Customer Reviews

The Majors - In Pursuit Of Golf's Holy Grail

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is great. It is suspensefull and informative throughout. You are introduced to the various golfers as they play, or attempt to qualify for the majors. The tournaments are covered in more detail than you get on TV and with much more insight into what is going on in the heads of the players. The book would be good for anyone who has ever played or watched golf on TV. It is especially enjoyable if you happened to attend any of the major golf tournaments in 1998.

I was quite disappointed with this book of Feinstein. But to be completely fair about it, it may not be this book per se, but simply that I have grown tired of Mr. Feinstein's writing style.

I admire Mr. Feinstein's work as being extremely well-researched, and I enjoy his occasional appearances in the ESPN Sports Reporters show. In that Sunday morning show, he is forced to be much more critical and opinionated than he is in this or any other of his books.

I wished he could have used some of the edge from his book on tennis to apply to this book. Even some of the humor of "A Good Walk Spoiled" would have been appreciated.

But this book is simply a reporting of what happened at each of the 1998 Majors. In Feinstein's opinion, everybody with any connection whatsoever with the PGA or any golf tournament is a fantastic person, a veritable saint. Even John Daly comes across as a wonderful person.

That last treatment is extremely disappointing as the author grew up in a family beset by alcoholism, and knows full well what an alcoholic can do to destroy his/her family. Feinstein really blows it on Daly, who as recent events have shown, cares only about the bottle.

The only person who gets criticized is Matt Kuchar's father.

Feinstein knows full well about the business deals, the multiple conflicts of interest, the interesting political views of the people he talks about. He quotes often about the players complaining of the grueling schedules of the golfers, yet he never questions the greed behind many of these commitments.

I was hoping for an even-handed treatment of the subject manner. Not a book that criticizes everybody, but neither one that praises everyone. Unfortunately, by being so uncritical, the book became dull rather quickly and while informative, it wastes Feinstein's superb writing skills.

I once had the opportunity to tell the famous sports author, Roger Kahn (of "Boys of Summer" fame) that for some reason, baseball and golf seem to bring out excellent writing by top authors. For some reason, these two sports (as opposed to the others) spawn very fine literature. Well, John Feinstein showed how truly literate golf wrting can be in "A Good Walk Spoiled" and he does it again in "The Majors." Rather than merely cover the events, he gets into the psyche of the golfers involved. This book does much more than merely cover the four major tournaments in men's professional golf. It makes you feel as though you are in the locker room with the major actors. It makes you feel that you are walking side by side with them on the course. The 1998 golf season was particularly exciting, as demenstrated by Mark O'Meara's wins in the Masters & British Open, and Lee Janzen's miraculous victory as he overcame Payne Stewart in the final round of the US Open. Feinstein captures all of the excitement, not just from the fans' perspective but from that of the players too. This is a really fine sports book.

"The Majors" gave me as much pleasure as any golf book I have read. The blend of history and present day action is well balanced, and the movement through the year (1998) from tournament to tournament gives the book an ideal structure.

This book is a perfect companion to Feinstein's earlier book "A Good Walk Spoiled". That book was an enthralling description of the PGA Tour and the life of the players.

"The Majors" is even more enthralling because the four tournaments that are its subject are at the heart of the game of golf. Because they represent the pinnacle of the game, they deserve the best writing and the finest understanding, and in this book they get it. Like the players, Feinstein has seen the challenge these tournaments represent, and he has lifted his writing another notch to meet that challenge.

I did find the lengthy descriptions of the private life of some players a bit trying, but that's a problem easily solved. I just moved on to where the book returned to the narrative of the tournaments and was immediately engrossed in the story again.

A fine book and a beautifully presented one too.

If you've read "A Good Walk Spoiled," you have to follow it up with this Feinstein gem. He once again takes you inside the game like no one else can. Feinstein puts a great deal of focus on the men behind the Masters, and gives you a good idea of the pressure at the U.S. Open. You also see that most Americans who put the British Open a step below the first two majors are clearly uninformed about what major championship golf is all about. Finally, you realize that the PGA is the least important of the four majors, searching to find an identity to distinguish itself.

Some of the more interesting storylines are the close detail in which Fred Couples' season was followed, the improvement in Payne Stewart's attitude, the unbelievably rock-hard nerves of U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, and the love the Brits showed Open qualifier Larry Mize. However, the most intriguing information comes from the in depth discussion of the career of David Duval. Before I read the book, I despised Duval and thought he was nothing but an arrogant jerk. However, after reading the book, I came to respect him for his no excuses attitude.

Overall, I obviously recommend that anyone who follows the PGA tour read this masterpiece.

John Feinstein does a fine job of understanding the players thoughts and emotions. He clearly has established a trust that enables him to do that. Yet, I seriously question whether he understands his reader as well as he seems to understand the players.

By definition, to read a book like this you have to be a fanatic about the game. If you are, you probably have an appreciation for the finer points and some degree of interest in the technical side of the game.

I understand this is not meant to be an instructional book. But what is it after all that makes these athletes (yes they are athletes) the best in the world at what they do?

While Feinstein does somewhat explore their approach to a tournament (e.g. preparation and how they think their way around the course) he is missing some depth in how they approach developing their overall game.

And he seems to ignore some obvious technical questions that one must ask. For example, he describes Fred Couples as preparing for the 1998 Masters with the conviction that he could not win until he developed the draw that the course seems to dictate. Yet he never asked the obvious question about how Fred managed to win the Masters in '92 with his natural fade -- much less contend in several other Masters. Nor did he note the irony that one of the swings that contributed to his losing the tournament happened to be a hook into the trees on one of the holes (13) that mandates the coveted draw.

Finally, I couldn't help but think that he was pulling some punches to save his relationships. Example: writing about the suicide death of the legendary Clifford Roberts, but never giving us any clue as to what drove the man to this end.

In short, this was a good read and I always like learning about some of the interesting characters underneath their bland exteriors.

I just wish Feinstein had given us a deeper view.

John Feinstein reports the stories of the 1998 major golf championships through the lives of several players who were contending for one or more of them that year. The Majors are, of course, The Masters, The US Open, The Open Championship (British Open), and the PGA Championship. Saying that Mark O'Meara won The Masters and the British Open, Lee Janzen the US Open, and Vijay Singh the PGA Championship says almost nothing about the character, history, and the dynamic nature of life and competition on the PGA tour.

Mr. Feinstein helps us get to know some of these players as people. We learn some things about their health, how the got to the PGA tour, how qualifying for the various majors is done (and other tournaments, for that matter). Of course, the author reports actual competitions and how the leaders changed position and finally emerged victorious.

All of this is told in a rather meandering and leisurely style. If you want crisp, concise, and beginning to end reporting this book really isn't for you. However, if love golfing anecdotes and enjoy reading about golfing events, I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did. I learned about players I didn't know and learned more about some that I did know. Certainly, I learned more about these events we call the Majors and my enjoyment of them has been enhanced because I have read this book. Thanks to Mr. Feinstein for that favor.

The year was 1998 and the winners were Mark O'Meara (The Masters at Augusta National and The British Open at Royal Birkdale), Lee Janzen (The U.S. Open at the Olympic Club), and Vijay Singh (The P.G.A. Championship at Sahalee Country Club). Although all four Majors are conducted under the collaborative supervision of the U.S.G.A. and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club organizations, each has its own terms and conditions for participation as well as stages of qualification to compete with those who, for various reasons, are automatically eligible. For me, one of this book's most fascinating subjects is the qualifying process to which many are called but few are eventually chosen. Perhaps only the annual process to earn a P.G.A card creates greater tension and frustration for those involved.

To the extent that space allows, Feinstein examines wannabes as well as perennial and promising contenders for each of the championships in 1998. He includes hundreds of vignettes and anecdotes about them, thus giving human significance to the names on the scoreboard. I also appreciate having historical information which creates a context for each Major, three of which have a different course location each year. Only the Masters has a permanent site.

P.G.A. golf competition is unique among professional sports in that players are essentially self-regulated, personally assume all costs of participation (travel, accommodations, caddy, etc.), and earn nothing if they fail to make the 36-hole cut. It is not uncommon for one player to prevent another from inadvertently breaking a rule as Tom Kite once did near the end of the final round when he was in contention. Later, Kite was astonished that anyone was surprised by his initiative which probably denied him victory in that tournament. (The player he assisted won it.) Feinstein skillfully captures the flavor and nuances of what can be ferocious competition but also the fact that it is (with rare exceptions) conducted with dignity, style, and grace as well as with exceptional skill.

For those who love the game of golf and especially for golfers who are eager to know what it is like to compete in the Majors, this is the book to read. It reads more like a novel than an almanac. It reveals "the joy of victory" for some and the "agony of defeat for others" while celebrating certain values which seem to have become less common each day...except on a golf course. For whatever it may be worth, over the years I have played probably 500 rounds of golf on several dozen different golf courses (both public and private) and do not remember a single "ugly" encounter with another player. Having said that, I feel obliged to point out that "golf" is "flog" spelled backwards. On numerous occasions, it really has been for me "a good walk spoiled" but my passion for the game and my respect for those who play it so well remain undiminished.

Beginning in 1960, Theodore H. White wrote several "The Making of the President" accounts. I was reminded of that as I read this book, wishing that Feinstein or another author of comparable talent would write an annual volume in (let's call it) "The Making of Majors' Champions" series. This would enable avid golfers such as I to return in time to memorable moments during past Majors competition. End-of-year DVDs featuring such moments plus commentaries among special features would also be much appreciated. Meanwhile, we have Feinstein's lively as well as informative book which recreates (to the extent a text can) stirring triumphs by O'Meara, Janzen, and Singh as well as dozens of other human subplots associated with those victories eight years ago.

This book is notable for its ability to get inside a professional golfer's head & inside a PGA Tour locker room. It's typical of all of Feinstein's work in that his subjects have provided him with unfettered access to their professional and personal lives. For any anyone interested in golf - or simply in competition at its highest level - the story that Feinstein has pieced together around the 1998 major championships is an absolute delight.

One seldom-mentioned aspect of the book that I really enjoyed: Feinstein tags along for the US Open Regional and Sectional qualifiers, as well as for a British Open qualifier. The qualifiers may represent golf in its purest form, and he builds a gripping tale as various strugglers try to fight their way into the big show. It's a thrill to hitch a ride on Larry Mize's back as he tries to qualify for the British. Here's one shining example that it's truly not always about the money.

Make sure you go for the paperback version of this book. It has a sizable 'Afterword' that summarizes the 1999 season, especially Payne Stewart's redemption at Pinehurst & untimely death, plus a recap of Tiger Woods' breakout campaign.

One small complaint: the cover. Okay...Duval, Stewart, Furyk and Woods were a compelling storyline in the book because they each played a significant role in one or more of the majors. But where are the winners? How about using shots of O'Meara, Janzen and Singh instead? Especially O'Meara, with two majors and Player of the Year honors. You'll telling me that Jim Furyk (Q Rating = statistical noise) is going to sell more books that Mark O'Meara? Feinstein does justice in his work to O'Meara's quest to wipe away his reputation as "King of the B's," but this cover is a real slap in his face.

John Feinstein first tackled the PGA tour with his excellent book A Good Walk Spoiled. In that book he extensively looked at the lower end of the tour, Q School, in which golfers competed to gain a Tour Card that would allow them to opportunity to play on the PGA Tour. In his latest, The Majors, he dives into the other end of the spectrum as he dissects the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam and the elite golfers chasing the immortality of being a Majors champion. As usual, Mr. Feinstein's research is impeccable and we get some in depth information about the history of each of the tournaments, especially that of the Masters. While Tiger woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson and other stars are profiled, the real star of the book is Mark O'Meara who won two majors in '98 after previously winning none. As he notes several times in the book, a golfer is never considered to be a truly great golfer unless he has a Majors victory on his resume. Mr. O'Meara had long been considered the best of the B's (golfers without a major) and the insight we get into his quest of a Major is superb journalism. The one negative of the book is that too often we get into the personal lives and relationships of the golfers and those sections start to read like a copy of Tiger Beat. That aside, this book is a good read and has the right balance that will appeal to both the hardcore and casual golf fan.