Pros: Play Galgorm Castle Under Euro Pro Tour Conditions

Phil Hanlon’s been on to let us know about the last winter pro/am event at Galgorm Castle in Ballymena this weekend. Entry  £20.00- to book ring 02825646161. It will be the last chance the pro’s have to play Galgorm under tournament conditions before this years EuroPro Tour event which takes place from June 21-25th, 2010.

Pic: Former Spurs goalkeeping legend Pat Jennings signing an autograph for a young Spurs fan at Galgorm Castle.  When Pat is not watching Heurelho Gomes keeping nets for mighty Spurs, he can often be spotted at Galgorm.

Note for kids: Despite what wikipedia says Pat Jennings never played for Arsenal.

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Ian Poulter Recreates Monty Python and The Holy Grail

Good old Ian Poulter never forgets his favourite British films, even to the extent of recreating scenes as he walks on the fairways.  Our camera captured Poults recreating the scene where King Arthur trots along minus a horse, to the sound of coconuts.  Later, on the fifth hole, Poulter summoned referee John Parramor and requested a small shrubbery be installed around the green.  The Poultergeist is now planning to recreate the famous “Knights Who Say Ni” scene at the TPC in a couple of weeks.  It remains to be seen if Slugger will be as sympathetic as Parramor to the barking mad Englishman.

 

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Lorena Ochoa To Retire

Golf Digest’s Ron Sirak reckons Lorena Ochoa's retirement is a reflection of her increasingly complicated personal life

He writes:

“The first sign something was wrong came early last year. Lorena Ochoa missed a short putt, cleaned up the mess, plucked her ball from the hole and slammed it to the ground as hard as her muscular arms could throw, leaving a dent on the edge of the green, which she promptly fixed. It was an act of frustration and anger so completely out of character for a relentlessly friendly woman who began every media interview session with a cheery, "Hello." What was going on here?

Ochoa, who at one time played the game with an aggressive passion reminiscent of a young Arnold Palmer -- complete with the powerful, unorthodox swing -- was no longer having fun on the golf course. The presumed heir apparent to Annika Sorenstam's mantle as best in the world of women's golf was seemingly unraveling. And now she is walking away from the game. The question is for how long.

Newly married and with three stepchildren, Ochoa's life has become enormously complicated the last two years. The instant family combined with the impressive charity work she does in Mexico through her foundation have provided Ochoa with not so much off-course distractions as perhaps off-course obligations she takes very seriously. It has been clear for a while now that her mind was not completely engaged with golf when she was on the course.

Now I Begin To Understand: The Bit Of The Nike Ad That Got Cut

Cut From The Nike Ad

Earl Woods gives Tiger the following advice:
"Focus on golf. Screw everything else."

Now I Understand

Suits You Sir: Westwood Vs Harrington- Battle of The Threads

Come in Tony Q’aja and Louis Copeland.  Can you hear us?  We need your help.  It looks like Lee Westwood is going to need a suit pretty soon and if his last effort is anything to go by, he is facing summary execution by the fashion police.  Here is Lee suited and booted compared to Padraig  Harrington.  See what I mean?

Harrington’s suit says: “I could devise policy with Obama, negotiate peace in the Middle East or take tea with Mandela.”

Westwood’s suit says: “I’m off to court for nicking a car stereo.  Bloody rubbish one ‘n all. Cum on Forest!”

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Tiger Bashing Now Legal: Even Jim Nantz Takes A Swing

CBS Sports' lead golf broadcaster Jim Nantz  broke his silence on Tiger Woods when chatting to a New York radio station this week regarding Tiger’s ill-chosen language during the Masters.

Nantz: Is that A Comb Over? 

Nantz, who once shared a dorm with Freddie “Boom Boom” Couples, fired off a couple of rounds himself in Tiger’s direction, by taking great exception to Woods' expletive-laced reaction to his tee shot on the sixth hole Saturday, as well as a couple of other loose moments from Woods.
Nantz not only frowned upon Tiger’s imaginative combination “cuss” phrases but also his "Did I? If I did then I'm sorry" response when asked about his use of language taken from the Oxford Cess-pit Dictionary.

Personally I don’t mind a few words from the hood myself, if it helps get the job done and no-one gets offended.  Somebody should give Jim Nantz a copy of Dizzee Rascal’s new album; see if he get’s a heart attack.

