Golf Talk

No, really, I would like to know, so I figure maybe more people would like to know.

A typical home on Lake Isleworth...Tiger's.

Ahem…The Tavistock Cup is named for the company that owns two planned communities in Orlando, Florida that each have a pretty killer golf course and the requisite country club. These two tony “communities” started attracting some high-profile golfers as members, and those guys started talking smack in the cluhouses, wondering if this country club went up against that country club, who would win. Yeah, a part of me wants to punch them in the face, too.

But alas, those same golfers decided to go forward with that hypothetical golf mega-talent tournament. And we have the Tavistock Cup — a two-day battle royale between Lake Isleworth and Lake Nona Country Clubs. This year’s tournament, the sixth so far, is being played on the Lake Nona course, consistently named in the top 100 courses in the world. Next year, the tournament rotates back to Lake Isleworth.

Oh, did I mention that spectators are invite-only? Yeah. Seriously, a tournament between two high-price country clubs and some of the richest men in the world…the proletarian golfer in me is cringing. But huzzah! The winning team gets $1 million to divide up among each golfer’s chosen charity or charities (in addition to lots of money and posh prizes including Audi’s in winnings).

The 2009 Tavistock Cup wrapped up today, and Team Nona won 17-13 over Isleworth. And who is Team Nona you ask? Only Captain Ernie Els and his merry band of men: Fellow South Africans Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman, Americans Chris DiMarco and Ben Curtis, Irish Mark McNulty and Graeme McDowell (Northern), Brits Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, and finally Swedish nudist Henrik Stenson.

Team Isleworth is headed by Mark O’Meara, but the big name is Tiger Woods. On his part, Tiger did not lose a round (he tied and lost a half-point to Poulter). The other Isle-ie’s are JB Holmes, Charles Howell III, John Cook, all Americans; Australians Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, and Nick O’Hern; the Northern Irish Darren Clarke and the Swede Daniel Chopra.

Tavistock Cup, Lake Isleworth, Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Chris DiMarco, Ben Curtis, Mark McNulty, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, JB Holmes, Charles Howell III, John Cook, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Nick O’Hern, Darren Clarke, Daniel Chopra, golf, charity

It must have been a mixed blessing for Dustin Johnson when the 2009 At&T Pebble Beach ProAm was called after 54 holes due to inclement weather. He won the event, sure, but he didn’t get the crowd’s ovation and adulation upon winning, because well, the crowds were no longer there.

However, he could easily have blown the tournament in the final round, handing the victory to Mike Weir or Retief Goosen, who, while not exactly hot on Johnson’s trail, could have made it happen and overcame a four and five stroke deficiency, respectively. But heck, Weir’s 2nd place gave me ten bonus points in the PGA/Yahoo fantasy league, so I’ll be happy with that finish.

If you were wondering, Pebble Beach does get rained out often. Let’s look at the history of the 54-hole Pebble Beach ProAm…

The last time Pebble was rained out and called after 54 holes, Payne Stewart (resplendent at right) won in 1999, his last appearance before his tragic death. Just the year before, in 1998, it was again only a 54 hole tournament with Phil Mickelson winning for the first time. Two years before that, in 1996, the tournament was called after 36 holes, and as money isn’t awarded for less than 54 holes, the tournament was effectively cancelled.

More 54-hole only Pebble Beach ProAms and their winners:

1986 — Fuzzy Zoeller
1981 — John Cook
1974 — Johnny Miller (another golf fashion icon)

And going back to the ProAm’s earlier years, it was only a 54-hole tournament from 1947 to 1957.

And before that, Pebble beach wasn’t even Pebble Beach. The Bing Crosby-initiated ProAm was played in Los Angeles at Lakeside Golf Club. And it was only a two-round tournament back then.

Pebble Beach, ProAm, weather, 54 holes, cancelled, Dustin Johnson, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, Payne Stewart, Phil Mickelson, Fuzzy Zoeller, John Cook, Johnny Miller, Bing Crosby, Lakeside Gold Club, Los Angeles

It is strange how a golf tournament can become a rather raucous place. I mean, it’s golf. Golf is quiet and polite, slow, contemplative, less is better, subdued clothes and cheering…right?

Well, yes, and then there is the FBR Open. Coors Light is a big sponsor of this PGA Tour stop, so there is a good probability that there will be Coors Light around and maybe there are tents in which to drink Coors Light, and well, then, you have the proper conditions for a sporting event that can seem more like a football game than a golf tournament.

If you don’t believe me, check it out this Sunday before the Superbowl. The FBR will be on CBS and should end by 3pm. The Superbowl is on NBC and starts at 3pm. If you really must watch the Superbowl pre-show, then at least stop by the FBR during commercial breaks.

Anyhoo, the FBR has this hole, see, the 16th and it is surrounded by these grandstands packed with rowdy people that really get into it. The 16th is a par 3, so it is all about accuracy, not distance, which of course lends itself to a certain excitement for spectators. Add to that the fact that the stands surround the green in a fashion that makes it seem like one is in a stadium, and you come to the course’s name of the Stadium Course.

The FBR Open started out as the Phoenix Open. It struggled in the early days, until one golf nut really made the tournament happen when he got a local businessmen’s group behind it and invited his friends to the tournament — Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Ben Hogan (who lost to Byron Nelson by 12 strokes).

The 2009 FBR Open has come a long way since it’s original first place prize winnings of $700. The 2009 winner of the FBR will take home over one million dollars.

FBR Open, PGA, PGA Tour, golf, stadium course, TPC Scottsdale, Phoenix, Ben Hogan, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Bryon Nelson