or any kind of resolutions for that matter. Most are empty promises. Either to yourself or others. Regardless, I am trying to better myself in many areas. One of which is writing. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Writing shorter in particular. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you probably have noticed that sometimes I can get a little long-winded and write some really long sentences and long paragraphs and long stories and that might drive you crazy and make you click off the page, curse my name or both. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sorry about that. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In an effort to be more efficient, here are my top-10 Texas golf moments for 2011. There are only five of them.<o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Shorter, see?<o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lefty’s Redstone Romp:</b> Who can forget Phil Mickelson’s course recording-setting 63 in the third round of the Shell Houston Open? With his wife’s and mother’s oncologist, <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Dr. Tom Buchholz, </span>on hand again in April at the pristine Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club, Mickelson was inspired.<br />
<br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhKO70XMoifZ6Ynf5xPn1oKx1vIIVZmxNCtOgLKc_IhDkcrz6AqQytgbJP-m2XIsCyVkKxS-w0TwIR1KPCDRpPp0aLYtLVAxXy8pIIW-7bnvHHSmtb7MXTDGLNzB5ztvMYeTBQ8jOQww/s1600/mickelson+SHO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhKO70XMoifZ6Ynf5xPn1oKx1vIIVZmxNCtOgLKc_IhDkcrz6AqQytgbJP-m2XIsCyVkKxS-w0TwIR1KPCDRpPp0aLYtLVAxXy8pIIW-7bnvHHSmtb7MXTDGLNzB5ztvMYeTBQ8jOQww/s200/mickelson+SHO.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Phil Mickelson dazzled the crowds</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>at </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Redstone </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Golf Club </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>with a victory </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>a week before the Masters.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">He went low on the weekend with 63-65 to post 20-under par and won by three shots.<o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In the past 10 years, the SHO has had plenty of quality winners—Freddy Couples, Vijay Singh (three times), Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby, Anthony Kim—but last year was extra special. Mickelson loves Houston—Dr. Buchholz and M.D. Anderson especially—and the throngs of fans following Lefty at Redstone as he dueled Dallas native Scott Verplank in the final round will remember that show for a long, long time.<o:p></o:p></div><br />
It might a while before we see that kind of excitement at the SHO again. <br />
<br />
Unless Mickelson repeats in 2012. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">History in the Making:</b> In July, Jordan Spieth took another step toward cementing his legacy as one of the most decorated amateur golfers of all time. By winning his second U.S. Junior Amateur—this one at Gold Mountain outside of Seattle—the Dallas native joined Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win the national championship twice. (Woods won it three straight times from 1991-93).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Spieth won his first U.S. Junior Am in 2009. He was the heavy favorite this year and rallied in three early matches to claim nail-biting, 2-and-1 victories. Then the ball-striking savant wasted Chelso Barrett 6-and-5 in the 36-hole final match. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
The second USGA title was a glimpse into the future. It won’t be long before Spieth is winning professional major championships—yes, plural—and becomes a worldwide sensation. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
Make no mistake: still just a teenager, Spieth already is a star. He’s made the cut twice in PGA Tour events. He was the only American to post an undefeated record at the Walker Cup in September. The college freshman won his first tournament for the University of Texas in his third start. He has the game, support system, maturity, personality and poise to become mega-star on the professional level. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
If he continues on the path he’s on now, it’s going to happen. This is not news to those who have been paying attention. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Catching The Spirit: </b>One of the most unique golf events in the world takes place every two years in Trinity, Texas. Whispering Pines Golf Club, the No. 1-ranked course in the state six years running, plays host to <a href="http://www.thespiritgolf.com/The-Spirit-International.html" target="_blank">The Spirit International</a>, a co-ed amateur championship unlike anything else you’ve seen. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">The two best male and female amateurs from the top-20 golfing countries in the world comprise the teams. They all live together for a week in a camp-like setting and compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in five categories.<br />
<br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVDW6JRJMhWJABYQLymeNvGG_7fRaUZLNBFusWvcECiRjWzwWrzL1TluFgfoSMqVTk_P11iUESUFgloovU94BZ1ci0uaKbTf3QevwXAwOlSoteZ3CPRmoSOna8pXOZDx-R1ZI8IMkxFc/s1600/Walk+to+18th+green%252C+final+round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVDW6JRJMhWJABYQLymeNvGG_7fRaUZLNBFusWvcECiRjWzwWrzL1TluFgfoSMqVTk_P11iUESUFgloovU94BZ1ci0uaKbTf3QevwXAwOlSoteZ3CPRmoSOna8pXOZDx-R1ZI8IMkxFc/s200/Walk+to+18th+green%252C+final+round.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Nathan Smith (left) and Kelly Kraft </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>had</strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong> a </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>memorable final round </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>walk to the 18th green.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">This year, Americans Kelly Kraft (the reigning U.S. Amateur champ), Nathan Smith (a three-time U.S. Mid-Am champ), Austin Ernst (reigning NCAA champion) and Emily Tubert (2010 U.S. Public Links champ) pulled away from Mexico for an epic 10-shot win. </div>Smith’s final round eagle-two on the 392-yard par-4 14th started the U.S. party early.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tiger’s Late Prowl: </b>From the Obvious Department, it was a joy to see Tiger Woods’ game come around at the end of the year. He looked great at the Presidents Cup—even if his record didn’t reflect it—and he capped the season with his first victory in two years at the Chevron World Classic.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’m giving a heap of the credit to Fred Couples. Many jumped on Freddy’s case when he made Woods a captain’s pick two months before the Presidents Cup. But that early decision put a ton of pressure on Woods to get his game in order. Once fully healthy again, he started practicing six, seven even eight hours a day. Woods wasn’t going to make himself—or Couples—look foolish after the captain bypassed PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, who deserved to be on the U.S. team.<o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When Woods wins a few tournaments next year, including a major championship, hopefully we’ll remember that it was Fred Couples who helped jump-start the comeback. <o:p></o:p></div><br />
What’s the Texas connection here? Don’t worry about that right now. (Couples played college golf at the University of Houston and Tiger won the 1997 Byron Nelson Championship in Dallas, so there.)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RxFibqD_resq0RCty9l5LBW0_Guz45zR3r6UMh3m3Nte8vJjHhvh_2ex0sIsPExttZkNb2yHuag01G1M88vQECweyVsPsyvD_mkETIa0v6C51C1gOhJrdtIaKqws2r3CHHFZKHuSteU/s1600/Ti+Ming+and+Tem+Po+-+Cover+Art+High+Res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RxFibqD_resq0RCty9l5LBW0_Guz45zR3r6UMh3m3Nte8vJjHhvh_2ex0sIsPExttZkNb2yHuag01G1M88vQECweyVsPsyvD_mkETIa0v6C51C1gOhJrdtIaKqws2r3CHHFZKHuSteU/s200/Ti+Ming+and+Tem+Po+-+Cover+Art+High+Res.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Junior golfers will</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>love this book</strong></span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ti Ming & Tem Po:</b> Can I be self-serving for a moment? Of course I can. This is my blog, after all. One of the biggest moments of the year (of my life, really) came in late November. That’s when my children’s book was released. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>By now, I’ve surely bored you to tears about it via Twitter and Facebook. So I won’t beat you over the head here. This blog already is too long. <o:p></o:p> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
I’ll just mention that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finding Ti Ming & Tem Po, Legend of the golf gods</i>” is a magical story full of character-building morals and lessons. It’s a great read for any junior golfer—or any parent, aunt or uncle of little linksters. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Finding-Ti-Ming-and-Tem-Po?keyword=Finding+Ti+Ming+and+Tem+Po&store=allproducts" target="_blank">Go buy a few copies</a> and give them as gifts. The golf gods will thank you with fortuitous bounces off trees and putts that fall in the cup instead of lipping out of it.<o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Happy Holidays and thanks for reading. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-64211741427723351972011-12-05T11:49:00.003-06:002011-12-05T11:55:45.704-06:00Tiger Woods is NOT Back<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">First of all, in the essence of transparency, some full disclosure. I am a Tiger Woods fan. Always have been. Probably always will be. I’m guessing some people just stopped reading and clicked off my blog. That’s fine.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXF2vIwhPdAAbZb2znvhGojtdjjC2UY0xmPTYJYWv3CljBt2vbC2Ti8_xU1qoRLl_uAxQulHryNn-uXCcyV_QAwMQa6hWL_NbzctncrcEOT9msE8vFHAGP0s6H6d6_KCNlVV_tXIUT6M/s1600/Tiger+Chevron" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXF2vIwhPdAAbZb2znvhGojtdjjC2UY0xmPTYJYWv3CljBt2vbC2Ti8_xU1qoRLl_uAxQulHryNn-uXCcyV_QAwMQa6hWL_NbzctncrcEOT9msE8vFHAGP0s6H6d6_KCNlVV_tXIUT6M/s320/Tiger+Chevron" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Tiger Woods won Sunday for the first time in </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>two years at the Chevron World Challenge in California.</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">(Photo US Presswire)</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Like him or not, Tiger is the most gifted, exciting golfer of his (and my) generation. He’s also the most important person we have in the game. He drives ratings, sponsorships, public interest and he inspires people to support local golf courses. Because of Woods, millions of people invest their money and time into playing golf. As someone who makes a living writing about the sport, I’m well aware of how badly we need him to be successful again. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So there weren’t too many people more excited to see Woods birdie the final two holes of the Chevron World Challenge to win his first tournament in two years by a single shot. He came through in the clutch like the old days, and it was joyous to watch. The upside of Woods’ victory is obvious: Golf just became more interesting—dare I say “relevant again”—to the masses.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Here’s the downside: Since that final putt dropped, scores of media-types and fans have fallen all over themselves to say the precious words that all of us who understand what is at stake have longed to proclaim: “He’s baaaaack.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Give me a break. That’s ridiculous. Just because he won an exhibition event in a field of 18 players does not mean Tiger is back to being the dominant player who has won 71 PGA Tour events (Sunday’s win didn’t count toward that total) and 14 major championships. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Anyone who thinks Tiger is “back” to being the Tiger Woods we knew pre-sex scandal is disrespecting his standard of excellence. It’s also a sign of how quickly people can forget how great he was. Remember the year 2000? He’s a recap: Tiger Woods won NINE TIMES, including the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. He also finished second five times that year. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Yes, Woods is swinging the club better than he has in a long, long time. He’s compressing the ball again, creating a sound at impact that only he can create. His trademark “stinger” shot seems to be back, too. And he’s making more putts (though not as many as he’d like) in crucial situations. He poured in the 15-foot birdie putt Sunday on No. 17 at Sherwood Country Club to draw even with the gritty Zach Johnson. Then he slammed home the 12-footer on the final hole to win for the first time since the Australian Masters in September 2009. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">But he’s not back. Not yet.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Once Tiger wins three or four (or five) times—including a major championship—in a single season, he’ll be back. That’s when Tiger Woods will once again be the Tiger Woods I remember.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’m guessing that happens next year, by the way.</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-74008406053310986082011-11-29T16:22:00.004-06:002011-11-29T17:26:58.240-06:00Are the golf gods Real?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">People ask me if the golf gods are real. I always answer honestly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">They are real <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if you believe</i> they are real.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The power of positive thinking created a billion-dollar industry with self-help books. Millions of people have improved their lives dramatically by simply thinking positively. Is my new children’s book, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.timingandtempo.com/" target="_blank">Finding Ti Ming and Tem Po, Legend of the golf gods</a></i>,” a self-help book? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0jq_O2KdFjOYAXNpLsy2yM0h_36zqKeyQJGZUzFaIncPypxYRPbIzzOdCdlmjH0DLueZYlTtEApK3G7ryhDTTKRGOx_OTmw2So3GCbb-Bd1spWbu0eaVNUg4exZTMnv31AW-6IAyQXs/s1600/Book+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0jq_O2KdFjOYAXNpLsy2yM0h_36zqKeyQJGZUzFaIncPypxYRPbIzzOdCdlmjH0DLueZYlTtEApK3G7ryhDTTKRGOx_OTmw2So3GCbb-Bd1spWbu0eaVNUg4exZTMnv31AW-6IAyQXs/s320/Book+Cover.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>The perfect Christmas gift for the golfer in </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>your</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>life. Available at <a href="http://www.timingandtempo.com/">http://www.timingandtempo.com/</a>.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Absolutely it is. The story of Ti Ming and Tem Po helping golfers of all ages master, respect and appreciate the game of golf also teems with real-life lessons. Tem Po, the mystical caddie, tells his students, “You can’t go for every green.” The non-golf lesson is pretty clear: Sometimes the conservative approach to one of life’s challenges is the best option. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ti Ming, the all-knowing golf god, reminds his believers that the Champion Golfer is honest at all times and is respectful of his opponents. Another obvious lesson. There are several similar metaphors lying just beneath the magical and inspirational story.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The book was written for kids aged 8-17, but the messages within the story transcend age. The lessons golf teaches us are salient reminders of how to conduct ourselves as respectful, honorable people.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now, back to the question. Do the golf gods exist? </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The answer is up to you. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can do something or you think you can’t, you are right.” Belief and trust in the golf gods are the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For the past seven-plus years, I’ve worn a <a href="http://www.trionz.com/" target="_blank">Trion:Z</a> magnetic bracelet on my right wrist. The product claims to boost blood circulation, which increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Does it work? </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It’s like the golf gods. If you think magnetic therapy benefits you, then it does. It could be a placebo, but I can truthfully tell you this: When I was introduced to the technology, I was feeling little twinges of a pain in both of my wrists. I called these annoying twinges a pre-symptom to a possible case of carpel tunnel syndrome. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Since the day I first put on the Trion:Z bracelet, I’ve never felt those twinges of pain again. So you tell me if the product works.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">How many times have you horribly bladed an 8-iron only to have your ball roll up the fairway, onto the green and stop inside 20 feet of the pin? I know that happens to you because it happens to me. So was the result of the bad swing just dumb luck? Or were the golf gods at play?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It depends on what you believe.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Home with family for Thanksgiving this year—one of the many, many things for which I’m thankful—I played golf with a high school buddy on Wednesday. I swung the club pretty poorly overall but still shot an 80, which is a good score for me. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There were several moments during the round in which Ti Ming and Tem Po helped my cause. I bladed a wedge from the rough on the first hole, but my ball chased up to the back fringe. I shanked a 5-iron off a tree on the sixth hole … my ball bounced to the middle of the fairway. I pulled my drive on No. 8 into the trees and out of bounds … but my ball kicked back in play. I made par to swing all the bets. On No. 12, I chunked a lob wedge that traveled about two feet. Then chipped in for par on the next shot. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You can call all of that blind luck. You can call it whatever you want. That’s your choice. I choose to believe in the golf gods. I believe they helped me shoot a winning score. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This year I’m thankful for many things. My health. My family and friends. The U.S. Armed Forces -- active troops and the veterans -- who keep our country safe and freedom in tact. I’m thankful for my job. I’m thankful for the 13 years I spent with <a href="http://birdiechasing.blogspot.com/2011/10/chasing-squirrels.html" target="_blank">the Jack Dog</a>. I’m also thankful for the golf gods. They helped me win a bunch of bets yesterday.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Are the golf gods real? You know where I stand.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What do you believe?</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Learn more about the mystical golf gods at <a href="http://www.timingandtempo.com/">http://www.timingandtempo.com/</a>.</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-83193842099952611952011-11-01T21:16:00.001-05:002011-11-02T09:26:11.307-05:00The Spirit Personified<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fr5KQYr97K4Dxzn6-QqTWQHE2Lv4H2bBU3UCDYyfmIoqtSQe2ciUz7IY2M0r1LB69c8-1QhZxBJ6QEAzUgfe0wfi-HgqY8YYszZz-But_RFg-YXNiDhdjFm_rZZYr-s-15GTCvz3lqQ/s1600/DSC_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fr5KQYr97K4Dxzn6-QqTWQHE2Lv4H2bBU3UCDYyfmIoqtSQe2ciUz7IY2M0r1LB69c8-1QhZxBJ6QEAzUgfe0wfi-HgqY8YYszZz-But_RFg-YXNiDhdjFm_rZZYr-s-15GTCvz3lqQ/s320/DSC_0073.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Lexi Thompson, 16, won three gold medals at the </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>2009 Spirit International. In September, she became </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>the youngest player to win on the LPGA Tour. </strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
TRINITY—Sixteen-year-old Alexis “Lexi” Thompson is the fastest rising star in women’s professional golf. She stands six feet tall and hits the golf ball 280 yards off the tee. In September, she became the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history when she won the Navistar LPGA Classic by five shots.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
No player on the planet has “Caught The Spirit” more than Lexi Thompson, winner of three gold medals as a 14-year-old at the 2009 Spirit International. Thompson was back again this year, delivering the past champion’s speech at the opening ceremonies and playing a practice round with the U.S. Team on Tuesday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The first round of the 2011 Spirit International begins Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. with 80 of the world’s best amateurs playing as two-man, two-woman teams for 20 different countries. (Tee times and live scoring available at <a href="http://www.golfstat.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.golfstat.com</span></a>.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Over the next four days, 54 holes of Four Ball Stroke Play will determine gold, silver and bronze medal winners in five categories: International Team, Men’s Team, Women’s Team, Men’s Individual and Women’s Individual.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Thompson made the rare clean sweep in 2009, taking the gold in the International Team, Women’s Team and Women’s Individual. Only Paula Creamer and Lorena Ochoa have accomplished the feat. Thompson said her three gold medals hang in her parents’ dining room next to the 150-plus trophies she’s amassed since winning her first U.S. Kids World Championship at age 7.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The Spirit began in 2001, and in the past decade it has become known for showcasing tomorrow’s professional golf stars in the amateur setting. Major champions such as Creamer, Ochoa, Yani Tseng, Martin Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel all participated in The Spirit as amateurs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“On and off the course, The Spirit is the best experience,” Thompson said. “We have fun no matter what we’re doing. Team events are always so relaxing, and you really get to know the other players so well. Every minute of it is a great time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The players stay adjacent to Whispering Pines Golf Club in Camp Olympia, which transforms into the International Village during The Spirit. There’s a common dining hall where all the competitors eat, and players sleep 12 or more to a room in a true camp setting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumMOE29S8jUk3DmbxWmAUaAIDq5F9Oph7XSGx62HqOVcyIoeRW2gEZ3YXj5mM8h6FDG3ZGlMp9MSDEBRQKJGWz7QozRH8cbHpfkmyMlXbaUvh1Yge1RDiSzZuyJplGH1JP_l2p0QaM9o/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumMOE29S8jUk3DmbxWmAUaAIDq5F9Oph7XSGx62HqOVcyIoeRW2gEZ3YXj5mM8h6FDG3ZGlMp9MSDEBRQKJGWz7QozRH8cbHpfkmyMlXbaUvh1Yge1RDiSzZuyJplGH1JP_l2p0QaM9o/s320/DSC_0050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Lexi Thompson enjoyed a practice round at </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Whispering Pines with the U.S. Team on Tuesday.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
