Inspriational Story in Golf

The long and difficult road to playing professional golf — and making it to the bigs — is amass with obstacles to overcome. Golfers are bound to encounter challenges, whether they’re health-related and/or financial. For 31-year-old Andrew Parr, it’s been a combination. At 24, Parr was a highly accomplished golfer. As an amateur, he’d earned multiple titles throughout the U.S., Canada and Great Britain. He was also an All-American at Texas A&M University. When he graduated in 2007, he captured his maiden victory at his first ever professional tournament on the Gateway Tour. Then out of the blue Parr had a stroke which caused damage to the left side of his brain which controls the right side of the body, language and speech. As he was regaining feeling back on his right side, he found simple tasks, such as typing, “nearly impossible,” and he also stumbled with his speech. But through hard work and determination he has since been able to play golf again, competing on tours around the world. A mere six months after having the stroke, he qualified for the Shell Houston Open on the PGA Tour. Just a short time later that summer in 2008, Parr tied for first before losing in a playoff at an event on the Canadian Tour. He earned another runner-up finish a few months later. In 2009 he qualified for the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black and led briefly after the rain-delayed first day. In 2012 Parr competed in several European Tour events and in his debut, he finished 13th at the Joburg Open. Then, in 2013, he qualified to play on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. Over the last four years, Parr has found himself more grounded and in tune with himself as a person and a golfer.  Even though last season he couldn't complete a full season on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica due to financial reason but he is still determined to work on his game and one day make it to the PGA Tour.














http://www.weiunderpar.com/post/meet-pro-golfer-andrew-parr-hear-his-inspiring-story-and-contribute-to-his-crowd-funding-campaign

Corruption in Golf

The Ryder Cup is one of the most prestigious golf events there is.  The Ryder Cup is played between the USA and the European countries every 2 years.  It is a team competition where players compete in different formats to try to win points for their team.  The Ryder Cup is where most legends make their names.  In my opinion, winning a Ryder Cup is just as equally important and amazing then winning a major.  The Ryder Cup brings out a new energy that regular golf events don't have .   As the world’s leading golfers fight over a bonus pot of $35million in Atlanta weeks before the Ryder Cup ,they then contest for the Ryder Cup “for free,” with no prize-money or pay to compensate them for appearing in one of the world’s great sporting events.  Players play in the Ryder Cup for the love of the game and their country.  Its an event that is based on tradition and history, its the Meca of golf.  People think that if players received money for playing in the Ryder Cup it would turn corrupted.  Captains would pick players that didn't deserve to play and countries would be corrupt in the bid for where it is held. I think that it is fine at where its at.  The event is in an amazing place and is only helping making the game grow.  Having players compete for no money is the right thing to do as Olympians don't compete for money and I don't believe that Ryder Cup players should compete too.

Cheating on the PGA Tour

A survey was taken by the caddies on the PGA tour and more then half said they have seen a form of cheating while playing a tournament.  This is a conflict with the games long standing tradition of integrity and so called "scouts honor".  "You see guys tamping down the rough behind their ball with a 3-wood and then hitting a 9-iron out," said one of the caddies, all of whom were granted anonymity so they could speak freely without fear of repercussion. "It's illegal, but it happens all the time."
  Another caddie said that one player in particular has a reputation for marking his ball illegally.  "Everyone knows it," the caddie said. "The way he marks his ball, he'll turn a 23-inch putt into a 21-inch putt, which is huge psychologically."  There are also problems with players manipulating the rules. Many plays are employing the rules to gain an advantage.  "I have seen a lot of 'manipulation of the rules,' if you know what I mean -- people wanting drops that aren't exactly ethical but that they've somehow justified in their minds," one caddie said.  Players find ways to use the rules to their advantage.  It goes against the games integrity and needs to be watched more carefully by not just the rules officials but by the caddies and players as well.





















































http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/survey-finds-more-half-pga-tour-caddies-have-witnessed-cheating

Reaction to League of Denial

League of Denial was a documentary about how concussions are starting to become a big issue in the NFL.  It showed the side effects on the players brain after years of playing football.  They have linked brain damage later in players lives to the concussion they have received playing football.  As a golfer this is something that I do not have to worry about as concussions in golf are pretty much impossible.  I have never heard a story where a golf has received a concussion or second impact syndrome.  This is something that does not cause a concern in golf and is never going to be a problem.

