Q&A: Tiger’s Left Knee Carries Weight of Golf World

Tiger's Left Knee in action. (Honeyfield/Flickr)

IN A RARE AND REVEALING INTERVIEW, Tiger Woods' Left Knee told ARMCHAIR GOLF about its recovery from a third surgery and the multiple pressures that come with supporting the world’s greatest golfer.

Q: First of all, how are you feeling?

LEFT KNEE: I have my good days and bad days, but overall I think I’m getting stronger.

Q: This was your third surgery. Did the fist-pump celebration during the final round of last year’s PGA Championship exacerbate the problem?

LEFT KNEE: No comment.

Q: It really looked like Tiger was limping after that.

LEFT KNEE: I was told there wouldn’t be any fist-pump questions.

Q: Can you talk about Tiger’s swing and how it affects you?

LEFT KNEE: Well, you’ve seen him. Tiger has the mother of all golf swings. The torque is absolutely incredible. It gives me a sharp twinge just thinking about it. No knee is designed for that.

Q: What’s the hardest part about being Tiger Woods’ Left Knee?

LEFT KNEE: There’s the physical aspect, certainly, but there’s also the weight of everyone’s expectations. He’s playing for the record books and immortality. That’s a pressure very few knees ever experience. I also know that no matter how hard I train and how much pain I endure, I can be replaced.

Q: Does the fact that Tiger was just named fittest guy in America create added pressure?

LEFT KNEE: Didn’t see it, but no.

Q: Do you ever wish you were just a normal left knee for, say, a claims adjuster or a florist?

LEFT KNEE: Sure. I think all knees of great athletes have moments when they dream of a normal life. Look at Mickey Mantle, Joe Namath, Larry Bird. The list of greats with highly pressured knees is very long. I’m not the first, nor will I be the last. But in the end you have to work with the person you’re given.

Q: How do you keep going? Where does your inspiration come from?

LEFT KNEE: I take it a day at a time. Do the PT. Get my rest. I really hope Tiger is done with the running. That’s a killer. As far as inspiration, I look to the greats. In golf, all of us lower extremities pretty much worship Hogan. I mean, my God, his legs were totally mangled from that car accident and he came back and not only walked again but won six majors. It’s incredible (sniffling). Sorry, I promised myself I wouldn’t get emotional.

Q: It’s OK.

LEFT KNEE: Are we about done?

Q: Yeah. One last question. When will you be back? At the Memorial or the U.S. Open?

LEFT KNEE: Not sure. That’s Tiger’s call. But I hope Memorial.

Q: Why sooner?

LEFT KNEE: It’s always great catching up with Jack’s hip. The right one, not the replacement.

Q: I see. Thanks for taking the time.

LEFT KNEE: My pleasure.

Women to Storm Golf Courses in June

(Glasson/Flickr)

“MOVE OVER, BOYS.”

So begins the news release announcing that June is Women’s Golf Month, sponsored by American Express. The announcement states that more than 68,000 women across the country have been introduced or re-introduced to the game over the past three years. So they’ve decided to turn Women’s Golf Week into Women’s Golf Month.

Participating golf facilities will offer free golf instruction to women 14 years of age and older. Other activities will include golf rules and etiquette seminars, club fitting and equipment demonstrations, golf apparel fashion shows, luncheons, and playing experiences and contests.

Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez and LPGA/PGA professional Suzy Whaley are serving as national spokeswomen.

For more info, visit Play Golf America.

-The Armchair Golfer

Breakfast of Golf Champions?

Gotta have the double order of hash browns.
–David Duval, on Waffle House

LAST FRIDAY my friend Golf Blogger posted about the AP story on David Duval grubbin’ at Waffle House.

“I had eggs, chicken, toast, grits and a double order of hash browns,” Duval told the AP. “Gotta have the double order of hash browns.”

As a Florida native and Georgia Tech grad, you would expect Duval to sidle up to a Waffle House counter. After all, Waffle Houses are thicker than fleas on a wet dog in the South. But what’s up with San Diego native Phil Mickelson and his Waffle House habit?

I’ve read Lefty also loves WH, especially during Masters week. In fact, Ian O’Connor once wrote that Phil left a waitress a $94 tip for his $6 Waffle House breakfast.

