Sport-Blog Golfing

Fifth Year on Tour the Charm for Wetterich

Rachel Thomas — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:59:00 +0000

There is of course a lot of money and prestige for professional golfers that manage to make it to the PGA Tour. However, for many PGA players, their longstanding desire is to simply make a living playing the game they love.

That means for every overnight sensation there are another ten players who work at their games, qualify for the tour only to struggle. They then manage to lose their card and have to qualify yet again. Many of those players make a few efforts then never return to the big time. Still others seem to go through the qualifying aspect over and over again.

Brett Wetterich is one of those guys. The man deserves enormous credit for believing in himself, for his path has been one that would test anyone. Though he turned pro in 1994, he would not manage to make the big time Tour until the year 2000. His promotion was not matched by great play, instead he performed poorly. Getting the opportunity to play in only nine events, the Tour newbie made only one cut and lost his card.

Returning again to the harrowing event known as Q-School, Wetterich managed to earn his card in 2001 but could not make the top 125 money list to earn an exemption. He returned to Q-School again and earned his card for 2002, only to miss the top 125 money list yet again.

It got worse. The journeyman missed the Q-School cut for the big tour in 2003. However, he did play well enough to earn a spot on the Nationwide Tour. A tour win in 2003 and a decent performance earned him yet another year on the Nationwide in 2004.

Then some relatively strong play on the Nationwide Tour in 2004 brought Wetterich to the Tour Championship in the number 23 spot on the money list. But the longballer got his game together and finished runner-up in the Championship, earning enough to climb 13 spots and finish tenth on the Nationwide money list to earn his way back to the Tour for 2005.

Sounds like maybe he had finally arrived? Just the opposite. The unheralded Wetterich could not quite keep his PGA card. After finishing 132nd on the money list, he once again had to return to Q-School if he wanted a chance to play in 2006.

But return he did, finishing in a tie for 26th to earn his card once again. Then, in 2006, in his fifth year on Tour, the veteran golfer emerged as a force to be reckoned with, finishing tenth on the money list, earning more than $3,000,000 in the process. He won the 2006 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, and had three other top five finishes, two seconds, at the Memorial Tournament and the Chrysler Championship and a fourth, at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. So solid was his play, the he qualified for a coveted spot on the United States Ryder Cup team.

The win at the Nelson proved to be monumental for Wetterich. In fact, the 1.1 million dollar check for first nearly matched his career earnings for his first 12 years as a professional, even though he owned two victories on the Nationwide Tour, the 2003 Chitimacha Louisiana Open and the 2004 Envirocare Utah Classic.

As yet another sign of the growth in Wetterich, prior to his first top ten performance in 2006, a tie for sixth at the Shell Houston Open in his sixth start of season, Wetterich had managed just three top tens in 76 prior Tour starts. In fact, his record prior to the 2006 season was one marked by his dream and a run of futility. In fact, that 132nd finish had actually been his best in four prior years on Tour.

In 2006, his overall stats also reflected his fine play. His average driving distance of 308 yards ranked him fourth on Tour and his percentage of 300 plus dives topped 45%, good for fifth overall. When it came to scoring, his birdie average of 4.04 per round ranked him sixth and he was eighteenth in overall ranking for ball striking. Most importantly, his six top tens ranked him fifteenth overall, and his earnings put in him in the top ten.

For a man who started playing golf at age the age of two, it has been a long hard road. But Wetterich's faith in his game and his longstanding desire to make a go of it on the PGA Tour finally came to fruition in 2006.

It took 12 long years overall and four on the PGA Tour before this hardworking and dedicated professional made it. Wetterich's story is one that every future golfer will point to, especially those that find the road to making a living on the PGA Tour one filled with roadblocks.

Tiger Woods - Can 2007 Match 2006?

Rachel Thomas — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 01:30:00 +0000

The pundits put it all in context with their comments after Tiger Woods took home yet another title the recent Target World Challenge.

"One last birdie putt he didn't need. One final victory that didn't count."

How fitting.

Tiger wrapped up what might have been his best season ever when his final round 66 helped him cruise to a four shot victory over another limited field, although many competitors were amongst the best the world has to offer. For Woods, it was his third victory in eight years at the Target event. Tiger promptly donated the $1.35 million prize to charity, his own Tiger Woods Learning Center.

After his father and trusted confidante, Earl Woods, passed away in May after a long and difficult battle with cancer, Woods had one of his lowest moments of his life and his golfing career. The loss of his dad was so traumatic that Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Open, his first ever missed cut in a major. But once he put the emotion behind him, Woods went on one the greatest runs in modern golf.

From that point on, Woods won the year's final two majors and at one point amassed wins at six consecutive PGA Tour events. Even more amazing, Woods never finished worse than second in a stroke play event for the rest of the 2006 season.

Moreover, the Target World Challenge represented his 11th overall title of the year. What may even be more amazing is that Woods skipped the final five events on Tour in 2006, including the Tour Championship, yet still won eight times in official events. That matched his win total for 1999 and represented one less than his own standard of nine titles in 2000.

It will be fun to see what the red hot Woods will do in 2007. Given his strong finish in 2005 on top of his sterling 2006, many see him once again as the unequivocal favorite at every PGA event. So hot is Woods that even Golf magazine is picking 2007 as the year that he manages the single season grand slam, winning all four majors in the same year.

However, his 2005 total of six wins means his last two seasons of 14 wins still trails that 1999-2000 stretch of 17 titles. Yet that is exactly why 2007 looms so tantalizingly before golf fans. So the question remains, will he continue his run and top even his 1999-2000 run, or will he slow his torrid pace as he did after that amazing stretch? After all, the last PGA Tour event Woods entered that he did not win goes all the way back to the Western Open in early July.

Perhaps to add some suspense, Woods still has not indicated his exact schedule for 2007. Will he start at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii in early January? Or will he wait for one of those tournaments associated with his name, the Buick Invitational?

Whenever he does decide to tee it up, he will put his six tournament win streak on the line. But for amny, the real excitement will not come until April with the first of the majors, The Masters. Only then will we begin to see whether Woods can put that final indelible stamp on his resume, that of the golf grand slam. That honestly seems like the only question left about Woods, as he seems destined to earn all of the all time victory records before he hangs it up.

Yes, everyone will have their eyes on Woods in 2007, to see what this guy can do for an encore.

McNeill Wins Torturous PGA Q-School Event

Rachel Thomas — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:18:00 +0000

George McNeill, 31 years young, emerged as the medalist at the extraordinarily difficult PGA Q-School event, leading the group of qualifiers that carry exempt status to the Tour for 2007. For McNeill, his ninth attempt at qualifying proved to be the charm.

Each year, literally hundreds, if not thousands of golf pro wannabees take the plunge to compete for the coveted privilege of playing on the PGA Tour. It begins with various qualifying stages, then ends with the Final Q-School event where 140 players vie for a PGA exemption card, battling over six incredibly grueling rounds.

McNeill shot a 5-under 67 final round, pushing him five shots clear of the field. His 23-under-par 409 featured five consecutive rounds in the sixties and was the best Q-School performance since that of Scott Verplank in 1997. The current Tour regular Verplank coasted to a six-shot victory that year.

McNeill also earned $50,000 for his performance. The assistant pro at Forest Country Club in Fort Meyers had previously tried, and failed the Q-school, a total of eight times.

Forty players overall earned PGA Tour cards for next season. McNeill was one of 17 golfers who qualified for the exempt status for the very first time. The players with the lowest 30 scores, along with ties, over the six day tournament qualify for the big Tour. The remaining players received various options for play on the Nationwide Tour.

Robert Garrigus was runner-up to McNeill, with an 18-under 414 while Rich Barcelo was third with his 17-under 415.

Twelve players finished tied for 29th at 8 under par. That led to a number of amazing stories in one of golf's greatest pressure cookers.

Jonathan Kaye, twice a U.S. PGA Tour winner, manage to hole a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish at 8 under. However, at the time the cutoff was 9 under so Kaye, thinking he had just missed, proceeded to fling his ball into the water.

Ten players who started the final day outside of the top 30 ended up earning their cards. Michael Allen, who began the day far down the list, tied for 61st starting out, managed a final round 66 to qualify. And former PGA Tour winner Paul Stankowski put aside his opening round 79 to play five solid rounds to earn his card as well.

But the biggest final move belonged to none other than Jaco Van Zyl. Starting the final round tied for 75th, the South African closed with a phenomenal final round of 64 that included holing a 20-25 foot birdie putt on the final hole that helped him earn his card right on the 8-under number. Van Zyl also birdied three of the last four holes in his push to earn a coveted card.

As part of the qualifying process, the next 49 players on the list earned full exemption status for the Nationwide Tour. In a sign as to just how competitive the Q-School event is, that group included a two-time U.S. Open champion in Lee Janzen and past PGA Tour winners Duffy Waldorf and Bob Burns.

Woods to Turn His Hand to Golf Course Design

Rachel Thomas — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 17:23:00 +0000

When you are the world's best and most popular golfer, your name carries an emphasis that is beyond comprehension. Such is the case for the incomparable Tiger Woods, who will turn his attention in the years ahead to golf course design.

It easy to see why Woods would seek to develop a golf course, not the least of which is the money that would be associated with such a project. At the same time, it is easy to see why any entrepreneur would want to have Woods do a course design. After all, nothing could be a greater draw for a new course than to have its name forever linked with the game's best player.

But in perhaps a bit of a surprise, the first such marriage between Woods and a golf course development entrepreneur will occur in the city of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Tiger Woods Dubai, set for completion by late 2009, will be comprised of a 7,700-yard, par-72 course and a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. In addition, the design for the new facility will include a golf academy, 320 high end villas and a hotel to feature 80 suites.

Dubai is an oil-rich city that currently plays host to two European Tour golf events. The city features eight golf courses already including the well-known Emirates Golf Club where the annual Dubai Desert Classic is held. Of course, the Desert Classic on that same Emirates course, originally designed by Jeremy Pern and Karl Litten and recently redesigned in 2006 by Nick Faldo, featured non other than Tiger Woods as the champion earlier this year, topping Ernie Els in a playoff.

