By Michael Elliott
West Coast Swing- And what a delightful time they had in Cali as the Professional Golfer’s Association tour recently concluded their version of the swing. A month ago Brandt Snedeker waited out the Monday conclusion to triumph at Torrey Pines in San Diego after a bit of inclement weather induced the Monday play. Two weeks later a man without a full-time PGA card snuck in the back door at Pebble Beach in Carmel and posted his first victory in more than ten years. One Vaughn Taylor looked on at the 18th green as Phil Mickelson scooted a five-footer left of the hole and the title was Vaughn’s. And just this past weekend hubba Bubba Watson reined in his emotions down the stretch to post a one-stroke victory at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
Ah, the game of golf. Most would say “Ouch, the game of golf!” If you are eager to test out a game that most mirrors life as we know it, then go tee it up. The emotional roller coaster associated with chasing the small white one is not for the feint of heart. Veins flowing ice and a heart as hard as Hannibal Lecter›s are prerequisites should one choose to spend four to five hours traipsing around acres of grass with sandy pitfalls, serene ball gobbling lakes and 400-foot tall trees wagging their tongues, er, leaves at you as you attempt to shoot as low a score as possible.
Golf is a true test of courage and patience: Courage to step up to that initial tee box to begin your round and patience to hold it together mentally and physically long enough to complete your round. If you are looking to discover things that you may not have known about yourself…go golfing.
The Old Man And the C- A little late here, but not sorry. The old man, Peyton Manning, stuck it to the «C», Cam Newton, in the Super Bowl. While Denver›s defense was the star of the game Manning completed just enough of his wounded-duck passes to enable the Broncos to ease by the Panthers. Newton looked stiff and out of sync all game long as did the rest of his teammates. Cam was not up for the elevation to the big stage.
This was Manning’s fourth gig in the Super Bowl and he knew just how to manage himself and his compatriots this time around at the rodeo. Poise and familiarity of the situation are precursors to winning these things, not to mention the number one defense in all of football, as well.
One For Three- Pretty darn good night in the batter›s box I›d say. Not so at the free throw line. Okay. There›s the lead-in since this is a sports column. You decide if this one-for-three is a yea or a nay.
Years ago at an Eddie Money concert in Paso I finagled my way up to the stage prior to the opening number and placed my Eddie Money CD liner with pen at the most strategic location for possible signage by Mr. Money. Midway through he signs it but I can’t navigate the crowd to get to it. Concert is over and I make my way up and the signed liner is gone! I ask a roadie if he can check backstage, he does and comes out with it.
Last year in Santa Barbara same scenario with Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. I can see my pen and paper throughout the concert. Chrissie does not oblige. Concert is over and I make my way up to the stage and luckily snag my items of forlorn.
A few nights ago in Beverly Hills same scenario with Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad. While Mark’s strutting around during the show I just know he sees my “We’re An American Band» gold vinyl album cover with the cool sharpie attached. Now, I›ve gone out on the limb here. If he does not sign and one of the roadies banishes my precious album cover to the trash receptacle or beyond I don›t know that I›ll ever recover emotionally.
Alas, Mark shuns my attempt and I race through the crowd at concert’s end and retrieve my artifact. One-for-three. While ambivalent over the 33% record of securing autographs of my, yea I’ll say it, idols, I take heart in knowing that I tried. And I have the utmost faith that on their next tour Mick Jagger certainly will not reject my literary advance. Would he?
Send your autograph percentages to Michael at [email protected]