Hat tip

One Saturday evening, RT and I exchanged text messages in anticipation of the final round of the Master's tournament.  One thing we agreed upon was that the winner would not come from the final pairing of Peter Hanson or Phil Mickelson.

My pick was Louis Oosthuizen.  RT picked his namesake - Bubba Watson.

20 holes later, Bubba came through with a shot for the ages.

This post is to acknowledge how prescient RT was.  Too bad he wasn't as prescient when he picked Duke to go all the way a few weeks ago.

Anyway, I owe him a G&T the next time we meet in August.

Road from perdition

So, Tiger, did you learn anything?

(By the way, Tiger, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot ask that your private life be left private and then try to elicit sympathy from the public with commercials like this.)

A German bad guy?

The most surprising thing I have learned about Tiger Woods since Thanksgiving is that his middle name is Tont.

Tont? Tont!? Golfers around the world quaked in their boots when they heard Tont's footsteps behind them? Tont?!! Nothing surprised me more than that in the past 6 weeks and that's saying something considering how Tiger's life has unraveled faster than a spool of thread in an avalanche.

Gaping holes

Trolling through the news reports on Tiger Woods (and trolling is indeed the perfect word for it) I came across this gem from Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post. Written from Tiger's point of view, so to speak, it reveals how much we know about the fellow and how little he knows about himself. I love the perfect kicker at the very end (the article is distributed over two pages, by the way).

Nevertheless, I understand the relentless curiosity about me, given my sacrosanct greatness and all I do for the good of humanity, and so I have decided to release a statement, on the advice of my agent, media consultant, personal blogger, sponsor liaison and attorneys. But rather than give this statement to the authorities, who somehow think they have real authority over me, I have decided to post it on my Web site, where the little men with badges can also find news, biographical info, statistics, audio and video clips, photos and signature merchandise such as $75 drop-needle polo shirts and washable wool sweater vests, as well as framed art, naturally of me.

(...) Here is my statement: "I'm almost perfect. I only made one small mistake, ever. I will certainly make sure nothing like it happens again."

Among the questions I will not be addressing, when I next appear in public, after my face heals:

Make sure what never happens again?

Why would someone need to smash the two back windows of an SUV with a golf club to get me out of the front seat?

Did the club break?

And most importantly, did Stevie keep everyone quiet during the backswing?

(...) As I say, don't look to me for the replies to these inquiries, or any others, either. You want answers to questions? Read Andre Agassi's autobiography.

The namesake

When your uncle has been in the news once or twice, it is not surprising that your feats get recognized, too. Methinks that this young girl will not be anonymous much longer.

Watch out, Michelle Wie, here comes Cheyenne to steal your press.

That given Sunday

On any given Sunday, anyone can win, anyone can lose, anything can happen. But once in a while comes that perfect Sunday, when all the chips align themselves. Last Sunday was just that:

Roger Federer cried again, this time they were tears of joy. A huge monkey is off his back forever. Bring on the GOAT discussions (by the way, check out comment #5 in this discussion thread - Lendl was indeed the truth).

A dude who spent Sunday morning fretting over Federer then went out and produced an inspired ending to his own day. With 2 weeks to go for the US Open, all the pressure is back on Tiger Woods's shoulders, just where he likes it because it means he is playing well.

In the evening, the Los Angeles Lakers put Phil Jackson within 2 wins of winning his 10th NBA championship. Yes, tenth!!

But I did not watch Federer or Woods and barely caught the last 6 minutes of the 4th quarter and then all of overtime in the LA-Orlando game.

You see, I was capping my perfect Sunday playing cricket for a team that drove in the rain to Ames, played in bright sunlight, and drove back in the rain! But who cares, after all these stories were processed in my head the whole day felt like one long sun-fest.

King-ly corner

Stealing an idea from Peter King (of Sports Illustrated), here are some things I think when I am not thinking other things:

a) Why don't frontline bowlers get the luxury of a nightwatchman at the end of a long day when they have been at the mercy of a lifeless pitch? Can Sachin Tendulkar give me an answer?

b) I have a strong suspicion that Rahul Dravid is going to retire from Test cricket at the end of the India-New Zealand Test series.

c) If Sachin Tendulkar is batting in the high 40's the best way to get him out is to bring on a slow bowler or spinner. His need to get there with singles, and not by playing the ball on its merit, is making him very vulnerable lately (think White, think Patel, in fact, look at the names of the bowlers who got him out when in sight of a personal landmark (in the late 40's) in the recent past.

d) I think there should be a ban on using certain puns with certain players, such as, Tiger Woods and prowl in the same sentence, Rahul Dravid and the wall, Chris Gayle and cool, Laxman and wristy.

e)  Who will man the slips cordon once Sachin, Dravid, and Laxman exit the Test stage?

f) If the IPL is played in South Africa, is it still the Indian Premier League?

g) I wish I could golf more fequently.  I bet RT would agree!

