ARMCHAIR GOLF BLOG

ARMCHAIR GOLF Briefs

2009-11-21T21:09:00.002-05:00

Assorted news items sent to ARMCHAIR GOLF. Endorsement is not implied. No consideration or compensation was received.

Golf Products and Services

• SwingCzar (swingczar.com) is a resource for golfers of all skill levels. Customers can upload their golf swing to the SwingCzar site and have it analyzed by PGA professionals.

• Pink Diva Golf (PinkDivaGolf.com) has just published their first annual Holiday Shopping Guide.

• The new Golf Privilege Membership, in support of the American Lung Association, is $39.95 and includes over 3,300 courses. More info at alagolfmembership.org.

• The Amphibian Towel ($29.95) is a golf towel that stays both wet and dry simultaneously. The BrushPro ($17.99) is a user-friendly retractable clubface brush with replaceable brush heads and a flip-out groove-scraper for shoes. More info at Frogger.com.

• The Golfing Caddy (TheGolfingCaddy.com) is a multi-compartment tote and beverage holder that easily clips to a golf bag.

• The Antigua Group has added an additional golf apparel delivery for the holiday season featuring its DESERT DRY™, and introducing its new light weight DESERT DRY™ XTRA-LITE (D2XL), moisture management styles.

• Bag Boy® has introduced the Express Auto Three-Wheel Push Cart.

• STUFFITTS SHOE SAVERS (stuffitts.com), which are cedar inserts, allow golf shoes to last longer and remain odor-free.

• Andrew Rice, Director of Instruction at Berkeley Hall in South Carolina, has a new book coming out called It’s All About Impact – The Winners of Over 100 Majors Prove It. More info at ItsAllAboutImpact.com.

Golf Destinations

• Winter golf travelers can experience all Fairmont Mayakoba has to offer with the resort’s Sweet Deal Package with Spa & Golf Bonus.

• Some of the world’s most unique golf courses can be found at Deckchair.com. More info at Deckchair.com/355/.

Golf Events

• The 2009 Handa Cup will be held on Saturday, December 5 through Sunday, December 6, 2009, at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. The annual match-up will be played on World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire championship golf course, and will feature top international and United States legends of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) who will compete in a match play competition. The event is open to the public and single-day grounds passes are $10.

• More than 4,400 golf facilities across the country registered to participate in the third annual Patriot Golf Day and $1.9 million was raised to benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation.

• Joe Steranka, the PGA of America’s Chief Executive Officer, will be awarded the Sports Leadership Award by the March of Dimes New York Division at its 26th Annual Sports Luncheon on Wednesday, December 2 in New York City.

• The High Meadow Ranch Team from Magnolia, Texas, claimed the 2009 OB Sports National Team Championship presented by GPS Industries in Las Vegas.

Golf Entertainment

• Handicapped: A Documentary About Bad Golf will be released on DVD on November 24. More info at BadGolfMovie.com.

−The Armchair Golfer

ARMCHAIR GOLF Swing Vision: Camilo Villegas

2009-11-20T13:35:00.002-05:00

I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE a new feature. I’ll call it ARMCHAIR GOLF Swing Vision. Let’s take a look at the swing of Camilo Villegas, who is playing at this week’s Dubai World Championship.

“Notice how well Camilo sets the club at the top.”

“Great rotation. Look at how he hits against his left side.

The club continues down the line.”

“Nice finish. Nice veins.”

OK, I’m being facetious. Am I the only one who questions swing analysis on the golf telecasts? Please tell me I’m not.

My absolute favorite. PGA Tour player has just hit his tee shot a mile right. Then we hear: “Let’s take a look at that swing.” Then, “He’s in good position right here, everything looks good, but on the downswing—you can see it right here!—he blah, blah, blah (fill in the blank) and the ball just goes straight right.”

Funny how they always spot the swing flaw that made the shot go right after they first saw the shot go right. Granted, it might be fairly obvious at times. But when a tour-caliber player swings a golf club at 110-plus miles per hour and has basically the same tempo, swing plane and balance on each swing, how can someone pinpoint the exact flaw in an instant, on-the-spot analysis?

