THE LUCKIEST GOLFER

The Miami Herald ^ | Tue, Jul. 22, 2003

[presidio9]

With all due respect to PGA Tour golfer Ben Curtis, the title, ''Champion golfer of the year,'' seems an awkward fit. Mr. Curtis is an unknown rookie who walked away with the claret jug on Sunday in the British Open.

The Open, one of golf's four big tournaments -- or majors -- is intentionally designed as a grueling test. Playing conditions are awful -- it often is cold, blustery and wet. Fairways are pinched to the width of a traffic lane, the rough is knee-deep, and greens are as slick as a marble tabletop.

Usually, the Open identifies the golfer who is the best player, has control of his emotions and the patience of Job. Sunday's final round began with Mr. Curtis and some of the world's best players, including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Thomas Borjn, David Love III and Sergio Garcia, bunched within two strokes of each other. By day's end, Mr. Curtis emerged victorious because he shot the day's best round, a 69. He also won because in the course of the week, he suffered fewer ''unlucky'' breaks. This happens when course conditions are so severe that excellent shots aren't always rewarded and bad shots get ''lucky'' bounces. Organizers should ponder if the 2003 Open put too high a premium on luck.

[monkeyshine]

He's the champion because he had the low four-day score

Exactly. He played the most consistently, studiously, and of course he practiced practiced practiced! Kudos to Mr. Curtis.

[hattend]

Usually, the Open identifies the golfer who is the best player, has control of his emotions and the patience of Job. Sunday's final round began with Mr. Curtis and some of the world's best players, including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Thomas Borjn, David Love III and Sergio Garcia, bunched within two strokes of each other.

Why attack Curtis just because he, as an unknown player, won the Open? It would be more accurate to say perhaps the world's best players choked. The Miami Herald staff must not play much golf.

Well done, Ben Curtis!!!

[dead]

Thanks for the description of links courses. I've heard the term, but never knew what it described.

I've only started watching golf telecasts in the last few years.

[Sloth]

Whatever Miami retard wrote this, I bet in November 2000 they were screaming for a recount because that outcome wasn't "fair", either.

[irish_links]

Clearly the author did not pay attention to Mr. Curtis's outstanding shot making on the first 12 holes of the fourth round. Ben hit a series of low drawing approach shots with near perfect shape, trajectory and distance. What may have appeared to be lucky bounces to an individual who knows little or nothing about golf were nothing of the sort. The shots were perfectly conceived and executed. Moreover, his putter was true under the most pressure filled conditions imagineable.

Although Ben's play deteriorated down the stretch, he held his composure and navigated the final holes without making a major mistake. And, of course, the putt on the 18th green was a marvel of strenght and fortitude. Good show all around.

Ben's victory may have been a fluke. Only time will tell if he is a true champion or just another Rich Beem. But, take nothing away from his performance at Royal St. George's. Ben was not in the least lucky last week. We the viewers were the lucky ones, having been given the opportunity to watch something truly remarkable: the emergence of the Francis Ouimet of the Twenty-first Century.

[LiberationIT]

Yea verily!

[Gamecock]

I played The Old Course and Carnoustie last week (for those who don't know, both are British Open Courses) They ate me up and spit me out. They are tough, unforgiving, and a heck of a lot of fun.

Face it, he maintained his composure and played great golf! Hope to see a lot more of hime in the future.

[hattend]

As she demonstrated at the much easier Colonial, she would have thoroughly embarassed herself.

Dang, Sergio must have been pissing his pants

He didn't make the cut, either.

She didn't look too embarrassed on Friday afternoon.

[hattend]

Bump what you said.

[presidio9]

He didn't make the cut, either.

Unlike Sorenstam, Garcia has actually qualified to play in a PGA Tour event, and made a cut (actually, he's even been competitive from time to time).

She didn't look too embarrassed on Friday afternoon

Was that before or after she cried during her interview and said "I won't be back. I know where I belong."

[Moonman62]

Geez, did someone on the Herald's editorial staff lose some money this weekend?

