Drowning In The Wake Of What Might Have Been

If you receive the weekly Atlantic Golf Radio E-Newsletter
I've already touched on just how unfair I am reminded the
game of golf can be.
Turnberry , Scotland...last week. The 2009 ( British ) Open
Golf Championship. After being teased when aging Greg Norman
set the tempo last year, here was Tom Watson at 59 years old
setting golf tongues all over the world wagging...Tom Watson,
already a five time Open Champion leading from start to the
72nd hole...Tom Watson missing a ten foot putt that would
given him the title - and forcing a playoff with "where have you
been all week" Stewart Cink. Cink had made a birdie on his final
hole to put himself in position. But no one - until the playoff
began was talking about Cink. Cink - a winner on the PGA tour -
but never a Major Winner..Cink - honorable , humble, modest,
certainly capable, but a golfer without the flash and sizzle of
some of golf's younger/other stars..a star without excessive
glitter.
And Watson - capturing everyone's imagination. His swing
seemingly unchanged by the decades - his smile seemingly
unchanged by the spotlight - and his composure seemingly
unchanged by what must have been excrutiating pressure.
Watson's romance with the Open and the people of Britain
is well documented. "Tommy" is an American but he is as
one of their own.
Watson truly loves the game of golf.
He's a student of the game - the way it's properly played -
it's history and traditions - and the way it's stars should be
expected to conduct themselves. Always in control - of the club
in his hand - and his emotions. Fatigue or nerves - what was it
that kept Watson from getting that fateful putt to the hole ?
If the putt had gone in - the story would have been THE GOLF
STORY of all time...the fact that his putt weakly broke away
and slipped right of the target made for just as big a story...
The letdown was every bit as charged as the event itself.
The miss as big a story as Watson's heroic 71 hole affair
with - well - what might have been.
Sadly - lost in all this is Stewart Cink...He received an
appropriate champions welcome home - and there is no doubt
his handlers will start fielding the calls for endorsement
deals - and Cink will be run off his feet for the next
twelve months skipping from million dollar appearance to
million dollar appearance - Everyone wants a piece of the
Open Champion ( Champion Golfer )...
But in the end when golfers talk about the 2009 Open, more
will forget who won than who finished - and how he finished
- second....
So you have to ask yourself..how long is the deal the RCGA
has signed to stage the Canadian Open the week immediately
after the British ? It'll be interesting to see how the
timing of the event affects ticket sales, player participation,
and the galleries. The Canadian Open still doesn't seem
to have captured much marquis attention...too bad.
Gotta go..cleaning and prep work to be done before company
comes tomorrow...
Til next time hittem long and hittem straight.

Canada Day

So lemme see now...rebuilt the shed, attended to a few other
outstanding domestic chores, managed to squeeze in a game
of golf, a nice supper, and have watched with interest as
NHL teams paid obscene dollars for some Free Agent hockey
players. Still no word at this point where Ottawa star
Danny Heatley will end up - he negotiated a no trade clause
in his year old contract - a new coach came in and demanded
that Heatley work both ends of the ice - so Heatley demanded
a trade. Heatley's not a particularly sought after commodity
so Ottawa worked out the best deal they could with Edmonton -
and Heatley's baulking. No trade clauses should be abolished
in professional sports. When athletes are making 7 to 20
million dollars a year there's not much a coach can do to
get a prima donna's attention. Pro sports is a mess.
Hockey players are better than most despite Heatley's efforts
to tarnish the brand. For my money tennis players are
among the worst on the men's side of things. Andy Roddick and
Roger Federer come to mind immediately. I saw Federer a couple
of weeks ago mistreat a nameless ball boy chasing him around
trying to give him a towel. Federer treated this youngster
with complete and utter indifference bordering on disdain.
Shamefull behaviour from one of the stars of the game.
I won't dither on long here...Except to say that I feel
very fortunate. I enjoy good health, have a terrific family,
a good job, I got my new Martin guitar this week ( replacing
one obtained a year ago that had issues )I play golf
every week with fellas whose company I thoroughly enjoy,
and have enough going on to most days keep me out of
trouble and entertained....
I shot 80 today. Bogeyed two short par fives, three short par
fours and slipped into a deep sleep on three other occasions.
Just another day on the golf course...another Canada Day on
the golf course...Happy Canada Day to you..
Bless.