Capelle On Golf

Below is the actual leaderboard for the Northern Trust Open, and the adjusted one, which does not include those who used the belly putter. The figures in parentheses are the players’ GIR totals for 72 holes. Notice that five of the six closest pursuers hit many more greens than the belly boys.

Which one do you prefer? The one where Bill (can’t hit a green) Haas, alias Mr. Personality, scores a broom aided win while Keegan (Mr. Spit) Bradley and Phil (the peoples’ choice) Mickelson finishes second?

Or the alternative finish in which Mickelson scores a super popular victory, his second straight, while Sergio (the ball striking machine) Garcia, who finished 2t in GIR, closed with a 64 to finish 2t?

Top 5 - Actual Leaderboard
1  Bill Haas (36) – belly aided
2  Keegan Bradley (40) – belly aided
2  Phil Mickelson (44)
4  Sergio Garcia (48)
4  Jimmy Walker (44)
4  Jarrod Lyle (46)
4  Dustin Johnson (46)

Top 5 - Adjusted Leaderboard
1  Phil Mickelson
2  Sergio Garcia
2  Jimmy Walker
2  Jarrod Lyle
2  Dustin Johnson

Riviera, site of the Northern Trust, was nicknamed Hogan’s alley, and not because of Ben Hogan’s prowess on the greens, but rather his ability to hit greens like a golfing robot. If he were to see the ball strikers lose to the Belly Boys, he would puke.

And so, to those who would keep the belly because it’s been around for so long now (20 years) that it’s too late to ban the broom, I would counter that forever is a long time to have to watch this new brand of golf where rolling the ball accurately from under 10 feet decides who wins, not the shots that are hit with the other 13 clubs.