It's time for the another edition of the 2011 mailbag. Leave your question in the comments section below or send an e-mail to editor@golf.com, and SI's Alan Shipnuck will post answers to your questions later this week.
Who wins first? Mickelson or Woods?
—Mark Potts
Will either Vijay Singh or David Duval win a regular PGA event before Tiger Woods?
—Mike
So it has come to this: Tiger has now sunk to David Duval territory. Maybe lower; Duval's swing actually looks pretty good these days. Mickelson played beautifully in San Diego and was pretty solid in Pebble. I expect him to win before Woods. I also expect the big Fijian to get a W before either of them. Vijay's a Florida guy and his game appears to be peaking. Yes, these are crazy times in golf.
Going off last year's British Open and the recent event in Dubai, it seems that high winds disproportionately punish the very best players. Tiger's best round was when he had an 8 a.m. tee time. McIlroy's best round was when he teed off even earlier — yet when they rose to the top of the leaderboard the late tee times put them right in the face of the worst of the wind. This allowed the rest of the pack — who now had the benefit of an earlier tee time — to catch up. It seems fitting that Quiros — the guy who knows least about where his ball is going — should get lucky and win. However I don't believe it makes for good golf.
— David Crowe
Unless pro golf goes to shotgun starts, the early starts are usually going to have better conditions: smoother greens, less wind, fairways with fewer divots, more sober fans. Playing late on Sunday afternoon is full of challenges and hassles. That's why winning is so difficult, and venerated.
It's been my contention that Michelle Wie would benefit from getting just a little pissed off. With so much talent, she just comes across as so willing to accept her top 5s over and over again. Sure, she looks whiny and put-upon sometimes when things don't go her way, but that's not the same as getting angry, and I swear she would benefit from that. What do you think?
—Mark Limbaugh
Yes, I too would like to see Wie play with more passion and emotion. It was a joy to watch her at the last Solheim Cup when she let it all hang out, and it's not a coincidence that she played some of the best golf of her career that week. I don't think Wie is a natural competitor, like a Juli Inkster or Karrie Webb. Those players don't just want to win, they want to beat you, too. Wie is almost too smart for her own good. She's a perfectionist for whom golf is an intellectual exercise. She wants to hit every shot perfectly, and a lot of her satisfaction comes from mastering the execution, not necessarily the ensuing result. I'd like to see her more focused on getting the ball in the hole and taking down the other players. A little anger might help.
Why does every single article that refers to Vijay Singh inevitably refer to him as "the big Fijian" in the second paragraph? It's not a particularly clever nickname — is it laziness on the part of the writers or is that just the nicest thing they can think of to call him?
—Joe
You mean like in my answer to the first question? No, it's not clever, but it is fun to type. And let's face it, it's hard to come up with colorful things to write about Vijay.
The 17th of May, we'll know where the Ryder Cup 2018 will take place. Your choice among candidates and why?
—Yannick Cochennec
Six countries ostensibly are in the running: France, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. None of the would-be host courses are anything like classics. (Madrid would be the host city, a long way from Valderrama.) Anyway, I'm not too worried about the course. In stroke play, the playing field is paramount. Match play is all about beating the other guy and the nuances of the course recede into the background. After the rain-soaked debacle in Wales weather has to be a factor. As much as I like blondes, that's a strike against Holland, Sweden and Germany. Portugal and France are swell places to visit but they don't have strong golfing traditions. The '97 Ryder Cup was probably the most spirited I've ever attended. Seve and Jose Maria defined the European team's duende for two decades. And Madrid is one of my favorite cities in the world. So, Spain gets my highly idiosyncratic vote.
Why, when discussing Tiger's swing change(s), don't the SI, Golf.com analysts and others report that one of the main reasons for the swing changes may be the four operations on his left knee? It seems there is a strong effort to relieve the pressure on the knee, especially when the swing speed is about 120 miles an hour.
— Fran Fanucci
I think Tiger has made this point himself a number of times. But in general I don't feel like there is enough focus on the wear and tear on Tiger's body. I was the ghost-writer for Harrison Frazar's piece in the recent Golf Plus standalone. Harrison is 39 and after four surgeries and dozens of cortisone shots he's contemplating retirement in part because of the physical toll of playing golf for a living. Tiger is an old 35, a range rat since the days of "The Mike Douglas Show." After four surgeries on his knee and a blown-out Achilles you have to wonder how much more his body can take. Woods is too talented and too dedicated not to master his recent swing changes. But I think whether he makes it to the top of Mt. Nicklaus depends largely on how healthy he is going forward.
