[pnomm]

The technology debate has been stirring for years and years, but in my opinion a very ominous precedent has been set over the last couple of days by Phil Mickelson. As many of you are aware, he used two different drivers in last weeks runaway victory at the Bellsouth, and he is planning to do the same thing at Augusta this week. I have always (and will continue to do so) recommend to a player debating which club to put in his or her bag put in the scoring club (ie. add a gap wedge and get rid of the 3-iron). We all know that more shots are played from 100-yards and in so I would rather be better armed for those shots instead of the occasional need for that longer club.

What Phil has done is remove his 56-degree sand wedge and replaced it with a second driver. But the thing that gets me more than that is the fact that he is using one driver to hit a draw and one for the fade. The ability of Callaway to move the position of the internal weights in his FT-3 allows him to use essentially the same swing to achieve the two completely different results. Phil is relying on technology to do something which has always been done by a player's skill instead.

Even more, Phil is noted for his ability to hit all kinds of shots and for playing by feel, so this comes as a real surprise to me. A player who has forever trusted his ability to create and exectute a masterful shot will now simple choose driver A over driver B. HOWEVER, this will force him to have to create some shots where a routine 56-degree wedge would have done the job. So maybe what he has done is showed us he has more faith in his short-game creativity than his driver. As always in golf, there is give-and-take.

Fortunately for the game we still have the 14-club rule (as well as what Colin Montgomery named the "3-headcover rule"). Technology certainly is capable of filling the "Al Czervik Caddyshack" bag with a club for every shot imaginable, but at least we are limited and are forced to rely on ability. Skill - what a concept, huh? Maybe we should reduce the limit to 12 or 10. I would be for anything that put true shotmaking back in the game. It is tougher, but I find it more satisfying to pull-off the under the trees low cut to a back right pin than a simple 150-yarder from the middle of the fairway. To me shotmaking is the essence of the game, and hitting ALL KINDS of shots makes it the great game that it is.

I don't want to wish any bad luck on Phil, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him need that club at some crucial time this week. It already has jumped up to bite him - remember that shot on #18 in the third round last week at the Bellsouth? He had to try to cut a 52-degree wedge and came up short in the water. The second shot was well long, and he made double to spoil an otherwise perfect week. Time will tell the impact it has, and we will get to see first hand how he handles it. It is an interesting concept, and there are all kinds of views on it. You have heard my 2-cents - what do you think?

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