Woods joins Els (The Dunes), Thomas Bjorn (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club), Colin Montgomerie (The Montgomerie Dubai), and Ian Baker-Finch (Arabian Ranches Golf Club) as golfers either currently designing, building or having built courses in Dubai. Woods will be working with Tatweer of the government-affiliated Dubai Holding to create his course, one he hopes will set a new standard for golf courses, much as the game's best player has set the standard for play in recent years.

Tatweer was launched in December of 2005 as the strategic and operational driver of a selected group of Dubai Holding entities. The company features a focus on the development of new markets to foster further development in Dubai. The company motto contains many references to world-class performance and the sustaining of business excellence.

Saeed al-Muntafiq, the CEO of Tatweer, indicated that his group never looked beyond Woods as a designer and colleague. According to the CEO, the company wanted the very best it could muster to create the new course. Woods in turn, stated he was excited by the opportunity and the challenge of turning desert terrain into a world-class golf facility.

The association is likely to be one of many for Woods as he moves from his competitive career into an even more lucrative field financially. It is a move that has many wondering if he will be able to continue his dominance as a player if he begins to focus energy on other aspects of the game.

Clubs for the Weekend Golfer - The Old Fashioned Chipper

Rachel Thomas — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:35:00 +0000

One of the more interesting clubs for the weekend golfer to consider is one referred to as a chipper. It is a club that is constructed to match the traditional length of a putter but comes with the loft of a seven iron.

The concept of a chipper is quite simple. Many players, especially those who play irregularly, find that chipping around the green is a difficult skill to learn. Though I play 20-25 times over the course of the summer, I find that chipping well is something that comes only later in the season when I have played a lot or only if I am playing regularly, two to three times per week.

The chipper is designed so as to take away the two most common mistakes that a player makes when chipping around the green. Those two mistakes are striking the ground first, something that will take the speed off the head of the golf club, and the opposite, rising up slightly and skulling the ball, that is blading the center of the ball with the club head.

Consider the case of being in the vicinity of the green, either in the semi-rough or rough, but not having a full shot to the hole. Many players find that creating just the right swing to advance the ball far enough that it reaches the vicinity of the hole without hitting it completely over the green very difficult. A common mistake is to strike the ground just before striking the ball - because of the fact that the player is also trying to swing somewhat softly so as not to hit the ball too far, striking the ground first causes the club to decelerate immediately. The result is often a big divot and a mishit that often travels only a few feet. Sadly the player is then still short of the green and has yet another shot on the score card.

A second problem is to sway or pick your head up as you are about to make contact. If your body rises up even a modest amount you are likely to raise your club as well. The result is a swing that does not come down onto the ball with the proper pinching motion but a flatter approach that causes the club to strike the ball first, often in the middle of the ball. Because the swing is not continuing downward in that case, there will not be a divot and the result will be a skull, the ball being driven too hard, flying across the green so that you often wind up in the rough on the opposite side, having the exact same shot again coming back to the hole. Once again, the player is still not on the green and he/she has recorded a wasted shot.

Because the chipper has the same shaft length and grip of a putter, you use the same stroke as you do when putting. The chipper is designed to elevate the ball slightly but not produce much in the way of back spin. The idea is strike the ball so that it pops into the air to the fringe or edge of the green, then rolls to the hole. Generally speaking, using the exact same stroke (including speed of the club)that you use for a lengthy lag putt will produce enough force to get the ball onto the green and headed towards the hole.

The key in using a chipper is that your consistency will be much greater early in the season. First, you will not have the two big problems most golfers face. Because you are using a flatter putting stroke, hitting the ground first will not take as much speed off the club face as doing so when using a downward striking motion. Likewise, the flatter motion should help keep you in the putt/chip, meaning you will be less likely to pull up and blade the ball. Even if you do, you will find that your miss will again be minimized, meaning you may be short of the hole or may go well past the hole, but you are likely to still be on the dance floor and putting, not repeating another chip.

Yet another reason to carry a chipper in the bag is that such a club can be purchased as either a one-way or two-way chipper. The two-way has a double-sided face, meaning it is made to work exactly the same in both directions. There are many times when a right-handed player will not be able to strike a ball properly due to obstacles in his/her way but could advance the ball if they turned around and used a club left-handed. The two-way chipper is just the ticket, providing a left-handed or right-handed club that is used as a putter. Even without any practice, I can still use a chipper left-handed, putting the ball very firmly, to move it from the obstacle and at least get some advancement of the ball. Otherwise, a player may have to waste a complete stroke with a drop.

I begin each golf season using the chipper around the green. I find I am more consistent early in the season and the club helps me develop my lag putting as well. As the season advances and I begin to get a better feel for my short game, I move to using my seven or eight iron and my wedges, especially if I am in the deeper rough. But if I am in the semi-rough or extended fringe, I feel very confident with the chipper in my hand, assured that even my worst effort will still leave me on the putting surface. Nothing is more frustrating than to fluff or dub a chip then have to step up and try the very same shot yet again. Many times, one mishit leads to another to another, etc.

If you find that your are not as consistent as you would like with your chipping, consider giving a chipper a try. An inexpensive one will run no more than $20.00, a small investment in what could be a major help to your game.

Purchasing High End, Name Brand Golf Clubs

Rachel Thomas — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:45:00 +0000

Probably the worst thing a weekend golfer can do is head off to Dicks Sporting Goods or one of the other big sports discount stores with the mindset that the Big Bertha driver or those Callaway irons will make a big difference in their golf game. In fact, the only thing worse than doing that is to go to Pro Shop at your local club and buy those same items, often for twice the price of Dicks, thinking they will deliver you some serious new game.

However, it can be very tempting when you see those large shiny heads perched on the end of brand new driving shafts to succumb to the notion that they could be just the key to turning your game around. Likewise, though a high end putter may run a couple hundred dollars, it still might feel really good in your hands, so good in fact that your are convinced it will make you more consistent from ten feet in.

That said, the newer golf equipment is often tempting, particularly because a certain style will often feel almost perfect in one's hands. That driver does feel powerful, that putter seems easier to line the ball up, etc.

If you find yourself tempted by the higher end equipment because of this better feel, then you should likely pay attention to it. After all, confidence is half the battle and if a certain club feels better, then when it comes time for you to pull the club from your bag you will likely pull it out with great confidence. That in turn will generally lead to better and more consistent shot making.

So if that Big Bertha driver or that Titleist Rescue wood or that Odyssey Putter gives you that feeling of confidence, then you might just want to try those type of clubs out for real. If you cannot try such new equipment at a shop or even if you do try it at the shop and find you like it, you may want to consider the fact that there are many clones on the market, clubs that are extremely similar in design yet are priced at 25 cents on the dollar.

Truth be told, many of these clones offer the same quality and performance as a name brand club would for the weekend golfer. Yes the pros might actually be able to feel or see a difference but the average golfer will never be able to sense of feel the difference.

So if you are thinking of buying a set of those Callaway, Ping, Titleist, TaylorMade or Cobra woods and irons, you should think again. Yes, these are the biggest name brand clubs on the golf market but they are also the most expensive.

The weekend golfer needs to understand that clone golf clubs are made from the same materials as the high end clubs. They are also designed to match the feel and appearance of the big name outfits, and once placed in the hands of a player with a medium caliber swing, may actually out perform the high end clubs where the entire focus is placed on a very small sweet spot. In other words, the high end clubs will only perform better if the contact point with the ball is identical every time, i.e. when used with a pro caliber swing.

The thing for the weekend golfer to remember is that the clone companies buy their club heads, shafts, and grips from the small set of suppliers that the big companies do. Clones will provide great performance but at a much better price.

So if you are tempted by those larger head drivers that run $250.00 per club or more, take a look at a clone like those offered on Pinemeadow.com, where woods are offered as low as $49.00 that will match many of those you see with the big names. That same company offers a putter for $39.00 that matches the looks and feel of the Odyssey Two Ball White Hot Putter that runs $299.00 in most shops. Many other sites like Redwinggolf.com and Diamondtour.com offer similar types of clones, again at numbers pushing 10 cents on a dollar at times.

So if those high end clubs do tempt you, then before throwing away a thousand dollars on clubs that may yield little in the way of improvement, try one of the clones that most resembles the high end club you seek. If the clone doesn't work for you the way you thought it would, you can be guaranteed that the big name brand will have a been a major disappointment, just as dissatisfying because your game has not improved any but many times more aggravating due to the initial outlay of funds.

And if you find the clone does give you that confidence that leads to game improvement, don't be swayed into thinking the higher end club will lead further. In fact, if you find a club that works for you consistently, you should stick with it.

Golf's Silly Season Comes to an End

Rachel Thomas — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 01:50:00 +0000

Each year the PGA has its end of the year silly season - oh, it is more like the type of golf matches we amateurs play, but by PGA standards it is really a step down, but the money associated with it is hard to fathom.

Even the Grand Slam of Golf fits this basic standard. The only aspect that seemingly brings this event some serious recognition is the fact that the four players chosen for the event are supposed to be the four golfers who had the best performances, over all, in the four majors in 2006.

Ideally there would be the four winners of the four tournaments, the US and British Opens, the Masters and the PGA. Of course, sometimes a player wins more than one of these events, meaning the search begins for a fourth for the foursome.

Then as in 2006, sometimes even one of the winners decides he is not interested in playing. This fit the case of the 2006 Grand Slam, which featured two time major champion Woods, one time major champion Geoff Ogilvy, and two players who did not claim a win in Mike Weir and Jim Furyk - Phil Mickelson being the player opting not to play.

So it was Woods against three others in stroke play, over a two day period. One would not be surprised to learn that Woods took home the top honor. Having won eight times overall already in 2006, Woods took home his seventh Slam title in eight tries. Of course each time it has been on the Poipu course, so it is a venue that Woods seems to have down.

That seventh Grand Slam title came as a result of a two-stroke victory over second place Jim Furyk, the world's number two ranked player. Ogilvy, next in the pecking line on the year finished, yes you guess it third, and Weir who got in because of Mickelson's decision finished dead last. See the concept?

But that's where the silly part comes in - Weir took home $200,000 for just playing the two rounds.

