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It plays 137 yards from the back tees and may well be the hardest hole in golf. But is it golf?

The 17^th. hole at the TPC Sawgrass is a great “spectator” hole; and think that “Nascar” (people who are always waiting to see a  good wreck) fans embrace it because of all the things that can and do, go wrong there.

The problem that we have with the infamous 17^th. is that it does not reward a great shot. Case in point was Thursday’s opening round where Brandt Sneddeker hit a perfect wedge to the back left pin location. The ball (which was struck very well and had the right amount of spin) landed 20 inches from the hole, bounced on a hard part of the green and trickled 20 feet over the back edge into the water. Unfair.

There is nothing wrong with making a hole or course very difficult. In fact, most of the best players in the world prefer to compete on courses that test every part of their game. There is however, a fine line between difficult and goofy.

Two formidable young players won Tour events yesterday. On the PGA Tour, Anthony Kim broke through for his first win (we, as well as many others, have predicted a huge future for this young man). Kim is 22 years old and has the makings of a star. He is very long, hits a lot of different shots and has absolutely no fear (which sometimes also comes across as arrogance).

On the LPGA Tour, 21 year old Paula Creamer won her sixth event after a play-off with the ageless, Julie Inkster. To have done so at such an early age is really quite amazing but it goes largely unnoticed because of Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam. Creamer seems to be a genuinely nice young person, who also has all the tools to become a superstar. Winning 6 Tour events by the age of 21, though, is truly remarkable.

So special. Darren Clarke, just sunk a 40 foot putt on the last hole of regulation play, to win the Asian Open by a shot, claiming his first European Tour victory in nearly five years. Two years ago, Clarke’s wife, Heather, lost her battle with cancer and Clarke has had to overcome a great many obstacles:

“With everything that has gone on these past few years, to spiral down the world rankings and keep working and people writing me off, it’s just nice to come back and play the way I know I can,” said Clarke.

Ordinarily, one of the most popular professionals, who has an appetite for fun, Clarke has been a somewhat tragic figure whose generous and playful nature has been overshadowed by the enormous sadness that he has endured. On Sunday, Clarke smiled again.

So this game proves yet again, to be a tonic, for Life’s, often hard, realities.  

On Saturday, Beth Bader was teeing it up at the LPGA’s Stanford International Pro-Am, even though she had missed the 36 hole cut. Why? Because, she was partnered, in the Pro-Am part of the event with 23 year old, Aaron Theobald, and they were leading the team part of the tournament.

Theobald has been dealing with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) for the last 7 years. During that time, he has been through several rounds of chemotherapy and spinal taps. Theobald has also had two hip replacements.

Bader lost her Mother to cancer in 2004 and is extremely active in raising awareness and money for charity on the LPGA Tour. Bader was in tears after Theobald holed the winning putt on the last green. “Hearing Aaron’s story, how he’s battled what he’s battled at such a young age, it obviously touched me, and still touches me” Bader said.

Golf cannot replace the loss of Heather Clarke or Susan Bader (Bader’s Mother). But it can and does, find ways to reward those who struggle and battle, those who persevere. It is a parallel of Life in so many ways.

Throughout the history of the game, all the greatest players have had “swing quirks” that might not be ordinarily taught. The commonality, of all great players, though, is that they do the same thing, every time (and this is the lesson that we can all learn from them). They understand their weaknesses but play to their strengths. We thought it might be interesting to come up with examine some of the “quirks” of these players and why they do/did what they do.

JACK NICKLAUS: Had a “flying right elbow”. Ideally, at the top of your backswing, you want to have your right elbow (if you are a R/Handed player) pointing at the ground. Nicklaus’s right elbow pointed outwards at the top of his swing. This helped him, fade the ball (about 10 yards) and he played pretty much all his shots, that way. Worked pretty well for him.

SAM SNEAD: Hit every shot with a closed stance (aiming to the right and “pulling” the ball back on line.

LEE TREVINO: Arguably, the best “ball striker” of all time. When Trevino first came on the scene in the late 60’s, his “out to in” swing path was the source of much ridicule (nobody else had ever swung like that). Although, most teachers today agree that, although he had a very exaggerated version of the swing plane, that that is the correct path of the club.

TODAY’S MODERN PLAYERS:

JIM FURYK: Trevino on steroids. Furyk almost completes a “figure 8” in his swing but (a British sportswriter once described his swing as “an octopus swinging in a phone booth”) is also the most accurate player on Tour. Same swing, every time.