If you live up north, you’re not very likely to stumble across a Waffle House. The Onion once published a story that said the Mason-Dixon Line was renamed the IHOP-Waffle House Line. Don’t believe it, even though it makes perfect sense.

Anyway, I smell a breakfast trend among PGA Tour pros.

–The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Waffle House May Hold Key to Masters

A Rare Eagle for the Armchair Golfer

SAD TO SAY, but I’m in one of those phases during which I’m not playing much golf. In fact, until this week I had not been on a golf course since last fall. Projects, family life and yard work have kept me away.

This week, however, was “tournament” week. Each May I play in two charity events (both scrambles), and they always fall on the same week, one on Monday, the other Saturday.

So I brought my game out of hibernation, which was a lot of fun. I tried out my new (new to me, at least) Ping i3 blades. And also my new-to-me Ping Anser 4 putter. Overall, it was a great success; I hit more good shots than I expected and just thoroughly enjoyed being on the golf course.

One of the highlights was a rare eagle yesterday. An admission: I used a paid-for mulligan to have a second try at the putt, but all the shots were struck by yours truly. The hole was a 475-yard par-5, not reachable in two my playing partner told me since the wind was against us.

I’m not a long hitter by any means, but I teed my ball low and struck a low, solid drive into the stiff breeze. Then I hit a perfect 3-metal that landed on the front of the green and rolled about 15 feet above the hole. The downhill putt was wicked fast, one you try to just barely nudge on the right line and hope it goes in.

After missing it, I decided to use one of my two mulligans for the day. I wanted that eagle! I made a minor adjustment in my line and lightly tapped my ball. Would it take the break and roll into the cup? Yes, indeed.

−The Armchair Golfer

Paul Goydos to Become Tour’s First Personality Coach

ACCORDING TO SOURCES, Paul Goydos, the affable journeyman who finished second to Sergio Garcia at The Players Championship, will offer individualized instruction to PGA Tour players to help them develop and enhance their personalities.

Many golf observers have criticized the PGA Tour for being devoid of personality in recent years. Goydos, who this past week charmed the media and golf fans even in defeat, will set out to change the negative perception one Tour player at a time.

“In an age of swing coaches, short game gurus, golf psychologists, nutritionists, fitness instructors, sports agents, business managers, personal assistants –- did I miss any? –- the emergence of the personality coach is probably long overdue,” said a Tour insider.

“I think Paul Goydos is the right man for the job.”

Goydos will reportedly offer a range of services to include cliché avoidance, role play, quips and asides, case studies of past personality greats, fan interaction 101, mastering the media conference and carefree body language.

Goydos’ client list will be confidential, but “we’ll know who they are as they make personality gains,” said the Tour source. The 16-year veteran will continue to play Tour events in addition to coaching.

Asked if he could foresee a day on Tour when a “personality” trailer would be parked alongside the fitness trailer, the source said, “I don’t see why not. It would show the Tour’s commitment to personality and hopefully widen our fan base.”

−The Armchair Golfer

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

‘The Caddie Who Played with Hickory’ by John Coyne

WHEN I BEGAN READING an advance copy of John Coyne’s The Caddie Who Played with Hickory a few weeks back, I’ll admit I was already a fan. In a nutshell, it’s a fictional story about how a teenage caddie comes to play the great Walter Hagen in Hagen’s final match with a prized set of hickory clubs. Getting to that match is an entertaining journey.

I had read Coyne’s first “caddie” story, The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan, a year ago and wrote at the time that I was skeptical about putting Hogan in a fictional story in a real place, Chicago’s Midlothian Country Club (also the setting for this new book). But Coyne’s storytelling skills (he’s authored more than 20 books, mostly novels) combined with his first-hand knowledge of country club life as a teenage caddie made the golf tale entertaining and believable.

For me, “Hickory” is even better: the story, the characters (more with more depth) and the little plot twists and surprises along the way. Plus, there’s the colorful Walter Hagen, a larger-than-life golf professional who out-earned Babe Ruth! My hunch is that Coyne is more comfortable in what’s looking like a “caddie” series.

I didn’t know much about the hickory era, but Coyne has a way of educating the reader without ever being tedious. That’s great for me because I enjoy learning about different eras and players. The bonus was getting a fun page-turner, with golf matches, a mysterious character and, instead of Hogan, the trail-blazing Hagen, the greatest hickory player of all time. Another legend, amateur Chick Evans, also makes an appearance in the climactic challenge match.

If you read the “Hogan” book and liked it, you'll want to read The Caddie Who Played with Hickory. If you’re new to John Coyne but enjoy golf history in the hands of a gifted storyteller, I highly recommend it. It’s a satisfying read.

-The Armchair Golfer

More John Coyne:
John Coyne Books (and blog)
2007 interview
2007 golf tidbits

Ochoa to Chair Sorenstam Retirement Party Committee

Lorena runs a few retirement party ideas by Annika.
(Gottwald/Flickr)

ACCORDING TO SOURCES, Lorena Ochoa, despite a heavy on- and off-course schedule, will oversee the retirement party of Annika Sorenstam. The news comes on the heels of yesterday’s blockbuster retirement announcement by Sorenstam.

“I feel strongly about giving back to my game, I mean, the game,” Ochoa said. “I’m anxious to give Annika the sendoff she deserves.”

While some are openly wondering why Annika will retire this season –- especially after three early-season wins –- Lorena isn’t one of them.

“I’ve always respected Annika’s decision-making on the golf course. I have no doubt that she’s also making the right call in this situation. She has my full support.”

However, there is a potential scheduling conflict. Ochoa would like to schedule the retirement party for June 9, two weeks before the U.S. Women’s Open. Yet Sorenstam has already said she plans to finish the 2008 LPGA season.

In related news, Paula Creamer will reportedly chair the decorations subcommittee.

-The Armchair Golfer

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

Armchair Q&A: Pat Perez

(Pat Perez Golf)

I welcome back Pat Perez to ARMCHAIR GOLF. Currently ranked 58th in the world and 50th in FedEx Cup points, Double P is having another solid year on tour that includes two top tens and about $800,000 in earnings after 13 events.

That said, Pat is looking to kick it up a notch or two. Following is what he told me about his off-season, health, game and life on tour.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What was the takeaway from 2007, your sixth season on tour?

PAT PEREZ: I got more comfortable being in the hunt, after six years. I actually learned to enjoy the thrill of the hunt when I was near the lead. Taking advantage of my opportunities. Closing things out. It’s a lot more fun that way instead of overthinking shots and letting everything get to you.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Any highlights from the off-season?

PAT PEREZ: It was a while back now, but no real highlights. Just gearing up for another season. The time flies by so quickly. Family and friends come out to Scottsdale to visit. It’s just time to decompress and catch up with the people I don’t get to see all year when I’m on the road.

Installed a new gym set up in my house as I was starting to work out with Joey Diovisalvi and I knew he was going to kick my ass. Had a small set up, but needed to revamp things so I took over one of my spare rooms and made it a full-on gym this time around.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How’s the elbow?

PAT PEREZ: Elbow is better. Haven’t had any issue in a long time, thankfully.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How’s your physical conditioning, in general?

PAT PEREZ: Better than it’s ever been. Seriously. Joey beats the hell out of me, in a good way. The guy is as intense as they come and is 1000% committed. He wants me in better shape than I even want myself, I’m sure. A lot of focus on stretching and staying limber –- but with the same intensity every time. Doesn't matter if I have to go early and we’re working at 4 a.m. or if it’s early evening after playing 18.

He’ll kill me if I get this wrong, but it’s sort of a “power training workout,”something like that. He designed a program for me to get the most out of my game. Building up strength to produce the best shots. A lot of bandwork, rotation, a lot of chest/back stuff, squats, quads and hamstrings, core training. He really focuses on the “fast twitch” muscles and building extra speed.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: This is the second straight year you’ve started strong at the Sony Open. Is it the course, the start of a new season, both?

PAT PEREZ: I’ve always liked the Sony, and after being home for a month in December I get cabin fever and am ready to get back out there and compete again. I like the course, but I also think it’s just a great way to kick off the season –- winter in Hawaii and back on tour competing again.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How many events do you plan to play in 2008? Any favorites on the schedule?

PAT PEREZ: I’m going to play a ton. I played something like 27 last year and that should be the case again in 2008. I definitely dig the Buick (Torrey Pines), the British, PGA Championship and the Colonial. This year it’s all about the U.S. Open. I have to get in there. That’s the biggest of the bigs for me. Back home in San Diego, that’s my main goal in life right now.

