Dear Editor: Sometimes it seems that you guys just don't get it. The reason that the pros struggled with the "narrow fairways" at Olympic, is because the "grip it and rip it" mentality doesn't work on tight courses. These younger guys, especially, are honed to take out the driver and so what if it's in another zip code....most of today's tournament courses are set up way to easy for the modern equipment in the hands of experts. Believe it or not, most of us amateurs enjoy seeing these guys struggle once in awhile like we do every round. I loved the Open.....and I haven't watched a minute of that boring Hartford thing this week.
Bob Brewer, Vero Beach, FLOur old friend Gene Martineau had a different problem post-Open. His was with the World Ranking.
Dear Editor: How can a player ranked No. 1 in the world continue to be ranked No. 1 despite being 0-for-34 in major championships and missing the cut in the U.S. Open? It really is a travesty to the rankings that a player can be proficient in ordinary tournaments and win a lot of money on not so difficult courses and be considered the best golfer despite not being able to compete on the more difficult venues.
Gene Martineau Roseville, CAGene, we agree that the World Rankings are endlessly baffling. And you are correct to point out that Luke Donald has yet to win a major. However. In 2012 Donald has 1 win, 4 Top Tens, and nearly $3 million in earnings. As for "difficult" venues, he was 6th at the Players, 12th at the Memorial, and, okay, only average (T32) at the Masters. In 2011, Donald tied for 4th at the Masters, tied for 7th at the Memorial, tied for 2nd at the Bridgestone Invitational on a tough Firestone course, was 4th at the BMW Championship, T8 at the PGA Championship, and T3 at the Tour Championship at Eastlake. No major wins, you're right. But some awfully good golf over a long period of time. Hence, his ranking. And, as reader Brewer points out, he wasn't the only one to struggle on those "narrow" Olympic fairways.
--Bob Carney