I make an exception for Peter Kostis. His swing analyses have me totally hypnotized. He just sounds believable.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Images: nsaplayer/Flickr)

2009 LPGA Tour Championship TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

2009-11-19T15:29:00.004-05:00

Paula Creamer. (dnkbdotcom/Flickr)

THE 2009 LPGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP is underway at the Houstonian Golf & Country Club in Houston, Texas. Lorena Ochoa is the early leader after shooting a 6-under par 66.

Purse: $1.5 million
Defending champion: (inaugural edition)

Tournament preview
Tournament interviews
Final field

2009 LPGA Tour Championship Leaderboard

More coverage:
Preview and predictions (Mostly Harmless)
Overview (Golf Channel)
Shin in control of POY race (USA Today)

TV SCHEDULE

Eight hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2009 LPGA Tour Championship.

Thursday, Nov 19
4:00-6:00 PM ET Golf Channel

Friday, Nov 20
4:00-6:00 PM ET Golf Channel

Saturday, Nov 21
4:00-6:00 PM ET Golf Channel

Sunday, Nov 22
3:00-5:00 PM ET Golf Channel

−The Armchair Golfer

Is Rory Ready for America?

2009-11-18T16:33:00.007-05:00

Rory McIlroy at TPC Sawgrass. (LTBeyer/Flickr)

Editor’s note: Brian Keogh is a golf correspondent for The Irish Sun and a regular contributor to The Irish Times, Golf Digest Ireland and other golf publications. The following piece is excerpted from his blog, Irish Golf Desk.

By Brian Keogh
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

THE DEBATE HAS STARTED. Is Rory McIlroy making a mistake by joining the PGA Tour at this stage of his career?

The Guardian’s Lawrence Donegan thinks the youngster may well have boobed by trying to play both the U.S. and European tours. There is no doubt, as Lawrence points out, that spending lengthy periods of time in the United States means you simply don’t get home to see your coach as often as you might like. Just look at Harrington’s disastrous DIY swing tweak this year. Then there’s the travel, as McIlroy’s World Cup partner Graeme McDowell can attest after a nefarious PGA Tour foray cost him a Ryder Cup place at the K Club in 2006. McDowell’s manager at the time was Chubby Chandler.

Maybe that’s why Chandler was trying to persuade McIlroy to stay put in Europe and his Oct 21 email to the SportsBusiness Journal telling them that “Rory has decided not to join the PGA Tour in 2010” appears to have backfired on him spectacularly.

When I asked McIlroy about it before the Volvo World Match Play in Spain, he said: “I saw that. That’s not accurate.” And he said it in a hurt tone that hinted that he was not totally happy that a decision had been taken on his behalf or that he was being railroaded into doing something he was not quite sure he really wanted to do.

Given his inexperience, you could argue that he might be better off winning a few Italian or Portuguese Opens and improving his putting before committing to the PGA Tour. Then again, we are dealing with an extra special talent. He has agonised over this move, and being 20 and ambitious and wonderfully talented, he’s decided he’s going for it.

Knowing McIlroy, he truly believes he is right. It’s not a prerequisite for good golf, but McIlroy is highly intelligent—a gifted student who didn’t much care for school but still achieved outstanding SAT results when he was toying with the idea of going to East Tennessee State University. He decided not to take that route, left school around his 16th birthday and was a full-time golfer in 2005. It was a decision that backfired in the short term because he irked the Walker Cup blazers by skipping a series of big championships to play in a few European Tour events on invitations. England’s Oliver Fisher, not McIlroy, became the youngest Walker Cup player in history.

McIlroy shot 61 around Royal Portrush soon afterwards, left Peter McEvoy and Garth McGimpsey to rue their decision, and waited another two years to turn pro. McIlroy’s father Gerry believes Rory’s non-Walker Cup selection in 2005 was the best thing that ever happened to a kid who listens, weighs up his options and makes fearless decisions. Over the years, some of those decisions have been questionable, but McIlroy has never doubted his own ability.

Can he putt better? He must. Will America help? He has to go there to find out.

He could have been forgiven for going backwards last year but fought his way out of a slump instead. In fact, he emerged from that slump on his own initiative by seeking out Paul Hurrion for help with his putting. No agent interference there. That gesture made a deep impression on Padraig Harrington.

No doubt the U.S. media will start asking questions if he fails to win on the PGA Tour before the Masters. You fear for him should things go pear-shaped in America, but he’s been on an upward curve his entire career and the sky’s the limit.

America can wait, but when you have a talent that big, why hide it?