They are upset that an American won, and that the winner wasn't determined by a government committee using research from a $200 million government grant.

[hattend]

How do you feel about Suzy Whaley?

[presidio9]

How do you feel about Suzy Whaley?

Until a woman qualifies under the same rules as her male competitors, all she is doing is taking bread off of somebody else's table. Whaley played from the ladies tees. She does not belong out there either. Sorenstam, the best female golfer in the world, proved pretty convincingly that women an not compete with men. Even on hand-picked courses. Stupid publicity stunts notwithstanding, women ARE different from men.

[hattend]

I guess the PGA needs to change their rules and close the loopholes. No more sponsor exemptions and/or LPGA qualifiers.

Hmmm...that may take some bread off somebody's table.

I'm not going to bemoan the point, there was a huge thread before the Colonial. But if these women are getting in by the allowance rules and the men don't like it, they better petition for rule changes.

[presidio9]

No, what we should really do is change the rules to make it easier for women to win. It is not fair that men dominate men's sports. The glass ceiling is alive and well in men's athletics, and the only way to break through it is with the help of fair-minded legislation.

[hattend]

sarcasm noted. :-)

[an amused spectator]

You have to remember that certain posters on this thread made the claim that Tiger Woods would regularly shoot four rounds in the 50s on LPGA tour courses.

Any golfer knows that shooting ONE round in the 50s takes more than perfection. ;-)

[benjaminthomas]

all she is doing is taking bread off of somebody else's table

Au contraire. She helped put lots of money in lots of people's pockets. Lest we forget, the huge purses that have benefit ALL of the tours are made possible (as is the huge amount of charity done by the Tours) because of -- you guessed it -- sponsors and television. Both of which were thrilled with Sorenstam's participation.

[presidio9]

Au contraire. She helped put lots of money in lots of people's pockets. Lest we forget, the huge purses that have benefit ALL of the tours are made possible (as is the huge amount of charity done by the Tours) because of -- you guessed it -- sponsors and television. Both of which were thrilled with Sorenstam's participation.

Sorry to be the one to break the news, but it looks like you are just another vicitm of liberal brainwashing:

Fact: Every single LPGA event, including the Women's US Open loses money. Like the WNBA it is supplemented by the PGA in yet another case of political correctness run amok. The PGA Tour is made possible because of sponsors and television. The other tours are made possible by the PGA Tour, with the exception of the one other event that actually makes money: The Senior Open.

Fact: Everyone involved had no choice but to act enthusiastic about a bald-faced publicity stunt at the risk of sounding mysogenic. Vijay Singh was crucified for not voicing the party line.

Fact: Sorenstam missed the cut. She appeared on daytime TV for two days. The so-called "casual golf fan" who might have been encouraged to tune in for the novelty had no reason to do so when she was gone during the commercially valuable weekend telecasts.

Fact: Her inclusion most likely kept a player who actually had a competitve chance, such as Hank Keuhne, out of the field.

Fact: The ratings increases over last year's Colonial were negligible. Especially when you factor in the fact that we had terrible weather over most of the country. People would have been watching regardless.

[benjaminthomas]

I've been brainwashed by nobody. Look, I don't for a minute think Sorenstam, or anyone else on the LPGA tour can compete with the men, at least not on a regular basis. Frankly, I thought she would shoot 80-77 -- and I was a bit surprised that she did as well as she did.

But the fact remains, her participation thrilled both TV and the sponsors. It led to huge publicity for the event itself, as well as for future LPGA events. Whether the other tours lose money or not is irrelevant -- they'd lose a helluva lot more without sponsors and TV. And frankly that's irrelevant too -- the sponsor can give an exemption to anyone they want to -- with the possibly limitation being that they must have a scratch handicap or better (I'm not sure of the exact rules).

Nothing prevented them from giving a spot to Sorenstam, just like nothing prevents them from giving exemptions to all kinds of over-the-hill or "local hero" players every week of the year. Funny we never hear about them taking bread off the table of the Hank Kuehnes of the world when they let Arnold Palmer play.