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Fig Jam

There is a small chance that Greg Norman’s performance in the 2008 British Open will come to be viewed as a sort of turning point in the game of golf.  I will concede that it is a longshot at best, but I am hopeful that officials at the USGA, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and other individuals who influence the direction of the game took notice of Norman’s remarkable run and understood it for what it truly was.

Put simply, Greg Norman’s contention in the Open was an example of the game of golf being played the way it was intended.  The blustery conditions at Royal Birkdale leveled the playing field and called for a player to go out and make shots.  Punch 5-irons from 125 yards away, knock down 7-irons into 40 mph winds, and tee shots played out into the abyss in order to find the fairway directly in front of you. 

Compare that to the average PGA tour event where the weather is not generally a huge factor and the game boils down to  a series of mathmatical calculations.  The US Open is a good example.  Phil Mickelson took 5 wedges out onto the course with him at Torrey Pines, presumably with a complex formula as to when to hit which wedge.  When yardage = A, and pin is located at B, then appropriate wedge to play = C.  The other players on tour are guilty of this as well.  It seems that in today’s game it is a race to boil a round of golf down to a formula that will dictate every shot.  You don’t “make” golf shots anymore so much as you “take” the appropriate golf shot when the situation demands. 

The British Open did away with those notions.  It called for creativity and vision.  It called for players to make golf shots or take a beating.  Greg Norman knew how.  He could look into his bag and see a 125 yard 5-iron. His 53 years of experience and longshot status allowed him the freedom to think outside the box and he did.  So too with Chris Wood, the Amateur medalist who finished in a tie for fifth at +10.  Shades of a smiling Justin Rose ten years ago as Wood, free from the pressure of expectations, just had fun and played golf, weather be damned.  The result, a top 5 finish.  When interviewed afterward Wood said, “best week of my life.” 

In my opinion, top flight amateurs provide some of the most entertaining golf in the world.  They are amazing players and most are destined to be pros someday, but they have not yet faced the grind of making a living on tour.  They have not had it beaten into their skull that every missed putt could cost them thousands of dollars and that there is no shame in preserving top ten finish and large paycheck, if it means throttling down on Sunday and playing smart.  Amateur golfers still take risks and try shots that you would normally see out on tour.   Chris Wood was not playing for money in the Open, and to be truthful neither was Norman.  They were both Amateurs in a way.  Wood was too inexperienced to win and Norman was too old.  But those very traits freed the golfers and allowed the two to deal with incredibly difficult circumstances (Conditions that caused golfers like Pat Perez to throw temper tantrums, literally shouting at the rain).  In the end, neither Norman or Wood had what it took to claim the Claret Jug, but that is ok.  Many will criticize Norman for again failing to hold a 54 lead, but I believe such statements overlook the incredible accomplishments of the 53 year old to even put himself in position to win. 

And pointing this out is not meant to be an indictment of Padraig Harrington or pro golfers in general.  Harrington was flawless on Sunday and his vision, especially to craft a shot with his 5-wood on 17 from 250 yards away and a downsloping lie, to about 3 feet, should be celebrated.  Shots like that are exactly what I’m talking about.   Same for Tiger Woods, who several years ago at the British Open unveiled his now famous “stinger” 3-wood that travelled 260+ yards while never reaching higher than about 8 feet.  Or Tiger’s remarkable chip in 2006 on the 16th hole at Augusta.   

These are the kind of players and the kind of play that make me love the game.  And they were on display this weekend at the Open.  The players may not like being yanked from their comfortable bubble, where 180 yards = a nice smooth 7 iron,  but those that adapt and remember what it was like when they were 15 years old, before they even owned 5 wedges, hitting balls on the range and trying to hit shots high and then low, drawing shots and then fading shots, flops and worm-burners, would be rewarded.  So too would the viewer, who would be treated to more shots like Sergio’s blast out of the pine straw at the ‘99 PGA, Tiger’s Chip in on 16 at the 2006 Masters, and Padraig’s 250 yard bomb at 17 this year at Royal Birkdale.

The wind may have been brutal this weekend at the British Open, but Mother nature leveled the playing field a little bit and let the kid (Wood), the Shark, and the genius of Padraig Harrington win the day.  I think the sport won as well, and I enjoyed it. 

This entry was posted on Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 12:26 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.