Spy on Golf: A (Mildly) Controversial Week
Written by First, let’s get this week’s Tiger-related headlines out of the way:
- “Couples picks Woods for Presidents Cup squad”
- “Tiger to tee it up at Frys.com Open”
- “Mediate rips Woods’ former, current coaches”
- “Haney hammers Mediate: ‘Absurd’”
- “Woods may not qualify for own tournament”
- “Tiger still searching for full-time caddie"
Whew! Did we miss anything?
Michelle Wie
No matter, that’s all the time were spending on El Tigre today. Other topics are top of mind, including an even more controversial pick for a U.S. team, eye-opening comments from women’s golf’s former queen about its would-be ruler, and Lefty’s flirtation with – you guessed it – the belly putter.
Onward!
Walker Cup choice a head-scratcher
You may remember John Peterson as the over-enthusiastic collegian who, after finishing second to fellow amateur Harris English in a summer Nationwide Tour event, claimed that “the top guys in college, the top 20 or 30 guys, can beat the top 20, 30 guys on the PGA Tour.”
Now Peterson has a new claim to fame – he’s the golfer who was inexplicably stiffed by America’s Walker Cup selection committee. (FYI -- The Walker Cup pits 10 top U.S. ams against their counterparts from Great Britain and Ireland.)
The snub is simply shocking, given Peterson’s current ranking as the world’s No. 7 amateur. He also won the individual title at this year’s NCAA Championship and, yes, outplayed every pro in that Nationwide tourney.
No one is saying for sure why Peterson was passed over in favor of Blayne Barber, a fine but far less accomplished player. But the lesson may be that if you want to stay on the good side of golf’s high-and-mighty, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.
Sorenstam’s remarks a Wie bit off base
Speaking of, well, speaking out of turn, Annika Sorenstam recently chastised Michelle Wie for prioritizing her education – her Stanford education, at that. “I think her focus, in my opinion, should be more on golf,” Sorenstam said redundantly.
Our take: Let’s applaud Wie for pursuing not only her degree, but all the knowledge that comes with it. It’s refreshing to see a young person who treats college as something more than an inconvenient stepping stone to a professional career (athletic or otherwise).
By the way, Wie finished second last weekend at the Canadian Women’s Open. If only she’d studied a little less…
Our two cents on a few more topics:
- Keegan Bradley tosses first pitch at Sox-Yankees game: His goal – throw it at least as far as his 71st-hole birdie putt at the PGA.
- Rory McIlroy opens with 65 in Switzerland: The wrist is fine. Any questions?
- Phil Mickelson tries belly putter in Deutsche Bank practice round: His set makeup – four drivers, six wedges, three putters and a rescue club.