King of Golf

If I was the king of golf and could do anything to the sport, I wouldn't do anything to rules or youth programs but I would change the prices of equipment.  Clubs in todays world are way to expensive and the sport in general is very expensive.  Clothes, clubs, golf balls, golf bags are all incredibly expensive now a days it makes a problem for people to be well equipped to be able to play.  The price of new driver cost around $500 when it was made at a cost of around $50- $75.  They charge way to much for clubs and I feel that this is a reason that more people don't play golf.  People see that the sport is expensive and they don't have the money to play it continuously.  Golf clothes now are getting pretty expensive, Nike charges around $80- $100 for a golf polo and for pants also.  I feel that cause golf charges an arm and a leg for either clubs, clothes, or even to play, that people don't want to use their money for those things.  Especially in youth sports, for parents to have their kids play in tournaments they would have to play in the hundreds of dollars for them to just play.  That's not including the cost of their clubs, clothes, and other stuff that is need for them to play in a tournament.  If I was the king, I wouldn't change the rules of youth golf or change the promotion but I would change the price of the sport as I feel that the prices of equipment is the reason that more people do not play. 

Conflicts of Interest

Back in 2009 the editor of golf digest was also the editor of tigerwoods.com and to some people that seemed like that could have been a conflict of interest.  People thought that since he is the editor of both golf digest and tigerwoods.com that he would either favor Tiger Woods or cover up his wrong doings.  Some people think it is a problem as seen in the following quote, "It seems that Mark would only edit pieces for Golf Digest that were bylined by Woods himself, which seems a little disingenuous on Golf Digest‘s part."  There has also seemed to have problems with Tiger Woods and his pay roll.  With parent company Condé Nast making so many staff cuts, they somehow still have room to keep Tiger Woods’ personal editor on the pay roll.  People feel because it's Tiger Woods that he gets special treat even with his people that work for him.  So if Tiger had something good that happen to him , people feel that if that happens golf digest will cover it for the longest time and build it up bigger then it is.  But if Tiger did something against the rules or made him look bad, they might try and cover it up as best they can.  So there is that feel of conflict of interest as the editor of Golf Digest also works for Tigher Woods.  

http://www.adweek.com/fishbowlny/tiger-woods-scandal-provides-journalistic-conflict-of-interest/14235

Youth golf

With the new addition of the Drive, Chip, and Putt Championships, youth golf has been on the rise. PGA Junior League Golf has expanded from 1,500 youth participants in 2012 to 8,900 in 2013, a 490% increase. In 2014, participation doubled (18,000 kids).  Youth golf has started to slowly but surely increase in participation which I believe is because of younger guys winning on tour like Jordan Spieth and Rory Mcilrory.  Young kids see these players win and that makes them want to be like them or do what they did.    Even though there are people who say that the pace of play and the level of difficulty of the sport is pushing people away, younger kids are playing more and more even though the increase isn't a large number.  The DCP Championships are also a big help for youth golf. They have created a format that has three types of shots the players must hit making the game sorter and easier.  These players can with tournaments that will give them the opportunity to play at Augusta National where the Masters is held every year.  This gives young players a taste of what kind of courses the pros play at and gives them a different experience of the game of golf.  The popularity of PGA Junior League Golf has skyrocketed over the past year, as a record 8,000 boys and girls nationwide have registered for the 2013 season, representing an approximate 345 percent increase in participants. As a result, more than 700 teams across 33 states will be filled nationwide—a five-fold rise in PGA Junior League Golf teams over last year.

Reform in NCAA

There are no need for reform with the NCAA and sports.  Players should not receive money for anything, and the thought that these players think they should receive money is ridiculous.  People think that they should be paid because this might be categorized as "labor", and this thought is just stupid.  Playing a sport is no where near labor, we watch sports for entertainment for a reason.  You don't see us watching construction works on the TV because that is actual labor.  A sport is nothing like anyother job, it's a game.  It's a form of entertainment for the both the viewer and the player.  I do believe though that student atheletes shouldnt pay for anything, thing like food, housing, and other necessities.  But other then that I don't not think college atheletes should e paid.  Think about it, if you give a 18,19,20 year old kid money for playing their sport, you don't know what they could do with that money.  And the more money they receive the more they become unpredictable.  NCAA should not pay their atheletes money since these atheletes are amateurs in their sport.