But the Grand Slam is actually the most reputable of a long line of silly events. Next up for consideration is the Merrill Lynch Shootout. Yes this one seems a tad over the top as well, offering $2.75 million in prize money and a startling $675,000 top prize, though it must be split by the winning team.

The event hosted by Greg Norman features a modified alternate shot format on the first day, a best ball format on the second day, and then a full fledged scramble on the third day, with two players forming one team for the three day period. That is of course similar to many club events except in those cases the group can often be a foursome.

Jerry Kelly and Rod Pampling paired to win the tourney, beating Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank in a playoff. Incredibly, after stellar scoring that demonstrates the skills of these pros, the two would win with a bogey on the first playoff hole.

In the tie, both teams shot identical final rounds. Both pairs went into the final round at 18 under and put together sterling, 13-under 59s in the scramble format. Chad Campbell and Nick Price even managed a closing round of 58 for top honors on the final day. Talk about scoring.

Unfortunately for the ladies, Annika Sorenstam, along with partner Fred Couples fished last in the 12 team event. However, Sorenstam became the first female golfer to ever play in the Shootout over the 18-year history of the tournament.

Perhaps one of the more interesting events to watch is the ADT Skills Challenge. It will be televised later, on NBC, December 28th and 29th.

The event features football greats teaming with PGA golfers in contests that focus on six basic shot categories. For the macho men, there is the long drive competition, but the event remains true to its title with trouble-shots, short-iron accuracy, putting, mid-iron and chips over a hazard contests.

Dan Marino teamed with Jason Gore to win the event at the Boca Raton Resort & Hotel. Marino and Gore were the winners of the long-drive, trouble-shot and short-iron events and placed second in the putting, the mid-iron and the chip over a hazard phases. Adding in money for bonus shots, the two split $290,000 in some serious silly season dollars.

Jerry Rice and Trevor Immelman took home $190,000 for second and Sterling Sharpe and one of the top young female golfers in the country, Paula Creamer, finished third (though they took home more dollars with the bonus funds, earning $195,000).

Finally there are the two other big money events, silly season events, none other than the Wendy's 3 Tour Challenge and the well known LG Skins Game. Three Ryder Cup teammates, Scott Verplank, Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson, took home the $500,000 first prize at the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge. The PGA Tour regulars topped the Champions Tour trio of Craig Stadler, Jay Haas and Tom Kite by five shots and the LPGA Tour threesome of Juli Inkster, Natalie Gulbis and Cristie Kerr by seven strokes. Stadler actually had the day's best round, a 9-under-par 63, while Inkster finished second with a 65.

At the Skins, Stephen Ames took home the big bucks by rolling in a three footer for birdie on the third playoff hole of the two day event. That one putt was worth a silly season total of $270,000 and pushed the Caribbean native to a two day total of $590,000 - more dollars than second place at virtually event on tour for 2006. Fan favorite Fred Couples was second with gulp, $385,000. John Daly managed a paltry $25,000 (enough for one alimony check according to the popular long ball hitter) and Fred Funk was shut out over the two days. Couples played the best golf over the two days, recording 10 birdies and an eagle, and was the first day winner totaling $175,000. Ames on the other hand, was shut out on day one.

Wie's Quest Becoming Downright Embarrassing

Rachel Thomas — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 21:23:00 +0000

Michelle Wie seems firm in her resolve to play in men's tournaments. She further seems resolved to play until she makes the cut against a men's field.

The young lady will likely make a cut one day, after all, as that is the theory behind playing the lottery. Play often enough and you are bound to win some money.

But at this point, her efforts seem to be the product of youthful exuberance, of nothing more than wishful thinking, rather than a real understanding of what it will take to achieve her goal. Because her latest attempt once again reveals the talented youngster simply does not have enough game to compete against the men.

This past week Wie sought to make the cut at the Japan Tour's Casio World Open, another men's event. However, by the time the second round was complete, she was trying to avoid finishing dead last.

She began the tourney with a miserable 9-over par 81 on Thursday. Needing to pull out all the stops to make some kind of charge, Wie managed to shoot just one stroke better on Friday. The two rounds put her a whopping 17-over par for the two rounds and a full 27 strokes behind the second round leader Tetsuya Haraguchi.

The player who Wie managed to top was an amateur, Tomomichi Oto. That meant Wie did indeed finish last amongst professionals in the field.

During the two rounds, she also could not birdie a single hole. Actually, Wie was very steady, bogeying 15 holes and carting one double bogey, along with 20 pars.

And there in lies the problem. Wie truthfully simply cannot strike the ball well enough for the narrow fairways, undulating greens, and the length that is part of every men's tournament course.

In her last two events on such courses, she finished last in both the European Masters and the 84 Lumber Classic. She did shoot better scores at those two events, a 157 in one, a 158 in the other, as compared to her 161 in Japan. However, the result was the same, dead last among the professionals.

In the event before these three, she actually withdrew from the John Deere Classic. Suffering from heat exhaustion, Wie was only eight over par for 27 holes before withdrawing and virtually nothing was made of her not being physically up to the task though no one else in the tournament appeared to succumb to the heat at that event.

For her brief career, Wie, now 17, is also winless in 33 career LPGA Tour appearances. In missing the mark for the 11th time in 12 men's events, she is beginning to construct a lengthy record of failure in spite of the enormous talent she possesses.

Unfortunately, Wie publicly stated that yet another poor finish would not prevent her from continuing to play in men's events. She also insisted that she did not play well this week.

She is nothing if not strong in her belief about her own ability.

I suppose we need to give her some credit, after all she missed the cut at this same event by just one shot last year. She also has that one made cut on the Asian Tour (even if it was against a bunch of unknown men). She also insists she will play the Sony Open on her home island of Oahu in January. Furthermore, she seems resolved to try again against the men despite the fact that most men are also frustrated by her slow play.

There is no doubt that the youngster is determined to become the first woman to make the cut on the PGA Tour since Babe Didrikson Zaharias 61 years ago. So we at least have to give her credit for her ambitious nature.

But right now, things are just downright embarrassing. She really should go back and hone her game before trying yet again. She really isn't a strong enough player at this point and her run of futility is becoming more of a story than her desire.

And that run of futility will take away from the achievement, if she ever does manage to accomplish the task in the first place.

Harrington Adds to His Superlative Season - Tops Woods in Japan

Rachel Thomas — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:03:00 +0000

For one of the very few times in Tiger Woods stellar career the game's top player gave away a late fourth round lead and with it, failed in his quest to win his third straight Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan last weekend.

Capping what has been a spectacular year for himself, Ireland's Padraig Harrington rallied from three shots back with six to play to take Woods into a playoff and then top golf's best closer with consecutive birdies to prevail on the second extra hole of sudden death.

Woods appeared to hold an insurmountable lead when went three shots up after 12 holes. The key swing came on sixteen when Woods three putted while Harrington was nailing a 15 footer. The three putt bogey against the birdie of Harrington tied the match.

Both players would birdie 18 to finish regulation at nine under. With his consecutive birdies on the first two playoff holes, that meant Harrington finished his round with three straight and four birdies in five holes. Woods lamented missing the three foot putt on 16 that tied the match.

With the loss, Woods dropped to a still incredible 45 wins and 6 losses in worldwide events when heading into the final round with a lead. The loss dropped him to 12-2 overall, worldwide, in playoffs. Woods only other playoff loss occurred in 1998 when he lost the Nissan Open to Billy Mayfair.

In knocking off Woods, Harrington won more, earning $1.69 million at the Dunlop, than he did on the PGA Tour for the entire season. Entering only 15 events on this side of the pond, Harrington had one second place and just three top tens while missing three cuts in a forgettable 2006 season in America. His record translated to winning only $1.34 million during the PGA season.

But it should be noted that overall it was actually the best year of the Irishman's career. Harrington took home top honors on the European Order of Merit in 2006 for the first time in his career by edging England's Paul Casey when the Dubliner finished second at the season ending Volvo Masters. Harrington had put himself in position by winning his tenth career event world-wide, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, in October.

Topping Woods in a playoff also had great symbolism for Harrington in 2006. Prior to this year, Harrington was beginning to develop a lengthy track record as a bridesmaid. Though he can claim ten wins, the smooth swinging Irishman has recorded an incredible 30 second place finishes already in his brief career. In addition, the European Tour Order of Merit title had previously been just beyond his reach. Harrington had finished second in 2001 and 2002 to Retief Goosen both years, then finished third in both 2003 and 2004 before finally topping the Order of Merit this season.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods continued what has been a sterling 2006 season, even if he failed to take home the championship. After taking off five straight weeks, Woods has returned to competition the past two weeks and though he has gone winless, the game's number one notched another pair of top tens by finishing second in each event.

Latest Qualifiers For the PGA Tour

Rachel Thomas — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 16:43:00 +0000

If you have not heard of the Nationwide Tour you are likely not a golf fanatic. But if you have heard of that tour, you are still likely not to have heard of some of the even lesser known mini-tours such as the Canadian, the Gateway and even the Northern Texas PGA.

In relative obscurity, much like baseball's minor leagues, there are numerous golf minor leagues. But one, the Nationwide Tour, has become the standard place to serve as a training ground for the next generation of PGA Tour professionals. It is a composite group of events, offering a 31-tournament season, that is a step above the many other lesser known tours that offer cash for those golfers trying to make a living off the game they love.

And like the PGA Tour, the Nationwide holds a year end event that features the top money winners during the past year, albeit of its own scale. Invitations go out to the top sixty money winners on the season long Tour - at stake is a spot at year's end in the top twenty-two on the list. Make the top twenty-two and you graduate to the big time, earning a card to play on the PGA Tour and a chance to play against the likes of Woods and Mickelson for gasp, millions in prize money.

In almost legendary fashion, a young man by the name of Craig Kanada put together a final hole finish that vaulted him to the Nationwide Tour Championship as well as onto the PGA Tour for 2007. In one of the most spectacular of finishes in golf history, Kanada chipped in on the final two holes on Sunday, the 71st, from about 25 feet from a greenside bunker, then again on the 18th and 72nd, from about 50 feet to earn the victory.

