Marvelous

You gotta love the early SNL skits of Fernando Llamas I believe his "You look Marvelous" line was used 1000 times at my graduation party.


Rio "the marvelous city" will host not only the 2016 games, but will also bring golf to the games, where it so rightly belongs.
The future betting will not however be on the golfer that wins the gold, but for the golfer that builds the course.

See, Rio has no golf courses...it does have pristine beaches with scantily clad sun worshippers and sugar cane fields with...um...controlled burns.

Now it's not Billy that will be saying his famous line, but rather Norman, Faldo and Nicklaus.


No, I'm not talking about their dreams of competing with their sticks...


...they will be competing with their shovels.


So, it is in this beautiful corner of the world, that these great men will train their bulldozers over Rio Terra Firma, to reach the gold in a much more high stakes game than what the actual golf shots will contest, for the Olympic gold.

They will be competing for residuals, the right to call their golf resort the "Official Golf Course of the 2016 Olympiad", and have that moniker to have and to hold way after the Games have gone.

...and that will allow one of these great men to check their bank account while the Rio gold flows to them and say..."Mahvalas".


Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

School record

Quick: Which college loves playing golf across the pond?

Answer: Georgia Tech: 3 British Open wins: Bobby Jones, David Duval and Stewart Cink.

BTW: Stewart Cink played with another Tech alum during his victory: Bryce Molder. If he keeps playing well, he will make it a fourth on the firth.

I remember back in the day, Cink winning the Nike Tour Championship (now it's called the Nationwide Tour) at Settindown Creek in Atlanta. A links course that stimped 15 on the final day. I was a scorer for a group a couple groups back...there names escape me now...fame is so fleeting...but I do remember Stewart Cink mowing the field down like a weedwacker on auto-pilot.
He was good at Tech. Everyone knew he was the next big deal out of the storied golf team of Georgia Tech. He almost won the US Open if not for a screwed-up final hole that was harder than #6 at Joe's Mini-Golf and Ice Cream Emporium...save for the windmill.

I still don't agree with belly-putters, but, until the USGA bans it, we have to accept it, and it has revitalized a great player...and it doesn't take away the fact that Cink beat a field on Scotland's hallowed turf only reserved for the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Stewart Cink was to Tom Watson what Nick Faldo was to Greg Norman...what was a written script, only to be snatched away, scribbled, erased and edited.

Difference is, this editor took us all along for the ride with his Twitter account. He's a helluva, helluva engineer!


Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

The season that time forgot

Remember the GREAT first half of this year's golf season my friends...'cause it ain't gonna get better. In fact, The year has already passed. From now on...golf events will be measured in terms of the countdown to Tiger '09.

Many reasons are upon this vanishing season, the obvious being that Tiger is in rehab. For the life of me, I cannot understand why he won't grant the media a 24/7 day-in-the-life of Tiger?...you know...a "Reality Tiger" show. I just don't think we get enough Tiger coverage. :-)

But I digress...

Another reason is the knee-breaking performance/drama/festival...of the US Open. Golf doesn't, and in our lifetime probably won't, get any better than that weekend. Thus the Tour has blown out it's knee, and is hobbling to the finish of the season...puns intended.

The biggest reason is what starts Friday night...in China.

Unless you've been buried in EA's Wii Tiger Golf '08, you know the Olympics are taking center-stage for the world to watch...and watch they will. It will be the most televised event in the history of media.

China is where the drama will be for the next few weeks...and it's not listed on the official Tour schedule.

No, Chrissie and Greg Norman will not be in Michigan, so there's no reason to watch the PGA Championship.

So the China Olympics will carry the country through the end of summer. Then...if there is anybody that remembers that golf is on TV...will find the irreverent Fall Series, as the race for the FedEx Cup winds down.

Or starts up...because every day that goes by is one day closer to seeing Tiger tee it up again!

Let the Games begin!

Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Hormones are a ragin' at Birkdale

It's been goin' on for some time: angst-ridden James Dean showin' off to win the girl in "Rebel Without a Cause"; Ty trying to prove his manhood to Lacy in "Caddyshack"...

Now we have the great Greg Norman, showing off and proving his bangers and mash to Chrissy.

Really, since the beginning of time, men have excelled at trying to prove their worth to girls.

The wheel was invented by a caveman that was trying to win over a cavegirl who was in love with the guy that invented fire...

...true story.

The great Greg Norman, whom I've praised before, is celebrating being a newlywed with Chris Evert at Royal Birkdale. The man, with his bride in the gallery, is pumped and is proving his mettle sans Viagra.
Hey look, you and I know that guys love to show off to their women...and this is why he's in the lead.

Guys...it's Chris Evert...no one stands a chance.

Greg, enjoy that Claret Jug with Chrissy. You da man!


Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

P.S. I was pulling for a Norman/Garcia matchup...Garcia is dating Greg's daughter...it would have been very fun to have watched that drama unfold!

JFB

Greg Norman is the man

I think it's safe to say most people's (including me) biggest joy in life is coming home on Friday's after a hard week at work, going straight to the night stand, and turning the alarm feature to the 'off' position.

For Greg Norman, his joy is touching things and turning them to gold (excuse me while I bow from the waist and say "I'm not worthy...Aussie...Aussie...Aussie").

I'm talking about the man that Tiger will some day be...but is not yet. I'm talking about the man...the brand, that is Greg Norman.

He is conquering golf courses with a shovel now, instead of a 3-iron.
He's principal of Greg Norman Interactive. Geeks even think he's golden.
He owns vineyards, and has his name branded on steaks in Australia... "May I pair a prime cut Greg Norman with a Pinot Greg Norman?"

But recently I read in Portfolio Magazine Norman has hit the goldmine with global positioning technology.
As principal investor in G.P.S. Industries, his companies product GolfLogix is a cellphone-sized piece of hardware that can download up to 10 course maps from thousands of golf courses worldwide, measuring front, center, and back of the greens.

Greg Norman has conquered the business world. His ever-expanding presence in this world solidifies him as setting the threshold for future golf mogul-wannabees to reach.

As for his personal life?

My childhood walls were taped with pictures of Chrissy Evert. Norman added her to his trophy case last month...rumors have it that the exes settlement is north of $300 million...

...but hey...it's Crissy!

The main difference in Greg Norman and everybody else is that while we can't wait to turn the alarm feature to 'off'...Greg can't wait to hear it.

Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB