In golf, on the first two days of a PGA Tour, how are the lines of players? What is the decision process?
There is indeed an established process for determining groups and departure times. On the PGA Tour, hierarchy is very important. Some players have priority. This means that they can take advantage of departures at more lenient times, such as late morning or midday. Several criteria are taken into account, such as the FedEx Cup ranking, the number of major tournaments won, the number of victories on the PGA Tour and the number of years spent on the circuit. In other words, a good starting time is earned. In some cases, such as major tournaments, there may be exceptions for so-called “featured groups”, i.e. those trios of circuit stars that television networks follow specifically for the their entire round, to ensure they attract viewers. Otherwise, less experienced or less talented players find themselves playing together at less desirable tee times.
In golf, what exactly are in the game notebooks of golfers and caddies on the professional tours?
The notebooks mainly contain notes related to the course. The players, and especially the caddies, must walk the field, often more than once, to fully grasp every detail and especially to identify the pitfalls. The notebook is used to record these observations so that once the game begins, golfers know what to expect, where to aim and how to hit each of their shots to ensure they are in the best possible position. The focus is mostly on the greens. For the short game and for putting. The handwritten notes taken by the cadets are fascinating. On the layout of a green, they scribble arrows, to indicate the direction of the drop, the size of the surface, the speed of certain areas of the grass and the areas to aim and avoid around the green. In short, notebooks are very useful to avoid unpleasant surprises and to fully understand the course, because the analysis of the terrain would take too long to do in the heat of the moment.
In soccer, why is the goalkeeper’s uniform a totally different color?
Quite simply, it is a request from FIFA. “Each team must choose three colors for the goalkeeper kit. These three kits must contrast strongly with each other, as well as with the official and reserve team kits,” reads the regulations of the 2022 World Cup. The dissimilarity between the shirts allows supporters, officials and players to clearly identify who the goalkeeper is. This can be quite valuable during corner kicks since multiple players pile into the penalty area. It was especially for officials that in 1909 the English Football Federation introduced this rule.
In tennis, why often bounce the ball dozens of times before serving? As an amateur player, it’s to do like the pros, but why do they do it?
There are several reasons why players make these rebounds. First, there is the idea of dictating the pace of the serving game. The server is in control of the match tempo. It is therefore to his advantage to put the ball at the time that suits him. For example, Roger Federer loved to put the ball in play quickly. This is why some of his serving games often lasted less than two minutes. On the contrary, Novak Djokovic likes to impose a much slower pace. Then there is also the idea that this little pause allows the player to think about his strategy. As he bounces the ball, he can determine if he will serve an out ball, a body ball, on the T, or if he will serve a serve and steal. However, the main reason players bounce the ball is simply a matter of ritual. Like a superstition. You will notice that each player makes the ball make exactly the same number of bounces before serving. For example, Djokovic always makes seven jumps with his racquet and between seven and eleven with his hand. Like Félix Auger-Aliassime, who makes his ball jump four times. Same thing for Nadal and his body tics. These rituals are of paramount importance to most athletes. It’s a kind of security. Like the golfer Patrick Cantlay who stomps the green 14 or 15 times before making a putt.
Mathieu Choinière was chosen on the team of the day 9 in MLS. Is he the first Quebecer to receive such an honor?
Patrice Bernier was the only Quebecer to have been awarded the title of player of the week in MLS, but he is also the only winner of the player of the month title on the circuit. He completed the tour de force in August 2012 with three goals and three assists in the club’s four-game winning streak.
Here are those who made the Team of the Week (including those who spent part of their childhood in Quebec):