He salvaged par on 17 with his shot, then had the miraculous birdie on 18 that gave him a final round 66 and a one shot victory over former tour player Matt Kuchar and another young Australian with game, Andrew Buckle. Adding to the excitement for the mini-tour veteran, Kuchar missed a seven footer for birdie on 18 that would have forced extra holes. Kanada also got a major assist from Kuchar on the 17th when he three-putted for bogey.

For Kanada, the $135,000 prize pushed him from 32nd (no card) to 11th on the money list and automatic berth for the 2007 season. With the event in his own back yard, taking the event before the hometown folks made the victory all the more sweet for Kanada.

Rounding out the graduates to the PGA Tour were a number of foreigners as well as a number of players who had previous stops on the PGA Tour. Ken Duke emerged as the top earner overall for the year, bringing him a Tour card that he lost after the 2004 season. Others in the top ten included four players moving onto the big tour for the first time, Johnson Wagner, Cliff Kresge, Jeff Quinney, and Brandy Snedeker, and another five returning to the higher echelon after having lost their cards for poor performances, Craig Bowden, Tripp Isenhour, Boo Weekley, Jason Duffner and Kuchar. Among the foreigners qualifying for the PGA were Buckle from Brisbane, Australia, Jim Rutledge - Victoria, British Columbia, Gavin Coles - Bathurst, Australia (previously on tour in 2005), Jarrod Lyle, Shepparton, Australia, Michael Sim, Aberdeen, Scotland, and Paul Sheehan, yet another Australian.

Those who failed to emerge from the Nationwide Tour will have one other chance this fall to make it through the brutal Q-School format.

What You Should Know When Buying Golf Equipment

Site Editor — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:56:00 +0000

by Ewen Chia

Buying the right gear to play the game of golf is not that hard. All it takes is for you to look at the right place and receiving worth for one's money. You can check the community directory or ask somebody for directions on how to get there. Here are some tips buying golf equipment:

1. Before you start buying, it is best to first determine your budget for it. There are many brands offered and this is sometimes the determining reason which will make you do well in the green or not.

2. How regularly will you use it is another reason. It doesn't take that much to upkeep golf equipment because all you need is a roller brush or a small towel. If you are just starting out in golf, the brand does not matter but it will later on as you decide to invest more in the sport.

3. Most golf shops advertise brand new and used gear. If you can't afford a new set, it is advisable to first begin with a used one then save up for a brand new one later on.

4. Some people can't tell the difference how one brand is better than another. If you have that issue, you should ask the sales person for help because that individual is more familiar with what is available in the store.

5. Buying golf equipment can be challenging. By looking in more than one store, you can possibly get a good deal or find an item that is cheaper in one store than the one down the street.

6. Golf specialty stores are just one place where one can get good merchandise. The other is via the internet. There are many websites that also specialize in selling brand new and second hand equipment. You can order it online and have it delivered to your doorstep. Another way of doing, which may not carry a whole line of things for golf, are auction sites where you can bid on a certain item and if you are the winning bidder, you will also be able to get it in a few days.

7. Some experts who have played golf for some time prefer to sell the old equipment to somebody which saves money in paying for a new one. If you ask around, there is a prospect that you will be fortunate to get it at a good price which is a far better deal then getting it from any golf store.

HSBC Championship Shows World Golfing Depth

Rachel Thomas — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:04:00 +0000

Put together a tournament in Asia and draw the likes of Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk and you truly have a top notch event. Add to that fact that Yang Yong-eun, a South Korean native who is a regular on the Japanese Tour, took home the winners check of more than $800,000 and you quickly realize how many top flight golfers there are outside the US and the PGA Tour.

True, Tiger Woods played two poor rounds. He had trouble in round one dusting off his rested game (five weeks) but a one over par Saturday in the cold and wind spelled doom for the man who had won six straight stroke play events.

The unknown Yang Yong-eun may play infrequently outside Asia. But he showed his skills and closed with a fine, 3-under 69 on Sunday and a two-stroke victory over a fast charging Woods. The $833,000 winners' check did prove to be the biggest tournament prize ever for the 34-year-old who has won four times on the Japanese tour. Yang also won his first Asian Tour event earlier in the year, taking home the Korean Open title.

Meanwhile, third-round leader Retief Goosen dumped his approach on the 18th in the water, part of 39 over the back nine on Sunday that left him third with his final round of one over (matching Woods of Saturday). It meant the second defeat for Goosen at the hands of Yang having also teed it up at the Korean Open earlier this year. The South African tied for third with New Zealand's Michael Campbell.

The former US Open champion Campbell matched the course record with a 64 (a mark also matched by both Henrik Stenson and Woods on Friday). Ironically, Campbell also played himself out of contention on the cold Saturday, recording 10 bogeys during a five-over par 77.

Woods had the shot of the week. Playing the par-five second hole on Sunday, Woods played out of a bunker on his second shot, hitting a fairway wood to the front of the green. True to his week however, Woods was unable to get up and down and had to settle for par.

European Number One Padraig Harrington and World Number Two Jim Furyk also had Top Tens in the HSBC event. Both Yang and Woods will play at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan this week where Woods will attempt to eliminate all rust and defend his 2005 title.

Golf Schools Are Your Best Bet by Don Smith

Site Editor — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:46:00 +0000

If you want to make a BIG LEAP in improving your golf game then a golf school is your best bet. A golf school is 100% dedicated to making you a better golfer. The majority of the golf schools can and will teach you to become a better golfer.

The 5 major features a good golf school should be offering are:

1. No more than a 4 to 1 teaching ratio with 2 to 1 being something to look for and 1 to 1 being ideal, but will be a lot more pricey.
2. The golf school's pros should be seasoned teaching professionals that are highly qualified. Make sure at least 2 of the teaching professionals are recognized in the golf world/community.
3. The golf school should have accommodations included in the price with the accommodations on or very near the golf course where you're taught.
4. The golf school should provide a specific lesson plan for your swing. They should tailor it specifically for you and not follow a caned plan.
5. The golf school should provide unlimited follow up via email or phone. I think this is probably the most important because it shows how genuine they are in improving your game.

You should also think of the golf school as a vacation so the accommodations and surrounding area should fit your lifestyle off the course. Also, look for golf schools that provide unlimited golf after your teaching session is over. Try to find some testimonials on their website to see what some of their previous students felt about the course.

The Internet is a great place to perform some due-diligence on the golf schools available in your area that meet your needs. Check the websites for the golf schools lessons and tips section to see if they offer any free advice. Here are some keywords you can use when performing your golf school search:

1. Arizona Golf Schools
2. Florida Golf Schools
3. California Golf Schools
4. Myrtle Beach Golf Schools
5. Golf Vacation Schools

Price will obviously play a big part in your golf school of choice so be sure to set a budget before you start looking for a golf school. There's a lot of competition between the golf schools for your attendance so expect them to cater to you when you call and inquire about their program. Don't be afraid to ask if they have any specials or if they provide seasonal discounts. If the golf school really wants your business then they'll be willing to accommodate your golfing needs.

Yankee Failure at Ryder Cup Leads to New Selection Format

Rachel Thomas — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 16:01:00 +0000

Two things seem certain when it comes to America's Ryder Cup matches with Europe. First, great fanfare occurs after the selection of the roster, as if the Yanks finally have figured out how to select talent that will unseat the Europeans.

Then comes the Ryder Cup. The Yanks lose, often by big margins and immediately begin to think about the selection process.

It does make some sense, if you are inclined to excuse making, as in we can't seem to pick the right guys for the matches so let's look at how we select. It is in fact much easier than tackling the issue of why the people that are selected manage to fail year after year to play at the level necessary to top the British team.

So it was not a big surprise to learn when Paul Azinger was named team captain for the 2008 Ryder Cup that once again the selection format was going to be adjusted. A new point system was to be introduced that would help the Zinger determine who to offer team roster slots to.

The goal is to have the strongest possible team when the Cup rolls around. Complicating the matter for the Americans is the sheer number of quality golfers available. That said, the question becomes how to ensure the most competitive team possible at the time of the Ryder matches.

The new point system is said to focus more on the hottest players, i.e. those with their game in full gear when the Ryder Cup rolls around. Second, the new formula is to lean more to the current year as well, as in have you won a PGA Tour tournament this year. Once again, the goal is lessen the importance of the current overall standing of the golfer selected, especially if that golfer had a strong year the year before and is holding on to their current standing by virtue of stronger play from the year prior to the matches.

The new formula will stress current year earnings as opposed to top ten finishes. And instead of a straight two-year money list like the one the Americans use to select the Presidents Cup team, where a player receives a point for every dollar earned, the new Ryder Cup selection formula will use that concept but with several twists. First, one point will be awarded for every one thousand dollars earned in one of the majors during the 2007 year. Then a point will be awarded for every thousand dollars earned in regular PGA Tour tournaments during 2008 (the next year of Ryder Cup matches) but double the point allotments for performances in majors during 2008. Adjustments have been made to reduce the points for those tournaments opposite majors, giving only half a point per thousand dollars there. That is prbably the smartest move given that the overall competition is dramatically reduced at those events.

The new Zinger points system would have produced a different team for 2006, albeit not very different. The eight players with automatic berths in order of qualification under the new system would have been Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco, Chad Campbell, David Toms, Arron Oberholser, and Zach Johnson.

So what difference would that point system have had. Well, it appears not much. The only player different would have been Oberholser, who at the time of selection was 22nd in the point standings. Oberholser would have benefited from his strong performances in the majors while J.J. Henry would have dropped out.

However, that wouldn't have seemingly created a vastly different enough roster to change the trouncing the Yanks have received at the last two Ryder Cups. Not one roster change unless somehow that person is one who can fire up the Yanks to make them more into the event.

In fact, the key is likely that motivating the team once it is constructed is more of a critical aspect. There is ample talent coming out of the USA but the Europeans seem to see the Cup as a major event while the Americans seem to approach it with a slight level of disdain. That fact and the reality that the European contingent is also extremely talented has made for the current failure of the Yanks at this event.

But still we try, new points systems and all.

Another Aussie Takes Upper Echelon PGA Event

Rachel Thomas — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 01:33:00 +0000

There are those who still correctly note that young Adam Scott has yet to win one of the four major. But the soft-spoken Aussie made another strong statement about his golfing future with his three shot victory this weekend at the Tour Championship.

