Gay's Harbour Town victory one for the record books
If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn that was one of the world's best golfers clinching the Verizon Heritage in runaway fashion Sunday. I mean, who enters the final 18 with only one career victory -- in an opposite-field event, no less -- then extends a 3-stroke lead to double digits by posting the round of the day when the pressure was on?
Brian Gay, that's who.
And I hated every minute of it.
Nothing personal, but the newest champion at Harbour Town turned one of my favorite non-major events into a Sunday afternoon snoozer, thanks to a healthy diet of fairways, greens and plenty of holed birdie putts. It's not a stretch to call this the most dominating performance we've seen all season -- or in a few seasons.
This week's edition of the W18 breaks down just how effective Gay was throughout the week and examines what he accomplished with the win.
Gay won't be fortunate enough to build on his momentum from claiming the Heritage by a record 10 shots, but for a player who's waited his entire life to make the drive down Magnolia Lane, he can wait another 50 weeks for his initial Masters appearance.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Sure the trophy, cash and accolades will be nice for Brian Gay after his 10-shot victory at Harbour Town. But most impressive might be the chance to make his first trip down Magnolia Lane to compete in the Masters in April 2010.
After all, this is a guy who twice came thisclose to getting into the Masters, but fell on the wrong side of the cut. Heck, he even won a tourney last year -- the Mayakoba Golf Classic -- but didn't receive an exemption because it was a second-tier event up against the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Now he'll finally get that opportunity.
"It's always been my favorite tournament," said Gay, who moved around a lot as the child of an Army man, but for a time lived just 40 miles from Augusta. "Had a lot of heartache missing by one spot two different years. It's been a big deal not getting in there, but I finally did it."
He did a lot of other things en route to the winner's circle, too. You ready? OK, deep breath ...
Gay earned the largest margin of victory in Verizon Heritage history ... and he set a new single-event scoring record ... and he made only two bogeys for the week ... and he finished second in driving accuracy (47-of-56) ... and T-3 in greens in regulation (48-of-72) ... and T-3 in putts per round (25.25) ... and third in putting average (1.604) ... and ...
I'll stop there, because I think you get the picture. This wasn't just a victory; this was pure domination, the kind we've become accustomed to witnessing only from the likes of Tiger Woods and Mickelson and only on the most seldom of occasions.
Come to think of it, I take back what I wrote in the intro to this column. While it didn't have the dramatic conclusion of last week's Masters, Gay's superiority at Harbour Town was a treat to watch -- unless you were among those left in his wake on the leaderboard.
2 Nick Price. Early in the week, when Price was still searching for his first Champions Tour victory, he discussed his quest to earn a trophy after claiming 42 of 'em worldwide during a Hall of Fame career before turning 50.
"You want to win out here," said Price, who had made 38 starts without a victory entering the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. "Mark O'Meara and I came out the same time and neither of us -- we've both had a few close shaves, but we haven't won. You know, if you look at us two, we're maybe a little different to some of the other guys that have come out who are maybe more inspired, more driven to win. We are, but maybe not the same as some of the other guys.
"You know, I still got a young family. I got to spend time with my kids. I feel guilty. Even when I told them Wednesday when I was getting ready, 'You're not going away again, are you, Dad?' I mean, that's not music to my ears. It's hard telling them that I still got to pay for things. I don't think they believe me."
With a $255,000 winner's share, Price will be able to pay for plenty, though here's guessing the win had greater meaning than just a paycheck.
Though he shot an even-par 71 on Sunday, Price called it "without a doubt" the strangest final round of any of his career victories. The scorecard included seven birdies, but was also littered with big numbers, including a bogey and three doubles. In the end, Price avoided complete chaos by making par on the last two holes to defeat Larry Nelson by 2 strokes.
Such a round took its toll on him, too.
"I'm absolutely spent right now," Price said afterward. "My emotions, my physical being. I'm going to sleep like a dead person tonight. I know that. Probably a bit of alcohol will help, too."
3 The Cabrera family. Hey, Angel Cabrera! You just won the Masters. What are you gonna do next?
Eschewing a victory lap around DisneyWorld, El Pato instead returned to his hometown of Cordoba, Argentina -- but not for a little R&R after a grueling week at Augusta. No, Cabrera was in town to compete in the Abierto VISA del Centro, where he couldn't make it two in a row, though did put together a strong showing, firing a final-round 2-under 69 to finish solo third.
