I’m Worried About Seve: Not Coming To Open

I know Seve dearly wanted to come to the British Open in St. Andrews to say one final ‘thank you’ to all his fans.  Indeed many believed he was desperately fighting towards being fit for the occasion.  The news that doctors have advised him not to travel is very worrying.  We wish Seve all the very best.  Here’s the statement from Seve’s website:

Having considered the advice of the of the doctors’ team, Severiano Ballesteros has decided not to travel to Scotland for the British Open taking place at St Andrews in July.
Madrid, June 23rd 2010.- Yesterday, June 22nd, Severiano Ballesteros visited his doctors at La Paz Hospital in Madrid. During his visit, Severiano Ballesteros underwent some tests which he repeats every three months. These check-ups are routine and monitor the progress of the Spanish athlete following his diagnosis of a brain tumor in October 2008.
The medical team, who are responsible for Severiano Ballesteros have informed him this morning that at this time he should not put himself under any undue stress or in potentially emotional situations. It is for this reason that they have advised him against travelling to St Andrews. From La Paz Hospital, Dr. Belda, the oncologist who looks after Severiano Ballesteros considers that “despite the excellent general state that Mr. Ballesteros enjoys, we do not think the trip to Scotland, this coming July, would be appropriate. It is important that Mr. Ballesteros continues with a peaceful life and our advice has been not to travel to Scotland.”
After hearing the doctors’ opinion Severiano Ballesteros declared: “I very much wanted to be at The British Open in St Andrews next month to personally thank all the golf fans and friends who have given me their support, not only during these two years, when I have been recovering from my illness but also to thank them for the affection they have shown during my golf career. I am aware that there might be people who have been preparing their trip to encourage and cheer me up. Hence, I do not want to disappoint anyone at the last minute and after listening to the doctors’ advice I have taken the difficult decision not to travel to St Andrews.”
Severiano Ballesteros is resting and continuing with his recovery process at his home in Pedreña, Spain.

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Travelers Championship Betting Tips

Justin Rose 18/1

Unceremoniously left out of the US Open field after kicking everyone’s ass (including Tiger and Phil) at the Memorial a couple of weeks back.  Justin’s bound to be refreshed hungry and psyched.  Had a podium here in 2005, the last time he had a run a form! Only joking Justin!

 

Kenny Perry 22/1

There’s nothing wrong with the Ping Craz-e putter Kenny, Gregory Havret canned everything with it last week at Pebble.  Kenny’s not far away from good form, 33rd has been his lowest finish in his last five events.  Winner last year and sixth in 2008, the ATM that is Seniors Tour is beckoning for Kenny, but not before one last tilt at the Travelers

Hunter Mahan 20/1

  4,2,1,2: No its not the form of a horse, its the form of Hunter at TPC River Highlands over the last four years.  Actually come to think of it, there are resemblances.  Hunter is playing rubbish of late, but what the hell, he owns the place.  What’s the story with his beards though, I’ve seen more hair on a gooseberry!

Ricky Barnes 33/1

Ricky seems to contend every week now, bombing, gouging, falling off his shots, throwing his right shoulder around like a shot-putter.  Hey it may not be pretty, but this boy is getting the job done.  27th at Pebble and top-10’s in his previous two, could this be Ricky’s week?

Padraig Harrington 14/1

Padraig said last week he just needed that spark to get him over the line.  Tied 22nd at Pebble, Harrington’s game is in good shape coming in British Open time.  With fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell winning last week, it brings Irish Major wins to four from the last twelve.

 

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Tiger Are You My Daddy? Seen above Pebble Beach!

Something Smells For Dustin At Pebble

Doc’s Dawn Raid at Doonbeg Teaser

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Butch and his Tales

Butch Harmon is really growing on me. Apparently he has no fee for teaching tour professionals. Instead the deal is you pay Butch what you think the lesson is worth! The son of a Masters Champion, Butch is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the world so when Sky Sport’s signed him up as one of their men in the booth, eyebrows were raised. People wondered why a man of his stature and wealth would want to go from working with Phil Mickelson on the range to spending countless hours in a cramped booth commentating on TV. Could it be that he actually enjoys it? Either way the man is so steeped in the game golf, even his throw-away comments are fascinating.

During the first round of the US Open Butch was talking about the redesigned tee boxes on the par three fifth hole at Pebble Beach and mentioned that it was once the site of an old house.

