Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Woods To Return At The Masters
Tiger has finally ended speculation about his return to tournament golf. He is to compete at next months Masters. In a statement Woods said “The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.”
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bet Your Balls:Transitions Championship
Transitions Championship
Thursday Mar 18 – Sunday Mar 21, 2010
Innisbrook, A Salamander Golf and Spa Resort · Tampa Bay, Fla.
Course Par Value: 71
Course Yardage: 7,340
Past Winners
| Date | Winner | Country | Score | 1st Prize ($) | Purse ($) |
| Transitions Championship | |||||
| Mar 22, 2009 | 276 (-8) | 972,000 | 5,400,000 | ||
| PODS Championship | |||||
| Mar 9, 2008 | 280 (-4) | 954,000 | 5,300,000 | ||
| Mar 11, 2007 | 274 (-10) | 954,000 | 5,300,000 |
Steve Stricker 12/1
The highest ranked player in the field this week, Stricker comes into the tournament having shot a four under final round of 68 at last weeks CA Championship to climb into a tie for 16th position. Stricker had control of this tournament after two rounds last year and despite a third round 73 he still had a chance to win on Sunday. He lead midway through the final round but bogeys on 17 and 18 gifted the tournament to Retief Goosen. I expect the Northern Trust Open winner to contend again this week.
Nick Watney 30/1
It didn’t happen for Nick Watney last week at Doral with a series of double bogeys blighting any chance of a high finish. Although not shown on the TV cameras, Watney shot a final round 68 which included eight birdies and four bogeys. With the pressure off this week he could well contend over this tough Copperhead layout where the scoring is never low. It all depends on his putter, on these exceptionally grainy greens, the only club in the bag with which Watney’s stats are above the tour average.
Padraig Harrington 12/1
How great it was to see Padraig return to form last week at the CA Championship. If you want a man to play for your life in the wind, it’s Ernie, but since he’s not available this week, we’ll take Padraig! Harrington has a busy week at the White House so the Transitions should come as a welcome relief at the end of it. Tied for third last week despite three consecutive back nine bogeys. The host Copperhead course this week could be even more suited to Harrington than last weeks resort layout, being as it is very narrow with thick greenside bermuda grass rough. It’s a week for the short game specialists, not the blasters (Tom Lehman was in the final group last year) and the wind is predicted to be up again which all bodes well for the in form Dubliner.
European Tour Notes: Trophée Hassan II
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam
Rabat, Morocco
18 Mar 2010 - 21 Mar 2010
The European Tour visits Morocco for the first time this week and welcomes back an old favourite in Paul McGinley after his extended injury lay off. The betting in this depleted field will be headed by Italian Francesco Molinari (16/1) who jets back home from the WGC CA Championship after carding a final round 68 to climb into a very creditable tie for 14th. Others to watch include Rhys Davies (40/1) who went close in Malaysia a couple of weeks back and England’s David Horsey (45/1) who has been by many to make a breakthrough this year.
Tailored Shorts: Golf News You May Not Have Heard
La Le Padraig
Padraig Harrington is to visit the White House this week to meet Barack Obama, who will be hosting the traditional handing over of the St Patrick’s Day bowl of salad celebrations with er, Brian Cowen. All we know so far is that Harrington plans to wear a green tie. However my secret service insider has revealed that both Obama and Cowen have both scheduled half hour meetings with the Dubliner in the Oval Office. It is believed Harrington will first brief Obama on his five point plan to bring America out of its fiscal deficit whilst tweaking the Health Reform bill to get it passed in the Senate. Harrington is then expected to lecture Mr Cowen on fitness, the art of public speaking and dealing with the public. It is not believed Harrington will have time to outline his strategy on enforcing unilateral banking legislation within the Eurozone.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 to Feature Rory McIlroy
So you’re a multi million dollar gaming company and the golf star after which your top game is named is ‘dodgy at best’. What do you do? Well if you are Sony and EA Sports dealing with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 you try and shift the focus and give equal cover billing to Rory McIlroy. The new game will feature the Ryder Cup, which ironically McIlroy has never played in and Woods participation in is, well, ‘dodgy at best’. Sony has also revealed the new game will boast a revolutionary motion controller, presumably designed to make easier for Tiger to find his own hotel room. Sorry, couldn’t resist!
