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No golf at the Olympics
Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle will answer your questions every Thursday during the golf season. Click here to send him a question. As we're all in the grips of Olympic fever -- yeah, right -- now may be the time to point out that golf doesn't need to be included as an event in the near future. If the Olympics were still a pure event, featuring the best amateur athletes in the world, maybe golf would have a place. But it's a made-for-TV, all-for-profit extravaganza that would rank with the worst of golf's so-called silly season travesties. The Olympics need fewer sports, not more. Tennis at the Games is a joke. Golf would be, too. Call this idea a cab. Now this week's mail:
Arnold Palmer won four Masters among his seven majors. Tom Watson's dominant
event was the British Open, where he won five. Although Tiger has won one of
each, which is the most and least likely major for Tiger to win in the
2000s? At this point, Tiger's play is so much better than everyone else's, it's a four-way tie for most likely. Ironically, given the new setup in Augusta with pseudo-rough and old rollercoaster greens that introduce a major element of luck into the approach shot, the Masters may prove to be the toughest one to win. Not that anyone doubts he's going to win the 2001 Masters, however. The U.S. Open and PGA Championship are about fairways and greens -- Tiger gets the edge there. The British is about short game, imagination and shotmaking. And Tiger's the best at those, too.
So how do you think you would do if you entered, say, the Women's U.S. Open
tournament and played from the same tees? Would you have a chance or would
Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam and/or Se Ri Pak smoke you? Bob, I'm going to tell it like it is. I'd shoot 78-80 and miss the cut. While LPGA players' short games are less impressive than PGA Tour players', they're way better than mine. You should play in a pro-am at an LPGA event. It will open your eyes. Those women can play.
The Triple Crown of Golf? Come on! Did Lee Trevino get one of those trophies
when he won the U.S., British and Canadian Opens? Or are we going to just make
up new awards to give to Tiger in a feeble attempt to have him play in a
particular tournament? How about an award for the pro who performs the best on
the West Coast swing? Or an award for who plays best during the Florida swing
leading up to the TPC at Sawgrass? Give me a break. The backlash from all this
Tiger Woods media overkill is coming. Am I the only one who finds a problem with
this? Chris, you seem to have a lot of anger. You need to channel that anger and turn it into something positive. I think you need to read Earl Woods' book, "Training Tiger." It's sure to help.
Do you think Tiger Woods would have been a better golfer if Bobby Knight had
been his golf coach in
college? Absolutely. No doubt it would have been a nice break for Tiger after having been raised by Earl.
If Tiger used a shovel in place of his clubs, could he beat most amateur
golfers? No. But if Tiger and Bobby Knight each had a shovel in hand, I'd go with Knight.
Everyone compares Karrie Webb to Tiger Woods. Yes, they're dominating their
respective tours, but they're very different people. What's your take on
this? Tiger is the best golfer we've ever seen, an international icon and a worldwide media phenomenon. Karrie is golf's best female player at the moment, period. Unfortunately for the LPGA, the comparison ends there.
Is the PGA ever going to rein in the booming technology barrage? Titanium
drivers, hot balls, shafts -- the new gear is making supermen out of guys who
would be hard-pressed to hit it 270 with persimmon woods. Tennis controls its
gear, will golf follow
suit? Thank god for the Internet, Robert, since you apparently don't get TV or magazines up there in Saskatchewan. The U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient are golf's rulesmakers, not the PGA Tour. The USGA has decreed some hot drivers as nonconforming, notably Callaway's ERC model. However, the threat of lawsuits by golf equipment makers (remember the Ping square grooves squabble?) means it is unlikely the USGA will ever have the guts or financial resources to put its foot down on technological advances in equipment.
How is it that pro players make it look easy to get backspin when shooting
for the greens? What's the secret and how can I practice to get this shot
right? It's all about clubhead speed, clean contact and balata golf balls, Nigel, not those surly $9-a-dozen rocks you're playing. Here's the real secret -- take lessons.
Click here to send your golf question to Gary Van Sickle.
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