Making a little tee time: Arguments made for Watson - and golf

[Forkboy]

Tom Watson, closing in fast on his 60th birthday, damn near won the British Open.

As a story, a Watson victory would have been off the charts. Even in defeat, or non-success, if you will, it will remain one of the great sagas of the 2009 sports year. No one who loves sport ever will forget that Tom Watson led the 2009 British Open through 71 holes before making a proper mess of things with the putter on hole 72.

But how you evaluate this achievement depends on how you regard golf.

Just where golf fits in with our other popular sporting pursuits is one of those juicy arguments that never goes away. That golf is a highly refined skill is beyond dispute. But is it, you know, sport, as we define and celebrate sport? Is it good or bad for golf that a man pushing 60 can compete at such a high level in one of its most prestigious competitions?
--
Golf’s greatest advertisement, however, is this: It is the sport an astonishing percentage of all other top-flight athletes wish they could master. Among Woods’s other distinctions is the simple fact that he is the most admired athlete by other athletes. And why? Because they all know how hard it is to play golf well.

more...

http://www.boston.com/sports/golf/articles/2009/07/22/making_tee_time_to_defend_watson____and_sport_of_golf/

[wilt the stilt]

1. Golf- a sport

I like a lot of people think golf is a a sport. What most of the people who say it is not have probably never played 4 rounds in a row and walked all 4 rounds. I guarantee most people will feel pretty beat up walking 4 days in a row. In my younger days I played tons of basketball and my hero was John Havlicek because of his unrelentless conditioning.
I also loved to continually move when I played and wear my opponent out. So for all you people who don't think golf is tiring walk 4 days with a caddie or a pull cart and tell me how you feel on Sunday.

[trumad]

2. People who say it isn't a sport simply suck at it.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Absolutely Correct!

It's quite tedious to hear people who can't break 120 tell the rest of us that golf isn't a sport.

I'm 53, i have MS, and i shoot in the mid 70's. Anyone who thinks that's easy is a moron.
GAC

[trumad]

10. Lucky bastard...

I wish I could break 80

[Forkboy]

12. Hell, I've only broken 100 twice.

Doh!

[JonLP24]

14. I score pretty well at miniature golf

:D

[Forkboy]

16. LOL

That fucking windmill though! :)

[JonLP24]

17. I do well on the windmill.., It is this section that really pisses me off

[ProfessorGAC]

18. I Actually Saw A Guy Shoot A 19!

No kidding! He was one of those REALLY serious PuttPutt guys. He hit balls off the rail on purpose rather than putt straight at the hole. He made 17 holes in 1 and a 2. He was ridiculous. I don't remember his name (this was back in the mid 70's) but he was mentioned in a Sports Illustrated article back around that time.

Pretty amazing. I'll watch anybody who's that good at anything.
GAC

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Now, You're Really Gonna Hate Me

I shot 74 and 73 last weekend. I did something right on nearly every hole. My favorite round of the two is actually the 74. I made NO BOGEYS! Just 16 pars and 2 bogeys. When you're an old man with MS, consistency is really the goal.

By the way, LUCK has nothing to do with it! LOL!

Thanks
GAC

[Forkboy]

3. Tiring mentally as well.

I never played a game that fucks with your head more than golf. Literally from one moment to the next you can go from joy to misery and back to joy again (though I usually end on misery lol).

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Then You're Wron g

Try shooting a 73 on a 71 rated course like it did on Sunday. You know not of what you speak.

I'm 5'9", 154 pounds. I'm no fat guy. I'm 53 and i have MS. It's the SPORT i can do.

Proud of yourself now?
GAC

[JonLP24]

6. Oh come on!! All they do is chase a ball across a lawn!!

:P

Actually if Poker is shown on ESPN, a Sports Channel, I can consider golf a sport. It does involve hand-eye-coordination, accuracy on the shots, and obviously got to play since able to walk to make it to the pros.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Duh!

No more can possibly be said to disparge your ignorance further.
GAC

[JonLP24]

8. I was just kidding in my subject line

I admit I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to golf but it IS a sport in my book.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Sorry. I Misread It

My apologies. If you're an ally, i certainly don't want to "piss on a sparkplug"! (Guess what movie that's from. Most sports fans love this, even though it's not a sport movie.)

[JonLP24]

11. lol it's ok

I actually heard the "chase a ball across a lawn" line used demeaning the sport before. I meant nothing but sarcasm though when I posted it. I honestly could not tell what movie the sparkplug line is from without looking it up.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Then, We'll Play Sometime

Look i have a different view of the game. It is absolutely about ONLY the shot you're hitting right then.

And, when you hit enough of those well, the score will take care of itself. I'm sort of a Phil Jackson disciple in the realm of golf! Zen and the art of golf!
GAC