Fore!

Here's a panoramic view of the Meadow Ponds Golf Course in West Virginia - a course where I honed my (very-limited) golf skills.  This video was taken in the month of March (which explains why the trees are so bare and the grass not as green).  

Yes, the wind does get pretty strong sometimes.  And that is indeed me missing my putt (for par).

On the prowl again

Years ago, Michael Jordan famously announced his return to basketball with a two word fax that said, "I'm back!". Today, Tiger Woods takes a more sedate approach in this ad.



He is humming "Eye of the Tiger", by Survivor, from the Rocky movies (Rocky III).

No pain, no gain

Tiger Woods recently won the US Open on one leg. Almost anyone remotely following the world of sports in the US would have heard about it. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, digs deeper into the Tiger mystique and tries to understand what makes the man.

(Note: The article is two pages long).

Believing is seeing

A lot has been written about Tiger Woods and, before he is all done and dusted, a lot more will be written. As he begins a charge at the Masters today, here's a guarded look inside the psyche of the man in an interview for ESPN. The total confidence in his abilities and the things that drive him towards higher goals are clearly demonstrated. Pay close attention to the rapid-fire question-answer session at the very end of the video.

Failure, to him, is not an option.

Tête - à - tête

During his heyday as the world's best golfer, Nick Faldo was known for his dour personality. Faldo's sense of humour has become more visible in the recent past, especially since he took to his role as a TV analyst as easily as a duck takes to water. Here in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Michael Bamberger, Nick reveals a little more of his persona.

Subtle humour - just the way I like it.

Not-so-different strokes

Virender Sehwag's batting is not from the coaching manual. He hardly moves his feet and relies mostly on a still head and amazing hand-eye coordination. Yet, he has forged an already impressive record in Test cricket.

Ironically, the very characterisitics that define his batting style, while defying the purist's views, are what holds him in good stead in a different sport. A sport where yelling four (fore, actually) is NOT a good thing. Yes, Virender Sehwag likes to golf, and better yet, the man is supposedly quite good at it, too.

I enjoy watching him bat, but this little nugget has just nudged him a little higher in my esteeem. After all a man who understands what golf is about has to have some substance in him!!

The last dance

Nick Faldo is currently better known as one of the best TV golf analysts. In the '80's and '90's, he was the world's best golfer and a feared one-on-one competitor (one of the best ever in Ryder Cup history). A couple of years ago, in his role as an analyst, Faldo criticized Tiger Wood's swing at the Buick Invitational golf tournament. Tiger Woods, who apparently never forgets an insult, hasn't communicated with Nick since then (not that Faldo has tried very hard to clear the air either).

This year at the British Open, which is set to begin in a few hours from now, the two will be teeing off together for at least the first two rounds. For the 49 year-old Faldo it is one last chance to relive some magic (he has won the British Open 3 times) before he joins the ranks of the senior golf tour. Faldo was always known for his focus and fierce determination to not let anything get in the way of his game. As the years have gone by he has mellowed a lot and has quite a bit to say on a variety of topics, both personal and professional.

For Tiger it is a chance to leave behind the mess that was the US Open and continue his assault on Jack Nicklaus's spot in history as the best golfer ever.

Fab Five to the fore

After three rounds of play, Woods, Els, Mickelson, Singh and Goosen are within 4 shots of each other at the Masters. A mouth-watering Sunday is in store today, and I am going to be glued to the TV watching it unfold.

My pick is still a man named Eldrick. He is the best under-pressure player I have ever seen (along with Michael Jordan) and this situation is tailor-made for him.

Silent whispers

Tomorrow, the Wimbledon of golf begins. It has been 10 years since my favorite golfer won the tournament on a day that is more famous for a Shark's meltdown. I do not know who will win it this year, but I do know this - my productivity over the weekend will decline to a near-flatline status.

And if I can convince CB to let me watch it on HDTV at his place, flatline status will definitely be attained.

Fore!

This summer some friends and I visited the World Golf Hall Of Fame. The highlight of the day was a chance to swing a golf club. They have an island green challenge where you get prizes for hitting 2 out of 3 balls onto the green, about 145 yards away, protected by water on all sides. Indicative of my abilities, I got only one on. If you look closely at this photograph you can actually see the ball on its way. Yes, this was the one that was on the right track!