Shotgun Start: Seve's standing, top 125 surprise, Cup captain
CBSSports.com staffers Steve Elling and Dan Lubin take a scattershot look at three compelling and timely topics in the game.
| 1. There was distressing news from Spain over the weekend, where Seve Ballesteros was admitted to a Madrid hospital and diagnosed as having a brain tumor. While the severity of the malady was initially unclear, as was his prognosis, where does the retired 51-year-old rank among the game's greats? | |
| Steve Elling | Dan Lubin |
| Second to nada among the foreign contingent. Ballesteros in his prime was the most swashbuckling, passionate player to ever come from the European continent, leader of the stellar group that included major winners Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle. He ad-libbed his way out of crucial circumstances so often, he could have been a politician. He was never fully appreciated in the States because he played here only infrequently, back in the 1970s and '80s, before the Internet and results from abroad were readily available. He defined and elevated the European Tour and made the Ryder Cup relevant. There's almost no way to overstate his impact on the game globally. Pardon my halting Spanish, but Ballesteros esta numero uno, compadres. |  With three Open Championship victories and two Masters titles (all in the span of just 10 years), Seve certainly deserves a spot in golf's pantheon. However, I believe he belongs a notch below the most august company -- maybe a second-tier god. He's not up there with Nicklaus, Jones, Hogan and Palmer -- not even close. He just didn't compete enough against the greatest in the world on a consistent basis. Perhaps that will be the verdict on any golfer who spends most of his career in Europe. But it would be unjust to minimize his impact on the continent's golf psyche in the 1980s. Golf is a global sport, and Seve made an enormous contribution on behalf of Europe. |
| 2. There are four weeks left in the PGA Tour season. Former Masters champion Zach Johnson entered last week at No. 125 in earnings and won the Texas Open, and rookie Dustin Johnson (no relation) was outside that card-retaining number for 2009 a week earlier and did likewise. See anybody else outside the fateful top 125 threshold who might be capable of a similar trick down the stretch? | |
| Steve Elling | Dan Lubin |
 Too many names to mention, really. Frankly, there are some surprising names either on the bubble or outside the top 125 mark with a month to play, including two guys from the 2006 Ryder Cup team, Chris DiMarco and Vaughn Taylor. Popular players and past tour winners like Rich Beem and Jason Gore are just outside the top 125 and looking at playing a bunch down the stretch, too. The most-hyped rookie entering the season, Australia's 20-year-old Jason Day, is No. 130 and losing ground. You probably have to be an inveterate golf addict to enjoy watching these guys battle for their cards, but there's nothing quite like seeing who can rise to the occasion when jobs are on the line. |  It was great to see Dustin Johnson secure his card for the near future. He's one of this year's rookies who I thought could bring a lot of excitement to the PGA Tour. As for guys still on the outside looking in, some do seem promising as the season winds down. Aussie Steve Allan, who's playing this year on a minor medical extension, now sits 136th on the money list, but he earned T4, T3 and T19 in his past three events in the Fall Series. Another name, at 134th in money, is J.J. Henry -- a 2006 Ryder Cup member. His two-year exemption from a 2006 win ends this season. He's a tremendous ball striker, but has really struggled with his putter in 2008. |
| 3. If you were the CEO of the PGA of America, and it was up to you, who would you select as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for 2010 and why? | |
| Steve Elling | Dan Lubin |
 Honestly, I would do everything within my power to convince Paul Azinger to take up the task one more time, although the one-and-done philosophy has taken hold for captains. In fact, it has been over a half-century since Ben Hogan piloted back-to-back teams. As for Azinger, the second time around would have to be easier, right? He knows all the angles. On the downside, if he walks away now, he certainly ended it on a high note. As for the rest of the perceived candidates, including Corey Pavin, nobody truly fires my fancy, to say the least. |  I also think they won't go against tradition and tag Zinger for a second go-around. Nor do I think he would accept the job again if it were proposed. A lot is made of the captaincy, but in my estimation, the position isn't worth a bucket of warm spit. From a spectator's standpoint, someone with a colorful personality is to be preferred. Lehman ... ZZZZ, Sutton ... ZZZ, Strange ... ZZZ. How about a gruffmeister like Craig Stadler? Or how about my man Johnny Miller, who has been doing TV coverage for the Ryder Cup over the years? |