Would Dizzee Rascal drive Jim Nantz “Bonkers”?

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Bet Your Balls: Ballantine's Championship Betting Tips

Last week: Winner Alright-Jim Furyk 10/1, our fifth winner this season!

Pinx GC

Jeju Island, Korea Republic 22 Apr 2010 - 25 Apr 2010

Anthony Kim 12/1

Anthony Ha-Jin Kim though born in LA and brought up in Dallas never forgets his roots and he returns to the Ballantine’s Championship this week in the Korean homeland of his parents. It’s Kim’s first outing since his stunning final round blitz at the Masters to finish third. That was his third top ten on the PGA tour this year and having won the Shell Houston Open in the build up to Augusta his confidence will be sky high. Whether he can maintain his form after a week off and a little bit of partying is another matter. Tied fifth here in 2008.

 

Johan Edfors 40/1

Hard working Johan Edfors is worth an each way bet at long odds this week. I thought I saw a return to form from the Swede in Malaysia at the Maybank Open where he finished seventh but his Andulcia performance three weeks later was horrid. Now representing Black Mountain GC in Thailand, Edfors has an affinity for Asian golf, having won two of his three tour titles in Asian co-sanctioned events. With three rounds in the 60’s and a tie for fourth in China last week, he could go one better this time around. Missed the cut last year but tied for fifth in the inaugural staging of this event in 2008.

Thongchai Jaidee 20/1

With three order of merit titles, ex paratrooper Jaidee is an Asian Tour specialist and he enters this week as defending champion. Now in world’s top 50 and having qualified for the Masters Jaidee’s Augusta dream turned to nightmare as he withdrew after ten holes of the second round with an elbow injury. However after visiting a specialist attached with NBA outfit the Atlanta Hawks the injury improved enough for Jaidee to claim a top-10 place in last weeks Volvo China Open, his fourth top 10 of the season. Great in the wind and even better on the Pinx greens.

 

Graeme McDowell 25/1

GMac is to golf what a dodgy thermostat is to an electric shower. It’s either scalding hot or Baltic cold for the Portrush man. After recovering from a poor first round to finish sixth at the WGC-CA Championship in March, things were looking up for Graeme but his trip Stateside rapidly turned sour with missed cuts at Arnie’s place and Augusta. Recovered some form last week in China with a top ten and is showing glimpses of the form that brought him a playoff win against Jeev Singh in the inaugural Ballantine’s event in 2008. If the wind blows in Korea, don’t bet against GMac claiming his fifth tour title.

Early odds from Betfair

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What’s In The Bag 2010: Fred Couples

 

Vital Stats

Full name Frederick Steven Couples

Born October 3, 1959 (age 50)

Seattle, Washington

Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)

Residence La Quinta, California

Spouse Thais Baker (died 2009)

College University of Houston

Turned professional 1980

Number of wins by tour

PGA Tour 15

European Tour 2

Champions Tour 3

Champions Tour Ratings

Power	Accuracy	Putting
Longest Drive	321 yds	Fairway Hit %	69.05%	Putts per Round	27.44
Average Drive	298.7 yds	Greens in Regulation	82.1%	Putts per GIR	1.624
Rank	1st	GIR Rank	2nd	Rank (ppr)	3rd

Biography

On the course nothing seems to phase Freddie Couples. Now 50 , Couples is ranked number one on The Champions Tour and his sixth place finish at The Masters served notice to the big boys that there is life in the old boy yet. With a smooth easy rhythm and a swing to die for on the course Freddie has it all, but his life of it couldn’t be more contrasting, clouded as it is by tragedy.

Couples was born in Seattle, Washington, to parents Tom and Violet Couples. Fred's paternal grandparents had emigrated from Italy, and changed the family name from "Copolla" to "Couples" to make it sound less Italian. His mother is of Croatian descent. Couples attended the University of Houston, where, as a member of the Houston Cougars men's golf team, he roomed with CBS television broadcaster Jim Nantz.

Despite being dubbed “King Of The Silly Season” for his dominance in skins and Winter events, Couples has 15 PGA Tour victories including one major in 1992 where he held off Ray Floyd to become Masters Champion. Many say Couples would have been a more prolific winner were it not for a debilitating back problem that continually affects his ability to play and practice.

Couples' met his first wife Deborah when they were students in Houston in 1979 but their marriage ended in 1992. In 2001 Deborah fell to her death which was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles City coroner's office. Couples’ second marriage was to Thais Baker in 1998, but after she was diagnosed with breast cancer their union ended After a number of other relationships, he reunited with Thais before a recurrence of her illness occurred and she died from breast cancer in February of 2009.

From his first five starts in his rookie season on the Champions Tour, Couples has three wins, one second and one third which has earned him just shy of $1 million.

What’s In The Bag Fred Couples 2010

(at Cap Cana Championship on eve of US Masters 2010)

Fred Couples Shorts

Silly Season

Couples whose nickname is “Boom Boom” owing to his enormous drives is a multiple winner of the Skins Games, and has won 21 other off season events, earning him the monicker, "King of the Silly Season." From 1995 to 2004, Couples won five skins game accumulating $3,515,000.

World Number One

 

Though American legends like Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus went before him, Fred Couples became the first American player to reach the number one position in the “Official” World Golf Rankings after their introduction in 1992. He spent 16 weeks as number one after one of the hottest starts to a season by a PGA Tour player ever. From the Nissan Los Angeles Open, Fred won two tournaments and finished second in two before walking away with the Green Jacket at Augusta.

Pic: Couples with first wife Deborah in 1992

Sneakers

Only one thing threatened to overshadow the return of Tiger Woods at The Masters and that was Freddie’s shoes. Couples turned heads the second he walked out of the locker room wearing a pair of golf shoes that resembled a pair of street sneakers with no socks. He wears Ecco Golf Street Premiere shoes for whom he is a brand ambassador.

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Bloggy Underfoot: Major Indigestion

The 2010 Masters was like a delicious meal. Now that I have had time to digest it, I think my tummy is starting to rumble. Something that went in there wasn’t good, I wonder what could it have been?

Could it have been Tiger, who promised to be sweet but turned out to be more sour than ever? I hope he didn’t hand over any of his hard earned billion dollars for his ‘you know what’ treatment, it didn’t seem to change him in the least. His performance on the course coupled with the media disaster off it only served Tiger to reinvent himself as the bad boy of golf. If media reports are to be believed that ludicrous Nike advert literally drove Elin to the divorce lawyer! The likes of so called ‘angry men’ Rory Sabbatini and Anthony Kim must have had their champagne glasses tinkling with delight after Tiger in his post match interview said “I came fourth” and not “It’s great to be back- I did my best- thanks to the fans for their welcome- well done Phil- the Mickelson’s deserve this”.

Speaking of Anthony Kim, he really seems to be suddenly more palatable. Club in hand he couldn’t even live with Tiger, but with glass in hand Kim’s record leaves Tiger in the shade. Until recently that is. His new work ethic has yielded a second at the Honda, a win in Houston and very nearly a smash and grab job at the Masters. Best of all, he’s been doing all this with a broken thumb which requires surgery. Kim’s nemesis and President’s Cup supergrass Robert Allenby must be choking on his words now!

More news that went down well last week is that the USGA have granted Tom Watson a special exemption to the US Open at Pebble Beach. Exemptions like these are like hens teeth so what did Tommy do to deserve it? Was it his brilliant British Open last season, or his 2010 Champions Tour win or maybe his Masters day one lead and tied 18th finish? Regardless, Watson will become the only player alive to have competed in all five Opens at Pebble Beach. He says it’s his favourite course in the world and why wouldn’t it, he played his first major there in 1972 and won his only US Open there in 1982.

Oh Oh I feel indigestion coming on. Tiger has announced he is to come back at Quail Hollow next week. It was probably the worst kept secret in golf, over a month ago the organizers ordered in a media tent double the size of the original one in anticipation of the Tiger. It looks like more carefully choreographed drama and viewer manipulation is on the cards. Someone pass the Milk Of Magnesia please.

