Give Inkster a Mulligan

Some of you may have noticed the logo in an earlier post about Jay Williamson. This is the official logo for The Daily Mulligan and will appear in posts when a mulligan is given. You may find they are given to any number of people for varying reasons, but sometimes people just deserve a do over.

I’m giving two mulligans today. The first goes to Juli Inkster and the second I’m giving myself.

Juli missed the cut today by a stroke. While there are a lot of other great golfers under that cut line, Inkster is a class act and I hate that she won’t be around for the final days of the Open. If you caught any of the footage taken during rain delays, you could find her sharing a laugh or two with some of the other players on tour. There was at least one instance of total cracking up with Sorenstam. I enjoy seeing the camaraderie on the tour. More laughing, less sneering...am I a girl or what?

The second mulligan goes to me for the misplaced foot on the edge of the garden hose that sent me tumbling down the last concrete stair to the road. Full ankle roll, a good loud snap and multiple words I don’t like to include in my writing. I’m sure it will be fine in two weeks along with the rest of the package, but I don’t think I deserved yet another pain in my body.

If you have ideas for others that deserve mulligans, send me a note, I’ll do the research, the writing and credit your great idea.

I'm Ready to You Know...Putt

As the nurse opened the door and called my name across the waiting room, I confidently stood up and walked boldly towards her, hiding any small winces of pain with a broad smile and thumbs up. Certainly I’d be cleared to golf if I could wind my way through the maze of women and babies with such a strong gait.

“Everything is looking really good; you’re healing very fast, but take it easy going back to work, any other questions?” My doctor looked at me with a smile that suggested she was ready for the first question her patients always asked.
“When can I golf?” I responded. Again, the broad smile.
Looking slightly confused, head tilting from side to side, she responded, “I guess you can start putting now, but I’d be seriously concerned about the swinging of a golf club.” That suspicious smile was back, followed by, “Don’t you have any other questions you’d like to ask.” She drew the “other” out for three or four counts while I slowly realized what she was talking about.
“Oh yeah, you want to know if I want to know about you know,” I said nodding my head in perfect rhythm with hers.
“Most women do”, she replied.

Not this woman. There’s plenty of time for “you know”, but only so many perfect golf days. For now I will save the “you know” for Victoria, my somewhat clunky Yes putter. She’ll be my partner in healing over the next two weeks as I am finally forced to work on my putting. Which is just what the doctor ordered.

Four Fairways for Wie

The inclement weather didn’t come soon enough for Michelle Wie in today’s first round of the US Women’s Open. While continuing to hit an average drive of 250 yards, only four of them found the fairways for Wie, leaving her out on the edges and fighting her way back to the middle. Wie wasn’t the only golfer struggling today at Pine Needles, Karrie Webb finished the day with a surprising round of 83, just one from the bottom of today's leaderboard.

The wayward weather did limit the young newcomer, Alexis Thompson, to a short round of nine holes, but at last check she was holding her own at +3 and hit 7 of 7 fairways on her drives. Pretty impressive first showing for the 12 year old athlete, don’t you think?

Tomorrow there is more in store as the USGA starts things off at 7:30 a.m. trying to make up for lost time today. One by one the players will head up to the tee box, either praying for the skies to stay clear or hoping for another lightning storm. Either way, the electricity is high in Southern Pines this late June weekend as the US Women’s Open heads for day two.

No Ladders Allowed

In case you were considering it, there are no ladders allowed at the US Women’s Open. And that’s just one of many rules for spectators if you are planning to attend the tournament this weekend in Southern Pines, N.C.

It’s been my general observation that rules and policies are usually put in place after someone has done something really stupid. It’s not likely that the USGA thought the ladder rule up on their own…someone brought one. I can understand a ladder on the street corner at a Mardi Gras parade, but the U.S. Open? I can picture the family pulling into the parking lot of a shaded and pristine golf club with their ladder strapped to the top of the station wagon with faded nylon cord like a Christmas tree. Dad probably hit the nearby car as he lifted it onto his shoulder and cleared the way to the entrance gate. Even an umbrella is difficult to manage in those crowds, how far do you think he got before someone told him they weren’t allowed?

I’m so anxious for the Open to start that I’m reading the spectator rules. I wish they’d add one that says something like:

At no time may you yell “In the hole” as a player is teeing off, it disturbs our at home viewers.

The great thing about watching golf from home is that you get constant action with no need to hustle from place to place, elbowing your way towards the rope. You don’t drip sweat, you don’t have to park AND you can watch from a ladder.

Pressel or Poker...Who Makes The Call?

