Spending More Time in the Sand Than David Hasselhoff

I ran into Jay Busbee’s interview with David Feherty online today and I just had to share some of it.

For those who don’t know, Feherty is a former European tour player from Ireland who retired in 1997 and since, has been the best on-course announcer in golf history for my money. He has a way with words that, well, no one else has. For example, he has used the phrase “pulled up on the back of his underwear violently” in describing how a certain PGA player felt after flubbing a shot. Another favorite: “that ball ran across the green like a frozen sloat” – I think that means the green was slick.

But, as this interview shows, he isn’t just funny, but a man who may care about America more than most Americans.

Some excerpts:

His view on the war in Iraq: “What you think of the war — whether we should be there, whether we shouldn’t — isn’t truly relevant anymore. This is one of the greatest good deeds the world has ever seen. Iraq had the fourth largest army in the world, and we blew right through it. And now you’ve got Iran pushing in, looking to gain control. It’s truly terrifying — we think in four-year election cycles, and these people think in hundreds of years.”

On how great it is to live in the US: “I’ve lived so many other places, and it’s given me some perspective. The average American wouldn’t believe how extraordinary we have it here. Every day I wake up, I think, “Am I still in America? Yes? Thank f—!”"

And some of the funny stuff.

Speaking about a golf tour he did in Iraq for the American troops where a long drive champ hit a ball off a rubber tee in Feherty’s button fly, “When you’ve got a club coming 200mph right at your plums, that’ll wake you up.”

On how amazing Tiger was compared to the players Feherty was used to on the tour when he hit the scene: “And then every round, Tiger would hit a couple shots, and I’d say, “F—, I didn’t see that one coming.”"

Another reference to how unique the Striped One is: “You just can’t say enough about the guy. He’s winning majors by 10, 12, 15 shots. We haven’t seen that kind of stuff since the 1800s, when Old Tom Morris was playing with a badger’s testicle stuffed with seagull feathers.”

Badger’s testicle stuffed with seagull feathers? How does he even imagine this stuff?

And finally, how’s this for an attitude about life after nearly dying in a bicycle accident last year: “But still, man, I’m a lucky guy. Can’t wait to see what’s going to be next.”?

The world needs more Fehertys.

Tags: Blogging, College Golf, Equipment, European PGA Tour, History, Junior Golf, PGA, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup by
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My son, Alex, has another International Junior Golf Tournament this weekend – at Pinehurst #8, no less.

Alex has been playing junior tournaments for quite a while now. He started with local tournaments at our then home course, Lochmere Golf Club in Cary, NC.  He graduated to more regional tournament series, the Eastern Junior Golf Association and The National Junior Golf Club. The last two years, though, he has improved enough to play national type tours, such as the IJGT, the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT), and the big daddy of all junior tournaments, the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).

These tournaments are the most reliable route to college golf scholarships. It is very difficult to play only high school golf or local tournaments and attract any college coaches’ attention (especially club golf – coaches essentially ignore any “Junior Club Championships”). Big time coaches – Oklahoma State, Georgia, Wake Forest – have the reputation and talent level that allows them to ignore all but the very top tournaments in AJGA and, thus, the very best junior golfers in the world. They can get anyone they want, so they can be choosy.

There are all kinds of levels of college golf, though, and lots of opportunities out there. Alex has recently been getting information about Bethany College, a small NAIA school in Kansas. Apparently, they are very competitive nationally and have a good academic reputation. It certainly isn’t a school Alex would have considered (primarily because his parents never heard of it before), but now, he might.

Junior golf and the inhabitants therein is a fascinating study. You see all kinds of parents and kids. There’s the one parent who called his kid “Tin Cup” on the range in disgust after the kid wouldn’t listen to his advice and kept mis-hitting his shots. Practice shots. On the range. And he wasn’t kidding – he was mad.

There’s the dad who would stand behind the green on the exact line he wanted his son to hit when his kid would hit approach shots (if you’re unsure, that is grounds for disqualification – no golfer can get advice or coaching during a round unless it is from his own caddy or a coach if it is a team competition). I’ve actually gotten to know this guy a bit over the last few years and he is a very nice guy – he just wants his kid to succeed too much.

• We interrupt this blog for an important PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: General advice for youth sports – parents, you are the child’s parent, not their friend, not their agent. Be a parent. Love them, support them, respect them, but if they don’t do as well as you or they want to, accept it and teach your child from the experience. Disappointment is part of the maturation process so expect it and, if possible, welcome it as a growth tool for your child.