Amateur Golfers

An Amateur golfer is define as, "one who plays golf for the challenge  it presents, not as a professional or for financial gain."  Rule 3 of the Rules of Amateur Status prohibits an amateur golfer from accepting prize money.  Those who choose to take the money forfeit his/her amateur status.  That's why you never see college players take any prize money.  They can play in tournaments where prize money is available but they have to waive their right to take the money so they don't get in trouble with both the NCAA and the USGA.  That's why you see some college players in some Major tournaments with an (a), next to their name to let everyone know they are an amateur.  There was a story back in 2011 where a Freshman in high school won a charity putting contest for $5,000 and did not accept the money.  And people might be thinking this kid is crazy but he did this so he wouldn't mess up his amateur status.  He refused the money and still kept his amateur status.
I believe this is how all sports should be played.  Golf does a very good job distinguishing between amateurs and professionals.  It's simple once you accept any form of money for play golf, you are a professional not an amateur.  Although amateurs in golf who are playing in tour events, may receive finical aid for the expenses for that tournament like transportation, food, housing, etc. 
The Rules also allow an amateur golfer to receive financial support directly from anyone for an individual competition where the expenses are $300 or less.  Once the amount exceeds $300 dollars, he/she may still receive finical support from sources other than family members but it has to be approved by and paid through the golfer’s state or local golf association.  But amateurs may not under any circumstances receive money for playing golf.  I believe these rules are fair and do a good job with separating the amateurs and professionals.







http://www.usga.org/rules/amateur_status/amateur-status/




http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/teen-golfer-garrett-sauls-wins-putting-contest-turns-down-5000-prize-to-avoid-risking-amateur-status/2011/06/01/AGD2WXWH_story.html
 

16th Hole at The Waste Management Phoenix Open

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is one of the most iconic and loudest holes in all of golf.  With stadium like stands all around the hole it creates a different feeling for golfers and the fans too.  This hole alone has grown bigger and bigger every year.  But for the past two years the PGA tour has establish new rules that limits how much fans can interact with players and how much players can interact with fans.  Other then the last 3 seasons the 16th hole had players and even caddies entertained fans.  Players would toss balls, hats, and even start throwing some footballs since the Super Bowl was on the same Sunday as The Waste Management.  Caddies however would participate in caddie races where each of the opponents caddies would race to the green with golf backs on their backs.  Three years ago, the tour discontinued caddie races for the safety of the caddies.   The PGA Tour also put out a notice to players and caddies stating that, for fan safety reasons, players and caddies are prohibited from throwing, kicking, or otherwise propelling items into the crowd on the 16th hole.  They felt that fans could have been harmed by the things that were thrown in the crowd.  This past year, a golfer named Ryan Palmer, would throw balls with 10$ bills wrapped around them so that the fan could enjoy a "drink on him."  Even thought the PGA Tour did not approve of this he still did it.  Here's the truth, The Waste Management Phoenix Open loved the caddie races and loved having players interact with fans on the 16th hole, throwing hats, T-shirts, candy or whatever into the crowd. It's part of what makes the hole the greatest show on grass.








http://espn.go.com/golf/blog/_/name/golf/id/12162851/pga-tour-taking-fun-waste-management-phoenix-open-16th-hole-golf

Fans

Throughout the history of golf fans have been watching the sport with great enthusiasm and interest.  Fans have been showing the same etiquette and respect as player have. Golf fans do have certain rights or duties while watching their favorite player hit the ball 300 yards down the middle of the fairway.  The game of golf has been about respect, etiquette, and enjoyment.  Players have to show respect to the course and their opponents.  They also have to show a good attitude for the fans so they can be a good role model and a person to look up to.  These fans have to show the same attitude back to the players so they do not disturbed them while they are playing.  Fans have to be quite while players are preparing to hit a shot.  This let's the players play their games.

