October Update…

(http://img.timeinc.net/golf/i/news/2007/03/march27_woods_299x322.jpg)

Hello GOLFERS….

For those of you who have already checked out this blog or if this is your first time, thank you, and welcome to ‘The Obsessive Golfer’.

I am The Golf-Aholic, and every month, I post news, tips, results and polls from the world of golf.

Any questions or queries about the game of golf, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will post them, and try to answer them all…

I know the golf season has come to an end for a lot of you, but perhaps this is the time to work on that putting stroke while watching the football on a cold Sunday afternoon!!!

Please tell all your golfing buddies about the blog that will resurrect their games, but make sure you read the tips first, so that they don’t gain that extra advantage on the course.

That’s it for now… Enjoy the busy sports month of October and I will get back to you at the start of November.

(P.S. for all those Tampa guys....... Go RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)


DJ – The Golf-Aholic

Full Swing - Rhythm and Tempo…

(http://hookedongolf.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/els-swing.jpg)

You gotta have rhythm...



DJ - 10.18.08


So much technical jargon is written and talked about, when discussing the golf swing.

However, a vital piece of the jigsaw is often ignored by amateurs…. Rhythm and Tempo!!!

Now if you look at any professional golfer’s swing, you will definitely be able to distinguish a difference between a backswing and a through swing.

The time it takes to swing the club back and to the top, and the time it takes to bring the club back through to impact will be different, with the through swing noticeably quicker.

This is known as good tempo…

Take Tiger; the best player in the world bar none even has a streaky driver; and the majority of the time, it is due to a change in tempo, or more accurately an increase in tempo to hit it harder.

Next time you watch a player like Ernie Els or Freddie Couples, take a close look at their tempo…. Effortless! Yet, these guys still crank it over 300 yards…… How????

Tour Pro’s…

Pro’s such as Els, Couples, Davis Love III, Annika Sorenstam, all with ‘great’ rhythm generate power by perfect timing… At impact the rhythm and tempo of their swing combine to generate effortless power.

Compare their swings to pro’s such as JB Holmes, John Daly, Laura Davies, long ball hitters, who put everything into their tee shots; and you will see a vast difference in speed and technique.


How you can do it???

So how do you ensure that the rhythm and tempo you are currently using is ideal for solid, centre hits??


Swing Count…

The most popular swing count is the 1 and 2, with the 2 being quicker than the 1…

Try it out, start your backswing counting 1, at the top of your swing a slight pause for the ‘and’ and then drop that club through impact to a full finish for the 2.


A Full Finish…

Another great example is Lorena Ochoa. Lorena finishes off every full swing with a bounce of the club across her shoulders, often 3 times. Try this on the range and you will soon see that your rhythm, tempo and more importantly balance are all in sync and you will produce more centre hits.


Toe Tap drill…

One more tip for you to try, and this is an old successful trick…

On the range first and then on the course, while turning away from the ball try to get your left shoulder (right handed golfers) as far across to your right knee as possible, then as you fire your hips back through to a finish… tap your right foot 3 times while at a finish.

This will again make you turn all the way through the ball, slow your swing down a little and more importantly, be balanced throughout the swing.


New Secrets…

In this new era of golf, with 460cc drivers and golf balls with less spin to produce greater distances, POWER seems to be the name of the game… However, the difference between effortless power and “swinging out of your shoes” is rhythm and tempo.

Work on it, and you will soon see improved results, without giving away too many secrets…

And nothing is more worthwhile than hitting your first drive long and straight past your buddies, without even breaking a sweat…

The 2008 Season Revisited…

The regular season comes to an end!

DJ – 10.01.08

(http://img.timeinc.net/golf/i/tours/2008/06/june15_tiger5_372x400.jpg)

As we head towards the Baseball post season, and the NFL and College Football and the Premiership (for UK fans) take over our weekends, I will take a quick look back at the year of golf, and reminisce on what a year 2008 has been… I’m sure you will all remember some of these memorable moments!

The hard task, is to know where to start, so how about –

Pre Masters

The four months before the 3rd week in April saw victories for Daniel Chopra at the Mercedes Benz; KJ Choi won in Hawaii, Mickelson won at the famous Riviera. Vijay lost to Steve Lowery at Pebble, and Tiger… Well Tiger won 3 times before the Masters, and they were all different.

He lapped the field at the Buick in January. Came from behind in 3 matches to win the Match-Play in the Arizona desert, with outrageous putting!

And then 10 minutes from his own home, the King’s home; Bay Hill. Who can forget that sliding putt on the last hole, the throw down of the Nike cap, and then the handshake with Arnold Palmer on the 18th green; Palmer said “What else is knew???” Tiger responded “Every now and then!!!”

