Sergio The Golfer and Daniela The Tennis Star. Hey Hasn’t That Been Done Already?

Sergio Garcia is skipping the Deutsche Bank Championship which starts today so as to be “refreshed” for the Ryder Cup, or in other words “to chase some tail”.

The hard work of the hunt began on Tuesday in Flushing Meadows, where Sergio was forced to run around as ball boy to 6 foot Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova as part of the process.  Yep that’s the same Hantuchova from the Sports Illustrated almost naked issue, you are correct.

As is by now customary in such budding relationships the beautiful tennis star promptly lost her US Open singles match and disappeared into the wind, or as they call it in Spain, El Nino.

Tiger’s Mate Notably Gay Reveals Davis Love’s US Ryder Cup Captain’s Picks

Trust a Notably Gay to go blabbing on the radio about what is supposed to be a secret.

Tiger Woods best friend in the whole world and star of hit film Dances With Wolves (where I think he played Wind In His Hair), Notably Gay yesterday told the Golf Channel everything that Tiger told him about what Davis Love told him about who was going to get the Ryder Cup Captain’s picks.

“What I think is in the best interest of the US side is to find pairings that create good chemistry,” he said. “Tiger and Stricker have had a nice run. Tiger and Furyk have had a nice (bum, oops I meant) run. I’d put those two on the team based on performance and leaderboard. “And I’m a chemistry guy, so Rickie is a positive choice, too.”

Notably Gay added Love’s last pick was “up for grabs,” and is believed to be between  Hunter Mahan, Brandt Snedeker, Nick Watney and Dustin Johnson.

“Whoever Captain Love picks there’s going to be a couple of (gays, oops I mean)guys disappointed,” he added whilst wagging his finger, pursing his lips and shaking his head.

 

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Classified: Leftie Looking For Team To Buy. Must Like Lefties

Calling all English Premier league clubs, Phil Mickelson is still up for grabs.  The news emerged from the USA late last night that big Phil never actually became a San Diego Padres minority owner. In lay man’s terns that means “not even a tiny bit”.

Mickelson apparently missed the deadline yesterday after being forced to take a detour away from the Bank (where he was due to cash a big cardboard cheque and buy the Padres) to bring his kids to Krispy Kreme for a snack.

The news has left several Chairmen of football clubs throughout England and Scotland jumping up and down in the hope of being bought by Mickelson.  Only Celtic Football Club have refrained citing fundamental differences between the club and Leftie.

 

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Faxon Makes First Appearance since 1999. A Recluse Since GMail Got Popular

Brad Faxon made his first appearance yesterday since the year 1999 to help unveil the changes to the 18th green at TPC Boston ahead of this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship.  So where has he been all this time?

Faxon was at his peak in the late 1980’s and was extremely popular amongst office workers throughout the nineties.  However advancements in technology have made Faxon almost redundant these days, the slow chugging nature and the annoying tone now deemed an unnecessary relic of the past.  He now spends his days in a store room, just waiting for the day that GMail breaks down or gets a virus. Then, Faxon may be come popular again.

One thing everyone is agreed on however is that, in it’s day, Faxon, though never flashy or cool, and with limitations, was known globally and did a pretty amazing job as a communicator.

 

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Breaking News: All US Politicians Are Lying Bastards About Golf

In the run up to the American Presidential election it seems it’s just one barefaced golfing  lie after another from both Democrats and Republicans. I’ve been following Geoff Shack’s coverage of the election golf references and I’m no expert but I can spot a lie when I see one.

First came the claim by vice president Joe Biden that he was a “good golfer”, a statement hotly denied by John Kasich at the Republican convention. “Folks, let me tell you this – Joe Biden disputes a lot of those facts, but Joe Biden told me that he was a good golfer. And I’ve played golf with Joe Biden, I can tell you that’s not true, as well as all of the other things that he says,” Kasich said.

But it’s not all one sided. Yesterday Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attempted to convince stunned delegates that President Barack Obama was actually targeting a career on the PGA Tour.  "For four years, Barack Obama has been running from the nation's problems. He hasn't been working to earn re-election. He's been working to earn a spot on the PGA tour," McConnell said.

The PGA Tour hotly denied that any submission or application whatsoever has been received by President Obama regarding earning a Tour card and suggested “time would not be on his side” to progress from being a novice amateur to being Tour standard not to mention then qualifying in time for 2013 Fed Ex Cup points race.

Late last night White House press secretary Jay Carney also scotched suggestions that the Chief of Staff is set to rival Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods on the links.  “I can categorically deny Senator McConnell’s statement that the President is set to pursue a career on the PGA Tour.  He is in fact seeking re-election for a second term in office”.