“The whole experience brings all the teams so close together,” Thompson said. “Sharing a cabin with about 20 other players and hanging out with all the teams for a few hours every night was such a bonding experience. I loved it.”<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In 2007, Thompson made history by becoming the youngest player to qualify for the Women’s U.S. Open. She was 12. Two years later she was dominating at Whispering Pines with 17 birdies and posting a winning 24-under par score with teammate Jennifer Johnson. Thompson turned professional the next year as a 15-year-old.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“This tournament (in 2009) was a big step for me,” she said. “Being invited here was a big honor. I had heard so much about it. I had just come from the Junior Ryder Cup, and that was the only other time I had played on a team for my country. This tournament has the best amateurs in the world.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
With a field comprised of 75 national champions and No. 1-ranked players from 20 countries, it is highly likely that the next Lexi Thompson or Martin Kaymer are playing at Whispering Pines this week. Thompson said she sees budding star power in the two U.S. women, LSU sophomore Austin Ernst and Arkansas sophomore Emily Tubert. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“Austin and Emily are amazing players. I’ve played junior golf with both of them,” Thompson said. “They both have really consistent games. Emily hits it a mile—she hits it farther than me. They both have great advantages in their games. If they keep working hard, they’ll be out there. They’ll be on tour.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wYW7Y_6oggginvx0FRyUDHufZChcFn61tZqhy56u0GHK8JFHAvJAVVjvIqmQFt5XC7mZGdqK-tu3JUyFFFOp2HUusuxH9-3XPVKr2jg33_VY3i45eAsg46BgJn0elDO9YeBbPLiAX-E/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wYW7Y_6oggginvx0FRyUDHufZChcFn61tZqhy56u0GHK8JFHAvJAVVjvIqmQFt5XC7mZGdqK-tu3JUyFFFOp2HUusuxH9-3XPVKr2jg33_VY3i45eAsg46BgJn0elDO9YeBbPLiAX-E/s320/DSC_0037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Thompson turns 17 in February. She is fully </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>exempt on the LPGA Tour for next season.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Thompson planned to stay at Whispering Pines long enough to watch the U.S. Team play in the first round. The U.S. women tee off at 8:30 a.m. with the Swedish team of Daniela Holmqvist and Madelence Sagstrom, who plays at LSU with Ernst. The U.S. men follow in the 8:42 a.m. group with Swedes Robert Karlsson and Victory Tarnstorm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Former U.S. Team captain and 2011 assistant captain Alli Jarrett texted Thompson about 10 days before The Spirit to ask if she wanted to return to give the past champion’s speech. Thompson jumped at the opportunity. Like every golfer who has passed through the front gates, Thompson absolutely loves Whispering Pines. She said taking the bus ride back down Olympia Drive to the clubhouse brought back a flood of memories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“I was really happy to come back,” she said. “This place holds great memories. The last day at the award ceremony, it was the best experience. Receiving the gold medal and knowing I represented my country well meant so much to me.”</div>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<strong>NOTE: </strong>For live scoring of The Spirit, visit <a href="http://www.golfstat.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.golfstat.com</span></a>. The 2011 Spirit International will feature a live webcast of the competition on holes 14-18 at <a href="http://www.thespiritgolf.com/live-webcast.html">www.thespiritgolf.com/live-webcast.html</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow the action on Twitter @thespiritgolf and use the official hashtag of #thespirit11. You can “like” The Spirit on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thespiritgolf"><span style="color: blue;">www.facebook.com/thespiritgolf</span></a>. <br />
<br />
<img height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumMOE29S8jUk3DmbxWmAUaAIDq5F9Oph7XSGx62HqOVcyIoeRW2gEZ3YXj5mM8h6FDG3ZGlMp9MSDEBRQKJGWz7QozRH8cbHpfkmyMlXbaUvh1Yge1RDiSzZuyJplGH1JP_l2p0QaM9o/s320/DSC_0050.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 142px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 821px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-39604063793972577652011-11-01T07:03:00.000-05:002011-11-01T09:10:32.559-05:00Spirit International Opens with Acrobatic Show<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—</span>Before the world’s best amateur golfers put on a show at the most unique international team event in golf, they were treated to one on Halloween at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The gravity-defying performers of the acrobatic Cirque Le Masque troupe topped off the opening ceremonies for the sixth playing of The Spirit International on Monday night. The theatrical wizardry featured synchronized and costumed jugglers and aerialists performing gasp-inducing feats of balance, strength, grace and coordination.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Surely the 80 amateur golfers in attendance were impressed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The 2011 Spirit International begins Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas. Twenty countries, represented with their top two male and female amateur golfers, will compete as teams for gold, silver and bronze medals in 54 holes of four ball stroke play. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The opening ceremonies began with an address from golf media mogul and Master of Ceremonies Peter Kessler. Whispering Pines founder and Spirit Golf Association Chairman Corby Robertson presented the procession of countries with each team walking to the stage flying their nation’s flag while a video introduction of each team member played for the estimated 400 in attendance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A video address from former President George W. Bush congratulated Robertson and all the competitors for promoting international goodwill through the game of golf. Rising LPGA Tour star Alexis Thompson gave the Past Champions Address and spoke about the importance of chasing your dreams. Thompson won three gold medals at the 2009 Spirit International. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“I’ve learned a lot from my successes in golf, but I’ve learned so much more from my struggles,” said the 16-year-old Thompson, who became the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history in September when she won the Navistar LPGA Classic by five shots. “It was my decision all the way to turn professional. I had to do a lot of convincing to get my parents to go along with it, but it is what I wanted to do. I encourage everyone to chase after their dreams no matter what anyone says.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
That’s exactly what the players in the field at The Spirit International are doing. Seventy-five of the 80 competitors are national champions or ranked No. 1 in their home countries. These truly are the greatest amateur golfers in the world. The bi-annual event, known as “the Olympics of golf,” has become the proving grounds for tomorrow’s golf superstars. International icons such as Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer, Yani Tseng, Martin Kaymer, Jason Day and Matteo Manassero are only a few past alumni of The Spirit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“I’m honored to be a part of this,” said three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion Nathan Smith, who makes up one-quarter of the U.S. Team. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I’ve heard Whispering Pines is off-the-charts good, and I’m excited to play my first practice round tomorrow.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Smith, the oldest player in the field at 33 years, is joined by 2011 U.S. Amateur Champion Kelly Kraft from Denton, Texas. Kraft, 23, played college golf at SMU and won the Texas Amateur in 2009 and 2011. The U.S. men are accompanied by University of Arkansas sophomore Emily Tubert, 19, the 2010 U.S. Public Links Champion, and LSU sophomore Austin Ernst, 19, the reigning women’s individual NCAA Div. I champion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“I’m so excited to be here,” Ernst said. “Anytime you get to represent your country, it is a major honor.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
For fans at home or at the office, the 2011 Spirit International features a live webcast of the four-day tournament. Along with a highlight package of the opening ceremonies, the webcast is available at <a href="http://www.thespiritgolf.com/">http://www.thespiritgolf.com/</a>. Admission to the international competition is free.</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-26475494241899190002011-10-26T15:17:00.000-05:002011-10-26T15:17:28.042-05:00Reader Appreciation<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Just a quick note here to thank you for reading this blog. The past two posts received quite a little bit of traffic. “Chasing Squirrels,” the tribute to my little buddy Jack Dog has received more web hits and unique visitors than anything I’ve written in this space.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Jackers would be proud. So I am.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The post earlier this week with the news on Mike McCaffrey’s forfeited amateur status, which vacated his Texas Mid-Amateur championship and U.S. Mid-Amateur medalist and quarterfinalist honors, also caught the attention of many readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Both posts garnered several reader comments, as well. I tried to figure out how to respond directly to each reader who made a comment. Alas, I am not that savvy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So this post is my way of saying “thank you” to everyone who has taken time from their busy schedules to read this blog. I have special appreciation to everyone who took time to comment, too. It is greatly appreciated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’m especially thankful for all the kind words that were written in regards to the loss the Jack Dog. Many of the posts were made anonymously, but some were not. So thank you, Faith, Sarah, Matt, Sharon, Neil, Liss, Susan and Kristi. Your words were comforting, as is the realization that many of you have also gone through the heartache of losing one of your best friends. There is comfort in that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The comment section for the McCaffrey story ran the spectrum of disbelief, outrage, anger, support and empathy. I’m happy to have helped provide a small venue for others to share their opinions on a controversial topic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I hope you’ll continue to read this blog and comment with your opinions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Thank you so much.</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-26066015193457700892011-10-24T16:19:00.000-05:002011-10-26T10:08:53.888-05:00U.S. Mid-Am Medalist Forfeits Amateur Status<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>NOTE:</strong><em> </em>This is exclusive breaking news from <em>Texas Links Magazines.</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mike McCaffrey had one of the most successful summers in recent Texas amateur golf history. Most of it has been stricken from the record books.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"></span> </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25seju5UfDv0WFY5un2FzCBG812s55pE4mPlchgAlHkkfrU0ZabYpWYFoeRtDHbr8J69EAYDNe9AW5awFG9qZ4tj5MXAFBFuEi2o_DwV-dn-mjbKSfRio9NQVTDkM4EpkZ4FvGHGhMcU/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25seju5UfDv0WFY5un2FzCBG812s55pE4mPlchgAlHkkfrU0ZabYpWYFoeRtDHbr8J69EAYDNe9AW5awFG9qZ4tj5MXAFBFuEi2o_DwV-dn-mjbKSfRio9NQVTDkM4EpkZ4FvGHGhMcU/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>League City's Mike McCaffrey forfeited his</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>amateur status by accepting $8,500 in an</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Aug. 21 </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>skins game at Beeville Country Club.