Tiger vs Weir!

[PEI Golfing]

From personal experience, I'd agree that there is a direct relation between the success of a team / player and the interest kids have in participating in a sport. My son, 8, came to me in late June expressing an interest to play hockey - an interest he did not have until after the Senators went to the final this spring.

I think kids will emulate anyone and anything they admire, and the success of Mike Weir might have the same effect on kids as did the Senators success have on my son.

This is "Exactly" what I having been trying to explain to our good friend Mr. B.........

KIDS EMULATE ANYONE AND ANYTHING THEY ADMIRE !!!! = INCREASE PARTICIPATION

Very Simple formula !!!

[Hacker]

This is "Exactly" what I having been trying to explain to our good friend Mr. B.........

KIDS EMULATE ANYONE AND ANYTHING THEY ADMIRE !!!! = INCREASE PARTICIPATION

Very Simple formula !!!

But don't you think that any kid who would fall into this category would have already taken the game up because of Tiger? It seems to be very well accepted that Tiger has done more to grow the sport of golf that perhaps anyone and at the very least more than anyone since Arnie.

I agree in principle in what is being proposed here but the exposure need to be extended over a longer period of time, 4 days just isn't enough spawn the cause and effect that is being proposed here IMO

[big mac]

Jeeze--had to go back to page 1 for the original question. Mike won--GREAT. Like Golfbum just said "if business would back the programs-- maybe".

I honestly have not seen any active real junior programs here---I was a competitive bowler for years and honestly I think there is more support for bowling than golf---have you ever been to a bowling alley on a Saturday morning--every single one here in Ottawa and I know in Toronto are filled with up to 200 kids

Hockey is our sport and hockey gets the attention and the advertising etc.

Mike's win is grear for golf and the present golfing public but in the long run I dont see his win having that much of an effect on Canadian golf as a whole. Now maybe if he signed a contract with Nike and advertised along beside Tiger it may be a different story

[big mac]

But don't you think that any kid who would fall into this category would have already taken the game up because of Tiger? It seems to be very well accepted that Tiger has done more to grow the sport of golf that perhaps anyone and at the very least more than anyone since Arnie.

I agree in principle in what is being proposed here but the exposure need to be extended over a longer period of time, 4 days just isn't enough spawn the cause and effect that is being proposed here IMO

Good points Scott--it's like Little League--been here since I was a kid-----that's a long long time.

[Hacker]

Hockey is our sport and hockey gets the attention and the advertising etc.

You might be on to something here BM - Golf if Canada's sport and Leaf Nation, for whatever reason, thinks they are Canada's team. Maybe our nations youth will take a page out of the 'heroes' book and start playing golf in April

[Indio]

Jeeze--had to go back to page 1 for the original question. Mike won--GREAT. Like Golfbum just said "if business would back the programs-- maybe".

I honestly have not seen any active real junior programs here---I was a competitive bowler for years and honestly I think there is more support for bowling than golf---have you ever been to a bowling alley on a Saturday morning--every single one here in Ottawa and I know in Toronto are filled with up to 200 kids

Hockey is our sport and hockey gets the attention and the advertising etc.

Mike's win is grear for golf and the present golfing public but in the long run I dont see his win having that much of an effect on Canadian golf as a whole. Now maybe if he signed a contract with Nike and advertised along beside Tiger it may be a different story

You and I agree on this one Brian.....

I asked the question 'I'm curious, why are many people saying 'It is great for golf in Canada'? What are the benefits to Canadian Golf?'

Having a few kids go further and try harder IMHO is not a GREAT thing for Canadian Golf. If I would have gotten a response that it will mean more money from big business for golf, junior programs, sponsorship for the Canadian Open or something to that effect, I would have probably accepted it (as long as the message was delivered in a non condescending manner) and moved on but all I heard is some kids watching it will become involved in golf and maybe go on to the 'big league' I don't see that as a huge benefit for Canadian Golf at all.... sorry but I just don't.

[PEI Golfing]

But don't you think that any kid who would fall into this category would have already taken the game up because of Tiger? It seems to be very well accepted that Tiger has done more to grow the sport of golf that perhaps anyone and at the very least more than anyone since Arnie.

I agree in principle in what is being proposed here but the exposure need to be extended over a longer period of time, 4 days just isn't enough spawn the cause and effect that is being proposed here IMO

Tiger is certainly the main reason golf participation has increased significantly. No question about that.

What Mike has to offer is being Canadian he can show these kids North of the border that if they work hard someday they to can win the Masters and even perhaps knock-off the Worlds #1 in match play and they do not have to be from the U.S.............Just the way Ernie Els and Retief Goosen have helped golf in South Africa, and I am sure they were inspired as youngsters by Captain Gary Player.........You can go through each country across the world....................

[Hacker]

What Mike has to offer is being Canadian he can show these kids North of the border that if they work hard someday they to can win the Masters and even perhaps knock-off the Worlds #1 in match play and they do not have to be from the U.S.

I'd love to see Mike make a full return to form and stay there for a sustained run. If that was to happen I'd agree 100% with what you're saying.