Tailored Shorts: Weird and Wonderful Golf News You May Not Have Heard

Lucky Langer

Bernhard Langer bagged his 10^th Champions Tour victory thanks to a huge slice of luck from the flagstick and the weather. After leading by one shot from Mark O’Meara after 36 holes of the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, the pair managed to play only one hole of their round before rain caused the event to be reduced to two rounds. Ironically O'Meara had chipped in for a birdie on that hole that tied Langer at 9-under par but it ultimately didn’t count for the American who has finished second nine times in four seasons on the Champions Tour, but still has yet to win. The previous day Langer watched his pacey approach shot on the final hole hit the flag stick and drop near the cup from where he birdied to win.  Pic: Langer-Poxed Lucky

Rice Comes Unstuck on Tour

Former San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice, now 47, is now an aspiring tour golfer. On his Nationwide Tour debut, Rice shot rounds of 83 and 76 to miss the cut at the Fresh Express Classic. "I am going to continue to work on my game," Rice said. “Last night, I was so upset I couldn't sleep. I woke up at 2 a.m. and was just staring at the ceiling. I had my clothes picked out, over on a chair and I couldn't wait for the sun to rise”. At 17-over, he was 151st among the 152 players who finished both rounds. The cut was at 2-under.

Pic: Jerry Rice on the 15th

Ding Dong Battle in Argentina

Argentina's Andres Romero won the 79th Abierto VISA del Centro Championship at the Cordoba Golf Club after a ding dong battle with home favourite Angel Cabrera. Cabrera, aiming for a record equalling eighth win at the event, reeled his young compatriot in during the third round reduced the lead to one but Romero eventually ran out winner by four shots after a back nine run of double bogey, bogey from Cabrera. It was Romero's sixth title on the Tour de las Americas, the tour he has used to springboard his career to victories on the European Challenge Tour, The European Tour and the US PGA Tour since 2003.

Kelly’s Eye Number 1

US fan favourite Jerry Kelly aced the fourth hole at Harbour Town Golf Links, for the second time in four years at the Verizon Heritage! Kelly was among the early starters in the first round when he came to the 193-yard, par 3, fourth hole. He watched his 4-iron bounce 15 foot short and track straight into the cup. Amazingly did the did the exact same thing during the third round in 2007, even down to using the same 4-iron! Kelly now has three PGA Tour aces and a seriously hefty champagne bill!

Pic: Jerry Kelly Looking Upset

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On The Tour Truck: At The Masters with Derek Murray ForeGolf

They say that everything is bigger and better in America and this stands true for the Cleveland Golf & Srixon Tour Truck which was parked just outside Augusta National for the biggest and best tournament in the world (in my opinion). There were a number of players who dropped by to get their supply of balls and gloves as well as special Cleveland and Srixon Masters hats with the date on the back and in the Augusta Green. Jim Furyk came on the truck and got a few tweaks on his wedges and picked up a new hybrid to try. Steve Flesch and David Toms also droped by for their Augusta Hats and supplies for the week.

There are a few hot items floating about at The Masters and one of them is the new Miyazaki shafts with a number of players deciding to test this revolutionary new technology. Each shaft has a unique numbering system which allows for an exact flex profile to be matched to the golfer. This shaft is the hottest thing on the PGA Tour at the moment and is set to be the next big thing in shafts.

with Derek Murray from www.foregolf.ie

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The “Who Am I” Quiz

Thanks to everyone who entered our quiz last week by text and by e-mail. Congrats to the winner Dave Williams, Fethard, Co. Tipperary who answered Colin Montgomerie and wins a fourball at beautiful Mount Juliet. This week’s “Who Am I” question is just for fun but be sure to check in next week when we will be back with another batch of stunning fourball vouchers.

This week’s question: Who Am I?

As caddies go, they say I’m one of best. I certainly learned from the best having started out my career with the legendary Seve Ballesteros. I’ve carried the bag for many great players including Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia and even Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup. My current employer is Europe’s number one, the 2009 Race to Dubai winner and new main in Sunday red!

Wayne’s World Of Fitness: C Posture

Problem:. C Posture is best described as a posture where the player will have the shoulders slumped forward and there is roundness to the upper back (Thoracic Spine). This can lead to severe loss of spinal rotation which will limit the ability to create a good backswing turn.

Cause:. C posture is generally caused by muscle and joint imbalances. Lifestyle can be a major factor such as sitting at a computer or driving a car for a living. Simply telling yourself to straighten the spine at address will generally not work, the only effective way to correct C Posture is targetted exercise.

Stretch: . A great way to stretch the upper back and create better posture for your golf is thoracic spine press ups. Keep your rib cage in contact with the grounds while lifting the upper back.

Log on to www.wayneocallaghangolf.com PGA Pro and TPI fitness instructor for more info.

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Verizon Heritage Final Round Highlights