Scott, having arguably his best year as a pro, took control with a stellar third round, then fought off all challengers with a sparkling final round 66. Another player having arguably his best year as pro, Jim Furyk, took home second place with Sunday's best round, a shot better than the youngster at 65.

Scott, still just 26 years of age, added another of the second tier golf titles. Though it was only his fourth career PGA Tour win, the Aussie also won the elite "The Players Championship" back in 2004.

The smooth-swinging, long ball hitting youngster who reminds many of Woods a few years back, posted his ninth top ten finish with the win. Six of those nine had Scott finishing third or better, though the win was his first in 2006.

He resembled Woods in full form on Sunday. First Singh birdied the opening hole to pull within two strokes out of the gate. Scott had a tough par putt that could have cut the lead to a single stroke - but with Tiger-like tenacity the Aussie drained the par putt to stay two up. Then at the third hole, with Singh still just two back and the Fijan looking at no more than five feet for yet another birdie, Scott drained a long downhiller for birdie. The pressure on, Singh then missed his short putt, putting Scott back on top by three strokes. Essentially the Tour champion would cruise from that point on to the important victory.

In winning, Scott earned $1.17 million, pushing him to third on the PGA Tour money list. With earnings of nearly $5 million on the season and scheduled events upcoming in Australia, continued strong play could push Scott past Phil Mickelson into the number three slot in the world ranking.

In addition to taking home second prize, Furyk's round of 65 matched the low round of the tournament. That propelled the veteran to one of golf's most prestigious honors, the Vardon Trophy awarded to the player with the lowest scoring average on tour for the entire season. Furyk finished with a 68.86 (edging out Scot at 68.95). With the second place finish, Furyk earned $730,000, pushing his season numbers to $7.2 million and the number two slot behind Woods. Furyk also completed the 2006 season with 13 top ten finishes including two wins and four seconds on the season.

Other Tour Notes
Scott actually has five Tour trophies having won the rain shortened Nissan Open last year. Because the event only went 36 holes, the victory is not considered part of the official PGA Tour records. Tiger Woods with his $9 million in earnings and eight wins on the season had the lowest stroke average for 2006 at 68.11. But Woods elected to skip the Tour Championship and his time away from the game early in the season to attend to his ill father left him short of the required 60 rounds necessary to qualify forthe Vardon. One of the hottest current golfers on Tour, Joe Durant, continued his late season flurry with a final round of 67, good enough for third place. It was only ten to twelve weeks ago Durant was wondering if he would be able to keep his tour card for 2007. But a win at Disney and a season closing five straight top ten performances lifted him to 13th place on the money list. Whereas just a few weeks ago he was wondering about playing on Tour next year, that late season rush makes Durant eligible to compete in all four majors next year. And finally, we need to mention Vijay Singh. Though the big guy struggled on Sunday, he once again completed a top ten performance (though he was nine strokes behind Scott). His tie for eighth earned him $215,000 and a final season total of $4.6 million, the number four slot on the earnings list. The top five money winners included two Americans and two Aussies, Woods and Furyk at one and two, Scott at three, Singh at four, and Geoff Ogilvy, the other Aussie who won the US Open earlier in the year, in the number five slot.

The 2006 PGA Tour Championship - A Non-Event?

Rachel Thomas — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:06:00 +0000

The debate regarding the length of the PGA Tour Season is certain to once again take center stage with the news this week that Tiger Woods will skip the final Tour event, the Tour Championship.

For years, the PGA has been trying to bring greater interest to the fall golf season. The development of the Tour Championship, an event featuring the top thirty money winners on Tour, was thought to be just the ticket when it was created twenty years ago. The event has indeed featured many of golf's great names when one looks at it past champions, including the likes of Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Curtis Strange, and current big guns Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson, and of course Woods.

But the season ending tournament in 2006 will not feature the top thirty golfers. Before Tiger made his announcement, Stephen Ames, currently ranked twenty-first on the money list, had already indicated that he would not play due to injury while a tired Phil Mickelson, number four on the list, had previously announced he was packing his competitive spirit away for the remainder of the golf season as well. For Lefty, it marked his second straight year that he had chosen to pass over the season's final major event.

But the Tiger news had to come as a complete downer for the Tour and PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem. After all Woods is far and away the greatest draw on Tour. His absence will translate to fewer tickets and to a smaller television viewing audience.

Woods pulled out citing fatigue from his late season play schedule. However, he did announce his intent to play in additional, non-PGA events in upcoming weeks.

The length of the season has received enormous attention the last few years. The PGA season begins in Hawaii in very early January. The Tour moves to California and Florida in late winter, then across the country as the summer weather picks up. In the midst of an event every single week from January onward, the Tour then moves into high gear with the four major championships that begin with the Masters in April and end with the PGA Championship in August.

For years, the PGA Tour has tried to maintain golfer and fan interest beyond that final major in August. That led directly to the current schedule that now concludes with the Tour Championship in November.

None too soon, the PGA Tour is set to use a revamped schedule beginning next year. Instead of the current season ending championship based on the top thirty money winners on Tour, the new schedule is supposed to feature a NASCAR-like points chase and with that new format, a different late-summer tournament format. As part of that new concept, the Tour Championship will again be considered the final, top event, but the tournament is to be moved from November to September.

The changes loom essential for golf. After all, you really can't call the event the Tour Championship if the event cannot draw two of the game's top four players, no matter how large the prize money is.

Tour Championship - Big For Many Others
While the news about who isn't attending has garnered most of the attention, there still is a great deal of interest among certain players regarding the final event. Ernie Els was asking down the stretch this weekend where he stood, all with an eye towards making next week's event. The Big Easy struggled a bit in Sunday but another strong tournament pushed him easily inside the magic number. Joe Durant also kept his late season charge moving with a tie for fourth to solidify his final position. His win last week pushed him to 29th and his current hot streak could really be meaningful at an event where everyone makes the cut and some serious cash is on the line. Two other players who could make 2006 statements at the event are Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh. A win by Furyk would cap off his finest golf season ever in grand style while a win by Singh would turn what has thus far been a good season into one that could be considered on a par with that of Furyk. And lastly, keep your eyes on Troy Matteson next year. Missing cuts in 14 of his first 26 events in 2006, the youngster had his fifth straight top ten with his ninth place finish at the Chrysler this week. The only downer for one of the Tour's hottest is he still could not quite climb into the top thirty to be able to compete next week.

PGA TOUR - Who Leads in Top Tens?

Rachel Thomas — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:57:00 +0000

While Tiger Woods takes some time off in the middle of his six tournament win streak and eight win season, the PGA TOUR has continued its weekly format. In recent weeks, Davis Love broke his long winless streak, one that went back more than three years, while the youngster Troy Matteson began to show the form that many thought he would when he came to the TOUR with his first PGA win last week.

But perhaps the most startling of numbers may be that of Vijay Singh. Amazing, because Vijay has continued to slide downward from the pinnacle of golf, a position that he held barely two years ago. It seems just yesterday, though it was three years ago that the elder statesman took home the honors of top money winner on TOUR, ending the lengthy string of Woods at the top of the money list. It was only two years ago that he took top money honors again, parlaying his superlative play during that two year run to the very top of the golf world. The Fijan's rise was complete when he replaced Tiger Woods as the number one ranked player in the world in 2004.

As everyone now knows, it didn't take Woods long to regain the top spot. The game's best player put things together late last year and moved back on top of the golf world. On top of his superb year in 2005, Woods has driven a stake into everyone with his 2006 season, one of the very best of his career.

How good as Woods been this year? Well he as won eight times as everyone knows. He also has won his last six starts on the PGA TOUR. The most amazing number is that Woods has eight wins and eleven top ten finishes this year in just fifteen starts. His win percentage tops fifty percent, his top ten percentage tops seventy percent, and his world ranking is nearly three times the number that Jim Furyk has posted as the number two man.

Which brings us back to Singh and his so-called slide down the ladder. In 2006, Singh has slid all the way to the number five ranking world wide, trailing not only Woods and Furyk, but also Phil Mickleson and Adam Scott.

However, consider what Vijay has done in 2006. He did win once at the Barclay's Classic. And this past weekend, he notched his twelfth top ten finish of the season at the Funai Classic at Disney, giving him top tens in 40 percent of his starts. In addition, Singh also added to his more than four million in season earnings.

Also, consider 2005, the year that began with Singh at number one world wide. The big fella' didn't exactly allow Woods to return to the top without a fight. Singh would win four times around the world in 2005 and finish in the top ten a total of eighteen times in thirty events.

But his slide may be in great part by two events that will haunt him from 2006, two missed cuts at the British Open and the PGA Championship. Because world rankings are based on performances, not just overall, but in great part by how a player finishes in the major championships Singh has slipped further behind the remarkable Woods.

So for Singh, though the fall seems somewhat far, down to fifth, it should be noted that in fact many players still have never had a season like the one Vijay has had in 2006. Many players still have yet to win while others like Love had gone three years without tasting victory. So one win and twelve top tens represents another solid year for one of the very best players in the game.

Put that on top of four wins in 2005, eighteen top tens and well Singh is still playing some darn good golf. The difference of course, is what Tiger has done in 2006, elevating his play once again to essentially make the performances and seasons of other players inconsequential.

But if not for Woods, one would be stating that Singh has put together yet another strong season, giving him really four consecutive years of golfing at a very high level. It is hard to imagine how someone playing so well for so long is not higher up in the world ranking.

Except of course the fact that the PGA TOUR is so deep that even Vijay's excellent level of play in 2006 is simply not strong enough to have him at the top. His twelve top tens only ties him with Furyk and his forty percent top ten percentage has him trailing the likes of Scott.

It has been another remarkable year for Singh, despite the fact that he has been sliding downward. Take note folks, he is tied at the top for top ten finishes in 2006, indicating another steady if not spectacular year.

Additional notes: Troy Matteson continued his late season run with his runner up finish at Funai. A final round seventy proved a bit of a disappointment, but the last four weeks the youngster has shown everyone the skills that made him the NCAA collegiate champion in 2002. Also, Davis Love continued his improved play at Funai. Love tied for fifth with Singh at nineteen under - he too had a relatively poor Sunday that kept him from ever being in contention for the victory.

