Long hitting Bubba; Weir's rebound; thanks Mr. Gordon

Dave Davies in the Telegraph has an interesting story about the longest hitters on tour and the impact they are having on the courses they play. Bubba Watson's name is front and center. Vijay Singh had this to say:

"He is making a fool out of us all. Keep that name in mind - Bubba Watson. That guy hits the ball 350 yards through the air."

Davies also spoke with Irish designer Pat Ruddy, who had this to say about the explosion in distance:

"After these guys have driven the ball they have consumed over 70 per cent of the golf course. There's nothing left. The entire values of the game are being attacked by one club, the driver."

You can find the entire story here.

Toronto Star writer Jim Byers writes about Mike Weir's attempt to rebound to his 2003 form and his avid fanbase. Weir says calling 2006 a "critical year," is too strong:

"Do I think that's a little strong?" he asked. "I think that's probably a lot strong. What's critical about it? I don't have anything to prove in this game. I've proven myself and I'm just going to continue to work harder and get better. I feel like I've got a long career ahead of me."

The full story is here.

Oh, and a big shout out to avid reader, Sportsnet's very own golf analyst John Gordon. He sent me a kind note this morning about his story on Angus Glen's North course and the Canadian Open. Thanks for stopping by!