Tiger Woods, the Greatest Ever -NOT!
By admin | May 16, 2008
Tiger is great but still a long way from claiming the title of “Greatest That Ever Played The Game”. Although I do believe he is more then on his way to claiming that illustrious title, God willing. But until then, Slammin’ Sammy Snead is my pick. That’s right, not even Nicklaus.
If you look at the 11 win gap between Jack’s 70 total victories and Sam’s 81 and then figure Sam’s total of 165 victories he claims, no one even comes close. Sorry Jack. Now figure in the shape of the courses today, the equipment and the level of competition and there is no doubt in my mind that Sammy is the man. Keep in mind, Sam played against, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan — all born the same year - they were considered the era’s Big Three. Hogan amassed 63 total wins and Nelson won 52, putting both of them in the top 5 of the all time winners list. Does anyone really thing that Tiger’s best competition today, is going to end up in that illustrious group? I think not.
Statically speaking there is a large gap between the top of the all time winners list that not even the great Walter Hagen bridges. Hagen, in 7th place with 40 wins, is eleven short of the 6th placeholder, Billy Casper. Eleven wins is an entire career for even a great player on the tour today. Again I ask you to look at the gap between number 2 on the list, Jack Nicklaus and Number 1, Sam Snead, eleven wins.
Even if you are the most vehement “Tigernite” or Nicklaus Nut, you have to admit, the real all time golf elite includes only a very few, 6 to be exact: Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson and Billy Casper. And Billy Casper gets my vote for the greatest player with the least recognition, by far.
Now I’m going to really tick you Tigernites off. My money says he never gets there. (However, I’m not betting the really big money) Why? I think he runs out of desire. The bigger he gets, the closer he gets, the more he wins, the more the pressure will build. If he has shown any weakness at all, it is his temper that occasionally gets the best of him. As the pressures mount, and with the glare of the media of today it will, I think that pressure will sooner or later wear him down. No, I’m not predicting he will go “postal” and toss a camera in a lake with the owner still attached, but I think the “fire in the belly” will dime. And if I am right, it will be a travesty to lose, not the greatest that ever played, but one of the greatest, that could have toppled “the” Greatest Player That Ever Lived, Sam Snead!
Only time will tell!
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No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links are included. Email floyd@sbmag.org.
Floyd Snyder is the founder and former owner of Executive Advertising, Camera Ready Art and Strictly Business Magazine. Currently he is the owner of Strictly Business Magazine at http://www.sbmag.org
Tags: Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, golf, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, tiger, tiger woodsGolf Distance, Distance, Distance…Blah! Blah! Blah!
By admin | May 10, 2008
Everyone and his brother is trying to tell you that in order to play decent golf you have to hit the ball further. Heck, you could be hitting it three fifty, and I bet my next 6 birdies against your next bogey that on any given day I can find you out at the range, swinging with all four feet off the ground, trying to squeeze that last 1/4 mile per hour clubhead speed out of your new Sasquash driver, trying to reach 351. Am I right? Of course, that’s a sucker bet. My next three birdies may not come until my next life.
If golf is all about and only about distance, then how do you explain Jim Furyk? Huh? Gotcha there!
But forget the pros more then likely you’re not one; and if you are, what the heck are you reading this dribble for? Get your butt out to the range and hit some balls, I got nothing for you!
Recently, I had the pleasure of playing in club tournament with a gal that never missed the fairway. Not off the tee, not off the fairway never! Talk about boring! But what a lesson! Incidentally, she never hit over 200 yards either. But she was the low score in the foursome and thanks to her, we ended up winning the tournament!
If you’re an average golfer, a lowly hacker like yours truly, go out to your local club on Ladies Day. Now wait a minute, before I lose all you Neanderthals that still think women have no place on a golf course. Give me a chance here. You just might learn something.
Go look at the handicap list of the women’s club and get the names of top women players, and, no doubt, you will see a number of gals with indexes under 10. Go out to the range and have some one point out these players to you and watch and learn. Now unless you have the reincarnation of Babe Zaharias, more then likely none, or certainly not many of these gals are pounding the ball off the back of the range. But what they are doing is hitting it straight (and, yes, long for gals, but not 350 yards). Now before you start whining about the women’s tees and all that BS, watch “where” they are hitting it, not just how far. Now if you don’t get one other thing out of my ranting here, remember, 225 down the middle even from the tips, is worth more than 350 yards into the drink no matter how you slice it!
Now, if I haven’t totally emasculated you and you’re still reading, step up and ask one of these gals to play a round of golf. If you want to further embarrass yourself, ask her to hit form the same tees, the ones you usually hit from. Now, you have to approach this with an open mind and not some sort of threat to your manhood. Remember, I said “ask” her, not challenge her. Don’t go all Rambo on me here, just play your normal round. But watch and learn!
