The War at the Shore - 1991 Ryder Cup @ Kiawah.
Freddie wins the Masters in '92.
Ben Crenshaw's emotional win at Augusta in '95 after his mentor, Harvey Penick, passes away that same week.
Greg Norman's epic collapse the following year in the Masters, gift wrapping Faldo's third green jacket.
Tiger's overpowering win at Augusta in '97.
Duval becomes the 3rd player to shoot 59 in an official event in '99, the same year he wins the Players Champ.
Payne Stewart's remarkable win at Pinehurst in '99, and dies three months later.
Tiger's second major at the PGA @ Medinah, where rookie Sergio finishes second.
Jean Van de Velde's major choke job at Carnoustie in '99, losing a three shot lead on the final hole.
1999 Ryder Cup... still one of the most memorable RC's in history.

2021 marked the first time in 30 years that I didn't bother to watch the Ryder Cup. I still watch the majors, but only because of DVR and the ability to FFW through the ads and mindless commentary. And even then I confess that I zoom through most of the rounds to the final hour even for the majors.

It wasn't always like this. There were years when I would literally pause everything else going on in life to enjoy televised majors... I remember one year when my cable company considered pulling Golf Channel from their cable plan. I informed them that they would lose my business if they did so, and in the end they ended up keeping it as-is. Today? I might tune in for a few minutes per month just to relive an old memory from one of the Classic reruns of the majors back in the day. I've not watched it enough the past few years to even know who the personalities are on the network now.

Perhaps it has a lot to do with the fact that I basically retired from playing golf a few years ago, after waning interest combined with a notable change in disposable cash. Then again, maybe there's more to it than that. Maybe it's just not as interesting to me as it used to be.

The 1990's were definitely the year when the pro side of the game got me hooked, courtesy of the War at the Shore in the 1991 Ryder Cup. What a dramatic event that was to burst one's cherry! Other memories from that decade... Ben Crenshaw winning the Masters, the same week his beloved mentor, Harvey Penick, passed away. I still remember him dropping his putter, bending over with his hands covering his face, as he cried like a baby after that putt dropped on the final hole Sunday. God, that was incredible stuff...

Greg Norman's epic meltdown on Sunday the following year, gift wrapping Faldo's third green jacket. My gosh... as enjoyable as it was for me to watch Ben the year before, it was as painful to watch Norman choke the way he did.

Then the following year, when a skinny black kid from California took his place atop the echelons of sports with his overpowering win at Augusta in '97.... I still remember him being paired with Monty and how Monty looked like a struggling amateur in a pro-am compared to Tiger.

Long before trackman, lasers, GPS, and entourages of trainers, nutritionists, sports psychologists and swing coaches were given carte blanch player privileges at every event each week and given tv time to talk about 'their guy.' Back when driver heads looked more like baseballs than watermelons. Back when Balata was getting edged out of the players bags and the DT wound 2-pc was the preferred ball of choice. (the PROV1 didn't debut until 2000, and then TaylorMade released the 5-pc in 2009).

Back when guys were lucky to pocket half a million to win a major. Today? The winner's take is well over $2 million.

Back when 440 yards was a meaty par4. Back when players used mid-irons and screamed for the balls to land softly to avoid caroming into ankle-deep rough around the greens, unlike today where approach shots with 4-irons look like they've been airdropped from the Goodyear blimp. Back when driver-wedge might've happened 2-3 times per round, not 12-13 times like today for some of the longer hitters.

Golf just seemed..... more?

We bellyached while Tiger was running the tables all those years, praying that a real rival would emerge. The only rival he ever really had was Mickelson, and well... he wasn't even close, although I think Phil gave Tiger some motivation to keep improving. Of course, there will never be another player like Tiger. I think he was incredibly lucky to enter the picture when he did. And... the same thing could be said about Jack, Arnie, etc. but that goes without saying.

Today, the only exciting thing about golf is whether Koepka and Bryson are going to tangle at a post-round interview. I don't doubt that there's bad blood there. I just find it incredibly childish. Both of them. And for the most part, I find Koepka fairly boring. Bryson, at least, has a bit of Mickelsonesque feast-or-famine that causes me to pay him more than a passing glance. Brooks is a diva.

And the quality of golf has never been better. I guess that's the downside. So many different players, half of whom I've never heard of outside of 30-seconds of sports news each morning. I find so few of them interesting. I miss the days when rivalries were born on the golf course instead of what so-and-so said on social media.

Honestly, with no offense directed toward Rickie Fowler... but that's what the tour has become to me. Walking billboards who hit the ball 325 yards, wedge it to 10 feet, and spend 3 minutes tapping in 2-footers for par.

Tell me I'm wrong.