(Photo: Fred Vuich/SI)
It's time for the another edition of the 2011 mailbag. Leave your question in the comments section below or send an e-mail to editor@golf.com, and SI's Alan Shipnuck will post answers to your questions later this week.
Everyone talks about how Graeme McDowell's swing should lead to inconsistency, but somehow it doesn't. Do you foresee him having some swing problems in the next 2-3 years and needing a Tiger/Paddy swing change?
Eric Sedransk
Jersey City, NJ
I love all the finger-wagging about McDowell's action. No, it's not textbook, but it works. It's the swing he grew up with; he owns it. Many, many great players had idiosyncratic swings -- Nicklaus, Palmer and Trevino at the top of the list. Jim Furyk may wind up in the Hall of Fame with his homely loops. Tiger and Paddy are frittering away precious years in their prime toiling through massive swing changes. Maybe it will lead to better results in the future, maybe it won't. It's a huge gamble. So I sincerely hope McDowell doesn't change a thing.
Why can't the Tour move the start of the season back three weeks or start somewhere other than the West Coast? The only bad weather Southern California gets all year comes in January, and last year showed that Phoenix is delightful three weeks later. It doesn't seem that hard to push the Farmers, Northern Trust and Waste Management events into mid-February. The weather would be perfect every year, and fans could plan ahead to attend. It doesn't hurt Phoenix much attendance-wise but the mornings are rough.
Danny McCann
I've long thought it would make sense to start the year in Florida, then go West in mid-February. It upends the traditional geographic run-up to Augusta, but who cares? It's not like these guys are caravanning in station wagons anymore. In this scenario the Hawaii swing might be a casualty. I love Kapalua and it makes great TV but with so many top players skipping the T of C it might be time to bring it back to the mainland to ensure more starpower for the season opener.
Alan, any chance we can get a moratorium on your colleagues on Confidential referencing TV ratings? TV ratings are NOT a measure of the success of a golf tournament. Farmers was a great tournament with good shotmaking and SI's writers are referencing TV ratings as the gauge. You guys are SPORTSwriters. Cover the sport--leave TV ratings to TV guys.
Dave Kailer
This is a valid point. Golf always has been and always will be a niche sport. Tiger's success at the turn of the century seduced the golf world into believing they could become a big-time sport but there simply isn't the broad fan base. Which is fine. Those of us who love the game do so passionately. Bigger isn't always better. TV ratings are an interesting point of comparison but not that relevant. Golf's audience is always going to be about the same size. The January spike in ratings probably can be explained by the fact two-thirds of the country is stuck indoors due to heavy snow and an outdoor sport played in the sunshine offers a little vicarious relief. But since the Tour is in the middle of negotiating a new TV deal expect the emphasis on ratings to continue. The size of the next TV contract will have a big impact on the professional game, affecting purse sizes and the composition of the schedule. Big ratings is a helpful bargaining chip for the Tour.
I seem to remember reading in this column last week that just about every one of you were saying that if Tiger didn't win, he'd certainly be right up there. What happened? The real question is why do all of you fawn over that guy like he's a beauty queen? It's pathetic. Are you guys still sucking up to him in hopes that he'll give an exclusive interview?
John
The column in question was Tour Confidential, but point taken. The problem with prognosticating Tiger is that these are unprecedented times. What do they say on financial statements? Past results do not guarantee future performance? We're judging Tiger on how he performed years ago but now his swing and life are in upheaval, his body and psyche have been scarred, his aura and confidence have been diminished, the competition has become better and more emboldened. In the old days, if you gave Tiger seven weeks to rest and prepare and stuck him on Torrey Pines, it was pretty much a sure thing he'd play great, and probably win. But these aren't the old days. The golf media has been slow to accept this.
John's assertion that any of us are mincing words in hopes of getting some kind of special access to Tiger is ludicrous. Pre-scandal it was almost impossible to get 1-on-1 time with Woods. A stolen moment on the range or in the locker room was about it. Now there's even more of a bunker mentality. Woods and his people have become obsessed with micro-managing the media, from the boycotted first TV confessional to the time limits and prohibitions on certain questions in the subsequent interviews to his more recent tightly-controlled first-person “essays” in Newsweek and ESPN The Mag. All of us gave up on getting any meaningful time with Tiger a long time ago. What is or isn't said in Tour Confidential isn't gonna make a bit of difference.
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(Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
It's time for the another edition of the 2011 mailbag. Leave your question in the comments section below or send an e-mail to editor@golf.com, and SI's Alan Shipnuck will post answers to your questions later this week.