Golf Stroke Rules - Relief From an Obstruction?

Rachel Thomas — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:27:00 +0000

Suppose a golfer drives a ball down the fairway, slicing or hooking the ball in the direction of one of the cart paths. Suppose further that the path is marked with small wooden stakes and a rope to remind golfers that the cart needs to stay off the fairway in that specific area. Finally, we walk up to find our somewhat errant drive directly under the rope, sitting up on the grass, the ball fully in play except the rope prevents any swing.

The above scenario is described as taking relief from a movable obstruction. In this instance there is to be no penalty assessed but the player should not move his or her ball out from under the obstruction if the obstruction is truly movable. The rule applies to any aspect of the upcoming shot, the backswing, follow through, and the player's stance.

In the case of the scenario described, the rope should be taken down so that the player may play the ball exactly as it lies. If the rope cannot be easily removed, a couple of the stakes should be pulled out of the ground so that the rope is moved out of the way. The first priority is to try and remove the movable obstruction so as to play the ball as it lies.

If by chance the ball is moved during the removal of the obstruction, there is again no penalty. But the ball must be replaced to its original position, with as near as the same position and lie as possible.

In the rare instance that the ball were to come to rest on top of such an obstruction (say one of the posts), then the ball should be lifted and the obstruction removed as before. The ball should be dropped, from shoulder height and then played from the lie created. If by chance you were to lift the ball because it landed on top of a movable obstruction, the rules even permit you to clean the ball when you lift it.

Now, if the ball comes to rest in a position with such an obstruction and it is simply not possible to remove the obstruction, then the ball must be dropped in an area where the ball may be played without the golfer being impeded by the obstruction. Such a drop should never be nearer the hole.

Again, such an instance may involve any aspect of the player's swing or stance. To gain relief from the immovable object, the player lifts the ball and then drops, using the one club-length of relief provision, dropping from shoulder height, with such a drop occurring no nearer the hole. However, the one club distance of relief does not mandate a drop into a hazard unless the obstruction is created from a lie within a hazard. The obstruction rule does not permit a drop on the putting green.

Suppose you manage to push a shot into a lateral hazard area where the ball winds up bouncing around, coming to rest with a terrible lie. As you arrive you see that the ball is almost buried but at the same time there is an immovable obstruction that hinders your stance or your swing path. Can you take relief due to the obstruction and drop the ball within the hazard?

The answer is no. If you wind up in a hazard you cannot use the obstruction rule to give you an improved lie. If you are in a hazard and cannot play the ball due to an obstruction, relief is obtained by the prior rules we discussed using stroke and distance rules. Likewise, if you are in a bunker and there is an obstruction, you may not use the one club length rule to remove you from the bunker. The ball must be dropped in the bunker.

Remember that any time you lift the ball due to an obstruction, you may clean it before it is dropped. But you may never use the obstruction rule to try to take advantage of the game. It may be invoked only if you have an otherwise playable lit and the obstruction is the reason that your swing or stance is impeded.

Finally, what happens if your ball is lost within an immovable obstruction, say the ball disappears down a drainage pipe. First, there must be irrefutable evidence that the ball went in the obstruction, otherwise it should simply be treated as a lost ball. Under that scenario, you must use the lost ball rule of stroke and distance, going back to the location of the prior shot, drop a ball, add the original swing and a penalty shot and play from that original spot once again.

If we are certain the ball went into the pipe, then the player may introduce a new ball, dropping at the nearest spot that the ball was last in play, no nearer the hole. However, if that were to happen within a lateral hazard, the rules of golf would not permit a free drop. The ball would be treated as if it was lost in the lateral hazard.

Some Basic Golf Stroke Rules

Rachel Thomas — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 01:25:00 +0000

Most times, the weekend golfer is happy to play a round without any real interest in keeping score. But as a player gets out on to the course more and more, there is the inherent desire to see if he or she is actually improving.

Though one can easily tell if he or she is striking the ball well, the true key to golf is a player's ability to scramble when either mishits or misfortune come into play. In other words, to fully judge improvement, a player must somehow come to grips with how to measure their mishits as well. Ultimately, the only way to determine game improvement is to see if your score goes down as you play additional rounds.

As you become interested in keeping score, you soon realize that to be honest you need to understand some of the basic golf rules. Those rules pertaining to out of bounds stakes, water hazards, unplayable lies and lost balls all become a large part of determining whether or not your score is truly improving. Again, the quality of your misses is as important as the quality of your better hits.

So what are the basic stroke rules? Let's start with three of the simplest of situations, the out of bounds stakes, a ball in a water hazard, and an unplayable lie. If you strike the ball and it crosses over the fairway or rough, then goes out of bounds or into a water hazard, many golfers believe that they only need to drop the ball where it left the playing surface, no nearer the hole, and take a one stroke penalty.

However, that is not truly the proper course of action for out of bounds stakes. Technically, the rule is to play another ball from the same spot that the original was played from. In addition, a one stroke penalty must be added if that is the ball that becomes in play.

Therefore, a player who believes he or she may have hit a ball out of bounds or into a water hazard should drop a second ball at the place where the shot just took place. The player should state he or she is hitting a provisional ball in case the first ball is indeed out of bounds or in the water and unplayable. In the true game, the player must declare that he or she is indeed hitting such a provisional ball. A failure to do so means that the first shot is indeed considered lost and the second ball is in play using the stroke and distance penalty constraint.

In the first case, when you arrive at the out of bounds, two options exist. You may play your original ball if the ball is not out of bounds, and may do so without adding a stroke. You can stand out of bounds to hit the ball as long as the ball itself is in bounds. In this instance, the provisional shot is simply forgotten and you play the first ball. But if the ball is out of bounds, then you move to playing the provisional ball, which is now lying a total of three additional shots from where you originally played (the first hit, the penalty, and the second hit). You move to playing your provisional ball whether or not you find the ball.

The above situation is often referred to as a stroke and distance penalty. In other words, you are penalized a shot plus you must replay the original distance. It is not proper to simply drop a ball where it left the in bounds mark, take a penalty, and play on.

There is a special situation where a water hazard will be referred to as a lateral water hazard. In this case the hazard is marked with red stakes. As opposed to out of bounds stakes which are generally red, you can play the ball as it lies in the water hazard if you deem that you could actually do so. If you cannot, it is ok to drop a ball at the spot where it left the proper surface, take a penalty and play from that spot, moving as far back from the hole as you desire in the process. The key is that you must not be any nearer the hole in dropping the ball.

A water hazard that is marked with yellow stakes is not considered a lateral hazard. However, the same rules apply as above.

So in the case of entering a water hazard, lateral or otherwise, you may also want to play a provisional ball, declaring that you are doing so. If the first ball is in the hazard, you can always play the provisional under the stroke and distance rule. Second, if the ball is lost, you have no argument as to where the proper place to drop the ball truly is.

Finally, there is the concept of the unplayable lie. The golfer is the sole judge as to whether a ball is unplayable. For example, the ball could lie under a rock or between several rocks. The key is that it must be truly unplayable. However, a ball resting against a root or at the base of a tree is not necessarily unplayable. If the golfer can get the club head on the ball in some direction, even if it means playing sideways or backwards, then the ball is not in an unplayable situation.

Here you essentially have three options. First you may use the same stroke and distance format as above, playing from the original spot. Second, you may drop the ball within two club lengths of where you found the ball, no nearer the hole. Lastly, you may drop the ball at any point behind the spot where the ball lay, as long as you keep the drop point directly in line with the hole and the original spot. Obviously, it would be improper to take the ball more than two club lengths, moving out to the side so as to open up a path to the hole.

Technically, these three basic options are among the first areas where an amateur must see improvement to see his/her score improve. Keeping the ball in play so that penalty shots do not come into play is one of the first signs of growth as a golfer.

The quality of your misses is the first real sign that you are improving as a player.

Are We Expecting Too Much of Tiger?

the mother kamel — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:28:00 +0000

By Karen Melchers

While watching the recent American Express golf event taking place outside London, I was suddenly aware that Nick Faldo had said something profound: "He's that immeasurable amount better than everyone else..." He was, of course, referring to Tiger Woods and what he said reverberated in my mind.

I had been absent-mindedly thinking about what a consummate player Tiger is and a thought I'd had before suddenly came into my conscious mind. Could Tiger be so good at age 30 that he could flub a shot on purpose to experiment with a new club or to try a different stance or to simply to give the rest of the field a sporting chance knowing he could, most likely, recover and go on to win?

What a shocking thought! But I don't think it was a thought original to me. It seemed, during that afternoon of watching and listening to Faldo and the other commentators, that they were alluding to the same thing. It was Faldo again who said, "I think he's challenging himself." And went on to point out that Tiger's expertise and sang froid sometimes made it seem as though he were saying to everyone else, You go play in that part of the playground while I stay over here and play my game.

It made sense.

I think Tiger Woods is a sportsman and a gentleman who chooses not to run roughshod over the other players. Certainly he wants to win but that desire doesn't prevent him from realizing that other players on the tour can become demoralized by always being shown up. It's not always a palatable experience to play against someone so consistently better than you are. It can, in fact, get old. People like Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickleson, Zach Johnson, and Adam Scott are good players by anyone's standards and shouldn't have any reason to feel they are less than good just because someone else is so much better. They're excellent players and role models but are simply not up to Woods' weight (I'm mixing my sport metaphors here).

That leaves us with Tiger. He doesn't have anyone to measure himself against except himself. I think I feel bad for the guy.

What can it be like to be 30 years old, earning thousands of dollars for every stroke, and being the cynosure of the entire world? Surely he can go nowhere that he isn't recognized, where people don't watch his every move and analyze his every word and action. I couldn't stand it and maybe he gets a little tired of it too. I have a son who's 30 and certainly can't imagine him handling that amount of pressure with anything like the grace that Tiger does.

So beneath all the surface success does anyone else see a core of sadness, a hint that maybe the fun is gone, and that golf and his leadership role in the golf world has become, dare I say it, a chore and a responsibility?