Brian Keogh covers golf for The Irish Sun and contributes to a variety of golf publications. Pay him a visit at Irish Golf Desk.

Q&A: Washington and Lee’s Matt Langan

2009-11-17T20:25:00.008-05:00

Editor’s note: Matt Langan plays on the men’s golf team at Washington and Lee University located in Lexington, Virginia. The Generals play in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) against teams such as Guilford College, Randolph-Macon, Bridgewater, Hampden-Sydney and Roanoke College. I hope you enjoy this slice of college golf with Matt.

Q: How did golf hook you?

Matt: I grew up playing just about every sport competitively—basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, golf, football—so the fact that I ended up just focusing on golf definitely meant that somewhere along the line I must have gotten really hooked. My grandfather introduced me to the game when I was an eight-year-old, and I fell in love with it because I associated the game with the fantastic opportunity to play his beautiful home course—Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky—and to spend the afternoon with him. After being introduced to the game, I became addicted to it. My mom would drop me off on a typical summer morning around 10 and I wouldn’t call her to pick me up until the sun went down. I really love the individual aspect of the game. Once I started playing in junior events, I loved how my success or failure fell entirely on me.

Q. How did you choose Washington and Lee University?

Matt: I applied to nine schools. I knew I wanted to play golf, but my main priority was to go for the sure thing: a great education. I’ve been blessed with great parents who always emphasized the importance of doing well in school. I was originally introduced to W&L by my dad’s golf friends who attended the university, and spoke very highly of it. W&L was one of many schools that I looked at when I took a trip along the East Coast to browse those that fulfilled the characteristics I wanted the college to have: medium to small in size with solid academics, in a relatively warm climate, and with a beautiful campus. Playing golf was a huge bonus, and the success I had on the golf course in high school helped me with the admissions process because I was one of the team’s top recruits.

Q: How is the golf team doing?

Matt: Overall, I would say the golf team is doing well, but I know we haven’t reached our potential. This year, of the top five players who travel, three or four of them are seniors, so we aren’t lacking in experience, patience, or skill. Our spring season—the one that really matters—will be dependent on how well the seniors (including myself) are able to focus on golf amidst the pressures of finding a job, applying for graduate schools, and/or wanting to soak up the last available bit of the college lifestyle.

Q. What is your home course and where else do you like to play?

Matt: I am from Prospect, Kentucky, which is just outside of Louisville. When I started playing the game, I spent it on a local public links course that was only a half mile from my home called Nevel Meade Golf Course. Once my parents realized my addiction to the game wasn’t a fly-by-night thing, we became members of Harmony Landing Country Club. We’ve been members there since I was eleven or twelve, and it kills me to think that I won’t be a playing member there upon graduating. Getting the chance to become a member myself is actually one of my greatest motivators to be successful soon after graduating.

Q: How do you prepare for a new golf season?

Matt: Recently, it’s been tough to dedicate as much time to preparing for an upcoming season as I would like to, because of summer jobs and internships. As a result, I’ve really had to make the most out of the time that I do have. I know it sounds trite, but it’s all about the short game. I will spend a couple of hours chipping and putting (although mostly chipping), in the weeks leading up to the season, because I’ve found that this is the part of my game that sneaks away from me the fastest. I do a pretty good job of staying in good physical shape, because I work out a few times a week and eat properly. This isn’t something I see as preparation for a new season, as it is an obligation I think we all have for living a happy and healthy life.

Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of your golf game?

Matt: My strength has always been putting. I am just able to see the lines easily, and it’s just a matter of trusting them that decides whether the day on the green will be OK or great. My weakness must be my mid-iron play. I have a difficult time sticking iron shots to within 10 feet or less, so getting on birdie streaks or shooting especially low rounds has always been a struggle for me.

Q: What is it like competing at the collegiate level?

Matt: It’s great, although being a student-athlete is definitely difficult at times. As a Division III student-athlete, my priorities must still be geared towards academics, because we don’t really have the aspirations to go pro. However, our coaches expect us to put in as much time on the course as a Division I player, so there really aren’t any corners that are being cut. I’ve pulled my fair share of all-nighters to catch up on work I’ve missed as a result of being out of town for three or four days, but it’s entirely worth it. One thing I love about being a college golfer is the ability to get off campus and see new places and people—it’s like going on vacations all the time.

