Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette provides weekly commentary for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Wednesday May 28.
The best part about Tuesday night's dramatic 93-91 victory by the Los Angeles Lakers over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Western Conference finals was how quickly the defending champion Spurs threw water on the postseason's biggest controversy.
Clearly, there was enough contact by the Lakers' Derek Fisher on San Antonio sharpshooter Brent Barry, who was 26 feet away from the basket with time running out, to warrant a foul call. Barry pump-faked, got Fisher up in the air and he landed akwardly on Barry's shoulder, which would have meant a two-shot foul because Barry didn't commit to a shot attempt.
Instead, official Joey Crawford let the play continue, which ended up with Barry's off-balance attempt clanging off the backboard. The way Barry initially threw up his arms in frustration while looking at Crawford, the feeling was the Spurs would soon be filling the airwaves with charges of "We wuz robbed."
But in the aftermath, with the Spurs now facing a 3-1 deficit, a beautiful thing happened. Spurs coach Greg Popovich did his part to defuse any controversy by saying he wouldn't have called a foul in that situation. Even Barry acknowledged afterwards that the game wasn't lost on a non-call, but on what transpired in the 48 minutes before it.
Isn't that what championship teams do? They hold themselves accountable. They don't take a game-ending moment, rip the official for a non-call, and blame someone else for why they're on the brink of elimination.
What made Popovich and Barry's post-game stance so admirable is the situation could have justified a foul being called because it was more than incidental contact. Fisher hit Barry fairly hard, but the Spurs understood that unless you're a superstar like Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan, you're probably not going to get the whistle in a critical, game-deciding moment like that.
The truth is, San Antonio didn't lose Game 4 because of what an official failed to do, but what the Spurs consistently failed to do: hit big shots. Every time the Spurs had a chance to take a lead, they couldn't hit the field goal that could have given the crowd at the AT&T Center a reason to provide the home team with a huge emotional lift.
Barry kept the Spurs in the game with a 23-point night, but Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen kept missing important shots that might have allowed San Antonio to seize control of the game instead of relying on a last-second whistle to rescue them.
The San Antonio Spurs' season is practically over because they must now win two games in Los Angeles to return to the NBA Finals. They had a chance to pull out a game they had no business winning, but they looked like a champion afterwards when the media gave them every opportunity to complain about a no-call.
Thankfully, the Spurs showed some class and sportsmanship by not whining. Sometimes, even after a crippling defeat, you can still come away looking like a champion.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Worst part of job: athletes dying too soon
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette provides weekly content for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Saturday May 17.
Going over to Fleming Island High School on Friday afternoon and watching a football team deal with the emotional fallout of linebacker Wesley Whiddon's death was a grim reminder of another sad experience.
A month ago, I wrote a story for the Times-Union just before the NFL draft about Heath Benedict, the ex-Newberry College offensive tackle and Jacksonville resident who was found dead in late March from an enlarged heart.
Benedict was expected to be a mid-round NFL draft pick. He was entering one of the most exciting times of a young football player's life when a previously undetected medical condition led to his premature death. Talking to Heath's parents was a difficult experience, but they wanted the opportunity to let people know who their son was and the great memories he provided during his short time on earth.
As a father of four children, it's hard not to feel an emotional attachment to this kind of story, and the same thing occurred Friday when I visited Fleming Island to talk to head coach Neal Chipoletti, his staff and players about Whiddon's tragic end. The Golden Eagles' starting middle linebacker was struck by a train while fishing with two teammates on a railroad trestle at Black Creek in Orange Park early Wednesday night.
I hadn't seen Chipoletti in over 20 years, back when he was coaching basketball at Forrest High School and took the Rebels to a state championship game with star player Otis Smith, now the general manager of the NBA Orlando Magic.
As a sports writer, most stories you deal with are generally of the positive nature, with others sprinkled with a controversy now and then. But the death of someone so young, and in such a bizarre manner, is a highly sensitive subject for so many people.
