Team 1997 Limps Into 2009 Cup

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Team 1997 celebrates after their lone Phi Alpha Cup victory in 2007.

SANDS INJURY REPORT LEAKED

April 27, 2009
Mere days before one of the most anticipated Phi Alpha Cups in history, Team 1997 released its mandatory pre-event injury report – a document which raised even more questions about whether Team 1997 would be ready to put together the effort needed to win the prestigious Cup. The released report – which documents injuries to team captain Andy Sands ranging from broken bones and torn ligaments to a toothache – comes on the heels of a turmoil-filled offseason for the 97ers. And while considered the heavy favorites on paper once again in 2009, the recurring issues surrounding Team 1997 have many golf experts wondering if this will be yet another year where the 97ers fall short of victory.

The report also seems to answer questions as to why Sands was a no-show at this weekend’s pre-PAC exhibition matches held at Kiawah Island, SC, until Saturday evening’s post-golf ceremonies. The Team 97 captain cancelled the remainder of his 2008 schedule after a disappointing 2008 Cup effort due to his well-publicized hip injury, and Sands has not been seen playing a competitive round since the 2008 event. His conspicuous absence from golfing circles over the past year and the latest injury report have golf pundits wondering whether Sands is capable of leading his team to victory.

In addition to questions involving Sands, the rest of Team 1997 did nothing to inspire confidence with Cup prognosticators at the Kiawah Island exhibition. Team 1997’s steady hand, Andrew Parker, shocked fans by dropping his exhibition match to wild man Steve Burr by a whopping 6 strokes. Adding to the disarray in Kiawah was the last minute withdrawal from the exhibition by Chandler Willett and the revelation that he may be without equipment for the 2009 Cup. Willett dropped Ping last fall in favor of Titleist, but due to logistical complications, may not have his new clubs in time for the event.

When reporters caught up with Sands the day after the exhibition in Charleston, SC, the team’s captain dismissed the team’s injury report as an “administrative formality” and assured the press pool that he and the rest of his team would be ready to play.

“The injuries you’re referring to are nothing more than nicks and pains that every golfer deals with during the course of a season,” said Sands. “Something like a stress fracture in your foot only bothers you if you put weight on it, like when you’re standing over a golf ball. Or a torn knee ligament – Tiger won a U.S. Open with one of those. Lacerations and broken bones in your hand? That would only bother my grip of the club, and a torn rotator cuff only prevents me from making any sort of real shoulder turn. A toothache’s a toothache.”

And while Sands may seem dismissive of the physical ailments contained in Team 97’s Injury Report, what seems more concerning to golf analysts is Team 97’s mental status – the primary cause for multiple Cup disappointments in the past.

Fortunately for the 97ers, there’s no PAC disclosure requirement or checkbox for “Saturday meltdown.”

Copy of the Leaked Team 1997 Injury Report: