As the year 2015 A.D is now in the books and we’re held captive in the 19th hole looking out the back window, there 5 things that crossed our desks/televisions/tablets over the last 12 months that really stood out.  Not necessarily great play, but more like 5 of those “Shake My Head” moments that are stuck in the cranium and just won’t go away.

Here we go, counting down from 5 to 1, our “5 for 2015”:

5.  Ryan Moore  – Almost a year ago at Riviera’s par 4 #10 on Saturday, Moore drives the green, then LIPS OUT HIS TEE SHOT, and has to work to make par.  His tee shot was  tracking, but after it passed the flagstick on the green that looks as though it doubles as the roof of a Volkswagen Beetle, it of course skated off.  Check it out on this clip.  We also got to spend some time with Ryan on our GolfBetter Podcast in our U.S. Open preview episode.  You can listen to it below, on our BLOG, on our WEBSITE or subscribe free on iTunes (who would have thought there would be so many ways to listen?).

4.  One Mad Hopper – I’m not sure what these 2 Aussies did to hack off this kangaroo, but this is still one of the funniest clips ever on a golf course.  In short, one of them is in the cart and the playing partner, assuming his name is “Conner” (that’s about all we can make out it when the driver is screaming his head off), apparently have done something that really got this kangaroo “hopping mad.” These guys go from zero to full speed in the electric cart as fast as physics and gravity will allow, and the kangaroo just keeps closing in on them.  We did cut about 1.5 seconds of audio from the original clip, as the driver let an expletive go that wouldn’t be suitable for the “Under 17 crowd,” although many of them probably would use it if they were getting chased down like this.  It, too, is on our BLOG or you can view here.

3.  Chambers Bay – Okay USGA, you had your fun.  If you didn’t learn your lesson this time you probably never will and don’t care.  If the Merion experiment worked in 2013, the Chambers Bay experiment exploded in the beaker.  Combine that with a new broadcasting team from FOX Sports (oh my goodness, where do we start, well check it out HERE) and it was like watching Young Frankenstein in color. Fans on the course couldn’t even follow their groups more than a couple of holes. Even the Black Knight was giving it a dress down (see below).  Let’s just say that the best thing about the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay is that it’s over!

2.  Dustin Johnson – The tour’s current BPTNWAM (Best Player To Never Win A Major) certainly had his chances.  After a win for the ages at Doral, it looked as though the table was set for him for a season to remember.  Not to be.  As he lined up his eagle putt on 18 at Chambers Bay, needing 2 putts for a playoff, I turned to the television and said, “Please just don’t three putt.”  The television didn’t listen.  Neither did Dustin.  Certainly a SMH moment for me, as this guy’s got some severe talent.  Maybe he’ll ditch the label BPTNWAM in 2016, but until then, let’s turn back the clock to the interview we had with him on our podcast back in March, which can again be found on our BLOG, our WEBSITE and on iTUNES or on Soundcloud (yet another podcast plug).

1. Happy 40th Birthday Tiger Woods – Who among the devout golf followers can’t remember where we were when Woods limped his way through an 18 playoff and one extra hole at Torrey Pines to capture the 2008 US Open and his 14th major championship?  And who among those would have thought that through almost the 7 following seasons, that there would be no more majors in his cabinet.  None.  Zero.  Nada.  Zilch.  Goose Egg. Well, on December 30, Tiger turned the big 40.  Not much fan fare.  Oh, ESPN put out a list of “40 Nuggets of Info” for him, the man he’s chasing tried to give him some inspiration telling him on Twitter, “Happy Birthday @tigerwoods! Just remember that 40 is the new 30. I had one of the greatest years of my life when I turned 40…” But, one can not only wonder if we’ll ever see another major championship win from him, but if the page has turned completely.  The SMH moment for all of us was the greatness and the dominance that we saw for that 22 year stretch from 1996 to 2008 where he dominated both physically and mentally.  Like a young Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali.  Pure greatness.  I hope for all of us we can see it at least one more time in a major.

Well, that’s it for this year.  We hope that 2016 will be a great one for you.  Get off the couch and get on the course. Go to the range and hit some balls.  Stroke some putts.

As CBS’s Jim Nantz said on our PODCAST (another shameless plug, really?), “It’s the greatest game of all.”

Just don’t harass any kangaroos on the course!

“CONNOR, GET IN THE CART!! GET IN THE CART!!”