Play of the Week 15
May 24, 2011
This week’s play of the week goes to the great David Toms.
After 5 years of virtual anonymity, David Toms gathered a win on the PGA tour. The 44-year-old Toms won the 2001 PGA Championship (at Atlanta Athletic Club), but has been a non-factor for years. Last week, we gave a mention to Toms in POTW 14, where he played brilliantly but ultimately lost the Players Championship with a poor decision on the 70th hole and a 3-putt in a playoff with KJ Choi. Disappointing as it could have been, Toms didn’t shy away, but came right back this week to capture another championship.
The story was in the works last week. Announcers at The Players started building it up, speaking of how David Toms had lost his love for the game of golf; the described how his son, Carter, had inspired his comeback by just wanting to spend time on the golf course with his dad. The 3-putt deflated that balloon.
But Toms proved his metal, playing beautifully at Colonial. And, just as he did in the final round of the 2001 PGA Championship, Toms holed-out for eagle in the final round, garnering a 1-shot victory. As so rarely happens in sports, Toms was redeemed, and he shared the moment with his inspiration, his son.
So here’s to you, David Toms, champion of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. You did what so few can do–you came back from a heartbreaking disappointment to win the next week. We at the PowerFade salute your courage.
It’s just too bad you had to wear that awful jacket.
PS.
In a side note, we at the PF would also like to salute KJ Choi, the subject of last week’s POTW 14. After winning The Players Championship, Choi did what no one expected and donated $200,000 of his winnings to aid in tornado relief in response to the devastating tornadoes in the southeast US. “While winning the Players Championship was a defining point in my life, there were those who were going through their low point,” Choi stated. “I want the victims of the tornadoes to know that their misfortunes will not be ignored.” A classy move from one of the class acts of the PGA Tour. Here’s to you, KJ.
Play of the Week 14
May 16, 2011
This week’s POTW goes twofold, in that we recognize not only the player, but also the venue.
First, hats off to KJ Choi, champion of The Players Championship. KJ played solidly as ever, never wavering even when under extreme pressure of the field chasing him and trying to keep up with weeklong leader, David Toms. At -12, the leaders approached the tee of what is perhaps the most famous–and the most treacherous–par 3 in golf. With it all on the line, KJ Choi, cool as ice, struck a perfect ball to the island green within 12 feet, then sank the putt to go to -13, eventually winning the tournament.
I’ve always liked KJ. He’s a consistent player that doesn’t get caught up in the emotions of the moment. Although his stroke isn’t anything to emulate, he gets the job done year after year. At 40 years old, KJ showed the young guys how to do it. Here’s to you, KJ.
However, I have to give a nod, as well, to the tournament itself. The Players Championship this year gave us what golf has been missing for awhile: a true chase for a championship. Striking to me was the number of experienced golfers who were at the top of the field–Toms, Choi, Stricker, Goydos, and DLIII all had a legitimate shot of contending. Moreover, at the end of Saturday, there were 12 players within 2 shots of the leader (Toms). Perhaps its the course setup–with water on 14 of 18 holes–that prevents the younger “bomb and gouge” type players from overpowering the course. Perhaps its the severely undulating greens where the older players have better feel. Perhaps its the true risk/reward nature of the course, with so many pins hanging over water, where stronger iron players can gain an advantage over long hitters. Whatever the cause, the tightened field inherently leads to drama, and this year was no exception.
Moreover, what we saw–for the first time since Tiger and Phil went at it at Doral a few years back–was a true duel to the finish. Toms, leading by 1, decided to try to put the dagger on 16, coming out of a hybrid and leaving it well-short, leading to bogey and a tie with Choi going to 17. Choi responded with the aforementioned man-up shot of the year that eventually earned him the crystal. With the tournament on the line, Toms, one-down to Choi, stood on the 18th tee (which I have always contended is a more difficult hole than 17 and perhaps the best finishing hole in all of golf) pondering what he had to do. Lesser men would fold to this pressure. Toms striped the drive of his life down the middle. His shot was not rewarded: his ball found a sand-filled divot. Again, lesser men would fold, but Toms placed his approach to 15 feet. Then, with the tournament on the line, he rolled a beautiful 15-footer for birdie on the last to pull even with Choi. It was just the fourth birdie of the day at 18. Choi, faced with his own pressure, rolled a tricky 5-footer for to save par and force the playoff.
Although Toms 3-putted from 15 feet on the playoff, the drama of the event was the best we’ve seen this year. Players on all ends of the course had a chance to win. By Sunday, no one even acknowledged that Tiger Woods, the marquee player at any event, had pulled out of the first 9 holes on Thursday and was absent from the tournament. It’s hard to envision a tournament that is so exciting of itself that everyone forgets about Tiger; this was the one.
At the end of the Sunday, Choi walked away with the crystal, but the true champion was The Players Championship. Once again, here’s to you KJ Choi. But also, here’s to The Players Championship, and to Sawgrass and Pete Dye for a course that can host this type of event. We’ve been waiting for this for awhile. Thanks for providing it.
Play of the Week 13
May 6, 2011
This week’s POTW goes to the Navy SEALs. This week, the SEALs took down Osama bin Laden. 10 years and over a billion dollars after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we finally got him.
I have had the pleasure of knowing several SEALs. They are, without a doubt, some of the bravest and most important people for our country that you will find. One SEAL I knew was saved from death by another SEAL who jumped onto a grenade to save his fellow SEALs, absorbing the explosion to save their lives. That SEAL later died defending a base Iraq.
For those reading this, never doubt the importance of our bravest and finest solders. They may be the most important part of our continued existence as a nation.
Here’s to you, Navy SEALs. We celebrate you for what you’ve done today, but you are never out of our minds for the many things you do that we will never understand.
Play of the Week 12
April 18, 2011
This week’s play of the week is…..ME! I’ve finally conquered the golf swing. 5 straight rounds without a lost ball, and on Saturday (4/16) I hit my 5th hole-in-one–161 yards with an 8-iron. I also holed out from the fairway on a par 5 for eagle, and nearly slam-dunked another ace on the next par 3. If only I could’ve putted and chipped half as good as I did at the end of last year, this would’ve been my low round by far. As it is, the round wasn’t all that spectacular. Oh, except for my 5th ace!
I wish I could say it was pure as the driven snow, but, unfortunately…the exchange went something like this:
Me: “Oh no, that’s off the toe….Get up over that bunker!”
Friend: “You made it, it’s on the green.”
Me: “OK. Hey, did that go in?”
Friend: “I don’t know. I saw it land, and I don’t see it now, so, it must’ve gone in”
Well, I take them how I get them. So, here’s to me. I rule. Kind of.
Play of the Week 11
April 11, 2011
This week’s play of the week goes to Charl Schwartzel, Masters Champion 2011. A protege of Ernie Els, Schawrtzel played beautifully all week to capture the Green Jacket, the most coveted prize in golf.
Schwartzel shot 69-71-68-66 for a total 274, -14. All rounds under par, Schwartzel saw the leaderboard for 3 of the 4 days, but led the tournament only on the back 9 of Sunday, briefly on 15 before Adam Scott birdied 16, and then on 16, 17, and 18. Amazingly, Schwartzel is the only player I can recall who has birdied all four of the closing holes of Augusta. Although 15 and 16 are “under par” holes on Sunday, 17 is a usual stumbling block, and 18 can be treacherous if not played perfectly.
As is usually true at Augusta, the player who putts best usually takes home the jacket. Schwartzel, cool as the other side of the pillow, rolled in 15-footers on 16, 17, and 18 to pull away from the pack and shoot a final round, 6-under 66. At one point, LG and I thought we might have a large playoff (when Tiger and 4 others were tied at -10–and Schwartzel was not one of them), but Schwartzel’s incredible play put that to rest.
So here’s to you, Charl. You conquered Augusta in style. While we may not have picked you to do it, we certainly were happy for the performance you gave.
Play of the DAY!
April 8, 2011
Here’s a virtual high-five for my partner in crime, JK.
He’s currently tied for 1st with 5 other people in ESPN’s Masters Best Ball Challenge! Get’em JK!!
(For a frame of reference, I’m currently tied for about 20,000th at -22)
Play of the Week 10
April 6, 2011
This week’s play of the week has to go to one obvious choice. Although one of the greatest times of the year–March Madness–has passed us by, the first week of April will always be Masters week.
I’ve had the opportunity to go to the Masters twice: once on Saturday in 1997 and once on Wednesday in 2006. I can honestly say that few experiences are so memorable or incredible. A more beautiful place does not exist on this earth. And a classier event you will never find. There are too many good things to point out about the Masters and Augusta National, so please enjoy the tranquility of the course. We’re looking forward to posting about this year’s tournament.
The 13th, “Azalea”
The 16th, “Redbud”–my personal favorite
The 10th, “Camelia”
The signature 12th, “Golden Bell”
The final tee shot, 18, “Holly”
So as the field gets set to play the Par 3 tournament today, the excitement truly begins. This is going to be a great year for Augusta.
From us here at the PF, our hats are off to you, Augusta National. Thank you for making this the most exciting week in golf.
Play of the Week 9
February 2, 2011
This week’s POTW goes to Chick-Fil-A. This restaurant never ceases to amaze me. LG visited Atlanta for the first time in awhile, having his first Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I must say, I have about 3-4 of these per week right now.
