I used to play basketball quite regularly back in my college days. I was not the most athletically gifted by any stretch of the imagination, but in most pickup games I could hold my own in defense and rebounding and even scored a basket or two once in a while. But even when I managed to score from a no-look pass from my best friend, or my post-up move against my roommate actually worked for once, we never entertained any thoughts whatsoever of being close to Michael Jordan . Why ? MJ's vertical leap: 48 inches. Ours: 12 inches, maybe 15 on a windy day. My closest brush with a slam dunk was when I passed the ball to this really tall dude who then dunked the ball on the run, while I picked up my jaw from the floor. (He turned out to be a reserve player on my school's team. No, he didn't make it to the NBA). Our brand of basketball was very definitely earth-bound and nobody could ever dispute the huge, light years-wide gap that exists between us and even the lowliest pro basketball player.
Now, let's compare this to golf. I believe that one of the reasons golf is so popular is that for the pros it looks like, well, effortless. The typical pro doesn't necessarily run faster, jump higher or lift 200 kilos heavier than you or me. Of course, put a 9 degree driver in their hands and they will outdrive you by a hundred yards or so, but physically they look like a normal guy or gal. Speaking of physique, pear-shaped, golf-channel-watching, beer-swilling, chain-smoking golfers out there must take some comfort that John Daly still can make a pretty good living on the PGA. This, I believe, must be why golf on TV is so popular: the pros walking the fairways with caddies and swarms of spectators CAN be us. We wear the same clothes, play on the same courses and even use similar equipment (although I bet no PGA pro uses my massively-game-improving-made-for-golfing-idiots Nike Sumo irons).
Of course we don’t get that feeling when we see Phil Mickelson flop his wedge to within 4 inches of the hole, or when Tiger hit that crazy chip shot that turned back and sllooooowly rolled into the cup in the Masters, but if you watch any golf tournament, there is a huge number of holes where the final shot is a short putt from less than 2 meters away. Just like what we do on our weekend rounds. (Let’s forget for the moment the fact that you would usually be putting for double bogey while Tiger was putting for his sixth birdie of the day). The feeling we get is “HEY I CAN DO THAT TOO “
This is especially true when we watched the last 2 PGA Majors: the British Open and the PGA Championship. I was travelling for my day job during the British Open and was feeling a bit jetlagged, but there I was at 2AM sitting riveted in my hotel room as Tom Watson makes a bid to be the oldest guy to win a major . When he missed that last putt on the 18th forcing him to a playoff with Stewart Cink, the groan can be heard around the world. He then lost the playoff and was so graceful about the whole thing. I felt an inexplicable sadness. For me, it was like watching my dad lost a tournament. For the older players, they would really have related with him. It was an absolutely marvellous display of the power of the human spirit.
The PGA Championship served up another underdog story, this time with a happy ending: Y.E. Yang beat Tiger Woods . The first time Tiger’s ever lost a major after leading for 3 rounds, and more importantly for us here in Asia, the first Asian-born guy to win a Major. Boy, that win really pumped up all my golf-maniac Korean colleagues for sure, and the press fed on the story. Asian dude came out from nowhere to beat the King of Golf. 110th ranked in the world beat #1. David beat Goliath with a 7 iron. That eagle chip-in on the 16th hole that Yang sank to go up for good got replayed over and over. It does help that Y.E. is a nice, humble chap. Absolutely brilliant.
Tom Watson and YE Yang came from nowhere to challenge and win. Maybe we can do that too. Imagine what the guys in the office will say as I stare Tiger down on the 18th hole in Augusta. Now, hate to burst the bubble, but it’s time for a dose of reality.
Tom Watson is no underdog. While it’s true that it’s been a while since his last win, he did hoist the Claret Jug 5 times before. He has 55 victories under his belt, and he is considered one of the best links players of all time. If you consider that Tiger missed the cut in the same tournament, you can see how tough playing conditions were at the BritishOpen this year, and maybe we should not be surprised that Watson is up there.
YE Yang, the wonderful chap that he is, did not come from nowhere. This is not even the first time he has beaten Tiger. He did that back in Qatar at the 2006 HSBC championship, although they did not play in the same flight as in the PGA. He have a ‘mere’ 9 international wins so far, and he did win the 2009 Honda Classic to become the second Korean after KJ Choi to win in the PGA. His career is nowhere as long as Watson’s of course but it’s off to a wonderful start.
So my point is, these guys are good. Very good. Better than you. Better than anybody you play with. Better than the pro that gives you lessons. Quite possibly better than anybody you’ve ever met. The stories of Tom Watson and YE Yang were not David vs Goliath, they were more like... errr... King Kong vs Godzilla. Yeah, that’s it. Battles of giants, with us playing the part of the onlookers gaping up from ground level.
Does it diminish their accomplishments? No it doesn’t, they are still incredible feats achieved in very difficult conditions. Does it diminish your club pro ? No it doesn’t. Your club pro would be a better teacher and he or she is still way ahead of 95% of you weekend golfers. Does it diminish you and your flightmates ? Not really, unless you are really seriously entertaining thoughts of joining the PGA after a freak chip-in from 50 metres, in which case please read my second posting from last year . We all play this wonderful game of golf for our own enjoyment and the great thing about golf is, it can be enjoyed no matter what level you are.
What it DOES gave us are short doses of fantasy that spices up our round. As I was contemplating a difficult side-hill lob shot the other day, images of YE Yang’s eagle did flash in my mind. Of course as it turns out the end result is closer to Padraig Harrington’s disastrous 8 but hey it kept me going for a while. I see this also when I see little girls playing with Pink Panther headcovers and pink ribbons in their pony tails just like Paula Creamer. More power to you, ladies. And those of us who just bought new drivers will be famillar with the following thought on our first swing: “TigerWoodsTigerWoodsTigerWoods”. The fact that this is usually followed by “OhhhSliiiice” or “FOOOREE !!” is completely irrelevant.
Dreams of becoming like pros are what keeps the golf industry going. It’s what keeps all of us going. But have a dose of reality to keep your feet on the ground, if only to avoid frustration as you realize what it will take to lower your handicap by 15 and try out even for your local club team. Enjoy the game for the wonderful moments it gives you, either by your own play or by the feats of the giants we see on TV.
But will I think of Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Lorena Ochoa as I walk hand in hand with my daughter down the fairway to her next shot ? You betcha !!
PS: Speaking of Michelle Wie, she had an absolutely wonderful Solheim Cup. I did write a piece lamenting her progress previously, but I remain a fan, hopefully this will turn things around for her. And to YE, from all of us in Let's Golf Asia, congrats on being the first Asian dude to win a major. Hopefully many will follow in your footsteps.
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