Disqus - Latest Comments for SouthlandGolf

Re: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/17/door-is-open-for-torrey-in-2018/

SouthlandGolf — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:18:15 -0000

Great story, Tod. Hyler's lack of concern about having back-to-back Opens in California certainly bodes well for Torrey in 2018.

Re: The Fuss Over Golf’s Fifth Major

SouthlandGolf — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:57:24 -0000

I totally agree with you on the promotions angle, Alan. The PGA Tour force-feeds the Players to the masses — take away an extreme gimmick hole, a biased rescheduling ploy and the eye-popping purse and you've just got any other regular season tournament. I know you only recounted Players winners over the last five years, but to me, one of the most anomalous champions in PGA Tour history remains 2002 victor Craig Perks. That's way more of a fluke than Michael Campbell at the '05 U.S. Open or Ben Curtis at the '03 British Open. Perks doesn't necessarily discredit the event, but his presence on the champions roll call just looks weird.

I'd like to throw another wrench in the fifth major discussion — history. Quail Hollow certainly has the current prestige and the solid pedigree of winners, but the event itself is in its infancy, having been founded in 2003. The Players is significantly older with its 1974 debut, but still nowhere near as old as any of the four grand slam events. Wasn't the Western Open once thought of as the fifth major because of its 19th century roots and rotation throughout the Midwest? Of course, calling it a major now would be awkward since it's a FedEx Cup event.

I think the Northern Trust Open deserves consideration as a fifth major. Long history, big-name winners, major market, and the largest selling point, Riviera. If Tiger Woods returns to the field next year, it certainly will have a much stronger case for that title.

Re: LPGA Players Ready to Get Their Mojo On

SouthlandGolf — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:27:59 -0000

If it makes you feel any better, I received it three times!

Re: Lucas Glover: Nike's New Selling Muscle

SouthlandGolf — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:39:09 -0000

Although he hasn't won a major and is coming off of a disappointing 2009, Anthony Kim seems like a much stronger marketing figure than Glover, Cink, Duval or Casey. I'm surprised he wouldn't figure prominently in any new ad campaign sans Tiger.

Re: The One Where Almost Everyone Bemoans a Tigerless Tour

SouthlandGolf — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:05:18 -0000

I am happy golf is back, as well. Let all of the Tiger talk occur before and after rounds take place, and let's hope there's enough good play to create positive news for the sport and the Tour. Even if that means Matt Kuchar and Nathan Green happen to be battling for the title down the stretch.

Re: LPGA 2010 Schedule Unveiled: Lots of Rest & Recovery Time

SouthlandGolf — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:53:33 -0000

Love the fact that the domestic schedule is kicking off in Southern California!

Re: Cristie Kerr on PGA Tour Players Whining at Liberty National, ESPN Mag's "Body" Issue and the Future of the LPGA

SouthlandGolf — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:58:23 -0000

Cristie must watch a lot of PGA Tour events if she thinks the men don't have to deal with pitching out from the rough or hitting 7-irons that release from bad lies. Give me a break. She should stick to trying to win golf tournaments and raising the LPGA Tour's profile and not participating in blatant cronyism — there's too much of that in golf as it is.

Re: The State of the LPGA Is...Good?

SouthlandGolf — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:16:15 -0000

Drunken bribery can only go so far — even if the LPGA Tour beefs up its frail schedule for 2010, it still has an international identity crisis that will persist until the Tour has more to market to domestic companies. I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the last U.S. player to win an LPGA Tour event was Cristie Kerr at the Michelob Ultra Open in early May.

Re: Veteran Scribe John Hawkins Victim to Conde Firing Squad

SouthlandGolf — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:07:44 -0000

This is definitely jolting news, but hardly can be considered a surprise anymore given the climate.

As some posters in the Gawker entry suggest, I wonder if this is the beginning of a melding of Golf Digest and Golf World. There are only so many ad dollars to be divided among the two pubs.

Re: Wei Under Par, LPGA pro and model Anna Rawson was in NYC for...

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:56:37 -0000

I lost 99% of my interest in watching this after the host identified her as an up-and-coming star on the LPGA Tour and wanted to know the secrets of her success.

Re: Because He Can't Have Real Human Relationships, Tiger Is BFF With Every Super Star in the World

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:43:51 -0000

Tiger has sat in the stands at college basketball/NBA games (albeit in primo seats away from most of the riff raff), but I don't think there's any chance he'd be among the commoners at NFL/college football games. There's too much risk for encounters with drunken fans.

Re: Inexplicably Successful Italian Comedian Is Haney's Next Project

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:12:29 -0000

Love the headline!