Do ever see fans bringing their phones into a tourney? — Michael Brigham, Los Angeles
Yes, I saw it today during the first round at Torrey Pines. The Tour is doing a beta test to allow some phone usage. At Torrey the designated approved areas were around the concession areas and clusters of outhouses, far from play. A few people loitered in these areas, but tons of fans were brazenly following Tiger and Phil, phone in hand. I saw marshals take PDAs from three people (they were given a claim check and could retrieve them when exiting). Whatever the letter of the law may be, the policy in effect seemed to be that if folks were walking a discreet distance from the ropes and pecking out texts/emails/tweets, they were left alone.
Along the rope line people were told to put their phones away, but I didn't see any confiscated for quiet thumbing. Anyone talking or, especially, taking a picture was treated with extreme prejudice. I didn't witness any instances where a fan's phone interfered with play. Overall, I think this is a pretty promising start. At every other sporting event spectators can have their phones. These days no one wants to lose the ability to sext for eight or ten hours. I hope the Tour continues to refine the policy and its enforcement, and that fans are respectful enough so that phones, within reason, will be allowed at Tour events. It certainly makes it easier for me live-tweet out there!
Can you name the top five American players in 2016? You can't even name two, can you? Europe owns us. — Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes, N.Y.
In this order: Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Jamie Lovemark, Rickie Fowler, Peter Uihlein. That wasn't so hard.
Ignoring what the OWGR says, in your opinion who are the top five? — Golfnut
Based strictly on the results of the last 12 months, which I think should be the time horizon for the World Ranking, I'd go: 1. Kaymer 2. McDowell 3. Westwood 4. Furyk 5. Kuchar/Mickelson (tie)
How do you define "talent"? It is an ephemeral, idiosyncratic thing. For me, it's the ability to execute difficult shots; an imaginative short game; power; clutch putting; ability to shape shots. My list of the game's most talented players: 1. Woods 2. Mickelson 3. Dustin Johnson 4. Rory McIlroy 5. Anthony Kim
What's the big difference in these lists? The top Euros are grinders and technicians who bring a relentless desire to compete and maximize their abilities.
Which would you rather watch/write about: Tiger wins the first two majors of the year, or Martin Kaymer wins the first two? Follow up: while I admit both scenarios are totally unrealistic, which is more likely? — Scott Morgan
Trick question. If Kaymer won the first two majors, he'd go to the British seeking the Tiger Slam. It'd be a monumental achievement and a great story but not nearly as much fun as Tiger taking the first two. Kaymer is a golfer's golfer but he doesn't capture the imagination of the general sports fan, to say nothing of magazine editors and other media gatekeepers. I'm a fan of Kaymer's and got to know him and his family pretty well reporting a big feature last year. I'd be thrilled for him, but there is no athlete on the planet who moves the needle like Tiger. If this comeback year includes a triumph at the Masters it'll be a blockbuster moment, and I'd love to write the cover story for SI. As to which scenario is more likely, you gotta say Kaymer. He has no weaknesses. If Tiger sprays it at Congressional, it'll be close to impossible for him to win the Open.
Are there players that statistically putt better in different regions of the country or is good putting good putting? @Frazerrice, via twitter
I've never seen stats on this, but no question players putt differently on different grasses. Phil is a California guy, and one of the reasons so many of his wins have come on the West Coast—early in his career that was practically the only place he won—is because he has issues with Bermuda greens, which is what you find all over the Southeast. A lot of East Coast guys struggle on poa annua like you find at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach and other West Coast tracks. Did you see the details on Tiger's new backyard practice area? He built four greens, each with different grasses to replicate different playing conditions. So, yes, turf is a big, big deal to finicky Tour players.
Alan, what do you think of Tiger doing these Q&A sessions on Twitter? I'm loving it, fo' shizzle! I hope he keeps doing them! — Barbara
Hey, Barb, thanks for keeping "fo' shizzle" alive – I thought it died in 2006. Yes, it's cool that Tiger is (slowly) embracing Twitter. I've seen some of the texts he's sent other players; the guy is a pre-eminent trash-talker. It would be fun if he would let go a little and get with the Poulter-Westwood banter. Tiger can definitely hold his own. For a control freak like Woods, Twitter should be a no-brainer – he can reach fans without the filter of the pesky media. I think eventually he'll do a lot more with the medium. I hope so. Fans have gotten to know (and like) dozens of seemingly dull Tour players through Twitter. It could be a huge boost for Woods's ongoing image reclamation.
(Photo: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images)
It's time for the another edition of the 2011 mailbag. Leave your question in the comments section below or send an e-mail to editor@golf.com, and SI's Alan Shipnuck will post answers to your questions later this week.
The season gets serious now. I'll be covering three tourneys in a row beginning in San Diego, so expect some dispatches from the mean streets of La Jolla, Scottsdale and Pebble Beach ...
Who's more dynamic, Davis Love or Cory Pavin? lol... — Dave A., New York
I get the sarcasm, but Love will have more of a rally-the-troops effect than his flat-lined predecessor. He's a much more popular figure in the clubhouse and on the range because he's a schmoozer and a guy's guy, forever chatting about snowboarding or hunting or fishing or course design or his other interests and hobbies. Love's placid demeanor as a competitor is deceptive; he cares deeply. That was obvious with his teary introductory press conference during which he showed more passion than during Pavin's entire glum, two-year reign. Love also has just enough of a mischievous streak to start a little ruckus with the British press, which is a key bit of entertainment for any Ryder Cup.
What's with 7 of world's top 12 in Abu Dhabi this week? Love of appearance fees or hatred of pro-ams like Hope? —Bert Stewart, Philadelphia
Yes.
When will the young Americans (O'Hair, AK, Mahan) step up the way the young Europeans have and become consistent winners? — Brian Rosenwald
Maybe never, but let's hope that's not the case. The Euro tour created so much buzz last year with the stellar performances of its top players, but the fact remains that there is much more depth on the PGA Tour. By playing mostly in Europe, talented youngsters like Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer get a lot more chances to win early in their careers. They bank invaluable experience learning to manage their emotions and their games under pressure. Also the money is a lot less so finishing fourth doesn't feel as good. On the PGA Tour young players have to fight so hard for just a couple of chances to win. I think they get seduced into thinking a top-10 is a satisfactory result. I think Mahan and Kim and O'Hair are finally at a point in their careers where they understand a lucrative tie for sixth is not good enough. They've been through enough Sunday dogfights now to know what it takes to win. It takes longer over here, but the best players eventually figure it out. We'll see who among them can apply that knowledge.
Is Anthony Kim overrated? Three wins and 20 career top 10's is hardly compelling. — Anthony Iser
To this point Kim has gotten a pass based on his youth and tantalizing potential, but it's time for him to put up or shut up. I understand he's 25 and wants to have fun and chase tail—hey, the Mailbag can't begrudge him that. But there's 27 weeks a year for that, when he's not playing a tournament. Last night, following the second round of the Hope, I got a text from a friend in Palm Springs who wrote, "AK and his entourage are here at the bar hitting it pretty hard." Until he takes his life on the road more seriously, I fear we won't see Kim's best golf. Correction: Anthony Kim is not playing the Bob Hope this week, so the Mailbag fully endorses his night on the town in Palm Springs.
I read "Swinging from my Heels" a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I read "Bud, Sweat and Tees" years ago and enjoyed that also. So, who will you next stalk for a year? Can I suggest G-Mac? I suspect that would be pretty darned entertaining! — Mark Limbaugh
Clearly Mark is a very discerning reader. It's funny you'd mention G-Mac because I'm presently trying to arrange a trip to Portrush to hang out with him and his mates for an SI story. To understand a guy like McDowell you have to see him in his native environment. Anyway, I've always loved the Euro tour. I think spending a year over there writing about the players and their madcap adventures would make a killer book. Alas, it's tough to pull it off with little kids. But you can look forward to my chronicle of the 2026 season over there.
(Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The first full-field event of the 2011 PGA Tour season went down in Honolulu this week, with Mark Wilson taking the Sony Open title. That means it's time for the second edition of the 2011 mailbag. Leave your question in the comments section below or send an e-mail to editor@golf.com, and SI's Alan Shipnuck will post answers to your questions later this week.
It's good to be back in the saddle again -- I've missed all of you Mailbag pen pals. My Golf.com overlord's New Year's resolution is to have me file the 'Bag more regularly. My counter-argument is that if Tiger only plays 18 or 19 tournaments a year I shouldn't be expected to work harder than that. We'll see who prevails. For now, smoke 'em while you got 'em.
