Author Archives: C. Baker

Waiting on the Ladies

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The golf world is all a buzz that the golf season has begun with the start of the PGA tour, the European tour, and the Champions tour (or senior men’s tour). But there is not much talk about the LPGA because the ladies season doesn’t begin for a few more weeks.

In my opinion, I think many golf fans, myself included, don’t pay as much attention to the “official” start of the LPGA (this year begins with the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open).  For me, the LPGA starts with the first major, The Kraft Nabisco Championship on March 29.  The other tournaments I pay attention to, at least in terms of marking my calendar, are the other three majors for the women.

It’s not that the women are any less talented than the men but there is less “excitement” in the non-major tournaments.  Actually, the lack of excitement has the same feeling that the PGA tournaments had a few years ago — when Tiger wasn’t playing in many tournaments or playing well; and there were no young guns grabbing anyone’s interest.

The LPGA has suffered since Annika retired and Michelle Wie, who got all the hype as the next “Annika”, could not live up to such unrealistic expectations. There are other great women golfers but the LPGA needs a “big star.”  A “big star” is important to any tour — it’s the Annika and Tiger factor that make the average golf fan turn on the TV or buy a ticket to a tournament. When Tiger announced he would play at the 2012 AT&T Pro Am, ticket sales jumped 35%.

Let’s hope 2012 is the beginning of the turning point for the LPGA because they have some really great talent in Yani Tseng (number one women golfer in the world who many believe could possibly break many of Annika’s records) and now the LPGA has their own young guns getting buzz.  In particular, Lexi Thompson.

Lexi Thompson has been called a “golf prodigy” and the proof was in her play last year when she won the Navistar LPGA Classic at the age of 16 as a non-member of the LPGA. Thompson was the youngest women to win any LPGA event.  After her win she petitioned the LPGA to waive the age requirement (members must be at least 18 years old) to become a member. She was granted full membership.

This just might be the year that I (and many other golf fans) pay attention to more than just the majors for the ladies.

Fantasy Golf Results – Humana

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Week three and I’m going down hill fast. This week my picks did worse than the last two weeks.  But it is a long season and I can still figure this out and rebound.  I have a new strategy — no more only being “sentimental gal” picking my favorites or picking based on personal stories. Of course, I don’t know all the players so I will still have my “what the heck” pick each week.

I knew that two of my picks were wild cards but my expectations for Mickelson and Howell (or Lefty and Chucky Three Sticks) where much higher and they did not deliver. Here are the results:

(1) Phil Mickelson — Tied for 49 at 10 under par.  The first round he shot a 74 (the leaders had a round of 63 or 9 under par.)  He shot under par the next three days but he could not make up the gap between his score and the leaders.  Mark Wilson won with a final score of 24 under par.

(2) Charles Howell III — Tied for 49 at 10 under par. He just did not play as well as he had in the Sony Open.

(3) Kyle Stanley — Missed the Cut. What can I say he was my “what the heck” pick.  However, I did base my pick on a golf commentator’s review.  Clearly I picked the wrong commentator to follow.

(4) Erik Compton — Tied for 42 at 11 under par.  Well, I was cheering for him given his amazing personal story — being a double heart transplant.  He started off well with a 67, 69 in the first two rounds but needed to go low on the weekend to compete and just didn’t have it.

My biggest disappointment was Mickelson because he had won this event twice before and was the all time money leader for this event so I thought he would be (at a minimum) in the top 10.  In an interview he said it was a long season and he likes to “assess his game” in this tournament.  Wow, if I had known that assessing his game was his goal I would not have picked him.   Attitude is everything and I’m glad he is optimistic about the year but I wish he had more of a fire in him to win this tournament.

Snow in New England and Wind in the Desert

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It’s snowing! Yes, it is January. Yes, it is New England. So what is the big deal?  Well, this is the first time it really feels like winter this year.  I’m not complaining because I have enjoyed the mild winter but it is nice to have a quiet winter day.

