Editor's Blog: In a spin

Mike ponders the the future of the Ryder Cup and the amount of spin Tiger gets on the golf ball. Six weeks well spent then since his last blog entry

If, as they say, a week is a long time in politics, then six weeks is a very, very long time between blog entries. But, ever the pint half full man that I am, I have to see the month and half long sabbatical from my on-line diary, as an improvement after my last lay-off of seven weeks.

I think one of my biggest problems when it comes round to filling an update is the fact I feel I have to wait until I have something really worthwhile to say before I tap away.

I have come to the conclusion that this plan is flawed as almost always a period of newsworthy happening is followed by a mad rush to catch up lost time. And so it has been since February the 12th - the date of my last effort.

If truth be told that as well as getting our biggest issue of the year out of the door (May, which features our 2007 Equipment Guide) I must admit to having also played a fair amount of golf in the last six weeks. I?d like to say my game is now in the groove and I?m ready to go low in April. The truth is that I can?t buy a putt. I?m very bored of my own company in the car and and I?ve been doing a lot of catching up on day to day stuff on evenings and weekends.

Excuses out the way I noticed two things while watching Tigers cakewalk of a fourth round at the WGC event at Doral that prompted me to put fingers to keyboard.

Firstly the quality of the golfers representing the ?Rest of the World? in the field - especially compared to their US counterparts - and how perhaps the Ryder Cup should now be Europe vs ROW.

Secondly - how timely the announcement from the USPGA and R&A seems on possible regulations to curb the control modern irons and wedges give top players from the rough. I know Tiger is something else but the amount of spin and bite on his approach shot to 5th green - played from from the rough into which he?d bombed his tee shot - seemed almost farcical.

Food for thought on both accounts. What do you think? Drop me an e-mail to michael_harris@ipcmedia.com with your thoughts.

Mike Harris
Content Director

Mike has been a journalist all his working life, starting out as a football writer with Goal magazine in the 1990s before moving into men’s and women’s lifestyle magazines including Men's Health, In 2003 he joined Golf Monthly and in 2006 he became only the eighth editor in Golf Monthly’s 100-plus year history leading the brand until July 2023. He is now Content Director overseeing Golf Monthly and two other iconic sports brands, FourFourTwo and Rugby World.

His three main passions in golf are courses (he's played over 500 courses worldwide), equipment (he's always in search of something shinny to give him an edge) and shoes (he owns more pairs than he cares to mention!).  

Mike’s handicap index hovers at around 10 and he is a member of four golf clubs: Hartley Wintney, Royal Liverpool, Royal North Devon and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.


Mike's current What's In The Bag? 

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ 9° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 5S

Fairway woods: TaylorMade Sim Max 3/15° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 6S & TaylorMade Stealth 7/20° - Fujikura Ventus Red 6S

Utility Iron: TaylorMade Stealth UDI 3/21° - Aldila Ascent 90HY

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (5-PW)  - Nippon Tour NSPro 950S

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 50°, 54° and 58° - KBS Tour Hi-Rev s2.0 hafts

Putter: Evnroll ER2B (Gravity Grip) 

Ball: TaylorMade Tour Response (Yellow)