Golf sports and leisure
Issue link: https://digital.insidegolfmedia.com/i/625195
l TOUR REPORT OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE x WINTER 2016 x obsports.com Bubba Watson from any listing of the game's elite? He's ranked fourth in the world, has captured two of the past four Masters, and just shredded a choice field to win the Hero World Challenge at 25-under par. The point here is that the Big Three is much more fluid than we're letting on. Dustin Johnson was THIS close to derailing Spieth at the U.S. Open. Henrik Stenson seems to be one mis- take away from winning every tour- nament he plays. Young guns such as Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, and Justin Thomas seem to have no fear of the Big Three or of anybody else. Let's get ready to enjoy the rumble. >> A few new venues, old favorites As much as golf cherishes its tradi- tions, fresh jolts of excitement are al- ways appreciated. As a mix of the unknown and the anticipated, nothing compares with the revival of golf in the Olympics. Come August, many of the game's greats will gather at Gil Hanse's yet- to-be-named new course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to compete for medals, nation against nation. True, the unimaginative 72-hole in- dividual stroke play format leaves out the ideal team aspect, and yes, many worthy players won't make the start- ing field due to the limits of the four- players-per-country rule, and sure, players like Adam Scott of Australia have pooh-poohed the significance of the event, but I'm taking a wait-and- see approach. Actually, it's more can't wait to see. If Jordan Spieth says that winning Olympic Gold would rank up there with the four majors, that's good enough for me. Also new is the venue for the WGC Match Play event. Its new sponsor is Dell, its new dates are March 23-27, and its new home is Austin Country Club, deep in the heart of Texas. This fabled club gave rise to Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, and their sage instructor, Harvey Penick, among many others. As far as old friends go, we wel- come back Oakmont for the U.S. Open, Baltusrol for the PGA Champi- onship, and Hazeltine National for the Ryder Cup. Each carries serious major championship pedigree. No Chambers Bay surprises this year. LAYER UP ® V I S I T ! W W W . F O O T J O Y . C O M !