No More Changes, Please!

The recently completed FIFA World Cup produced a month of low scoring matches where 1-0 dominated and even its grand final had Spain becoming the 2010 Champions of the World by the score of 1-0 over The Netherlands (or Holland, your choice).

As the matches unfolded, many blamed the ‘Jabulani’ (which means celebrate in Zulu) ball for the low scoring as the players claimed it was unpredictable and generally failed to go where they aimed it. Others talked about the officiating that failed to see good goals and disallowed other actual goals. Then there were those who said the field of 32 teams is too large and the more than a few non-world-class teams that were part of the action needed to rely on questionable, rough defensive tactics in an attempt to keep the games close and give themselves a chance to win with a lucky goal.

As the World Cup was concluding in South Africa, halfway around the world in the Midwestern US state of Illinois a field of over 150 golfers competed in the US$4.4 million US PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic. As it turned out this sporting event was also another ‘low’ scoring happening.

In the 2010 June issue of Golf Malaysia, my editorial covered the weekend of May 1 and 2 when Rory McIlroy and Ryo Ishikawa each made golf news. The youthful Northern Ireland golfer had won the US PGA Tour’s Quail Hollow Championship by going 16-under on the weekend, which included a closing round of 62. Then when this editorial was being written the 21-year-old tied the major championship record by firing a 63 on the Old Course at St. Andrews in the first round of the Open Championship. Halfway across the world, the 18-year-old Ishikawa shot a 58, yes a 12-under 58, on Sunday to win the Japan’s Tour The Crowns.

The combined scores of these two impressive rounds by these equally impressive young golf stars totaled 120.

At the John Deere Classic another duo bested that mark by one-stroke. On the event’s opening day Paul Godyos turned in a 12-under 59 on the 7,257-yard par- 71 course, yet only lead the tournament by one-shot as Steve Stricker, the events’ defending champion shot 60 for the day. The next day both golfers remaining hot, as Stricker posted a 66 and Godyos a 68. On Saturday Stricker returned to super hot status with a 62 to set a new 54-hole PGA Tour scoring record of 188 and a 65 on Sunday would break the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record of 254 held by Tommy Armour III (64, 62, 63 and 65) at the 2003 Valero Open.

Playing in conservative mode, Stricker, after being ahead by seven strokes with 17 holes to go, saw his margin reduced to two with five to go before a birdie on the par-5 No. 17 cemented his victory, as his round of 70, while failing to set a new Tour record it kept him two ahead of the still hard playing Goydos, who closed with a 66, for the victory.

What is interesting when it comes to all of this low scoring in golf is that the ‘new’ groove rules for the pros that went into effect this 1 January 2010, was according to the USGA and the R&A suppose to stop the extremely low scores as the new wedges generate much less spin and that was going to make getting the ball close to the pin (especially from the rough) a difficult task, thus fewer eagles and birdies.

Well just like the FIFA’s need to change from an 14-panel constructed ball to one with only eight thermally bonded, three-dimensional panels that was deemed more modern with its near seamless surface, the groove change by the powers that be in golf has not gotten the hoped for results.

So be it football or golf it is obvious the people who run these sports are helplessly blur to what makes their sports popular and that their meddling only hurts those who watch or play the game – and I will not even go into the numerous silly rule changes that the Formula 1 honchos make each and every year.

To the USGA and the R&A: “Enough is enough! Please stop trying to make golf better and even more emphatically do not tamper with the rules that govern the golf ball. Past history shows you and the other sports governing bodies nearly always produce unintended problems whenever an attempt is made to make things better.”

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Pro Pointer – Chong Chee Meng

Keep on Rocking

The putting stroke, as we know it, has more movement than you might expect, which makes striking the sweet spot on the putter’s face on each putt a difficult task. Here are a few ideas you can use to achieve a better putting stroke.

The set-up should be a nice comfortable position. Comfort in this case is relative. It is relative to how you normally set-up. In Picture 1, you can see that I have effectively set my weight on the left side with my ball position favouring left as well. From this position, you have the best chance of staying over the ball and making a smooth stroke without getting stuck or punchy.

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