The Wonders of Golf

Composed and posted on May 5, 2015

Once upon a time, I would never have thought that you would find me at a golf tournament, but once upon a time is not now, and in one of those rather fortunate occurrences that occurs in life, last week I found myself not just attending one tournament, but two.

On Sunday, April 28, I went to the Swinging Skirts Golf Tournament that was held at Lake Merced Golf Course in Daly City (just south of San Francisco).  At that tournament, I found myself walking with the crowd for nine holes as I watched the teenage phenom Lydia Ko win her second Swinging Skirts title.  Lydia Ko turned 18 the week of the tournament and while the Swinging Skirts championship is not her coming out party, it certainly was a party for her nonetheless.  She birdied the 18th hole on the last day to get into a playoff and then birdied the same hole again to win the playoff.  For such a young age, she is a marvel of consistency and touch.  I saw quite clearly on that day why she is the No. 1 Women's Golfer in the world.

The bookend to my week of watching golf came on Saturday, May 2, when I went to the World Golf Championship Cadillac Match Play Tournament at Harding Park in San Francisco.  On that somewhat chilly Saturday afternoon, I found myself accompanying Rory McIlroy on a seemingly never ending excursion around the golf course as he engaged in a duel into the darkness with Paul Casey.  I walked 21 holes that afternoon and evening and I am still sore from it.  However, Rory had walked 18 holes before I even arrived at the course to win his quarterfinal match so that he could play Casey.  And because the contest was stopped by darkness, Rory had to get up at 6:45 am the next morning to finish the match before going on to play two more 18 hole contests to secure the cup.  Rory, the world's No. 1 golfer, was not his best on Saturday, but even when not at his best, he is better than most.  By coincidence, Rory also had a birthday the same week that the tournament concluded and he made history by winning his 10th PGA Tour event before his 26th birthday, something only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have ever achieved.

It was indeed a marvelous week of golf here in the Bay Area.  But what it was not just the golf but the individuals that won that made me think about how wonderful golf can be.  It is a wonder because despite all that has been written and said about Millennials, the two Millennials that I followed last week gave me reassurance that, if these two representatives are any indication, this generation can be a great one.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins