I visited a lot of golf courses in June but played only one round. How was it, then, that I came to be holding the US Open trophy on a sunny afternoon at Pebble Beach? Connections, of course. And I like to think that my stellar matchplay record over the past few years had a little bit to do with that as well.
I visited golf courses at Indonesia, California, and Japan this month, but my only round was at Sugadaira Green Golf in Japan's Nagano prefecture. Sugadaira Green Golf is notable for being the highest golf course in Japan, sitting above a ski resort near the peak of Mt. Neko. Not only did I win my match, but I also walked away from the course with a box of soba noodles, three bottles of sake, and a voucher for a free round of golf later this year. Not bad winnings for playing with rental clubs. I would like to say that Ryo Ishikawa gave me a swing tip to help with my play . . .
. . . but I will have to take full credit for the win at Sugadaira, as our conversation at Pebble Beach never strayed from the quotidian. If you haven't been to Japan recently, you may not be aware that Ryo is ubiquitous. I saw him on a McDonald's poster, in an ANA captain's uniform, and with Ai-chan at the Kinojo Golf Club in Okayama. So it was really a pleasure to see him in person at Pebble Beach. By the way, I would endorse the Srixon Z-Star if I could. It is a great ball and one that I have won a lot of matches with.
Wow, how can you get the picture of Bashful Prince? Did you guys talk in Japanese? By the way, you look coy in that pic baby!
Posted by: Wi | 05 July 2010 at 15:17