In this instance, it's not just heartbreaking for a kid's family, but his extended family of coaches and about 100 players involved with Fleming Island's football program on every level. You cannot possibly see the hurt and pain on their faces and not think to yourself that it could easily be your own teenaged son in that same situation.
Who even thinks for a second that anyone could get hit by a train while fishing? There was no alcohol, drugs or horseplay involved. Just three kids wanting a break from spring football practice and dropping a line in the water, and in a matter of seconds, so many lives are changed because one of the players couldn't get out of the way of an oncoming train fast enough.
For Sunday's Times-Union, I wrote a column about Wesley Whiddon and how his tragic passing has impacted the Fleming Island community. The Golden Eagles resumed practice Saturday morning for the first time since his death and Whiddon's parents, Wesley Sr. and Angie, were among many fans who showed up to support the team.
"I've never lost a player before while coaching them," said Chipoletti. "This is a first for me. I hope there's never a second."
Twice in the last month, I've had to write about football players dying too young. This job is much easier when the subject matter is the game instead of an obituary.
Going over to Fleming Island High School on Friday afternoon and watching a football team deal with the emotional fallout of linebacker Wesley Whiddon's death was a grim reminder of another sad experience.
A month ago, I wrote a story for the Times-Union just before the NFL draft about Heath Benedict, the ex-Newberry College offensive tackle and Jacksonville resident who was found dead in late March from an enlarged heart.
Benedict was expected to be a mid-round NFL draft pick. He was entering one of the most exciting times of a young football player's life when a previously undetected medical condition led to his premature death. Talking to Heath's parents was a difficult experience, but they wanted the opportunity to let people know who their son was and the great memories he provided during his short time on earth.
As a father of four children, it's hard not to feel an emotional attachment to this kind of story, and the same thing occurred Friday when I visited Fleming Island to talk to head coach Neal Chipoletti, his staff and players about Whiddon's tragic end. The Golden Eagles' starting middle linebacker was struck by a train while fishing with two teammates on a railroad trestle at Black Creek in Orange Park early Wednesday night.
I hadn't seen Chipoletti in over 20 years, back when he was coaching basketball at Forrest High School and took the Rebels to a state championship game with star player Otis Smith, now the general manager of the NBA Orlando Magic.
As a sports writer, most stories you deal with are generally of the positive nature, with others sprinkled with a controversy now and then. But the death of someone so young, and in such a bizarre manner, is a highly sensitive subject for so many people.
In this instance, it's not just heartbreaking for a kid's family, but his extended family of coaches and about 100 players involved with Fleming Island's football program on every level. You cannot possibly see the hurt and pain on their faces and not think to yourself that it could easily be your own teenaged son in that same situation.
Who even thinks for a second that anyone could get hit by a train while fishing? There was no alcohol, drugs or horseplay involved. Just three kids wanting a break from spring football practice and dropping a line in the water, and in a matter of seconds, so many lives are changed because one of the players couldn't get out of the way of an oncoming train fast enough.
For Sunday's Times-Union, I wrote a column about Wesley Whiddon and how his tragic passing has impacted the Fleming Island community. The Golden Eagles resumed practice Saturday morning for the first time since his death and Whiddon's parents, Wesley Sr. and Angie, were among many fans who showed up to support the team.
"I've never lost a player before while coaching them," said Chipoletti. "This is a first for me. I hope there's never a second."
Twice in the last month, I've had to write about football players dying too young. This job is much easier when the subject matter is the game instead of an obituary.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Players needs a three-hole playoff
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette was at The Players Championship all week and offers some post-tournament thoughts for jacksonville.com
After seeing how quickly Sunday's sudden-death playoff at The Players ended, I think the PGA Tour needs to seriously consider going to a more extended format. It's a shame that a deadlock between eventual champion Sergio Garcia and Paul Goydos after 72 holes in such a big-time event had to end with a quick thud -- a gust of wind pulled Goydos' tee shot at No. 17 into the water.
Goydos, who did a phenomenal job of taking a one-shot lead into the final round and holding at least a share of it throughout regulation, should have had the opportunity to recover from one errant shot.