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The United States Golf Association on Oct. 20 ruled that McCaffrey “professionalized his playing status” on Aug. 21 by accepting $8,500 in prize money from a skins game at Beeville Country Club. Accepting prize money is a violation of Rule 3 of the USGA’s Rules of Amateur Status.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rule 3-2 under the Rules of Golf’s Amateur Status states “<em>an amateur golfer must not accept a prize (other than a symbolic prize) or prize voucher of retail value in excess of $750 or the equivalent, or such a lesser figure as may be decided by the USGA.</em>”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">USGA spokesman Joe Goode told <em>Texas Links</em> that McCaffrey, a 41-year-old from League City, clearly violated Rule 3.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“The USGA ruling follows a lengthy investigation,” Goode said.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>“As soon as he accepted the prize money, he professionalized his status.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With the ruling, McCaffrey retroactively forfeited his amateur status on Aug. 21, which means his win at the Texas Golf Association’s State Mid-Amateur Championship at Carlton Woods has been surrendered. McCaffrey was also made ineligible for last weekend’s Texas Shootout. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“It’s a very unfortunate situation that certainly brought to light some things for other players to be aware of, things that might damage their amateur status,” TGA president Rob Addington said. “The USGA is the governing body in situations like this, and we will abide by their ruling. We have no choice but to make him ineligible for the Mid-Am, which means that victory is forfeited.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey also forfeits his impressive run at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in September.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The USGA has asked McCaffrey to return the medal he received for his nation’s-best low score in sectional qualifying, an 8-under 64 at Pine Forest Country Club. The USGA also asked McCaffrey to return the medal he received for the stroke play portion of the U.S. Mid-Am. McCaffrey posted 68-68 at the national championship for amateur golfers aged 25 and older and earned medalist honors. He was the top seed in the match play bracket, in which he advanced to the quarterfinals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All of that has been forfeited.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey’s October win at the Harvey Penick Invitational, a prominent amateur event at Austin Country Club, likely will be vacated as well. Tournament chairman Rod Harris was caught off guard by the news Sunday night. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“We’re going to do the right thing here,” Harris said. “We’re going to abide by the USGA ruling.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Goode said the USGA took no pleasure in its ruling.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“As the national governing body of golf in the United States, it’s our responsibility to write and enforce the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status,” Goode said. “Failure to act in this case would have been to abdicate one of our core responsibilities.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In an investigation conducted by the USGA and TGA, the USGA found hard evidence that McCaffery accepted a check for $8,500 in a Beeville skins game on Aug. 21. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey said he is appealing the decision.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“It was a skins game,” McCaffrey said. “When I learned it was excessive per the USGA standards, I gave the money back.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey, who regained his amateur status in February, said he returned the money to the club in Beeville a few days after the event. Repeated calls to the Beeville Country Club were not returned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“After-the-fact repayment of prize money isn’t a valid defense of a violation of the rules of amateur status,” Goode said. “This case serves as a cautionary tale of conduct that undermines the spirit and values of the game that all competitors should avoid.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the USGA’s primary functions is to protect the integrity and fairness of the amateur game. Goode said McCaffrey’s actions illustrated a “clear violation” of the rules.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey said he knows of scores of golfers who have broken Rule 3 of the USGA’s Amateur Status.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“I could name 300 golfers who have played in Calcuttas and accepted money,” McCaffrey said. “A skins game is a skins game. I guess they have certain cheeks they can turn at certain times. I’ve turned everything over to my attorney and I’m appealing it. I think I’ll come out ahead in the end. I’ll get my satisfaction in the end.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A former two-time All-American at North Texas, McCaffrey was a longtime mini-tour player before regaining his amateur status. In the spring of 2010, he began suffering from a loss of sensation in his fingers and toes. He said he visited several doctors for extensive testing and was diagnosed by Dr. Milvia Pleitez with a neuromuscular disease with a concern for <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (</span>ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Repeated calls to Dr. Pleitez, the head of the Neuromuscular Biopsy Laboratory at Methodist Neurological Institute, went unreturned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Upon receiving the new health information in McCaffrey’s appeal to regain his amateur status near the end of 2010, the USGA reinstated McCaffrey as an amateur in February 2011. Two months later, McCaffrey won the 36-hole TGA South Region Mid-Am at Riverbend Country Club by two shots with 11-under 205.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey also finished third at Austin Country Club for the Texas Amateur, eighth at the Champions Cup and third at the State Four Ball in Kerrville. Those accomplishments stand, but all of McCaffrey’s amateur results after Aug. 21 will be vacated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">More controversy surrounded McCaffrey this summer. Rumors swirled about the veracity of his health issues and neuromuscular disease diagnosis. On the eve of McCaffrey’s quarterfinal match against eventual champion Randal Lewis at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, the USGA confronted McCaffrey about the claims. There was a closed-door meeting at Shadow Hawk with McCaffrey and at least two USGA officials, including U.S. Mid-Am Director Bill McCarthy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">McCaffrey said the tone of the meeting was accusatory and his doctors’ diagnoses were called into question. McCaffrey added that his performance in the quarterfinals—he lost 3 and 1 to Lewis—was affected by the previous night’s meeting with the USGA.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The USGA did not comment on whether McCaffrey’s health concerns played a role in his forfeiture of amateur status.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Our ruling was based on the clear facts we learned in our investigation about Mr. McCaffrey professionalizing his amateur status,” Goode said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-22676939713974664092011-10-18T14:30:00.001-05:002012-04-09T12:21:30.523-05:00Chasing Squirrels<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This morning I said good-bye to my best friend.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br />
Jack Dog was a 15-year-old Welsh Corgi mix and the most loyal, loving friend a guy like me could ever hope to know. I’m going to miss him eternally, but I know he’s happy right now. He’s pain-free, running fast and breathing easy in heaven. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mVcmJ9TgZJhrBnnVB5hJdsjelCAgq5edQv0fllkgxet6iHifpuX4rBg2dMLOlDAYHIQ0WEo5ALbdvx2Z3nf_2XqhGOkA7LBUlrbQMr2-h-5PEsDYGIbjAdiZUD1TUmm3t1lvvUGXefg/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mVcmJ9TgZJhrBnnVB5hJdsjelCAgq5edQv0fllkgxet6iHifpuX4rBg2dMLOlDAYHIQ0WEo5ALbdvx2Z3nf_2XqhGOkA7LBUlrbQMr2-h-5PEsDYGIbjAdiZUD1TUmm3t1lvvUGXefg/s200/DSC_0027.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Jack's natural smile was only one of </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>the amazing things about him</b></span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That makes me feel good. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I can promise you right now he’s up there begging my grandpa for table scraps. Jack never begged with a whiny whimper like so many other dogs I’ve known. No, not Jack. </div><br />
He just sat there quietly and stared at you with those big, sad, brown eyes that said, “I’m hungry, too.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There are a couple golf connections to the Jack Dog, also known as Jackson, Jackers, Jackaroni, Macaroni and Jackson-Roni among many others. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Back in 2001-03, we lived with my good friend Robert in an apartment near downtown Atlanta. It was just off Peachtree Street and right across from a run-down municipal track called Bobby Jones Golf Course. Robert and I had some battles on that old course. It was short, hilly and never in great shape. But I loved it and always will. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The 15th green was just across the street from us. I used to take Jack for walks on the course, and he loved, loved, loooved chasing squirrels there. In his prime, Jack was Deion Sanders fast with Barry Sanders-like agility. He could jump a foot off the ground. If he didn’t want to be caught, well, you weren’t going to catch him.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>I’d walk Jack over on Bobby Jones at night, too. When the moon was bright, I’d take a wedge and a few balls and chip on the 15th green while Jack wandered around, looking for brave late night squirrels. One of his absolute favorite things to do was run at full speed on the 15th green and hurl himself over the lip of the greenside bunker and belly-flop down into the soft sand.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">He’d run around in circles, kicking up sand everywhere. Then he’d come back to the green and do it again. And again. The maintenance crew must have loved it.</div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn0KYzGM53vuEzkYboHdcmCAae3vhpz_sCuqUK4fwBqHpnXHRQDF8L2uKEGkUNGF3WqJRPOK87Ocbet3cNiFPAXu0cHKkQQKwNMX5lmqotEuci6ZY1hytYcNYIiXYKNyQqx37kGpOgWs/s1600/Mom_and_dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn0KYzGM53vuEzkYboHdcmCAae3vhpz_sCuqUK4fwBqHpnXHRQDF8L2uKEGkUNGF3WqJRPOK87Ocbet3cNiFPAXu0cHKkQQKwNMX5lmqotEuci6ZY1hytYcNYIiXYKNyQqx37kGpOgWs/s200/Mom_and_dogs.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Jack with Abby Ling and my mom.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>When Jack first came into my life back in 1999, I was on a golf hiatus. I took a job writing sports for the newspaper in Corpus Christi. It was so windy down there—and my normal ball flight was a 30-yard slice—that I quit playing for three years. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">At work I met a great guy named Dan, who taught me how to surf. Dan is the best surfer I’ve ever known. He can rip. We became great friends and I ended up moving into the downstairs portion of Dan’s house on Port Aransas Island. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We lived two blocks from the beach, and Dan’s house on East Street had a yard in front and back (Dan still lives there today, along with his beautiful surfer wife Michelle and their amazing son Zach). One of my beats back then was covering the minor-league hockey team that had just come to town. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If it wasn’t for that hockey team, I would have never met Jack.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">At every home game, I sat in the press box next to a friendly and generous man named Rick Dames. He owned the radio station that broadcasted the games, and he usually did the radio color commentary. One night I told Rick that I moved out to Port A. I was pretty excited about it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“Now that I have a yard, I can finally get a dog,” I told Rick. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
