IS THAT A LONG PUTTER, OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE ME?
" Drive for show, but putt for dough". South African golfer Bobby Locke.
The long putter is going the way of the dodo bird. So too is the belly putter and any other golf club that uses an anchor such as the chest or chin, to stabilize one's stroke. Tiger Woods says that long putters "violate the spirit of the game". Of course, Tiger uses a standard putter, one that utilizes an arm and shoulder stroke that has been used since the beginning of time. Arnold Palmer is also critical of any putter that uses an anchor. But let's face it, 3 out of 4 Major champions recommend the long putter. Keegan Bradley won the 2011 PGA championship with a belly putter. Webb Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open with a belly putter. Ernie Els won this year's British Open with a belly putter, and Adam Scott nearly won it with a long putter. I have to tell you though, they look goofy. They look more like pushbrooms than putters. I don't use one, and none of my friends do either. They just don't look right. I happen to agree with the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club who want to ban the "anchored putter". The putter should be the shortest club in your bag, and you should have to stroke the ball with your arms and shoulders, holding the putter instead of being able to secure the butt of the club to a part of your body. If you own one of these freaky clubs, you'll have until January 2016 before the ban takes effect.
Today is the first day of Q School. It's 172 golfers trying to win one of 25 spots on the PGA tour. It's 6 straight days of scphincter shrinking, breath holding, anxiety ridden golf where one missed putt, one hooked drive can mean the difference between teeing it up with the big boys, or playing in golf's minor leagues. The survivors must play 108 holes, so pacing yourself is essential. You can't get too high or too low. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Adam Hadwin and Brad Fritsch are two of 7 Canadians in the field. So too are such luminaries as Billy Mayfair, Nick O'Hern, Camilo Villegas and Major winners Shaun Micheel ('03 PGA) and Todd Hamilton (('05 British Open). If you want to read the absolute best book about Q School, I urge you to check out John Feinstein's "A Good Walk Spoiled". Fabulous read.
The Toronto Raptors fell to 3-12 on the season. That's the second worst record in the entire NBA. Only Washington, which is on pace to go 0-82 this year, are worse (0-12). When the Raps acquired Kyle Lowry from Houston, they didn't think the draft pick they sent to the Rockets in return would be a lottery pick. Guess what? It's going to be a lottery pick, and a pretty good one too, as the 2013 draft looks very, very strong. Let's face it, the Raptors are a mess. Oh sure, JV is going to be a fine center in a couple of years, and Lowry looks like a keeper at the point guard spot. Other than that, not much. Demar DeRozan is frustrating to watch. Is he a cut and slasher? No, he loses the ball too often when driving to the hoop. Is he a jump shooter? No. Doesn't have the range to shoot threes. Can he play tough defense? Not really. And I could write a book about Andrea Bargnani's disappearing act this year. Even though he scored 21 points last night, he had none in the final 22 minutes of play. The other day he was an abysmal 2 for 19. He also turns the ball over at crucial times in the game. And you know what? I've never seen Bargnani hit a game winning shot. Ever. Dwane Casey is in love with this guy, yet Bargs never rewards the head coach for his loyalty. The Raptors are 3-12 with a very tough road trip out West coming up next week. How much longer do Raps fans have to endure this? Try the rest of the season.
Finally, the NHL lockout is causing more and more casualties. Over at Rogers Sportsnet, seven behind-the-scenes people were let go. Why? No hockey games to produce. The Minnesota Wild announced that their employees will take a 20% pay cut if the lockout lasts into January. The Wild already cut anyone making 70K or more by 30-35% and that was back in September. It's only a matter of time before every NHL team streamlines their operation to the nth degree. It's only a matter of time before sponsors and fans find something else to latch on to. Even a federal mediator won't help. There is too much animosity on both sides. They're going to have to kill each other while fighting over the goose that laid the golden egg. But that goose is cooked. I'm afraid to say, the season is lost. Merry Christmas!
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