That moment was pure magic and was definitely one of the highlights of the year.

The Masters and the summer of golf

Trevor Immelman justified his potential with a surprising win at the Masters, holding off Tiger and a bogey at the 16th to win on a very tough Augusta track.

Mickelson won at the Colonial and Adam Scott won the Byron Nelson. Kenny Perry started to hit form and produced some astonishing putting through the summer and two of the hot youngsters Kim and Garcia secured impressive wins at the Wachovia and Players Championship respectively.

Leaving the US Open to later on, the play moved to the British Open at Royal Birkdale and the resurgence of a former star… Greg Norman.

Norman graced the Birkdale fairways as if was pre '96 Masters, with his flowing gold locks blowing in the 40mph winds. With exceptional tee-green play, the 53year old was still in the hunt for his 3rd British Open title right up until the back 9 on Sunday.

However, Padraig Harrington played brilliant golf in the wind, and hit a stunning 5 wood on no 17 and walked away with his 2nd British Open title in a row. No-one could have predicted that a month later Harrington would go on and beat Garcia and capture the PGA Championship as well.

Three majors for the Irishman in a year and the journeyman pro joined elite company with 3; Mickelson, Els and Singh, and surpassing pro’s such as possible hall of famers Furyk, Couples and Davis Love III, and the shark Greg Norman (2).

Post PGA, we all looked forward to the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup and what a couple of weeks were ahead of us...

FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup

With Vijay Singh running away with the FedEx cup and youngsters Kim, Garcia and Villegas playing fearless golf, we headed to Valhalla for the much anticipated Ryder Cup between Captain's Azinger and Faldo.

And the 37th Ryder Cup certainty did not disappoint. As previously discussed on this Blog, (See Red, White and Boo) Captain Zinger planned and prepped as best he could, and the US team recaptured the Ryder Cup in spectacular fashion, with Boo Weekly becoming the unlikely hero of the week.

The players from Valhalla certainly left on a high, and all headed towards the ‘Money’ tournament, the Tour Championship. With Villegas still on top form; the Columbian defeated Garcia in a playoff and captured the title and 2nd place in the FedEx Cup behind Singh. (See Viva Villegas)

And so the regular season came to an end at Eastlake. What was your highlight? Who stood out for you? What golf shot will you remember from 2008…?

Perhaps all those questions can be answered from the same event… Possibly the greatest 5 days of golf ever seen…………..

US Open 2008

The public South Course at Torrey Pines was always going to be a special site for the 2008 Open, but who would have predicted what a tournament it was.

The 91hole spectacular that unfolded between Tiger and journeyman Rocco Mediate in mid-June will go down as one of the most memorable open’s in recent years…

That’s right, did I say Rocco Mediate. The golfer best known for some part-time commentary on the Golf Channel, produced a ball striking display that pushed the World no 1 to the edge of his left knee, and contributed to a Monday of golf, some of us will never forget!

And some of you may have thought TW was faking it a little. Heck we thought the 8 weeks off he took after finishing 2nd to Immelman at the Masters, was to wonder where his Scotty Cameron had been that week. None of us could have predicted an ACL tear, a fractured Tibia, and a stressed Fibula due to extensive training to prepare for his US Open in his home state…

Faking it… Who said that??? Let’s ask Retief Goosen!!! (Sorry Retief)

Anyway, that Sunday and Monday will go down as one of the best weekends of golf ever produced. You have to feel bad for Lee Westwood, who if he had holed a couple more putts could have taken the title away from Tiger or the Rocc!

But eventually, it came down to the 72nd hole, with Woods 1 behind Mediate, and facing a 15 footer, right to left down the hill… For a guy who had been grimacing all week, who had fought through sheer pain after every swing; he now faced a 15 foot putt that was more about guts and nerves, than strength and pain.

Now I don’t know about you, but the Goosebumps were on my arms even before he struck that putt, and when it rolled around the right side of the cup and eventually dropped, I felt like I was Stevie Williams running across the 18th green I was so pumped. I even think Tiger could have knocked out Mike Tyson with those two fist pumps he threw, to celebrate the tie… A tie??? Did we still have a playoff to watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Monday playoff was back and forth all the way… Tiger had a 3 shot lead after 10 holes, Rocco took the lead on the 15th and it took another birdie 4 from Woods on the 18th to tie it up after 90 holes.

90 holes played and these 2 warriors still couldn’t be separated! So the play moved to the 7th hole… And with his first real mistake, Mediate found the fairway bunker! A 2 putt par for TW moments later and Tiger had captured his 3rd US Open title and first since 2002.

WOW what a tournament, what a playoff, what a week at Torrey!

