Capelle On Golf

Vijay Singh and Tom Kite are members of the Hall of Fame, family men, and great people. But one thing they are not is traditionalists or else they wouldn’t be caught dead putting with the long putter. But both players used the long stick to win on the PGA (Singh) and Champions Tours (Kite) on Sunday.

This could be the first time players using the long putter won on the same day on the junior and senior circuits. I don’t suppose anyone at the PGA Tour noticed or cared, so this Sad Sunday won’t serve as a wakeup call. After all, these were only FedExCup and Champions Tour events. Maybe a player will have to win a major using a long putter (heaven forbid) before golf’s powers that be wake up and ban these god awful clubs once and for all.

Not long ago it was suggested by several pundits that winners of the British Open and PGA should have an asterisk next to their name because Tiger Woods didn’t play. That, of course, was nonsense, but it made for interesting conversation. On the other hand, Kite and Singh both deserve asterisks.

Asterisks aside, what happened on Sunday is serious business. Golf is being threatened by these unsightly implements and the sport needs to action. Furthermore the perpetrators should be made to feel ashamed of themselves for using these clubs. This is especially true of elite players like Singh and Kite, who’s upright chicken wing stance is one of the grossest sight in golf.

Pros are copycats and so these recent successes could lead to more converts to the LP. Can you imagine the day when everyone in the top 10 (except possibly Tiger) is wielding the long stick? If this day comes, the sport will need a new name, because it will no longer be golf.