All day long, Goydos had a knack for rebounding when it looked as if the wheels might be coming off a bit. It started with that tricky, downhill 50-foot birdie putt he made at No. 4 after bogeying the second and third holes. When it looked like he might be headed for a bogey at No. 10, he holed it out from 34 yards away for a birdie.
However, with a sudden-death playoff starting at the par-three island hole, Goydos drew the first slot and it was pretty much over when his ball found water. Garcia followed with a career shot, sticking his ball within four feet of the cup and a two-putt par for the win. Goydos made double-bogey.
It was great theater, seeing everything ride on such a signature hole. But in fairness to the competitors, The Players should go to a three-hole playoff and start it at the par-five 16th hole. You'd have the most entertaining risk-reward homestretch in all of golf to decide the biggest championship outside the majors.
Each of the Grand Slam tournaments has a different playoff format. The U.S. Open has an 18-hole playoff on Monday, while the British Open and PGA Championship have four-hole and three-hole aggregate playoff formats. Only the Masters has sudden death like The Players.
The only change The Players would have to make for a three-hole playoff, especially if the agonizingly slow Garcia is involved, is move the starting time for the leaders up about 15-20 minutes on Sunday to ensure enough sunlight in case of a 72-hole deadlock. So for television purposes, it's a minor adjustment.
Goydos had several chances to close out a victory, but bogeys at No. 14, 15 and 18 opened the door for Garcia. In Goydos' defense, none of those three bogeys was all that bad except for a sloppy putt at the 15th hole. Even there, he hit a marvelous approach shot right at the flag, but the ball didn't hold on the rock-hard greens.
Garcia deserved to win, but the championship should have been decided with all three closing holes at TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course deciding the outcome.
Hopefully, the PGA Tour considers that option in the future. It'd only help their television ratings and increase already great drama.
After seeing how quickly Sunday's sudden-death playoff at The Players ended, I think the PGA Tour needs to seriously consider going to a more extended format. It's a shame that a deadlock between eventual champion Sergio Garcia and Paul Goydos after 72 holes in such a big-time event had to end with a quick thud -- a gust of wind pulled Goydos' tee shot at No. 17 into the water.
Goydos, who did a phenomenal job of taking a one-shot lead into the final round and holding at least a share of it throughout regulation, should have had the opportunity to recover from one errant shot.
All day long, Goydos had a knack for rebounding when it looked as if the wheels might be coming off a bit. It started with that tricky, downhill 50-foot birdie putt he made at No. 4 after bogeying the second and third holes. When it looked like he might be headed for a bogey at No. 10, he holed it out from 34 yards away for a birdie.
However, with a sudden-death playoff starting at the par-three island hole, Goydos drew the first slot and it was pretty much over when his ball found water. Garcia followed with a career shot, sticking his ball within four feet of the cup and a two-putt par for the win. Goydos made double-bogey.
It was great theater, seeing everything ride on such a signature hole. But in fairness to the competitors, The Players should go to a three-hole playoff and start it at the par-five 16th hole. You'd have the most entertaining risk-reward homestretch in all of golf to decide the biggest championship outside the majors.
Each of the Grand Slam tournaments has a different playoff format. The U.S. Open has an 18-hole playoff on Monday, while the British Open and PGA Championship have four-hole and three-hole aggregate playoff formats. Only the Masters has sudden death like The Players.
The only change The Players would have to make for a three-hole playoff, especially if the agonizingly slow Garcia is involved, is move the starting time for the leaders up about 15-20 minutes on Sunday to ensure enough sunlight in case of a 72-hole deadlock. So for television purposes, it's a minor adjustment.
Goydos had several chances to close out a victory, but bogeys at No. 14, 15 and 18 opened the door for Garcia. In Goydos' defense, none of those three bogeys was all that bad except for a sloppy putt at the 15th hole. Even there, he hit a marvelous approach shot right at the flag, but the ball didn't hold on the rock-hard greens.
Garcia deserved to win, but the championship should have been decided with all three closing holes at TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course deciding the outcome.