I need to be top 50 by the Memorial and I’ll be in. I need to pull that off. Every week counts between now and then and I can’t imagine not playing that one. I’m also busting my ass to make the Ryder Cup team. That’s another long-time dream of mine and could be a reality if I get some things done. I need to play well in the majors this year, get higher in the points standings. A win would solidify it, but even without that I need to keep busting my ass out here every week. Every round counts.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What would it mean to you to play the U.S. Open in your hometown (Torrey Pines)?

PAT PEREZ: Everything. Seriously.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What are your working on?

PAT PEREZ: Trying to hit it straight, always.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: You’re a veteran who has now gone around the circuit several times, put in the practice and travel time, learned the courses, signed the autographs. What keeps you excited about the tour and the game?

PAT PEREZ: Being in the hunt. Playing in the big events. Trying to climb in the World Rankings and in the FedEx Cup points. I’m competitive in everything I do, so to get to “compete” at something for a living is intense. Being on the tour itself is exciting. I love the lifestyle, the doors it opens and the people you come across. I’m still amazed how many people love golf. Aside from the average fans, the actors, rock stars, pro athletes –- it’s crazy.

More Pat Perez here:
2007 interview, part 1
2007 interview, part 2

-The Armchair Golfer

(Special thanks to Chris Bello at Pat Perez Golf for coordinating this interview.)

Sorenstam Laps Field at Michelob ULTRA Open

THOSE TIRE TRACKS up the backs of LPGA Tour players at the Michelob ULTRA Open belonged to Annika Sorenstram.

Annika notched her third win of the season with a truly dominating performance. Rounds of 64, 66, 69 and 66 put Sorenstam at 19 under for a seven-shot victory over four players.

As crazed hoopster analyst Dick Vitale might say, “She’s back, baby!” With a vengeance.

Along with everyone else, Lorena Ochoa was choking on Sorenstam’s fumes, 12 shots back after a respectable but distant seven-under finish.

As my golf blogging friend Mulligan Stu of Waggle Room points out, it’s turning into a three-person tour. Ochoa, Sorenstam and Creamer have cleaned up with 10 victories in the first 12 events.

−The Armchair Golfer

Sergio Garcia Rolls Into Redemptionville

(Speedpics Flicks/Flickr)

IT WAS THE SEVEN FEET that Sergio Garcia conquered on the 72nd hole that won him one of the most-coveted trophies in golf, The Players Championship.

Garcia’s seven-foot par putt on the last green was struck with a smooth, decisive stroke, and from the time the ball left his regulation-length Titleist putter it rolled like it had no place else to go but the center of the cup. (Sort of the way a guy named Woods always seems to hole the mammoth putt when everything is on the line.)

It was exactly the kind of putt Garcia has failed to make on big occasions in the past. No, it wasn’t quite as huge as the lipout on the final green at Carnoustie last summer that would have won Sergio the British Open.

But Garcia had to sink the tester to complete a gritty up-and-down on the brutally difficult final hole at TPC Sawgrass and to have any chance to catch Paul Goydos, a long-time minor cast member on tour who nearly hijacked the “fifth” major.

Sure, Sergio golfed his ball with amazing precision around a stadium-course layout made even more sinister by gusting winds. But we knew that about the Spaniard. It still comes down to the flatstick. It always does, doesn’t it? (Just ask Tiger about this year’s Masters.)

Welcome to Redemptionville, Sergio Garcia. Enjoy your stay, but not too long. There’s another town calling your name and befitting of your talent –- Majorville.

−The Armchair Golfer

The ‘Old’ Players Championship

Kenny Perry (Fritsche/Flickr)


I DIDN’T GET the memo. No one told me they changed The Players Championship to The Old Players Championship.

You got your Kenny Perry, age 47. You got your Bernhard Langer, age 50. (Langer now hangs out on the Champions Tour.) And there’s your leader, Paul Goydos, the frisky colt of the trio at age 43. Yeah, Goydos, a journeyman, with extra emphasis on “journey.”

I loved Paul’s post-round interview with NBC’s Bob Costas.

Costas: Why do you wear your top button buttoned when it’s so hot here?
Goydos: Because I have no shoulders. It keeps my shirt on.
Costas: You’ve only won twice, both times from behind. Have you ever been the 54-hole leader?
Goydos: No, but I’ve only been on tour 16 years. (Rim shot.)

