On Watching Golf

Besides the cold blasts of the wintery months of January and February, I also count on the start of the PGA tour. Not many of the early tournaments really strike my fancy, but how … how could one not enjoy Riviera, the craziness at 16 in Scottsdale, or the beauty and serenity of Pebble Beach.

As the plants start to perk up in the spring months, so does my interest in the tour. Doral and Bay Hill are two key stops on the way to Augusta, and then to the TPC at Sawgrass in early May: Simply more great venues, great sites, and great holes.

I enjoy watching golf on Sunday afternoon for the excitement of that final round. Golf is a great game, and one that I’ve played for a long time. It’s one on one – but not one on one between two great players – but one on one of the player with himself and with the course. At the PGA level, it’s so much about what the player is doing … that is thinking and executing.

Although full-contact golf may be an interesting twist for fantasy television, there’s no defense in golf. If the other player gets on a roll, the opponent is left helpless. That’s one of the reasons why Tiger is so good; when he gets it, there’s no one better.

No matter the player, golf fans love good shots. They wildly cheer – even if the player isn’t well liked or well known – and cheer even more so if the next shot is just as good or even better. Fans love the chase and watching the shifting leaderboard as multiple players give it their best.

Ah yes, I love watching Sunday’s final 9 holes, especially if there’s a competition. Watching a 10-0 baseball game isn’t fun, neither is watching the golfer holding a 4-shot lead with 3 holes to play. Sure meltdowns occasionally occur, but I don’t believe golf fans really like that.

I’ll watch a lot of the Master’s, the U.S. Open (my fav), and the British Open, but, regardless of the event and no matter who’s involved,  a good down-the-stretch golf event is as good as any regular sporting event – well, at least to me.