Golf: Not Just for Fat Guys Anymore

So Tatyana just came into my office to blow off some steam by putting a few times. I don't think I helped her stress relief efforts when I started saying (in my best whispery golf announcer voice), "It all comes down to this one putt...she can win the championship if she sinks it. A lot of people have been skeptical of a 33 year old woman who's never really golfed before suddenly making a run at the title, but here she is."

Anyway, she made every putt when I said that, and missed every putt when I didn't, so my conclusion is that Tatyana is good under pressure. Somebody should pressure her more.

As they say in Cleveland, You Are All Witnesses:





















Ok, so what I noticed a few months back is that despite the existence of guys like this, most of the really great golfers are in excellent shape.

In fact, when Mercuryboy and I went to the gym this morning, I did a series of exercises designed to improve my golf game. I got them from the book Get Yourself in Golf Shape. Oddly enough, cardiovascular fitness, good core muscle strength and general muscular endurance are seen more and more as the key to really competing at the top level.

Which I will never do. Getting myself in Golf Shape is one thing, and I'll concede Tiger the win on that. On the other hand, I am trying to avoid certain other unflattering shapes (like pomegranate), and I figure since it helps with golf too, why not build it into the routine?

Believe it or not, after a full round of golfing, being a cream puff starts to wear you out. Along about the 14th hole, untrained muscles start to waver like Mayor Quimby in the face of a public opinion poll calling for repeal of the Bear Patrol tax. And all I can say about that is, "We're here; we're queer; we don't want any more bears!"

UPDATE: Isn't 10:15 a little early for steam-blow-offage? Maybe Tatyana really IS training for the tour.