Golf made the headlines on Sunday when 23-year-old Collin Morikawa electrified a nation of sheltering Americans who spent Sunday afternoon in front of their television screens. Virtually unknown, he burst from a crowded field of mostly young, recognized horses to win the prestigious PGA Tournament, one of golf's four Majors, going away.
His execution of two particular shots on the 14th and 16th holes at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco were sights of beauty and mastery which the game has longed for. In front of a nation, suffering a depressing pandemic, golf gave us a hero and reason to smile.
We smiled further when the Wanamaker Trophy presented to Collin lost its top, falling to the ground, when he held it up for all to see. The scene of the toppling silver trophy has been played over again as many times as his two extraordinary golf shots. His boyish grin is infectious.
Who would have guessed that golf could give us a lift. The 500-year-old game has gone out of favor in recent years. It's too slow, too difficult, takes too much time. The millennials have shunned it like an obnoxious uncle.
Less than two years ago we thought we had come out of our golf funk when Tiger Woods reappeared to win his 15th Major. People went crazy for Tiger, rushed out to see him, always the biggest name and draw in the game.
The superstar's reappearance at the top was brief. He finished tied for 37th at the PGA on Sunday.
On Saturday and Sunday, the new kid, Collin, fresh out of UC Berkeley, shot rounds of 65 and 64, 11 under par for the two days. He tied the record for youngest player to win the PGA Major, an elite group that includes Tiger, Rory McIlroy and Jack Nicklaus.
Everybody's talking Collin. We'll see. It's a weird game and it shows no mercy.
Oddly enough for this strange game of a stick and ball and 4.25-inch hole, sheltering during Covid has re-energized interest. It's an outdoor sport and it's easy to maintain six-foot distance. Although I cringed when Collin, after winning the PGA, hugged his caddie.
Maybe they were both tested before the tournament. A gallery of fans was not present at Harding
I spent about three decades of my life attempting to put together a golf game. For the past two decades my preference has been surfing. But when the waves stop coming during summer, I lean toward the fairways.
Golf allows you space and a clearly defined turn to strike the ball. Surfing is chaotic and free-form. Etiquette is rarely followed. You must compete for a wave. Pretty soon you find yourself competing with surfers who weren't even born when you were in your prime.
"Hey gramps, get out of the way!"
On the other hand there are those like Donald Trump who give golf a bad name. Golfers don't want to be around egotistical liars and cheaters. You never want to get stuck in a foursome with someone like him.
Golfers seem to be forever working on their swing. I know I have. I've been in a little bit of a slump but I think I'm coming out of it. I've got a new key for my swing. There was a period when I would stand over the ball and smile, with the knowledge that I was going to make a pure strike.
We'll see how things go during my next round at DeLaveaga. I'm not going to divulge my new secret until it's proven for a full 18-hole round. I look forward to playing with my golf partners Bob and Bill as we go out as a team to beat Old Man Par.
I'm sure we'll talk some about the new phenom Collin and wish him the best.
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