As this game has evolve and has attracted a much younger crowd , they have became alitte louder one could say. With these new younger players winning on tour it creates a new type of energy throughout the golf world.  After every shot you hear someone yells "GET IT THE HOLE" or "BABABOOIE".  And in the 2013 U.S. Open Championship you heard someone scream "King of the North" whenever Justin Rose hit a shot.  So it's safe to say that the game has gotten a lot louder and the 16th hole at The Waste Mangement is an example of that. That hole has turned into a stadium. It is the loudest hole in golf, which I think it is great. It creates a feel like football and basketball where the fans give the players energy and help boost their games.  Now a days, players love that stuff as the younger generation of players are all about energy and using the fans excitement to their advantage.










http://espn.go.com/golf/blog/_/name/golf/id/12162851/pga-tour-taking-fun-waste-management-phoenix-open-16th-hole-golf

David Feherty

David Feherty works for CBS Sports as an on-course reporter and golf analyst. Feherty is a contributor to Golf Magazine and has his own column in the back of the magazine called Sidespin.  David is a very entertaining sports announcer and also has his own TV show called Feherty.  Feherty's job as a sports announcer is to follow a group in a tournament call their every shot.  He tells you what club, how far, what kind of lie they have, and why kind of shot they should play.  He makes watching golf very entertaining because of his quick witted jokes and his foreign punch lines.  Feherty makes the game easier to understand also because he explains what is going on and clarifies things that might be confusing to the everyday amateur.  His talk show, Feherty, is a show that every golf knows about and is a every golfers dream to be on.  The show originally debuted in June 2011 as the most-watched original series in Golf Channel history. Feherty received an Emmy nomination in 2014 for “Outstanding Sports Personality”. Feherty has gone one-on-one with celebrities across golf, sports and entertainment, including former President Bill Clinton, basketball Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell and Charles Barkley, actors Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson, and golfers Tom Watson and Greg Norman and many more.  He creates a different perspective in golf with getting to sit down and talk about these players.  His personality makes it easier for golfers to talk to him about anything.  His show gives the audience an insight on previous tournament victories/play, personal issues, how they practice and train, to what is their favorite thing to do other then golf. Feherty’s success extends beyond broadcasting. He has authored six books, with several making the New York Times “Best Sellers List.”  Thanks to his sharp wit and clever jokes, he has become golf’s most irrepressible personality and a viewer favorite.
















http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Feherty
http://www.golfchannel.com/about/bio/david-feherty/

Media in Golf

With Rory Mcilory on the rise and Tiger on the fall, there are questions that are raised if golf is on the up or the down?  Many would say that golf is declining because of Tiger's fall from beginning the best to be ranked in the mid 50s in the world.  And this would be true, many credit Tiger's dominance for the construction for new golf course and country clubs.  Many of these course are now shutdown or don't make very much money at all because of the decrease in popularity but there has been a spike in recent years as new young players have stood out on tour.  These include Rory Mcilory, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley and many others.  Even though they aren't a Tiger Woods, they still are helping the game get more popular.
Media in golf is very important in the growth of the game.  As many players are on social media and this helps grow the game.  29% of German golfers use social media to follow golf.  More people get there information on golf from social media then from TV, newspaper, or internet sources.  Even though some of the Golf Channel shows have increased ratings like, morning drive, the golf fix, and the school of golf, more people still get their information from social media.  The broadcasters for golf are NBC, CBS, and the Golf Channel.  Also ESPN covers the British Open but that is the only tournament they cover.  TV ratings have decreased because of factors like playoffs to win tournaments.  In the past two years there has not been many playoffs and these playoffs help TV ratings.  Even though TV ratings are down, the audience in golf have increased about 7 to 8 percent.  I believe this is because of increase of young players contending for tournaments.  Players that are now 21-25 are at the top of the leaders boards consistently.  Ratings might show a decrease in interest but I believe the game is becoming bigger and more popular in a way.










http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/finchem-tv-ratings-down-total-audience/

Should Golfer's be Considered Role Models?