Who can we trust?

The Sleepy John Parry Rolex Story

Thanks to reader David Voller, brother of German soccer legend Rudi for alerting me to the story of John Parry winning a Rolex Watch on the European Challenge Tour. Much is made of the fact that Parry only woke up 45 minutes before his tee time.  Jeez, I’ve gone to bed, drunk, five minutes before my tee time and still made it on time! But love the quotes from Paz!

Parry said: “As soon as I hit it, I shouted “Rolex” because I knew it was good – although I didn’t know how good. It’s just as well it went in, or I might have ended up looking a bit stupid! A few of the lads were speaking at the start of the week about how good it’d be to win a Rolex, because you don’t often get prizes for a hole in one on the Challenge Tour. So to get the first hole in one of my pro career and win a Rolex is pretty amazing. My caddie asked me if he could have it – I said there was absolutely no chance.
“I’ve had a look at them in the shops a couple of times, but they’ve been out of my price range, and I’m glad I didn’t spend all that money on one now. I don’t get it until the prize-giving ceremony on Saturday night, so I’ll have to change my flights because I was due to fly back in the afternoon. But it’s a small price to pay for a Rolex, because I can’t imagine my new flights will cost as much as the watch. Although I’ve now got to buy my playing partners a round of drinks, and that won’t be cheap in Switzerland! ”

Straight to the Pawn Shop I suggest JP!

Samuel L Jackson To Star As Greg Norman in Sharks On A Crappy Plane

Apparently Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is hoping to secure funding to make a sequel to Snakes On A Plane.  The follow up “Sharks On A Plane” is set to recount the true story of the horrific ordeal suffered by Greg Norman this week when his private jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Geneva Airport. He was en route to the Omega European Masters.  Dead ringer for Norman, Samuel L Jackson is keen to take the role.

Norman was whisked off to hospital for treatment on a severely bruised ego and a prawn sandwich stain on his t-shirt when a lunch plate malfunctioned in the incident, slipping from a table.  He was released three minutes later.

"We were going 60, 70, 80 knots, the wheel went 90 degrees, the nose started kangarooing and stuff in the cabin was going everywhere," Norman said after his practice round at Crans-sur-Sierre. "All the cabinets in the galley came out. The shaking was pretty violent. Nobody knew what was going on."

For those who don't understand the aviation phrase ‘The nose started Kangarooing’;  he mean’s the nose made a Skippy-esque  tut tut tut noise, beckoning Greg towards the stranded kid stuck down the old mine shaft. It’s quite common on private jets.

And those of you worried about the cabinets in the galley, they were fine too.  There was some concern about a scuff on an early Victorian era mahogany tea chest with ivory beading but this proved fine after some french polishing made it as good as new.

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The 19th Hole: Ray Dowling’s Tweet To Former Miss Ireland

Thanks to facebook friend Ray Dowling for sharing his twitter reply to a former Miss Ireland’s status update! Shakespeare would have been proud of this.

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2012 Omega European Masters Free Golf Betting Preview and Tips

Omega European Masters Betting Preview and Tips, Crans-sur-Sierre,Crans Montana,Switzerland

also check out my Deutsche Bank Tips on the PGA Tour here

Jamie Donaldson 25/1

The European Tour is very happy indeed that Jamie Donaldson is back this week. But for how long is the question? After a successful three week stint in the States, Jamie returned with a very respectable 7^th at the US PGA and will be one to watch this week. I thought he should have won here last year (he ended up third), but things didn’t just fall into place on the Sunday. However with a win at the Irish Open this Summer, surely Jamie now has acquired the missing piece of the jigsaw required to close out a big event.

Brett Rumford 40/1

Rumford’s last win on Tour was actually here in 2007 when he beat Philip Archer in a playoff. Took four weeks off after finishing 30^th at the Lyoness Open in Austria and came second on his return last week at Gleneagles. Hard to ignore a previous winner who’s in-form.

Thomas Bjorn 25/1

The defending champion has come through a very rocky few weeks of finishing over par to suddenly get it to nine under and 10^th place at Glenegales last week. Of course this time last year Bjorn was winning two weeks in a row and I think he is certainly worth an each way look this week. Bjorn is bound to be buoyed up by Ollie’s comments that he was very close to stepping out of the driver’s seat of the buggy and becoming a Captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.

Victor Dubuisson 65/1

Tournament number 45 for the classy Frenchman who I like to keep an eye on. This is only his 14^th start of the season and he has a tidy record of three top-10’s including a fourth in China and a third in South Korea at the Ballantines back in April. 15^th last week at Gleneagles where he impressed enough to give him a squeak at long odds this week.