Even more important in my eyes, as it relates to Mike, is he off the course work. Mike Wier is our Tiger, Jack and Arnie all rolled into one. No one is a prouder Canadian than Mike Wier that he's a heck of a roll model. My two boys love Tiger but I always make a point of telling them that Mike is "one of the good guys" too - we just need him to be a little more consistent on tour so that he gets some coverage

[3Jack]

And I think kids come to things at different times, based both on circumstance and age. When I took my kids to see Vijay and Mike at Crowbush this summer my daughter, age 5, asked the players names, and then my son asked where they were from... I told them VJ was from Fiji (where's that!? they asked), and then when I told them Mike was from Canada, they said, "Hey, like us! Cool!" So that's something / someone they could identify with.

I agree that Mike's win won't do anything for kids who weren't exposed to it, but for kids who were, it might. The RCGA needs to get their act together and perhaps visit Sweden to see how their junior programs are run, and then take a look in their own backyard at Hockey Canada and perhaps ask them for help. The key to a successful program however is course participation - be they private or public. Right now, it's hit and miss whether a course / club has a decent junior program, or a program at all for that matter. Until that happens, Weir can win more tournaments and Majors and beat Tiger in singles in the next four President's Cup events and it won't make the difference that it could / should.

[PEI Golfing]

Here are some excerpts written by Bob Weeks for the Scoregolf Presidents Cup Commemorative Digital Magazine:
http://www.scoregolf.com/home.cfm

"The event itself was said to have an economic impact of $100 million".

"Perhaps there will also be a spill-down effect to the grassroots level. When Mike Weir won the Masters, it was believed that a mini-boom in participation was ignited. Kids all wanted to be like Mike and started swinging the clubs, much as they had half a dozen years earlier when Tiger Woods arrived on the scene.
Now, with glimpses of Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh in their memories, it might continue. Who knows how many of the 35,000 who passed through the gates at Royal Montreal will be encouraged to pick up a golf club."
(Bob Weeks, Editor, Scoregolf.com)

If I did not know better, one would think Bob Weeks might have been reading this thread prior to writing this article which appeared online today...............

[Baxter]

Any one know what the TV ratings were for Sunday? I watch the 3 other days but did not care about Sunday as this event was over.
Now please remember I did not watch Sunday, so when I was told that Weir beat Tiger, my first thought was..Did Tiger care as much as he would have had the US been tied or behind..I think not. Would he have liked to have won??..of course..
Is the big surprise that Weir beat Tiger or that he was able to play 4 good rounds of golf...I vote for the 4 rounds of golf. I thought he was done like dinner before the 1st tee shot..I am not a Weir fan but good for him and his fans for winning..Now let's hope he can play in the last group with Tiger in a Major and beat him...That would be a surprise...and something i would like to see....

[mpare]

You're kidding - right?

[MusicMan]

You're kidding - right?

what he said.

[PEI Golfing]

You're kidding - right?

I hope he is...................

[Baxter]

Ok, I'll bite...kidding about what????????????????????????????????????

[Fallys0820]

Don't get me wrong, I think the "Tiger will throw Mike a bone" thought crept into a lot of people's minds. However, Tiger really wasn't good. I don't think Tiger would be that bad even if he did try to throw it, lol. Starting on 11 however, Tiger was dynamite. Some of the shots he was hitting were superb. And, like a lot of people who play with Tiger, I think more than anything, Mike stumbled a bit thinking "here we go again".

The fact that Mike BEAT him on the final two holes to go 1 up in the match spoke volumes to me about his character. He legitimately beat Tiger. There's a lot of woulda shoulda coulda involved in this match, but face the facts. Tiger won 4 of 5 holes on the back nine to go 1 up and Mike bounced back like not many golfers have in the last 10 years.

I still don't think that there are people realizing that you're talking about the benefits for Canada with only those people that are already interested. The 35,000 people who Bob Weeks hopes are inspired to pick up a club and play probably have already in the past. I still firmly believe that the growth of golf in Canada has to be fascilitated by improving (beginning) a junior golf program.

Fally
aka Scott

[PEI Golfing]

Don't get me wrong, I think the "Tiger will throw Mike a bone" thought crept into a lot of people's minds. However, Tiger really wasn't good. I don't think Tiger would be that bad even if he did try to throw it, lol. Starting on 11 however, Tiger was dynamite. Some of the shots he was hitting were superb. And, like a lot of people who play with Tiger, I think more than anything, Mike stumbled a bit thinking "here we go again".

The fact that Mike BEAT him on the final two holes to go 1 up in the match spoke volumes to me about his character. He legitimately beat Tiger. There's a lot of woulda shoulda coulda involved in this match, but face the facts. Tiger won 4 of 5 holes on the back nine to go 1 up and Mike bounced back like not many golfers have in the last 10 years.

I still don't think that there are people realizing that you're talking about the benefits for Canada with only those people that are already interested. The 35,000 people who Bob Weeks hopes are inspired to pick up a club and play probably have already in the past. I still firmly believe that the growth of golf in Canada has to be fascilitated by improving (beginning) a junior golf program.

Fally
aka Scott

Of course junior programs and development programs need to improve. But who are going to fill this programs.......Not us older mid-aged hackers.........
Its going to be those young kids starting to participate in sports.
Perhaps some of those 6 and 7 year olds who were spoken to and given golf balls and autographs by the Worlds best golfers will decide this is a game they want to play.............