Q: What are your plans after you graduate?

Matt: I plan on working for a year or two and then attending graduate school in business. Finding the job is going to be more difficult than finding the business school, so my plans could flip come this May, depending on how things play out. I would really like to fit in some travel throughout Europe somewhere in there too, because one of my greatest regrets as a college student is not studying abroad—something that’s not really an option for a golfer.

SHORT SHOTS:

Most trusted club in your bag: Putter

Favorite golf course: The sentimental answer: my home course, Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Kentucky. My favorite design: The Homestead’s Cascades Course.

Favorite sport other than golf: A tie between basketball and cycling.

Dream foursome: My dad and both of my grandfathers (one of which I never had the opportunity to play golf with).

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Washington and Lee)

FREE Drawing for Michelle Wie book, ‘THE SURE THING’

2009-11-16T18:38:00.010-05:00

MICHELLE WIE WON HER FIRST LPGA title on Sunday by playing steady golf alongside veteran Cristie Kerr in the final group at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico. As has been widely chronicled, Wie has endured about everything the game, the media and golf fans can dish out since she surfaced as a Tiger-like golf prodigy in her early teens.

To celebrate her first professional victory, I will give away the 2009 book, THE SURE THING: The Making and Unmaking of Golf Phenom Michelle Wie. It’s autographed by the author, ESPN The Magazine senior writer Eric Adelson.

I haven’t read the entire book and the reviews I’ve seen are mixed. I can tell you the early chapters offer plenty of insight into Michelle’s parents and their influence on her golf career. Also, near the end of the book, Adelson addresses two big questions: Can Michelle make a comeback? (That one is in the process of being answered.) And the other: Can she still be the next Tiger Woods?

If you want to learn more about Michelle Wie and what makes her tick, this book will likely add to your knowledge.

Enter the FREE drawing at above right.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

A Tiger Woods Love Letter

2009-11-15T20:44:00.008-05:00

November 15, 2009

Dear Tiger,

Where did the time go?

It seems like it was just yesterday that you were stepping off your Gulfstream at Essendon and were whisked away in a limo. We now realise this past week went way too fast.

Good on ya, mate. You have once again proven yourself as the world’s greatest golfer. Our sincere congratulations for winning the “other” Masters. We are so honored to have you as our champion. To be perfectly candid, we were rooting for you and are thrilled you got the job done. (Relieved, actually. Ha ha!)

We love our own—Chalmers, Nitties, Scott, Appleby, Ogilvy, Parry, Pampling and all our boys—but they have had their chances over the years and will have many more. This was the year of the Tiger.

Please, please, please do not stay away so long between visits. We are accustomed to hardship. It is part of our national identity. But 11 years is a very long wait, even for us. We will do everything humanly possible to make any visit unbelievable. We think you know that.

Or just drop by whenever you are in the neighborhood. (Maybe on your way back from Asia next year.) We promise not to make such a terrible fuss. It could be a small bash. (We would not have to tell Brumby or other pollies and curtail the journos and earbash.)

Thanks again for coming. It exceeded our expectations in every way. Hugs and kisses and camera clicks! (Not when you are in mid swing, of course.)

Love always,
Australia

P.S. Do write. Even if just an occasional email from your agent.

P.P.S. If for some reason you cannot make it back to Oz, we will always have Kingston Heath.

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

Golf Shot: Michelle Wie

2009-11-14T20:33:00.022-05:00

MICHELLE WIE IS TIED for the 54-hole lead with Cristie Kerr at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. One shot back are Song-Hee Kim, Jiyai Shin and Paula Creamer. Wie shot a 70 in the third round. She and Kerr are 10-under par.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

FREE Drawing for THE SURE THING
I will give away THE SURE THING: The Making and Unmaking of Golf Phenom Michelle Wie, a 2009 book by Eric Adelson. Enter the drawing at above right.

2009 Is a Rim Out for David Duval

2009-11-13T21:51:00.009-05:00

CRAZY AS IT SEEMED, David Duval was in position to win at Bethpage Black in June. Duval was back from the golf doldrums, contending for a major. The U.S. Open, no less.

He was playing with resolve. After going four-over par on the first three holes of his final round, Duval had gotten all the strokes back by the time he reached the 17th tee. He reeled off three straight birdies on 14, 15 and 16. It was oddly familiar, for David was once the world’s No. 1 player and main Tiger Woods challenger.

