2012 PGA Championship Tee Times and Pairings at Kiawah

The pairings are out for next week’s PGA Championship! Padraig Harrington is grouped with Davis Love and a man that might be looking for a Captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, Phil Mickelson. All three are former Champs.
As are other groupings including Shaun Micheel, David Toms, and John Daly and Y.E. Yang, Rich Beem, and Vijay Singh. The past winners grouping that grabs most attention however is Tiger Woods with Keegan Bradley and Martin Kaymer.
Two spots are left for the winners of the  Bridgestone Invitational and Reno-Tahoe Open. If the winner has already qualified, Will McGirt gets in.  Best of luck too to Marty Jertson, our fountain of knowledge when it comes to all things “Ping” at the PGA Show each January. Marty tees it up with Ben Crane and Thongchai Jaidee.

2012 PGA Championship Tee Times and Pairings

PGATour.com Bridgestone Ad With Basketball and Sleeping Baby Test “Better Than Highlights”- Fan

An ad for Bridgestone Tyres which appears before every golf highlights package on PGATour.com featuring basketball player Tim Duncan and a child strapped into a car seat was “more interesting than the golf highlights from the Bridgestone Invitational” according to lifelong golf fan Paul Radzowski from New York.

“I find myself just clicking on the PGATour.com highlights button now just to watch Tim Duncan bouncing a basketball filled with ‘Taurenza Technology’ that doesn’t make a sound compared to an ordinary basketball when bounced off a hard surface” Radzowski, 53, declared adding “Then this white guy called Steve Nash comes in and carries out the ‘sleeping baby test’ by bouncing the silent basketball around a baby in a car seat, all to the astonishment of an extremely beautiful presenter with a slightly funny nose. It’s hilarious!”

PGA Tour supreme leader Tim Finchem was quick in his condemnation of the advert today.  In a statement Finchem said “Obviously we want the pre highlights commercials to be as boring as possible so the public will feel almost grateful they are over.  I’m talking insurance and erection pills ads here.  I’ll do what I can to pull this off, excuse the pun, and get our super annoying Cialis pills commercial reinstated.” 

 

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Film About Crass, Insensitive, Ridiculous Looking Character Unlikely To Topple “Ted” At Box Office- Critics

A film about a crass, ignorant, insensitive loud mouthed and ridiculous looking character is unlikely to topple “Ted” at the box office this weekend, according to top US films critics Ben and Jerry.

“You’ve Been Trumped” is the non golfing, golf story of Donald Trump, his hair and Scotland. The film is loosely based on ‘Brokeback Mountain’ in that it charts the unlikely relationship and ultimately uncomfortable love scene between billionaire tycoon Donald Trump and a local farmer whose property Trump describes as “slum like, it’s disgusting, he’s got stuff thrown all over the place, he lives like a pig.”

Not to give away the twist at the ending, but let’s just say one of the main characters “squeals like a pig” at the end.

You’ve Been Trumped stars Donald Trump as himself, Hugh Grant as the angry Scottish farmer/lover and Dame Helen Mirren as the woman who comes running out of her house saying “everything’s falling off the shelves”.

 

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Details Of Ernie and Adam’s Text Message Conversation

In the build to today’s WGC Bridgestone invitational, Adam Scott revealed he has been in touch with Ernie Els via text message since The Open. Here is the conversation.

Ernie: Wht u at?

Adam: Nothin. In Bahamas. Where u?

E: London. Pissing rain. Whre did u get ur shades? Thinkin of gettin pair?

A: Got them on wiggle. Try amazon 1st tho. Allenby says they 20 quid cheaper.

E: U going to Akron? Need lift? Thinkin of bringin plane.

A: Cant afford. Got Ryanair deal but they chargin £60 extra for putter.

E: They shud be banned.

A: Ya, hate Ryanair. Robbin bastards.

E: Rofl, long putters I mean!

Clever Person Needed To Think Up Good Format For Olympic Golf. Must Involve Brazilian Beach Volleyball Team

Have you been to college?  Do you own a BMW? Do you owe the bank nothing?

