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Old guys can play, too Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - Get past the dream-dashing final round of the British Open and there is the continuation of a positive theme about the glorious game of golf. For three days, Greg Norman was the story at Royal Birkdale. He is 53. Last month, Rocco Mediate went 91 holes before losing one of the most compelling U.S. Open tournaments in history. Mediate is 45. For the past six weeks, Kenny Perry has been the hottest golfer on the planet. Three times a winner and second only to Tiger Woods in the FedEx Cup standings, he shot a final-round 64 on Sunday in Milwaukee to finish in a tie for sixth. Perry is three weeks from turning 48. No doubt, technology helps, but it is available to all and Perry does not average 296 yards per drive just because of a big-faced driver. He still must put the clubface on the golf ball at the proper angle for launch and control his nerves when he's in contention. He also must plot a game plan and think clearly when the heat is on. Being hard-headed cost Norman on Sunday. The driver might be his favorite club, but to continue to bang away when the short grass quickly gives way to gnarly is not very smart. Whether golfers qualify as athletes has been debated for years and Padraig Harrington addressed the question on Sunday after repeating as British Open champion. He was asked if he would now be considered the greatest athlete in the history of Ireland. "I'm not too sure too many athletes would call golfers athletes," he said in his delightful brogue. The super-fit Woods helps the athlete side of the argument. So does the influx of multi-sport athletes such as Chris Wood, the amateur who finished in a tie for fifth in the British. The 6-foot-5 20-year-old was going to be a professional soccer player until a knee injury. The other side says golfers can't be athletes because they don't run or jump or do anything more strenuous than walk or attempt to remain steadfast while buffeted by 40 mph winds. They can bolster their argument by citing the success of Norman, Mediate and Perry, and pointing out that 51-year-old Larry Bird and 46-year-old Dan Marino would be unable to keep up in the NBA or NFL today. Take either side; it doesn't matter. Even conceding that Richard Armour was correct when he authored "Golf Is a Four-Letter Word," there is nothing as exasperating and as exhilarating as the game when it comes to participation and competition. In addition to Harrington's validating victory - he won last year despite an 18th hole collapse - and Richard S. Johnson's breakthrough in Milwaukee, the weekend golf news involved another debacle swirling around Michelle Wie. Her withdrawal from a tournament in May 2007 with two holes to play was abhorrent, but this time, she should be cut some slack. The rules say the player is responsible for signing his or her scoreboard before leaving the scorer's tent. Wie shot a 65 on Saturday in the State Farm Classic, but left the tent without attaching her signature. Tournament volunteers tracked her down, pointed out her mistake, and she returned to the tent about an hour after the round to make things right. On Saturday, she shot 67 to get within one shot of the lead - a tangible step forward for Wie. It was at that point that she was told she had been disqualified. Wie is ultimately responsible, but her caddy is part of the team. At the very least, there should be a volunteer at the tent exit to remind each participant of the obligation. ------- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