In case you were checking out the leaderboard, though, you may have been concerned about a case of double vision.
You need not worry, however, as three spots below Angel was his 19-year-old son, Federico, who actually bested his dad by a stroke in Sunday's final round.
Asked after his Masters win whether he was worried about soon becoming the second-best golfer in his family, Angel bluntly answered, "My son has a long way to go yet."
It wasn't that long ago when Federico was caddying for his father in the Cordoba Open, during which the elder Cabrera shot a final-round 60 to erase an 8-shot deficit and pick up the victory. Now, though, it appears as if the son is on a similar path as the father -- one that could be record-setting.
After all, only two father-son combos have won major championships -- Willie Park Sr. and Willie Park Jr.; and Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris -- and none since 1889.
4Aces in the hole. Holes-in-one happen every day in various forms. From elite professionals to 36-handicappers, from perfectly struck shots to wormburners, tee balls maneuver their way into the hole at a higher rate than you may expect -- about 3,000-to-1 based on most estimates of both pros and average players.
There aren't many ace tales that are better than the two that made headlines this week, though.
First, there was the husband-and-wife duo of Glenn and Donna Korpi, who holed out on par-3s within 30 minutes of each other on March 20. Competing in a Ryder Cup-style competition at Solivita Oaks in Orlando, Fla., Glenn carded his ace using a 6-iron on the 168-yard 12th hole. Thirty minutes later, he was on the tee at No. 15 when Donna knocked a 9-iron right at the flagstick that bounced once and fell right into the hole.
"He's got one and I've got one!" Donna remembered thinking, as told to the Orlando Sentinel. "I can't believe it!"
Strangely enough, that may not have been the most amazing recent hole-in-one story.
On Thursday, Brendon Todd used a 7-iron to ace the 147-yard 17th hole at the Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic. One day later, he employed an 8-iron for the exact same result.
"It's just pure disbelief," said Todd, who finished T-50 for the week. "It was a stroke of good luck, twice in a row. I guess it's like catching lightning in a bottle."
The last player to ace the same hole twice in the same PGA Tour-sanctioned event was Graham Marsh at the 2004 Senior British Open.
5 Boo Weekley. Tough to criticize ol' Boo for not pulling off the three-peat at Harbour Town -- especially when he finished a respectable T-13.
But in one way his week was a total disappointment. Weekley held three separate interview sessions with the assembled media and I'm sad to report that his comments were ... very much like those of any other pro golfer on tour.
Sure, there was a quick tale about using Listerine to keep the bugs away and another about regretting the fact that he wore dark socks and dark shoes when he rode the pony down the first fairway at Valhalla last year. ("What an idiot," he said. "I thought I had a pair of boots on when I saw [that].")
For the most part, though, Weekley's legendary assault of "Booisms" didn't surface, remaining hidden from the public eye. A few examples:
• "It is a very special place. I mean, I've been very lucky. I had two championships in the last two years. Guys didn't play as well as they wanted to on the back, so I feel like I got lucky both times."
• "I feel comfortable when I'm here for some reason. I like the whole place. I missed some shots today that I thought I should have holed. But overall it was a good round today for me."
• "I put a lot of pressure on myself on the first couple of holes and it kind of caught up with me there. And I've got some issues with that putter right now. I can't get it to feel right."
Zzzzzz. Wake me up when the real Boo returns.
There aren't many characters on the PGA Tour these days, so it's a shame to see one of the game's biggest personalities suppress his true self -- whether it's a conscious decision or he simply didn't have anything funny to say.
Now let's not hold Weekley to a higher standard just because he's provided so many laughs in the past; the guy is a golfer, not a stand-up comedian on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. But the above comments sound too much like every other stereotypical pro, reading off cue cards from the old "Dragnet" TV series: "Just the facts."
Boo has always been a guy who provides those facts by proffering not-so-subtle analogies and his down-home demeanor. Let's hope a few wins and a Ryder Cup haven't changed him.
6 Davis Love III. Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- needs a half-dozen tartan jackets in the closet, but DL3 would have been glad to claim another one at the Verizon Heritage.
The five-time champion entered the final round in a share of fifth place, 6 shots behind Gay, but faltered to a 3-over 74 that included five bogeys in his final 10 holes.
We had every reason to believe that Love would play well entering this event. He had been pressing for months in an effort to return to the Masters after his string of 17 consecutive appearances was snapped last year. That effort proved to be fruitless, however, leaving him with last week off and renewed goals going into this one.
"The nice thing about our game is there's always a big one coming," he said prior to the opening round. "So I've moved past that. I know that if I do what I'm supposed to be doing, where I've been working towards and getting closer toward winning tournaments, that the Masters will take care of itself next year if I just keep [progressing]."
That progress came to a halt down the stretch at Habour Town, but the good news for Love, 45, is that there's still plenty of time to get back into Augusta. Boosted by last week's run by Kenny Perry, who is nearly four years older, his goal isn't just getting into the Masters again, either. Love wants to win.
Closing as he did on Sunday won't equate to another trophy anytime soon, but at least he showed flashes of the game that once led to so many tartan jackets in the closet.
7 Parker McLachlin. For a pro golfer, one of the advantages of using Twitter is being able to reach out to fans in a different way. Another is being able to explain away a disappointing performance.
Shortly after McLachlin shot 80-75 to finish 129th in the 130-player field at Harbour Town, he offered this Tweet for his followers:
ParkerMcLachlin Shot a million this week but finally getting my swing more dialed in. Lots of reps. ... I feel like vijay. Off to new orleans next week.
Here's guessing that if McLachlin had more than 140 characters to play with, he could have delved into the hows and whys of five straight MCs dating back to February. Instead, his followers could simply check the stats from this past week's tourney. McLachlin's swing is hardly dialed in yet; he found only 32.1 percent of fairways and 44.4 percent of greens in regulation, while making just four birdies in 36 holes.
There are probably still a healthy amount of players who believe a "tweet" represents a birdie. In McLachlin's case, that's far from the truth right now.
8 I wish the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour would take a cue from an unofficial tourney.
It was announced this past week that the 11th edition of the CVS Caremark Charity Classic, which has been a coed event in each of the previous two years, will feature several mixed-gender teams for the first time when it's contested from June 21-23 at Rhode Island CC.
"Each year we look for new ways to improve and add excitement to the tournament," said co-host Brad Faxon, who will pair with LPGA HOFer Juli Inkster. "This year, we'll be mixing things up -- literally -- with the addition of several mixed-gender teams. This new format is a great example of how we continually freshen up the tournament."
Bravo.
It's a concept that the men's and women's tours should keep a very close eye on, while seeking to emulate the idea at some point in the not-too-distant future. In a time when the sport needs to put itself on the radar screen in more high-profile ventures than simply playing a tournament and hoping TV ratings and ticket sales are strong, this would assist each tour by enticing more of these fans -- and keeping them after the week was completed.
Just think how much interest was generated -- both positively and negatively -- when Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie took part in PGA Tour events. This tournament would have all of the intrigue without any of the controversy.
How would it happen? Don't know. Who would compete? No idea. When? Where? Your guess is as good as mine.
Doesn't matter, really. Whether such an event would involve men and women from each tour competing together or, as in tennis, simply hosting separate tourneys on the same venue, let's leave that up to the officials and players who have more at stake.
Whatever the case, it's a win-win proposition. Let's hope the folks who govern each of these tours understand that, too, and follow the lead of the CVS Caremark event.
9 I wish Sergio Garcia didn't follow every step forward with two steps back.
When he lost the 2007 British Open, Garcia was petulant in defeat, offering an explanation that the supernatural powers of the golf gods were more to blame for his playoff loss than anything else.
"I should write a book on how to not miss a shot in the playoff and shoot 1 over," he said at the time. "So, I don't know, I'm playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field."
It was because of such comments that many expected a similar tongue-lashing after Sergio suffered another loss at the hands of Padraig Harrington during last year's PGA Championship.
Instead, he was gracious in defeat, applauding the champion while discussing how he lost -- and the response was largely ignored and swept under the rug. For those who were paying attention, however, this served as an apparent end to the churlish behavior of the past, signifying a more mature demeanor than we had witnessed from Garcia before.
Uh, maybe not.
El Nino turned into El Whino once again following last week's Masters.
"I don't like it, to tell you the truth. I don't think it is fair," he said of Augusta National. "Even when it's dry you still get mud balls in the middle of the fairway. It's too much of a guessing game."
Asked what he would change, Garcia said: "They can do whatever they want. It's not my problem. I just come here and play and then go home."
His apology two days later sounded straight from a PR wag's textbook, claiming, "Following my final round at the Masters, I made comments in an interview that I regret and want to apologize for. Out of frustration, I blamed the golf course instead of putting the blame where it belongs, on myself. I didn't get it done this week. Augusta National is one of the most iconic golf courses in the game and playing in the Masters each year is an honor. I apologize to the members of Augusta National and the fans who rightfully treasure this golf course."
Too little, too late to dispel the notion that Sergio Garcia is a changed man.
10 I wish there were more stories like the following coming out of the collegiate golf ranks.
It doesn't take a highly paid athletic director to understand the following three truisms:
1. The poor economy has left many colleges scrambling to make cutbacks.
2. College golf programs aren't exactly big-time money-makers.
3. Plenty of dough could be saved by eliminating golf programs.
As mentioned in the W18 a few months ago, one such program on life support was that of my alma mater, Brandeis University, a Division III school in Waltham, Mass., for which I forgivably competed in a single tournament during my junior year.
On Jan. 26, the current team learned of its fate from athletic director Sheryl Sousa. It would need to raise $22,000 to cover the cost of the 2009-10 season or else suffer an inexorable demise on the heels of a few uplifting campaigns.
Well, as if to prove that not every economic-impact story is enveloped in a dark cloud, the silver lining will be announced Tuesday, when it's made official that the Brandeis men's golf program raised enough funds to continue competing for one more season.
"One of the main reasons I came to Brandeis was to get an excellent education and play for the golf team," senior co-captain Aaron Hattenbach said via e-mail. "In my four years at Brandeis, the team has improved dramatically -- roughly 20 strokes for an aggregate score of 4 players -- and it is great to see that the program has another year to grow. ... We have a great support system and alumni that have put forth a long term plan to raise for the endowment. Right now, the team is excited and getting ready for our conference championship in Atlanta next weekend, April 25-27, against some of the best golf programs in Division-III."
It would be wishful thinking to believe that every struggling golf program -- let alone every athletic team -- could stage similar efforts to keep hope alive, but it's nice to see that in some situations, at least, things have worked out for the best.
• According to Sports Illustrated, Angel Cabrera's victory meal at Augusta National consisted of -- wait for it -- nine cheeseburgers.
That's right. Nine. As in, eight more than usually come in a single order.
Officially, this meal is listed as the "Tiger Woods Cheeseburger." Gotta wonder whether an "Angel Cabrera Baby Calf" will be added in coming years.
In related news, flocks of PGA Tour members fired their trainers this week, opting instead for the "Kobayashi Diet," in which each player attempts to gorge his way to a title.
• Stat of the week: Tim Wilkinson led the field in total putts, needing only 97 for the week in finishing T-6. That was still a handful shy of the PGA Tour record set by David Frost, who needed just 92 at Harbour Town four years ago.
• "I think that day-in, day-out, I need to become a more consistent putter. There's tournaments that I go through where I can honestly say I can putt as good as almost anybody on tour. But day-in, day-out, I need to become more consistent, like my ball-striking is, and you know maybe one of these days we'll sit here and talk about how to hold a trophy."
-- Briny Baird, who finished T-2 at Harbour Town and has now made 286 career starts without a win.
• Worst luck of the week: In the opening round, Jim Furyk hit his tee shot to the par-3 14th hole just off the left side of the green. His next shot hit a sprinkler head, bounded across the putting surface and dropped into the water hazard on the other side. He made double-bogey and missed the cut by 1 stroke.
• Will the real Todd Hamilton please stand up? After years of struggling with his game, the 2004 British Open champ finished T-15 at the Masters and followed with a T-4 at Harbour Town.
• Since the LPGA's season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay during the second week of February, the tour has conducted four more tournaments ... and undergone five bye weeks. Doesn't take an expert to realize that it's difficult to find any momentum with a schedule like that.
Obviously, the LPGA's annual calendar is currently in flux, but one step in the right direction would be a shorter season with fewer dark dates on the schedule.
• If there's a Susan Boyle in professional golf, my vote goes to Jeev Milkha Singh. May not be aesthetically pleasing, but often worthy of a standing ovation nonetheless.
Jason Sobel is a golf writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com.
Kenny Perry will never seriously contend in another major championship during his career.
A year ago, I didn't believe in Perry. Thought he was a good player, but one better served for conquering Champions Tour fields in a few years than beating up on the young whippersnappers of the PGA Tour circuit.
