TERRE HAUTE —
The season-long FedEx Championship has finally come to an end and Brandt Snedeker may need a Brinks truck to haul his winnings to the bank.
Well, maybe not, since $10 million is paid over the course of several years, but the $1,400,000 Brandt earned for winning the Tour Championship was his as soon as he holed his last putt on a course that Bobby Jones might have had some difficulties.
Hard slick greens along with the pressure of playing for $10 million dollars plus could cause a tour professional to at least develop a condition known as cottonmouth.
Personally, I’m happy to see the end of the FedEx for a few months. Even the announcers have a difficult time explaining the intricate scoring system.
A few years ago Vijay Singh won the FedEx by sitting out the final round. And that is a tournament?
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Larry Adamson, retired from the USGA, relates one of his favorite stories about his friend, Payne Stewart.
At the Ryder Cup Matches in Boston in 1999, Payne was in a match against Colin Montgomerie. The American gallery was disrespectful, rude in their behavior toward Montgomerie. They yelled insults at Montgomerie and just, in general, behaved badly. This bothered Payne.
“This is not what it’s all about!” and he apologized to Montgomerie.
The United States went on to win the Ryder Cup that year, but on the 18th green of Payne’s match, (they were tied). He did something rather unusual. He said to his caddie Mike Hicks.
“I’m going to give him that putt.”
He waked over and picked up Montgomerie’s ball, conceding the putt and the match 1 up to him. Payne had enough of the crowd’s behavior. It shows that Payne was more interested in how his team came out of the matches rather than his individual accomplishment.
Larry relates he loves something that Payne’s wife once said about him.
“Payne was very much ‘a Christian in process’, not someone who felt he had arrived. He never pretended to have the answers and probably didn’t know what some of the questions were,” Adamson said.
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Trick shot artists have been a part of golf’s multi-faceted past for many years. I traveled to Rockville way back in the 1960s to watch Paul Hahn present a crowd-pleasing performance, which included something called the whirling dervish.
Paul lined up ten golf balls, assumed his stance, and with a 5 iron in each hand, he hit shots in rapid-fire order, each traveling about 150 yards. He called on this writer to hit a shot off a tee that was about three feet high. My shot went straight up in the air, much to the delight of the assemblage.
I had dinner with Hahn that evening. I asked him a question. Why would he put on a demonstration such as he did rather than make money playing tournament golf?
His answer surprised me.
“The fact is that most trick shot artists are not good golfers.” Hahn said. “I just shot a 39 on the Rockville course and that’s about par for me.”
Hahn owned his own airplane, which he flew from city to city. Paul Hahn was not only talented; he was a really nice individual. His son, Paul Hahn, Jr., now performs the same routines used by his father and he has a video that can be purchased as well.
A few years back I saw a man who went by the name of Count Yogi. He claimed to be 75 years old, but he looked to be in his 40s. The Count performed a variety of acts. One was to blast a tee shot far into the distance with a driver that looked to have a shaft length of more than 90 inches.
One warm day a Caddy came up the driveway and parked next to the putting green at Rea Park. Inside the car was an assortment of weird looking instruments. They belonged to Count Yogi who was looking for a performance contract. I don’t believe that Mike Kaperak hired the Count.
One of the most unbelievable presentations is one that is performed by The Hit Man, who is really Chuck Hiter who performs a variety of tricks while riding, of all things, a unicycle.
The balance The Hit Man possesses when he hits shots in midair while balancing on the unicycle is uncanny.
Even when watching him, he is beyond belief. His DVD may also be purchased.
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Congratulations to Ted Kaperak on his 9th City crown. It would appear that Kappy’s golf game is impervious to age. … A tip of the hat to Willy Strickland who shot his age recently at The Landing, a smooth 72. Nice work, Willy. … John Tribble advises a two-man best ball tournament is slated for Oct. 6 and 7 at Forest Park in Brazil. Call the pro shop for tee times. (812) 442-5681.
Keep your head down and your shoestrings tied. We’ll be back.
Bob Arnett is a golf columnist for the Tribune-Star.
Rub of the Green
Snedeker the big winner after FedEx Championship
- Rub of the Green
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Ryder Cub drama a great part of American sports scene
The recent Ryder Cup matches are over, but not done with! At the time the final match had concluded the “talking heads” had already gone to work assessing blame to those who didn’t live up to their preconceived expectations.
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Snedeker the big winner after FedEx Championship
The season-long FedEx Championship has finally come to an end and Brandt Snedeker may need a Brinks truck to haul his winnings to the bank.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Memories of Crooked Stick
The BMW tournament that concluded Sept. 9 at Crooked Stick in Carmel brought back a flood of memories.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: "Fair Joe" known expects rules to be followed in local hunts
Fair Joe is the name and golf is the game when referring to Joe Bukovack, who has sponsored hunts in Terre Haute as well as throughout Indiana during the past 25 years.
