GOLF

In last week’s article, I pointed out how impressive Vijay Singh was physically.

This week, he proved it at the Constellation Senior Players Championship which is a Champions tour major event.

Singh defeated Jeff Maggert in a playoff.

He drove his ball well over 300 yards and extremely straight while striking his irons as purely as anybody I’ve ever witnessed. His putting, obviously, was a little better this past week than it was at the Greenbriar and, therefore, his scores were better.

At the John Deere in Silvis, Ill., which is right on the border of Iowa and Illinois, very close to the Mississippi River, Wesley was paired with 51 year old Steve Stricker. Stricker, like Vijay, is also extremely long and a great ball striker.

The curious fact about Stricker is he chooses to play conservatively short compared to his potential length. His short game is amazing and the only reason he does not contend on the PGA Tour frequently is a matter of choice.

He chooses not to invest the amount of work and consistent commitment required at this level. In other words, he is competing less at age 51.

To date, I have witnessed the 48-year-old Phil Mickelson, 55-year-old Vijay Singh, 51-year-old Steve Stricker and 60-year-olds Freddie Couples and Bernhard Langer all compete against the 20 to 30 year-olds with great success.

IT IS MOST encouraging and quite uplifting. Bob Estes, 52, told me last year he believed, based on his experience, that if the 68 to 70-year-olds chose to take care of themselves, it would be possible for them to be competitive on the PGA Tour.

Cheers to Bob.

Wesley missed the cut at the John Deere Classic, but his game is still extremely good. It’s tough to force good golf. It’s also extremely difficult to just let good golf happen.

Solid straight golf shots don’t always equate or convert into good scores. Distance control is important and Wesley tried to force a couple of shots at the wrong time which proved costly. He’s only in his second year and and he is learning every week.

Another variable that is extremely hard to see on television is just how difficult along with how penal the edges of the courses are. The fairways are extremely narrow and the rough on the PGA Tour is deep.

Course setups are absolutely incredible, amazingly hard and it doesn’t take much of a mistake to destroy an event.

HERE IS WHAT I’ll take away from this week. Patience is a bit like a muscle that needs exercise to be strong. In golf, I don’t think it’s possible to have to much of it. Practice being patient with yourself and your game. Some days, some weeks, or even some months are just not going to work out but just keep going.

Keep moving forward. Oh, and what’s in the past or what’s behind you is behind you, so leave it alone. If it’s not favorable, don’t revisit. It’s done.

So in closing, Wesley, at this point in his career, is great at moving forward and playing the next shot, hole or next event without regard to the past. He will be in Kentucky for the Barbasol and did not make the British Open field.

THE WORLD’S NUMBER one, Dustin Johnson of Dutch Fork High School, could be tough this week and can’t wait for this year’s third major golf championship. Remember, the time difference and telecast will be early in the morning versus late in the afternoon.

Johnson has plenty of experience on the Links style golf. He is well rested and I have a hunch he is going to play well at this year’s Open Championship.

The SCJGA Hootie and the Blowfish Summer Chapter Series is about halfway through its season.

Last week in the Tri-County Chapter, these players were medalist at the Persimmon Hil Golf Club:

•Boys 7-9: Gavin Gaskins

•Boys 10-12: Liam Stilwell

•Boys 13-14: Ashton Eu-banks

•Boys 15-18: P.J. Jacobs

•Girls 10-12: Edie-Raine Hardee

•Girls 13-18: Emily Baker and Kennedy Gooding

In the Columbia Chapter at LinRick:

•Boys 7-9: Owen Atkinson

•Boys 10-12: Harris Holstein

•Boys 13-14: Luke Sullivan

•Boys 15-18: Matthew Hutto

•Girls 10-12: Taylor Kingsley

•Girls 13-18: Elizabeth Madden