Well then you may just be clever enough to dream up a format for Golf at the 2016 Olympics.  Four years out and the organizers haven’t got the first clue of the format or the field.  And speaking of fields that’s exactly what the course looks like at the moment.

The International Olympic Committee are offering a sleeve of Titleist Pro-V1’s and absolutely no recognition ever for the winning entry.

Here’s Geoff Shackleford’s vision for the Olympic Golf Tournament, which, in the absence of an alternative involving the Brazilian women’s beach volleyball team, remains my favourite.

If The 2016 Olympic Golf Event Was Today and if Rory McIlory Was Team GB OR Ireland!

Give me a break golf websites.  How unimaginative do you have to be to start trawling through player rankings and rules that haven’t even been finalised yet (the IOC have a decision pending which should restrict each team to four competitors) to come with a story of who would be in the golf event at the 2016 Olympics if it was today and not in 1,460 odd days time?

What I think is even more interesting is the way this reporter has gone to so much trouble with his numbers yet fails to decide whether Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will be representing team GB or Ireland.  Furthermore that same choice doesn’t seem to have extended to three time winner in the last 16 months Michael Hoey at 105 in the World and gets completely left out of the 60 man field which stretches all the way down to World Number 334. Espen Kofstad of Norway!

There’s nothing like preparing a hypothetical list arseways!

   

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Kiawah Island Caddie Gossip

Gossip from inside Kiawah Island ahead of next week’s PGA Championship is that Tiger Woods put in a serious session on The Ocean Course before jetting off for Akron. Also in town on Monday and Tuesday were several others in the field including GMac and Adam Scott.

Woods is the bookies favourite to bag his first Major in four years at 9/2.  The value however seems to be with McDowell who contended late into the US and British Opens at 33/1.

Tiger is paired with South African Branden Grace in the opening rounds at Firestone, both men having won three times on their respective Tours already this season.  If their battle is anything like that played out by Michael Phelps and Chad le Clos in the Olympic swimming pool, it should be a corker!

 

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Is Paula Creamer Really Injured Or Just Jesting?

Oh we better give some credit to the Garia Buggy Company for supplying us with the photo.

 

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Anne Marie Kennedy- Yoga For Golf: Ship Shape Core With Boat Pose

Golf Benefit: Boat pose works on building core strength so golfers can maintain posture thus creating a more consistent swing which in turn leads to more consistent shots.

Instruction: Come to a seated position on your mat. Bend the knees keeping the soles of the feet flat on the mat. Bring both arms in behind the knees as you straighten up the spine and tighten up the core abdominal muscles. Lean back and balance on the sit bones, ensuring to keep the back straight. Any rounding of the back or slumping of the shoulders will result in the core strength being lost. Once you are balanced extend both legs out keeping a bend in the knees, calves parallel with the floor for a half-boat, suitable for beginners. Bring the arms out straight in line with the shoulders, palms facing each other. Hold for 5-10 breaths.

For a more challenging full boat pose, work to straighten the legs bringing the body into a ‘V’ shape. Ensure that the chest stays open and the back stays straight. Hold 5-10 breaths.

 

Anne Marie Kennedy from Yoga For Golf Ireland is our teaching bay contributor. Anne Marie works with Ireland’s elite amateurs, training them to maximize their flexibility, and power in their game through yoga. For more details check out www.yogaforgolf.ie

 

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I Don’t Understand Modified Stableford Scoring! The Reno-Tahoe Open Explained

It’s a PGA Tour event where the highest score wins, not the lowest score. Wtf?  I don't understand.

Modified Stableford Scoring will be in use this week, supposedly to entice more viewers away from the WGC Bridgestone invitational which has taken many of the big names with it.

How It Works

You get points for your score on each hole

• Albatros: 8 points
• Eagle: 5 points
• Birdie: 2 points
• Par: 0 points
• Bogey: -1 point
• Double Bogey: -3 points

If you do a Kevin Na and get worse than double bogey it’s no problem; it’s just –3 points, put the ball in your pocket and meet you on the next tee.

 

The format is designed to encourage players to take risks and go for everything.  Theoretically a player with bogeys mixed in with lots of birdies and the odd eagle who normally would not win, could come out on top in this format.

The big name players at the event include Padraig Harrington and John Daly.