Hopefully, the PGA Tour considers that option in the future. It'd only help their television ratings and increase already great drama.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Hold on for a wild Players ride
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette is at The Players Championship all week and filing reports for jacksonville.com. This is his early-day entry for Sunday May 11.
If Billy Mayfair's TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course forecast is any indication of what awaits the Players Championship field later today, the leaders will be in for a long day.
"I'd say it's a par 76 or 77 right now," Mayfair said after shooting a final-round 81 in the blustery wind conditions. "We had a hard time keeping the balls from just not rolling on the greens [while waiting to putt]. You stand over a ball and it starts wiggling or trying to move.
"If the wind comes up more this afternoon and we don't get any rain, [the rest of the players] could be in trouble."
The par-three No. 3 hole could be especially troublesome for the leaders because it's directly into a 15-30 mile per hour wind. Today, the pin is at the back on the upper tier of the green, playing to 183 yards, and many golfers wait on the tee to try and hit when the winds are calmer.
"To get it on that back tier today is just about impossible," said Mayfair, who took a triple-bogey 6. "If you do get it back there and hit it a tad too far, it rolls over the back into the bunker. You have to try to hit to the center of the green."
Ben Crane hit the shot of the day at No. 3 among the early groups, putting the ball within 6 feet and making birdie. The only other birdie at that hole came from Bart Bryant, who made a 12-foot putt.
The heavy wind conditions could favor Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who is No. 1 this week in greens in regulation and stands in third place at four-under-par 212, three shots behind leader Paul Goydos.
It appears the potential for great drama will be there at the two closing holes, the par-three island at No. 17 and the par-four No. 18, which was playing almost a full shot above par after the first 22 players completed their round.
So far, the rain has held off through 2 p.m. and there's a strong chance that the thunderstorms that were forecast to push the tournament into Monday could miss us. Stay updated throughout the day at The Players by clicking on to jacksonville.com
If Billy Mayfair's TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course forecast is any indication of what awaits the Players Championship field later today, the leaders will be in for a long day.
"I'd say it's a par 76 or 77 right now," Mayfair said after shooting a final-round 81 in the blustery wind conditions. "We had a hard time keeping the balls from just not rolling on the greens [while waiting to putt]. You stand over a ball and it starts wiggling or trying to move.
"If the wind comes up more this afternoon and we don't get any rain, [the rest of the players] could be in trouble."
The par-three No. 3 hole could be especially troublesome for the leaders because it's directly into a 15-30 mile per hour wind. Today, the pin is at the back on the upper tier of the green, playing to 183 yards, and many golfers wait on the tee to try and hit when the winds are calmer.
"To get it on that back tier today is just about impossible," said Mayfair, who took a triple-bogey 6. "If you do get it back there and hit it a tad too far, it rolls over the back into the bunker. You have to try to hit to the center of the green."
Ben Crane hit the shot of the day at No. 3 among the early groups, putting the ball within 6 feet and making birdie. The only other birdie at that hole came from Bart Bryant, who made a 12-foot putt.
The heavy wind conditions could favor Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who is No. 1 this week in greens in regulation and stands in third place at four-under-par 212, three shots behind leader Paul Goydos.
It appears the potential for great drama will be there at the two closing holes, the par-three island at No. 17 and the par-four No. 18, which was playing almost a full shot above par after the first 22 players completed their round.
So far, the rain has held off through 2 p.m. and there's a strong chance that the thunderstorms that were forecast to push the tournament into Monday could miss us. Stay updated throughout the day at The Players by clicking on to jacksonville.com
Saturday, May 10, 2008
A Cink-ing feeling at The Players
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette is at The Players Championship all week and providing daily reports for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Saturday May 10.
Most of the time, PGA Tour players make the game of golf look easy, but occasionally, they can look like 20-handicappers.
Such was the case for Stewart Cink at the par-five No. 2 hole, where he needed five shots to get in the hole from about 45 feet away.
Cink's approach shot barely rolled off the back of the green and down a grass embankment that was pretty well shaved down. He had about 25 feet of hill to get up, but Cink's first attempt with a wedge stopped about a foot short of the top before rolling back near its original spot.