My guess, again assuming you are the average duffer, she’s going to shoot a lower score. But you’ll see first had that you can play decent golf without entering into the hernia danger zone on every drive.
How do short hitters post low scores? Accuracy and consistency.
Impressed, right? Not!! I didn’t really think you would be and you’d “still” want to hit it 350 and rip the center core right out of the cover! Right!! Okay, try this:
http://www.sbmag.org/Golf_Stories/ClickBankGolf.html
No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and included. Email floyd@sbmag.org.
Tags: Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, golf, Jack Nicklaus, PGA, pga tour, Sam Snead, tiger, tiger woodsAll Time Greatest Club Breaking Events in History… and the Winner is…..
By admin | April 19, 2008
Two both famous and infamous golfers known for their tempers and club throwing exploits on the golf course, were battling head to head and coming into the final round of the tournament. The entire golfing world was looking on. As the two greats made one bad shot after another, they all too often followed them up by throwing their clubs. Some of these clubs ended up in the lake or against a tree. As they were preparing for the final round, one of them was asked whom he thought was going to “lose”. “That’s easy,” he said, “the guy that runs out of clubs first.”
Everyone that plays this game has been tempted to make their own entry into the club toss championship, and all too many of us have given in to that temptation. But I can’t believe how many clubs I have broken by pure accident (yeah right)!
The first really expensive golf club I ever bought was a custom made driver by one of the great master club makers in Carmel, California, home of Pebble Beach. I spent a couple of days of my vacation being fitted and for three weeks waited anxiously for my new club to arrive in the mail. Man was it great! I was just pounding the ball to deepest depths of the driving range and just couldn’t wait for Saturday to get here so I could unleash this beauty in real action.
Finally, the day had arrived. I was loading my gear and changing my shoes, and one of my buddies came by and asked about the new club I was bragging about. I pulled it from my bag and handed it to him to check out. I walked around my car to make the final check to see that all the doors were locked. I shouldered my bag and slammed the trunk of my car. At the time it sounded a little weird, but I was anxious to get started so I didn’t bother to look.
When our names were called to the first tee, I was ready! I reached for my hot new driver; just knowing it was going to be a great day it wasn’t there. My knees quivered, I had to choke back a blood-curdling scream and nearly fell to the ground in a fit of rage as I remembered that funny sound I heard when I slammed my trunk just a few minutes ago.
Then there was the time I had a shot that had to get up fast and carry a bit farther then I usually hit my 60-degree. I was under a tree but had no overhanging limbs. I could have a Tiger-like go at it. Big mistake. I wound up like I was John Daly, figuring I needed that extra long swing that only Big John can deliver, and swung with all my might. Tree root! Damn! I jarred every bone in my body. It was three holes later when I finally got my eyes back in the right sockets and discovered I had bent my steel shafted wedge. Not to worry, just a little pressure over the knee here and we can Snap! Okay, so now I have a really short-shafted wedge for really tight back swings.
But I just may hold the dubious honor of the all time greatest moment in club breaking history. I was playing head to head with my regular foursome, and we had come to the last hole and the big money was on the line. A great drive had put me in unfamiliar territory, about 20 yards closer to the 18th green than I had ever been. An even better 6-iron put me about five feet from the hole on this difficult 4 par, which I had only rarely parred and never birdied in my life. Man this was great! I was about to birdie a hole that for years had been giving me fits, and I was going to win all the money with one shot. It just doesn’t get any better then this.
The other three had all finished up, and it was down to my very makeable, very easy, only slightly up-hill, straight in putt nearly a kick-in. I milked it for all it was worth. I plumbed it, stalked it, walked around it again, repaired imaginary ball marks and rubbed it in as best as I could. Finally I approached the ball dead in straight not a problem. Perfect backswing beautiful putting stroke nice follow through. It was great moving right on line! The money was mine! Fist pump in motion No! Wait! What the h!!!??? All of a sudden my ball is flying like a nine-iron shot and shoots twenty feet past the hole!! And there next to hole was the head of my putter, right where it had landed after falling off the shaft and hitting the back of my ball. Two putts later I’m finally in the cup, in the dumps and out of the money. To this day my playing partners are insisting that I should have also been assessed a two stroke penalty for striking the ball twice. I’ll let you look that rule up.
If you have a Great Golf Story you would like to share, email it to floyd@sbmag.org
More interesting golf stories at: http://www.sbmag.org/Golf_Stories/Great_Golf_Stories_Index.
No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links are included. EMAIL: floyd@sbmag.org.
Floyd Snyder is an avid, high handicap golfer and the owner of Strictly Business Magazine at http://www.sbmag.org and http://www.TraderAide.com
Tags: Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, golf, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, tiger, tiger woods