On the 17th green, Duval stood over a par putt. As I remember it, it was a four or five-footer. There was no hesitation. He stroked it firmly. The putt hit the side of the hole, dipped down and spun out. It was unjust. He needed that putt. You might even say he deserved it, especially after all he had been through. But it didn’t fall. Duval went on to finish in a tie for second with Phil Mickelson and Ricky Barnes, two shots behind winner Lucas Glover. It was a fat check for David, who had made few cuts in recent years and banked little money. But it wasn’t a win, or a major, or an exemption, or redemption after years of wandering through a golf wasteland.

That rim out on the 17th green at Bethpage Black summed up 2009 for Duval. He was close, very close, to breaking back into the game in a big way. It didn’t quite happen.

It didn’t quite happen this week either at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic. Duval entered the tournament at No. 125 on the money list, the precarious final spot to earn full playing privileges for 2010. All he had to do was play well enough—and earn enough—to hold his spot. Instead, David missed the cut by seven shots.

What now?

Duval will more than likely lose his card, although his top 150 status will get him into a dozen or more events. His runner-up finish at this year’s U.S. Open and 2001 British Open title will get him into three majors in 2010. Just in case, he had already signed up for Q-school.

It’s not a position you want to be in, he said today after a 73 that followed a 76. It’s a position that’s all too familiar. The hoped-for comeback of David Duval plods on.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Gusick/Flickr)

2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

2009-11-12T16:03:00.003-05:00

Lorena Ochoa. (Lancaster-Jones/Flickr)

THE 2009 LORENA OCHOA INVITATIONAL is underway at Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Purse: $1.3 million
Defending champion: Angela Stanford

Tournament preview
Tournament interviews
Final field

2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

Tens hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Thursday, Nov 12:
Golf Channel 4:00-6:30 PM ET

Friday, Nov 13:
Golf Channel 4:00-6:30 PM ET

Saturday, Nov 14:
Golf Channel 4:00-6:30 PM ET

Sunday, Nov 15:
Golf Channel 4:00-6:30 PM ET

−The Armchair Golfer

2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

2009-11-12T14:36:00.009-05:00

Davis Love defends. (McAlpine/Flickr)

THE 2009 CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK CLASSIC is underway at Disney’s Magnolia and Disney’s Palm Course in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Rickie Fowler holds the early lead at 6 under.

Purse: $4.7 million
Winner’s share: $846,000
Defending champion: Davis Love III

Inside the field
Where they rank on money list
The Live Report

2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

Twelve hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic.

Thu, 11/12:
GOLF 1p - 4p ET

Fri, 11/13:
GOLF 1p - 4p ET

Sat, 11/14:
GOLF 1p - 4p ET

Sun, 11/15:
GOLF 1p - 4p ET

PGA Tour radio coverage

−The Armchair Golfer

Veterans Day Tribute: Pro Golfers Who Served in WW II

2009-11-11T13:47:00.013-05:00

(Pictured: Lloyd Mangrum)

“From the first days of World War II, players put away their sticks and picked up rifles to defend America.”

By John Coyne
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

WORLD WAR II WAS CALLED the last “good” war and Tom Brokaw wrote of the men and women who fought in it as, “America’s greatest generation.” They came of age during the Great Depression and served their country in World War II.

Many of this greatest generation were golf professionals. Herb Graffis, founder of Golfing magazine, in his history of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) writes how golf professionals served in combat during WW II, and did a hundred other volunteer jobs relating to golf to help the war effort. From the first days of World War II, players put away their sticks and picked up rifles to defend America.

They would not be the first players to fight in a war. At the outbreak of World War II, it is estimated 900 members of the PGA were veterans of World War I. By the end of WW II, 20 percent of the members of the PGA had served in the armed forces, another 15 percent in war production jobs. Eleven pros were killed in action, three more died while in the service.

PGA pros, throughout the war years, were involved in construction, equipping and operating practice putting greens, practice tees, courses and indoor nets at more than 62 armed services hospitals. Professionals and superintendents often got together and built small golf installations at hospitals, and the pros kept going back to instruct patients and maintain the golf playgrounds.

