No Tiger, Phil, Vijay or Ernie in Cromwell, Conn., this week. Make it six straight years now that Annika Sorenstam hasnt teed it up in Betsy Kings Wachovia LPGA Classic.
I hate to say it, but this week just hasnt felt right. Normally, I dont look for the negative in a weeks golf schedule. But its been tough to get excited this week.
All signs pointed to the seasons final major championship ' the JELD-WEN Tradition, but Day 1 play on Thursday was a day for the Ducks and the Beavers in Oregon, not the golfers. Too much rain falling to keep my spirits high.
Speaking of Ducks and Beavers, this is the time of year when football begins to dominate the national media. Cmon, tell me youre not going to tune in for USC vs. Virginia Tech!? Truth is that Fall is when excitement for golf falls off. The tours top players fall off as well. We wont see much of Woods, Mickelson, Els, maybe even Vijay.
Heres what our favorite sport needs: We need a new hero. We need a player to step up on the PGA Tour and get on a victory run. And why not a man whos ready to bust? Or how about a lady whos been off of our radar screen of late?
Here are some PGA Tour possibilities:
Hank Kuehne: Hes dangling at 109th on the money list. But his run in Hartford this week shows just how much ability he has. Among the players Im talking about, Hammerin Hank would be the biggest fan favorite. Plenty of length, but a bit short on results.
p.s. Can we get Steve Stricker back on track for good? At 131st in money, hes got some heat on him. Hes also got plenty of support behind him. What about Brian Gay? Hes spent more money on Sunday than a third of the PGA Tour has made all year. Look at his Sunday numbers. A bit sad, actually.
p.s.s. Can you believe Pat Perez, Craig Perks, Chris Smith, Steve Elkington, Rich Beem are well outside the coveted top 125?
Here are some LPGA Tour possibilities:
p.s. Can we get Karrie Webb back to form? Like the Champions Tour days of old when Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan battled every week, Sorenstam and Webb were a dynamic duo. For that matter, lets get Kelly Robbins playing better week-to-week instead of just the week of the U.S. Womens Open.
p.s.s. Hard to believe whats going on with Kelli Kuehne (59th) and Beth Bauer (102nd). Both are looked at as a dose of the future of the Solheim Cup for the United States. Were a long way from next years visit to Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind., and both look to be a long way off the game that will get them there.
A couple of other things that could get people talking during weeks dominated by the Cowboys and the Patriots, the Bulldogs and the Seminoles.
Im not saying that Im desperate for some lightning in a bottle. But the facts are the facts. People will need a reason to stay on top of golf in the coming weeks. The Ryder Cup is only one week on the remaining schedule. We need something to spice things up.
Agreed?
Email your thoughts to Kraig Kann