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Last night, Barry Bonds did not hit his 714th home run…but he came close. Now, the world waits for the next game and the next home run…then the next…etc. As other athletic records skyrocket into McCovey Cove, how will golf records evolve? In the giant record book of all professional sports, is more value given to addition as opposed to subtraction?

Exceptional golf talent is characterized by going below average. Applying this idea to basketball and football equates to teams that win with scores equal to or less than zero points. Huh? Golf is the California Black Jack of sports.  

As golf courses reach to extended lengths and inherit more hazards, professional golfers continue to hit the ball further and scores continue to go lower. 59’s by Duval and Mickelson have been carded in the recent past and JB Holmes’ victory at the FBR is a new case study. How low can these players go? Is Vision54 attainable or beatable? Or is it just the mantra of “baby boomers” like the LPGA's Ai54? Golf doesn't have too much further to go until someone birdies every hole and tosses in some eagles when he/she gets hot. As the game progresses, critics are asking for more restrictions on golf clubs and balls. Rules can be made to limit equipment, but can you limit the potential of the professional athlete?

A general trend in sports is the decreasing age of professional athletes. Sophomores are drafted to the NFL, high schoolers lace on basketball shoes that bear their names, and golfers attempt to put their name on leaderboards before they can even put it on a driver’s license. Is this a good idea? If so, what is the age threshold for professional athletes and their ability to compete at the professional level? What will we be left with when youth is no longer a trend?

Barry Bonds may hit homer after homer, but a more interesting phenomenon to watch may be the "absolute valueing" of golf. In a sport of sub-par numbers, the PGA may resort to abstract mathematics to give their athletes a career with no boundaries. It's either that or “Stablefordize” all the scores of the past and future.