He pulled out a 9-iron for his next attempt, but the result was the same. Cink's ball stopped just before reaching the top of the hill and came back down. For his fifth shot, he took out his putter, rammed it up the hill, but not far enough. Cink found himself almost in the same place he was three shots earlier.
Finally, with his second putt attempt, the ball made it up to the green and rolled within a foot of the cup for a tap-in double bogey.
"All in all, it took two perfect shots to end up where I did [behind the green]," Cink said. "I should not have made worse than a par there. I guess I learned my lesson."
Had Cink's 3-iron approach from 240 yards stayed on the green, he would have likely had no worse than a 15-foot putt for eagle. Instead, he put himself in an early hole. Cink was 4-over-par after eight holes, but played the last 11 in three-under to finish with a 73 and a 219 total (3-over-par) for the tournament.
While Cink made a nice recovery from a front-nine disaster, playing partner Adam Scott made his move up the leaderboard with four birdies in the first six holes before cooling off with three bogeys and winding up with a 71. It was a virtual repeat of Thursday's opening round when he made three birdies in the first five holes, then stumbled to a 75. Scott stands at one-over-par 217 going into Sunday's final round.
Most of the time, PGA Tour players make the game of golf look easy, but occasionally, they can look like 20-handicappers.
Such was the case for Stewart Cink at the par-five No. 2 hole, where he needed five shots to get in the hole from about 45 feet away.
Cink's approach shot barely rolled off the back of the green and down a grass embankment that was pretty well shaved down. He had about 25 feet of hill to get up, but Cink's first attempt with a wedge stopped about a foot short of the top before rolling back near its original spot.
He pulled out a 9-iron for his next attempt, but the result was the same. Cink's ball stopped just before reaching the top of the hill and came back down. For his fifth shot, he took out his putter, rammed it up the hill, but not far enough. Cink found himself almost in the same place he was three shots earlier.
Finally, with his second putt attempt, the ball made it up to the green and rolled within a foot of the cup for a tap-in double bogey.
"All in all, it took two perfect shots to end up where I did [behind the green]," Cink said. "I should not have made worse than a par there. I guess I learned my lesson."
Had Cink's 3-iron approach from 240 yards stayed on the green, he would have likely had no worse than a 15-foot putt for eagle. Instead, he put himself in an early hole. Cink was 4-over-par after eight holes, but played the last 11 in three-under to finish with a 73 and a 219 total (3-over-par) for the tournament.
While Cink made a nice recovery from a front-nine disaster, playing partner Adam Scott made his move up the leaderboard with four birdies in the first six holes before cooling off with three bogeys and winding up with a 71. It was a virtual repeat of Thursday's opening round when he made three birdies in the first five holes, then stumbled to a 75. Scott stands at one-over-par 217 going into Sunday's final round.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Boo! A wild ride up the leaderboard
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette is at The Players Championship all week and offers daily content for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Friday May 9.
If not for an uncooperative putter, Anthony Kim might have walked off the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course with the outright lead after his second round Friday, but at least playing partner Boo Weekly kept things light-hearted for him.
Kim missed birdie putts in the 5-12 foot range at No. 4, 8, 9, 11 and 16, but a second consecutive 70 left him at 4-under-par 140, keeping him two shots off the lead as the afternoon group began teeing off.
"I think today was my best ball-striking round I've had in the last six tournament days I've played," said Kim, who won the Wachovia Championship last week by a five-shot margin. "But the putter was a little bit cold."
What wasn't cold was keeping company with Weekly, the country boy from Milton who has built somewhat of a cult following because of his catchy first name and willingness to acknowledge frequent gallery chants of "Boo!"
Despite missing three putts that would have tied Sergio Garcia for the lead, Kim had no trouble keeping his emotions in check as he walked most of the day with the laid-back Weekly, who shot a one-under-par 71 and stands at 141.
One of the most interesting interactions came after both stuck their tee shots at the par-3 eighth hole within six feet of the cup. A soft-shell turtle crossed their path about 50 yards in front of the tee box, and Kim forced its head back in by teasing the tortoise with his wedge. Then Kim began rubbing its shell like he was petting the turtle.
