Guandu

Welcome to my blog about sports, specifically, Soccer and Golf!

The Origins of Soccer

The Ancient civilizations hold traces of records of soccer but it was only in the mid 1800’s that it became the sport that most people know nowadays.

The Han Dynasty had a game called “tsu chu” which literally meant kicking the ball which was a part of their military training while Japan, on the other hand, played Kemari in the 7^th century which is a lot similar to a game of footbag today. A century earlier though, calico was played in the streets of Florence and Venice where teams gathered to handle and kick a ball around.

But soccer history officially began with England as it developed the rules and game of soccer. In 1863, the Football Association, which is also the oldest existing football association, split from the rugby association and began playing soccer games in private schools. Its initial rule was that the ball should not be carried or handled by hands.

In 1871, the first official soccer competition was played as the FA Cup at the Wembley Stadium in London. And it was only in 1885 that FA recognized professional players and received payments not so different from the amount average workers were being paid.

The year after, the first friendly international match was played between the English and Scottish soccer players. Although, it ended in draw, it signaled the beginning of camaraderie among countries and of the growth of soccer. Soccer history was only progressing.

FIFA — International body and the World Cup

It was only in 1904 that FIFA, Fédération Internationale de Football Association was formed. Seven European countries with different football associations including France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland met in Paris to form the governing body.

Although, they planned for an international competition the next year, it was only in 1930 that the World Cup started. The first winner was Uruguay, who was also the host for the event beating Argentina in an epic final.

In just after 8 years, the World Cup has gained so much popularity that preliminary games had to be played. This had to be done in order to pre-qualify the top 16 countries. Italy consecutively won the trophy in 1934 and 1938. Today, FIFA has more than 200 member countries.

Soccer: Rise to Fame and Shame.

In 1960, soccer began receiving media coverage and has catapulted the sport into the mainstream. As this happened, so did hooliganism increased. Though spectator violence started even before the soccer industry was organized, game referees and authorities remain the target of hooliganism.

Unfortunately, the media, which has helped propel the game into its success today, has also been the medium that continuously sensationalizes violence and racism within the industry.

Soccer Today

With FIFA strongly advocating for the sport, it is no wonder that it has become the largest and single most popular single tournament today. The World Cup has become a major sporting event attracting more than 30 billion watchers on the television alone.

Still strapped with hooligans and legendary rivalries, the sport has remained almost the same with the exception of high priced professional players. Most of the reputation of the game today is centered on its individual players and sometimes more so because of their looks and off pitch exposures.

But all in all, soccer remains in the hearts of many fans and is seen to subsist for more years to come.

The World of Soccer

Soccer or football is a very popular sporting event. The magnetic footwork, ball passing and goal kicking ability of its players are all the right components attracting one to simply stop and watch the game progress.

It is one of the few games played in more countries independent of social status, economy and race. More and more people enjoy the game and that is why many tournaments and competitions are regulated and played each year to keep the interest of the fans alive.

1. The World Cup

This is a gathering that occurs every four years to celebrate and experience first-hand the beauty and diversity of soccer. The World Cup brings together 32 national teams to play against each other in the span of three years leading up to the fourth and world cup year.

This competition is governed by the FIFA and has been played 19 times since it started in 1930. Brazil holds the most victories with 5 wins but is followed closely by Italy and Germany with 4 and 3 world cup trophies, respectively. The World Cup is the most celebrated international soccer tournament and like the Olympics, different countries vie to host the prestigious event.

2. The Football Association Challenge Cup

This is the oldest soccer association in the world and one of England’s most competitive. Unlike other soccer competitions, the FA Cup gives no seeding to every eligible team and follows a knockout system of play.

Any team from the English Premier League or FA League Competitions can participate in 14 rounds of intense battle between any two great English soccer team. The soccer competition is famous for matching little and unknown teams to bigger teams. Many times, the smaller clubs get lucky and manage to win over the more famous clubs in the league. The winning team automatically qualifies for the UEFA Champions League.