Re: Prepare For The Inevitable Backlash Over Nude LPGA Women In ESPN Mag

SouthlandGolf — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:46:09 -0000

Christina Kim is a great personality and all, but after acknowledging her as the most high-profile player in this trio, it would have been better to get an even more recognizable name. In the end, this is about generating publicity, and having Natalie Gulbis, Anna Rawson or Paula Creamer would generate even more buzz. Perhaps one or all of them was approached and the idea was denied. Oh well.

Re: The Pros Need Some R&R

SouthlandGolf — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:35:35 -0000

I'm sure they are tired. But these guys can play one-week-on, two/three-weeks-off so many times during the year that it shouldn't be the end of the world when they have to play four weeks in a row. Especially when there are millions of dollars waiting for them. I'm not docking them for complaining, but as long as they're still able to play great golf, keep the schedule as is. Part of being a world-class athlete is being tired.

Re: Who Will Be Crowned the PGA Player of the Year?

SouthlandGolf — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:19:25 -0000

The only player who merits consideration besides Tiger is Yang, just because he's the only major winner who's won another tournament (Stricker, Perry, Johnson and Gay have had good seasons but can't compete with Tiger in the non-major wins category). Yang has only two top-10 finishes besides his pair of wins — a fifth-place showing at the Buick Open and a tie for eighth at the Canadian Open. Tiger and Y.E. have played in the same tournament 10 times this season (not including this week's Deutsche Bank), and not surprisingly, Y.E. has only bested him on one occasion.

If you take out Woods' M.C. at the British Open, Numero Uno has finished inside the top 10 in every stroke-play event this season. It would be a joke if he didn't win Player of the Year.

Re: Have the Tour's Young Guns Become Lazy?

SouthlandGolf — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:27:05 -0000

I can't speculate about the practice habits or emotions of the four guys you mentioned, but what I can mention is that it's just that hard to win on the PGA Tour. To me, watching the inconsistencies of Sergio, AK, Camilo and Scott make me appreciate what Zach Johnson, Brian Gay and Kenny Perry have done in 2009 even more. I think it's easy to lump together the quartet you've mentioned because of their appeal beyond the golf course, but there are just so many guys out there capable of doing what they've already done (win a few tournaments, maybe contend in a major or two and become rock stars).

Re: Hey, Remember That Guy Corey Pavin?

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:57:04 -0000

Nice mention, I was definitely pleased to see Pavin up there on Friday and Saturday. Though he's finished higher than a tie for 19th in a few events this season, the performance at Hazeltine certainly has to rank as the most impressive because of the layout's brawn.

It will be interesting to see how Pavin does for the remainder of 2009. He'll be eligible for the Champions Tour in 2010, but right now he stands 142nd on the PGA Tour money list. Even if he doesn't crack the top 125, he'd retain conditional status heading into next year. But something tells me he'll play a pretty light competitive schedule next year regardless of what tour he's on because of his commitment to the Ryder Cup.

I hate to do a shameless plug, but I had a chance to interview Pavin last year when he took over as spokesperson for Journey at Pechanga. I think he is truly one of the most underrated players of the last 25 years.

http://www.southlandgolfmag...

Re: PGA Championship Picks

SouthlandGolf — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:19:41 -0000

Robert Allenby. Believe it.

Re: Anna Rawson's Five-Step Plan

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:53:04 -0000

I've got a great idea on how Anna can help the LPGA Tour gain more publicity — play better golf! If she were in contention more often, then she would get more air time, meaning her beauty could be more of a marketing tool for the LPGA Tour and not just help for GoDaddy.com. She has missed eight of 11 cuts this season and will be struggling to return to the Tour in 2010 unless she pulls off something special.

Re: Mike Davis Setup the Perfect Finish at the US Women's Open

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:08:20 -0000

"We have ALL played well one day and forgotten how to spell golf the next and vice versa."

Yes, but that's why pros are pros. Men or women, shouldn't matter.

"The US Open isn't a birdie-fest - it is a test of endurance, patience, and shot making."

I agree, but just because a tournament isn't a birdie-fest doesn't mean the winning score can't be under par when it should have been. Cristie Kerr pissed the tournament away.

Re: Mike Davis Setup the Perfect Finish at the US Women's Open

SouthlandGolf — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:03:45 -0000

I totally agree. It certainly wasn't an easy course, but it seemed like the winning score could have easily been under par (Kerr should have been, but, as you said, it was a choke-fest). Thank goodness Ji made that putt on the last hole, three more holes would have been excruciating (though not as excruciating as an 18-hole playoff!). Maybe the best players (particularly the Americans) on the LPGA Tour shouldn't get so bent out of shape about who the commissioner is and focus on playing better golf. Seriously.