Seve Fall
Seve Ballesteros, who has been battling brain cancer since being diagnosed in 2008 had a scare recently after falling off a golf cart and banging his head on the ground in Pedrena, northern Spain. The three-time British Open champion was taken to hospital where he underwent a serious of tests over for four days before being discharged. His management say that he has now fully recovered. Ballesteros spoke last year of his desire to return to competition one last time at this years British Open Championship and has pushed his ravaged body to the limit in order to regain his fitness for the event. However his participation must now be considered unlikely after this recent setback.
Yes, Noh, Maybe
The newest European Tour winner and wonder kid is Korea’s Noh Seung-yul. Noh who is not quite twenty and has his Dad as his caddy not only claimed the Maybank Malaysian Open, but claimed one of four British Open qualifying spots only hours after. Another Korean to emerge last week was happy go lucky Kiradech Aphibarnrat. So taken are we by the big Barn-Rat’s on course antics we’ve decided to adopt the loveable rogue for the season. If the big rat bites on the Asian Tour, you’ll hear it here first.
Video Of The Week: Sergio Garcia
Remember the good old days when Sergio Garcia was the happy go lucky El Nino? Here he struts his stuff as James Bond in a Michelob beer commercial. Apparently they had to shoot the final scene a total of 23 times because Sergio kept messing up from 007 feet! Sorry dude, I couldn’t resist.
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What’s In The Bag 2010: Ian Poulter
What’s In The Bag of Ian Poulter in 2010
Vital Stats 
Birthdate: January 10, 1976
Height and weight: 6ft 1in 13st 7lb (185cm 86kgs)
Birthplace: Hitchin, England
Attachment: Woburn G&C.C.
College: Barclay School
Turned Pro: 1995
Family: Wife: Katie (m. 2007); Children: Aimee-Leigh (2002), Luke (2004), Lilly-Mai Grace (2009)
Interests: All ball sports, Arsenal FC, cars
Turned Pro: 1994 (4)
Ratings
Power
Longest Drive: 296 yards
Average Drive: 283.5 yards
Rank: 101st
Accuracy
Fairway Hit %: 65.5%-rank 35
Greens in Regulation %: 80.6- rank 2
Putting
Putts per round: 29.5
Putts per hole: 1.64
Rank: 93
what’s in the bag 2010 Ian Poulter, witb Ian Poulter 2010, what’s in the bag
The Heritage Fourball Quiz
This weeks prize is a fantastic fourball at The Heritage in Co. Laois, venue of the 2007 Seve Trophy. To enter text your answer with name and address to 087-2029040 or e-mail them to examinerspindoc@eircom.net. Even if you’re not a winner, don’t forget that online bookings and associate memberships with no joining fee are now available on www.theheritage.com.
Who am I?
I was born in 1971 in Jacksonville Florida. I have 13 PGA tour victories including one Major outside my own country in 2001. I’ve been the world number one but am most proud of shooting a 59 at the Bob Hope Classic. My slip down the rankings in the noughties was shocking and my 25 over par at the 2004 US Open was a low point. I proved I still have it though, tying for second at last years US Open after coming through sectional qualifying.
Congrats to last weeks winner Sandra Murnaghan, Ovens, Cork (who correctly answered 1. Larry Mize, 2. Colombia, 3. Loreno Ochoa) and wins a fabulous fourball at Adare Manor.
Bloggy Underfoot: Mental game Doing My Head In!
Boy am I sick and tired of hearing about the mental side of side of golf. The whole psychological part of the game has become as important as your swing or equipment. There’s something not quite right about that isn’t there? There they are, hanging around the practise green on tour, just waiting for the next player to break his putter in frustration before they swoop in for easy pickings.
I reckon these guys have their own sneaky marketing strategy too; the more golfers they get to talk about having the mental fortitude to close out an event or how to avoid filling your pants over a slippery left to right five footer the more they scare you into thinking that without their help you are automatically going to do that. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy.