Kristoffer Broberg 50/1

Is Kristoffer set to be the next big thing on the European Tour? The Swede won the Rolex Trophy on the Challenge Tour in Geneva last week, his third win in his last four starts. Broberg has played in the last two Nordea Masters on the main Tour but this week’s sees his first big test away from home amongst the big boys. It will be exciting to see how he fares. God knows the European Tour always needs new stars.

Best Of The Rest

After four top 40’s in five events, Gary Boyd 100/1 took the next big leap back to the top with a top-20 at Gleneagles. He knows it could have been so much better though after a final round 74. Suffered the exact same fate here last year in the final round but showed enough when leading after two rounds to make me think a good week could be on the cards.

If you are not a fan already, I advise you follow Joel Sjoholm 150/1 on twitter, the man is 100% entertainment. Tweeted yesterday “Im back in our room after beating Mr @Thorbjornolesen at our practice round! First time in a while i feel like a hero”- I’m guessing he likes the place!

 

 

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Doc’s Tribute to Bubba Watson

Following on from Bill Hughes ode to Miguel Angel Jimenez I thought it might be fun to pay homage to Bubba Watson in the same style.

• Bubba didn’t buy the General Lee, it bought him.
• He once went to a Pavarotti concert, and ended up singing for him.
• Once on a trip to the Zoo, he ordered an escaped lion back into his enclosure by showing him his chest.
• When Bubba was a baby, there was no little plastic name band on his wrist, just some strange symbols on the outside of the crashed capsule, barely visible in the scorched crater.
• He turned down the lead role in The Crow, because it wasn’t dangerous enough.
• Bubba once sank a 50 foot left to righter across the 17th green in Sawgrass, using a sewing needle.
• He cannot allow gold or precious metals to touch his skin. They melt.
• Strands of Bubba’s hair from the barber shop floor are carefully gathered and sold to the US Military for use in bullet proof vests.
• MacGyver often spends time at the Watson homestead in a bid to “better himself and learn some useful tricks”.

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Bill Hughes’ Ode To Miguel Angel Jimenez

Brilliant post by Bill Hughes from Sawgrass on facebook, honouring The Mechanic

- He once 4 putted just to say he did it.
-He once brought a 9 iron to a gunfight, just to even the odds.
-He was inducted in the European PGA Hall of Fame...twice.
-He taught his German Shepherd how to bark in Russian
-He lives vicariously through himself.
-If he beat you in a playoff for the OPEN, you'd have to fight off the urge to thank him.
-He is Miguel Angel Jimenez, the most interesting golfer in the world.

Here’s a pretty cool piece about him too from golf.com

 

 

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Video: Bubba Watson Takes The Mickey During Golf Channel Interview

Lynn Inconsolable After Failure To Secure Ryder Cup Pick

Top English golfer, man mountain, champion planker and avid facebooker David Lynn was said to be “utterly inconsolable” after being passed over by Jose Maria Olazabal for a Ryder Cup Captains pick.  Lynn recently finished second at the US PGA Championship and posted this pic of his mood at the news.  Chin up David, we love ya!

What’s In The Bag 2012 Nick Watney. Another Win For The Titleist 913 Driver

Congrats to Nick Watney who turned his season around at The Barclays.  Here’s what’s in the bag.

DRIVER: Titleist 913D3 (10.5°) with a Mitsubishi Diamana White Board 83X shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Titleist 910F (15°) with a Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 93X shaft and a 910F (19°) with a Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 8.2 shaft
IRONS: Titleist 712 AP2 (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled SM4 (54°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Newport prototype
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

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2012 Deutsche Bank Championship Free Golf Betting Preview and Tips

TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts
Purse: $8,000,000. Odds from b’fair

also check out my Omega European Masters tips here

Jim Furyk 65/1

Bound to go under the radar this week is 2010 Fed Ex Cup champion Jim Furyk. Almost everyone has questioned Furyk’s mettle down the stretch this week and after missing the cut last week at The Barclays, his odds have lengthened. This course however plays right up Furyk’s street, favouring the shorter hitter and good putter. It’s been borne out in his results here too with three top eight finishes in his last three starts (he did not play in 2010). Watch out for the 5 hour energy cap again this week!
 

Webb Simpson 38/1

The US Open winner is the defending champion this week having beating Chev Reavie in a sudden death playoff in 2011. You could categorize Simpson’s form as patchy this season with the big win putting a gloss on an otherwise inconsistent season. Last year however Simpson strung together seven top 10’s in eight events late in the season and after having last weekend off, I expect a bounceback in Boston.
 