I was right ... for a little while. Playing in the final pairing at the Players Championship, KP shot 81 to finish in a share of 15th place. One week later, he reached a playoff at the AT&T Classic, only to fall victim to an unfortunate carom off a tree and into the water hazard, losing to Ryuji Imada.
Of course, my correctitude didn't last long. Perry followed those results with victories at the Memorial Tournament, Buick Open and John Deere Classic, became a Ryder Cup hero in his home state of Kentucky, then earned another title at the FBR Open in February.
Moral of the story: Don't bet against Kenny Perry.
I'll be the first to admit that at nearly 49 years old, he's running out of time, but Perry's repeatable swing -- well, repeatable for 70 holes, at least -- and streaky putter make him a candidate for future major championships. After all, this is a guy currently ranked No. 6 in the world. Why should we believe a player this good can't contend for another one?
"Great players make it happen, and your average players don't," Perry said after losing on the second extra hole on April 12. "And that's the way it is."
He may not qualify as a "great" player, but Perry is pretty damn good -- and much better than average. Will he win a major? Maybe, maybe not -- but consider the above statement FICTION, because he'll at least be in the mix one more time during his career.
Admit it: You've discussed this concept with buddies over a few cold ones at the 19th hole, going so far as to spend hours analyzing and predicting exactly what would happen if, you know, life didn't get in the way.
What if a 40-year-old above-average golfer with a wife, one child and another on the way put together a team that included a swing instructor, fitness and nutrition adviser, developed a strategy for improving his game and embarked on a journey toward a career as a professional golfer?
This is the exact subject of, "The Back Nine," a documentary which will premiere Saturday at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Newport Beach, Calif. Producer, writer, director and star of the film Jon Fitzgerald sat down on the Hot Seat to answer some questions about the project via e-mail.
Q: Give me some background on the documentary. How did the idea come about?
A: I have always been very athletic, and have always had a special connection to golf, since my dad bought me [my] first set of clubs when I was a teenager, and he had a place on a course in Palm Springs. We didn't see much of each other when I was growing up (my folks divorced when I was 2), but when we did, we played golf.
Over the years, I continued to enjoy the game but never took any lessons, until I worked on "My Cousin Vinny" (I have a film degree from UCSB and have been in the film biz since 1989) and played a lot of golf with actor Bruce McGill. Our production team was housed at a golf resort in Georgia (now Reynolds Plantation). I had a lesson and finally turned a slice into a draw. I was truly hooked.
At some point, I realized I was the happiest when I was on a golf course, and as I was sliding into 40 I was thinking, I wonder if I had the right team, commitment, equipment, etc., would it be possible to develop into a professional golfer, perhaps try for the Champions Tour? I had 10 years.
From there, being a filmmaker, I thought, why not film the journey? I bounced the idea off a lot of golfers, friends and industry folks. Everyone thought it was a terrific idea. People sparked to the idea of chasing a dream. I was thinking, "it's never too late to become what I wanted to be" as a tag line. Too long, though. I changed it to: "It's time to take your shot."
So, long answer, but I think it's important that this project merges my two greatest passions (other than family) and we hope will connect with many golfers who wonder what if, or inspire others to pursue interests that may be against the grain. It's never too late.
Q: How difficult was the process of starting to make the film?
A: I am fortunate in that my other business as filmmaker and film festival consultant has helped me forge many terrific relationships. And when I formed our production division (Right Angle Pictures), I was able to talk Ron Vignone (a former client and now partner in the production company), a very talented director and editor, to work with me on the film as co-director. Not only is he a brilliant editor and storyteller, but he knows how to run a camera.
Something we learned in the indie film game is how to wear a lot of hats, and I'm grateful to have such a talent. We made a good team, as he focused on camera, personal storylines and arcs, and I focused on golf and production elements.
We had just raised some financing from several investors, including Steven Soderbergh, and were confident that if we kept production costs down, we could make a documentary in house. It was a good gamble to make a film that had strong revenue potential, relative to the cost to make it.
The unique thing about documentary filmmaking is you start with an idea, but you never really know what you will end up with. You make the movie over the course of the journey, and the material evolves organically, and comes to life in the editing room. We have been filming for over 2 years, and have over 100 hours of footage.
Another big step was seeing who we could secure as members of my team on the golf side. My wife had discovered Katherine Roberts (Yoga for Golfers) and she came aboard. Then she introduced me to Tim Suzor, who had been working with Kinetic Golf Academy and the K-vest -- another top-level PGA coach. Tim had just partnered with Dr. Duane Meyers, who became another big piece.