The first golf email I got last Monday was from Dr Gio Valiante’s media company. No he’s not the doctor from the Simpsons, but rather Camilo Villegas’ head guru and he wanted to take all the plaudits for the Colombian’s victory. He reckoned Camilo’s on course philosophy of an “attitude of gratitude” helped him win the Honda. Gio’s secrets can be all yours for only $99.99. Right you be, it had nothing to do with Villegas diet of oil and nails, his 27 inch waist, muscle bound upper body, punishing training regime and having one of the best putting strokes on tour. I bet you Valiante will have an attitude of gratitude toward anyone daft enough to part with 100 quid for his ramblings. I feel brain freeze coming on.
That’s not to say I’m a complete sceptic. I do make an exception for Bob Rotella and his methods. He doesn’t come on all hot and heavy with the claims, preferring to make the odd appearance beside Padraig or offer a soundbite as to how his charge is doing. If golf psychology was a weight loss program, Valiante would be an untried yet expensive tablet whereas Rotella would be healthy eating with exercise. I like Bob’s little snippets. One goes something along the lines of: You are aiming down the fairway, ball sitting on the tee. Where are you aiming? I’m aiming down the middle of the fairway. Rotella says “where exactly on the middle of the fairway”. Ah, I get it, he wants us to focus on hitting specific targets, like going for the treble 20 in darts rather than being happy to hit the board. Nice one Bob.
Pic: Camilo: Winning has nothing to do with those muscles so?
Even the kids who are supposed to be young and fearless are being contaminated with the whole pycho aspect of the beautiful game. Last week Rory McIlory spent “probably the best 90 minutes I’ve spent in a long time”. Was he talking about watching Nuala Carey on the Late Late Show or Wayne’s Rooney’s demolition of AC Milan? Hell no. Rory got to spend an extended lunch with Jack Nicklaus specifically to peer inside the head of the 18 time major champion. I think surgeon’s call it a bifrontal craniotomy. “It was great to sit down and talk to him and see his approach to winning and what went through his head whenever he was in contention, and what things he might have done differently than other people,” McIlroy said. He had assumed that Jack, in his day was like Tiger, building a lead only to crush the competition but was surprised by the bear’s actual mindset. “He waited for guys to make mistakes. He had a lot more majors handed to him than he won.” Er, not quite with ya on the old “handed to him” bit Rory, but you got the jist.
So whether you’re a Dr Bob and a Dr Gio follower, or merely lunch with major champions and draw slightly dodgy conclusions, remember for me it’s all in the head. The clubhead.
Wayne’s World Of Fitness: The Sway
Swing Fault:
A Sway is any lower body lateral movement away from the target during the backswing and forces the weight to the outside of the back foot. This swing fault makes it very difficult for a golfer to create power as it causes problems in the proper weight shift during transition and the downswing.
Cause:
Right hip internal rotation is vital for full rotation into the right hip without any lateral movement for a right handed golfer. If there is any joint or muscular restrictions lateral movement will tend to dominate.
Drill:
A great exercise to practise would be side step ups. Hold a medicine ball (or a buggy battery) and place a foot on a step about 6-12 inches in height. Start by stepping up on the left leg and swinging the right knee across the body. Make sure you keep the upper body facing forward with the medicine ball in front of the body. This will force the hips to rotate independently of the upper body, make sure to repeat on the other side too.
Log on to www.wayneocallaghangolf.com PGA Pro and TPI fitness instructor
On The Tour Truck: The Shaft Spine
Everybody knows about shaft flex and some know about kick point. But did you know about the latest shaft technology which involves the “spine” of the shaft? This is the strongest part or plane of the shaft when it bends. Some of the top players on Tour insist that the spine is located using a shaft profiling machine and then aligned to help stabilize the driver head. Having the spine in the straight up or 12 o’clock position stops the head from 
drooping or dipping at impact and allows the head to be more energy efficient in the 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock position and through the ball. Does it make a difference? The top players in the world believe it does, so……….
Pic: The Spine Analyzer, the golfing equivalent of an MRI.
with Derek Murray from www.foregolf.ie
WGC CA Championship 2010 Highlights
WGC CA Championship 2010 highlights
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