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Look Back: Aug. 22 1952: Mickey Wright wins her first national title, the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. Wright, who would go on to become one of the LPGA Tour's all-time winners, defeats Barbara McIntire 1-up in the final. 1971: Tom Weiskopf wins the IVB Philadelphia Golf Classic by one stroke over Dave Hill. 1993: With a tournament-record 45 points, Phil Mickelson wins the International by eight points over Mark Calcavecchia. 1999: David Toms totals 47 points, eclipsing Phil Mickelson's previous record of 45, to win the Sprint International.
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Equipment
Graphite Design
International announces that its popular YS shaft, which has been
used by 17 PGA Tour winners the past 18 months, is now offered by Cleveland
Golf for use in its golf- club woods, including the new Launcher driver.
For
more...
People
Nationally recognized
cartoonist Guy Gilchrist will feature former U.S. Open winner Tommy
Bolt and Razor Golf in the upcoming installment of the Nancy
comic strip on Sunday, Aug. 25.
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MacNeill Engineering
Worldwide promotes former Director of Operations Jeff Dow to
Chief Operating Officer (COO). In addition, President Harris MacNeill
will assume the role of CEO.
For
more...
Events
Four women have already
reached the 300-yard mark in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship
qualifying: Lisa Vlooswyk at 309 yards, 13 inches; Lee Brandon at
308 yards; Selena Wilkes at 305 yards; and Jennifer McLeod at 301 yards,
6 inches. The RE/MAX World Championship is Oct. 16-20 at the Palms Golf
Club in Mesquite, Nevada.
For
more...
Business
Component maker Golf
Gear Intenational releases second-quarter results that show a 48 percent
decrease in sales over the same period last year. Company officials point
to poor spring weather and an inventory adjustment from a major customer
as the problems, and say they'll be pursuing more foreign sales.
For
more...
Edge Technology
Group sells its "One-on-One" assets to Visual Edge, Inc., a newly
formed corporation that is purchasing Edge's rights to the name "Visual
Edge" as part of this transaction. "One-on-One" CD-ROM and videotape
golf lessons feature instruction by leading professional golfer Greg Norman.
For
more...
Health
Greg Norman
joined his arthroscopic surgeon, Dr. Marc Philippon, to announce
golf medicine initiatives underway at UPMC Health System. One of
the new additions is the Greg Norman Fellowship in Biomechanics, a full-time
research position in the center's Neuromuscular Research Laboratory.
For more...
Commentary
Trouble brewing
at The Belfry
"And
my first pick, Scott Verplank."
With
those words U.S. Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange was ready to embark
on a journey to defend the cup Samuel Ryder donated to generate solidarity
between the U.S. and Great Britain in the 1920s.
That
unity between the U.S. and Europe, which has been evident in the past
in both peace and in war times, is now seriously in question on the links.
The War at the Shore at Kiawah Island, S.C., in 1991 was the beginning
of the end of golfing solidarity, as we know it.
Bernhard
Langer's missed putt on the 18th green gave the Americans the Cup that
year and they defended it in earnest two years later at The Belfry. But
the animosity of 1991 lingered and the Americans were booed, portrayed
as unwanted intruders invading the shores of England.
At
Oak Hill in 1995, the United States had a good team, maybe the best since
a convincingly easy win in 1981 at Walton Heath. But the Americans got
waxed in the final day's singles and the Europeans celebrated on our shores
like they had won the Revolutionary War -- and it did not go down well.
The
United States hoped to regain the Cup at Valderrama in 1997, but nobody
on the U.S. team showed up and the Americans left the shores of Costa
Del Sol with tails between their legs, and longing for the 1930s when
matches were won with ease.
Then
came the infamous 1999 Ryder Cup. The Americans had to win, needed to
win for national pride, but played poorly the first two days. Sunday singles
went the way of the Americans early, whipping the crowd into a fever pitch
as the day unfolded in their favor.
By
the time the matches were in full gear, the crowd was in overdrive and
they kept that level throughout. Call it American patriotism turning ugly,
but the crowd said many things that day to the Europeans that they will
never forget. Then Justin Leonard, who had been down all through the day
in his match with Jose Maria Olazabal, made the putt on the 17th green
that was not only improbable, but unbelievable and sealed the deal for
the U.S. The players went wild, the crowd went wild, and the Cup was in
hand.
Nerves
were frayed after the match, and the Europeans left unhappy with not only
the loss, but also how they lost.
Now
we come to 2001 at the Belfry.
Captains
Strange and Sam Torrance have preached solidarity for these matches. They
have met to try to mend the fences of the events that unfolded at The
Country Club in Brookline, Mass. But when asked about what is more important
-- winning or bringing civility back to the event -- Strange made it clear
both were important, but he was going to win.
Don't
be misled by the public pronouncements. Both captains are single-minded
in their determination to win the Cup. If they weren't, they wouldn't
be the captains.
This
Ryder Cup will be between the immovable object and the irresistible force.
Like the first atomic pile in the 1930s there will be a big explosion
at The Belfry. God help us.