No-one could have predicted the drama that unfolded over those 5 days, and no-one could have predicted what would happen 2 days later. Tiger announcing his season was over, after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

Who would have thought that par on the 91st hole would have been the last time we saw TW in the 2008 season??

And until next year we will not know what long lasting affect that knee injury will have on the world no 1… We all have to wait till next January(possibly) and wait and see!

The Tour Championship…

Viva Villegas!!!!!!!

DJ – 09.29.08

(http://img.timeinc.net/golf/i/tours/2007/03/Villegas_299x450.jpg)

Two in a row...

So the FedEx Cup went to Vijay! Camillo Villegas won his second PGA Tour title in a row and claimed the Tour Championship trophy! And Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim, Phil Mickelson and Villegas played out one of the most exciting Tour Championship’s in recent years.

All this and the PGA Tour was supposed to lose its excitement without Mr. Woods???

When I published the poll the week before the tournament on who you guys thought would win the Tour title, I picked the 5 guys who I thought would have the best chance of capturing the title… Well I should have gone to the casino that night?????

With Vijay just making sure he didn’t injure himself or worse, managing to DQ himself, to not lose the $10million; the back 9 on Sunday came down to 1 from 4 with Garcia, Kim, Mickelson and Villegas all having a chance to win! With Garcia holding a 3 stroke lead entering Sunday, surely he was going to pick up his second title of the year… at last!

That lead soon evaporated and when Kim birdied the 11th, the 23 year old regained the lead for the first time since Saturday morning, where he was ruffled by nearly missing his tee time and shooting a 72 taking him 3 behind Garcia.

Mickelson on the other hand found his putter on the new Bermuda greens, and managed to get to 7 under midway through the back 9, but eventually finished one back at 6 under par.

With Garcia shedding his lead, Villegas was trying his hardest to rule himself out too, with a 3over stretch on holes 6 and 7. But the Columbian turned things around and birdied 5 of 6 holes, and found himself at 7 under standing on the 18 tee. A tough 2 putt followed and Villegas was in the clubhouse at 7 under par.

What a turnaround for the Columbian, who missed the cut at Barclays (which did cost him $8 million in the end, but that’s another story), tied for 3rd at the Deutsche Bank and then captured his first win in 3 years on the tour at the BMW.

Garcia battled back after a tough start and tied Villegas at 7 under par. With only a birdie putt on the 18th between him and victory; Sergio just left his putt on the low side, resulting in the 2nd playoff of the playoffs, between good friends Garcia and Villegas.

So the two guys who had eaten dinner out together earlier on in the week, headed back to the 18th tee, the daunting 233yard par 3… easy hole???

Villegas hit the green, Sergio short sided himself… Sergio then left his pitch shot short and Camillo 2 putted for a three. Garcia now needed to hole a chip shot to deny Villegas the title. When that came up short, Villegas won his second title in a row, and what a come back it was, from 5 behind with 12 holes to go, to capture the victory.

With that victory Villegas maintained his FedEx Cup ranking of no 2 and earned himself a cool $4.6 million dollars in the process. For a Columbian golfer via the University of Florida, it was quite the accomplishment and a very exciting prospect for Commissioner Finchem and the PGA Tour.

Wrapped Up…

So the year long FedEx Cup race is over, and the top 10 finished like this…

Rank and Final Points
1 1 Vijay Singh 125,101
2 2 Camilo Villegas 124,550
3 3 Sergio Garcia 119,400
4 6 Anthony Kim 114,419
5 4 Jim Furyk 113,180
6 5 Mike Weir 113,118
7 9 Phil Mickelson 112,201
8 7 Justin Leonard 111,638
9 10 Ben Curtis 110,702
10 8 K.J. Choi 110,646

Source - (http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/fec.html?02395)

With the absence of Woods, this top 10 looks pretty strong, and with 3 very exciting youngsters just behind the veteran Singh, the talent looks strong.

In Villegas, Garcia and Kim; the PGA Tour now has 3 legitimate stars who may be around for the next 10-15 years to battle TW. Let’s hope they can all fulfill their potential and make Tiger’s return next year, even more exciting…

Nevertheless, in Woods absence this summer, do we assume he merely loaned out the trophies and media coverage, and he will return next spring to show everyone, what we have all been missing, that Torrey magic!

One thing for sure it looks like its going to be one heck of a 2009 season … and I CAN”T WAIT!!!!!!

Short Game Tip – Putting!!!

Reduce those Putts…….
DJ - 09.28.08

(http://jtaplin.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/tiger-woods-2.jpg)

Have you ever recorded how many putts you take per round???