In addition to that work, tournament circuit prize money during the war was in government bonds. In 1945, prize money was approximately $500,000 in war bonds. That year exhibitions by PGA members raised over $100,000 for hospitals, the USO and the Red Cross. According to Graffis, “Those wartime tournaments and exhibitions had a great deal to do with establishing the pattern of today’s tournament circuits, since most of the events have hospitals, boys’ clubs, and other welfare operations as promoters and beneficiaries.”

Not to be overlooked was the celebrity drawing power of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby at golf events. In 1943, Hope and Crosby took to the road for six weeks of exhibition matches with pros and amateurs. Joining them on tour were Sam Byrd, Byron Nelson, Joe Kirkwood, Gene Sarazen, Harry Cooper, as well as early LPGA stars Louise Suggs, Patty Berg and Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Hope and Crosby started at the Dallas Country Club with a gallery of about 5,000 who bought $4.5 million in war bonds and an ambulance for the Red Cross. They finished at the Edgewater Golf Club in Chicago. Bob and Bing paid their own expenses through out the tour, and the PGA gave them money clips as tokens of appreciation.

War Toll

The war took a toll on the PGA. By the end of 1945, dues-paying membership was down to 1,565. That was 570 fewer members than when hostilities began. When the war was over, there were 4,817 courses in the U.S. and roughly 2,250,000 golfers, but few of these players had ever been to a golf tournament.

But all of that was about to change. Lloyd Mangrum, while training for the D-Day landings, was offered the professional job at the army’s Fort Meade golf course, which would have kept him out of combat, but he declined and went to the front lines in Europe. He would receive from his combat tours two Purple Hearts, and was wounded a final time at the Battle of the Bulge. However, when he was discharged from the army, he immediately won the 1946 U.S. Open, the first Open held after the war.

Other name professionals who served in the army and were back on tour within days of being discharged from service were Tommy Bolt; Jack Fleck who was in the Navy and also part of the D-Day invasion; Herman Keiser; Ted Kroll, who earned three Purple Hearts, and was wounded four times; Ed “Porky” Oliver; and the great amateur Smiley Quick, who won the ’46 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and then turned pro.

The golf professionals of the greatest generation were home from the war and back on the links. It was the start of the modern PGA Tour that we know today.

John Coyne is the author of The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan and The Caddie Who Played with Hickory. Learn more at John Coyne Books.

The Tiger Woods Australian Stimulus Plan

2009-11-10T17:01:00.015-05:00

“THANK GOD IT’S NOT NORMAL,” Tiger Woods said at his Monday press conference in Melbourne. A presser, by the way, that was broadcast live throughout Australia.

Tiger was referring to the 7,000 Australian golf fans who followed him during a practice round in advance of the Australian Masters. TV network helicopters circled above as Tiger and Craig Parry played nine holes. Another oddity: a sold out sign was posted at the ticket booth.

“No one could remember the last time a tournament had no tickets available,” wrote the AP’s Doug Ferguson.

It’s been 11 years since Tiger visited Down Under. The 1998 Presidents Cup, to be exact. He was 22. To Aussies, it must seem like another golf lifetime. The Great White Shark, Greg Norman, defeated Tiger in singles as the International team notched its only win in the event’s history.

Tiger’s arrival in Melbourne on Sunday was like the return of golf’s prodigal son. He was transported by limousine from Essendon Airport and his movements seem to be as secretive and closely guarded as those of heads of state. Security is extremely tight, including double what it would normally be at the Australian Masters. The tournament will be played at Kingston Heath Golf Club. Tiger is fond of the track.

“Unbelievable golf course,” he said.

“I always have been a huge fan of the sandbelt courses. The bunkering is just phenomenal. You never get a chance to see bunkering like this is any other place in the world. You don’t need a golf course that is 7,500 yards for it to be hard. You can build it just like this and have it nice and tricky, and it’s just a treat to play.”

The $3.3 million price tag to bring Tiger to Australia is expected to net $20 million in economic benefits, according to reports I’ve read. The Australian Masters is also expected to attract a global TV audience of 380 million. Not too shabby for mid November.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

Golf Pet Peeve: The Golf Channel Guy

2009-11-09T19:25:00.017-05:00

(Editor’s note: Robert Bruce of Game Under Repair has something he needs to get off his chest. Maybe you can relate.)

By Robert Bruce
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

HOW DO I EXPLAIN The Golf Channel Guy?

