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| Golf is always more fun when playing with friends! |
- We've had 5 news makers already: Hole in Ones by Terry Jordan (#17), Jorey Price (#5) and Jason Minter (#10). And two age shooters, Tom Gilliland (71) and Carroll Reid Anderson (77). We have not heard from Grady Lantz who has been shooting his age for several years, even prior to 2011, when we arrived in Elk City.
- We started the Golfing Grasshoppers of Elk City last Thursday, April 21. We had 20 kids and we will continue the group every other Thursday. This aim of this program is to teach these, just pre-teen or teenager kids, the basic rules, etiquette and a little history of the game. In short, why they play, and how should they approach the game. Not surprisingly, not one in 20 knew who Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones or Sam Snead were, or, by the same token, Babe Didrickson or Byron Nelson. Zip. Favorite Golfers? All contemporary: Tiger (the oldest mentioned), Ricky Fowler, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth were most popular. No one mentioned Phil Mickelson.
- The first "Play Nine & Dine" was postponed. Weather was the main factor. It will be moved to the second Friday of every month, and price reduced to $30 per 2-Man team.
- Where is Jordan Spieth? Licking his wounds from the Masters. He will never forget his meltdown, but he will get over it and after he wins several more majors, he will still remember the one he let go. He is not the first major champion to have a meltdown down the stretch of a major. Arnold Palmer (1966 U.S. Open); Greg Norman (1986 Masters, 1989 British Open in playoff, 1996 Masters, "etc"), Ernie Els (British Open 2004), Paul Azinger (1987 British Open), Jordan Spieth himself (Masters 2014), Adam Scott (2012 British Open) among others, and he won't be the last. He is young and strong minded, he will come back and win again. I promise.
- Where is Tiger Woods? Well, the word is that he'll be coming back for the first week of May. Will he beat Jordan Spieth? NO!
- John Daly is turning 50 this week and will play his first senior tournament in Houston, at the Woodlands, where they used to play the Houston Open, He has mellowed out a bit, and I hope he is a good injection of enthusiasm for the senior tour. He should do well. And speaking of Daly
- He came into the golf scene by walking away with the PGA Championship in 1991 where he entered being a ninth alternate! Trivia question: who pulled out at last minute to open a spot for an alternate? It was Nick Price, whose son was born the same week. Who was John Daly's caddy? Squeaky Medlen, Nick Price's caddy... and who won in 1992? Nick Price, with, of course, Squeaky Medlen!
- And speaking about the PGA Championship... before "9/11" in 2001, the Ryder Cup was always every two years on a odd number year, so,, 1991 was a Ryder Cup year. Prior to 1991, the PGA Champion, if it was an American, was invited to play in the Ryder Cup team. For whatever (political) reason, John Daly was not invited, nor was he invited in 1995 after winning the British Open at St. Andrews. United States won in 1991 in the "War on the Shore" when Bernhard Langer misseed a five foot putt on the last hole of the last match against Hale Irwin, to hand the U.S. its first win in six years by a margin of 14 1/2 to 13 1/2. Had Langer made that putt, teams would have tied and Europe would have retained the cup.
- And speaking about the Ryder Cup... originally, the United States usually selected a captain who had won the PGA Championship and who was in his 40's. That changed in 1993 when Tom Watson was selected as captain (Tom never won the PGA Championship). During the 90's and early 2000's, the PGA of America could have chosen Larry Nelson as the captain, but, for whatever reason (internal politics) never did. Larry Nelson not only won the PGA Championship twice (1981 & 1987) and the U.S. Open (1983), but has one of the best records ever in Ryder Cup history (9-3-1) and never lost a singles match. So there, not even the PGA of America is perfect!
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