Then we brought in Dr. Joe Parent (Zen Golf), who is now my mental coach. He's been a huge help. So, putting together a team like this not only gives me a real chance to improve on every level, but lends credibility to the project.
We were also able to land some sponsors to support the project. Cutter & Buck provided apparel and Synlawn installed a green in my backyard.
Truthfully, the hardest part has been finding the time to practice with all the production work, a family with two young kids and my other paying clients. My wife became pregnant after the first year, so having a new child presented its own blessings and challenges to the project.
My wife helped secure sponsors, and my 7-year-old daughter Sidney composed and plays the theme for the movie, which is pretty cool.
It has been a challenge, with all the obstacles, but we have seen my handicap go down from a 15 to a 4, and I was gone for 6 months working on a film fest in the Middle East. We didn't know if there would be progress, so that was a challenge in itself.
Q: What's been the reaction to the film so far?
A: We had a great response at the test screening, and some good feedback. The audience was a combination of golfers and non-golfers. Of course, we want our core audience of golfers to embrace the film, but to really work as a story, audiences have to respond to the personal story behind the subject.
That is where Ron (the co-director) comes in. We believe we have succeeded in producing a film with an inspirational message about chasing your dreams, whether it's a second career in sports, art or other vocation. We have been socialized into believing age is a negative factor, and clearly that doesn't have to be the case. You just have to be willing to take a chance, and if it brings you closer to fulfillment, it's worth it.
The film is still being edited and our screening on April 25 in Newport Beach Film Festival is the World Premiere.
It has also been invited to Delray Beach Film Festival in Florida, another community with large golf audience. The fact that these fests have invited the movie gives us some credibility. A few others are considering the film now.
Q: Where do you hope to take it from here? Is it something you would hope to have shown on the Golf Channel or somewhere else? By DVD only?
A: Again, my background has involved directing film festivals and helping filmmakers market their movies, so we have always planned on using festivals as a vehicle to get the word out about the movie. This is not a movie that will have a traditional theatrical release.
We are planning a specialized "event" screening, where we book 200-300 theaters through Digital Attractions (a new distributor with unique models) to play film on the same day. This enables us to market to our core audience and direct them to come and see the movie in a theater in their region all at once. This strategy is much more economical.
The promo DVD and press kit are currently being considered by the Golf Channel. I know the marketing group sees the possibility for programming the film, or doing a series. It certainly will appeal to their audience, but they have yet to see the finished film so a decision has yet to be made.
Our biggest market is DVD. As you know, the golf arena has traditionally had a healthy appetite for DVD and instructional videos. We intend to include a number of extras, with key tips from our team of coaches; we plan to introduce some new ideas we believe can make a difference for golfers trying to improve their games. We find it interesting that average golfer handicaps have basically stayed the same for 40 years. We're experimenting with a new approach, with much less emphasis on the swing itself.
Q: What's the next step for you? Any other golf films in the future?
A: I am playing on the Golf Channel's Amateur Tour for the second time. I did well last year, but had to work with a pre-existing film festival client and could not accept my invitation to National Championships. This year, I hope to do well enough to be invited back. And we continue to film for the next film in the series.
It became clear that I would not have a chance to turn pro in 2-3 years, starting with a 15-handicap. We decided we would present a complete film as part one, but the journey continues.
My hope is that this film is successful and I will be able to apply more time to golf in this second phase. We have learned so much about what I need to do to make this dream a reality. Time has been my greatest enemy and we hope to change that.
I have also optioned "Match Made in Heaven," which is a terrific novel on the subject of golf. My production company ... plans to produce a feature film version of the book, also written by author Bob Mitchell.
We believe there is a great golf audience out there interested in seeing movies with something to say, rather than typical studio fare.
One major? Ah, that's easy. Anyone can win one of 'em.
But you know what they say: Once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern ... or something like that.
Now that Angel Cabrera owns a pair of major championship titles, we can either look at him as a guy who rises to the occasion or just another two-hit wonder. This week's edition of The List examines the five unlikeliest -- not worst or least deserving or any other derogatory term -- multiple major winners since 1934, when the Masters first took place.
5. Andy North. Two majors and only one other PGA Tour win, but his success was curtailed by numerous injuries. On an unrelated note, as an ESPN analyst, he's one of the best in the biz.