3. UEFA Champions League

This is an international soccer event that is played annually and showcases only the top European soccer clubs. Thirty-two teams are divided into different groups and like the World Cup, each team play against each other in round-robin matches.

Real Madrid holds the most victories as the club successfully bested other clubs nine times since it was first established. The reigning winner however is the Spanish Club, Barcelona.

4. Copa del Rey

This is translated in English as the King’s Cup and is the major soccer competition in Spain. It was established in 1902 and has been played ever since. There are a restricted number of teams eligible to play for the Copa del Rey. Since it began, Barcelona FC has become a force to reckon with among the Spanish clubs as it has won the trophy 25 times.

5. Premier League

Twenty teams play it and each team encounters each other in a double round-robin system. The soccer competition is played with 38 games with the top 4 teams automatically qualifies for the UEFA Champions league.

Up until today, the league has been criticized for the dominance of the “big four” teams namely Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

History of Golf Like You Never Knew Before

The history of golf is a topic much debated amongst golfing enthusiasts. This sport has been around for centuries now but it has been synonymous to unclear and uncertain origins. Nevertheless, the game particularly its modern form is widely accepted as an evolution of the sport which was played during the Middle Ages in Scotland. However, it was not internationally known and popularized until the latter part of the 19^th century. It became a widespread and favourite sport invading the UK, British Empire and finally the United States.

Golf Evolution: The Roots & The Branches

In modern golf – the world of playing golf, the general information and historical accounts agreed upon by experts and golfing buffs state that the Scots were the very first of the golf junkies. They were also attributed as the ones who invented the game although there are still others who do not agree to this claim.

In March 6, 1457, it was James II of Scotland who actually barred the sports of football and golf due to its interference to the game of archery. Archery was known as the needed sport which must be prioritized by the Scottish defenders and the aforementioned sports were actually getting in the way. Hence, it was believed that golf has been around for at least five centuries now. The legend of golf was conceptualized from the story that Scottish shepherds near St. Andrews who were bored of their daily chores played and hit stones into rabbit holes using wooden sticks.

In the 14^th century, there emerged innumerable variations of the game of golf especially in France, Belgium, Scotland and Holland. However, in 1603, the Scottish baron James IV was the one who actually introduced and popularized golf in England during his succession to the English throne.

The Earliest Organizations of Golfers

The history of golf was also enriched with various pillars that started and maintained the game for centuries up to the present. In 1744, Edinburgh golfers decided to form a society or club which they called the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. They organized an annual golfing competition with guidelines provided known as the first 13 rules of golf. Those who participated were golf enthusiasts and sportsmen around Ireland and Great Britain. The Society of St. Andrews Golfers followed suit in 1834.

Other golf clubs existed outside the Scottish realm such as the Royal Blackheath Golf Club of England, Old Manchester Golf Club, Royal Montréal Club, Quebec Golf Club, and the St. Andrews Club of Yonkers.

The Earliest Golf Equipment

One of the golfing gears which undergone the most development throughout the years is the golf ball which has been standardized for size and weight in 1930s. Another important golf equipment is the golf club which has early forms and developed through the years. The very first ones where made of wood until the metal forms used today. The golf course, gloves and more golfing accessories also came about which features functions highly necessary and acceptable especially in the modern game of golf.

Golf Tournaments: Formats, Terms & More

Golf tournaments are basically run by the PGA or Professional Golfers Association. There are at least a total of 2o tours by professional golfers held every year. The PGA is the organization which functions as the authorities arranging the golfing events, regulating the tournament and finding sponsors. There are two main associations for professional golfers today known as the Professional Golfers Association of America and the PGA in Great Britain and Ireland.

All about the PGA Tour

PGA Tour is the widely known and most popular of all golf tournaments. On top of the World Golf Championships and four Major events, this is the tour which is known to attract a stronger field. The big magnetizing factor is that the PGA Tour usually offers at least $800,000 for the first prize or champion golfer. The next and second biggest golfing tour in terms of worldwide prestige  is the European Tour which invites and attracts golfers residing outside North America. Golfing pros and enthusiasts actually take part in tournaments to earn them a membership in both the European and PGA Tour.

