Time Traveller... Yani vs Ben Hogan

1953
Mens medal tees Carnoustie
Who would win?

Hogan has to play 1953 equipment and Yani gets to use the latest stuff?

Yani.

But if they both used the same clubs and balls, Hogan.

Yes sorry

Kwinni got the jist

Hogan 1953 balls, equipment and rules [36 holes on last day]
Yani 2011 balls, equipment and rules [18 holes last day]

Yani!

Well, assuming Yani was to knock it round in somewhere near 72 shots, Hogan would be hard pressed to shoot lower than that for 36 holes

D4S
Both are playing 72 holes('')

Doon the Water wrote:D4S
Both are playing 72 holes('')

Ah OK, you didn't say that

Seriously though, I think I'd go with Yani, these girls are hitting it easily as far as guys did back in the 50's .

Am I right to assume we're not talking 'Three Penny Opera' guitarist Yani??
I don't know if he was much of a golfer, certainly not Hogan class, even 1953 Hogan

For the sprogs on this board
The Open was 36 holes on the last day until 1966 [I think]

MPB, Yani's the woman that won The Women's Open yesterday.

I'd back Hogan all day long. I only watched it for a couple of hours yesterday and was quite disappointed in the women's game, as someone that doesn't follow it. Maybe I'm missing something but it just seemed like all the players just plodded their way around the course, knocking every shot a couple of hundred yards pretty much dead straight. On another thread there was talk about the short game and I'm in agreement with those that thought the women were relatively poor around the greens - maybe it's to do with not generating enough hand speed to chip and pitch aggressively as their short game just felt like the rest of the game in that it did the job without being spectacular.

In no way do I mean to offend those that avidly follow women's golf and maybe The Open was not the best event to watch as the men's Open can sometimes be less viewer friendly than other events. However, I just didn't find it enjoyable or exciting but maybe I'm missing something?

I know that Sharrison, thanks though!

I quite enjoy watching women's golf as in terms of swing speed etc, it's a lot closer to the level i can attain. I think it's easier to learn from them

Visited the Women's Open on Friday, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Watched Yani Tseng for a few holes from the 14th in (think she had an eagle and 2 birdies in that spell), and it was obvious to me that she was a class above anything else in the field. Said at the time that everybody else was playing for 2nd place. Unfortunately didn't put any money on her though!

Slight tangent, but I read Ben Hogan's classic "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf" over the weekend. An excellent read, short and to the point, but a few of his points seems at odds with anything I'd ever been taught! e.g.

1) Grip - the whole first chapter was on grip, but his recommended left hand position seemed very "weak" to me by modern teaching, with the V pointing at the right eye (rather than right shoulder, as I'd always thought). Similarly, the right hand seemed much further round to the left, certainly than anyone I watched up close at Carnoustie on Friday.

2) Stance - he made a point of saying that both knees should "point in" slightly at address. Any instruction I've had/or read has told me the opposite (i.e. to have a slight bowing of the legs at address, as if an imaginary football was between the knees).

3) Feet (at address) - Hogan agrees with the conventional theory of having the ball inside the left heel at address, and moving only the right foot for different club lengths ... BUT he basically only had the feet in alignment with the target for medium irons. For longer irons up to driver, he'd move his right foot to the right for a wider stance, but also BACK (away from the ball). For shorter irons, he'd bring his right foot nearer the left foot, but also FORWARD towards the ball.

Just 3 examples, but all seemed at odds with anything I'd seen before.

sharrison01 wrote:MPB, Yani's the woman that won The Women's Open yesterday.

it just seemed like all the players just plodded their way around the course, knocking every shot a couple of hundred yards pretty much dead straight.

That's what links golf is about isn't it? If you can do that, you'll win on a links course far more often than you lose.

George1507 wrote:

sharrison01 wrote:MPB, Yani's the woman that won The Women's Open yesterday.

it just seemed like all the players just plodded their way around the course, knocking every shot a couple of hundred yards pretty much dead straight.

That's what links golf is about isn't it? If you can do that, you'll win on a links course far more often than you lose.

I got the impression that they hadn't really had to change their games for links golf though. At the men's Open, the great thing about spectating is that you get to see the players that hit high draws/fades for 50 weeks a year hit punches and knock downs. The women just seem to swing it normally and nice and easy which is why a lot of average players can learn from them as average players generally try to hit it too hard. As I said, I'm not a regular viewer so my opinion is simply derived from what seemed like a good week weatherwise on a shortened links course. I just found it all a bit conservative with little attacking golf.

Pitching the ball 220 yards with a rescue is hardly plodding.

[Oh no, prompt for 270 yard 4 iron insecure male players now?]

Doon the Water wrote:Pitching the ball 220 yards with a rescue is hardly plodding.

[Oh no, prompt for 270 yard 4 iron insecure male players now?]

Doon, I didn't mean any offence by my comments and was rather after someone to enlighten me as to the merits of the women's game. Of course 220 yards with a rescue is fine but my observation was more along the lines of a 220 yard rescue when you can hit your rescue 250 seems like plodding. Maybe there is some excitement in the male ego trying to knock a 4 iron 270 because it is pushing the limits of the game and this might even explain the disparity in viewing figures? Women's tennis has healthy viewing figures so there is no reason why the women's game can't do better - maybe it was just the nature of this event that I found less interesting because the men's Open can be a little boring at times.

Sharrison, its the game.
Some may say the last two mens Opens were a bit boring, no tension at the end.

Out of interest have you ever played with a low handicap or professional woman golfer?

....For a minute I also thought we were talking about sleaze ball long haired greek sleek Yanni.....

Doon the Water wrote:Sharrison, its the game.
Some may say the last two mens Opens were a bit boring, no tension at the end.

Out of interest have you ever played with a low handicap or professional woman golfer?

Played a county match with one once when I was a junior - she was off scratch and I was off one, it was obviously all off scratch and she got two courtesy shots (basically mulligans)! She was obviously a really good player but like the Women's Open, she hardly missed a fairway or green and hardly played a spectacular shot.

Completely agree with you about the men's Open - frequently get a rather uninteresting event! I wondered if the same could be said about regular Womens' tour events and other majors compared with the Women's Open?

Doon the Water wrote:
Out of interest have you ever played with a low handicap or professional woman golfer?

At my previous club, we used to play a scratch team friendly against the ladies county side at the start of the season. One year I played the #1 ranked lady in England and beat her 2&1

Good to hear chaps.

My daughter plays off 1 and has a saying that all the guys who look down on womens golf have never played with a decent player.
You should hear some of the stories she tells me about male Richard Heads on the golf course. Last game she reported two members playing behind them for giving them a load of cr@p about slow play on a packed course.
The two matches in front went in at the 12th and the women finished two clear holes in front of dumb and dumber.

I knew I should have done a separate post for my Ben Hogan book stuff!