A Crazy Sports Weekend & Those Damn Patriots

It was a wild weekend for golf as we saw some big names earn wins around the globe. I spent too much time watching the Golf Channel at all hours of the night hoping to catch some great golf and I wasn’t disappointed.

First up was ’17 Masters champ Sergio Garcia with a five shot win at the Asian Tour’s SMBC Singapore Open. Sergio is riding high as he carries that green jacket around and has a new-found confident, relaxed demeanor as a major champion. Maybe the fact that he’s also going to be a new dad has changed his perspective on things.

It is his third world-wide title in 12 months and he wants this to be a springboard for more success this season, “It may have looked easy, but it wasn’t easy. You still have to hit a lot of good shots out there. It’s always great to start with a win, to do it here at this golf course against a good field in Asia on conditions that weren’t easy. Hopefully I can ride on this momentum.

Next up was the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with the highly anticipated return of Rory McIlroy. While Rory played well and was only one shot off the lead entering the final round this was all about one of the hottest Euro Tour golfers in the world: Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood was defending his ’17 title here which started his ascent to best player on the European Tour and Race to Dubai Champion.

But he was two shots behind the leaders, Thomas Pieters and Ross Fisher at the start and needed a quick start. He got just that with two birdies in his first three holes. But it was his back nine that won him his fourth Euro Tour title. A six under 30 left him two clear of Fisher for the victory. He rode a hot putter all the way in and knows this was a big win.

“It was pretty good on that back nine,” he said. “When putts are going in like they did on 15 and 16 you just think ‘could this be my day at again?’ The up and down at 18 was one of the best I’ve ever made.”

“I feel a lot more emotional than last year. I just really wanted to win this one.”

“I had the year of my life last year. Just backing it up is the next big thing really, to keep going and hit form early.”

Here in the states Austin Cook was looking for his second PGA Tour win when he teed off but his 75 wasn’t about to get it done at The CareerBuilder Challenge where scores in the 60’s rule the day. As it was, the force of nature that is John Rahm took charge and carded a 67 to get to a tournament leading 22 under. But a gutsy finish by Andrew Landry with a tying birdie on the 72^nd hole pushed the two of them to extra holes.

But then neither of them could buy a birdie as putt after putt slid by and sent them to a fourth overtime hole. Finally, Rahm carded a bird and when Landry could not match it he was crowned the champion. It is Rahm’s second PGA Tour win and he’ll jump over Jordan Spieth to second place in the Official World Golf Rankings.

He wasn’t happy with his putter today but finally nailed one when it mattered. “It’s hard to believe, to be honest, passing Jordan Spieth, three-time major champion,” Rahm said. “I only have two wins and he’s got 10-plus, right? I never thought I was going to be at this point in my life right now.”

“Tournaments like this build character,” Rahm said. “I’m just proud of myself to hit what’s probably my least favorite club, which is the 3-wood, three times in a row dead center on my line on 18 — four times if you include the regular play. To be honest, really happy the way it happened the way it did and really proud of the way I played. I hit a lot of bad putts today, hit a lot of edges, but lucky the one I needed to make went in.”

“It’s hard to believe, to be honest, passing Jordan Spieth, three-time major champion,” Rahm said. “I only have two wins and he’s got 10-plus, right? I never thought I was going to be at this point in my life right now.”

“Tournaments like this build character,” Rahm said. “I’m just proud of myself to hit what’s probably my least favorite club, which is the 3-wood, three times in a row dead center on my line on 18 — four times if you include the regular play. To be honest, really happy the way it happened the way it did and really proud of the way I played. I hit a lot of bad putts today, hit a lot of edges, but lucky the one I needed to make went in.”

More goodness from the weekend:

Sam Saunders shot a final round 64 to jump up 34 spots for a T8 finish. Great finish for a classy guy.

Jerry Kelly claims his third PGA Champions win with a birdie on the last as Colin Montgomerie missed a short putt to bogey. Tough loss for Monty but another big check for Kelly who has had a ton of fun playing golf for a living.

I spent way too much time watching sports this weekend as I was up half the night switching between the late night golf broadcasts and the Australian Open tennis. Great stuff all of it.

Of course the NFL playoffs monopolized most of my Sunday and it’s a shame the Vikings won’t get to play the Super Bowl in their own stadium. But the worst of it all was those damn Patriots.

As a life-long, die hard Jets fan…and I die hard every year it’s tough to watch the perfection that is the Patriots, but we all should be used to their heroics.

When you grow up with the Jets holding their training camp down the street from your house you become a fan. And when you spend your summers chasing Joe Namath for autographs and getting served Seven Up from Larry Grantham and have a lonely rookie named Bob Schweickert treat you and your friends to ice cream and when Johnny Sample and Emerson Boozer pose for pictures and when Chief Wahoo McDaniel grabs your football and punts it into pieces and when Sherman Plunkett (300 pounds) steps on your toe and when your brother comes home with an official American Football League football (that went astray in practice) and when you win 50 cents off your junior high school English teacher for the Jets upset Super Bowl win you become a fan…and stay a fan. At least most of us Peekskill kids of the 60’s did. I know I did.

But even though I appreciate the Patriots for all their excellence on the field and their soon to be six Super Bowl trophies it never gets any easier watching them as the Jets continue to flounder.

Bring on the golf. I’ve had enough damn Patriots.