Archive for the ‘Golfing Greats’ Category
Jamie Sadlowski – “The Longest Driver in Golf”
Who’s Jamie Sadlowski ? I may have asked myself that a few months back but his performance in the last two long drive competitions and his exhibitions around the country have clearly established this young man as the longest hitter of the golf ball in the world by far. If you doubt what I am saying check out his swing analysis video and listen to what the golf pros and other long drivers of the golf ball have to say about him. He can probably hit a seven iron farther than most accomplished golfers can drive the ball, I think about 245 yards if I’m not mistaken. Standing at about 5′ -11″ and weighing arpound 168 pounds, he recently competed with some of the longest golf professionals on tour, like Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, who can regularly hit golf balls well over 300 yards. Jamie was passing them by at least 50 t0 100 yards, which is phenomenal to say the least. Check out the video of Jamie http://www.golf.com/golf/video/article/0,28224,2023121,00.html
Mere mortals like you and I can never hope to emulate his swing mechanics to achieve his distance, as he is one of a kind, at least for now. Jamie has significantly impressed many of the world’s finest teaching professionals, who are using the latest in computer technology to break down his swing and see if they can determine what makes him tick. Even if we can’t achieve the same results as Jamie, utilizing even some of his techniques can probably allow us to achieve greater distance hitting the golf ball than we ever imagined. I am quite certain that Jamie has now set a precedent, that many new young players will try to emulate and strive to equal or beat his accomplishments to date. That is what it is all about, striving for new and better techniques to gain more distance and become a better player. The teaching pros will most definitely use this young mans techniques and adjust the information they impart to their students to meet the ability and goals of the individual they are working with. Jamie Sadlowski is an interesting individual and I am curious to see how far his ability can take him if he decides to turn pro and compete on the PGA Tour. I’m sure the present players on the Tour circuit are not that eager to have him join their ranks. It’s like Tiger Woods arrival on the golf scene in 1997 all over again. On the other hand, the smart player will recognize that he will be good for the game, drawing more media attention to golf and additional sponsors and advertisers, thus converting to larger prize money for all! I have to go now- need to start stretching, losing weight and practicing my shoulder turn, hip rotation, etc. so I can be like Jamie! Happy Golfing to All!
Phil Mickelson won this years Masters in dramatic style. During his golf round on Sunday he shot a bogie free 67, not an easy task for any professional golfer. Last year I posted about my disappointment in the major golf tournaments because golf ’s greatest players were never able to seal the deal in the final round. I think we may be in for the best year in competitive golf that we’ve seen in a long while if The Masters is any indication of what we can anticipate. The last Masters I watched as exciting as this year was in 1986 when golfing legend, Jack Nicklaus rallied on the back nine holes on Sunday to become the oldest player to win a major at age 46. Another fan favorite, Fred Couples and golfing legend Tom Watson set a good precedent for any golfer who thinks there may be an age limit to determine ones golfing skills by playing as well or better than many of the younger players in the field. They accomplished this feat at age 50 and 60 respectively. Tom Watson faltered after the first round but he played well enough to make the cut which is an accomplishment in itself at any age. Fred Couples, a past Masters Champion from 1992, is now dominating the senior tour and he led the field after the first round. Fred, at 50, played better than the majority of his peers finishing alone in sixth place at -9, just two shots back of Tiger Woods and K. J. Choi. Tiger and K. J. Choi were paired together and matched each others score for all four rounds and finished at -11, tied for fourth place. When Tiger Woods was interviewed on camera he expressed disappointment in his performance in this years Masters Tournment. His only goal was to win the tournament as his competitive nature will not allow him to settle for anything less than victory.
Tiger Woods made his first appearance on the PGA Tour in 1997 and I immediately became a fan. The events that transpired last Thanksgiving were the beginning of a traumatic period in the life of the worlds most renowned golfer, Tiger Woods. Although he put on a smile for his fans and the camera and was received well by his peers, the media and his golfing fans, he seemed distant during this tournament and justifiably so having his dalliances and indiscretions during his marriage being so blatantly exposed for public scrutiny. Tiger Woods is an incredible golfer, and I know of no other who could have performed so well after a four month plus hiatus from golf and with his personal life turned upside down since last November. As remarkably as he played he had opportunities to score better but seemed distracted as he made some un- Tiger like mental errors down the stretch. On one of the final golf holes he took a two foot par putt for granted, missed and had to settle for bogie. If not for this error in judgement he may very well have contended for a possible second or third place finish. The miss was uncharacteristic of Tiger’s normal performance especially when the competition is heating up down the stretch.
Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, was a man on a mission as he brought home the Green Jacket for himself, wife Amy and his mom and family. His performance during the tournament and especially in the final round on Sunday showed the world the golfing skills that make him the greatest player on tour in the present day era of golf, maybe second only to Tiger Woods. Tiger exposed himself to the world as the mere mortal that he is and not the superman who some perceived him to be before the incident last year. He has left the door open for Phil to move into his # 1 slot as Phil is a spectacular player who is coming into his own and is finally believing in himself. Unfortunately, it may have taken a family crisis to make that happen. His wife Amy was courageous as she made her way to the tournament with their children to be by her husbands side despite her illness. She wanted to share in this historic moment as she played an important role by inspiring Phil to win his third green jacket. Phil Mickelson now shares this honor with some of the most renowned names in golf, Jimmy Demaret, Nick Faldo, Gary Player and Sam Snead. Arnold Palmer, another golf legend has four wins along with Tiger Woods. Jack Nicklaus leads with an incredible six victories at this prestigious golf tournament, The Masters. I thoroughly enjoyed this years Masters and I look forward to seeing Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and the other great players on tour, hitting golf balls and competing in the rest of the majors in 2010. Happy Golfing to All!
You cannot mention more revered names in golf than the three noted in this writing. Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have acheived such greatness in the sport of golf. They are all reaching milestone ages and Tom Watson is still going strong at 60 years young. If Jack Nicklaus hadn’t sustained so many injuries both to his hips and back he would still be playing and competing today. He made a brief appearance in the skins game partnering with Tom Watson and both of them were victorious playing against some of the younger bucks on the senior tour such as Fred Couples. Couples was another golfer who has been plagued by injuries through out much of his career.
The photo above of Jack, Tom and Arnold with another golfing great Ray Floyd brings back fond memories of when all four were playing and competing against each other. What a rivalry it was and what an era in golf. We may never see those days again. What I wouldn’t give to see Arnold, Jack, Tom and Ray hitting golf balls again in the weekly tournaments like they did so many years ago. Happy Golfing to All!