The Wyndham

His To Lose

Date Written: August 24, 2009

Remember Sergio, he of vast talent? Missing from the leader board all year, he was seemingly in control at The Wyndham. He made a nice 12-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole on the last day to go three-up. On the next hole, he three whacked from forty feet...missing a 4-footer for bogey. What followed was sickening to watch. Three bogies in a five hole stretch. A bunch of half-hearted, missed six-footers followed by a swing meltdown where he could barely keep his hands glued to his club. My guess is his poor putting led to his full swing demise. Sound familiar? Happens to me just about every day. This "attitudinal breakdown" left Serge one shot out of a three-way playoff that was ultimately won by "The Pro From Mars," Ryan Moore. (See my blog from April 28, 2008 for more on Moore). Maybe "The Serge" was thinking of all the foxy blondes he's yet to meet and seduce instead of concentrating on his putting stroke? Whatever...it was his tournament to lose and he did.

It's semi-comforting to know that mechanically, Sergio suffers from the same putting problem that I have...the death move called "peeking." We both have to learn the same lesson....KEEP OUR HEAD STILL! Give Sergio and me a putt of any length and it's like a geography lesson...our bodies all over the physical map. If Stan Utley or Dave Pelz saw this move, they would probably puke. A frontal lobotomy might be the only cure.

I was really rooting for Sergio's playmate, Chris Riley, who is Sergio's antithesis. Riley, like me, is a "Wal-Mart" (about an acre) behind everyone else off the tee. Even chief clown, "Bozo" Feherty, bubbled that, "Riley doesn't have any muscles." The Master of Confusing Swing Analysis, Peter Kostis, claims that Riley actually plays to his short-hitting strength. I don't think so. Nobody I know likes to be short. To have to hit hybrids where most players are hitting seven irons is O.K. for a few longish par fours, but over the course of eighteen holes, it'll wear you out.

Personally, I think length and putting are both unfair elements of the game. In my next life (I'm on the waiting list for membership at Purgatory C.C.), there will be no greens, just a large manhole at the end of the fairway. And there won't be any hole longer than 300 yards. Either we adopt these changes or us shorter folk will just have to wait to be reincarnated into a larger body. In the meantime, Sergio would take Riley's putting stroke and short game in a heartbeat and vice-versa. (Then of course, just to disprove me, late in the game Riley misses two "gimmees" over the last three holes.)

As long as we're on the subject of hybrids...here's my evolutionary theory of the week: Short of being re-born, how about being able graft ourselves (like a hybrid) into a player of Sergio's length and Riley's short game? We could call this new player, Sergio Riley or Chris Garcia. At the very least, this new person would still be Catholic. Who else could you imagine being "hybridized?" Perhaps "Mr. Mess," John Daly welded over a Freddie Couples demeanor? Or "Lazy" Carlos Franco (he never practices) infused with a work ethic like V.J.'s? Can you come up with some other possible "blendings?" I suppose it would help to know the personalities on tour. Perhaps the media who dutifully follow the caravan known as "The Tour" could come up with a few sample "hybridazations."

Aussie, Michael Sim of the Nationwide Tour earned himself a battlefield promotion with his third win on that tour this year. He's the ninth player to accomplish this feat...the most successful being Chad Campbell. Add Sim to your all-rookie team...IF...and it's a big IF...he can get past his first year at the next level..."The Big Show" as Kevin Costner said in Bull Durham. Let's see if he can come close to the success that the Irish youngster, Rory McIlroy, has accomplished this year.

No movement in the SV Pool this week. This week the top 125 in the goofy Scmed-Ex point system will play at The Barclays, part of which will be played under the Holland Tunnel on the way to Jersey City. Our top three pool players each have a different pick so it should be interesting.