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OUT OF LEFT FIELD |
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 WEBB SIMPSON ....had reason to grin |
Webb Simpson Was
The Stealth Golfer
By STAN ISAACS
of TheColumnists.com
Some thoughts on the wing while dipping in and out of the four days of the NBC telecasts of the 112th U.S. Open golf tournament:
In the words of the legendary British TV
announcer, Henry Longhurst, “the light of good fortune
shone upon Webb Simpson” as he seemingly came out of
the Pacific Ocean mist at the Olympic Golf Club to win the Open.
Certainly the light of TV didn’t shine upon him until late
in the final round. We saw much of Tiger Woods early and, during
the final round, Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowel and Ernie Els. Simpson
played under the radar. He made four birdies in the middle of
the final round that put him in contention. He won by a stroke
over McDowel and Michael Thompson with a 281.
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Woods provided drama on the sixth hole of the second round when his second shot landed on a ribbon of thick grass above a sand trap. It is always most interesting for the TV viewer when one of these titans of the dimpled round ball is in trouble. After stomping around, pondering, examining, analyzing the shot. Woods hit. He did not get the ball close to the hole.
For a second he made a motion of throwng
his club, but resisted. It recalled a stunt promoted by the Druid
Hills golf course in Atlanta. It held a club-throwing contest.
The winner threw 61 yards. History does not record if it was
the legendary club-thrower, Tommy Bolt, who prevailed.
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A puzzlement: when Nick Watney knocked a ball in from 208 yards for a double eagle, one golf writer called this “an albatross.” A double eagle is a positive achievement, an albatross conjures up the mournful image of the albatross around the ancient mariner’s neck in the Taylor Coleridge poem. I would call a double eagle a deagle. I would also call a double bogie a woegie.
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Webb Simpson earned an Arnold Palmer golf scholarship at Wake Forest. It struck home that he won on this Olympic course on which Palmer suffered one of the worst defeats of his career in the 1966 Open. Palmer led by seven strokes with nine holes to play and five strokes with four holes left. He was so intent on breaking Ben Hogan’s 72-hole Open record, he lost his cool and was beaten by Billy Caspar.
I happened to be the only reporter in the locker room when Jack Nicklaus came over to Palmer, slumped on a bench with his head down. Nicklaus patted him on the shoulder, consoling him. Palmer shook his head with a “what can you do motion.” I left quietly.
NBC paired the two legendary upset winners,
Caspar and Jack Fleck, for an interview. Fleck, who upset Ben
Hogan in 1955. is 90, Caspar almost 81. Bob Costas was properly
respectful saying, “Mr. Fleck, Mr. Caspar.” Costas
is 60.
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I followed Nicklaus one year in the British Open at Hoylake outside of Liverpool. During a pause he told me, “Have you seen the sweaters? A terrific bargain." He referred to the Pringle sweaters on display at a merchandise tent. I was struck by a millionaire relishing a bargain. I dutifully visited the Pringle display and bought Pringle sweaters that made a hero out of Nicklaus-and me-for the four Isaacs women. I always had the feeling watching Nicklaus that he really was never in trouble. No matter how bad a lie, he seemed able to come up with the shot that got him into the clear.
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The Open course was too difficult. This tournament was not the entertainment that the Masters Tournament invariably is because there were relatively few approach shots leading to birdies. The Masters’ closing holes feature make-or-break shots which excite viewers whether they succeed or fail. I liked Bubba Watson’s apt description after not making the cut: “The course beat me up.”
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The “get-it-in-the-hole” shouters were out in full force yelling after drives; anything to be on television…I could do without the players who diddle and daddle to a faretheewell lining up shots, then pausing anew before actually hitting the ball…The announcers refer to Davis Love III. Were Davis Loves I and II so famous that this bloke has to be differentiated with the roman numerals?...Peaacocks are drab compared to the Orange Julius-like outfit of Ricky Fowler in the final round…Phil Mickelson wore bankers’ pin-striped dark pants, matching the Barclay Bank insignia on his shirt. And oh, yes, for the umpteeth time: poor Phil Mickelson.
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An almost comical vignette. Lee Westwood waiting, hoping that a ball he hit onto a cypress tree would fall, which happened to Lee Jantzen on his way to winning the 1998 Open on this course. After at least a five-minute wait Westwood had to go back and hit another ball.
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Attention: Ray Milland: This was Tiger Woods’ “Lost Weekend.”
©2012 by Stan Isaacs. The Stan Isaacs caricature is ©2001 by Jim Hummel. The photo of Webb Simpson is courtesy of Wikipedia. This column first posted June 18, 2012.
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