I think my most important golf memory of 2011 will be playing golf in December.  Normally by late fall I am cleaning my clubs and telling myself that I should think about a winter golf vacation somewhere warm. But this year, on December 6, I was playing golf while a warm breeze blew leaves across the fairway.  For someone who is always cold, it was unbelievable to not only be playing golf in December, but also to be wearing only a golf sweater and long pants. It is wonderful, that in the middle of a snow storm, I have this memory to make me smile.

Today’s storm is the kind I love because the snow is falling softly.  It is the light fluffy snow that does not cause any damage to trees.  There is a peaceful quiet in the neighborhood except for the occasional sound of the snow plows going down the street. On this wintry day I feel I have the perfect excuse to hunker down on the couch,with a hot cup of tea, and watch golf on TV.

The Humana Challenge is on the Golf Channel and to my surprise there is a weather delay. The picture on the screen shows a beautiful sunny day. What is going on?  Then the announcer explains that a high wind has come into the desert and due to the danger of blowing debris play has been suspended.  As he speaks, the screen flashes an image of a score board in the water with letters and numbers floating all around.

The saying goes “Life is what happens when you are making other plans” but I think it should be weather is what happens to make you change your plans.

Too Hot for Miniature Golf?

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A few years ago my brother and sister-in-law asked me if I would take care of the kids for a week.  I was thrilled to do it.   They live in the mid-west and I live on the east coast so I don’t get to see them all the time. It was summer time and I didn’t have any plans for vacation so off I went for a week of fun with my nephew and nieces!

As any aunt or uncle will tell you, one of the great things is that you get to spoil the kids and have fun.  You take them to movies or shows you would not normally go to see, you let them stay up late, you let them eat junk food for dinner one night; and basically try to make happy childhood memories for them.  In general, my goal is to be a “Cool Aunt.”

One day I thought it would be fun to take them miniature golfing.  It was a warm beautiful sunny day. Now, it did cross my mind that maybe, just maybe, one of them might catch the “golfing bug.”  After all, who doesn’t get a thrill putting a ball through windmill blades.

After about an hour it was clear they were not enjoying miniature golf. They kept saying it’s too hot. It might have been a bit warm out but I was teasing them and saying they were a bunch of sissies.  Somewhere along the way I ended up playing alone while they were all sprawled out on the lawn under a big tree.  At least the next activity — going for ice cream — was a big hit.

To this day they lovingly tease me about that horrible trip to play miniature golf in 103 degree heat and how only a crazy person (me) would play in that heat.  Now they may be exaggerating the exact temperature that day but I must admit it was really hot (yes, close to 100).

None of them play golf but at least I did achieve one goal that day — a childhood memory that makes them laugh.

Fantasy Golf — Humana Challenge

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This is week three — is three times the charm for me?  Will my fantasy golf picks do well?  Who knows but here are my picks for the Humana Challenge.

(1) Phil Mickelson — what can I say he is my favorite golfer so this is a loyalty pick.  Let’s hope “Lefty” gets off to a strong start for 2012.

(2) Charles Howell III — His nick name is “Chucky Three Sticks” which is funny because he does not look like a “Chucky.”  Anyway, he was tied for 2nd last week at the Sony Open and he was 13th last year at the Humana Challenge so I’m hoping he does well this week.

(3) Kyle Stanley — He is my “What the heck” pick this week and the only reason I picked him is because Gary Williams, Golf Channel, Morning Drive host picked him. I like the Morning Drive show and so I thought I’d go with one of the host’s picks.

(4) Erik Compton — This is a long shot but Compton’s personal story is so amazing and  inspiring.  Compton is a double heart transplant.  Can you imagine having had one heart transplant let alone two; and on top of it being a good enough golfer to make the PGA tour.

Hole-in-One Dreamer

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So I have not actually written a bucket list but if I did I would list a hole-in-one on it. Some might say a hole-in-one on my bucket list is too lofty a goal especially if you play the game of golf and are a pessimist (which I am not).  In fact, my advice to anyone that is a pessimist and plays golf — change sports because you are surely the person on the course that is throwing a club, swearing, or in general having a bad time.

Is a hole-in-one too lofty a goal?  Am I just a dreamer? Well I thought I would look up a few statistics to see what my chances might be to make my dream come true. Golf Digest printed that the odds are 12,000 to 1 that an average golfer will make a hole-in-one based on 3,000 rounds. If you are a low-handicap golfer (which I am not) the odds are better at 5,000 to 1 based on 1,250 rounds of golf.

Well the one thing I have learned in business is that if you don’t like the numbers provided look for some you do!  Actually that is not how I manage my business but this is for fun.  At HoleinOne.com they have some interesting statistics.  The average age is 45 (I’m in the range), there are more aces on Friday than Sunday (I’d be happy to play more on Fridays), and the club most used in making an ace is a 7-iron (I love my 7-iron).  So things are looking up!

Any statistics specific to women out in cyberspace? You bet ya!  The National Hole-In-One Registry says that 16% of holes in one are made by women. Well, this is an O.K. statistic but a better one would be what percent of women golfers make holes-in-one.

The other facts for women include:

  • Average age is 55
  • Average years of playing golf 15
  • Average length of hole is 111 yards.

Now these are numbers this hole-in-one dreamer can embrace.  I have lots of time to make my dream come true.

Results of Fantasy Golf Sony Open Picks

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My picks for the Sony Open did not fair well.  The results are:

(1) Jeff Maggart -Tied for 13 at 8 under par. Maggart was a long shot but he had my hopes up on Sunday because he entered the 4th round tied for first place with a score of 12 under par.  It was only a few holes into the final round, when he bogeyed the 4th and 5th holes, that I knew it was going to be a bad day for Maggart.

(2) Web Simpson – Tied for 38 at 4 under par. Do you believe that if people talk about something too much it can be jinxed?  I do. All the golf commentators kept talking about how Simpson had 13 straight rounds in the 60’s coming into the Sony Open.  What happened — his streak ended with rounds of 72 (round 2)  and 70 (round 3) in the tournament. The final day he shot a 68 but that was too little, too late.

(3) Roy Sabbitini – Tied for 29 at 5 under par.  Sabbitini had a 7 (triple bogey) on the third hole (par 4) of his final round and even with 5 birdies later in the round he could not recover.  He also had drama in his final round when Vijay Singh swore at Sabbitini’s caddy.  Singh believed the caddy moved when Singh was hitting his putt. When Sabbitini defended his caddy, Singh swore at Sabbitini. According to an article in the New York Times there were a number of witnesses to this bad behavior.

(4) Heath Slocum – Missed the cut and did not play the weekend. Slocum was my “what the heck” pick this week so I can’t really be upset that he did the worst of all my picks; but this represents the second lesson learned in two weeks competing in the Golf Fantasy game.  You have to also think about whether or not your pick could actually miss the cut. It never entered my mind that any of my picks would miss the cut.  Go figure.

Is Johnson Wagner’s mustache more important than winning the Sony Open?

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The only thing I knew about Johnson Wagner prior to the Sony Open was that golf commentators were talking about his mustache; and the comments were not exactly flattering.  Some compared his mustache to that of the sleazy private detective, Pat Healy (played by Matt Dillion) in the movie “There’s Something About Mary.”  By the way, a movie that I cannot stand.

Wagner was just one of many golfers who grew Mustache’s in November. Many grew them because of a campaign called Movember which was created to raise awareness of Men’s Health issues.  Wagner said he just didn’t shave over the holidays and decided to try a mustache. Regardless of the reason, folks teased Wagner about the “new look.”  Given it provided additional banter and color commentary for the golf media, I suppose it should not be a surprise that the commentary continued the Monday morning after he won the Sony Open.  But it seems to be “the story” about Wagner.  Now folks are comparing him to Magnum PI (Tom Selleck).

When asked about it, Wagner said his friends think he looks like a “Latin Lover” and, oh yeah,  his wife hates it.  Wagner won the Sony Open and in an interview, Wagner says he is keeping his mustache at least until he plays the Masters. He even said it adds to his confidence.