In 1915, the Pacific Improvement Company hired Samuel Morse to help liquidate its land holdings in Monterey County, including the land that would become Pebble Beach. Eager to impress his new employers, Morse almost immediately sells off a single parcel of land overlooking majestic Stillwater Cove. Morse commented at the time, “I will probably regret this.” Later that year, it was decided to place a golf course rather than private homes along the coastline. Although Morse attempted to buy the Stillwater Cove property back, but the owner declined. Thus when Pebble Beach was built the fifth hole had to be placed inland.

Negotiations with the owner of the house continually broke down, the old codger in it was not for moving. Finally however a deal was done and in 1998 Pebble Beach acquired the old house. One day later the bulldozers had reduced it to rubble and Jack Nicklaus and co set about redesigning the par three on the coast as it was always intended.

But that was only half of Butch’s story. Next Pebble Beach fenced off the plot of land where the old tee box was and stuck a “For Sale” sign on it. The plot, being on the site of one of one of the most famous and picturesque golf courses in the world, obviously drew much interest. Eventually the site was sold to two “golf speculators” for what Butch described as a “vastly inflated” price. In fact, he figured, Pebble Beach probably turned a tidy profit on the deal, the sale of the plot probably covered the cost of buying the old house, knocking it and redesigning the golf hole.

So who were these two “golf speculators” who bought the site of the old tee box in Pebble Beach for the vastly inflated price tag? One is a mystery, the other is Claude Harmon, also known in the golf world as “Butch”!

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Mars Bars help McDowell Work Rest and Play US Opens

Graeme McDowell’s Dad Kenny, recalled stories of Graeme’s introduction to golf and the role Mars bars played therein.

“Whenever they went for lessons with the local professional, he used to line them all up you see and have a target from maybe 100 yards and say, ‘Right, the closest to the target gets a Mars bar.’ Well after about six goes, Graeme was about another 50 yards back. They kept moving him back a bit because he was so good. He ate a lot of Mars bars.”

“We left him over in the morning because myself and Marian both worked and in the summer holidays, we left him over to the club when I was going to work at a quarter to eight. They had a lunch box and we took them over their tea. And we had to go looking for them in the dark. Marian would be saying: ‘They couldn’t be still at the golf course.’

“And I’d be be saying, ‘I’ll tell you where they will be. There is a big bush at the back of the 17th green on the Royal. I bet you they are there.’

“So I flashed the car lights and next thing Graeme pops his head out, ‘Coming now dad, give us five more minutes.’ They were knocking shots into the 17th. You know what it’s like, you are hitting shots in the dark and your eyes become accustomed to it.”  

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GMac Press Conference

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What’s In The Bag Graeme McDowell 2010 US Open Champion

Congrats to Graeme McDowell on his 2010 US Open win.  Here’s what was in his bag.

Player Profile and WITB: Graeme McDowell

Born 30 July 1979 (age 30)

Portrush, Northern Ireland

Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Weight 168 pounds (76 kg; 12.0 st)

Residence Portrush, Northern Ireland

College University of Alabama at Birmingham

Turned professional 2002

Current tour(s) European Tour

Professional wins 5

What’s In The Bag Graeme McDowell US Open Champion

Biography

2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell hails from in Portrush, Northern Ireland. After a stellar amateur career in Ireland which included winning the Irish Amateur Close Championship, Irish Youths Championship, World Universities Championship and South of Ireland Championship in the year 2000, McDowell took a golf scholarship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2001 he was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland team which retained the Walker Cup at Sea Island in Georgia and the following year McDowell won the Haskins Award for most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States. He still retains “Blaze”, the Alabama mascot as his headcover.

McDowell turned professional in 2002 and won that season's Volvo Scandinavian Masters, which was only his fourth start on the European Tour. He has since added four more European Tour titles including the Celtic Manor Wales Open earlier this month. That win all but guaranteed his Ryder Cup spot. McDowell played in the 2008 Ryder Cup, earning two and a half points for the European team.

McDowell Shorts

Read My Lips: No More Bush

This most high profile contact Graeme has in his phone is ex-president of the United States George Bush Snr. Apparently all the Bush’s are big golf fans and ould George gave Graeme his number after a friendly round.

Bono

Graeme’s favourtite non sporting hero is Bono! The Dublin crooner doesn’t feature in his Karoake partypiece however. “I sing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol” says Graeme “and I’m pretty good at it too!”

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