4. Lee Janzen. Held off the late Payne Stewart in both U.S. Open victories. Some would say his Players Championship triumph should be counted here, too.
3. Angel Cabrera. Take out the U.S. Open and Masters wins and it's been a relatively unremarkable, if not underachieving, career for El Pato.
2. Olin Dutra. Once won the U.S. Open with a case of dysentery. If that's not "unlikely," I don't know what is.
1. John Daly. He came out of nowhere at the PGA and next-to-nowhere at the British. Hey, anybody wanna buy a T-shirt?
CBS/Augusta National Golf Club
If he had won the green jacket, it would have been remembered as one of the greatest shots in Masters history, up there with Gene Sarazen's double-eagle, Jack Nicklaus' "yessir" putt and the Tiger Woods shot that hung on the lip before finally dropping into the hole.
Instead, Kenny Perry's glorious 8-iron tee shot on No. 16 will go down as the beginning of the end, as he failed to hit another solid iron during his remaining four holes, losing in a playoff to Angel Cabrera.
It is ironic that his shot missed being an ace by inches, because that's how far some people thought Perry had teed up his ball in front of the tee markers on that hole. While doing my Live Blog that afternoon, the e-mails started trickling in minutes after the shot regarding where Perry had lined it up.
The above photo, however, shows that while Perry's front foot was in front of the left tee marker, the ball itself appears to be teed up behind the far edge of the marker, which is within the bylaws of the game. According to the Rules of Golf, "A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground."
For those who aren't sold on this Zapruder-like image, here is the penalty that Perry would have incurred had it been declared that his ball was past the tee markers: "If a competitor, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, he incurs a penalty of two strokes and must then play a ball from within the teeing ground. If the competitor makes a stroke from the next teeing ground without first correcting his mistake or, in the case of the last hole of the round, leaves the putting green without first declaring his intention to correct his mistake, he is disqualified. The stroke from outside the teeing ground and any subsequent strokes by the competitor on the hole prior to his correction of the mistake do not count in his score."
Again, the above photo should put to rest any remaining controversy over this issue (even if it doesn't include the right tee marker), but it's interesting to note the punishment had Perry teed it up about 2-3 inches further up on the tee box.
If you read this column on Sunday night or Monday morning or even part of Monday afternoon, you would have seen a nice little passage here about how Sean O'Hair would receive redemption for his loss to Tiger Woods at Bay Hill, claiming his third career victory at the Zurich Classic this week.
I haven't picked too many winners this season -- OK, any winners this season -- but I believed in O'Hair and was confident he would come through.
Apparently sensing the type of performance my jinx would place on him, O'Hair instead withdrew from the tournament before ever making the trip. Funny thing is, that still makes it one of my better picks this season. I mean, a pre-tourney WD is better than an MC, right?
OK, well, if you're still looking for me to pick a winner here, you're crazy. I'm just hoping to select a guy who's still in the field.
That said, gimme David Toms for the win. Why? Well, why not? I figure the hometown guy will at least go 36 holes. And anything after that is just gravy anyway.
This week's e-mail comes from Allan in Bay Shore, N.Y.:
Everyone is discussing Kenny Perry's late collapse at the Masters, but is Chad Campbell getting sort of a free pass? He didn't even make it to the second playoff hole.
Couldn't agree more. Look, Perry's blunders are obviously going to get more attention because he had one arm in the sleeve of a green jacket before handing it over to Angel Cabrera. And they occurred over a four-hole span; after that near-ace on 16, Perry didn't hit another solid iron shot.
Campbell, meanwhile, was still merely window shopping for that green jacket, never in control of his own destiny. But the big Texan's mishap was nearly as epic as that of Perry. After a great drive on the opening playoff hole, he pushed his approach into the right greenside bunker. From there, he hit a sublime shot, hitting his ball to about 3 feet past the hole. Needing to hole that for par to continue playing, however, Campbell missed the putt. Badly.
"I just pushed the putt," he said later. "It was a left-edge putt and [I] just kind of left the blade open."
Campbell will remember this one forever. The pain of losing after such a bad miss won't dissipate in a few days or months. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Campbell could win three Masters titles in his career, but will always regret the one that got away in 2009.
So, yes, I understand why Perry is getting more attention for losing than Campbell, but the latter shouldn't be let off the hook so easily for his gaffe.
Got a submission for future W18 columns? Hit me at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com.