Weekly started rubbing it with him, then made a noise that forced Kim to jump back, thinking the turtle might somehow lunge at him. Weekly took great delight in spooking Kim, which met with the approval of the small gallery that was following them at the time.
"I got him pretty good with that turtle," Weekly said.
Kim acknowledged that Weekly momentarily scared him, sticking his hand out for a slap as if to say, "Good one, you got me."
"I didn't know if it was a snapping turtle or anything like that, and I don't know much about wildlife and I know [Weekly] does," said Kim. "So when he yelled at me, he scared me pretty good. I think that's why we probably both missed those [birdie putts] on that hole."
If not for an uncooperative putter, Anthony Kim might have walked off the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course with the outright lead after his second round Friday, but at least playing partner Boo Weekly kept things light-hearted for him.
Kim missed birdie putts in the 5-12 foot range at No. 4, 8, 9, 11 and 16, but a second consecutive 70 left him at 4-under-par 140, keeping him two shots off the lead as the afternoon group began teeing off.
"I think today was my best ball-striking round I've had in the last six tournament days I've played," said Kim, who won the Wachovia Championship last week by a five-shot margin. "But the putter was a little bit cold."
What wasn't cold was keeping company with Weekly, the country boy from Milton who has built somewhat of a cult following because of his catchy first name and willingness to acknowledge frequent gallery chants of "Boo!"
Despite missing three putts that would have tied Sergio Garcia for the lead, Kim had no trouble keeping his emotions in check as he walked most of the day with the laid-back Weekly, who shot a one-under-par 71 and stands at 141.
One of the most interesting interactions came after both stuck their tee shots at the par-3 eighth hole within six feet of the cup. A soft-shell turtle crossed their path about 50 yards in front of the tee box, and Kim forced its head back in by teasing the tortoise with his wedge. Then Kim began rubbing its shell like he was petting the turtle.
Weekly started rubbing it with him, then made a noise that forced Kim to jump back, thinking the turtle might somehow lunge at him. Weekly took great delight in spooking Kim, which met with the approval of the small gallery that was following them at the time.
"I got him pretty good with that turtle," Weekly said.
Kim acknowledged that Weekly momentarily scared him, sticking his hand out for a slap as if to say, "Good one, you got me."
"I didn't know if it was a snapping turtle or anything like that, and I don't know much about wildlife and I know [Weekly] does," said Kim. "So when he yelled at me, he scared me pretty good. I think that's why we probably both missed those [birdie putts] on that hole."
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The best Players' bird's-eye view
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette is at The Players Championship all week, providing daily content for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Thursday May 8.
For the last two decades, one of the best and most exclusive vantage points to watch The Players Championship belongs to Brian Phraner, an NBC cameraman who operates his equipment on a tiny island between the 16th and 17th greens.
Phraner takes a 12-foot, flat-bottom boat with a small electric motor from behind the 17th green to get to his work station. He has the island all to himself, unless you count several different species of birds who park themselves in the gigantic oak tree above Phraner.
Except for a late morning lunch break, and occasional bathroom emergencies, Phraner will be staying on that island from the time the first group arrives after 9 a.m. until the last group comes through around 7 p.m.
"It's a good spot, nice and private," said Phraner. "No distractions."
On Thursday, he was there when 48-year-old Tommy Armour III and Jose Coceres narrowly missed hole-in-ones. Armour's shot stopped a foot short of the hole, while Coceres rattled the pin and settled five feet behind the cup. Both made birdie.
Terry Hester, another veteran NBC cameraman who operates his lens in a television tower 30 feet high behind the par-3 17th hole, and Phraner both love the golf portion of NBC's schedule because it's their favorite sport to capture in pictures.
"Anybody would want to be up here," said Hester. "This is as good as it gets."
Unlike last year's first round, when high winds contributed to 50 balls finding the water at No. 17, it played rather tame for the golfers teeing off in the morning. Only five of the first 77 players failed to stay on dry land Thursday.
