Bubba Watson and Family Stalked On Road In Cape Fear Incident

Here’s a story I picked up from Doug Ferguson on how Bubba Watson and his family were tailed on the road as they headed home from a Concert.

"A car chased me," he said after a 74 in Friday's second round at the Memorial. "Angie was driving. She had to pull over. I switched to driving so I could drive through someone's yard if I had to. But we had to drive away from our house, the house we rented. We drove for 37 minutes."

Watson called his caddie, Ted Scott, hoping that Scott could intercept the pursuing car.

"Teddy was trying to find me in his car so he could block him," said Watson, who along with his wife recently adopted a child. "When you start dealing with that, when you have the kid with you, it's not a good situation."

Here’s the link to the full story on the golf channel website.

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Quantum Shift or Just A Blip? Tiger On Top, Rory Missed Cut

There’s a Rory on top of the leaderboard in Muirfield Village but it’s Sabbatini not McIlroy.  Rors missed his third straight cut after a couple of concentration lapses and poor course management while Tiger Woods, despite suffering from flu like symptoms and the customary double bogey is sitting pretty one behind  leader Sabbatini.

2012 The Memorial Second Round Highlights

 

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Toothless Protestor In Rugby Shirt Makes Statement at Wales Open

The European Tour and officials from Celtic Manor are this evening meeting in crisis session to discuss how a man, dressed in a Wales rugby shirt with the word “Brains” emblazoned in large lettering across the chest, managed to breach security and engage in a silent protest on day one of the Wales Open.

The “Brains” message on the shirt is thought to refer to the European Tour’s lack of Grey Matter in allowing any member of the TV viewing public with an email account to acts as interactive referees at Tour events.

“It’s very rare for anyone to attend day one of the Wales Open” said a Tour official “but it’s particularly sad to see someone enter with a protest slogan on his clothing.  Perhaps when he showed up at the turnstiles, he took staff by surprise and they failed to notice the offensive message.”

With up two 100 spectators expected to attend the final round at the Ryder Cup venue, one extra security gaurd is being deployed to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.

 

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Olazabal: I Cant Get It Up In Wales

Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal brought his Celtic Manor press conference down a notch in tone by revealing candidly that he struggling to find the length to get the job done.

“It’s great to be here,” he said. “It's a big event, but I’m struggling to get it up at this venue.  Obviously I have wonderful memories from two years ago, but on that occasion I didn’t need to get it up or ‘perform’ in front of huge crowds.

“There are certain areas that I have to improve, but some other areas I'm pretty happy with. I’m pretty good at getting it into the hole and I’ve never been phased by the thickness of the bushes here in the Valleys.  The key is to stay clear of the most of that notorious thick bush which runs the length of the back side.

“But all I can do is just work at it. I would love to score well again. I still have a load to give.”

 

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For One Night Only: GolfBoys Live In Concert

Check out Bubba, Ben, Ricky and the Hunter performing their (s)hit single “Oh Oh Oh” live from Bubba’s bash.

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Death To The West! Dictator Woods Latest Grainy Video

Here’s Tigers latest Tora Bora cave video from Olympic Club.  Death to you media infidels!

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Monty Offered Job By Fed Ex

Another great Colin Montgomerie non golfing moment to report!  This time the bould Scot is in the news for driving  900 miles overnight. To get a putter from his garage!

Stung  by a Sunday 81 in the BMW PGA Championship – which included 80 putts and 39 crowd glares, Monty decided his flatstick was the problem and hopped in the car back to Perthshire to grab the spare.

He returned after 13 hours on the road just in time to play the US Open qualy at Walton Heath, but putted poorly and failed to grab one of the 11 spots.

"Who in their right mind would do that? But yes, I did," Monty said. "I left Wentworth at 2pm, was home at 8pm, had tea with the family, left at 11pm and got here just after 6am."

He is entered for the Open qualy at Sunningdale on June 25th.  But something about all this just seems wrong.  Three hours for tea is a bit of a stretch!

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What’s In The Bag 2012 Jason Dufner

Here’s what’s in the bag of Jason Dufner for the 2012 season.

