Time for postseason golf awards
It’s time for some postseason golf awards since, technically, the 2013 season is over and the 2014 season has begun on the PGA Tour, even though it’s still 2013.
So with the confusing schedule in mind here are some kudos for what’s taken place, oh damn, for what’s taken place earlier in the year.
Player of the Year — I can’t disagree with the official choice of Tiger Woods. Five wins, over $8 million in earnings. But in my mind, you couldn’t go wrong with the kid who had no status at the beginning of the year and had a spectacular rookie season (Jordan Spieth) or the old left-hander who finally had things click for him in terms of links golf, winning not once but in two consecutive weeks in Scotland (Phil Mickelson).
Comeback Player of the Year — Henrik Stenson had fallen so far from the mainstream of professional that at its worst, the number following his name on the Official World Golf Rankings was 230th at the beginning of 2012. But, from the middle of 2013 through the Tour Championship, there was no better player in golf. He found something and just dominated. There have been few better exhibitions of ball-striking than what he exhibited.
Rookie of the Year — In what was probably the most one-sided “races” in the history of races, Spieth was by far the most impressive rookie. In his third and fourth starts on the PGA Tour, he finished in a tie for second and tie for seventh. And he really never slowed down. He won the John Deere Classic in a playoff, registered three second-place finishes and nine top-10s. He finished his season with five top-20 finishes, including a tie for second in the Tour Championship.
Worst Shot of the Year — This one unfortunately goes to one of the nicest guys on tour, a guy who had a great season despite playing a very limited schedule, Steve Stricker. The offending shot came in the middle of the second fairway during the final round of the U.S. Open at Merion. After unloading his tee shot out of bounds, his second shot found the short grass. But he shanked his next shot out of bounds and after starting the day a shot out of the lead, he disappeared after the triple-bogey on No. 2.
Best Shot of the Year — In another no-brainer, Mickelson’s chip shot on the first playoff hole of the Scottish Open. On the last hole of regulation, Mickelson’s three-putted away a lead, but showed a lot of guts on the extra hole. Faced with a blind shot from just short of the green, Mickelson clipped the ball of a tight lie and when it stopped rolling on the green, he had a tap-in for the win. Yes, he has one of the great short games in history, but pulling that shot off under pressure was a beauty.
Biggest Disappointment of the Year — A three-way tie between Rory McIroy, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. McIlroy’s first season with his bagful of new clubs and a bulging bank account couldn’t have turned out much worse. Lee Westwood and Luke Donald proved once again to be major flops in golf’s biggest stages. Unfortunately, the latter two are repeat performers.
n If you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.