For more on the good life for spectators around the 16th and 17th greens at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course, check out my column in Friday's Florida Times-Union.
For the last two decades, one of the best and most exclusive vantage points to watch The Players Championship belongs to Brian Phraner, an NBC cameraman who operates his equipment on a tiny island between the 16th and 17th greens.
Phraner takes a 12-foot, flat-bottom boat with a small electric motor from behind the 17th green to get to his work station. He has the island all to himself, unless you count several different species of birds who park themselves in the gigantic oak tree above Phraner.
Except for a late morning lunch break, and occasional bathroom emergencies, Phraner will be staying on that island from the time the first group arrives after 9 a.m. until the last group comes through around 7 p.m.
"It's a good spot, nice and private," said Phraner. "No distractions."
On Thursday, he was there when 48-year-old Tommy Armour III and Jose Coceres narrowly missed hole-in-ones. Armour's shot stopped a foot short of the hole, while Coceres rattled the pin and settled five feet behind the cup. Both made birdie.
Terry Hester, another veteran NBC cameraman who operates his lens in a television tower 30 feet high behind the par-3 17th hole, and Phraner both love the golf portion of NBC's schedule because it's their favorite sport to capture in pictures.
"Anybody would want to be up here," said Hester. "This is as good as it gets."
Unlike last year's first round, when high winds contributed to 50 balls finding the water at No. 17, it played rather tame for the golfers teeing off in the morning. Only five of the first 77 players failed to stay on dry land Thursday.
For more on the good life for spectators around the 16th and 17th greens at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course, check out my column in Friday's Florida Times-Union.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Another Auss-ome win at Players
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette is at The Players Championship this week and offers daily content for jacksonville.com
After my wonderful projections for the Kentucky Derby -- picking none of the top three horses and saying that Big Brown would be another favorite biting the dust -- be forewarned that my forecast for win, place and show at The Players Championship should not be taken to Las Vegas.
The first caveat for any picks at this event is that it's the absolutely hardest golf tournament to do it because the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course favors no particular player. Big drivers, short hitters and medium hitters have all won the tournament, and there's no particular advantage for left-to-right or right-to-left players.
Even if Tiger Woods were in this field, I'm not sure I'd pick him to finish in the top three. That's how unpredictable The Players really is.
So here's my untrustworthy picks on the eve of the 2008 championship:
1. Adam Scott. His 71.36 scoring average in 22 rounds at the Stadium Course is one of the best around and the third-ranked player in the world is playing as well as anybody not named Tiger. He already has a Tour win at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship this season, so he's not pressing to get into the winner's circle. More importantly, Scott has a Players title to his credit and the Australians have karma here, winning four of the past 17 times. Scott can join Steve Elkington as the second Aussie to be a two-time champion.
2. Lee Westwood. A bit of a darkhorse pick, but you can bet somebody no one expects will be on the Sunday leaderboard. Westwood has only one PGA Tour victory, back in 1998 at the Freeport-McDermott Classic, but he can be a big-time pressure player as his splendid Ryder Cup record (14-8-3) indicates. Most experts picking Europeans would favor Ireland's Padraig Harrington or Spain's Sergio Garcia to be a contender, but Westwood does have top-six finishes here in 1998 and 1999.
3. Phil Mickelson. If anyone can break through and win as a defending champion, other than Tiger Woods anyway, it's Lefty. Though Mickelson has a spotty record at best at The Players, he obviously figured something out last year after turning to coach Butch Harmon for guidance. The PGA Tour would like for television ratings to not take too big of a dip without Tiger, and the best way to ensure that is for Mickelson to be in contention down the stretch.
After my wonderful projections for the Kentucky Derby -- picking none of the top three horses and saying that Big Brown would be another favorite biting the dust -- be forewarned that my forecast for win, place and show at The Players Championship should not be taken to Las Vegas.
The first caveat for any picks at this event is that it's the absolutely hardest golf tournament to do it because the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium course favors no particular player. Big drivers, short hitters and medium hitters have all won the tournament, and there's no particular advantage for left-to-right or right-to-left players.