Click read more below for profile

Dufner: The Cause Of, And Solution To, All Life’s Problems!

Inspired by Homer J. Simpson!

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Doc’s Day Out Mount Juliet with Aimpoint Clinic- Friday 13th July

We are looking for 6 readers to join us for an Aimpoint day out at Mount Juliet on July 13^th.

The day will kick off with a free early morning Aimpoint Clinic with certified instructors Donal Scott and Gareth McShea on the putting green worth €100. After breakfast we will treat you to a round on the iconic Mount Juliet course.

Golf and the Aimpoint Clinic are all free and on me.  We will choose 3 lucky winners this week and another 3 next week!

Enter through the widget on the left hand side.

Congratulations to last week’s winner Ursula Morris, Carrigaline, Cork who wins a fourball in Mount Juliet.

 

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The Teaching Bay: Luke’s Fade

What is it that saw Luke Donald cruise past the field at Wentworth last week?  Top teaching pro Wayne O’Callaghan thinks he knows how.

One of the keys to Luke Donald’s win at the BMW PGA Championship was his ability to play a controlled fade from the tee. A fade on the 18^th gave Donald the chance of reaching the green in two shots as the hole doglegs from left to right with bunkers on the left side of the fairway and trees down the right. It’s a great shot to have in your arsenal.

A number of factors are required to play a fade which is a shot that curves the ball from left to right in the air for a right handed golfer. Try to visualize the shot before attempting to play it as it will give you a great image of where to start the ball and where you will want it to finish. Tee the ball a fraction lower than normal as this makes it easier to create fade spin on the ball. It is critical than you aim the clubface where you want the ball to start and not where you want it to finish. The body should be aligned left of the target line, the amount left varies on how much you want to move the ball from left to right in the air. Finally make sure to swing the club on the body line and not the target line and watch how the ball fades to the right. Practice by placing a couple of alignment rods on the ground one lining the body left of the target line and the other where you want the ball to start as shown in the picture.

For more information check out www.wayneocallaghangolf.com

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Golf Buddy GPS Voice Review

Since rangefinders became legal to use in club competition the whole market has blossomed. One of the latest units on the market is the GPS Golf Buddy Voice, a “talking” golf GPS unit that is no bigger than a poker chip. The device clips onto your belt, your hat or just about anything.

Inside is a processor onto which every course imaginable is preloaded. It has a speaker just loud enough to hear yourself but not to drive your partners mental and gives yardages both numerically and verbally to the front, middle and back of the green.

There's no annual subscriptions or course download charges after buying the unit and for those of us in Ireland and the UK it comes with a cool little silicone case to protect it in rain.

The GPS GolfBuddy locates the course and hole automatically once switched on. One slight disadvantage might be in the yardage given from the tee which is “as the crow flies” to the green! It doesn’t allow for doglegs. Its also important to be standing still for a few seconds before pressing the yardage button. But that's the same as with any rangefinder.

The Golfbuddy GPS voice wont instantly replace your handheld binocular type GPS (I carry a Bushnell Tour V2) that gives yardages to the flag but is excellent for giving an accurate measurement of the plus-or-minus yardages from the centre, back or front of the green.

Another nice feature is the ability to measure how far you hit the ball. You just press a button from where you hit the ball, hit it again when you get to the ball and listen to the distance. The Golf Buddy Voice has a rechargeable 8-hour lithium battery, which should be good for two rounds.

For more info check out http://www.gpsgolfbuddy.eu

 

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Noren, Manassero, Peter Lawrie Qualify for 2012 US Open at Walton Heath–Results

Congrats to those who dashed from the BMW PGA Championship to Walton Heath for final qualifying for the US Open. Defending Wales Open champ Alex Noren topped the qualifiers who also included Ireland’s Peter Lawrie who will only play in his second ever Major Championship.

