I’ve had this idea for this post since the British Open, but it got sidetracked by other topics. And after watching Y.E. Yang amazingly pull off the upset on Tiger at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine (choke job? just bad at the office? opinions on that BTW?), I felt compelled to finally come out and say it:
Golf is a sport.
The reason I bring this up is that for a week after Tom Watson nearly pulled off the miracle at Turnberry (at the tender age of 59, no less), commentators harped on the “fact” that Watson’s age proves golf isn’t a sport. In fact, Fanhouse’s Greg Couch wrote:
“And can a guy seven weeks from turning 60 really do what Watson did if golf were an actual sport? Watson is surely in great shape for a 59-year-old. But the muscular athlete (Woods) went home after two days. It’s about your definition of a sport, I guess. But if Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were to skip the U.S. Open, you would not see Jimmy Connors winning it. Joe Frazier could not compete for a title anymore.
If advanced age and lack of fitness don’t eliminate you from the top level of the game, then it’s hard to see how it’s a sport.”
Take that last line. Here’s my counter-argument: Babe Ruth. One of baseball’s all-time greats. Not exactly in peak physical condition. Powered by beer and hot dogs. Still hit 715 home runs. No one will ever confuse Babe Ruth with Tiger Woods in terms of physique. And there’s no argument about baseball not being a sport.
Golf is a sport, but not a sport based on speed, strength (like football anyway), and power (at least traditionally). It’s a sport of precision.
There are so many places in a golf swing where it can all go wrong. And if one thing does go wrong, the result of your shot is affected exponentially.
I play my best golf when I’m focused, loose, unstressed, and breathing well. If my back is tight, my shot is all over the place. If I’m stressed, my pace is affected, meaning my shot is all over the place (which makes evenings after work an adventure). If I’m having a bad allergy day, my focus is off, and again, my shot is affected.
If your legs go tired, your shot is off. If you turn your wrists too soon or too late, or you dip your shoulders, the shot is off.
You’re battling a golf course designer, wind, rain, noises from other players, and most of all yourself. You don’t have to rely on anyone else, and that can be your downfall.
I’m tired of being told golf isn’t a sport. It is absolutely a sport, whether you like it or not.
In fact, I’ll say this: If golf isn’t a sport, you know what else isn’t a sport: NASCAR.
I’m sorry, but I find trying to precisely place a small ball into a small cup on grass to have much more intrigue and talent demand than making left turns all day. And I know the NASCAR fans will be up in arms, but I’m not saying NASCAR isn’t a sport. I call it an endurance sport.
So hence, golf is a sport. Give it up already.