The “Fair” in Joe’s title refers to the fact that players who wish to participate in Bukovack’s competition must be willing to follow the rules of golf to the letter, otherwise they will not be invited to participate. -
RUB OF THE GREEN: Enjoying the game after all these years
When golf is referred to as “The Game for a Lifetime,” you’ve got to believe that description is definitely on target. For example, there is the Danny Williams hunt that converges on the first tee at The Landing on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Many players are in their 70s and retired dentist, Bill Aikin, has seen 92 birthdays.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Hunts still popular on golf course
There is something about golf that lends itself to some friendly competition and in times gone by, the competitions were called “choose-ups.” Somewhere along the line, choose-ups became “hunts.” Regardless of what you call them, they remain a most popular mode of play for Terre Haute divot-diggers on courses throughout the Wabash Valley.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Heat doesn’t deter Terre Haute golfers
“When you’re hot, you’re hot, and when you’re not, you’re not.” Those are the words of country singer Jerry Reed and they apply to golfers as well.
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Rub of the Green: Father’s golf imprint still evident today
I was lucky and I knew it. My father, Robert Erwin Arnett, was one of the best dads any youngster could hope for.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Hogan, small of stature, left big footprints
With the Crowne Plaza Invitational being played at Colonial Country Club today, it conjures up images of the man himself, Bantam Ben Hogan, who won so often at Colonial it became known as “Hogan’s Alley.”
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Rub of the Green: Bowling or golf? Both provide plenty of challenge
The question has been raised in the past, is it bowling or golf that is the more difficult endeavor?
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Sometimes this can be a confounding game
To be sure, the great Sam Snead certainly knew what he was talking about when he delivered his favorite axiom, “The sun don’t shine on the same dog every day.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Grayless takes over as golf professional at Hulman Links
Ed Grayless has assumed the “head man’s” position at the Links after Ryan Klopfenstein resigned as Hulman Links golf professional in order to pursue other interests.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Young players should match course to skills
One of the biggest mistakes a beginning golfer can make is to keep playing a golf course that is far too difficult for the ability demonstrated by that player.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: On the lanes or links, Davis is competitive
Darrell Davis carries a 240 bowling average which obviously puts him in some strong company on the alleys, but he feels that golf is a much more difficult sport than keggling.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Loquacious golfers can provide priceless quotes
Golfers always seem to have a great deal to say, but determining who said what and who said it first can be a problem.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Rick Fernandes can look back on a great golf career
What does an outstanding golfer have left when an accident has robbed him of the consummate skills he once possessed? The answer most assuredly would be one word, “Memories.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Feherty’s humor good for golf
David Feherty is an extremely funny man. If you have read his book written a few years ago, you might have guessed what to expect from him. The book, entitled “Somewhere in Ireland a Village is Missing an Idiot,” set the stage for his far out brand of humor, most of which is directed at himself.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: It's all in your head
A pair of divot diggers had been discussing their favorite sport when one could be heard saying, “You know, I think this game is 90 percent mental.” After a short pause his friend replied, “Well, I think you’re about 10 percent short in your estimation.”
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Golf: ‘The Game You Love to Hate’
Golf has been called “The Game You Love to Hate.” In addition, love-hate relationships have been around since the beginning of time.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf is only sport that offers both hilarity, pathos
It’s been stated more than once that “golf is a microcosm for life itself.”
This writer would heartily agree. No sport or game can offer combinations of happiness and sadness, hilarity and pathos as evidenced by an activity called “cow pasture pool” by some of its practitioners. -
RUB OF THE GREEN: Even golfers say there is drug problem on Tour
Are professional golfers using performance-enhancing drugs? This writer wouldn’t have the foggiest, but if you asked Gary Player, one of the game’s greatest, the answer would be a resounding, “Yes.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Not all golfers display their trophies
Back in the “old days,” let’s say the 1940s, most of the time when you won something in a golf tournament your prize came in the form of a trophy. That was it, just a dust catcher. Later, merchandise prizes were added.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf full of colorful characters
Every sport has its own cast of characters and golf is definitely no exception. Whether it is diving head first into a greenside bunker or tying an unreliable putter to a car’s bumper and dragging it down the road, golfers can do some strange things.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Winter made golf impossible this year
Old Man Winter along with Mother Nature must have something against area golfers. They have joined forces to sabotage a sport called winter golf, an activity many Wabash Valley players have enjoyed in years gone by.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf instruction a strenuous art
Few who have ever tried their hands at playing the game of golf would describe the sport as “easy”. In fact, just the opposite would be the case.
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BOB ARNETT: No matter what your level, watch out for pressure
What is the affliction that can affect most any golfer from those who can’t break an egg to skilled golfers who can break 70?
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RUB OF THE GREEN: THGA tournaments include variety, long history
In days gone by, the Terre Haute Golf Association has always offered more than just a 72-hole stroke play tournament.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: PGA playoff system still needs work
Is anyone fed up with the convoluted Fed Ex playoffs? The PGA has been tweaking its so-called Fed Ex playoff system for years, and they never seem to get it right.
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Rub of the Green: Golf can be roller coaster for young pros
Dustin Johnson may be best remembered for his appearances in the major tournaments in 2010, but not because he won. He didn’t win. But he came awfully close.
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Rub of the Green: One size does NOT fit all when it comes to golfing ability
Literally hundreds of books have been written on the subject of golf instruction, and we can be certain they all agree on one fundamental, always keep your head stationary throughout the swing.
Right? Nope, wrong as it could be! How’s that, you say? As examples both David Duval and Annika Sorenstam at one time were rated the world’s No. 1 professional golfers, respectively, and both swiveled their heads well before their clubheads reached the impact zone. In fact, Duval is one of a select few who has a 59 to his credit on the PGA Tour. - More Rub of the Green Headlines
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