Why we watch

I've written it before, and I'm sure it's been talked about many times around the world's water coolers, of how fortunate we are to be living in the era where we can witness the truly remarkable Tiger Woods.
I equate it on the same level as the lucky populace that witnessed the Babe Ruth era.

Already penned and pronounced as the greatest win in Tigers' short career, the fact that it was a West Coast tournament...the media-crazed East Coast was able to view it in prime-time...thus, this victory will be viewed as the greatest ever...simply because it was the most viewer-friendly tournament, that is...it gave the most people the opportunity to watch Tiger romp around in his childhood backyard.

I sat down, clicked-on the TV, and surfed-over to watch the Sun set during the 3rd round of the US Open. 1: to kick back and relax after a busy Saturday, and 2: to watch a few golfers pierce the hallowed ground of Torrey Pines. Suffice to watch a few holes and drift off to sleep.

Instead I was riveted to the screen, watching incredulously, as Tiger manhandled 13-18 as deftly as hang-glider uses his sails off the cliffs of the Pacific to master wind.

...that's why I watch.

Sunday evening I was able to catch the final few holes after a busy Father's Day with my family...content to watch a winner step onto the 18th green realizing a dream.

Instead I saw Tiger struggling...most physically, but also mentally, to cobble a score that took one last putt to force a historic Monday 18 hole playoff...also I might add the greatest celebratory pump/roar/exultation...of any magnitude I've ever seen!

...that's why I watch.

Monday night, after a day of work, I watched the tape I made of the back-nine finish of the tournament. After a day of avoiding any eye/ear contact with anything that could be turned into, or seen as, a US Open conversation...I was able to sit down and watch the grainy VHS tape that recorded the greatest Tiger Woods victory ever.

That's why I watch.


Congratulations Tiger, but also to the very fortunate populace that are in tune with what we are watching.


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

JFB

How to increase your carbon footprint

You've heard the expression: "even a blind squirrel finds a nut"? Well from that, one could surmise that maybe the furry little critter embroidered on the fronts of thousands of golf caps at this weekend's US Open at Oakmont is blind. I mean...he's got a golf ball in his paws...not a nut.

After reading the June edition of Golf Digest, I now know that this squirrel is not blind.

Documenting a tree removal program that ultimately disemboweled 5000+ hardwoods from Terra fir ma (in the middle of the night, no less), author Ron Whitten portrays Oakmont C.C. in a fairer light, now that the trees are gone, harking back to the day when course architect H.C. Fownes wanted to have a world class course to emulate the same vistas of his Scottish homeland. I suppose if you look at it from that perspective...they succeeded, and Whitten is correct.

But if you speak to the thousands of natures little creatures...native purple finches, northern cardinals, orchard orioles...they all left with the trees, and probably aren't very cordial: "Damn Chester...how long were we in Florida?...I feel the need to lighten my load...there's the super's car, and he left the top down! Banzai!!!!!".

Did Oakmont replace the trees with birdhouses to maintain the lost ones they removed? I didn't notice any from the pictures I've been seeing. Maybe they will after the tournament.

Folks have been tongue-in-cheek lobbying to replace the Oakmont squirrel with a more appropriate one...like a chainsaw, or instead of a logo...a motto: "I got your carbon footprint right here".

But I think the squirrel is appropriate, and I hope he stays. After all, he found a golf ball...not a nut.

Judging from the tree-less Oakmont, isn't that appropriate?!

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

JFB