Happy Happy Birthday, Geno!

My dad loved golf.  He loved his family.  He loved life.  And his family loved him.

I'm sure the fairways in heaven are lush, the greens perfectly manicured, and no one ever loses a ball, or three-putts.  Play away, Geno!  We miss you and love you.

Love you, Dad!

                                        R.E. Kelly Copyright 2012-2019

                                                          AMDG

Phil Phasts to Make New Phireside Chat...

...  and to make the Cut at Royal Phortrush. Stay out of the rouph, Phil!

watch at SI.com here

Copyright R.E. Kelly 2012-2019

AMDG

The Royal & Ancient Goes Buggy

John Daly and his golf cart (or “buggy”, as golf carts are called by our British cousins across the pond) have been in the news a great deal lately.  First Daly  took a great deal of heat for riding a cart at the recent PGA Championship at the famed Bethpage Black course on Long Island.  Despite several articles explaining Daly’s  qualifications for using a cart pursuant to the American Disabilities Act, predictably the reaction mostly failed to recognize his disability. In addition,  there was the usual snark from the most recent sports recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The bottom line was that John Daly just wanted to compete in a major tournament that he had won in spectacular fashion 28 years previously and which had changed his life forever.  Who can blame him?

Then, on the eve of the 148th British Open being held in Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years, as reported by the Associated Press, the Royal and Ancient adopted ancient views and refused a request by former champion  Daly to use a golf cart at the championship in Royal Portrush this week.
Daly had applied to use a cart because of the same disability which qualified him to ride a cart in the PGA Championship. 

Turn The Cart Around!

The AP reported that the R&A statement indicated  it was declining Daly’s  request because “walking the course is an integral part of the championship and is central to the tradition of links golf.” It said it was important to “ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field.”
The governing body stated that Portrush in Northern Ireland was not suited to “buggies”, and was concerned that “some parts of the course, where there are severe slopes and swales, would be inaccessible.”

The R&A statement also said that "We have carefully considered the request from John Daly to use a buggy at The Open," it said in a statement Saturday. "We appreciate the difficulty John is facing and have full sympathy for him as this is clearly a serious, long-term condition. Having considered all of the relevant factors, the Championship Committee has decided to decline his request.
The R&A also said the terrain at Royal Portrush "is not suited to buggies" and isn't permitted by the club.

"This is not a decision we have taken lightly but we believe it is the right one for The Open," the R&A said. "John has a special place in our hearts as a Champion Golfer and he will always be welcome at the Championship both at Royal Portrush and in future."

Trivial sidebar:  Courtesy of US Today Ryder Cup Trivia, In the last 50 years, name the only two-time major champion to never play in the Ryder Cup when eligible?  John Daly.

Although most  of us will never hit enough good shots to merit playing (or even riding) in one of golf’s major championships , we all do hit that one shot that’s memorable.   

It’s that one shot that brings you back, isn’t it.  You’re having a lousy round, but that last iron shot to within five feet for a makeable birdie to salvage a disastrous round on the final hole always brings you back.  What a tease. 

I lived it.  The one time I played the Old Course at St. Andrews, many moons ago, I had a hellacious day.  As a portent of things to come, on the first hole I striped a 7-iron from the fairway after a middling tee shot, nice and high, perfect for a midlands course, a disaster for a links course.  The ball flew straight into the teeth of a strong wind (or zephyr, as the locals call it)   that never relented the entire round.  My ball sailed high and straight and after a long, beautiful flight landed about 25 feet in front of me.  Oh boy, an elephant’s ass if there ever was one (high and stinky.) 

On the way out on the front, the wind blew across from left to right out to the Firth of Forth, taking every one of my shots hard right with it. I played out of the right rough the whole way out to the turn, waving to the happy bathers out on the strand on every hole, who were blissfully ignorant of my frustration at every shot. 

Then, after the turn, heading in, the wind blew hard right to left, again taking all my shots with it.  Ugh.  I loved hitting from the adjacent fairway on every hole, since I hadn’t hit one from that fairway the entire way out from the clubhouse.  And don’t ask about the Road Hole.

But  on the last hole I drove over the Swilcan Burn, and, staring the Valley of Sin right in the gob, I put an iron shot 10 feet from the hole, pin high,  and two-putted for par.  The sun reflected brightly from  the craggy face of the iconic R &A clubhouse, with a bagpipe playing somewhere in the old town behind us (true!), and despite the fact that my score for that round resembled a bad blood pressure reading, I was already looking forward to the next round of golf.  I was ready to turn the cart around. 

Original lyrics:  Shattered, by O.A.R

Composers:	Gregg Wattenberg Marc Roberge
Lyricists:	Gregg Wattenberg Marc Roberge
Date:	2008
Publisher:	EMI Music Publishing

Copyright:       EMI April Music, Inc., G WATT Music

                        and Old Man Time Music, Inc.

In a way, I need a change
From this blasted game

Another chunk, another putt, another lousy score
But it's always back to golf

Fumble left and right
At the driving range
Got the cart, sat and thought
There's more I need
It's always back to you

But I'm good without ya
Yeah No good without you
Yeah, yeah, yeah

How many times can I swing til I stripe it?
way out of bounds, can't decide what’s the matter

I always turn the cart around

Give me a break; let me make a good swing plane
All that it takes is some time
Yes I'm shattered
I always turn the cart around

I had no idea that the round

Would take so damn long
Took it out, on the path

While the putts don’t fall
Push it right again

But I'm good without ya
Yeah No good without you
Yeah, yeah, yeah

How many times can I swing til I stripe it?
way out of bounds, can't decide what’s the matter

I always turn the cart around

Give me a break; let me make a good swing plane
All that it takes is some time
Yes I'm shattered
I always turn the cart around

Give it up, give it up Baby
Can’t give it up, give it up no how

How many times can I change  my damn putter?
Can’t find the line, can't decide left or right lip
I always turn the cart around

How many times can I swing til I stripe it?
way out of bounds, can't decide what’s the matter

I always turn the cart around

Don't wanna turn that cart around
But I gotta turn this thing around

Composers:	Gregg Wattenberg Marc Roberge
Lyricists:	Gregg Wattenberg Marc Roberge
Date:	2008
Publisher:	EMI Music Publishing

Copyright EMI April Music, Inc., G WATT Music and Old Man Time Music, Inc.

Copyright R.E. Kelly 2012-2019

AMDG