MY FAVORITE LPGA-er

I try to enjoy golf on tv, but I don't. I really don't even watch much of The Masters. I know that's sacreligious, but I don't think it's a sport that tv can do justice to. Most of the time they dedicate to putting. Why not just go televise Putt Putt's National Championship? How exciting is it to putt in the game anyway(s)?

Granted, it's the worst part of my game, but when I have putted well ( I actually rolled in two in a row on Wednesday from off the green--one a snake) it's not all that exciting. But a well struck drive with a little draw to it just to the left of center in the fairway--now you're talking. But even that isn't good tv coverage. And it's not all that exciting watching that drive at a tournament. Unless it's one of your favorite players.

The LPGA has one of the most exciting players in any sport--Natalie Gulbis. I know she has a calendar, her own tv show on the Golf Channel, and as my brother-in-law Dave says, "great posture." While I appreciate all that, it's her coolness that absolutely amazes me.

She never reacts to anything bad that happens to her. Bad breaks happen in golf. Watching her after one, you'd never know it. She's just so cool about it. I try to be. And it works for a few holes, sometimes a whole round, but when the bad breaks add up, as they did last Wednesday, I'm toast.

Coyote Lakes was the scene. A course I'd played a dozen times or so, and one of my favorites. Lots of desert and rocks that I had never encountered much. Until Wednesday. Granted the driver was not working as I hooked my first drive uncharacteristically out of bounds. Historically, my first drive is one of the best in my whole round. I added to that on at least three other drives, one with a three iron which spanked a garage door hard on a par three.

But others just barely found their way into the rough. Many behind trees. When the third or fourth one went three feet to the right of the cart path in a bush, I'd had enough. Rather than thinking it through--I could have received a free drop since my stance would have forced me to stand on the cart path, I took a penalty and slammed dunk my ball onto the concrete cart path and took my drop from that position. Would Natalie have done that? Never. How about other sane individuals? Probably not.

But an unfocused, frustrated golfer did. Afterwards, of course, I felt bad. But as they say, what's done is did. Well, maybe they don't say that. But most don't act as badly as I do sometimes on the golf course. I know Natalie never does.

Maybe that's why I don't have my own calendar.