1 Alexander NOREN SWE 67 68 135 -9
    Marc WARREN SCO 70 65 135 -9
    3 Lee SLATTERY ENG 71 66 137 -7
    Grégory BOURDY FRA 67 70 137 -7
    Mikko ILONEN FIN 66 71 137 -7
    George COETZEE RSA 66 71 137 -7
    Søren KJELDSEN DEN 68 69 137 -7
    8 Matthew BALDWIN ENG 67 71 138 -6
    Matteo MANASSERO ITA 69 69 138 -6
    Peter LAWRIE IRL 67 71 138 -6
    Raphaël JACQUELIN FRA 70 68 138 –6

Click here for full scores

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Getting To Know….David Higgins

Congrats and well done to David Higgins on his top 10 at the BMW PGA Championship.  Here’s the juice on the Waterville pro.

Profile

Born 1/12/72

Attachment: Waterville GC

Turned Pro: 1994

Amateur wins (3)

• 1989 Irish Boys Championship
• 1994 Irish Amateur Closed Championship, South of Ireland Championship

Challenge Tour wins (4)

• 2000 NCC Open
• 2000 Günther Hamburg Classic
• 2000 Rolex Trophy

Domestic PGA wins (1)

• 1995 Ulster PGA Championship

 

Getting To Know David

Most Memorable Honours	Winning the Irish Boys and Youths were great and the South of Ireland but my first Challenge Tour win in Sweden in 2000 was very special.
What’s Playing On Your ipod at The Moment	Would you believe I don’t have an ipod, but I’m a big Paolo Nutini fan. I’ve been to see him three times now! (sings) Get your new shoes on!
Lowest 18 Hole Score in Competition	I shot 61 in a Pro Am in Wexford. I forgot my putter and bought one in the pro shop before the round. The pro said to pay him after. After three putting the first I wasn’t to happy, but then went 12 under for the next 17 holes. I went back into the shop after to pay for the putter and the pro wanted €2000 for it!
Favourite Film	True Romance. A great cast and a great story. It resonates with a really happy time in my life.
Favourite Course	Waterville Of Course!
Best Shot You Have Hit With People Watching	I would say my best shot was a 10 foot putt for the win in a playoff against Carlos Rodiles to secure my third Challenge Tour win in Germany.
Favourite Sport Other Than Golf	I love watching soccer
Favourite Team	My favourite team is Manchester United. I’ve been over a good few times. My favourite player was Keano but now I’m a big Rooney fan!

The Memorial Tournament 2012 Free Golf Betting Preview and Tips

The Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village GC · Dublin, Ohio

Purse: $6.2 million, Winning Share: $1,116,000, FedExCup Points: 500

early odds on betfair

Winner Alright: Last week we tipped Zach Johnson at 15/1 and Luke Donald at 10/1.  A Double!

Justin Rose 21/1

The Memorial Tournament in 2010 marked the first PGA Tour win for Justin Rose. Since then he has won twice more and added a WGC event to his trophy cabinet earlier this year. Second to Luke Donald in Wentworth last week Rose boosted his Ryder Cup points tally and he now stands third in the European Points list. Atlantic hopping exhaustion aside Rose has the form and the course knowledge to contend at this US Open preview.

 

 

Jim Furyk 36/1

A past winner at Dublin surely another victory is coming soon for Furyk. Since losing a playoff to Luke Donald at The Transitions Furyk posted another top 10 at The Heritage and took fourth place on his own last week at Colonial with a fine putting performance in the final round. Though he missed the cut last year, Jim has been in contention here two out the last three years, finishing second to Woods in 2009.

 

 

Ryan Moore 65/1

The Memorial has special memories for Ryan Moore. He finished second here in 2007 having got into the event as an alternate. He birdied five of the last six holes but could manage par on the last and finished one behind KJ Choi. Moore has gone on to record two more top 10’s since (2008 and 2010) and has been on good form recently with good finishes at the Valero in Texas and the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow. At betting odds at 65/1, even a place would pay handsomely.

 

Jonathan Byrd 75/1

A five time winner on Tour Jonathan Byrd and you wouldn’t rule out making it six with his impressive recent form. Tied for 11^th last week at Colonial to add to his 12^th at The Players and ninth at Quail Hollow. Byrd has a best of tied third at Muirfield Village in 2009 when Tiger won and he tied seventh again last year.

 

 

Rickie Fowler 24/1

Rickie is on a super run of form recently. Since winning the Wells Fargo, he tied second at Sawgrass and tied fifth last week at Colonial. Had one hand on this tournament two years ago but shot a final round 73 and got overtaken by a storming Justin Rose.