About two weeks later, Rick called me. I didn’t know it, but his wife was on the board of directors for the local Humane Society. Rick said they had this great 2-year-old Corgi he thought would be perfect for me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
“Just come and take him for the weekend,” Rick said. “If it doesn’t work out, you can bring him back.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Yeah, right. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Thirteen years later, and letting him go for good this morning was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Jack was a great dog. A great friend. Some of you reading this got to know him well. This summer, he made a new friend named Bozley. Jack’s circle of friends cast as wide as mine: Peyton, Abby Ling, Jasper Puddles, Divot, Buddy, Lucy, Manny, Apollo, Pritzi, Ollie, Walter, Sadie, Kate, Dusty, Peanut, Charlie and Oreo were just some of them. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Qnh3bSqSjYTAsu2hxmSsOshtpn3xU3TXATIPMKj6VcLeujyg2Dp_zKtJeaX7r-OSSN_WsyUmjw-0k6wlv22xQQMOr1xvjepPRD1_Fsf0Kh-jZ_n8e4GXaLIY6031ScGdOjY8Xmsdy6U/s1600/Galveston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Qnh3bSqSjYTAsu2hxmSsOshtpn3xU3TXATIPMKj6VcLeujyg2Dp_zKtJeaX7r-OSSN_WsyUmjw-0k6wlv22xQQMOr1xvjepPRD1_Fsf0Kh-jZ_n8e4GXaLIY6031ScGdOjY8Xmsdy6U/s200/Galveston.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Jack at Galveston Island this </b></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>summer. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>His last trip to the beach.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like his owner, Jack wasn’t the most social guy. But when he met someone he really liked, he latched on pretty tightly. I’m just lucky that he latched on to me the tightest. You should have seen Jack follow Bozley around like a shadow this summer. Peas in a pod.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I wanted to write about Jack today because I’m not sure what else to do. I’m sitting here at my home office and everything is quiet. Way too quiet. It is way too damn quiet in here right now. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’m used to hearing Jack’s cough or his Kansas Jayhawks collar jingle when he shook himself after a good nap. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My vet, a kind doctor named Susan, told me I’d probably hear Jack’s echoes in my home for a while. I’ll hear his collar, she said. I’ll hear his cough. After so much time together, Susan said people often hear their pets for a while after they are gone.</div> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I don’t hear Jack right now. I hope I do soon. I know he’s happy, and I hope he’s thankful for the life and love I gave him. He gave me 13 wonderful years of friendship, loyalty and unconditional love. What else is there in life?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’m going to remember the good times. I’m going to remember him chasing squirrels and kicking up sand. I’m going to celebrate his life. At some point in the not-too-distant future, I’m going to get another dog. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My favorite band plays a song with the following lyrics: <i>Sometimes a dog is as good as any man.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In Jack’s case, he was often better. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Rest in Peace, Jack. You were a great friend. The best. You will be missed and never forgotten.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-90692221529277737882011-10-14T09:30:00.002-05:002011-10-14T09:41:50.670-05:00Catch The Spirit of International Golf<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This article appears in the October issues of </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DFW Links<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> and </i>Houston Links<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> magazines. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
’Tis the season to don your colors. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
No, this isn’t a column about your favorite college football team. The colors in question here are the red, white and blue of the American flag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRV618nLypdxZiH_1-jCk7ZIC6xUzJTeO-gZULGEDob8r5lp1jf227z_NStFiLGTi0Y7Au8wDbynoB1gndBqv4bpkbhPBrRQBaAJfDJkk12E8maZtlpAL_OwojkhoXk2EMtGg3wpEGPY/s1600/Solheim+Cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRV618nLypdxZiH_1-jCk7ZIC6xUzJTeO-gZULGEDob8r5lp1jf227z_NStFiLGTi0Y7Au8wDbynoB1gndBqv4bpkbhPBrRQBaAJfDJkk12E8maZtlpAL_OwojkhoXk2EMtGg3wpEGPY/s320/Solheim+Cup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>The victorious U.S. Team at the 2009 Solheim Cup.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Starting last month and running through November, patriotism continues to be on high in the golf world. With apologies to the contrived FedEx Cup Playoffs, international team golf has taken center stage with the playing of the Walker Cup and Solheim Cup last month and the Presidents Cup looming in November. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The pageantry of individuals playing as teams from their countries will soon touch Texas, too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The sixth playing of <a href="http://www.thespiritgolf.com/">The Spirit International</a> starts Nov. 2 at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity. In one of the most unique formats in all of golf competition, teams consisting of two men, two women and a coach from 20 countries will vie for gold medals in five events played through 72 holes of best ball format. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
If you’ve never been to Whispering Pines, this is the perfect opportunity. Admission is free, the golf is superb and the competitive passion is contagious. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
There’s something special about golf events played in team formats. Maybe it’s because golf is such an individual game. Other than one’s caddie, golfers rely solely on themselves for success. So many of our other favorite sports allow for teamwork—a key block in football, a timely pass in basketball—and it underscores how unique and difficult golf is. It’s just you, the golf ball and the course. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When you add in patriotism and playing for an entire country to the team format in golf, the results are extraordinary. </div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkuz7-vc7Is3G4QKo6-ShKiggX4zFzpeA1zfFdVBpxrjX6Tm8yj1BHwGkdLRPDIFDxh4MTeMhgKWGumKaTezAx9lEGgRo4CdIh96f-YXl-1ecjuiG1GWod12JP33oLCt0-yBJOj30HJc/s1600/Spieth+Walker+Cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkuz7-vc7Is3G4QKo6-ShKiggX4zFzpeA1zfFdVBpxrjX6Tm8yj1BHwGkdLRPDIFDxh4MTeMhgKWGumKaTezAx9lEGgRo4CdIh96f-YXl-1ecjuiG1GWod12JP33oLCt0-yBJOj30HJc/s320/Spieth+Walker+Cup.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>A fired up Jordan Spieth after making</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>a 12-foot birdie to halve his </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>singles</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>match at the Walker Cup in September.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Look at the photo of Jordan Spieth on page 43. It really says everything about playing on a team for your country. The emotion is raw, genuine and unadulterated. Spieth, as an example, has played golf on the highest levels. He’s played on the PGA Tour. He’s won USGA national championships. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
He’ll also be the first to tell you that playing for his country means more to him than any of it. It showed in September during the Walker Cup. Spieth was the only U.S. Team member to post an undefeated record (2-0-1) in Great Britain & Ireland’s 14-12 victory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
During the weekend of the Solheim Cup, I woke by 6 o’clock each morning, rolled out to the couch and flipped on the telecast from Ireland. One of my favorite things in the world is waking early on the weekend for international team golf played across the ocean—namely the Ryder Cup every two years. This year’s Solheim Cup was equally as thrilling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I rooted hard for LPGA Tour rookie Ryan O’Toole, who was a controversial pick by U.S. captain Rosie Jones. Like Spieth at the Walker Cup, O’Toole finished undefeated (2-0-2) and was one of the bright spots for America.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Even though Europe rallied to win back the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2003, it was compelling TV. Watching players like Christina Kim, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie show so much emotion was a joy to watch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Maybe that’s why I love these international competitions so much. It’s really the only time in golf (outside of winning a major, I suppose) when it’s acceptable for players to go over the top with fist pumps and tree-rattling screams after making a clutch putt. You just don’t see that kind of emotion in other events. <br />
<br />
I’m looking forward to witnessing firsthand that kind of passion at The Spirit International next month. With the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Solheim Cup all resting in the hands of the Europeans, The Spirit is the next chance for the U.S. to win one for the red, white and blue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-60715616570903263832011-09-26T16:29:00.003-05:002011-09-26T17:00:07.514-05:00Woods Belongs on Presidents Cup team<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
