Under The Microscope: Chris Wood Full name Christopher James Wood Born 26 November 1987 Height 6 ft 5 in Nationality: English R...
Under The Microscope: Chris Wood
Full name Christopher James Wood
Born 26 November 1987
Height 6 ft 5 in
Nationality: English
Residence Bristol, England
Turned professional 2008
Chris Wood shot to fame after finishing as the leading amateur in the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. A links course specialist Wood nearly went one better this year at Turnberry. His 210 yard nine iron approach to the last took a wicked bounce and finished through the green. A par would have secured Wood a play off spot but it failed to drop, resulting in a third place finish the young Englishman.
Wood was born in Bristol and began playing golf at a young age. He was also a keen footballer as a youth but a serious knee injury put paid to his chances of succeeding in the paid football ranks and instead he devoted himself to golf. He still remains a keen Manchester United and Bristol City fan.
Wood qualified as an amateur for the 2008 British Open at Royal Birkdale. With his Dad on the bag, Wood’s performance in the opening rounds prompted press speculation that he could be the first amateur to win The Open since Bobby Jones in 1930. He finished joint fifth overall alongside Jim Furyk, a tremendous achievement for an amateur in the toughest of conditions. He turned professional immediately after and earned a place on this year’s European Tour through Qualifying School in PGA de Catalunya.
As a rookie professional. Wood was delighted to be able to bank the cheque for €294,629 for his Turnberry third place. “I’ve just got a new flat so I need to pay the rent for that, so I should be all right,” he joked. In finishing in the top three Wood also earned himself a place in the 2010 Masters in Augusta.
What’s In Chris Wood’s Bag
Dr. and The Medic: Logo Tips
Problem
You want to become more consistent.
Cure
Aim the logo of your glove, ball, and shirt to help you make flush contact with the ball.
Therapy
The logo of your ball can help you find the proper ball placement in your stance. Align the ball with the logo of your shirt pocket when you are using middle irons. You will notice that a lot of amateur players finish their full swings with the shirt logo pointing at the flag or coming up short of doing so. This indicates a poor turn. If you want to gain more distance, try turning your upper body even more so that the logo is pointing well past the flag. Use the logo of the ball to help you make square contact by teeing the ball with the logo turned away from the target. Use this as the contact point for the clubface when you hit it. Focus on aiming the logo of your glove towards the target at impact to help aim the clubface. Another way to use the logo of the glove is to help you gain a lot of loft. If you need to hit the ball really high, set the wedge clubface open and make a full backswing while hinging your wrist quickly. You will gain a lot of height if the logo on the back of your glove is pointing towards the sky at impact. Be sure to finish with a high follow through.
The Doc’s Rules Quiz
Do you really know the rules of golf? Try these questions and text your answers to 087-3140467. The winner will receive a Kartel shirt as worn by Paddy Harrington!
Question 1 - In stroke play, a competitor, in lifting a ball for the purpose of identification, cleans it more than necessary for identification. What is the penalty? A: no penalty, B: one stroke or C: two strokes
Question 2 – True or False: Tony arrives at the first tee at 13:00 hrs, his start time being 12:57 hrs. Tony is penalised two strokes.
Question 3 - True or False: Stakes or lines used to define a lateral water hazard must be red
Last weeks answers- Hardly anyone got them all right!!!!
Question 1 – True or False: A player is entitled to free relief from a burrowing animal hole in a water hazard. Answer: False
Question 2 - True or False: A player applies chalk to the face of his wedge as he thinks that will generate more spin. There is no penalty. Answer: False
Question 3 - True or False: No penalty is incurred if the player accidentally causes his ball to move in the process of removing loose impediments on the putting green. Answer: True
Congrats to last weeks winner Willie Morrison, Fermoy, Cork who wins a classy Kartel shirt compliments of Golfstyle Galway.
I Want One Of Those:
Nike Sasquatch Sumo Square 5900 Driver
Continuing on our recession busting track here’s the driver in the bag of British Open Champ Stewart Cink and US Open Winner Lucas Glover. Now to be found for a third of its original price, Nike has built their Sasquatch Sumo Square 5900 Driver with the highest MOI for greater forgiveness on off centre hits, the highest geometry for increased ball speed and accuracy, deep Nike PowerBow weighting to further optimise precision and performance and a multi thickness cup face design that improves ball speed over a larger area. With so much forgiveness and straightness, you couldn’t possibly miss! And even if you do, you wont have forked out much. Available online for around €120.