LORENA OCHOA: Her head “bobs” up and down at impact. Primarily this is because she is a wee little lady, who creates enormous swing speed with her club. Her “head bob” stabilizes her body at impact (doesn’t allow her to get her body too far in front of the ball).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Annika’s head moves laterally forward during her forward swing (the opposite of Ochoa). She does this to keep her body turning towards her target. Curtis Strange had a very similar move, except that his head shifted laterally (about 8 inches) during his backswing, as well as his follow through.

Which other players impress you with their “quirkiness”?

As usual, The Masters, was gripping theater. It is golf’s center stage and as such can reveal so much about its participants. 2008 produced a very worthy winner in South African, Trevor Immelman. The 28 year old Immelman, who has carried that “can’t miss” tag for 10 years, may indeed be the young player that we have all been waiting for, to rival the incomparable, Tiger. Only time will tell.

There were certainly a great many moments which will have been duly recorded by writers all across the world. How, during Saturday’s round, Immleman’s third shot somehow stopped on the bank of the 15^th green. Long time Master’s observers, will tell you that they have never seen that happen before. How 30 years ago, Immelman’s idol, Gary Player, won his last Major on this stage. The picture of a toothless Immelman at age, 6 sitting on Gary Player’s shoulder. All remarkable stuff.

What I found most fascinating was watching the styles of the two foremost combatants. Immelman is a Craftsman/Analyzer. You hear it in the way he talks, watch it in the way he carries himself and see it in his swing and routine. He is deliberate and meticulous. Nick Faldo, during the TV commentary, relayed the story of Immelman picking his brain during a tournament in Asia, four years ago. Asking Faldo, what he did to prepare for Major’s, what he ate, how he played his practice rounds etc.

Immelman has tapes of the Masters tournaments since 1984. Not only has he watched the tapes but he has studied them as a philosopher would study an ideology. He has spent hundreds of hours watching the best players in history. This meticulous homework, is of course, pure Analyzer. But he is equally, a Cratfsman. Immelman constantly talks about the importance of his family (his brother is his caddy). During the Green Jacket presentation, he spoke about the sacrifices that his parents and siblings have made for him to allow him to pursue his dream. That none of this would have been possible, without his family.

The other featured role in this year’s event was played by Brandt Snedeker. Snedeker is a 27 year old from Nashville who was playing in his first Masters, as a professional. He is a very gifted young man, who has a savant-like, short game. An out and out Persuader. Playing in the last group with Immelman, Snedeker made 1 Eagle, 2 birdies and 9 bogeys, with 6 pars. Throughout the tumult of his round he was always smiling and waved graciously to the applause after each one of his bogeys (even though he must have been ‘dying’ inside).

Snedeker plays quickly with a sort of “throw caution to the wind” style (more classic, Persuader traits). He has a vivid imagination as witnessed by his chip shot from the green, that he sunk for a birdie on Friday. Snedeker has a ready smile for all those who acknowledge him (Persuaders care, very much, about what people think of them) and would probably be a fantastic person to spend time with. A people person.

In his post-game interview, Snedeker could no longer hold back all the emotion and was crying. Normally that would be a turn-off except that in this case it was simply the honest, outpouring of emotion, that he had been keeping in check, all day. As opposed to the way that Sergio Garcia behaved last year after losing the British Open, where he (Garcia) blamed everyone and everything else for his failure, this was, just a very real and honest explanation of how Snedeker, felt. His actions and the way he carries himself, are indicative of someone playing in their style. We have not seen the last of young, Mr. Snedeker.

Two very contrasting styles of two very admirable young men, in one very memorable, Masters.

Sunday at Augusta. The best day in tournament golf, of the year. This year should prove no exception.

There are several reasons why The Masters is such thrilling theater. Most poignant, is that the players have to be so exact with their shots that on any given hole, they can make a birdie or a double bogey. Unlike the US Open for instance, where each par made is an accomplishment, there are birdies to be had at Augusta; but only for, perfectly struck shots.

There are three young players at the top of the leaderboard, whose time has come. Trevor Immelman (who Gary Player compares to the great, Ben Hogan), really showed his mettle yesterday. He could have “lost it” early in his round as he missed two very short putts in the first few holes but he kept his calm and hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation (no mean feat) and played almost flawlessly on his back 9.

Brandt Snedeker, who may be the best American player under the age of 30, also showed true grit, after making 3 consecutive bogeys on “Amen Corner”, he rebounded by playing his last 6 holes in 3 under. The strength of Snedeker’s game is his short game. He has an artists’ imagination with his chipping and is a superb putter-valuable tools indeed for Augusta.

