Golf isn't a sport... and the Earth is flat!

A couple of times in class the topic of whether or not golf is a sport has been brought up, but not discussed in detail. I’m interested it seeing what people’s opinions are on this subject.

Personally I’ve been playing golf my whole life. I have always had immense respect for the game but will admit that I haven’t always considered it a sport. The way most amateurs and I play the game would probably be more accurately described as a recreation. But in the last 10+ years a shift has occurred. Now athleticism is a major factor in whether or not a player is successful on tour. Is it a coincidence that the best player on tour is the one in best shape? I don’t believe it is. Many key characteristics that make a football or basketball players skilled in their discipline are comparable to what make golfers good in theirs. Examples are such characteristics as mental strength, flexibility, determination, and of course physical condition/athleticism.

Tiger has been rumored to bench over 300 lbs, squat 500+ lbs, and run sprints that are comparable to NFL athletes (and I assume not lineman!). Some people question this since it’s difficult to find hard data, but one look at his physique and it would be hard to doubt. Many of his nearest competitors are in great shape as well, and even Jon Daly is unbelievably strong and is considered to have the ‘softest hands’ (playing soft shots, not hand texture) on tour, even though he’s a little out of shape.

Basically my argument for why golf is a sport is simple. Take a doubter out to walk 36 holes of golf on a hot summer day and see if he is as tired as playing some pick-up basketball. If athletes are playing a game, competing for money, and entertaining millions of people, how could it not be a sport?

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Which is the Greatest Major of Them All?

I'll admit it, I'm the type of guy who could sit and watch 4 straight days of Championship Golf, and enjoy every second of it. In fact, this weekend was one of my favorite events of the year, the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament, where Charles Barkley, the owner of the world's worst swing, lost by over 150 points to Chris Chandler in the Modified Stableford System (trust me, if you're not a golf nut, it's not even worth trying to learn the real Stableford System, much less the modified one), and next week is The British Open, or The Open Championship as they call it across the pond.

That being said, from May thru August, the four most important events of the year are played, The Masters, The U.S. Open, The British Open, and the PGA Championship. However, what's really starting to get on my nerves is when Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player each appear in the "History of the Tournament Highlight Reel" for each of them, proclaiming why the particular tournament that's being played that week is the most important for the players, and also the most historically relevant. While I can understand that networks are trying to push their product, and are trying to gain ratings in an era where ratings = more advertisers = more money, I wish the golfers wouldn't sell out their true feelings just for the sake of ABC, NBC or CBS.

It's perfectly fine to love one tournament more than another, and there are perfectly good reasons to love all four majors:

The Masters - Played every year on perhaps the 2nd most famous golf course in the world (other than St. Andrews), Augusta National. The memories of events that took place 50 years before can be relived on a yearly basis with players hitting virtually the same shots as their predecessors. Well, maybe not the same after Augusta "Tiger-proofed" the course after he won in '97. But I digress. I mean come on, what other place can wearing a green jacket be considered a good thing?

U.S. Open - This is our Open Championship. Any Joe Schmoe with a 1.4 handicap (OK, maybe Joe Schmoe is a little harsh) can attempt to qualify for this tournament. On top of that, the United States Golf Association takes this opportunity to make everybody playing in this tournament look completely foolish. With rough as high as your knees and greens that create about as much friction as ice, this is without a doubt the hardest test in golf.

British Open - It is the oldest championship in professional golf, and therefore has the most history. Dating well back into the 1800's, this championship has seen its triumphs, such as Harry Vardon winning a record 6 in the early 20th century to John Daly coming out of nowhere to win in '95. However, the British Open has also seen the greatest collapse in the history of sports, when in '99, Jean Van de Velde blew a 3 stroke lead on the 18th hole, and lost in a playoff. The British Open returns to Carnoustie next week, where the collapse occurred.

PGA Championship - Now, maybe it's just me, but this tournament does not seem to get the kind of love that the other three do. Number one, it's got the best trophy in all of golf, the Wannamaker Trophy, two, it allows PGA professionals who spend their time helping old ladies at the driving range break 50 yards with a driver the opportunity to show that they can compete with the best in the world, and three, it housed perhaps the greatest finish in golf history when Tiger Woods and Bob May battled in an epic playoff duel in 2000.

So, when I was growing up, there was one tournament that I dreamed about playing in and still do today, and that's the U.S. Open. I love seeing professional golfers struggle like I do on a daily basis, and I love the fact that if I got good enough, I could attempt to play in it, which is a goal of mine down the road. The Masters is always fun to watch, and the British Open is great fun because it's a different style of course than those you see in the U.S., but you've got to wake up so early to watch it. The PGA Championship seems like it's not built for the public, simply the club that the elite belong to, which is likely why it does not get the same status that the others do. Nonetheless, they all help shape the history of golf, and make it such a great game.