Tuesday Reader . . .

A look at what my contemporaries, and superiors, have done.

So, sit back, listen to these and think about these . . .

Johnny Nash - Ooh Baby You've Been Good to Me (Via: Armed Snobbery)



Milton Wright - Keep it Up (Via: Armed Snobbery)

John Maginnes -- "Success Often Comes with a Steep Price Tag" 

When it comes to sports, the opposite of passion and love (the most overused word in English, by the way) is not hate. The opposite of love in sports is apathy. You don't win the career grand slam and have a hall-of-fame career if you are apathetic. That is why I want to read Agassi's book—there had to be a time in his nearly 20 years of professional tennis where it was the most important thing in his life. I am guessing that he suffered a bit of the David Duval syndrome. David reached the height of his profession, grabbing the No. 1 spot in the world ranking, looked around and asked the question: "Is this all there is?"

I knew David before he became No. 1. I remember being at his house in Florida one afternoon. After a day spent on the practice range, he continued his offseason routine with a workout and I decided to join him. By the time David's workout was over I had long since finished mine, showered, had a snack and was on my third beer. And I was more than satisfied with the work that I had put in that day. I had been on TOUR for a few years and had found my own routine, but I discovered that day there were people like David whose entire existence was consumed with the art of becoming the best. And that existence comes with a price tag only guys like David and Andre know.

Jason Sobel -- Q & A "For Sorenstam, it's all about life after golf"

Q: When you stopped playing on the LPGA, you said you didn't want to use the R word, meaning retirement. Is that still the case?

A: Yeah, I said, "I'm stepping away," and the reason is because, like you said, you never know. I'm lucky in that if I wanted to come back, I could. But I'm very content with where I am today and what I'm doing and all the businesses and family life. So today I have no plans whatsoever, but things change. In five years? I don't know. I certainly don't have the desire to go out there and grind, and that's what it takes. There are times when I wish I had that motivation, because then I would be out there. But with all this other fun stuff, there's more to life than golf. I'm glad that I've found other things in life and can enjoy a different chapter. 

Q: What drives you to these other pursuits? Is it money? Passion? Boredom relief?

A: Well, it's passion. And, you know, I'm competitive. I love the challenges that business gives me. It's different than on the golf course; on the course, it's hitting a 7-iron or making a putt or competing against the best in the world. Here it's different, but my goal is to get the Annika brand out there. If you look at other athletes, some have been very successful in creating businesses after athletic careers, but a lot of them are men. I can't think of a female athlete who has really done that. There have been many who were extremely good in their own field and have done some things around their sport, but no one's really ventured out into different areas. I'm really curious as to why that is. I love what I do and therefore I spend a lot of time on it and want to succeed. 

Jason Sobel -- Q & A "For Wie, balance plays important role in life" 

Q: After clinching the win, you had beer poured on you by the other players on the 18th green.

A: Yeah, they did.

Q: You're not 21 yet. Are you going to get in trouble with the LPGA?

A: No, what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico. It was just really cool. You see it on TV; whenever somebody wins, players pour beer all over them. It was one of those things where I always wanted that to happen. 

Q: You keep talking about being happy. What makes you happiest? Is it winning golf tournaments? Your family life? Being with friends? All of the above?

A: I think it's a combination of everything. It's a balance. My friends definitely make me happy; my family definitely makes me happy; winning golf tournaments definitely makes me happy. It's just a little reward that I get, knowing that I put in the long hours, just the gratitude and the relief, everything that I feel.
When the hard work pays off, it just feels so great. And then, having another life, going to Stanford makes me so happy. I can't even put it into words. I love going to school. I love having a normal life, going to football games, going to basketball games, going out to eat with my friends. I love the balance that I have in my life. I've got a good mix of everything.

Jason Sobel -- "After first win, Wie headed in right direction" 

"Wie first burst onto the scene as a precocious 13-year-old, finishing in a share of ninth place at the year's first women's major, but it was her inclusion at the 2004 Sony Open that vaulted her into the role of global phenomenon. Playing against the world's best male golfers, she posted rounds of 68-72 at her hometown event, failing to make the cut by a single stroke.
In a society that thrives on underdog stories, in a generation that values diversity and culture, the youngster should have been considered the game's most exciting prospect in years. And she was ... for a while.

A funny thing happened to her, though, on the road to superstardom, and perhaps just as importantly, likability. Wie turned professional at age 16. She was handed millions of dollars from sponsors Nike and Sony. She was awarded sponsors' exemptions to events on men's tours. She was hailed by the media as the female version of Tiger Woods. She was given everything she asked for. And much, much more.

Through injuries and swing changes, close calls and major whiffs, she seemed to regress on the course, eclipsed by other young peers who were winning important tournaments. That's when the public backlash against her really began, when pure malice for a teenaged girl became commonplace, when the world started hating Michelle Wie."

Matt Ginella - "USGA Encouraged By Visit to Erin Hills" 

Ziegler, 52, is a Wisconsin native who runs an investment firm that reportedly has multi-billions of dollars in assets. He carries a 6-handicap, and his favorite courses are San Francisco Golf Club, Cypress Point and Augusta National.

Despite the upbeat meet-and-greet with USGA brass, Ziegler won’t discuss the possibility of hosting an Open. He will only talk about two specific goals: “I want to get the course in terrific condition, and I want to make sure it’s ready for the Amateur in 2011.”

Ziegler’s doing so by increasing the maintenance budget, building a state-of-the-art maintenance shed, purchasing the proper equipment and increasing the size of the crew. The 10th hole is being converted from a par 5 to a par 4, which will reduce total par from 73 to 72. He’s addressing a drainage issue on the 17th, and architects Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry have begun doing away with some of the 103 bunkers that were added in the last 10 months.

The new owner says he didn’t invest in Erin Hills to make a profit. “I realize it has enormous potential,” says Ziegler, “but I didn’t buy into it to make money. I wouldn’t have advised anyone to buy into the golf industry right now. But it’s the intersection of my enjoyment for the game, and it’s good for the area. In a small way, it’s my way of giving back to golf.”

Erin Hills is closed for the winter. And it might remain that way until late summer. Ziegler says the target date for reopening is Aug. 1. “But if it’s not ready, we won’t open,” he says. And he’s willing to keep it closed all year if necessary. He wants the course ready for the Amateur.

When the course does open, Ziegler says the fee will be $160; it will be walking only, he’ll decrease the number of tee times from five per hour to four per hour to ease stress on the grass and speed up play. “We will be ready,” says Ziegler, “but there’s a lot of work to be done.” 

Steve Elling - "Barron case reveals conflicts, mistakes in testing issue"

"One of Barron's attorneys said Friday that in several instances, tour players have tested positive this year for recreational street drugs, which are not subject to the same penalties as performance-enhancing doses. The tour argues that a player smoking pot, of course, is not seeking a potential advantage since it's not a performance-enhancing drug. 

Plenty of rumors have circulated this year about positive tests -- Barron's attorney offered no names or first-hand knowledge to support his claim -- but if the case continues in court, the tour could be asked to give an account. Earlier this season at the one-year anniversary of testing, tour commissioner Tim Finchem said that while no positive tests for steroids had turned up, he did not deny that players had tested positive for recreational drugs.

The tour has repeatedly declined to name those players and Finchem, in a jarring conflict of interest that has been decried several times, has complete latitude to dispense punishment for recreational-drug use as he sees fit. In other words, he can do next to nothing and nobody but the offending player would know the nature of the sanction. The tour has never announced fines for disciplinary actions, another frequent point of criticism."

And, an excerpt from my interview with Alistair Tait of Golfweek:

"I lament the death of the golf essay. One of the first books I ever read was by Herbert Warren Wind. I remember reading Thomas Boswell's Strokes of genius and falling in love with the game all over again. I also grew up reading Peter Dobereiner, loving the sheer craft of the man and his grasp of the game and the written word. Dan Jenkins' take on the majors was also required reading too, even if it came weeks after the close of the championship. He always had something original and witty to say, always highlighted an aspect others hadn't seen.

Sadly, the days of sitting down with a good golf essay, or long Dobereiner like piece on the eccentricities of the game are long gone. It seems these days that if you can't reduce your observations to 140 characters or less then no one will read you."

Photo(s): Charles Barkley