These Guys Are Churlish

I loved the concept of the PGA of America's revival of the Long Drive Competition, though unfortunately the concept was better than the execution.  Let's let Shackelford explain why such a great, retro idea couldn't survive contact with today's oh-so-delicate professionals:

The PGA of America really, really tried to help make it as painless as possible. When it brought

back the Long Drive contest as a fun way to liven up an otherwise boring major championship Tuesday, the organization structured the event to be uber-convenient. 

PGA officials set up shop at the 10th hole so players would likely be warmed up. They picked a driver hole. They picked Tuesday, removed enough from the actual start of the championship so as not to interfere with any final practice preparations. They gave everyone just one shot, in order to not hold up play. They threw in a charitable component in lieu of prize money. And they didn't sell the rights to television, making this strictly a fun thing for fans and players.

Now, I admittedly had a completely different image in mind.  I pictured Bubba, DJ, Woodland the rest of the big knockers pounding drives on something that looked like a football field with yardage lines and the like.  Kind of like what they did at a Skins Game years ago with Tiger and JD.

Now that would be fun, wouldn't it, but we can also see the issues it entails.  Guys don't want to screw up their swings by going for the fences, kind of like how you never want a stud from your team in the Home Run Derby.

And then there's our Bubba, who somehow got a burr on his butt over the concept of hitting driver on a driver hole in his practice round.  Here's how he justified it in his presser:

Q. You chose to hit iron off the 10th tee. Your thoughts on why you did that and your thoughts about the long drive contest? 

BUBBA WATSON: My thoughts, I want to practice the game of golf. I want to learn this golf course. I haven't seen the 10th hole. I don't see that we should have a competition like that while we're playing a practice round and learning the golf course, trying to win a great championship. There's no reason to make something up in the middle of the practice round like that. That's just me. Like it or not, that's just who I am. That's just what I think.

So, you're gonna hit driver there all four days (though on recent form we should consider Bubba's weekend participation TBD), but purist that you are, the way to practice for that is to hit iron on Tuesday?  OK, got it.

Bubba, you might want to take notes here, but this is how you do it:

It comes as no shock that the fun-loving group of Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, Phil

Mickelson and Brendan Steele embraced the challenge, playing to the fans, swinging out of their shoes and landing atop the standings midway through the day. Bradley went first and ripped a 326-yarder on the special Samsung-powered monitor letting fans know distances measured by the PGA Tour's Shotlink system, which makes its PGA Championship debut this week. Mickelson, egged on by Bradley, swung hard but just missed the landing area. 

Then Fowler got up, took a harder-than-normal swing and edged Bradley by two yards. Fowler played it cool until his leading 328-yard drive was posted, then gave the crowd a tasteful Muscle Beach pose. He led until Gary Woodland knocked one 330. 

Tom Watson's playing partners Brandt Snedeker, Russell Henley and Jimmy Walker each hit their drives, then started walking before their 64-year-old playing partner had hit. Watson looked incredulously at the crowd as if to say, "these kids have no respect." More fun for the folks on hand.

Or, you could watch Padraig "Happy Gilmore" it:

This is a guy willing to participate in the Golf Buys videos, but the long drive competition is somehow beyond the pale.

Jeff Rude comes to the same conclusion, but goes to the way-back machine to juxtapose Bubba quotes.  First this:

In fact, a couple of years ago, Watson said, “We've coined the phrase Bubba Golf, because it's just fun. I love the game of golf. I love goofin' around. I love shaping shots. I'm having a blast out there.”

As compared to this from yesterday:

“I was just trying to prove a point that nobody cared about,” he said.

Finally something on which Bubba and I can find common ground.