Tour Players do, tour players record all their stats… But the number of putts taken per round is usually highest in importance, along with greens in regulation. The number of putts you take in relation to the number of greens you hit per round, is a sure fire way of knowing where your game needs improvement.

Next time you play and you mark your scores on the scorecard, mark down how many putts you took on that hole. At the end of the round, total your putts up as well as your actual score… You will soon see a variety of numbers.

On good days, you may only take 30-32 putts, which is excellent and in a round of 90 is 30% of total shots, and very good. Other days, when you do not have the speed, you don’t quite have the line and you struggle all day, you may take 38-40 putts, 44% of shots, in a round of 90.

As we all know, all golfers are different. We swing different; we think different and more importantly we putt different. Just look at all the different putters on the market, the grips that are used and the putting stances adopted; no one is quite the same!

Therefore, why do we often neglect the infamous ‘Flat Stick’? The club that we may use 44% of the round!! 44%, if you consider you may use a driver 14 times maximum, on a par 72, that is 16% hits in a round of 90!!!

But you all know the feeling, you get to the course, and the last thing you want to do is spend 20 minutes on your putting…

So here is a 10 minute session that will help your putting routine improve and hopefully make you hole more putts, and lower your scores!!!

STEP 1 – Create and repeat a routine!!! All good putters have a routine. The number of practice swings you take, the number of looks at the hole, your grip pressure and position.

These factors, tour players just take for granted. It is all part of their routine. Create and practice a routine… and repeat it every time!!!

STEP 2 – Length of stroke – As far as you take the putter back, follow through just as far. The most common miss-hits occur due to decelerating the putter through the ball. This will produce an inconsistent strike and often result in a pull or a push!

STEP 3 – Accelerate – As with every shot, even with the putter you have to accelerate. As mentioned in Step 2, allow the putter to swing through with some acceleration.

STEP 4 – Hold your finish low – How often do you see a playing partner hold their putter up in the air, even before the ball has reached the hole. All good putters will hold the finish of their stroke until the ball is well on its way, and often on short putts will keep their head down and eyes fixed on the impact point, to ensure a solid strike.

STEP 5 – Practice your green reading – To hole more putts, you have to be able to read greens. When you approach a green, look at the slope of the green, the different shades of green, where the water is etc etc… All these factors come into play when reading greens.

STEP 6 – PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!! More so than any other club, you have to practice putting.

We all know putting is frustrating, time consuming, and not as exciting as hitting long straight drives.

However, what better feeling is there than holing that 20 footer for birdie on the 18th hole to win your match!!!! So get out there and practice, it all helps.............

Tour Championship - Day One

Kim rides his Ryder Cup Wave

Eastlake, Atlanta, GA
DJ – 09.25.08

(http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/05/04/anthonykim_wideweb__470x313,0.jpg)

Anthony Kim rode the wave of golf he played to beat Sergio Garcia 5&4 on Sunday, to the newly developed Eastlake GC on Thursday afternoon! With a blistering 64, Kim holds a 4 shot lead over Mickelson, Els and Trevor Immelman.

On a lengthened, tightened Eastlake Golf Course, with greens running at a very slippery 12 on the stimpmeter, Kim posted 9 birdies in his 6 under par round.

Just 4 days after dismantling Garcia in the Ryder Cup singles, Kim, playing a group ahead of Garcia, dressed like he was still representing his country in Red and White attire, and showed no signs of fatigue.

Asked in his post round interview with the Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner, Kim said that “He slept all day Monday, ate dinner and then went back to bed!!!!” Must have been one heck of a party on Sunday night for the 23 year old.

A year after Tiger walked away with the Tour Championship, this week could be Kim’s swansong to a phenomenal 2008 season. With wins at the Wachovia, AT&T and possibly the Tour Championship, it would be quite the accomplishment for the 23 year old from California. Kim has stated that he is still a long way away from Woods in ability and attitude.

However, with Woods working on his video game skills back in Orlando, Kim is definitely playing the kind of golf we usually see from the World No 1. When Tiger returns next year, let’s hope these guys tee-it-up and produce the exciting golf everyone is talking about and wanting to see.

Ten players from the victorious US team that celebrated on Sunday, started Thursday in the final playoff event of the 2008 PGA Tour season, the Tour Championship. One sole European, Sergio Garcia, carded an even par round, which was a pretty good score after being 4over par after 6 holes.

On the other side of the pond, Lee Westwood and Graham McDowell were playing in the British Masters at the Belfry. Both having had hectic weeks performed rather well, Westwood with a 4under par 68 and McDowell a respectable par 72.

While Nick Faldo sat in the commentary box at Eastlake, just a week after his European team lost for the first time in 9 years, two of the guys that he was “supposed” to pick for his team, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie were fighting their way around the Belfry...

