Joe Ogilvie and the Dreaded De-Greener

“Last week at Hartford I had two de-greeners, and that’s never a good thing.”
—Joe Ogilvie, on Thursday at the AT&T National

JOE OGILVIE IS PUTTING much better. And that, along with the Fourth of July, is cause for celebration. Because poor putting sucks, especially when you make your living by said putting.

How bad has it been for ol’ Joe? He explained it to the press after carving a 66 out of Aronimink Golf Club for a share of the first-round lead with Arjun Atwal, Jason Day and Nick Watney at the AT&T National.

“Last week at Hartford I had two de-greeners,” Joe said, “and that’s never a good thing, to have one. I usually have one maybe every three years, and to have two in the same tournament—for those of you at home, de-greeners is where you hit the green and putt it off of it.” (Laughter in the media center.)

De-greeners! That’s just perfect. I hadn’t heard that one, but it’s priceless as that credit-card empire likes to say. If Joe and his PGA Tour comrades don’t mind, I will give de-greener the acronym “DG” and file it in the ARMCHAIR GOLF acronym list with my recent addition, “SPD” (Sudden Putting Disaster). Actually, I think they’re cousins.

“So this was a lot better,” Joe said, finishing his thought. “I’m feeling more and more comfortable over my putter.”

And that makes me feel more comfortable. And probably you, too.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Paul Lawrie and the Eight-Putt Green

Golf Was Last Resort for Blake Adams

I GUESS WHEN YOU exhaust all your other sports options—and bust up your body in the process—you can always turn to golf. That’s been the case for Blake Adams.

Adams is the cat who played in the final group with winner Jason Day at the HP Byron Nelson Championship and finished in a tie for second. He’s a 34-year-old rookie on the PGA Tour who competed in seemingly every sport but golf until his body wouldn’t let him. He became a golf professional at the ripe old age of 25.

“I was better at football, baseball, basketball growing up,” Adams said at the Byron Nelson, “and golf was something I did in the summertime and something that I always had some success at but it just wasn’t my sport. But after you tear your rotator cuff twice your baseball career is pretty much done, and football, too.”

Not that golf is easy for Blake. The man has a thick medical file. “I wake up like I’m 80 … I creak and crack,” he said.

Adams has the arthritis of a 60-year-old. Plus three bone spurs, a bulging disk in his back and a cyst. There’s more. He was also told he needs new hips. He has broken his left ankle and nearly every finger on his left hand. I’ve surely missed a few things. Did I mention he’s 34? Goodness gracious.

SI’s Gary Van Sickle called Adams “Tin Cup” and wrote that “he lives in a small town in south Georgia where he practices by hitting balls on a dirt road and shagging them himself with the help of his Labrador retriever.” I like that. (Hey, I wonder if his Lab is that blind, three-legged dog named Lucky.)

The rookie is just glad to be playing on the PGA Tour and cashing checks like the fat one from the Byron Nelson. About his health woes, Blake said, “I don’t know what’s next, but we’ll just fight through it whatever happens.”

I’m sure he will. And if golf doesn’t work out, there’s always billiards.

−The Armchair Golfer

Yes, He Khan: Journeyman Captures BMW PGA Championship

2010 BMW PGA Championship Recap
Winner: Simon Khan
Score: 6 under, 278 (72, 69, 71, 66)
Quote: “This means everything.”
Fact: Introduced to golf by grandfather.
Thought: Might be only player who likes new 18th hole.

SIMON KHAN LOST HIS TOUR card last year and wasn’t exactly setting European Tour courses ablaze thus far in the 2010 season. Khan’s best finish was a tie for 27th two weeks ago. Before that, the Englishman was sputtering along with finishes such as 56th, 93rd and 105th.

That all changed at Wentworth Club on Sunday when Khan posted a 5-under 66 to win the prestigious BMW PGA Championship by a shot over Fredrik Andersson Hed and Luke Donald, who stumbled with a double bogey at the 17th. A birdie and par on the last two holes, both par 5s, would have earned Donald the title. He shrugged it off afterward. Still, it must sting, right? Luke?

Meanwhile, Khan, a mostly invisible player of late (he was a last-minute entry at Wentworth), rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th green that turned out to be the clincher. Welcome to the math of Khan. From a best 2010 check of 7,360 euros to 750,000 euros. From 471st to 106th in the world rankings. From Q-school late last year to a a five-year exemption on the European Tour, including an automatic entry into the Open Championship. Even a Ryder Cup spot is now possible for the 37-year-old from Essex. A little Sinatra seems appropriate: “Blue skies smilin’ at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see.”

By the way, Khan’s charge was also the largest final-day comeback in the history of the tournament. Simon, who had one other European Tour win in 2004, was seven shots back entering the final round. Well done, sir.

Once again, it demonstrates one good week can change everything. Yes, it Khan.

Tour Notes

• PGA Tour: Australian Jason Day won the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
• LPGA Tour: Sun Young Yoo captured the Sybase Match Play Championship by beating Angela Stanford 3 and 1.

−The Armchair Golfer