"I was not real surprised to see TW get the cortisone shot for the ankle. Makes sense that his body is falling apart after years of trying to compensate for the knee and his legendary stubbornness over changing his training routines (guys with bad knee should not be running). Cortisone shots don't treat the problem--they just cover it up...ask Brett Favre. Am I over-thinking this one or do you see more injury issues for TW?" —Tim Delaney, San Antonio
No one here at the 'Bag can ever be accused of over-thinking, Tim! For all the talk about his swing overhaul and suddenly shaky putting I think the question of whether or not Tiger gets to 19 majors will hinge on his health. You make good points, and another factor is how pumped-up he's become. Tiger has a tiny waist and the wrists and ankles of a little girl. On this delicate frame he's packed a lot of extra beef. That puts serious stress on his body, particularly knees and ankles, where he's now having chronic problems. And we don't even know the full extent of his injuries or aches/pains because Tiger is so weirdly secretive about his body. The cortisone shot would not have been made public but for the fact that on Twitter I reported the rumor (clearly identified as such) that Tiger may have injured his Achilles. I took a lot of shrapnel but in the end his people admitted to the shot as a kind of rebuttal.
"Your thoughts on the LPGA's Founders Cup event (no paychecks) and the Tres Marias event possibly being cancelled because of safety concerns?" —Dave Andrews, Concord, N.H.
I think the Founders Cup is a cool idea but it's being utilized by the wrong tour. So many LPGA players are struggling to make a living it's a big ask for them to play for free. But I give commissioner Mike Whan bonus points for a bold idea. It will certainly generate a lot of positive publicity for the tour and bring attention to a tourney that would otherwise be overlooked. I'd love to see the PGA Tour do something similar –- those guys can definitely afford it!
As for the Tres Marias, the LPGA's official stance is that the tour is still gathering info, but privately I'm hearing there's almost no way it will get played due to fears of the spreading narco-violence. The players are fine with that, to say the least. It was not a popular venue and minus Lorena Ochoa the tournament has little pizzazz.
"Do you see the Twitter craze with all these golfers helping the PGA Tour? Do you think the Tour will let them tweet on course?" —Christopher Daley, New York
I think Twitter has been a game-changer in how fans follow a global sport. A few months ago most Americans probably thought of Lee Westwood, when they thought of him at all, as a nice player and who was rather reserved on the course. Since he got on Twitter, Westwood has shown the public what a fun-loving, trash-talking guy he really is. Beyond getting an unfiltered look at the players, Twitter offers breaking news every day, from players' equipment-tinkering and injury updates to subtle changes in the weather. Not necessarily earth-shattering stuff, but interesting nonetheless.
No matter how popular Twitter becomes, players will never tweet from the course. Slow play is a big enough problem without Ian Poulter pecking out his thoughts on his Blackberry on every hole. It'd be a bad look, to say the least. Also, it opens up a can of worms for competitive reasons. What if an @reply mentioned the break on an upcoming hole? I love Twitter as much as anybody, but only outside the ropes.
"At The Open Championship presentation, the words "The winner of the gold medal and champion golfer of the year..." are uttered. Has anyone seen the gold medal?" —Bob Henry
I have. It's gold. And round. Just as you'd expect.
"How many tournaments will Rickie Fowler win this season?" -Eric Sedransk
A special shout-out to our prolific friend, Eric, who sent me six different questions. Fowler's continued development is one of the season's big subplots. For a guy who has cultivated such an edgy persona I thought that when he had chances to win last year this former BMX racer eased off the throttle. His play was too careful and conservative. I think that his play on the final holes of Ryder Cup singles was monumental for young Rickie. He showed no fear and if he can bring that same swagger to PGA Tour Sundays he will definitely win this year, and maybe more than once.
"I enjoyed watching the U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay, and I thought it was a great match play venue. I am interested to see how it will handle stroke play for the US Open in 2015. Could Chambers Bay ever be a Ryder Cup venue? Or would there be a perception that the links feel would give an advantage to the Euros?" -Brian Richmond
The Belfry, K Club and Celtic Manor are all American-style courses in Europe and the U.S. got waxed on each, so I don't think a links feel would disqualify Chambers Bay. Just don't serve warm beer or showcase bad orthodontics—we don't want the Euros to feel too at home.
"Will you admit that you delight in seeing a diminished Tiger on tour?" —Juan Esteban Ignacio De La Fuentes
I won't admit it because it's not true. Every tournament is more fun if Tiger is on the leaderboard. Watching him struggle for a season was fascinating and riveting, but I don't want ten more years just like it. I will admit that the pre-scandal Tiger was getting pretty boring to write about. His unrelenting brilliance was fun to watch but it had become a like a one-joke movie. His Thanksgiving crack-up was an everlasting gift to all sportswriters. Now there are endless subplots and he's a much more interesting human being. There's nothing in sports quite like Tiger at the height of his powers. I hope to see it again someday.
"Who will win the Masters?" —Ivan Bulic, Vienna
You're pushing your luck, pal. Ask me in March.
(Photos: Ric Tapia/Icon SMI, Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