Bet Your Balls-
Moravia Silesia Open
presented by ALO Diamonds
Prosper Golf Resort
Čeladná, Czech Republic
30 Jul 2009 - 02 Aug 2009
Marcus Fraser 35/1
The recession is biting and the Inteco Russian Open has been devoured. Luckily the diamond market is still afloat and ALO have brought the European Tour to the Czech Republic. Our first pick this week is Aussie Marcus Fraser who brings some form into this week having tied for fourth at the SAS Masters despite an ugly final round 77. After an early season second in Australia Fraser’s form has been solid rather than spectacular and he currently sits at 58th in the race to Dubai. A former winner of the Russian Open in 2003.
Robert Rock 25/1
The Belfry’s touring professional has endured some tough times on tour but 2009 has been somewhat of a breakthrough year with earnings nearing the million euro mark. Rock most notably profitted from Shane Lowry’s amateur win at Baltray but also finished tied second in Italy the previous week. Poor form of late but that wont bother the Englsihman whose stats show very good previous early August form. Has the game to challenge in a field short of stars on what will be a new course to all the field.
David Drysdale 50/1
The 34 year old Scot has an eye for dramatic golf. Missed out on retaining his touring privileges by €586 in 2005 and €1,139 in 2006, yet has managed time and again to regain his playing rights through tour school. Drysdale looks to have cracked the code this year with second, third and fourth place finishes already practically guaranteeing him his playing rights next year. He has also finished in the top five in three of the last four years wherever he has played at the beginning of August!
Buick Open
Warwick Hills
Brian Gay 28/1
Having enjoyed that winning feeling at Mayakoba in early 2008, Brian Gay has claimed two more titles in 2009. Gay first claimed the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head where he won the event by ten strokes, finishing at 20-under par. The ten stroke victory is the one of the biggest wins in the PGA Tour's history. Then came a five stroke win at the St Jude Classic in June. Gay top tenned at the Buick last year with a blistering final round 65 and has actually finished second in this event also in 2002 where Tiger prevailed.
Jim Furyk 14/1
Last year was the odd one out for Jim Furyk in the Buick Open; he failed to finish in the top ten since he won in 2003. That string of illustrious results includes a second place finish again behind Woods in 2006 and a tied fifth in 2007. This year has so far been winless so far for Jim and that grip is getting dangerously close to his crotch at address. His second behind Tiger at Memorial threatened good things but aside from a tied seventh in the AT&T National, Furyk’s form has been uncharacteristically poor. Watch out for the one eyed staredown at Warwick Hills.
Woody Austin 33/1
After two top tens in June at Colonial and the St Jude Classic things seemed to be on the up for Woody Austin, but two consecutive missed cuts since have set him back. "Aqua-Man" as he is affectionately known, is a huge fan of Warwick Hills and has spent the past two weeks preparing for an assault here. Has shot in the 60's in 11 of his last 12 rounds on the course, resulting in being tied second in each of the last two years and tied seventh in 2006. Nerves are Austin's only enemy nowadays and at 44, the fire still burns but the odds have lengthened. Still worth an each way look.
Tailored Shorts
Plastic Paddy
Irishman Mark McNulty narrowly lost out to Loren Roberts in a playoff for the British Seniors Open title on Sunday, but is he really Irish? We know he was born and schooled in CBS Bindura, Southern Rhodesia (we think that’s near Clifden) but did McNulty prove his roots by dashing off after his round to catch John Mullane scoring the winning point for The Deise? And what his views are on the recommendations of the Board Snip Nua and does he also wonder why the Green’s Dan Boyle is always on the telly, even though he wasn’t elected? Or is McNulty so shallow as to claim to be Irish to bask in the wonderful Irish weather, to revel in our status as the world’s leading island economy, or to avail of our ridiculously generous tax breaks?
Calc Sets Record
“I once ate six whoppers at the same time”
Mark Calcavecchia set a new PGA Tour record at last weeks RBC Canadian Open and no, it had nothing to do with consuming copious quantities of burgers whilst being restrained in a bunker. Calc reeled off nine consecutive birdies to beat the previous record of eight, which was shared by six golfers including Jerry Kelly. On the Saturday of the rain affected event in Canada, Calcavecchia, starting on the tenth opened with two pars, then birdied every hole from the third to the eleventh. Nine straight birdies. Nice way to work up an appetite!
Dicky Hip
In the wake of Tom Watson’s successful return from hip surgery the news has emerged in Sweden that Jesper Parnevik might have played his last round of the season. Folowing his top-20 finish at the SAS Masters, Parnevik told reporters that he will undergo hip surgery next week in a clinic at Vail, Colo. Now 44, former Ryder Cupper Parnevik has made just $58,000 on the PGA tour this year, including 9 missed cuts or withdrawls from 14 events. He even swapped his trademark upturned peak hat for something resembling that worn by a seventies pimp!
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