It got me thinking about personal brand.  Personal brand is certainly important for professional athletes. And I wonder if Wagner’s mustache is going to become part of his personal brand? If personal brand is about making yourself stand out from the crowd, or in this case on the golf course during a tournament, then I think the mustache might actually be more important than winning the Sony Open.

I can honestly say that prior to this week if Wagner was on the TV screen I would not recognize him. But last night during the telecast, I could recognize him in an instance because of his Mustache.  In the future will I remember who won the Sony Open in 2011, maybe.  But if Wagner still has his mustache will I recognize him on TV, definitely.

“I’m not running for President; I’m a Golfer” — Matt Every

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Professional Golfer, Matt Every, is leading the Sony open after the third round but unfortunately that is not the big story hovering over Every.  The big story is how he handled himself and what he said in an interview with Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel. 

To make a long story short, back in 2010 Every was at the John Deere Classic and was suspended for 3 months. He was suspended because he was arrested for possession of marijuana (he pleaded no contest and charges were later dropped). So as part of her interview, Tilghman, asked about that time.  Instead of just saying something like it was a learning experience and I’ve moved on, Every just went on and on saying some really stupid (for lack of a better term) things.  For example, “Honestly, man, I know more people who smoke marijuana than who don’t smoke marijuana. I know that’s probably not the politically correct thing to say, but it’s the truth.”

When I saw this interview, I felt sorry for Every because I assumed his “management” had done him a dis-service by not giving him any PR training on how to answer questions.  Some online chatter blamed Tilghman for asking a personal question but what many may not have realized is that Matt Every was on a Golf Channel “reality” show called The Big Break and they ask lots of personal questions to get the back story on the contestants. Tilghman did her job and Every should have known how to answer quickly and move on.

He lost my sympathy vote the next day during the press conference. When asked about the interview with Tilghman, Every went on and on again and at one point he said ” I’m not running for president; I’m a golfer. So I’m really not trying to, you know, piss anyone off.”  The word that he excluded in his statement was “just” (I’m just a golfer) but it was implied (in my opinion).

When someone says (with all seriousness/not joking) “I’m just a [fill in the blank]” it is a cop-out. They are basically removing any ownership or responsibility for their own words and actions.  That just doesn’t cut it for me; especially with professional athletes because they are role models and so at a minimum should think before they speak.

Hopefully Every will learn from this experience but I will not be cheering for him to win the Sony open. I’m cheering for Jeff Maggert, the co-leader after the third round, not just because I am not a fan of Every’s but because I am a fan of Maggert’s. After all, he is one of my golf fantasy picks.

Cristie Kerr: The Transformer

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There are a lot of things you can say about Cristie Kerr including: she is the 4th ranked LPGA player in the world (highest ranked American), has two major title wins (US Women’s Open 2007, LPGA Championship 2010), is the top American money winner (in history) with career earnings of over $13.5 million, the #1 ranked woman in golf for 5 weeks in 2010, and on and on.  But the thing that I find interesting is that she transformed herself back in 1999/2000 time-frame.

Kerr, herself, once used the expression “Four-eyed Fatty” to describe herself (how sad).  But not anymore, she went from being a 5′ 3 1/2″ young woman weighing 185 lbs with glasses and brownish curly hair to a women listed in Men’s Health magazine as one of the 12 Sexiest Female Golfers in 2011. And, the other 11 golfers are all in their twenties and Kerr is 33 years old.  Good for her!

Now you may be thinking how shallow of me to focus on this aspect of Kerr given her amazing golf talent but it is not “her looks” that I am focused. If looks were my focus I would have posted before and after photos of Kerr. No, my focus is on the dedication and determination to achieve a personal goal of health.  It just happens that often times with good health comes beauty because self-esteem improves and I believe beauty is enhanced by how you feel “inside.”  As a woman who loves golf and has also struggled with weight and staying healthy, Kerr is a role model.

She is one of my favorite golfers to watch because of her talent but I have to be honest that story behind the golfer made me an even bigger fan.