About a month ago, I <a href="http://birdiechasing.blogspot.com/2011/08/keegan-over-tiger-for-prez-cup.html">wrote here</a> that Keegan Bradley was more deserving than Tiger Woods for a Presidents Cup captain’s pick by Fred Couples.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’d like a mulligan on that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Woods deserves to be on the team more than anyone. More on that in a moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As far as the Bradley vs. Woods conversation, Couples made it moot a couple hours after my post went live. He announced on Aug. 25 that Woods was his first captain’s pick. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvwE1HezRld6kTh46j_lIyial90zNaACPN_IW8Zi7fOc1hRtKza0k5aYmT4ntOQcUgzGB5awwlzhQSqynE4pw1qJurgZUtcf-Uz7KsX9rviBXpWW3MpkcrH0uCoZDk1h-b-d5NnwNcXs/s1600/Bill+Haas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvwE1HezRld6kTh46j_lIyial90zNaACPN_IW8Zi7fOc1hRtKza0k5aYmT4ntOQcUgzGB5awwlzhQSqynE4pw1qJurgZUtcf-Uz7KsX9rviBXpWW3MpkcrH0uCoZDk1h-b-d5NnwNcXs/s200/Bill+Haas.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Tour Championship and FedEx Cup </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>winner </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Bill Haas should receive the </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>final </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>U.S. Presidents Cup captain's pick. </strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Now, with Bill Haas winning the Tour Championship and the uber-contrived FedEx Cup on Sunday, Bradley’s chances are even slimmer to make the U.S. squad for the President Cup. While trying to predict anything that Couples does is about as effective as a Bermudagrass divot, we have to think the U.S. captain is going to tap Haas on the shoulder after his win at East Lake for the final U.S. spot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Bradley, meanwhile, recently said he would be “devastated” not to make the U.S. team. Couples reportedly will make his final captain’s pick Tuesday afternoon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Will Bradley, the PGA Champion, be left out in the cold?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Maybe not. Even if Couples takes Haas with the final pick, there is a chance that Bradley still makes the team.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Steve Stricker, the top-ranked American player in the World Rankings at No. 4, might not make the trip to Australia for the Nov. 17-20 match play exhibition. The 44-year-old has an MRI scheduled for his left elbow for issues with a herniated disk and bone spur. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Stricker wants to play, but he’s said he will defer to his doctors’ advice. There’s a chance Stricker could have surgery on his arm this week and shut it down for the year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Let’s get back to Woods. When I wrote that Bradley (and at the time, Rickie Fowler) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deserved</i> to be on the U.S. team more than Tiger does, I had forgotten what the Presidents Cup is. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It’s an exhibition. It’s about promoting the game and the goodwill that accompanies it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfNCFK0z2Ky8WNe7oftjaf26nV3OLvoI0UqEY2S1UVVkqLhVOduModEpCizrTKC6sIPlNE7WW-gt6Gpj8x10KokxSsmKOqeCM8WNHIqot1llJQBHw5X8ZwVn62EkI3KvHjX1cByrNBLU/s1600/Tiger+Woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfNCFK0z2Ky8WNe7oftjaf26nV3OLvoI0UqEY2S1UVVkqLhVOduModEpCizrTKC6sIPlNE7WW-gt6Gpj8x10KokxSsmKOqeCM8WNHIqot1llJQBHw5X8ZwVn62EkI3KvHjX1cByrNBLU/s200/Tiger+Woods.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Regardless of his recent record, </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Tiger Woods deserves to be on </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>the U.S. Presidents Cup team.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This isn’t the Ryder Cup. Sometimes we (I) forget that. The Presidents Cup is merely a showcase for the game. The Ryder Cup is Us vs. Them, and national pride is at stake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Nothing is at stake in the Presidents Cup. Want proof? Back at the 2003 Presidents Cup, the score was tied at the end of the final day. Woods and Ernie Els were selected for a sudden-death playoff as nightfall approached. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
You might remember that on the third extra hole—in the dark—Tiger made a 12-foot par save, and Els matched it with a slippery six-footer. The playoff should have continued, but captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were satisfied with the “showcase,” and they called it a draw. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
That would never happen in the Ryder Cup.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And since the Presidents Cup <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn’t</i> the Ryder Cup, I’d like to reverse my stance on Woods’ participation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
He most definitely should be on the U.S. Team. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
First, if the purpose of the event is to promote the game (read: get people to watch), then Woods is a no-brainer. No player in the last 20 years has meant more the game and the attention it receives than Woods. No player in the history of the game has done more to accelerate the game’s worldwide popularity. No one raised the amount of sponsorship dollars and prize money like TW did.<br />
<br />
More people will watch now that Woods is playing. It will be interesting to see how his game has progressed in the past months. Woods is always a story, and the Presidents Cup wants (needs) all the storylines it can get.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I maintain that Bradley belongs on the team. I hope he gets the nod. But once I remembered what the Presidents Cup is, I am totally convinced that Tiger Woods belongs on the team as much (or more) than any American player.</div>
Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-69528982601630475032011-09-17T09:31:00.005-05:002011-09-20T09:17:56.295-05:00Lesson from a Legend<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Jackie Burke’s putting stroke was as pure as love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
From 1950-1963, he won 16 PGA Tour events. He was an absolute wizard on the greens and got halfway home to the Grand Slam in 1956 when he won the Masters and PGA Championship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjld-q6aGSwmFmrX1zT4PmxDiCpWuL711lAJrE7Y6x0Ot3pZkWrRLMxiqER3aFKpbkpSLYz10SgNs41uDrl6fj719dSicAIM0B-VUN-JVNqkBVAgYDs6y7OXjwViBWivTfM5t2Uh6OAYls/s1600/Burke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjld-q6aGSwmFmrX1zT4PmxDiCpWuL711lAJrE7Y6x0Ot3pZkWrRLMxiqER3aFKpbkpSLYz10SgNs41uDrl6fj719dSicAIM0B-VUN-JVNqkBVAgYDs6y7OXjwViBWivTfM5t2Uh6OAYls/s1600/Burke.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Not many have ever putted </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>it better than Jackie Burke</strong></span>.<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>(Photo: Robert Seale, wsj.com)</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A five-time U.S. Ryder Cup team member (and the 1957 U.S. captain), Burke has given putting lessons to some of best who’ve ever rolled it, including Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
He recently gave one to the hack who writes this blog.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A couple days ago I was at Champions Golf Club, which was founded by Burke and three-time Masters champ Jimmy Demaret. The historic club was the site of the 1967 Ryder Cup, 1969 U.S. Open and 1993 U.S. Amateur and is home to more single-digit handicaps than any club in Texas. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I was there waiting to interview and shoot some photos of 17-year-old Kayli Quinton for an upcoming story in <em>Texas Links</em>. Back in 2006, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Golf Digest</i> named Kayli the most improved junior golfer in the state – boy or girl – and she recently won her third consecutive Greater Houston Junior City Championship. She has a great story. I look forward to sharing it with you soon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
While waiting for Kayli, I ran into the 88-year-old Burke in the pro shop. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“You’re strong,” he said, squeezing my bicep like he has done before. (My arms aren’t much bigger than Kayli’s, by the way. He was just being nice.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“What’s your handicap now?” he asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I told him and he said, “Not bad, but we can get that number down with his club.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
He had a putter in his hand. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Then he gave me a lesson next to a rack of $100 golf shirts. He told me putting the ball isn’t any different than rolling it across the green with your hand. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“You roll it with your arms,” he said. “You don’t hit at it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
With his open palm, he punched me in the shoulder. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“You can’t putt like that,” he said. Then he took the same hand and gently rubbed it up and down my arm. “You putt like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It was like those old credit card commercials: Putting lesson from a Masters champion? Priceless. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The next day in a media event, I made almost every putt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
One of my all-time favorite golf pro stories involves Jackie Burke. He was giving a tour pro a putting lesson. They were working on four-footers. When the pro missed one, Burke slapped him across the face – hard. The pro recoiled, and then asked why Burke did that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“When you miss a four-footer,” Burke said, “I want it to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hurt</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
They didn’t just break the mold after Jackie Burke. They destroyed it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-43140739594693339432011-08-25T12:40:00.005-05:002011-08-25T16:42:14.327-05:00Keegan over Tiger for Prez Cup?<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><strong>Note:</strong> Three hours after this post, the AP reported that Fred Couples has told Tiger Woods that he will be on the U.S. Presidents Cup team. I guess Freddy doesn’t read my blog.</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Phil Mickelson is a big Keegan Bradley fan. Who isn’t these days?</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The big left-hander weighed in on U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples’ two captain picks for the international exhibition in Australia (Nov. 17-20).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TXIwPnNehJcZIcFiZBxrVMmxewwNm9epeiXzJ-Ohb2eJSc2owTsEy_JAR13rLl0I21d1u9JijO-PgwgtE8FIXHVOcr5HwbepbPJWCMJ2Ejzj7L_fd1F_BaiGCcZFN8UAH7snH2q5gM4/s1600/Keegan+Bradley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TXIwPnNehJcZIcFiZBxrVMmxewwNm9epeiXzJ-Ohb2eJSc2owTsEy_JAR13rLl0I21d1u9JijO-PgwgtE8FIXHVOcr5HwbepbPJWCMJ2Ejzj7L_fd1F_BaiGCcZFN8UAH7snH2q5gM4/s1600/Keegan+Bradley.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship and</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">HP Byron Nelson Championship in playoffs.</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Asked if he would like to see the struggling Tiger Woods on the team as a captain’s pick, Mickelson said yes ... but not before his new buddy Bradley, winner of this year’s PGA Championship and HP Byron Nelson Championship.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I would like to make sure Keegan Bradley gets on the team,” Mickelson said. “He was not part of the tour last year and wasn’t able to accrue points like many of the other players. Being a two-time winner and a major champion, he needs to be on the team.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mickelson, who has played several practice rounds with Bradley this year, said he’d be OK with Bradley and Woods being on the team, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as long as</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bradley is picked first</i> and Woods adds at least one more event to his schedule before the Australian Open, which is a week before the Presidents Cup.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Only it looks like Woods isn’t adding another event before Australia.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Should Woods be on the team? