[Richard Choi]

Scott, with all due respect, I would bet a lot of money that John has taken plenty of drops during rounds in the past. Mudball is nice, but what does he do with plugged lies?

[Carl Nichols]

Has there ever been a lamer high-five celebration than the Azinger one, which they replay all the time?

[JNC Lyon]

Scott, with all due respect, I would bet a lot of money that John has taken plenty of drops during rounds in the past. Mudball is nice, but what does he do with plugged lies?

See my reply #76.  It should explain things for you.

[Tim_Cronin]

Since they're playing LCP all the way through Monday (unless there has been a ruling to the contrary), do the results go into the record book with an asterisk? It's good to know what's real golf and what's not. I put together the Western Open/BMW record book, and have been noting tournament rounds played under LCP. And I probably should do so more prominently.

[Pat Burke]

Delayed reply sorry.
Dan, I remember the Golfweb days
re: my "quotable" nature.  Pretty significant mouth before brain kind of guy.  Press usually likes that
I always believed it was important to ANSWER a question, and do so with your true belief.
Caused some issues with the Tour and an occasional player, but I always said what I believed, so I figured I just had to deal with that.
Regarding LCP, agree to disagree with many of the purist side, but also totally respect it.  I never played LCP
in Australia in the tournaments I played (that I remember), and due to great soils and designs, never thought it a problem.
I did play in quite a few tournaments where I believed we should have played LCP, but, I just played.
AND, much like my distance in golf beliefs, IMO the professional game is NOT golf.  It is professional sports, which rarely resemble the game that started in backyards, fields,driveways, frozen ponds etc. 
All sports (professional), are designed for one thing, REVENUE!  That's why we turned pro
I hate the Olympics with pros, and understand the aggravation with prof golf, I share a lot of it, but separate it from the game I teach to 98% percent of my kids.  The other 2% we work on many different things!

[Pat Burke]

BTW, The PGA of America makes SO much $$$$$$$$ in this thing.
How many apprentices were flown over to help/watch/learn this week?

Thanks for the PGTP money guys!   

[Dan King]

Pat Burke writes:
Press usually likes that

You were a class act -- something there wasn't a lot of on the Tour in the late 90s. Most of the Tour were pissed off about how the press covered Tiger Woods in those days.

It is professional sports, which rarely resemble the game that started in backyards, fields,driveways, frozen ponds etc. 

And I'd like to see even more diversification between the game of golf and the professional game. What do you think of taking the pro game and moving it indoors -- away from all the messiness of nature? Wouldn't that lead to a "fairer" game with the player who plays the best always winning. No worries about tee times, weather, fans getting in the way, etc...  The PGA Tour could build stadiums around the country, built for optimum viewing by fans and setup for televising over network or internet.

Ignore the fact that it has zero chance of happening, wouldn't playing indoor mean a game more to the liking of those of you who like their golf "fair".

Cheers,
Dan King

Golf is the cruelest if sports. Like life, it's unfair. It's a harlot. A trollop. It leads you on. It never lives up to it's promises. . . It's a boulevard of broken dreams. It plays with men. And runs off with the butcher.
 --Jim Murray

[Garland Bayley]

...
You say you play in wet conditions, but I really don't think you do. Come on up here in NW during winter and try to play as it lies. My drives regularly get buried in the middle of the fairway. I have LOST several balls that landed in the middle of a fairway!
...

Richard,

You really need to join a club that takes decent care of their course. I play all winter long and the only plugged lie I can remember was in a mole hill in a hazard. Not knowing the rules I went ahead and played it out of there anyway. Mud flew everywhere. Are we having fun yet?

[Jud_T]

4orry to get off the mud-ball topic, but why does the US suck at this thing?  It's so frustrating to watch the #2 player in the world stand over a 5 footer and know he doesn't have a chance in hell of making it.

[Rick Shefchik]

4orry to get off the mud-ball topic, but why does the US suck at this thing?  It's so frustrating to watch the #2 player in the world stand over a 5 footer and know he doesn't have a chance in hell of making it.

Jud, my answer would be that Mickelson (like most U.S. players) just can't wrap his mind around the idea that other players depend on the results of the putt. He's used to putting for himself, for money, and for his family. That's it. There's obvious pressure there, as well, but not the kind where your professional peers are let down if you miss. I feel pressure for all kinds of reasons when I putt, and I usually miss because of nerves, rather than mechanics. I don't believe pros are immune to that; I think they're just extremely good at adapting to the pressures they're most familiar with.

Why do the Euros putt so well in these competitions? Probably for the same reason Sergio and Monte couldn't win majors. They weren't as good as Mickelson and the U.S. stars at standing alone in the spotlight, playing, essentially, for themselves. Put them in a team setting, however, and they seem to take comfort knowing that 11 other guys have their back, rather than worrying about letting them down.

