Page 4 - The Golf Guide, Fall 2016

Opening Shot

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Well, it was an eventful summer for the PGA Tour. I think
the title of the famous Clint Eastwood spaghetti western
best sums it up. Cue up the music and feel free to whistle
the theme song as you read.
Let’s start with the GOOD. I think there are not enough
superlatives to describe Billy Hurley III’s win at the
Quicken Loans National at Congressional. The United
States Naval Academy graduate; Leesburg, VA, native;
and Annapolis, MD, resident was known already as a
hero having served our country in the Persian Gulf.
While there he guided a 10,000-ton destroyer through the Suez Canal. So, working
his way around the tree-lined fairways at the Blue Course must have been a walk
in the park. Add the personal tragedies that the Hurley family went through in 2015
to make this, as CBS analyst Peter Kostis called it, “the story of the year on the PGA
Tour.” Billy, we salute you!
And now we come to the BAD. Just weeks before
they were supposed to host a very popular stop
on the PGA Tour, The Greenbrier Resort in White
Sulphur Springs unfortunately became part of
the terrible, historic flood that hit that part of
West Virginia. The Old White TPC course and
surrounding grounds were so severely damaged
that the PGA was forced to cancel the event that
many charities in the area always count on for major fundraising. It will take some
time for that region to rebound, but we have little doubt the hierarchy at Greenbrier
will have that facility back to its beautiful and original self in 2017.
And, for lack of argument, we call what could have
happened at the U.S. Open UGLY! I really love the USGA
and what it does for the growth of golf on a yearly basis,
but when it comes to running an event, perhaps they
should leave it to the tours. The near fiasco at Oakmont
Country Club with eventual champion Dustin Johnson
could have sent golf back to the stone ages. We all know
that rules are part of the game, but if you are trying to
attract new players to the game, the last thing you need
to do is have a ball moving a fraction of an inch decide
your national championship. Johnson said he didn’t
move the ball. Case closed. This is a game of honor. Kudos to the other players for
standing by DJ.
Each and every season of the PGA Tour has its moments, but none quite as
memorable as those during the summer of 2016. We can only hope that next year
we see more GOODS, less BADS, and definitely no UGLIES!

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