The Common Golfer

The Presidents Cup has always struggled to be as important as the Ryder Cup, and now thanks to Greg Norman, it struggles to be relevant at all.  Yesterday, Fred Couples and Greg Norman announced their captain’s picks.  Couples selected Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan (statistically 1st and 3rd in the points after the 10 automatic selections), and Norman selected Ryo Ishikawa and Adam Scott.

I know what you’re thinking.  Is that the same Adam Scott who’s ranked 53rd in the world? Yes it is.  Is that the same Adam Scott who’s missed 10 cuts out of 18 events? Yep.  Same guy.  Is that also that guy that didn’t have enough FedEx points to even make it to the second event in the playoffs? You get the point.

In my opinion, I don’t see how this can be looked at as anything short of a mockery of golf.  I don’t mean to pile the hate on Scott; as Norman put it, “When you look back a year ago, Adam was the No. 3 player in the world. So everybody goes through a slump.”  However, the key word is slump – something Scott is still in the middle of, and likely will still be having next month during the Presidents Cup!  There are quite a few well-deserving players that are playing better than Scott right now – actually, I think I’d even qualify as playing better than Scott but unfortunately I’m from the US.

People defending Norman’s picks (if there are any out there), will point out that Scott was 14th in the international standings.  It’s a valid point, but that is almost entirely due to his great play last year.  And really, when you look at it, Norman’s pick of Ishikawa was pretty questionable.  However, I think it’s a very smart move to capitalize on the growth potential in Asia for the game of golf (especially on the heals of Yang’s major victory).

“Maybe somewhat unexpected. Obviously it’s been a tough year,” Scott said. “But I really am humbled. I feel like I can contribute points and contribute in the team room, as well.”  I just hope Adam didn’t have to cancel any vacation plans with Kate Hudson!

Lately, talk has centered around Tiger Woods potentially switching putters to the new Nike Method putter 001.  Tiger’s current Scotty Cameron putter has been in his bag for over a decade, but in the latter part of the 2009 season his putting has been well below his “Tiger standards.”  The controversy has started after Woods was given a Nike putter on the first tee at the pro-am for the Deutsche Bank Championship.  He studied the putter for awhile, then gave it back to the Nike rep to make an adjustment with the grip.

With the Nike Method putter currently listed as his backup putter, my advice to Tiger is:  ”DON”T DO IT!”  Think of all the memories.  13 of your 14 majors (the 14th major was with a different Scotty Cameron putter).  Nearly all of your 70 career wins.

I guess most tour pros don’t go an entire career with only one putter, but most tour pros don’t win 70 tournaments (and counting)!  Does anyone find it odd, though, that Tiger’s backup putter is a Nike?  Shouldn’t his backup putter be identical to his “first string” putter?  I’m sure his backup 4-iron is the same make/model as his usual 4-iron.  It almost seems as if he’s looking for an excuse to switch putters.

And let’s not forget that Scotty Cameron makes the best putters in the industry (not a paid endorsement, just an opinion…but seriously Titleist, can I get one of the new California series putters?).  It should be noted, however, that this summer has been great for Nike, and they stand to gain a lot of market share after Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink both used the new Method putters to win majors.

Even the greatest golfer in the world will have rough stretches with the putter.  So please, Tiger, let’s not do anything hasty!

Who?  Yes , you’re reading correctly – Ted Purdy will be this week’s winner at TPC Boston.  How can I be so sure that a guy with only one top 10 finish all year will suddenly win?  Because that is the only outcome possible that can make the FedEx Playoffs more absurd!

Heath Slocum seems like a great guy and all, but how the hell does the #124 player pull a victory out of his ass, and climb all the way to #3?  So we’re now operating under the assumption that Slocum should be ranked higher than Phil Mickeslon (#10 with 2 victories this year), and US Open champion Lucas Glover (#9), just to name a few?

This just in:  Jean Van De Velde just outscored his three buddies in their weekend foursome (I assume that’s what he’s doing these days), and has now catapulted to #5 in the FedEx standings!  Can you believe it?

If this is the sort of drama the tour is trying to create, they might as well take the FedEx standings at the end of the season, flip them upside down, and see if Tiger can claw his way from last place all the way to the top in four weeks.  The PGA will need to make some serious changes soon, or they risk having a disaster much like the BCS system in college football.  The last thing we need is the field of 35 at the Tour Championship filled out with people like James Nitties, Mark Leishman, Kevin Streelman, and Scott Piercy (actual players no one has heard of, that still have a chance in the playoffs).  *disclaimer:  no offense to any of the players above.  I’m sure they’re great guys