Southern Pines, NC is filling up with women’s golf enthusiasts as the anticipation and preparations for the 2007 US Women's Open builds during this final week before the tourney begins. Storefronts, restaurants and hotels will call out welcomes to the players and fans as they proudly open their community’s doors to the world. The greens keepers are working around the clock…sharpening mower blades, hand watering greens and tees, and putting those final perfect touches on an already beautiful golf course nestled in the heart of North Carolina.

With all this excitement, why does the USGA already have products they are offering for this legendary weekend in their sale merchandise? And why are there still multiple t-shirts, hats and windbreakers from the Oakmont tournament still proudly displayed and not marked down? At first look it appears that the only item associated with the tourney is a sweatshirt. No self respecting golfer wears a big, bulky sweatshirt. But, on further research, it appears there are more items, but they aren't listed under 2007 US Open merchandise. They are tucked in with the other national championships merchandise.

I want the cool stuff and I want to be able to find it and buy it easily online. I want to click and find a selection of good fabrics and colors that commemorate this great annual event. I don’t want a sweatshirt or any of the Men’s Open merchandise that dons the squirrel logo.

More importantly, I’d like to be able to watch the women golf... uninterrupted by yet another poker challenge. While some of you may disagree, I hardly see how poker deserves the spotlight on a sports channel. Have you seen these women’s bodies? They are exquisite athletes with loads of personality and a lot of fun to watch.

As women's golf grows in popularity it seems inevitable that they will be given more airtime by the big sports networks. I don't know about the rest of you, but I know I’d rather watch a 12 year old tee it up at Pine Needles than a fat guy with sunglasses “let it ride”.

Williamson Could Help Wie

If anyone deserves a mulligan, it’s Jay Williamson. His performance this past weekend at the Travelers Championship was exceptional and a schooling on professionalism. Can you imagine what goes through his head while he’s setting

up for his tee shots? My voices just say things like, “Don’t hit it right, don’t even think about that fabulous old white oak over there…you’re going to hit it that way, aren’t you…don’t do it, aim left….”

He had to endure thoughts like, “Don’t hit it right, you’ll never get your card back, everyone’s watching, do you hear them?” But somehow, with all that pressure, he played some great golf and we all hoped he’d get his card back, didn’t we?

Michelle Wie could take some lessons from Jay Williamson. In fact, maybe she needs to hire him while he’s temporarily available. He could mentor her on the finer points of being competitive and gutting it out to win the respect of her fellow players, fans and commentators. She’s shown us that she can play golf, but she hasn’t earned that place in my heart that makes me want to pull for her like Jay Williamson. I think she would have been better served to finish the Ginn, lose her ability to play in the LPGA events, and gut it back like Williamson.

Body Under Repair

On June 11th, I had a surgery that I’m told will keep me from playing golf for approximately six weeks. Six weeks. According to my calculations, that’s about one third of the best season for golf in Oregon. Given that it was a significant surgery, I had plenty of really good questions for my doctor.
“Are you sure we can’t wait until November?”
“What about chipping, okay, how about putting, a putter’s really not very heavy.”
“Do you golf? Is there something wrong with you?”

The best part of having surgery that week was the initial recovery time on the couch, feet propped up, a bottle of painkillers and the US Open. Twenty hours of golf later, even my golfing buddies could not understand how I could have possibly known exactly what color Tiger wore on each day, let alone what club he used on each hole. I grieved on Sunday afternoon as Tiger’s long birdie putt missed the mark on #18. Not so much because he lost, but because it was over. The endless commentary on the rough and the way on almost every hole the commentators would say, “I don’t understand why he’s chosen that club with the extreme left to right pitch of this diabolical green”, which was regularly followed by, “Wow, that shot worked out much better than I thought, he got just the right speed…”

This weekend is the other US Open. I don’t think they’ll play the full twenty hours of it, but I’ll take what I can get. Then, I’m going to wash my clubs again and cross off another day on the calendar.

Welcome to The Daily Mulligan

I can feel the butterflies growing inside me as I get closer to hovering my mouse over the Publish button and finally launch The Daily Mulligan. I find myself reflecting on a time I covered a paper route for a good friend who was hospitalized. The whole daily thing seemed overwhelming. Especially in Oregon where no matter which way you turn, the cold rain is pelting you in the face as you drop soggy newspapers on darkened front porch steps. But this is about golf, right?

The Daily Mulligan is a blog about all things golf. Here you will find daily stories, commentary and observations on the topics that bore most of your friends. This is a place to sneak away to and say, “I can’t believe that’s happened to someone else.” Ever been stalked by a chain smoking course marshal? Ever wonder if the C grooved putters really make any difference to the average Joe or Jill golfer? Ever wake up in the morning and want to take a mulligan before you even get out of bed?

I hope you’ll join me on this adventure. You may not learn anything, but I’ll try to make you laugh and find something about golf you can relate to.