Case in point: recall the American Express commercial where Tiger talks about a rainy day as a time for him to be a kid, a spectator, a couch potato and then his voice continues, "Trouble is there's never a rainy day. My life is about never settling," and he's pictured practicing in the rain. Yikes! Does this mean that he can't allow himself to do those ordinary rainy day things out of guilt? And that forces him outside in the rain instead of under a blankie taking a snooze in front of the fireplace. Ye gods and little fishes now I KNOW I feel bad for the guy.

I think we're all to blame for never letting him forget that he's the best in the world. For always asking him questions and comparing him to great players of other times. For pecking at him the way the birds pecked at townspeople in that Hitchcock movie. Pecking, pecking at him as if he were a thing that belonged to us instead of being a 30-year-old guy who golfs really well.

We do expect too much of Tiger. Let's just let him be a guy who puts his pants on one leg at a time, loves his wife and mother, misses his Dad and--look at the operative words here--plays the game of golf.

PGA Notes

Rachel Thomas — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:21:00 +0000

While the major focus this week is once again on Tiger Woods, there are a number of other interesting developments on the PGA TOUR.

Of course, you have to begin with Woods and his yet another dominating performance, an eight stroke victory at the World Golf Championships - American Express Championship. The win ran his PGA winning streak to a full six events and the title was his eighth of the season. That earned Woods a distinction never before accomplished on the TOUR, three seasons with at least eight TOUR victories (1999, 2000. Throw in two Majors and Woods has had one of his best seasons ever.

Woods has earned nearly 10 million in just 15 events. Most importantly his winning percentage is a sterling .533 with the eight wins in just 15 starts.

True to Woods form, he immediately dismissed comparisons to the past, stating only that he wanted to keep trying to get better. He also acknowledged that he didn't consider it six straight wins having recently lost in a match play event that is not considered part of the PGA TOUR competition.

But as great as Woods has been, if you look beyond him, you have to take note of the continued sterling play of Jim Furyk. In fact, if not for Woods, Furyk would be emerging as the top golfer on TOUR.

Many noted that it was Furyk who carried Tiger in the team matches of the recent Ryder Cup debacle. Punctuating his strong year with yet another outstanding tournament, Furyk finished fourth this week, one shot out of second, giving him 12 Top Tens on the year in 22 starts, topping even Singh's 11 in 24 starts. Furyk failed to build upon his seven top three finishes by that paltry one stroke.

Most importantly for the American, he moved to the number two ranking world-wide. It is an amazing stat given that many had conceded that a Mickelson win at the US Open would have moved Lefty to the top spot in the world, if not in the rankings, at least in the public's mind. But then came Mick's collapse on the 18th at the Open and with his mistakes his season quickly went South. And now, as the golf year heads towards the silly season, Mickelson finds himself number three behind the unusual swinging Furyk.

In addition to the play of these two Americans, TOUR fans should take note of the performances of one European, one South African, and an Aussie this past week. First off, Luke Donald continued his climb up the golfing charts with his sixth place finish at the WGC. For the youngster who helped the Europeans dominate the Americans in the Ryder Cup, the finish was Donald's ninth Top Ten in 17 starts, solidifying his number eight ranking world wide.

The Aussie Adam Scott finished second at the WGC, helping him match the numbers of Donald, nine Top Tens in seventeen starts. Though Scott is winless on the year, his continued strong year helped him move to fourth on the World Ranking list, allowing him to slide past the struggling Vijay Singh. This youngster is one major away from moving into the PGA elite.

And perhaps the biggest news may be from the performance of the player known as the Big Easy. Ernie Els continued his strong recent play, earning a solo fifth at the WGC-AEC. For the native of South Africa, once considered a rival to Woods for the top spot, it represented his third Top Ten in his last five starts on TOUR, allowing him to climb back tot the number six spot in the World Golf Rankings. The Big Easy has to be feeling that he has finally recovered from his knee surgery and thinking positively about the 2007 season.

Ryder Cup and the American Performance: The poor performance of the Americans at the Ryder Cup continues to be the fodder for writers in the golf world. But a check of the World Rankings perhaps tells the true story, that though America has the top three players in the World in Mickelson, Furyk, and Woods, the number of Americans in the rankings continues to drop. The Yanks no longer dominate the golfing world. After those top three men, you have to go to 15th and 16th to find the next two Americans, Chris DiMarco and David Toms. Throw in the fact that only Chad Campbell at 22 and Stewart Cink at 23 are currently ranked in the Top Thirty of the current World Golf Rankings and the Yanks have just seven of the current top thirty world-wide, and one, Mickelson playing very poorly of late. With such numbers it is no wonder that Europe took home yet another Ryder Cup in such dominating fashion.

Yanks Thrashed Yet Again

Rachel Thomas — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:36:00 +0000

If you look at the top of the current World Golf Rankings, you will find the American trio of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson, and Jim Furyk ranked one-two-three. You have to go to number eight to find your first European, Sergio Garcia.

So when the Ryder Cup event took center stage in the professional golf world this weekend, any betting man would have had to put thei hard cash on the Yanks. I mean they have the top three players in the world and the coach can pair them in any manner he chooses. Heck, these three guys could be paired with Fox Sports.com writer Ian O'Connor and that should still be quite a tandem.

As further noted by O'Connor, Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia do not own any more major championship trophies than the golf writer. But when it comes to this Ryder Cup thing, well you can just throw these rankings out the proverbial window.

Europe absolutely hammered the Americans, 18.5 to 9.5, for its third straight Ryder Cup title and fifth in the last six matches. The victory margin matched that of the last event, two years ago, on American soil, and tied the record victory margin. And oh yea, Europe, in a gentlemanly manner, conceded a 25-foot putt to one American, to allow a match to be halved. Force the putt, and well Europe would have the largest victory margin in Cup history.

Tiger Woods represented the top dog as expected, winning one third of the American points. Top dog in America maybe, but not in the Cup action. While Woods went 3-2 in the action, Sergio Garcia won his first four matches before losing on Sunday. Still, four points out of a possible five was quite significant. Lee Westwood also won four matches in five tries, Paul McGinley all four of his matches while Darren Clarke went unbeaten in all three of his matches.

Number two American golfer Lefty Mickleson was simply awful. He managed to halve just one match, giving him just a half of a point for the tournament. Furyk would actually carry Woods in the pairings to at least earn a couple of points for the American side.

In addition to the poor play of the golfers, criticism immediately was placed upon American coach Tom Lehman. The American captain was criticized for his failure to use J.J. Henry and Scott Verplank more in the action. But can you blame Lehman, when the American coaching strategy, in every sport at every level is to go with the horse that brung ya'.

Perhaps the Europeans just want to win this tournament more than their American counterparts. Perhaps, the Europeans got more bounces, something that did seem to happen in droves this weekend. Perhaps it is as simple as the Americans played poorly at the time their counterparts played good solid golf.

That said, why is that Europe has managed to dominate this event in recent years. If it was just a matter of who was hot at the moment, the law of averages would prevail. But five wins in the last six matches represents anything but the law of averages.

In fact, much was written about the camaraderie of the Europeans and their sincere desire to excel as a team. The word was that Darren Clarke provided the extra emotion for the team, he having recently lost his wife to cancer. However, earning three points in three tries constitutes more than just adding emotion.

It was said that the PGA Tour gallery punching bag Colin Montgomerie provided the leadership for the boys from across the pond. Leadership appears in many forms and the man known for never having won a major showed why he is such a valued member of the European team, winning his sixth straight singles match in Ryder Cup play on Sunday. In fact, Montgomerie has never lost in Ryder Cup singles play

And much was made of the spirited Sergio Garcia as being the golfing inspiration for the Europeans. That proved true, as Garcia followed up his near perfect Ryder Cup in 2004 action where he won four matches and halved his other by winning four more times in 2006.

So confident have the Europeans become that Montgomerie offered the following little tid bit. "If it wasn't for a very difficult Sunday at Brookline, we'd have been six out of six."

He's right of course, and the Americans know it. Perhaps that is what this is really about, confidence. The Ryder Cup action has been absolutely dominated by the Europeans, so much so that they expect to win.

And the Americans, well on Sunday it looked as if they were a beaten bunch. That's what happens when you get beat 18.5 to 9.5 in consecutive Ryder Cups.

Michelle Wie Should Refocus Her Energies

Rachel Thomas — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:26:00 +0000

Michelle Wie's desire to make her mark by surviving the cut at a men's golf tournament has begun to look like the woeful, overly-ambitious tomfoolery of youth without a matching semblance of realism, better known as the trait we adults equate with wisdom.

A year ago, the fifteen year old female flirted with doing just that, making the cut at a men's event. In the first round of the John Deere Classic, the youngster shot a one under par 70, a score that left her one just one stroke off the cut line. Her score topped that of more than 50 men, all 50 being members of the Professional Golf Association tour, the world's best male golfers. But she could not hold her game together for yet another round and the cut passed her by.

Now a year later, a similar attempt has come up deplorably short. Barely one week after she was dead last after two rounds at the European Masters, a non-tour event, Wie was again dead last after two rounds at the 84 Lumber Classic. She began with a disappointing round of 5-over par, a 77 on Thursday, only to fall further backwards, shooting a 9-over 81 on Friday. At the ripe old age of 16, that score would be her worst round in the 11 tournaments that she had entered in direct competition with men.

Her 14-over par score was exactly 14 shots over the cut line. Perhaps even more to the point, her score left her 23 shots off the pace after just two rounds. On the men's tour, where a matter of just four or five shots can often separate the top twenty in any event, 23 behind is not a number of pride.

Two aspects of Wie's game made her easy fodder for the golf course. An extremely long hitter for a young lady, she averaged only 260 yards off the tee in round one. I say only because that type of length topped only two males in round one. More importantly, Wie averaged 2.091 putts during that first round. That number put her in the bottom ten of the first day field average. Her length and her lack of putting skills made it easy to understand why she fell so far back.

Now, those two scores from the men's tees at a PGA event are far better than this writer could ever manage. Those scores also show that Wie is indeed an immense young talent. But those scores are not going to make positive waves on the men's tour, only bring on the cries that it is time for the youngster to prove she can compete against the best women before she tries again to become the first woman to make the cut on the PGA Tour since Babe Didrikson Zaharias did so 61 years ago.

