Mark’s Kaddy Korner

Who, Who, or Who?

Match play is a different breed, takes a special character to survive five days of head-to-head competition, just take a look at who won last year, Ian Poulter one of the game’s obtuse characters. Stroke play is a steady grind, match play is constantly ebbing never flowing and your emotions take a beating. A steady tee to green game can be destroyed by a swashbuckler who throws around as many bogeys as pars. One well placed birdie or two can win a match play event while you’re on the way to shooting 75 and your opponent is grinding out a smooth 70.

2011 PGA Tour Crystal Ball

Seems like this time of the year every golf pundit, prognosticator, fan, player, and caddy are making their predictions or telling everyone, “I’m sure this or that is going to happen.” Picking golf scores or tournament winners is a lot like predicting the weather. There’s a lot of scientific knowledge available for analysis but if too many putts lip out instead of dropping it’s going to be a long season for anyone inside the top echelon. In the mid-90’s Peter Jacobsen went from 88^th on the money list to just outside the top five the next year. Johnny Carson asked him late one night, “What was the difference?”

Dec. 22, 2009

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Frank Williams, the caddie for British Open champion Stewart Cink, went from celebrating a major victory to stewing about it — at least until he realized he was the victim of a prank within the caddie ranks.

For whatever reason, Williams has never liked going to the British Open, and he was going to try to sit this one out. Before getting Cink’s permission, he checked on the availability of longtime looper Dave Musgrove, who told Williams he didn’t have work for the week but would be at Turnberry to watch and could fill in if necessary.

The long drive from Wisconsin was a bit heated; my A/C wasn’t conditioning my air. Luckily it wasn’t the usual hot and humid August. I’d driven through Springfield, MO many times over the years but never spent more than a night so I didn’t really know what to expect.

I forgot, there was no dust last week only four great stories when they finished Monday afternoon. Usually there is only one winner, but this Open produced four winners and an equal amount of rooters for each. I stood and watched the telecast Monday morning in the Locust Hill pro shop at the LPGA Wegmans Classic and listened to a variety of golf fans plead their case for their favorite. Every argument was valid and I found myself rooting for all four, even Phil.