No. 34: Silent Divorce
Dear Pards,
7th-grade English teacher. 4.3 and climbing. Happy P-Cup week! Leading up to this week, it oftentimes feels like that midnight beer I have no business cracking after a night out with the fellas. Yet once the balls roll out and the can hits my lips, it’s always worth the watch.
I know the Americans have taken a bunch of (deserved) heat for their lack of strategy at Bethpage. Whether that was rough the length of my classroom carpet, greens slower than my local muni, or what felt like a tee flip on who’d tee off first in foursomes.
Even though they claim to listen to the likes of Justin Ray and the numbers, it seems they go more off vibes and feel, holding onto an age-old American tradition that thinking our way is the best way. Meanwhile, Molinari and Co. are jumping up and down on their shipped-in mattresses with the last laugh. I know Ogilvy isn’t Donald, but the American system is the same.
What are your thoughts on strategy for these team events? Is it all about the numbers and the Data Golf gospel, or is there any element of feel and vibes teams should consider?
-Feel Guy in Fairfax
Dear Feel Guy,
I agree that the Presidents Cup feels a bit irrelevant, especially given the ongoing American dominance over the Internationals. That said, the US team should be swinging two bats here on deck for Adare next Fall.
I believe both math and feel must be used for a team to perform to its full potential, and the boys' club has seemed to rest on spirit-filled Spieth miracles, while forgetting about the Word from J Ray and Data Golf.
R.T. Kendall said it best, long before Luke Donald and Dodo were upgrading shampoo and covering door cracks in Italy:
“There has been a silent divorce in the church, speaking generally, between the Word and the Spirit. When there is a divorce, sometimes the children stay with the mother, sometimes with the father. In this divorce, you have those on the Word side and those on the Spirit side. What is the difference? Those on the Word side stress earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints, expository preaching, sound theology, rediscovering the doctrines of the Reformation—justification by faith, sovereignty of God. Until we get back to the Word, the honor of God’s name will not be restored. What is wrong with this emphasis? Nothing. It is exactly right, in my opinion. Those on the Spirit side stress getting back to the Book of Acts, signs, wonders, and miracles, gifts of the Holy Spirit—with places being shaken at prayer meetings, get in Peter’s shadow and you are healed, lie to the Holy Spirit and you are struck dead. Until we recover the power of the Spirit, the honor of God’s name will not be restored. What is wrong with this emphasis? Nothing. It is exactly right, in my opinion. The problem is, neither will learn from the other. But if these two would come together, the simultaneous combination would mean spontaneous combustion. And if Smith Wigglesworth’s prophecy got it right, the world will be turned upside down again.”
- R.T. Kendall
In my opinion, there has been a silent divorce amongst the American approach to team golf over the past decade. That said, I’m hopeful that restoration and revival are attainable by the time we get to Adare.
Until then, the spirit alone might be enough for the shield this week in Chicago.
P╞r╠℮P.S. The stamp at the top of the newsletter is Roaring Gap Club, by Dave Baysden. It is also a sneak peek at September’s mail club, which was sent out today.
’m packing up my pullovers for a golf weekend in the North Carolina mountains. Not all golf trips are made alike, and I circle this annual trip on my calendar early every year. So much so that I wrote about it for this month's mail club, which went in the mail today. Along with art from two of the places I’ll be at. If you’re not already a subscriber and would like to be, just click the link below, and I’ll send you a copy on Monday when I’m back to reality.
As mentioned last week, it’s been a crazy season in our household, which has put Pards on the back burner. That said, I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I think you will be too.
Thankful you’re here.