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For years, my friend Andy in Kansas City used this hypothetical when it came to these kinds of questions: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If an alien life force came to earth and challenged us to 18 holes of golf to determine whether or not they would destroy the planet, Andy always chose Tiger Woods to represent earth in the hypothetical. The thinking was clear: For the past 20 years, Woods has been the best golfer on the planet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If the future of the human race depended on one golfer, Woods was Andy’s guy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He was my guy, too.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Andy and I haven’t had that debate in a while. No wonder why.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The question remains. Should Tiger Woods be on the Presidents Cup team?</span></div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuG2um887GemC9RFsqgXfzSZKnfKm4SXcDHfLw-HNoKed-J1JA1YCVGB8Z2SsiPRLOOK9omTsctdlaRacgxAbGMgv5xuO_DMOZUrLZzkaTyaAnUhYRB1EyT2cRjq9AFQ10j0bSkrY4Kw/s1600/Rickie+Fowler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuG2um887GemC9RFsqgXfzSZKnfKm4SXcDHfLw-HNoKed-J1JA1YCVGB8Z2SsiPRLOOK9omTsctdlaRacgxAbGMgv5xuO_DMOZUrLZzkaTyaAnUhYRB1EyT2cRjq9AFQ10j0bSkrY4Kw/s1600/Rickie+Fowler.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Rickie Fowler deserves a Presidents Cup </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>pick </strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;">more than Tiger Woods does.</span></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>P<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">robably not. He hasn’t played enough. He hasn’t been healthy (physically or mentally). When Woods has played, he hasn’t shown that he is anywhere close to the same player that was a no-brainer pick for Ryder Cup teams, Presidents Cup teams or Intergalactic Supremacy Matches.</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mickelson is right. Keegan Bradley needs to be on Couples’ U.S. squad. He’s playing as well as anyone right now. The skinny dude hits it forever and drops 30-foot bombs like they were tap-ins. He showed incredible guts down the stretch at Atlanta Athletic Club at the PGA Championship—bouncing back from a triple-bogey on No. 15 to birdie the next two holes and win in a playoff. </span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s all the proof Couples needs to know how Bradley handles pressure. The kid is a gamer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’d love to see Couples use his picks on Bradley and Rickie Fowler, who birdied his final four holes in last year’s Ryder Cup in Wales to scrape out a half point against Edoardo Molinari. Fowler is ranked 12th in Presidents Cup standings, trailing only Jim Furyk for non-qualifiers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As for Andy’s hypothetical, if aliens show up to challenge earth in a life-or-death match any time soon … I think we’re in big trouble.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-12511999481590507312011-08-18T19:53:00.004-05:002011-08-19T09:12:27.777-05:00Chasing Down Jordan Spieth<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This article appears in the August issues of </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DFW Links<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> and </i>Houston Links<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> magazines. </i></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A funny thing happened last month on the way to covering Jordan Spieth’s second national championship in the final match of the U.S. Junior Amateur in Bremerton, Wash. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well, hold on. It was more than one thing. And it wasn’t funny at all. Not then. It was about as far from funny as you can get. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It started at exactly 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 22. That’s when Spieth’s quarterfinal match began. I was writing a few stories for the magazines with one eye focused on USGA.com’s real-time scoring of the Junior Am. If Spieth won his quarterfinal match, my publisher would book me a (refundable) flight to Seattle to cover the 36-hole final match. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ah, but nothing is simple.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first catch: Spieth had to win in the quarterfinals <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> semis before I would step on the plane. Any loss pre-finals, and I was playing golf instead of covering it that weekend. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If he advanced to the finals, I would fly the red-eye to Seattle. Same routine as 2009, when Spieth won the U.S. Junior at Trump National in New Jersey. Good trip, there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If Spieth advanced this time, I’d get to Seattle about 1 a.m., plenty of time to find the Jimi Hendrix statue, locate the apartment complex from the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Singles</i>, listen to some Pearl Jam and still make it to the golf course in Bremerton for the 8 a.m. start of the 36-hole final.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The perfect plan. Right? Well, let’s see...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10:40 a.m., Friday:</b> Spieth goes 1 up through 2 holes in quarterfinals. Where’s my travel bag?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10:51 a.m.:</b> Spieth birdies, now 2 up. Start packing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">11:03 a.m.:</b> Spieth drops a hole, 1 up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">11:14 a.m.:</b> He drops another, all square. Packing stopped. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It went on like that for the next 90 minutes. Four times Spieth went 1 up then back to all square. Drove me nuts. Start packing, stop packing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1:28 p.m.:</b> Spieth wins 16 with a bogey, 1 up with two to play. My publisher finds a 6:50 p.m. flight to Seattle. His finger hovers on the “buy now” button.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1:39 p.m.:</b> Spieth wins 2 and 1. Publisher goes to buy flight. Sold out. Of course.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1:45 p.m.:</b> We find a 7:11 p.m. flight to Seattle on United Air, non-refundable. We book and pray Spieth advances. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That afternoon, fully packed and watching the semis online, Spieth loses the first hole. Son of a … wait. He wins the third hole. And the fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Seventh. Count ’em up: Five straight birdies! I can taste the Starbucks now. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4:24 p.m.:</b> Spieth is 5 up. Rental car? Booked. Hotel? Booked. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5:20 p.m.:</b> Spieth wins 7 and 5. Downloading Nirvana’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nevermind </i>for the flight<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5:59 p.m.:</b> Flight delayed till 8:30. These things happen. No big deal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7:05 p.m.:</b> Leave for airport.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7:35 p.m.:</b> Staring at Departures Board. My flight was just canceled. Suddenly I was 8 years old again, finding out Santa isn’t real. Beyond deflated. United books me on a 6 a.m. flight the next morning via Chicago. Puts me in Seattle at noon PST, in Bremerton at 1 p.m. Maybe I’ll catch the second 18.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10:48 p.m.:</b> Send Spieth text: “Flight canceled. Leaving at 6 a.m. Hope to get there by noon. Play well!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10:49 p.m.:</b> Receive text from Spieth: “What? Come on, you’re good luck. Hurry up and get here!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4:00 a.m., Saturday:</b> Alarm goes off. Hit snooze.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4:10 a.m.:</b> Alarm again. Climb into shower. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6:02 a.m.:</b> Board flight to Chicago. Sleepy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8:41 a.m.:</b> Plane lands. Grab iPhone to check progress of Spieth’s match. Two problems: 1) No wifi at O’Hare. 2) It’s only 6:41 a.m. in Bremerton. My brain is mushy.</span></div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSOHWgxp0WpYHnxEsdVOE7C9JKZFHbQQhciK2yXIS9gfV1isLQB7tgyzQxPJxkXmmN1fw9QOMvcQOuIvqOXbhdboTdOjy33IduwcfgHRYJOH7ZXgTlew9oOuhd1ithyphenhyphenxLtUvW2KoQrCg/s1600/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSOHWgxp0WpYHnxEsdVOE7C9JKZFHbQQhciK2yXIS9gfV1isLQB7tgyzQxPJxkXmmN1fw9QOMvcQOuIvqOXbhdboTdOjy33IduwcfgHRYJOH7ZXgTlew9oOuhd1ithyphenhyphenxLtUvW2KoQrCg/s200/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Killing time at O'Hare.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8:42 a.m.:</b> Check connection flight. Delayed till 11:22. Eight inches of rain in Chicago flooded the streets and put O’Hare at half-staff. Hopeless.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9:30 a.m.:</b> Delay pushed to 11:35. Publisher says I can just fly back to Texas. Hell no. Made it this far, can’t stop now. Maybe I can make the awards ceremony.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10:50 a.m.:</b> Delay pushed to 11:45. What’s the difference? Check on Spieth’s match. Oh yeah, no wifi. Helpless.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So I finally get on the plane and arrive in Seattle at 2:58 local time. Spieth was 6 up through 26 holes when I landed. He wins 6 and 5 a few minutes later. I text to tell him congrats and ask him not to leave the club till I get there. Like I have that kind of pull. Not even close. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a 15-minute wait at Avis (only counter with a line), I get my car and floor it. Forty minutes later I’m in the course parking lot. Running up to the clubhouse. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spieth is finishing up interviews. </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You missed it,” he says with an embrace. Then he sees what a travel-beaten wreck I am. “Geez, did you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">run</i> here from Texas?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, yeah. Missed the golf. But spent the next two hours hanging with Spieth, his dad, caddy and a family friend. We had drinks. Spieth gave me shot-by-shot recounts of his day. I took some photos. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Flew back to Texas at 6 a.m. the next morning. Eighteen hours of travel time for the 14 hours in the Pacific Northwest. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I got my story. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s funny now. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Mark Button, Texas Links Magazines</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-65972714496445430302011-08-15T22:44:00.014-05:002011-08-16T17:21:38.486-05:00Teachable Moments<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The marshal was just trying to do his job. It was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> he did it that bothered me. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In the end, there were teachable moments for all of us.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Last weekend was my annual golf trip to the Rocky Mountains with my high school and college buddies. For the past four years, we’ve met in Denver and drove up to Summit County to play golf by day and poker by night. Beers and scotch are imbibed. Cigars are smoked. It’s guys being guys, a much-needed respite from our work lives.</div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpDDRqp8leO75lTT_t_4QR1YSp7_5M1CzIp7eBlK6pushWbFGT325z6m2vNsDUaAHRmSJiyzKaLE-pk2I3p2a5m4huqFwsZIiT8wovaQ8TcFArexFtV6291T_n27nTCwUA5PyGlPMuCA/s1600/Colorado+Trip+2011+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpDDRqp8leO75lTT_t_4QR1YSp7_5M1CzIp7eBlK6pushWbFGT325z6m2vNsDUaAHRmSJiyzKaLE-pk2I3p2a5m4huqFwsZIiT8wovaQ8TcFArexFtV6291T_n27nTCwUA5PyGlPMuCA/s200/Colorado+Trip+2011+025.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>The first hole at the Keystone River Course </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>drops 300 feet from tee box to fairway</strong></span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our favorite track up there is the Keystone River Course, a quintessential mountain course with dramatic elevation changes and stunning views. <br />
