Major Playoffs

Mr. Fairway used to be annoyed that the USGA held fast to tradition and insisted on an 18-hole playoff for the U.S. Open even as golf's other major tournaments instituted means to end their events on the last day of play. The Masters goes to sudden death and certainly some of those finishes such as Larry Mize chipping in to beat Greg Norman have been exciting. the British Open developed the unique four-hole cumulative score playoff and the PGA Championship followed with a three-hole format. But the guardians of the game at the USGA where the shirts come pre-stuffed and the blue blazers have dandruff on the shoulders (and in the pockets) steadfastly refused to bow to the god of television or the fans. But after watching all 19 holes of the Torrey Pines playoff, a.k.a. Tiger's victory of wounded knee, between Woods and Rocco Mediate, I quote one my former golf partners whose favorite saying was, "I like you just the way you are and don't you ever switch." That playoff was great for golf ... perhaps not as great if it had been between Rocco and Lee Westwood ... but now the U.S. Open stands alone on a Monday playoff and I, for one, hope they never switch.

Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Brian Kamm.