19th Hole

Greg Ellis
Great Golf Academy
Goodyear, AZ
gellisdog@cox.net

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What is Happening in the World of Golf?

First Annika says she is stepping away, then Tiger has his off course challenges and now Lorena retires. Notice how I only used the first names of these great players? True golfers know of whom I am speaking and need no more. Will golf ever return to some state of normalcy as we have known it for the last twenty years?  We had superstars that we admired their games on the golf course.

The PGA TOUR without Tiger is like watching Double A baseball. There is not a lot of flare and excitement. Phil is going through some very difficult times with his wife and mother battling breast cancer while Tiger is trying to get back to playing golf without additional distractions while hopefully trying to save his family life. David Duvall, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Steve Stricker as well as many others have fallen from the leader board.  Now we are left cheering for the guys that were once underdogs like Rory Sabatini, Ernie Els, Ian Poulter, Geoff Ogilvy and many others. Granted each of these guys have very good resumes and only a couple of them are top tier players. The biggest newsmakers on the PGA TOUR are two Seniors, Tom and Freddie. We are in a new generation of rooting for the new kids on the block that must now carry the torch. Ricky Fowler, Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Boo Weekly, and Bubba Watson. Is the PGA TOUR in trouble without the star power of the last twenty years? We will tune in with great interest.

The LPGA has no identity now. First Annika walks away from the game, as probably the greatest modern day player in women’s golf if not the greatest ever. There has been a huge tidal wave of Pacific Rim girls now trying to make a living on Tour that has created a language barrier and the American sponsors are not lining up to embrace the LPGA in its current state. Will Michelle Wie step up for the U.S.A. representation? Will Morgan Pressel be the new future of the Tour? Will Kristie Kerr be the one? What about coming out of college; are there any superstars in college that will take the reins? Only time will tell.

Golf has become a Global game. Is it too Global? I guess we will have to wait and see.