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The Loop

5 things to talk about with your buddies on the course this weekend

July 25, 2014

From sports to TV to politics (OK, so mostly the first two), we offer five hot topics that are sure to liven up your round of golf:

1. Rory McIlroy: It's been a few days since his British Open win, but there's still a buzz around the 25-year-old Northern Irishman. How many majors will he end up winning? Did he really drink Jagermeister from the claret jug? How many girlfriends does he have? It's McIlroymania in golf right now.

2. NFL training camps: People always make a big deal when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, but what about quarterbacks and wide receivers reporting to training camp? The start of these practices indicates the start of the actual season is about a month away. Get excited! Unlike in baseball, in the NFL your team actually has a chance to be good every year.

3. "Fifty Shades Of Grey": Has there ever been more hype for the release of a movie trailer? I haven't seen it yet, nor have I read the books, nor do I care about any of it or have I even heard of the movie's co-stars, Jamie Dornan or Dakota Johnson (below), but it doesn't matter. Having it come up in conversations seems almost unavoidable at this point.

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4. Charles Barkley: We all know he's bad at golf, but he might have reached a new low last week. Barkley competed participated embarrassed himself in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, making a total of zero pars or birdies in 54 holes. He made five bogeys and 49 double bogeys, and before you go, "Well, he didn't make any triple bogeys, at least," know this: There were no triple bogeys in the modified Stableford format. While Tiger Woods' post-Hank Haney struggles have made the instructor look good, Haney's inability to cure the game's worst celebrity golfer leaves a blemish on his teaching resume. When you're hacking it around this weekend, just think of this scorecard and know things could be worse:

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5. Old golfers: We'll end with a thought that should be much more uplifting to amateur hacks all over the world: you can play great golf as a geezer. In fact, the Champions Tour should change its motto to "These OLD guys are good." Tom Watson leads this charge having recently made cuts playing with the young guys at the Greenbrier and the British Open. For the week at Hoylake, Old TW shot a final-round 68 to dust Young TW by five shots. Imagine a 50-year-old Michael Jordan being able to hang with today's NBA players? OK, bad example since MJ probably could, but you get the point. Keep playing golf -- and keep your fingers crossed that equipment keeps improving.