The concept is unbelievably simple: put a piece of chicken between two buns and add pickles. But in practicality, it’s unbelievably delicious. Along with waffle cut fries and “sweet tea” (a southern tradition), the Chick-Fil-A spicy sandwich is tops.
But then, CFA goes and outdoes themselves again, releasing the Spicy Chicken Biscuit. If I weren’t habitually late for work, I’d probably be 300lbs right now scarfing down 3 or 4 of these per day (only available until 10:30 AM).
So here’s to you Chick-Fil-A. You may be overpriced for fast-food fried chicken, but I am so addicted to your amazing goodness. Keep it coming. Otherwise, I’ll have nowhere to eat lunch!
Play of the Week 8
January 13, 2011
This week’s POTW goes to DJ–my man! Dustin Johnson is reportedly dating darling of the LPGA Natalie Gulbis. Gulbis followed DJ at the back nine of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Gulbis, who apparently leaked the news, stated “I’ll let Dustin handle our PR” with a smile.
Johnson has purportedly denied a relationship with Gulbis. The big question: why! Come on dude! You landed the hottie of the LPGA. Brag about it a little. According to About.com (http://golf.about.com/b/2011/01/09/natalie-gulbis-dustin-johnson-a-couple.htm) “The only thing longer than Dustin Johnson’s drives are Natalie Gulbis’s legs.”
While some would say Paula Creamer is #1 hottie for the LPGA (a lot of people: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/5426/paula-creamer-vs-natalie-gulbis) , DJ certainly could have done worse.
So here’s to you DJ! You may not have won the 2010 US Open at Pebble, which you should have. You may not have won the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, which you should have. You may not have landed PF favorite Lauren Thompson. But you certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to landing a hottie. Here’s hoping you find the fairway.
And, just for good measure, let’s not forget about the darling of the PF… Lauren Thompson, official hottie of The Power Fade.
Here’s to you too. 8)
POTW 7: “FORE!!!”
January 7, 2011
The tranquility of golf is something that cannot be denied. A walk through nature; a game of chess with oneself; a game that Bobby Jones described as played on a course “located in the 6-inch space between your ears.” Truly, golf is about focus, patience, and skill. It teaches many lessons, a reason why it such a great game for the youth of America.
Unfortunately, that tranquility is something that is not preserved by the game itself. It’s a special feature of golf that is preserved by the players who respect it. Like the many “unwritten rules” of baseball, golf’s billing as a “gentleman’s game” cannot be enforced as a rule. It simply must be respected. And anyone who has played a public course in a city knows how much the respect has waned with the boom of golf over the past decade. Balls flying into all different fairways; carts driving where they shouldn’t be; bunkers left unraked; beer cans lining fairways. As the masses flock to golf, the tranquility of the game is eroding away.
New York’s highest court recently encountered a case regarding the tranquility of the game–specifically, whether a golfer had to yell “fore” before every swing. Dr. Anoop Kapoor and Dr. Azad Anand were playing on a nine-hole course in October 2002 when Kapoor took the swing without the warning. Anand was hit in the head and sued.
Importantly, the NY Court of Appeals decided that Anand “assumed the risk” by being on the golf course.
A person who chooses to participate in a sport or recreational activity consents to certain risks that “are inherent in and arise out of the nature of the sport generally and flow from such participation” (Morgan v State, 90 NY2d 471, 484 [1997]). A court evaluating the duty of care owed to a plaintiff by a coparticipant in sport must therefore consider the risks that the plaintiff assumed and “how those assumed risks qualified defendant’s duty to him” (Turcotte v Fell, 68 NY2d 432, 438 [1986]). However, a plaintiff “will not be deemed to have assumed the risks of reckless or intentional conduct or concealed or unreasonably increased risks” (Morgan, 90 NY2d at 485 [citations omitted]).
Here, Kapoor’s failure to warn of his intent to strike the ball did not amount to intentional or reckless conduct, and did not unreasonably increase the risks inherent in golf to which Anand consented. Rather, the manner in which Anand was injured–being hit without warning by a “shanked” shot while one searches for one’s own ball–reflects a commonly appreciated risk of golf.
I applaud the Court for preserving one of golf’s sacred rules. There is no need to disturb the tranquility of golf unless the golfer’s actions are reckless or knowingly put someone in danger. Imagine your local course, filled with Sunday golfers, where every golfer by law had to yell “fore” before each shot. If you play golf to relax (like I do), nothing could be more nerve racking.
So here’s to you, NY Court of Appeals. While I haven’t agreed with all of your decisions (Mr. Cardozo), thank you for preserving the game.
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