Perhaps nothing is more telling than Wie's own assessment of her play on Thursday. Said Wie, "I felt I played really good." If she considers that level of play good, then it is clear from all standpoints that playing on the men's tour is indeed nothing but tomfoolery.

Other than making the cut against a field of unknowns on the Asian Tour, Wie has proven that the men's layouts and competitive challenges are simply beyond the scope of her game right now. In fact over last seven rounds in such a setting, she has six rounds of 77 or more including three of 79 or higher.

Besides possibly wrongfully taking the place of some male that is trying to make a living on the PGA men's tour, Wie has further aggravated the men because of her slow play. But then again, when you hit that many shots, it does take a bit longer to play your round of golf.

With sports hinging so much on confidence, you have to wonder what will become of the youngster's game against a backdrop of failure. Perhaps if she had proven herself on the LPGA Tour, such a question would be moot. But Wie has yet to win so much as a single women's golf event to date - therefore she is not even the best player on the female tour.

The idea that because she has shown she can compete on the ladies' tour somehow translates to her thinking that she can also compete on the men's is indeed a sign of the foolishness of youth. It is time for Wie to refocus her energy on her career, of developing her game so that she proves she is one of the better women's golfers before she enters yet another men's event.

Sports is about accomplishment, and right now the young lady simply isn't getting it done.

Eliminating the Shakes When in the Bunker

Rachel Thomas — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 23:04:00 +0000

To be blunt, the shot that most weekend golfers fear the most is the one from the sand. Whether it be a green side bunker or one well back in the fairway, the mere contemplation of hitting a shot from any type of sandy lie leads many to get a bad case of the yips. The shot from the sand often leads to a rather low scale objective, the player is satisfied if he can get out of the bunker in just one shot

It need not be that way - a shot from the sand really isn't all that challenging, especially one from a green side bunker. Once again, the key is a basic understanding of what must be done to hit the shot, applying the proper strategy and then making commitment to the shot you are trying to hit.

When hitting a ball from the sand, the basic theory is to hit the sand behind the ball, letting the sand force the ball up into the air and out of the bunker. The key, of course, is how much sand you get with the swing. Too much sand and the ball carries very little, hit the ball simultaneously as you hit the sand and you will likely skull the shot well over the green.

When in a green side bunker, the key thought is to splash the sand with a very open faced wedge. Begin by laying the club face open, turning it clockwise if you are right-handed. The more open the face the less likely you will skull the ball - in other words, the more open the face the more likely you will get only a little distance with a full swing.

Second, dig in with your feet, using your stance to try to get a feel for the sand. Is it very soft? If so you will likely dig into the sand very easily when you swing. On the other hand, if it is very firm you will likely hit the ball more cleanly, taking less sand when you swing.

Next line up left of your target with an open stance as you will see that you tend to push the ball right of the target line. When you begin your swing, be sure to take the club up vertically - do not reach backwards, instead lift it quickly in an upright manner. The final key is to complete a full swing with a follow through, always with the intent of taking a divot of sand from under the ball. Depending on the distance you are looking for, the contact point can be a half inch to an inch and a half behind the ball. If you properly splash the sand and ball you will get a shot that has a great deal of spin that is likely not to roll at all once it lands on the green.

A critical aspect of being in a green side bunker is where the ball sits in the trap. If the ball is sitting up on top of the sand, the shot is relatively easy. If you are on an up hill lie, be sure not to take too much sand as your follow through will be restricted. If you have down hill lie you also will want to try to strike a little closer to the ball to ensure you don't dig too deep before getting to the ball, but plan for a down hill lie to reduce the spin and allow the ball to roll further.

If you have a buried lie, your goal should be more in line with simply getting out of the bunker. Whereas in the above situation you should be thinking to get the ball in the vicinity of the hole, with a buried lie your goal should be to simply get the ball out of the trap and in play. Take the same vertical swing with an open face, but be sure to swing firmly and forcefully, you will need to carve out some serious sand to get the ball out.

In all cases, be sure to keep your head down and still. The slightest movement of your head will cause swing variations and a tendency to be out of balance. To hit the spot you want you must be focused directly on the point of impact.

In contrast, when you are in a fairway bunker, the key is to strike the ball with as little sand as you can. It is important that you hit the ball as you would in the fairway, striking the ball first before you touch the sand at all.

To ensure a quality shot, reverse the swing take away. At first you may want to keep an open club face but take the club back low. As you take your swing, be sure to try to pick the ball as cleanly as you can. If you tend to stay too high you may hit a skulled shot but at least you should get some yardage and be out of the dreaded sand. If you take too much of a divot you will find you get almost nothing out of your shot distance wise. For this reason, you may want to use the more open club face - a poor swing with a closed face will dig deeply in the sand. Just remember to line up left of your target.

When you begin to get the feel of the sand shot, you will find that you have very little discomfort with the shot. In fact you will move very quickly from being satisfied with simply extricating yourself from the bunker to being more confident that you can advance the ball in the proper direction with at least a basic distance consistent with your goal.

Playing When the Wind Blows

Rachel Thomas — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 01:34:00 +0000

I still recall the day the golf pro at the local club showed a group of ladies a Ping golf ball that was made of two colors. If I recall correctly, one side of the ball was orange, the other yellow.

When they asked him the rationale for such a ball, he gave them a line they bought, hook, line and sinker. When the wind is blowing at you noted the golf pro, the trick is to put the orange side facing into the wind. Then you tee the ball much lower than normal, and the combination of the orange surface and the lower teeing of the ball will help you hit the ball much lower so it will be less impacted by the wind. On the days when you are fortunate enough that the wind is behind you, he said, put the yellow side facing out, tee the ball higher and then launch the ball up into the air so that it rides the wind.

I was chuckling hard to myself with his audacity to include the ball color in the strategy only to hear one of the woman in the group pipe up, and if the wind is blowing from the side you put the orange side towards the wind origin, right. Absolutely, he said, and then rang up the sales as each member of the foursome bought a sleeve of the multicolored golf balls. When they had finished their purchase he of course reminded them of the real important advice, remember also how to tee the ball he stated.

That gimmick is precisely the type of thing many golfers jump at. Some how, some way, new equipment will eliminate the key problems a golfer faces. All too often the novice falls for such nonsense and never learns the proper techniques for specific forms of play.

On those days when the wind is blowing, a two sided golf ball will do little to help a player. But then again, because many players melt under such windy conditions the thought of some trick golf ball may be just the key to change the player's mindset. And a change in mindset is something that will help almost any player and therefore can serve a positive purpose. But putting a certain color outward? Nonsense.

The proper way to handle the wind is to make some simple swing adjustments. Those changes become more or less important depending on the severity of the wind and whether the breeze is detrimental to any ball flight or just detrimental to our ball flight.

If you tend to hit the ball from left-to-right or from right-to-left, crosswinds can be both very helpful or a major disaster. If you tend to put spin on the ball, then the wind can really push the ball in the direction of the spin, or it will simply negate the spin if the wind opposes. Therefore a player should think of a crosswind that enhances a player's natural spin as something that will likely take the ball deep off the fairway if the ball is hit high up into the air. Therefore, the player should think of that crosswind the same as a headwind, one that fights a high ball flight and takes distance from the shot.

For every detrimental wind, the very best shot to learn is the knockdown shot. When making such a shot, think of slowing your swing down and executing that swing with a pronounced advancing of the hands. In addition, think of taking both a shorter back swing and a restricted follow through, and place the ball further back in your stance. In completing the follow through, be sure to swing low to the ground and towards the target, rather than lifting up and do not let the club go up over your shoulders and behind you.

Second, if you are at a yardage where you would be normally hitting a seven or eight iron, take a five or even a four iron. Concentrate on keeping the face closed, the hands advanced, and be sure to take that abbreviated swing. Remember, do not take a full back swing and be certain to keep your follow through restricted and low to the ground. The result will be a shot that stays much lower, looks much less majestic, but rides under the impact of the wind, keeping your shot online.

That same technique is very helpful in a detrimental crosswind. A right-handed golfer who tends to hit a fade or a slight slice will find that a left-to-right wind will further the ball flight by enhancing the spin action. Unfortunately, the shot going from left-to-right gently instead goes hard left-to-right and off into the rough or woods. Sometimes with greater yardage but usually just creating trouble. Taking the same strategy to hit a knockdown, even with a three wood can come in very handy.

When on the tee, add the one final touch. If you have a headwind or detrimental crosswind, take the time to tee the ball much lower. Again, the objective is different, here you want to make good contact but your goal is not to hit a high launching ball that the wind will take all the steam out of.

When facing a crosswind that matches your ball flight, you can actually take your normal swing. Just be certain that you understand that the wind, though helping to keep your ball in the middle of the fairway will also be taking some of the normal flight distance away as it keeps the ball online. Just be sure to take more club than normal, with the severity of the wind determining whether you need one or two or even three additional clubs.

Finally, there are those days that the wind is directly behind you. The prevailing breeze feels so good you tend to immediately let up on the swing knowing full well the ball is going to travel further than normal any way. Such a situation generally leads to a more fluid and consistent swing path, ensuring better contact and excellent ball flight.

Of course, to further enhance a tailwind, move the ball forward in your stance to seek out greater loft. Also when on the tee, raise the ball higher as you move the ball forward in your stance. The only area to be careful of is if you do put some side spin, the ball may carry much further and ride that wind a little longer, taking the ball further from the middle of the fairway. Adjusting so that you are aiming more down one side of the fairway or the other is a simple move to ensure that the prevailing wind does indeed help you every step of the way.

Instead of making these very simple game adjustments, many players often let the wind intimidate them. If it is blowing a gale, a player will often begin to over swing to try an compensate for the detrimental effects of the wind. Such a situation then causes him to struggle with both his swing and the wind, a disastrous combination.

Don't fall for the gimmick ball that supposedly has the built in capability to handle the wind. Instead, focus on your swing and the appropriate strategy that makes the wind a minimal factor. Playing on a windy day should be just as much fun as playing on any other day.