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For Sale: St Andrews Apartment For A Mere £1.5 Million

Golf writers of the past were certainly looked after a damn better than today’s!  This is the apartment of American golf scribe George Peper, overlooking the 18th fairway on the Old Course in St Andrews. And it’s up for sale with a guide price of £1.5 million.

There’s two-bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, sitting room and one helluva view.

Due to be sold tomorrow.  Now where to get a mortgage?

 

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2012 WGC Bridgestone Invitational Free Golf Betting Preview and Tips

Firestone CC (South Course) - Akron, OH, USA, early odds from betfair.

Winner Alright: Last week we tipped both Bernd Wiesberger (19/1) and Scott Piercy (75/1) to victory

Adam Scott 19/1

Shot a 62 in the first round here last year and never really looked back. This is where caddie Stevie Williams declared himself “a great front runner”, which came back to haunt him at Lytham a few weeks back. I’m one of the people who didn’t think Scott blew up at The Open and predict another strong showing here. Third and second in his last two starts, Scott’s not far away.

 

Hunter Mahan 38/1

Hunter would break your heart if you had shares in him as logic and stats suggest he should figure more foten than he actually does. Fourth in total driving (distance and accuracy) is a big advantage on this mammoth 7,400 yard par 70 as is Hunter’s standing of third in the greens in regulation stats. Three top 10’s in his five stars at Akron including a win in 2010 coupled with decent recent form give Hunter a shout for my money.

 

Tiger Woods 7/1

Adopted a tactic of laying well back from the bunkers at the Open and came third. But Tiger will need his driver on full power this week if he is to have any chance to contend. Discount last years poor performance here; Tiger was out from May to August and look more to the seven Firestone wins from 1999 to 2009. If Tiger gets back to his billing as ranking third in total driving, it’s hard to see past him.

 

Luke Donald 18/1

Shot 64, 66 at the weekend last year to tie for second with Rickie Fowler; Donald’s best finish at a venue which theoretically should not be suited to his game. The BMW PGA Championship was lightly raced coming into Lytham having taken five weeks off before playing the Scottish Open, yet snuck into a top five finish. The Englishman will be buoyed up for this week and I can tell you now, he WILL be one of my five picks for the US PGA Championship.

 

Bubba Watson 32/1

Bubba continued to excite his fans with some extreme shot making at Lytham where I considered him a little unlucky to finish 23^rd. The Masters champ showed good form in finishing second at The Travelers at the end of June, a result he matched at the WGC Cadillac Championship earlier in the year. The longest driver on Tour and surprisingly accurate, if Bubba is in the mood, he could win this week.

 

Best Of The Rest

It’s only Bo Van Pelt’s 65/1 third appearance in Akron and he’s played well to date. Tied for third in 2010 and top 25 last year, Van Pelt ranks eighth in total driving and was second to Tiger Woods at Congressional recently. Played well in Canada last week also and certainly worth an each way wager.

 

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The Golf Channel Think Shane Lowry Is English and Chris Doak Is Of No Fixed Abode

Thanks to reader Colin Clancy for pointing out the glaring ineptitude of the Golf Channel when it comes to the European Tour.  Here’s their final round leaderboard from the Lyoness Austria Open.

 

Now bearing in mind the Golf Channel have thousands of employees and none of them even bothered to find out where Chris Doak comes from (he’s Scottish by the way), it’s pretty poor stuff.

It seems they take more pride in pointing out who is using Titleist balls!

And as if that was not bad enough they then went and popped up an English flag beside Shane Lowry.  Granted they are our near neighbours and all but THE last thing you call a proud Irishman is English!

So come on Golf Channel, tighten up!

 

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Freddie The Head and Shoulders Above The Rest at Turnberry

Freddie Couples won his first Senior Major at Turnberry yesterday.  Here are the final round highlights from the 2012 Senior Open Championship.

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Double Win For The GolfCentralDaily Betting Tips

What a super weekend for our betting tips with Bernd Wiesberger winning in Austria and Scott Piercy making it a double at the Canadian Open. 

2012 RBC Canadian Open Final Round Highlights

2012 Lyoness Austrian Open Final Round Highlights

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