Last week I was asked several questions by golf fans and readers. Here are my answers to some that I found to be especially interesting.
1. The PGA Tour is adopting new rules governing grooves next season. What have you heard about how the new grooves are going to affect play?
Most people think we are going back to the good old days of V-grooves, but that's not necessarily true. The rule changes reduce the volume of the grooves and the sharpness of the grooves' edges, but they do not mandate a V-shape.
A lot is being made about the changes, and rightly so. I've tried several clubs that have grooves conforming to next year's standards, and in my opinion, they might spin the ball even less than the old V-grooves did! Players who have not yet tested these grooves might be in for a rude awakening.
Some people think the bomb-and-gouge style prevalent today on the PGA Tour has necessitated the changes. Hitting fairways and shaping shots will again be a requirement for low scores.
But for those who think shot-shaping became a lost art when modern clubs and balls became available, I offer as exhibit No. 1 the world's No. 1 player — Tiger Woods. His creativity, shot-shaping and control are as good as anyone who has ever played the game.
I've also heard this whole thing has really been a back door way of getting players to change golf balls. That theory supposes that in order to maintain spin and control around the greens with the new grooves, pros will switch to a softer, higher-spinning ball. Changing to a softer ball would likely reduce driver distance and make tee shots curve more in flight, which will place a greater premium on driving accuracy. Maybe, maybe not. Golfers who naturally produce high, low-spinning drives will be affected differently than players who naturally hit lower, high-spinning drives.
If fairways remain ridiculously narrow, and rough remains ridiculously high, not much is going to change.
The cat-and-mouse game between players and golf's governing bodies is going to continue. In order to increase the distance off the tee with the softer ball, pros might experiment with lower-lofted drivers and different driver shafts and lengths. In addition, making a ball change could require players to adjust fairway woods, hybrids and other equipment. The groove change, and the resulting ball changes, could create a domino effect through a player's entire bag! This "simple" groove change is going to be more complicated and expensive than was anticipated.
Not everyone is going to be ready for all this on January 1, when the rules take effect. And I wouldn't want to be the person in Hawaii at the first PGA Tour event testing every player's wedges and irons to ensure they conform to the new rules.
2. Is there any reason why Tiger Woods shouldn't be as much of a favorite at Turnberry as he was heading into Bethpage?
Nope. Tiger has made dramatic improvements in controlling his swing and has been getting better and better this season. When his rhythm and effort are under control, he is swinging beautifully.
Tiger has plenty of power, tremendous creativity, a knack for making clutch putts, and more experience playing in the spotlight than anyone else. At Turnberry, like everywhere else, he has to be considered a favorite to win.
I also think Tiger will be especially motivated to win this year's British Open because his buddy Roger Federer has now won 15 major tennis championships. It was reported that the two friends exchanged text messages after Federer's victory at Wimbledon. I'm sure Tiger would love to send Roger a "15-All" text after Turnberry, and another message in mid-August after the PGA Championship, "16-15" or "My Ad," before Federer arrives at Flushing Meadows.
