Quick Hits – Vol. 2

1. I’m a better putter than Robert Allenby. That’s right, and you probably are too. I’ve been watching Allenby and his pop-slice putting stroke for years, and it’s beginning to get annoying to watch one of the best ball strikers in the world get nothing out of his game. All he needs to have a few majors and countless other tournament wins is to make one or two more putts per round from inside 10 feet. That’s not too much to ask is it? Robert, please go see Mike Shannon or Dave Pelz… Please!

2. Golf will be in the Olympic games in 2016. The IOC announced Friday that along with rugby sevens, Golf will once again be showcased in the Olympic games for the first time since 1904 when Canadian George Lyon won the gold. I should be excited about this, as it will certainly grow the game internationally, but I don’t think Golf belongs in the Olympics. Call me old school, but I want to see amateur athletes compete. With Golf, we’ll get neither. The competition will be played by professionals, and with the exception of some players like Tiger and Suzann Pettersen, most pro golfers are not what you would call athletes. And lest we forget, Tiger will be 40 in 2016. I will never put decathletes, swimmers and marathon runners in the same category as 40 something balding golfers with pot bellies or mothers of 3 who play on the LPGA tour.

3. Rio is not – and never will be – a golf destination. The other issue with golf in the Olympics is the venue – there is no championship worthy golf course in Rio, and one will certainly have to be built for the tournament. Let the search for an architect begin! Will it be US Open upgrade guru Rees Jones, or maybe a lesser known South American designer? Either way, I (sadly) predict the course will become a cow pasture a few years after the games, simply because you can’t get orange juice from an apple. Golf simply can not flourish in a poor nation dominated by soccer. We’ll see in 8 years or so.

4. Johnny Miller is a boob. Remember the 99 Ryder Cup? Miller said Justin Leonard should “go home” because “he has nothing going for him.” This of course, was right before Justin nailed the cup clinching putt. After last weeks stupid comments about plum bobbing I thought Johnny Miller couldn’t get any more annoying. I was dead wrong, as Johnny took his penchant for making me want to throw things at the television to frustratingly new heights. Maybe because Johnny was broadcasting from his home course as a young man, he felt more at ease making golf viewers throw up in their mouths with his shameless self promotion, reminding people constantly that he used to be a good player. Before the event in a telephone interview, Miller recounted his days as a kid at Harding Park, humbly stating “”When I was 12 or 13, I was one of the top 10 putters in the world, I promise you.” Thanks Johnny. Maybe if you are good for Christmas, Phil Mickelson will give you his PGA Tour assigned nickname of “FIGJAM”, which stands for “F%$k I’m Good, Just Ask Me!”

5. And in another Robert Allenby story, it seems he and Anthony Kim have a little feud brewing. Where was this before the President’s Cup started!? That’s what we needed to add some life to the matches! Apparently, an unnamed person observed Kim arriving at the team hotel at 4am on Sunday morning, walking “Sideways”, according to Allenby. Kim took offense to this, denying ever coming in that late. he claims he was in top form, and indeed, he made 6 birdies Sunday and never let Allenby in the match. “I’m just pissed off that I lost,” Allenby said. “Maybe I should have the attitude of Anthony Kim, get home at 4am and go play. Maybe I should have gone out with him.” Oooo, I can’t wait for the Allenby/Kim singles match in 2011!

6. I’ve been checking out Dogleg Right’s new Machine Putters lately. They look and feel very nice, but are quite expensive. However, I’m tired of people asking me why I am willing to shell out $500 for a putter, when those same people spent the same for a driver. News Flash people – most golfers can only hit driver 14 times in a round of golf, but those same golfers use their putter 30 to 40 times per round. Even the best players in the world use a putter for 28 strokes per round. Which club is more important to you? These are the same people who scoff at spending $2000 on a Tempurpedic mattress for a good night’s sleep. Think about it, if you sleep 8 hours a night, one third of your life is spent in bed. Wouldn’t you want a good mattress?

7. Social media is overloading my days. I’m still trying to figure out why I need to do it, but now that I have joined in the madness – Follow me on Twitter!