Clarke shot an 80 and Montgomerie an 81… You think Faldo had a wry smile sitting in his commentary box, when he saw those scores?...

Short game Tip – The Chip and Run…

Never neglect the Chip!!!

DJ – 09.25.08

Do you know the average number of greens a PGA Tour player hits in regulation per round? ….11… Or 64% per round!

Yes that’s right, the best players in the world only hit around 11 or 12 greens per round… But how do they still shoot such good rounds, and more often than not, under par!!!

The answer is; SHORT GAME, SHORT GAME, SHORT GAME!!!

The Short Game is so important in today’s game. If you miss a green, want to birdie short par 4’s and more par 5’s… You have to be able to play a variety of shots from 100 yards and in.

A solid wedge game is crucial and takes a lot of practice, however if you miss a green; there is a simple shot that all the pro’s make look easy… the simple chip shot!

(http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/image/2008/06/13/opfv-2931.jpg)

The Chip and Run

The easiest shot around the green is the shot that rolls more than it flies. When you can putt… Putt!

However, the grass around the green is often too thick or unpredictable to putt through. Therefore you need the shot that just flies all the trouble, but rolls out once on the green towards the hole. Here are the easy steps to play that easy chip shot and reduce those errors around the greens…

Step 1 – Assess the lie of the ball. If you have a perfect lie on the fringe or apron of the green, you can virtually use any club in your bag. If it is a fluffy, hardpan or sticky lie, assess the lie and choose the option that will work every time… Do not risk a shot you are not comfortable with.

Step 2 – Pick a point on the green where you imagine you are going to try to land the ball. Visualize the ball landing and rolling out towards the flag like a putt…

Step 3 – Narrow and open your stance. Narrow your feet, so they are less than shoulder width apart. Open your stance, so you are aiming slightly left (or right) of the target. Position weight, slightly forward on to your front foot.

Step 4 – Position the ball middle-back in your stance to allow for a pinch-effect hit. Try to trap the ball with the clubface. Never try to help the ball in the air with a SCOOPING action.

Step 5 – With a straight left (or right) wrist, swing the shoulders back and forth, and reduce the amount of wrist hinge you have through the ball. Picture swinging the club like a pendulum (like a putting stroke) back and through the ball with a flat wrist at impact.

Step 6 – Accelerate through the ball. Keep your eye on the ball and accelerate through the ball. The most common miss-hits occur due to a decelerating action. Take practice swings to visualize how hard and long you want to swing.

Step 7 – PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

Pro-Tip – Whenever a tour player has a shot around the green, the first thing they do is visualize the RIGHT shot to play, the shot that will give them the best chance of holing the putt or even that shot.

Visualization is key to a good short game, visualize the shot you are going to play, and then practice it… You will soon hit the appropriate shot more often than not!!!

Short Game Tips – The Basic Bunker Shot

The Dreaded Bunker Shot...

DJ - 09.22.08



(http://www.eagleparbirdie.com/50226711/Tiger%20Bunker%20Shot.jpg)

You all know the feeling… You hit that perfect iron shot, the ball flying directly towards the flag, thinking to yourself “Hold your pose, this shot is going to be good!!!” And what happens… You come up just short and land in a bunker!!!

From a possible birdie or a certain par, your first thought is… “Oh Man, can I get this out???”

Well here are the simple steps to getting that ball out of the bunker every time… first time!!!

STEP 1 – Grab your Sand Wedge 54/56 degree (Lob Wedge 58/60 if comfortable) and walk into the bunker.

STEP 2 – Bury your feet in the sand about 1-2 inches, for stability and to get a feel of the sand.

STEP 3 – Open the Wedge up first, and then grip the club. VERY IMPORTANT that you open the face first and then grip the club. The more open the face is, the more you are able to slide the club under the ball through the sand and get the ball elevated.

(However, you must grip the club after opening the face otherwise you will hold the club with a very strong grip.)

STEP 4 – Open your stance to match your open club. Open your stance 45degrees to the target so you are aiming left (or right) of the flag, but your clubface is pointing towards the target!

STEP 5 – Position your weight 60-40 on your front side and position the ball middle-forward in your stance. (NEVER position the ball in the back of your stance for a perfect lie in the bunker. If you are on a side hill, plugged or buried somewhat, then this may be appropriate)

STEP 6 – ACCELERATE ACCELERATE ACCELERATE!!!!!!! Now you have setup perfectly, take the club back ¾ of your full swing and accelerate through the ball taking about 2inches of sand behind and through the ball.

Imagine you are hitting a dollar bill’s worth of sand, (About 5-6 inches of sand). And practice this at home, place the ball in the centre and hit the dollar bill and ACCELERATE through!!!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/United_States_one_dollar_bill,_obverse.jpg

STEP 7 – PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! As with everything, the more you practice bunker shots, the better results you will achieve.

Follow these 7 simple steps and you should see the ball come out more often, for more up-and-downs and more importantly lower scores!!!

RED, WHITE and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The 37th Ryder Cup - USA!!!

DJ – 09.21.08

So after 9 long years, the US have regained the Ryder Cup, after a convincing Sunday Singles performance over the Europeans….

Below are the results (and a side note whether my predictions yesterday were correct)…

USA 9 7 EUROPE (Predications’)

A.Kim 5&4 S.Garcia (no)
H.Mahan HALVED P.Casey (yes)
J.Leonard 5&3 R.Karlsson (no)
P.Mickelson 3&2 J.Rose (no)
K.Perry 3&2 H.Stenson (yes)
B.Weekly 4&2 O.Wilson (yes)
J.B.Holmes 2&1 S Hansen (no)
J.Furyk 3&2 M.A.Jimenez (no)
S.Cink 2&1 G.McDowell (yes)
S.Stricker 3&2 I.Poulter (yes)
B.Curtis 2&1 L.Westwood (no)
C.Campbell 2&1 P Harrington (no)

Singles Total 7.5 4.5
Final Total 16.5 11.5 USA WINS!!! (5/12…42%)


Last night the US team, probably partied like it was 1999… ironically the last time they held the cup! And what a day it was for the Red, White and Boooooo, Boo Weekly the unlikely MVP of the team.

Boo Weekly shot a 29 for the front 9 yesterday, with 6 birdies and an eagle with golf, usually played by the Europeans in the Ryder Cup. The “Happy Gilmore” skip off the first tee, was just the start of an unbelievable day for Boo, who beat Oliver Wilson 4&2 with inspired golf.

Who at the start of the week, would have predicted that Boo would win 2 points for the US team in his first Ryder Cup, and that JB Holmes and Hunter Mahan would both perform so well as Rookies… Captain Zinger did, and that is one of the reasons the US team won the 37th Ryder Cup.

Captain Zinger did all he could to secure a win; Setting the first cut of rough perfectly, preparing lightning quick greens that the Europeans struggled from distance on, and creating the right amount of balance of passion and skill throughout his line-up.

From Kim’s 5&4 victory over Garcia to start the ball rolling, to Furyk’s 3&2 win over Jimenez to collect the point needed, Captain Zinger had his lineup setout perfectly.

People will argue, Captain Faldo should have had Poulter, McDowell, Rose (the three guys with winning records) at the top of the line-up. However, who could have bet against Sergio with his previous record, or Casey winning against rookie Mahan.

Karllson and Rose did their best to secure points, against stalwarts Leonard and Mickelson. It just didn’t happen in the middle 4 matches, and that is where the match was lost for Europe and more importantly WON by the US team.

Who can deny, Kenny Perry that singles point? JB Holmes in front of his home state crowd securing a vital point against sweet swinging Soren Hansen, and finally we come to Booooooooo.

The unlikely leader of this team, Weekly demonstrated ball striking of the highest order and rightly won his match comfortably against Wilson. But more importantly than his single point, Weekly was the player who livened up the crowd, and put the belief into the crowd that Captain Zinger kept asking for all week. And with the “13th” man on their side (thanks to Boo) Team US, steam rolled to their biggest victory since 1981.

Nine years on from Brookline, this Ryder Cup will go down as one of the best there have ever been. The golf played by both teams, was of the highest order, and the passion and heart demonstrated by all 24 players and 2 Captains was incredible.

In the end, the better team won, due to the better golf! You could argue Azinger had the better strategy, the course suited the US team, the “13th” man made all the difference and the Europeans didn’t make enough putts.

However, the best team won in the end and the chants of “USA USA USA” were heard all around Kentucky last night, and the color RED, WHITE and BOOOOOOO were definitely on display!!!!!

Ryder Cup 2008 - Sunday’s going to be quite the day!!!

DJ – 09.20.08

The “Sunday Singles” at the 37th Ryder Cup tomorrow… are going to be something special!!!

If you have watched any of this Ryder Cup at Valhalla, you will know that the competition is as strong as ever. Two teams battling to the 18th hole to earn a precious point, or half a point for their team. It is the fiercest battle since Brookline in ’99, possibly as competitive as Kiawah in ’91 and due to the last 2 competitions being non-events… this one has a little bit of added spice to it!

So we move to the Singles; with the US team currently holding a 9-7 lead, and needing 14.5points to win the trophy, 5.5 points is easily within reach. On the other hand, the European's and their fight back on Saturday has them within 7 points of retaining the trophy and with 12 single points up for grabs… It is going to be one heck of a battle!

Here are the pairings – (And in brackets who I think may get the edge)

USA 9...7 EUROPE
A.Kim v (1) S.Garcia
H.Mahan (.5) v (.5) P.Casey
J.Leonard (1) v R.Karlsson
P.Mickelson (.5) v (.5) J.Rose
K.Perry (1) v H.Stenson
B.Weekly (1) v O.Wilson
J.B.Holmes v (1) S Hansen
J.Furyk (.5) v (.5) M.A.Jimenez
S.Cink v (1) G.McDowell
S.Stricker v (1) I.Poulter
B.Curtis v (1) L.Westwood
C.Campbell (.5) v (.5) P Harrington

Total 5...7
Final Total 14....14 (Scores tied, Europe retain the cup)

So I sat on the fence and called it a tie… Have a go yourself and see if you get any right tomorrow!!!

One things for sure, Paul Azinger has set this course up, picked the right team and created the best atmosphere possible for the US team to take back this trophy for the first time since 1999. However, Azinger will not be playing Sunday, it is up to his team to play their hearts out and try to earn that ½ point… After all, if they all earn a half point, they win the cup!

So next time you have that slippery 3 footer for par, to win your Sunday match, think about these guys putting for their country or continent!

Now, sit back, enjoy, and thank your lucky stars that you are not the ones out there…

BRING IT ON BOYS…………………………..

David Duval – Is he back?

DJ – 09.20.08

After his heroics at Royal Birkdale, (before a 3rd round 83 in 50mph winds stopped him in his tracks), David Duval is trying to make that long awaited comeback…… yet again!

At the Viking Classic this week, (Yes there is a regular PGA Tour event this week, in Mississippi), the 2 time Ryder Cup player Duval, is currently 10under par, through 54 holes. A good final round tomorrow, may get this forgotten hero back on the golf radar.

After the 3rd round, Duval is currently T15… and yes 7 shots behind the leader Marc Turnesa. However, even a top 5 finish, could give Duval the much needed momentum he needs to finish well in the fall series and regain his tour card out right.

Duval has played 15 tournaments this year and made just over $40000 in money. A good finish tomorrow and he could triple that amount in one week. Is this a sign that Duval is finally back to where he once was???

9 years ago at Brookline, Duval went out and demolished Parnevik in the Sunday singles and showed the kind of emotion that no-one had ever seen, even after his 59!! Tomorrow, DD will be trying to start the long road back, to maybe regain a Ryder Cup spot.

After 3 good rounds at Birkdale (forget the 83) Duval finally put his Nike’s back on the map. Golf fans all wanted to know what had happened to the likable guy, hidden behind the Oakley sunglasses. Where had Mr. 59 been hiding? And did he have the desire to return?

After rounds of 69, 69 and a bogey free 68 this week at the Viking Classic, we all hold our breath that in the final round Duval can reproduce the magic he used to show regularly 10 years ago…. You never know, he may shoot another 59 and win the thing!!!

PGA TOUR 2008 - The Absence of Tiger Woods!!!

DJ - 10/9/08

Monday June 16th, Torrey Pines…… The last day Tiger Woods graced a PGA Tour Tournament in 2008.

Now as the season heads to the marquee event, the Tour Championship in 2 weeks at Eastlake Country Club, how has the season progressed since that Monday afternoon at Torrey?

When Tiger announced that he was having reconstructive knee surgery, the Wednesday after the US Open, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem must have felt like he had just been hit by a FedEx truck. The year after the tour’s no 1 attraction had refused to kiss the “Never been kissed” FedEx Cup, how was Commissioner Finchem going to sell the remainder of the 2008 season to those golf fans who only tune in to watch ‘you know who!!!’

Ironically the same injury that knocked Tiger out for the golf season; happened in the very first week of the NFL season, to possibly the biggest star of the league… Tom Brady. Now as we stay tuned to see what Coach Belichik pulls out of his cut off hoodie for the remainder of the season, we can look back at what happened since Tiger left the summer of golf looking very very……………………… open!

At the time the media threw the usual names into the ring as well as a few outsiders who were on the cusp…?

Would Phil, finally take charge and prove himself to be the second best player on the planet? Could Sergio finally step up and repeat his Players Championship form? Could a young American like Kim, Mahan, Trahan, Holmes, force their way into the mix and breathe some life into the US Ryder cup team? Or was it the summer of Rocco?

As it turned out, it was the summer of a Kentucky veteran destined for Valhalla, a young Californian kid wearing Nike (no, not you know who), a VERY determined Irishman, and a Fijian who, simply put……. Was the best putter on the planet!

By winning Jack’s tournament in May, Kenny Perry had all but guaranteed his place on the US Ryder Cup team in his home state of Kentucky, at Valhalla in September. However, he decided that this was his ultimate goal of the 2008 season, so after skipping the US Open, he went and won in Michigan at Warwick Hills, and guaranteed his name on Azingers team.

Who would have guessed then, 2 weeks later he would capture the John Deere Classic, for his 3rd title in 7 weeks. The hottest man in golf, yes; Favorite for the next weeks British Open, No, he wasn’t even going.

Determined to cement his place on the Ryder Cup team, Perry only played in one major all summer, the PGA Championship, where he finished way down the pack. However, he accomplished his main summer goal, wearing the stars and stripes the 3rd week in September at Valhalla.

Perry lost a little form at the end of the summer with a mixed bag at the FedEx Cup, leaving the door open for a new star of the US Ryder Cup team, a guy by the name of Kim…… Anthony Kim!

Kim after playing with Mark O’Meara (yes the same O’Meara who helped guide Tiger through his first years on tour) in an off-season event had O’Meara raving about his game and talent. All he had to adjust was his attitude to become a top player. At the Wachovia in May, the California kid hit all the right notes and won at one of the toughest courses on tour against one of the strongest fields.

With this new found confidence Kim, had a tremendous summer with a win at Tiger’s tournament, (followed by one of the best on air phone conversations you will ever see between Kim and Tiger) and a sublime tee-green at the British Open, only to be held back by poor putting.

At the upcoming Ryder Cup, the US team will be without their star name, but, maybe the new California “Nike” Kid will steer them to their first victory in 9 years.

Talking of that Ryder Cup, the Europeans are favorite for the first time, and their main man will be now 3 times Major Champion, Padraig Harrington. At the British Open, held at Birkdale for the first time in 10 years, Harrington held off the resurgent Greg Norman in the final round, and battled 40mph winds to go back-back and win his 2nd British.

The Irish were still drinking to Padraig’s British win, when the PGA rolled around at the ‘Monster” Oakland Hills in Detroit. With thick, THICK rough and slope after slope greens, the final 9 holes belonged to 2 old friends, 2 Europeans… Sergio Garcia and Padraig. Sergio had his chance, again, but after he blocked his second shot into the water on no 16 and Harrington went par, birdie par, with three 1 putts, the title was his.

The Irish Tiger had his 3rd major in 2 years, and the first man other than Woods, to win 2 majors in a year since O’Meara in ’98. And now that he has 3 Majors, Harrington is tied with some of golf’s biggest named superstars Mickelson, Els and Singh; not bad for a cross handed putter who was training to be an accountant 12 years ago!!!

So did you hear the one about the South African, Irishman and the American with a bum knee…. Well they were the headlines of the 2008 Majors, but we still had the FedEx Cup to look forward to, and the prospect of an exciting Playoff series. Well for the 2nd year running, the Cup was dominated by one man, and was over rather quickly.


Vijay Singh won the Bridgestone the week before the PGA, then fell off the Earth until he told himself something all bad putters out there should try… “I am the best putter in the world?”

This new confidence led to a playoff win over Sergio at the Barclays held at the awesome Ridgewood Country Club, followed by a final round 62 victory at the Deutsche Bank at the TPC of Boston. 2 for 2… Playoffs over!

Singh basically had to DQ himself over the next 2 tournaments or another top 5 ranked player win the other 2 events to close… And when Villegas won the BMW in St Louis, the title was basically Singh’s. If he completes all 4 rounds at Eastlake, the title is his, and will Vijay fulfill Commissioner Finchem’s request and kiss the cup???? Time will tell…..

So it has been 12 weeks since that 91 hole epic US Open, and what have we learned… Vijay at 45 is still as good as any! Harrington is a major factor in any major. Sergio, Tee-Green is too good not to have won a major. AK (Kim) is the best American 23 year old since TW… and finally we come to Phil?????

With the only player ahead of him in the rankings, watching back home in Orlando, it was Phil’s time to step up and recreate that major magic, but once again his putter let him down. Phil has 2 wins this year, both credible wins, Riviera and Colonial, but both without Woods in the field. At least his Crowne Plaza commercials have been very amusing throughout the summer.

One final note about Phil…Since the ’06 open at Winged Foot, (no reminder needed) Phil has not contended in one of the last 10 majors… Who has? Tiger has won 4, Harrington has won 3! (Johnson, Cabrera and Immelman the others)

So when we roll around to Torrey Pines next January for the Buick… After 7 months away from the game, do you think TW, will be back at the scene of his last hurrah to regain his throne……….. Depends if he needs to regain it, that is!!!!!