Perhaps there’s a better name for this character—such as “wannabe”—but I’ll do my best to tell you about this peculiar fellow. The Golf Channel Guy watches a lot of The Golf Channel. Consequently, he’s picked up the mannerisms, fashion sensibilities, and general external qualities of the professional golfers who often appear on said Golf Channel.

Problem is, The Golf Channel Guy is a mediocre golfer at best. Most of the nation’s reported Golf Channel Guys have handicaps in the 15-18 range. He may look and sound the part, but that topped 7-iron and bladed wedge tell you otherwise.

If you’ve played golf long enough, you can smell The Golf Channel Guy from a mile away. He talks a big game. Braggadocio is his thing. After all, with those pleated khakis and svelte Nike shirt, who wouldn’t believe this guy is a scratch golfer?

The Golf Channel Guy is closely related to The Mulligan Golfer and Distance Exaggerator. All three fellows are quite concerned with image upkeep on the golf course. To help you spot The Golf Channel Guy at your local course, I’ve compiled a list of The Golf Channel Guy’s characteristics:

• Carries a pro-style bag.

• Applied for Big Break on multiple occasions.

• Wears pleated khaki pants on the golf course in August.

• Reads every putt from six angles.

• Treats every par as if he just made a birdie.

• Enjoys reverse sandbagging–in actuality, that 15 is probably a 20.

• Offers on-course instruction without prompting.

• During practice swings, he stops mid-swing to check his plane. Though he’s off plane by a foot, he seems pleased.

They try so hard. They try too hard. They are golfers in the midst of an identity crisis. Lord bless the Golf Channel Guys.

Robert Bruce is a full-time writer and part-time golf blogger in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit his golf blog at www.gameunderrepair.com.

(Image: Jeff Wallen/Flickr)

Shanghai Phil Ride

2009-11-08T21:42:00.014-05:00

THIS SHANGHAI ADVENTURE had everything in it except Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu. You had a lurking Tiger. You had a hard-charging Big Easy. You had a strong cast of young stars: Nick Watney, Rory McIlroy and Ryan (don’t call me Roger) Moore. It was one incredible Phil ride, with plot twists and a highly charged ending. Could it be any other way with Lefty in the mix?

And if you live on the U.S. East Coast (like I do), you had to stay up until 3 a.m. to see the finish. I only made it to 1 a.m. but caught part of the replay on Sunday afternoon.

Phil Mickelson’s victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions on Sunday brought his 2009 win total to four. The last time Lefty had a four-win season was in 2005 when he won the PGA Championship. He appears to relish his opportunities to go head to head with Tiger. He certainly doesn’t appear to be intimidated. Actually, Phil showed the kind of resilience in the final round that we’re used to seeing from Tiger, who struggled mightily on the opening nine and was never a factor. He finished in a tie for sixth with Martin Kaymer.

What’s up with Tiger? The putts aren’t dropping. He’s supremely hacked off. That’s certain.

It was Ernie Els who could have, should have, would have stolen the prize had he been able to negotiate the lake fronting the 18th green. His play was brilliant up until that point. He was on his way to a 62 or 61. Of his 5-wood shot that splashed down well short of the putting surface, Ernie said he “basically duffed it.”

The event was a huge hit in Shanghai. Massive galleries lined the fairways on Sunday at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

“Sunday’s was the largest crowd to watch a professional golf tournament in China—by far,” wrote Shanghai-based writer Dan Washburn at ESPN.com. “Some estimates put the total at around 18,000 fans, more than double the official number for Saturday.”

According to reports I read and from what I saw on the telecast, the Chinese fell hard for Phil. He might now be more popular than Chan and Liu put together. Stay tuned. There will be a sequel.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: van der Chijs/Flickr)

I Feel Sorry for Doug Barron

2009-11-07T22:35:00.006-05:00

I ADMIT IT. I FEEL SORRY for Doug Barron, the 40-year-old journeyman who this week became the first player to be suspended by the PGA Tour for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Someone had to be first and it happened to be Barron, whose tour career was going nowhere fast. He will be suspended from all tours for one year.

An unflattering photo of a shirtless Barron has appeared at many sites and he’s become a bit of a laughing stock. Whatever he was taking wasn’t working has been the refrain.

Barron issued an obligatory statement and then disappeared as quickly as he appeared. I would, too.

“I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the tour or its players resulting from my suspension,” Barron said in a statement released by the PGA Tour on Monday. “I want my fellow tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on tour.”