Even if Tiger Woods were in this field, I'm not sure I'd pick him to finish in the top three. That's how unpredictable The Players really is.
So here's my untrustworthy picks on the eve of the 2008 championship:
1. Adam Scott. His 71.36 scoring average in 22 rounds at the Stadium Course is one of the best around and the third-ranked player in the world is playing as well as anybody not named Tiger. He already has a Tour win at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship this season, so he's not pressing to get into the winner's circle. More importantly, Scott has a Players title to his credit and the Australians have karma here, winning four of the past 17 times. Scott can join Steve Elkington as the second Aussie to be a two-time champion.
2. Lee Westwood. A bit of a darkhorse pick, but you can bet somebody no one expects will be on the Sunday leaderboard. Westwood has only one PGA Tour victory, back in 1998 at the Freeport-McDermott Classic, but he can be a big-time pressure player as his splendid Ryder Cup record (14-8-3) indicates. Most experts picking Europeans would favor Ireland's Padraig Harrington or Spain's Sergio Garcia to be a contender, but Westwood does have top-six finishes here in 1998 and 1999.
3. Phil Mickelson. If anyone can break through and win as a defending champion, other than Tiger Woods anyway, it's Lefty. Though Mickelson has a spotty record at best at The Players, he obviously figured something out last year after turning to coach Butch Harmon for guidance. The PGA Tour would like for television ratings to not take too big of a dip without Tiger, and the best way to ensure that is for Mickelson to be in contention down the stretch.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Players buzz not up to par
Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette will be at The Players Championship all week and offers daily commentary for jacksonville.com This is his entry for Tuesday May 6.
It's not just Tiger Woods who is taking a pass on The Players Championship this year. So, too, are some of the people paid to chronicle his every move.
While it's still early in the week, seats inside the media center at The Players are definitely less full than normal and the expectation is that the trend will continue for the remainder of the tournament.
At press conferences Tuesday morning for European players Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood, only 10-12 credentialed media were in attendance. That's a smaller number than usual for this event, an indication of both Tiger's absence and that the move to May is less convenient for the international media to make the trip.
"Economically, we're struggling with costs," said veteran golf writer John Hopkins of the London Times, who has covered The Players for the past 30 years. "Looking at balance sheets and Tiger not being here, [many publications are choosing to] give The Players a miss."
Hopkins estimates that the normal European media contingent on Tuesday at The Players would be 12-15 journalists, but it's down to six or eight this year.
Before the tournament was moved from March to May last year, many European golf writers made The Players and Masters as part of one long trip. But now that the events are almost a month apart, it requires two trans-Atlantic flights. Coupled with the fact Woods isn't here because he's rehabilitating from knee surgery, the 2008 Players lacks the feel of a major inside the media center.
Come Sunday, there may be great drama at The Players, but definitely less of a media contingent to write how it all plays out.
It's not just Tiger Woods who is taking a pass on The Players Championship this year. So, too, are some of the people paid to chronicle his every move.
While it's still early in the week, seats inside the media center at The Players are definitely less full than normal and the expectation is that the trend will continue for the remainder of the tournament.
At press conferences Tuesday morning for European players Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood, only 10-12 credentialed media were in attendance. That's a smaller number than usual for this event, an indication of both Tiger's absence and that the move to May is less convenient for the international media to make the trip.
"Economically, we're struggling with costs," said veteran golf writer John Hopkins of the London Times, who has covered The Players for the past 30 years. "Looking at balance sheets and Tiger not being here, [many publications are choosing to] give The Players a miss."
Hopkins estimates that the normal European media contingent on Tuesday at The Players would be 12-15 journalists, but it's down to six or eight this year.
Before the tournament was moved from March to May last year, many European golf writers made The Players and Masters as part of one long trip. But now that the events are almost a month apart, it requires two trans-Atlantic flights. Coupled with the fact Woods isn't here because he's rehabilitating from knee surgery, the 2008 Players lacks the feel of a major inside the media center.
Come Sunday, there may be great drama at The Players, but definitely less of a media contingent to write how it all plays out.
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