Subject:  1998 Golf Year in Review

Great Idea, Gabes, organizing a Roto Golf league.  Maybe the rest of you 
didn't enjoy it as much as I did, but with the weekly action and 4 
majors sprinkled throughout the year, it was easy to hold our interest.

I would have watched golf on the weekends anyway, but with a few key 
players to root for, it made it all that much better.  (The rules are 
fine, Gabes, but it may make sense to reduce the caddy/starter shift 
fee)

Did the rest of you have trouble getting the PGA web site to come up 
quickly.  Great info, but a dog re: response time, most of the time.  A 
review this past weekend of the site brought back a few memories from 
the year, which I thought I would share with the boys:

Maybe the most interesting debate occured in the courtroom rather than 
on the course, before the season started.  Casey Martin's prececent 
setting case and decision did not have much of an effect this year.  But 
willit in the future?  I am fine with the ruling, and feel the integrity 
of the game is still in tact.

Once the season got started, Phil Mickelson made it look easy at the 
Mercedes, leading Andy and others to think that he may finally play up 
to his expectations as a super star.  (although a two time winner, both 
came on the West Coast - Mick has yet to prove his worth coast to 
coast.)   The 5 round Bob Hope was a classic, in my opinion, with Freddy 
Couples burning the field.  Just think, the 36th player of the draft 
winning the 2nd tournament of the year!  Jesper won the following week, 
giving Andy two of the first three.  Andy - I can relate to having an 
early lead, then folding.   but that wasnt all, el nino caused the 
postponement of the AT&T Clambake for months!  when it was finally 
completed, Mickelson wins again.  just think, Andy, if that had been 
played when it was scheduled, the whole momentum of the year could have 
shifted.  not.

How 'bout the score posted by John Huston in Hawaii?  260 was about 30 
under par.  No one close.  Huston was later picked up by Willo, and was 
to become the best minidraft pick of the year.  10th overall at the end. 
not bad.

Before the boys left the left coast, there was one memorable finish.  
The Nissan Open went to extra holes with Tiger Woods and Billy Mayfair 
going head to head.  Betting money had to be big on Tiger, with his 
length and toughness.  But his long tee ball on 18 sprayed into the 
right rough, just as it had on the final hole of the day.  Mayfair was 
rock solid and won - mothe than the title and cash, but the respect of 
the tour for knocking off the premier player.  Jack must have been 
happy.  Billy ended up 16th overall in the money, one spot better than 
another Stroker, Scott Hoch.  (Jack, I never did understand that pick as 
a first rounder).

The Florida swing of the tour saw all new names as winner, including 3 
who werent heard from much afterwards, Michael Bradley, Ernie Els, and 
Lee Westwood.  Watching the Players Championship in Jacksonville was 
interesting for me, having played the course 5 years ago.  Justin 
Leonard was solid in victory, but I couldn't help notice Len Mattiace, 
who knocked 2 balls into the water on the 17th Island hole, shooting 
himself out of contention.  He maintained his composure, and was later 
named to the Ace Hole team.

The first major is always the best - The Masters.  What a tournament.  
Freddy Couples had it.  Nope, hooked a drive on 13.  David Duval had it. 
 Nope.  Hanging around the leader board the whole time was Mark O'Meara. 
 Birdies on 17 and 18!  Fantastic under pressure.  Very Impressive.  
Gabes sure was happy, especially since his #1 pick, the great white 
shark, Greg Norman, gets hurt a week or two earlier, and decides to have 
surgery.  say goodnight Greg - and Gabes, your chances at the top spot 
just took a big hit.

In the tournaments leading up to the U.S. Open, the winners included 
both first round picks - Love, Duval, Woods, a couple of old favorites 
not ready to turn it over to the youngsters - Couples and Watson, and a 
relative unknown - JP Hayes.

The Olympic Club in San Francisco played host for the U.S. Open.  As 
always, long rough protecting tight fairways leading to greens that are 
as fast as glass to putt, made for a great tourney.  Lee Janzen 
prevailed, edging Payne Stewart playing solid golf. This was a runaway 
victory for Albert - congrats. I will always remember the great course, 
especially the 18th, that had a very sloped green, causing more than one 
putt from above the hole to run 30 plus feet below the hole.  Kirk 
Triplett even stopped his ball as it headed down the slope - the kind of 
frustration normally only seen from weekend golfers like me.

Four weeks later, the British Open was played at Royal Birkdale.  Once 
again, excitement in every round.  Would the 17 year old Brit Amateur 
actually be a factor at the end?  (nearly was, and his hole out from the 
rough on 18 was sensational).  Would Tiger Woods complete an incredible 
comeback? (his long putt birdie putt on 18 was something else)  Steady 
as ever, Mark O'meara grabbed his second major in three attempts.  Is 
this enough to qualify him for player of the year?  some say yes.

In the 4 weeks between the British and PGA, winners included Funk 
(Andy), Pate (no one), Price (Prep), and Mayfair again (Jack).=20

Back to the West Coast for the PGA in Washington State, the final round 
of the AT & T, and on to Castle Pines in Colorado for the Sprint 
International.  The PGA started a stretch of fantastic golf for Vijay 
Singh.  He kept the ball in the fairway for the most part in the PGA, 
and when he strayed, he got the bounces - like the one off the tree that 
went on the green, setting him up for birdie, when it could have been a 
bogie.Anyway, Willo was a happy camper.  I would have commented more on 
the PGA, but it was played while some of us were at Pengilly, and we 
were having too good of a time fishing to watch golf.  Once a year for 
this is great, any more is questionable.

The one day finish at Pebble Beach worked for Phil Mickelson - he won, 
and Andy wondered how he could get all events played out west for Mick.  
 The next regular stop in Colorado was more of the same for Vijay.  He 
smoked the field in an interesting format..

The winners got together the next week, and David Duval showed everyone 
why he leads the money winning.  cool under pressure, on a tough course, 
Firestone CC in Akron, OH.  As the season began winding down, a couple 
of repeat winners prevailed - Hal Sutton won twice, including the final 
Tour Championship,  John Huston won his second of the year, and David 
Duval won again in the Michelob.  I doubt Duval will be around for the 
9th pick in 1999. 

The tour played some great courses in 1998.   Olympic and Royal 
Birkdale, sites of the US and British Opens, were the most interesting 
courses for me to watch, with East Lake in Atlanta a close third.  Any 
other favorites out there?

And as the Holidays quickly approach, I still enjoy watching golf on the 
weekends - like the Shark's comeback this weekend in his tourney.   The 
Merecedes started 1998 on January 8th - which is not too far away.  good 
luck to everyone in next year's fantasy golf - it's almost as much fun 
as playing golf ourselves

Hans


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Subject: RE: 1998 Golf Year in Review

You guys sure are right.  This golf roto business has had me on the edge of 
my bleeping seat for months now.  You can't believe all the whoopin' and 
hollerin' that goes on in front of my TV set on Sunday afternoons.  If my 
wife hears me exclaim "WOW! What a backswing!" one more time, she'll be 
taking some back swings at me.  How could anybody not be ecstatic about the 
chance to take a $300+ bath!  Ange and Fox seem to be real popular guys 
right now.  Hey, next time, include me out.  How 'bout you, j?

D.D.