So I’m at a golf outing last month, and I end up winning the long-drive competition. (OK, so I was the only one who kept the ball on the fairway; could have used my putter and still won.) For my awesome display of sheer luck, I won a dozen golf balls with the company logo on them. One month later, three-quarters of those balls are no more – I lost a few, my kids stole a few, and most of them have been shredded by my wedges and those pesky cart paths. It occurred to me today that if that company really ... full post »

2007 was a big year for Nike Golf: two PGA Tour wins by staff pro K.J. Choi, one by Rory Sabbatini, and of course a passel of hardware and millions upon millions of dollars for Tiger Woods. Not bad. Seems like the weird-looking line of drivers whose future prominence on the Tour I predicted at the beginning of 2006 is coming of age. In 2007, the original SasQuatch (SQ) has been followed by the even odder-looking SQ SUMO2, along with a Tour version SUMO (without the square head). Choi won with the SUMO2, while Woods and Sabbatini stuck with the lesser of ... full post »

The Deutsche Bank Championship was a classic – riveting golf, for which we owe a thanks to the FedEx Cup format. However, there is still considerable doubt as to exactly how popular it is among golf fans, much less PGA Tour pros themselves. For your consideration, here are the comments of Deutsche Bank champ and current FedEx point leader Phil Mickelson immediately after his win: “My frustration from this past year came from asking for a couple of things in the FedEx Cup that weren’t done, and not feeling all that bad now if I happen to miss.” Wow. Talk about a clanking ... full post »