Goydos, ranked 169th in the world, got the best of Costas, but can he get the best of the field on Sunday? A win would be huge for the player who is making his way back from golf oblivion.

Sergio Garcia is lurking, just three back. As usual, he’s striping the ball, but the putts aren’t falling like they did in round one. They said on the telecast Sergio wants to putt like he did when he was a boy. Maybe he should try to putt like those old guys.

Langer looks like he’s sweeping the beach for valuables. Kenny Perry is nudging it nicely. Goydos, Mr. 11 One-putts, looks like he’s putting with a gardening tool.

On Sunday, the player who can keep his ball on the fairways and putt those nervy slick greens will walk off with the trophy. It might just be an old player at The Players Championship.

−The Armchair Golfer

Pat Perez Interview After The Players

A PAST GUEST of Armchair Golf, six-year PGA Tour player Pat Perez stops by early next week for a Q&A. The world No. 55 golfer is two over heading into the weekend at The Players Championship.

Next week Double P talks about why he has to get into the U.S. Open, his physical conditioning, what he’s working on, what keeps him revved up about playing the tour and more.

−The Armchair Golfer

The Players: Pass Ernie Els the Dynamite

“I think they should blow it up.”
−Ernie Els, on the 17th at TPC Sawgrass

ERNIE ELS HAD JUST birdied the 16th hole at TPC Sawgrass and stood at two under in his opening round at The Players Championship. Then he made a mess of Pete Dye’s revenge, the par-3 17th hole.

His wedge landed about seven yards short of the island green. His third shot narrowly escaped the water. Three putts later and the agony was over. Put him down for a triple-bogey 6.

The Big Easy was the Big Steam.

“I think they should blow it up,” Els was quoted as saying. “Everything you worked for in 4 1/2 hours, in one shot it's all gone.”

Ernie rebounded with a birdie on 18, one of the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour, and carded a respectable 72. He is even in today’s second round and should make the cut.

−The Armchair Golfer

17th at TPC Sawgrass: ‘Most Terrifying Two Seconds’

(Russ Glasson/Flickr)

The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest
if somebody put a flagstick on top.
−Pete Dye

DO YOU EVER WATCH a golf telecast and secretly wish you could try your luck on a certain hole?

The par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass brings out that desire in me. So does the par-3 12th hole at Augusta National. I’d just love to drop a few golf balls and take my swings on those challenging holes, preferably when no one was around.

I’d probably choke my guts out, but it would be SO MUCH FUN.

Last night I watched the Bruce Edwards Memorial Caddie Competition on the Golf Channel. To raise money, entertain the crowd and share a few laughs with their player bosses, caddies teed it up on the famous 17th hole with the island green.

The caddies tried their best to reach terra firma, but many if not most splashed down. I saw one cold shank his tee shot. Another hit a low liner that skipped across the water until it ricocheted off the railroad ties that border the green. Some had gorgeous golf swings, and the winner struck his shot to within two feet of the hole.

One former Tour caddie, Mike Collins, told Golfweek, “I was terrified. I couldn’t get my hands dry. It’s the most terrifying two seconds in a caddie’s life.”

I’d love to be that terrified, at least once.

−The Armchair Golfer

What PGA Tour Players Really Think

(Pocketwiley/Flickr)

IF YOU CORNERED THEM outside of the media center and told them they would remain anonymous, what would PGA Tour players disclose?

You’re in luck. The results of the Seventh Annual PGA Tour Player Survey are in. SI polled 72 players. Following is some of what I gleaned at Golf.com.

About two-thirds of those surveyed believe Roger Clemens used steroids.

Seven percent have paid $750 for a belt. (I’m sure you can name one.)

Rather be paired with Tiger or Phil? Tiger by far, with 87 percent casting votes for Woods.

If forced to choose between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, more than half said they’d vote for Obama, although 31 percent answered, “I’d take a bullet.”

Half of those surveyed admitted they have played a Tour round with a hangover.

Half also think Tiger will win a grand slam.

Six percent said they know pro golfers who have used performance-enhancing drugs.

Caddies are the biggest gossipers on the PGA Tour, followed by Fred Funk’s wife, Sharon.

And finally ...

“Is your life as a professional golfer more or less fun than you thought it would be when you were in high school?” Seventy-six percent answered, “More.”

What a surprise.

−The Armchair Golfer