Dime-store psychology, I know, but it happens too often in these international competitions to be random.

 

[John Moore II]

4orry to get off the mud-ball topic, but why does the US suck at this thing?  It's so frustrating to watch the #2 player in the world stand over a 5 footer and know he doesn't have a chance in hell of making it.

I've never seen Phil stand over a 5 foot putt and thought he had a chance of making it. I mean, go back through the years, how many times has Phil blown events away by missing short putts, or mashing a driver into the woods or any number of other things? In spite of his winning 4 majors and 40+ Tour events, he's probably the worst pressure player among elite golfers there is. Tiger has generally failed to find good partners; he is 3-1-1 in singles prior to this year, more than respectable. The Euro's seem to free-wheel it a little more, just play easier. Americans are too uptight. That was the good thing in 2008 with JB Holmes and Boo, they didn't care.

Oh, and lets not forget about Dustin Johnson and his consistent gags in high pressure events; 2010 US Open anything remotely near par in the final round would have won; 2010 PGA Championship missed a 5-6 footer which "would" have won the event; even the Barclays this year where he could have won with a decent final round but put up Even or +1. So, what would lead us to think he'd play like gangbusters in the Ryder Cup?

[Mark Pearce]

Forget Mickelson's putting.  How about the one Francesco Molinari left short from 3 feet for the half on 16 yesterday?  The worst putt ever made by a professional golfer?  A near miracle that he managed to make that birdie on 18 after that.

[Terry Thornton]

How about the one Francesco Molinari left short from 3 feet for the half on 16 yesterday?  The worst putt ever made by a professional golfer?  A near miracle that he managed to make that birdie on 18 after that.

Incorrect, he made an even worse one earlier in the round. (not sure which hole, in the wee hours here) It looked even shorter and didn't touch the hole.

[Mark Chaplin]

Mark - just before that putt on 18 you could double your money on him holing it with Sporting Index. Sounds great but it was 8x stake if he missed needless to say I didn't trust the Italian!!

[JESII]

Perhaps the most premature topic in GCA.com history....

Agreed...which begs the question...what does the course actually have to do with exciting golf viewing? Next to nothing if you ask me...

[Jason Walker]

Jim S-
I'd the say the course did exactly as it was intended--it created memorable matches, exciting action, spectacular golf by the best players in the world....and perhaps most importantly, it did all that and withstood monsoon-like rain for two days. 

Easily the most premature--and perhaps most wrong--post on GCA.com

[Rick Shefchik]

This thread generated a good discussion on what golf should and shouldn't be...but the title premise has clearly been disproven this morning.

[John Moore II]

Course gave Hunter Mahan the chance to fold like a lawn chair, thats for sure. Blew one away on 12 or whatever hole where McDowell chunked one to 40 yards short of the green, now this 4 foot pitch he just made. Wonderful play.

[Jay Flemma]

Perhaps the most premature topic in GCA.com history....

agreed...but I can think of a few other recent threads that jumped tyhe gun too.  we need to think before we hit send and not be so quick to rely on old newspapers that may have everything wrong.

Two independent sources, please!!!

[JESII]

It never ceases to amaze me that someone can sit at their computer and call these guys chokers...incredible...

[John Moore II]

It never ceases to amaze me that someone can sit at their computer and call these guys chokers...incredible...

Hunter Mahan-1 down with 4 to play, lose 3 & 1 (not to mention, he made 1 'birdie' all day, a 3 on the true par 3 15th)
Rickie Fowler-3 down with 3 to play, Draw.
I just say it like it is; you tell me what to call hitting a pitch shot 5-6 feet from a perfect lie...

[Rick Shefchik]

In the rush to hang this loss on Hunter Mahan, it should not be forgotten that Cink missed two short birdie putts on 17 and 18 that would have won his match, and Furyk dumped his approach on 18 into a bunker from 100 yards. It was Mahan's misfortune to be the last U.S. player standing, so his play is what will be remembered.

I recall players on both sides saying that the putt Langer faced on 18 at Kiawah was more pressure than any golfer should be forced to deal with.  Mahan was in nearly the same situation. Glad it wasn't me.

[Matthew Rose]

I worry that Hunter will be unfairly scapegoated.

Getting a measly half point in six matches yesterday is where it was lost.... those players are as accountable as any.

[Mike Sweeney]

It was Mahan's misfortune to be the last U.S. player standing, so his play on 18 is what will be remembered.

Just to be clear, Mahan's match ended on 17. I only say that because he was in the difficult position of having to win 2 holes with 2 to go.

[Rick Shefchik]

Right -- it just seemed like 18 with the entire world surrounding the green. I'll change my post. Thanks.

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