Englishman, Brian Davis, plays without fear, and although he has won 6 times on the European Tour, has yet to win in the States. With forearms that would make Popeye proud, Davis hits the ball a long; long way and is very creative around the greens.

Logic would tell you that Tiger (6 shots behind the leader, Immelman) has too much ground to make up, but since Mr. Woods has spent the last 13 years, defying logic, maybe he will play a round, for the ages.

That is the beauty of Augusta, anything can and probably, will, happen. Stay tuned.

We are in a magical era of Golf. Lorena Ochoa dominated the Kraft Nabisco Championship and won her second consecutive Major by 5 shots. One more win (which could come fittingly next week in her home country of Mexico) and she will be in the LPGA Golf Hall of Fame. Lorena is going to be wonderful for Golf (she already is) over the next few years. She is charming, courteous and gracious; and she has been the dominant female player in the game for the last two years. It doesn’t look like that domination will diminish, anytime soon.

Annika Sorenstam is perhaps the greatest female player of all time, and after a very sup-par (for her) year last year, she seems determined to regain her old form. Her recent play suggests that she is not far from doing that so the prospect of her and Lorena dueling with each other over the next few months, is exciting. It would be great for golf for many reasons. Both of these ladies are exemplary in their behavior and the way that they comport themselves (pay attention, Sergio) and their influence on behalf of the Tour and the game, will be enormous.

And; then there is Mr. Woods who is probably sitting on his veranda at Augusta right now, figuring out a way that he can beat all of his own records later this week, at the Masters.

To have in a generation, one player of the caliber of these three is extraordinary. To have all three at the same time, is something that we may never see again. Enjoy.

It had to come to an end. All things do. There were “two streaks” that ended this week and both deserve our reverence.

The first one, that you will immediately be aware of, is Tiger’s latest streak of winning 6 PGA Tour events, in a row. Tiger finished two strokes behind, Geoff Ogilvy at the CA Championship at Doral in the delayed finish this morning. Were it not for a putter that finally failed him, he would have won his seventh straight event. Absolutely amazing.

The second streak that has just ended is not nearly as spectacular as Tiger’s but it is just as significant. It speaks of hard work, perseverance and unwavering belief (isn’t it funny how this great sport will often bring out the best qualities of human beings?).

Here are the “numbers”:

379

19

43

4

Can anyone tell us what these numbers represent?

Was there any doubt? Tiger, yesterday, on the 18^th. hole at Bay Hill, was faced with a 28 foot put (which broke some four feet from left to right), to win the tournament. Tiger had not made a putt over 18 feet long, on any of the previous 71 holes he had played (in fact he had three putted from 7 feet earlier in the round on the 10^th hole).

While watching him prepare to hit his putt, I KNEW he was going to make it. Was absolutely certain, that he would (as I imagine most everyone who follows golf, was). So why or how could that be such a certainty, when he had done nothing all week to justify that faith? Because….he is Tiger. We are watching the greatest player that has ever, and maybe, will ever, play this great game.

Tiger supersedes any adjective. There are no more superlatives that can be used to describe him. I thought it might be fun therefore to invent a new word that would do Tiger, justice.

I propose his name itself; i.e. “Tiger”; by definition, ‘to excel at something in a way that nobody ever has. To have become so good at something that generic definitions (like, “great”, “superb”) just do not do something justice.

To be used in a sentence like this: “he played so well, he Tigered it”.

What words can you come up with?

“The Big Easy”, Ernie Els returned to the winners circle last week in Florida. Ernie had not won a PGA Tour event in four years. For a player of his caliber (and were it not for one Eldrick Woods, Els would have 7 or 8 Majors to his name by now), four years between wins is an eternity.

There are several factors that have contributed to his lack of recent success. Els, admittedly, lost his focus on the game and began being a corporation (course design, wineries etc.) rather than a golfer. He also suffered a jet-ski accident in which he injured his left knee.

But the main reason that Ernie has not played as well as he is capable of, is that he was “trying too hard”. Forcing the issue. Trying to make something happen as opposed to just “letting it happen”. This is something that we are all guilty of on the golf course. Most times when a player is doing this, they are changing their style or personality. That, as Bird Golf students can attest to, is a fatal mistake.

Ernie Els is a laid back, smooth, kind of guy. In our opinion, he was trying to be like Tiger, who is very intense when playing (a good thing for his style), and not just being, Ernie. Hearing him being interviewed afterwards, suggest that he understands this himself, and that he is determined to going back to being, the “real Ernie”. If that holds true, watch out, ‘cause the “Big Easy”, is one of only a very few players, who can compete, with Tiger.