Golf is a game that teaches young kids good judgment, honesty, and good etiquette.  I believe golfers should be look at as role models because golfers aren't usually that crazy where they are getting thrown in jail or getting caught doing drugs.  They are usually guys who don't really mess up.  Even though there are those stories like the ones of Tiger Woods, John Daley, or Dustin Johnson where the player does mess up, but they usually bounce back.  These players should be good role models because it will help grow the guy and make kids get more active in the sport.  Golfers show good character and class when they play and I believe this rubs off on young kids.  With these golfers becoming role models it will help teach kids many things like to , manage your emotions, practice personal responsibility, and help prepare for business.  Golf is a very frustrating sport and getting frustrated is the downfall to most peoples games, so you have to control these emotions.  Even though this is one of the hardest things to do but once you accomplish it, it helps it a lot of situations. Golf also helps with business as much business is talk about over a round of golf.  This sport gives kids an opportunity to learn about personal responsibility.  Golf you have to be responsible for you and your stuff, also for your actions.  Golfers own it to the fans and to the Tour for being good role models as they already posses good character and respect for the game which helps teach young kids life lesson and how to act properly.









http://blog.thefirsttee.org/2013/10/07/10-reasons-young-people-play-golf/

Messing Up Off the Course

Dustin Johnson is one of the longest if not the longest hitter on tour.  He is entertaining to watch as he bombs his drive 340 yards down the middle of the fairway.  So it was a shock to everyone on tour and to all the fans when they heard he was taking a leave of absence last July.  This leave of absence would stretch out to 6 months keeping the 8 time PGA tour winner out of the PGA Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs.  Not to also mention that he would have qualified for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which we all know would have been a big help to team U.S.A.  This leave of absence was because of Dustin testing positive for cocaine.  This left Dustin and the PGA tour in a uncomfortable situation where it was either suspended him or to let him  take a 'leave of absence'.  All this did was make it easier for Johnson in his time that he took off the course to get back on track.
Johnson said that this was something that has been apart of his life, he blames most of his problems on his drinking habits.  As Dustin took time away from the game he said he didn't need rehab but brought in a team of experts, such as a life coach.  He also spent a lot of time with his family.  He is engaged to Paulina Gretzky, daughter of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.  Him and his fiancé rented a house near her parents in Southern California eating ever breakfast and dinner together.  Johnson said he play six times a week with Wayne and broke the course record at Sherwood Country Club with a 61.  He has already made his return from his leave of absence and Johnson is confident that this problem will never come up again. 








http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/12198973/dustin-johnson-says-cocaine-problem

What the Super Bowl Does that Ever Sport Should Do

The Super Bowl does the best job in getting people to watch the game.  Even though football is one of if not the most popular sport in America, the Super Bowl does the best job with advertisements and endormesments.  This makes the Super Bowl get higher tv ratings and make even more money. NBC Sports PR has announced that the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX victory over the Seahawks delivered a 49.7 overnight rating, the highest in Super Bowl history. This makes the game more popular and something that ever sport should learn from.

This is something that golf could use. Even though in the past 10 years the sport has grown a lot, it could still use some help.  Golf could use more advertisements to increase there tv ratings for their regular your events.  For the tours major event they do a good job in advertising and making it a big deal.  For the tours four majors is when the have the highest tv ratings. If they could somehow use the same ideas for the regular tour events to help increase tv ratings. They could also make the fields stronger so the tournaments could be more exciting so more people would watch. This would help grow the game and make it more popular.  The main thing the Super Bowl does is help grow the game, this is something every sport can learn from and should try to reenact 

Super Bowl Reactions

This past Super Bowl was one to remember, not just for the great game that was played by the two teams, but for the fans and how many people got screwed out of tickets.  Many people bought tickets from smaller ticket brokers like SeatGeek and Prominent Tickets.  These ticket brokers couldn't provide for the fans.  These brokers practice something called short selling where brokers sell tickets that they don't have at a price and then when it gets closer to game time they buy cheaper tickets and thats where they make their profit.  It wasn't the case this year where normally ticket prices drop as it gets closer to the game time but this year ticket prices were increasing as it got closer to the game. 
So this puts these brokers in a situation they normally aren't in.  They were selling tickets they didn't have and then when they went to buy these tickets at a cheaper price, they weren't there.  So this left people who thought they bought tickets with none.  These fans paid for air fair, hotel rooms, etc. and then when it came game time they were left with no tickets and no entry to the game.  This also left all the brokers in a worse position then they were, not only they lost money from tickets, they also paid back all the people they screwed out of tickets twice of what they paid.  This Super Bowl you could say was very memorable, and for some that memory was not good at all.




http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12255886/hundreds-super-bowl-tickets-fall-through