Then there are the great people – both parents and kids – we’ve met. The IJGT, as the name suggests, has a fair number of international kids who play, usually coming from the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head (if you heard of the show, School of Golf, on the Golf Channel, that school is the subject of that show). Alex and I were commenting after the last tournament how generally gracious, respectful and fun the kids in that tournament series are. We haven’t really met a jerk at one of the 15 or so tournaments he’s played there in child or parent form, nor among the coaches and directors. And some of the kids and their parents have become good friends, such as Kurtis Straw and his folks, Randy and Carla, from Pennsylvania.

Kurtis Straw, junior golfer, star hockey player and all around nice guy

I’ll try to capture some photos from the course this weekend to give you added flavor. Alex has 3 top tens so far in IJGT this year – let’s hope for an even better showing in the rain!

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I realized that I hadn’t written in the blog for quite a while, so I’m throwing one at you. By the way, that is the great thing about doing a blog for myself, rather than you, the reading audience – I don’t have to write if I don’t feel like it. I didn’t feel that way about my business blog – I felt like I was letting the business down if I didn’t write at least every other day. And I know some other bloggers; in fact, most other bloggers, have that pang of guilt if they don’t write regularly.

So, here goes.

1. The USGA announced its nominees for the 2009 Executive Committee – and, yet again, I am not on the list. Why not? I have just as much know-it-allness and smarminess as Jim Vernon (president) or Irv Fish (treasurer). And I know I’ve got more of what the USGA needs on its Exec Committee than nominee Christopher Leidel, current Executive VP and CFO of The National Geographic Society. Come on – National Geographic? When is the last time they ran a “Best Courses in America” issue? Just in case one of your nominees doesn’t pass the rigorous background check I’m sure you put them through, USGA, I’m right here.

2. The AJGA, the most prestigious junior golf tournament series in the country, announced its Rolex All-Americans. No, I’m not on that list either (too old, maybe?).  But, local Green Hope grad Ben Kohles, now a freshman at Virginia, is an honorable mention. Alex, my son, played several matches in high school golf last year with and against Ben, since they were both number ones for their respective high schools and their schools are in the same conference. Nice guy, great golfer. Congratulations, Ben!

3. NC State golf is on the rise! Darren Blair of the Wolfpack became the second cub to win a men’s golf tournament. He won the Bank of Tennessee at the Ridges tournament last week. With Matt Hill winning just before him, the Pack is coming on strong. And the new course is about to open. I predict the NC State will be contending for a national title in the next couple of years and will soon become one of the dominant ACC programs.

That is it for now. I’ll get back to you whenever I feel like it.

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Dustin Johnson, late of Coastal Carolina, currently of the PGA Tour, just won his first pro event, the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

That catches my attention because Dustin is a guy whose career I’ve followed semi-closely. Primarily, it is because he went to school at CC and helped take them to national prominence over the last few years. I’ve always thought Coastal would be a great school to go to for golf and have tried to talk my sons into it. It is also encouraging to me to see a smaller school gain respect nationally because of a sport. Picture College of Charleston or Cleveland State in the NCAA basketball tourney, for example. Coastal really did well with Dustin, but not just because of him. They’ve won 5 straight Big South Conference championships and have been in the NCAA’s for a few years as well, so they’ve got some depth.

The other reason I like watching him is that his name is all over a course we’ve visited and played, TPC Myrtle Beach. That is Coastal’s home course and Dustin is featured on several plaques in the clubhouse for course records, etc.

Plus, he absolutely bombs the golf ball. 4th in driving distance this year on tour at 309.0. Nice!

A pretty artificial attachment, I admit, but I still like cheering for guys I have some connection to, no matter how tenuous.

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As I was hitting a few balls today at RCC, I saw a large group of 20 year olds, all with red bags and wolf head covers, approach the range. That’s right – I was in the presence of the NC State Men’s Golf team. It was pretty cool just to watch those guys interact and warm up. Then, I played a few holes and jumped off in front of their groups. In the foursome right behind me was Matt Hill, the sophomore stud of the team just off a victory at the Hawk’s Invitational in Massachusetts. As I was going up the sixth, I saw where he hit his drive on 5. Suffice it to say it was in a place where I haven’t hit a drive – ever. Nor will I. Ever.

Even cooler was the fact that my son, Alex, and I had walked several holes watching Matt during the US Amateur, so I felt like we have a close, personal relationship – sort of. It was around that time, combined with the fact that he sees these guys at our golf course on a regular basis and talks to them, that Alex decided it might be OK to join the Wolfpack golf team in a few years. Especially with their new golf course opening in a few months.

Coach Sykes, are you out there? Have your people call my people and we’ll talk!

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