Bubba Watson 32/1

Watson has unfinished business here in Boston this week. After overpowering the course and thrilling the crowds through three rounds last year, Bubba could only manage a final round 74 which dropped him into a tie for 10^th. Almost backed up his April Masters win with another at The Travelers in June and has been consistent since. It’s always a lottery with Bubba’s style of play but this week I’ll be buying a ticket!
 

Brandt Snedeker 40/1

TPC Boston has consistently ranked amongst the easiest par 71 courses on the PGA Tour roster with an average winning score of 17 under in the last three stagings. That should suit Brandt Snedeker who currently ranks second in strokes gained putting and sixth in birdie average on the PGA Tour stats. Couple that two top-five finishes in the last two years,a win this season and a super second place last week and you have to consider Snedeker could be in the shake up this week.
 

Dustin Johnson 23/1

Another big name player who seems to be hitting great form at just the right time. Dustin Johnson will hope to bring the momentum from his third place finish at the Barclays into this week’s second playoff event in Boston. He finished down in 48^th last year after shooting 75 on the Sunday but has the game to overpower this course. Tied for fourth here in 2009.
 

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Changing Your Golf Equipment: Your Options For The Best Deal

It’s nearing the end of the golfing season and many of you are already thinking of changing your equipment. It’s an exciting time. Maybe you can find a driver that hits it 30 yards further. Maybe there’s a set of irons waiting for you that eliminates that nasty slice!

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the four most popular options open to the golfer thinking of changing up.

Golfbidder

Pros:

• GolfBidder.com are based in the UK and allow you buy, sell or swap your clubs online and have a nominal postage charge to all other European countries.
• They do a huge selection of pre-owned clubs as they are supplied from trade-ins to PGA pro shops across the UK. The website is easy to navigate and each club is priced according to a condition rating scale. Since the global recession kicked in Golfbidder has seen strong sales  as their prices are unparalleled.
• Every item Golfbidder sells is photographed with a special 360º camera allowing the potential buyer to thoroughly inspect the clubs first.
• Golfbidder also do a lot of research into exposing fakes and guarantee each sale.  http://www.golfbidder.co.uk/

Cons:

The weak euro versus sterling adds a little.

The Pro Shop

Pros:

• Whether it’s a big retail store or the local pro down in the club, nobody will give you the kind of personal service like these. Buying new clubs nowadays nearly always comes with sound custom fitting advice, ensuring you get the right clubs for you.
• Local Pro shops often have demo models which they will give to you to “try before you buy” and nothing quite beats being able to feel the club in your hands before buying.
• Most stores and club pros also usually take trade-ins.

Cons:

· You usually pay a little bit more for your new clubs. Don’t forget every shop has overheads and taxes to pay!

· Trade-in values are usually fairly nominal.

Ebay, Classified Sites (eg DoneDeal, BuyandSell)

Pros:

• Buying from other individuals online can result in you getting by far the best deals as nothing beats cash and classified listing also leave room for a bit haggling .
• Over the years listings have improved greatly. A good seller now will provide all the necessary information plus several pictures of the equipment.
• It’s generally very cheap to list on these sites.

Cons:

• You are totally at the mercy of the seller when buying privately. For every 10 great bargains there’s one horror story. You need to ensure you are not that ONE!
• Unfortunately fakes are rife online, with cheap Asian copies flooding the market.
• Ebay has gotten more unpredictable with several buyers now using “snipe” programs to automatically bid for them. This makes having the winning bid all the more difficult for someone seeking a bargain as prices tend to rise dramatically in the last 30 seconds of the auction.
• Buying this way means you usually have to sell your old equipment privately first which can be headache in itself.

Buying From The USA

Pros:

• Buying clubs online from the USA (on sites like GolfSmith) often provides the best value, especially on new equipment.
• The amount of equipment and specifications available mean the USA offer by far the biggest choice to the customer.
• The euro to dollar conversion rate is reasonably good right now (€1 to $1.25).

Cons:

• There has been a major clampdown on excise duties payable for items imported from the US. Goods heretofore marked “gift” by smaller online sellers or whose value has been “written down” on a sales docket again to avoid heavy import duties are rapidly being eliminated. Most of these duties are now collected at the door by the delivery courier.
• Shipping in the case of bulkier items like a set of irons can be costly and takes time so be prepared to wait a couple of weeks.
• Potential shoppers need to background check all sellers before buying.

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Video: Watney, Lawrie Weekend Highlights

Final round highlights from the 2012 Barclays on the PGA Tour where Nick Watney secured an emphatic victory.

And in Scotland, Paul Lawrie continued his amazing resurgence with a win at the Johnnie Walker Championship.

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