U.S. Open

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by GPK

Richie, you absolutely have to take the modern golf ball and the modern equipment into account. Kenny Perry has been the first to admit that the reason he is playing so well at such a late age is because of the golf ball and equipment. If these kids today played with the golf ball and equipment that Trevino, Jack, etc had to play with...they would get their asses handed to them.

You may be right. The equipment could be the main reason that these guys continue to play so well even at 50 years old. I would have thought the main reason was that the guys today keep themselves in such good shape. But then I look at a guy like Kenny Perry who does not work out and it makes me realize that the equipment may be a big part of it.

But I still think there are way more good players today than in the past. I think there are a number of reasons that the players are better today. First of all, golf is so popular these days and there is such big money in golf that it draws way more of the good young athletes. In the old days, there was no money in golf. Guys like Sam Snead had to work as club pros to supplement their income.

Nowadays there is huge money in golf so it attracts way more young athletes. These is way more competition today. When I was in high-school in the early 1980s, nobody played golf. I was about a 12 handicap in high-school and I was one of the better guys on the team. Today it would probably be hard to make the team if you were a 12 handicap.