<br />
From the first tee shot (which drops three stories to the fairway) to the downhill-then-uphill 18th hole, the River Course offers more than enough “oohs and ahhs” to overcome any loose swings or balky putter action that may occur.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It’s a resort course, but it ain’t easy. Like all the tracks around Summit County, the River Course provides a stern test. It’s not terribly long, but the tree-lined fairways demand accuracy, and the myriad cross hazards, elevation changes and doglegs make club selection and sound judgment requisite for anyone hoping to stick close to par. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry – the same guys who conjured Erin Hills in Wisconsin, site of this month’s U.S. Amateur and the 2017 U.S. Open – the Keystone River Course also features firm, deceivingly fast greens. They’re bentgrass, but there’s poana in them, too, so reading grain is critical, especially around the holes. Our group struggled with lag putts that rolled out well past the hole, which led to plenty of attempts that came up woefully short. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In past years, we played one round at the River Course and another somewhere else, like the club’s second 18-hole course, the Ranch or the nearby Raven Course. This year we played both rounds at the River Course.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We like it that much.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Which made the incidents with a particular course marshal all the more frustrating at the time. He was a genuinely nice guy; he took our photo the first day. He was knowledgeable about the course and seemed happy to help us.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On the second day, however, the same marshal twice overstepped his boundaries – at least in my opinion. In my group, we had two single-digit handicappers and two others who don’t play as much as they used to but can break 90 most days. </div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0SniQLMhTz0NXq66ktag9E_E1EYCQjdJmGf7AIKW1desDrSnhdgi_dOp5fFomZs2BF1_QosA_iVBa3FvdFHpoA0vuHgCdSHdlzNeWekNS8OmzI_w7LdIbc53UaOKRzoN9XjYbDxCJjo/s1600/Colorado+Trip+2011+117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0SniQLMhTz0NXq66ktag9E_E1EYCQjdJmGf7AIKW1desDrSnhdgi_dOp5fFomZs2BF1_QosA_iVBa3FvdFHpoA0vuHgCdSHdlzNeWekNS8OmzI_w7LdIbc53UaOKRzoN9XjYbDxCJjo/s200/Colorado+Trip+2011+117.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Andy thunders another huge</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong> drive into a postcard backdrop.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We all play fast, and the pace of play was pretty good for a Saturday. The group in front of us struggled a bit to keep their balls in play, but it wasn’t excessive. It’s surely a common issue at the tricky course; missing a fairway there can lead to a couple minutes of tracking down the ball (if you find it at all).<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
Don’t misunderstand. We weren’t agitated by the pace. We never complained about waiting. It was noon on a Saturday at a public course in a Colorado resort town. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Everyone there was on vacation, happy to be outside in the crisp, cool air. We were playing our favorite game on a course we love. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So it was a bit odd when the marshal showed up out of the blue and pushed my buddy Brett to take a drop on the sixth hole instead of letting him take a quick look in the heather grass where he hit his tee ball.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">He was pushy about it. There’s just no other way to describe it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1aNNG5AQdX2JY_96OkO1s_jpQ2ObeSWFfpBUEbiWDn_JbhM7AkWvAfXr3oaZYrrYPuzBWOzXLV0_EpBa2Y8Cp6tu4DO7snZOS7zwZuBJx9gSzXMkm4CCIQbUh8uoPP_VZ5dgqmGpOsg/s1600/Hole+No.+10+with+mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1aNNG5AQdX2JY_96OkO1s_jpQ2ObeSWFfpBUEbiWDn_JbhM7AkWvAfXr3oaZYrrYPuzBWOzXLV0_EpBa2Y8Cp6tu4DO7snZOS7zwZuBJx9gSzXMkm4CCIQbUh8uoPP_VZ5dgqmGpOsg/s200/Hole+No.+10+with+mountains.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>A typical stunning view at </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>the Keystone River Course.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The same thing happened on the 14th hole. We waited on the tee box five or so minutes for the fairway to clear while the group in front stocked up on drinks from the cart girl. They were almost certainly out of range for our drives, but as resort guests, we were happy to error on the side of caution. We waited for them to clear out before we smacked our drives.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I happened to be playing well – just 4-over through 13 holes – but I yanked my drive way left. I reloaded a provisional and pulled that one, too. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A minute later, we’re driving up the fairway. I jumped out of the cart and started walking up the hill, into the trees, hopefully to find my ball, punch out and save par.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">That’s when the marshal drove over and said, “I think it’s time you declare that ball lost and take a drop.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I thought he was kidding. I literally had been looking for about 45 seconds. I told him as much.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A heated exchange followed. He said we waited way too long to tee off and were slowing down play. I asked if he wanted us to hit into the cart girl and group in the fairway. He said they were out of range. How could we know that for sure? The ball carries 10-15 yards farther at 9,000 feet above sea level. Andy and Lance both hit drives well over 300 yards during the round. He wanted us to take that chance and possibly injure someone?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Blood boiling, I went on to make double bogey. Still fuming, I doubled the next hole, too. Thankfully, I righted the ship with a couple pars coming in.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The two incidents got me thinking. Golf is losing more players than its gaining. Participation on the national level has been flat at best over the past 10 years. In a down economy, we’re all trying to spend less money. Golf is expensive. Fifteen years ago, the game was healthy. Thanks to Tiger Woods, more people than ever were playing and new golf courses popped up everywhere.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now it seems like for every new course that opens, two or three others shut down.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DsKOsYlqIr7OHih5_GqbwpX6CI5uJ3zdVNumB74V6rOkTyczw8t78ZfJ5ghpZpDEEuckEUuD3WR5w8rB9550N_34iLc5YpUmaYI7zx1REG9yDdGYcRXV_Dfrdx2T8lFnOka9lMHKm8A/s1600/Jason%252C+No.+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DsKOsYlqIr7OHih5_GqbwpX6CI5uJ3zdVNumB74V6rOkTyczw8t78ZfJ5ghpZpDEEuckEUuD3WR5w8rB9550N_34iLc5YpUmaYI7zx1REG9yDdGYcRXV_Dfrdx2T8lFnOka9lMHKm8A/s200/Jason%252C+No.+12.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong>Jason stares down an iron shot.</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Pace of play is important, but when customers feel forcibly pushed around (especially when waiting on the group ahead of them all day), it sends the wrong message. We felt like the marshal wanted us to hurry up and get off the course, rather than enjoy the glorious day and amazing, scenic golf course. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It must be mentioned here, however, that the staff at the River Course has been attentive, friendly and welcoming ever since we started playing there four years ago. They always take great care of us – from loading up our clubs upon arrival to asking how we played and cleaning them at the end of the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>It compelled me to call Steve Corneiller, the course’s general manager, when I got back to Texas. Told he had the day off, I left a voice message. Within two hours, Steve called back. I detailed the situation from my perspective, and Steve couldn’t have been friendlier in response. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">He explained the club had some new employees and that he would seek out the marshal in question to review proper procedures.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“We want to be diplomatic more than anything,” Steve said. “It’s about being sincere and helpful.”</div> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Those are the two best words to describe Steve’s attitude. Sincere. Helpful. He heard me out in full and thanked me for the perspective.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“It’s always helpful for me and my staff to learn from these incidences so we can improve upon our services, and coach our employees,” Steve wrote in a follow-up email.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I wasn’t without blame, either. My teachable moment consisted of realizing – in the heat of the moment – that the marshal just wanted us to keep moving. He wasn’t picking on us. There was no need to get so defensive. I could have just taken the drop like he suggested. No big deal. </div> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Talking with Steve left me optimistic about the people who work tirelessly to ensure quality golf experiences. Course operators like Steve (he called me back on his day off, remember) and countless others here in Texas understand that they are in the customer service business. Golfers need to feel welcomed and taken care of while spending their hard-earned money.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Those of us in the industry need more people playing golf. Our jobs depend on it. Most of all, we need the ones who are playing now to keep playing. We need them to return to the places they love most and support their favorite facilities. For my high school group, that’s the Keystone River Course.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We’ll be back there this time next year.</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791577858119093460.post-31194352357655492222011-08-10T09:55:00.001-05:002011-08-10T09:56:18.635-05:00Tiger Shows ClassDuring his Wednesday press conference at the PGA Championship in Georgia, Tiger was asked about the comments from his former caddy, Steve Williams.<br />
<br />
Tiger took the high road.<br />
<br />
“It was good to see Stevie and Adam win,” Tiger said. “Adam has been a friend of mine, and same with Stevie. I sent Stevie a nice text after completion of play, congratulating him on his win.”<br />
<br />
Tiger was asked about the photos that were leaked Tuesday showing his agent speaking with Williams at Atlanta Athletic Club. Tiger, as usual, didn’t give details.<br />
<br />
“You’re right,” Tiger said. “They did talk.”<br />
<br />
The Williams comments had to light a fire under Woods. He’s not going to let us inside his head – he never has – but it had to tick him off. It had to motivate him, too.<br />
<br />
Maybe there are fireworks in store for the PGA Championship. Personally, I don’t think Tiger is ready to win again yet.<br />
<br />
But there’s no one in golf better at proving people wrong than Tiger Woods.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Mark Buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09155668695127423112noreply@blogger.com0