Our insiders give their picks for the British Open and the new LPGA commissioner, plus reaction to the U.S. Women's Open and Cristie Kerr's collapse
Every week of the 2009 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors.
Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: We have a new U.S. Women's Open champ. We had a shootout at the Deere. We have a father caddying for his son. And we have a golfing association in search of new leadership. But before we get to all that, it is British Open week. Let's hear everyone's picks.
Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: I like Martin Kaymer, who won this week at the Scottish Open on the European Tour. He's the best player across the pond right now.
Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Kaymer is hot but links golf is a different kettle of birds. That's why it is so hard to predict Open winners. But it won't be Garrity's buddy, Robert Karlsson, because he withdrew. So did Trevor Immelman.
Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I'll take Stricker. He's the American Kaymer.
Dick Friedman, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: Just when you least expect it ... senors and senoritas, riding out of Spain to redeem his wayward season ... (trumpet flourish) ... Sergio!! Especially if conditions are such that driving is paramount.
Van Sickle: Links golf requires more imagination and shotmaking. Tiger is the best shotmaker in golf, by a mile. You have to like his chances every time he tees it up, even more so in a major. I would not bet against him at Turnberry, or at Hazeltine for the PGA.
Jim Herre, editor, Sports Illustrated Golf Plus: So, Gary, you're picking Tiger, as always.
Rick Lipsey, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Definitely NOT Greg Norman. How about Ben Curtis? He does nothing to catch your eye, what with that funky Furyk-esque swing, except make lots of money, win once in a while and contend under insufferable pressure. Ben would become the Andy North of the British Open.
John Garrity, contributing writer, Sports Illustrated: How about this for a sucker pick: Padraig Harrington for the hat trick. I know it's crazy, because Paddy's sucked all season while working on his swing. But he's just won the Irish PGA for the third straight time, and the European Club is a classic links course with really thick rough, exactly like Turnberry will be this week. Harrington himself doesn't sound like a believer — he was very skeptical of his prospects despite winning by seven shots — but Jack Nicklaus wasn't exactly puffing up his chest when he showed up for the '86 Masters. So give me Paddy.
Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I'm with John: I like Paddy. My real pick — everyone's real pick, I would think — is Tiger. If you were betting your own money, you'd take Tiger, right? But if Tiger doesn't win, I like Paddy. Links golf — Open golf — is not for everyone and repeat winners are common: Harry Vardon, Peter Thomson, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: I'll take Lucas Glover, for no real reason other than the fact that he drives it well and he may as well win that Open, too.
Herre: I like the Stricker pick, but I'm going with Geoff Ogilvy. Seems like the dude would really want to earn this merit badge.
Ryan Reiterman, producer, Golf.com: Look out for Lee Westwood. He's finished in the top 10 in the last two events, and he's been playing pretty solid for more than a year.
Garrity: Our Irish friend Dermot Gilleece, writing in the Sunday Independent, points out that Tiger's three Open wins all came on dry, burned-out links courses. Turnberry's rough is lush and long, more like Carnoustie and Muirfield, where Tiger hasn't had as much success.
Friedman: Brandt Snedeker (T2 this week, T5 last week) is on a nice run.
Hack: Carolyn Bivens, who only weeks ago was in the offices of Sports Illustrated trumpeting her vision for the LPGA, was taken down in a dinnertime coup by the biggest names in women's golf. Her tenure was short, eventful and rife with tension. What's everybody's take on what went wrong with Carolyn?
Friedman: Losing the Kapalua was the obvious tipping point. In more general terms, Bivens had very grand ambitions for her game, but by not sticking to her knitting — that is, failing to maintain traditional stops like Corning, even at a reduced prize structure — she alienated her base.
Morfit: Her lack of golf background hurt, and her brash style. And the economy prevented her from leveraging what everyone agrees is a very promising bunch of personalities.
Evans: The LPGA Tour players who went after Bivens don't understand the golf business or the history of women in sports. I don't care if you had Pete Rozelle or P.T. Barnum or Jack Welch to cut the fat and streamline the business, selling female athletes in one of the worst economies in recent memory is a very difficult proposition. Carolyn Bivens is not a great commissioner, but how can anyone be a great leader of a sports league without great stars to attract marketing and sponsorship dollars?
Those disgruntled LPGA players need to get a grip on the realities of sports marketing or let the business people take care of the business of the Tour. They should just play golf and try to learn lessons from the women who came before them.
Van Sickle: Bivens had the right idea at the wrong time. She wanted to upgrade and enrich the tour at a time when a recession/depression hit. It just wasn't going to happen, and she didn't adjust her hardball tactics. Having not gone out of her way to build support among players, media or sponsors during her tenure didn't help. She clearly didn't know anything about public relations. Every time an issue came up, she ran and hid.
(From Website : http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1910077,00.html)