There are other leading tours for male golfers today including the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia. Others include the Tour de las Americas which was started in 2007, Canadian Tour in 200 and the Professional Golf Tour of India among others.

Golf Tournaments for Seniors & Women

Golf is becoming a universal and all-encompassing sport hence you could now find different golfing competitions for older players as well as women. Men aged fifty and above could take part in various senior tours. One of the best known tours for older players is the Champions Tour which is only based in the United States.

You could also take part in six principal tours designed for women. Each of the six tournaments is actually allocated in different continents and countries. The LPGA Tour is the most renowned and prestigious of these tours. If you play in each of the tours and fortunately ended as one of the high finishers in your event, you earn points to make you qualify for the Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Golf Tour Formats and Terms

There are innumerable formats used in most golf tournaments today and the oddest you could find are usually used in golf association play days, company outings and such. Here are some of the most popular formats for golf tournaments:

Scramble

This is the most commonly used for team tournaments where there are 2-4 participants. Players choose one best shot per stroke and followed by each member of the team where they play again from that particular shot.

Best Ball

All the members of the team must play their own ball and are counted per individual hole. When the game ends, the lowest score recorded among team members would be utilized as the official team score.

Other known formats of golf tournaments include alternate shot, modified Stableford, chapman or Pinehurst, flags, bingo bango bono, lone ranger and Peoria system.

Golf Superstars Then & Now

Golf is a century-old sport which has been famed and loved by people from all walks of life, no wonder you could find the most versatile list of golf superstars. There are golf enthusiasts and lovers who have been known all throughout the world, ones were loved and others were loathed. Knowing the rich history of the game requires you to also learn the famous faces and figures who made it big in the tee and in the course of history.

Here are some of the most popular golfers with versatile backgrounds from royal bloods and nobles, writers, movie icons, politicians, monarchs, gangsters and so much more.

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)

According to the man who was once dubbed the richest man in the world, he never found his business “anything more than mere play.” Quoted from the world-renowned figure behind the infamous Carnegie Steel Company, “Golf is the only serious business of life.” He bought in 1898 the Skibo Castle in Scotland which he considered his home away from home. This Yorker refurbished the castle and built a golf course on the ground to indulge in his sport.

Winston Churchill (1897-1965)

The infamous World War II figure was known for his bulldog spirit as a politician, war hero and leader but aside from being that and an orator, painter and writer, he is also a golf enthusiast. He frequently plays the sport with other known leaders and authorities where it was told that he used to discuss on the golf course his political views and other weighty matters. Churchill also played golf during his travels in other countries such as France and the US.

Bill Clinton (1946)

The 42^nd president of the United States of America started playing golf during his teenage years in Arkansas. He somehow quitted the sport when he was 17 but returned to playing it after a decade. Clinton used golf as his de-stressor especially when he already entered the world of politics. As quoted from this famous 12-ish handicap, “Golf is like life a lot of ways. The most important competition is the one against yourself. All the biggest wounds are self-inflicted.”

Bill Gates (1955)

The world’s richest man and the co-founder of Microsoft is also a self-proclaimed golfing buff. In fact, he is a member of the Augusta National Golf Club. He plays golf with the 2^nd richest man in the world, his close friend Warren Buffett. It was in the early 1990s when Gates started playing golf. He was featured in 1998 in an advertisement made for the Callaway’s Big Bertha driver.

Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003)

This world-famous Hollywood actress started playing golf when she was only 5. Her love for the sport started in her native home in Connecticut where she used to play in a nine-holer golf course in their family retreat home. Hepburn also made a classic golf movie however it was in 1938 when she had her greatest break in golf. During her twilight years, she went back to Fenwick, Connecticut to play 36 a day.

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