 

Best Of The Rest

Winning last week at Wentworth and regaining the world number one crown will mean an exhaustive session of media commitments on top of jet lag for Luke Donald 11/1 who has to have one eye now on a US Open tilt. If he’s up for it this week he cant be ruled out, having tied for seventh last year.

Long odds glory tip this week is veteran Brandt Jobe at 210/1. Never a win on Tour but came mighty close here last tying second. If Dicky Pride can have a good week there’s no reason that Jobe cant front up too!

 

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Jesus Christ Unhappy With Zach Johnson After Ball Marking Incident

Jesus Christ weighed into the whole Zach Johnson ball marking scandal late last night and was not a happy bunny.  In a statement issued from his penthouse apartment in Vatican City Jesus said

“I get on great with Zach ordinarily, but if he is going to be throwing my name around willy nilly and thanking me for everything, he had better start paying attention to where his ball is marked.  Had he lost, it would have been very embarrassing for me and the Catholic Church as a whole.  We are already up shit creek with all the paedophile priests that signed up in the sixties.  Imagine me having to try and explain this to my father?  He would be royally pissed. Trust me”.

Jesus has refused to comment on whether he would be helping Johnson at the US Open claiming it could affect betting odds.

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Video: Ben Hogan and Jason Dufner Swing Sequence In Konica Minolta Biz Hub Swing Vision

Here’s a brilliant analysis of the similarities between the swings of Ben Hogan and Jason Dufner using  Konica Minolta Biz Hub swing vision.

 

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Rors Busy On Practice Ground After Missed Cut. Ya Right!!!!

Damn that twitter and social media! “I’m staying here to practice” said Rors after missing the cut at Wentworth.

It might be an optical illusion but that practice ground at Wentworth looks remarkably like the Eiffel Tower and JP Fitzgerald does a pretty passable Caroline Wozniacki impression!

 

 

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Lucky Johnson Wins Despite A Foolish Two Shot Penalty Following His Round

As Zach Johnson stood over his six footer on the last with a three shot lead, Peter Kostis at the side of the green asked “did any of you guys see Zach replace his marker?”  Johnson had marked his ball one putter length to the right to avoid the line of playing partner Jason Dufner.  On replacing his ball Johnson clean forgot to move it back one putter head.

Thankfully he got the putt for par and walked off the green thinking he had won by three shots.  Seconds after, he was reminded of his error and issued a two shot penalty.  He signed for a six on the last, giving him a one shot win and avoiding ultimate embarrassment.

Thank you Jesus!

2012 BMW PGA Championship Final Round Highlights

All hail Luke Donald! Winner yet again and back on top of the World Golf Rankings. Click below to watch 2012 BMW PGA Championship Final Round Highlights on the European Tour site.

Luke Donald Interview

 

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Great Dufner Vs Johnson Blow For Blow Round At Crowne Plaza

Really enjoyed watching these third round highlights from the 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational where Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner traded blows all day.

 

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Ernie Els Goes Berserk At Wentworth- Put Fu*king water on the Greens!

Check out these quotes from Ernie Els after more criticism about the greens at Wentworth.  This time he’s agreeing they are crap.

"I've asked them to put water on the bloody greens and then I spoke to JP [John Paramor – the European Tour's chief referee] coming up the 15th and he said we did water it last night. I said you have to triple that. You have a damn 30mph easterly breeze blowing so put fucking water on the greens. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out."

"How much money did we spend on the 18th? We built a dam there. Why the hell was the green not holding?
"My point is, you hit a driver and then a four-iron gets you in the middle of the green. What else must you do next? Must I be the greenkeeper here?  I'm a player, I'm not even supposed to tell them. Put water on a damn golf course? Surely they should know that? I can't control the wind and (it seems) I can't control the greens staff either."

"You've just got to play within yourself, you can't go playing wild shots or you are just going to get killed.
"It's like a major championship test. In two weeks' time at the U.S. Open, if you are just marginally off you'll get killed. We tried to bring that element in here but you don't have to kill guys."