The thing is, Barron hasn’t played on the PGA Tour in three years (although he did play in one event this year). He also played in four Nationwide Tour events in 2009, and won no official money on either tour this year. In 2008, Barron won $33,446 on the Nationwide Tour.

If Barron violated the drug policy, I’m not defending his actions. We’ll probably never know if he is a sacrificial lamb as some have suggested. It’s just too bad this episode will very likely be his biggest claim to fame in golf.

−The Armchair Golfer

The 8 Things My Daughter Knows About Golf

2009-11-06T16:34:00.030-05:00

Sergio Garcia is dreamy. (Glasson/Flickr)

By The Amchair Golfer’s Daughter
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF

SINCE MY DAD RUNS a golf blog, you would think I would know at least a little bit about the sport. That’s a bad assumption a lot of people make all too often.

When I try to explain my dad’s blog, it brings up all kinds of questions. People think I’ll have interesting, intelligent things to say about the game just because my dad happens to have a blog on the subject.

Let me tell you now, there are only a few things I know about the sport. And I can list them for you in less than ten items:

1. Sergio Garcia is dreamy.

2. Even though the whole golf course is green, there is a specific patch of grass called a green. This is where you want the ball to end up eventually.

3. Tiger Woods is really good.

4. If you win a lot, you get a lot of money.

5. The commercials for golf clubs are usually very stupid.

6. Some golfers tend to wear vibrant pants.

7. Nick Jonas plays golf.

8. The minus sign in front of your score is actually a good thing.

That’s all I know about golf, so the conversations people try to have with me about the sport usually aren’t long. Ask me about Shia LaBeouf in The Greatest Game Ever Played, however, and I could talk for hours.

Road Hole Augmentation: Sir Henry Cotton Shares Blame

2009-11-05T13:01:00.017-05:00

A 1930s era golf postcard of Henry Cotton.

“ … in an attempt to deflect their [critics’] ire the R&A claimed the inspiration for the changes to the Road Hole came from Sir Henry Cotton, who said in 1964 that he would like to see the hole lengthened and a new tee built.”

−Lawrence Donegan, guardian.co.uk

SHOULD GOLF PURISTS get their knickers in a knot over the lengthening of the world-famous Road Hole by 35 yards?

I’m still trying to make up my mind. Probably. It’s St. Andrews, after all. The home of golf.

The 17th, the Road Hole will play 490 yards for next year’s Open Championship. A new tee will be built on an adjacent driving range. The Royal & Ancient (R&A) said it had to be done.

“Over the years we have seen the threat from the road behind the green, and to a lesser extent the Road Bunker, diminished as players have been hitting shorter irons for their approach shots, allowing them to avoid these hazards more easily,” R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson told guardian.co.uk. “This change will ensure that the hole plays as it was originally intended.”

Fine, but did they have to bring Sir Henry Cotton into the discussion?

Three-time Open Champion

To brush up on our golf history, Henry Cotton was a gifted player. In one nine-year stretch in the 1930s, Cotton never finished out of the top 10 in the Open Championship. During that span, he won twice and had two third-place finishes. He won his third Open in 1948 and finished his career with 17 professional wins and later earned a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Of course, Sir Henry can’t comment about the Road Hole changes since he passed on to the heavenly fairways in 1987. But if he could, the three-time Open winner might say, as is fashionable these days, that his remarks were taken out of context. They were certainly taken from another century.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Brought to you by YourGolfTravel.com and the ARMCHAIR GOLF STORE.)

Tiger Is Back on the Job

2009-11-04T21:43:00.010-05:00

Tiger puts in some range time.
(TheGordons/Flickr))

TIGER WOODS WILL TRY to add to his record 16 victories in World Golf Championship events at this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China. Tiger has yet to win the HSBC Champions, elevated to a WGC event for the first time.

Besides Woods, the WGC-HSBC Champions features three of the four 2009 major winners: Y.E. Yang (PGA Championship), Angel Cabrera (Masters) and Stewart Cink (Open Championship). The field also includes 2007 HSBC Champions winner Phil Mickelson and defending champion Sergio Garcia.

TV Coverage Starts Tonight

GOLF CHANNEL will air the WGC-HSBC Champions live at 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday and Thursday and at 10 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday. Coverage will be replayed at 11 a.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. ET on the weekend..

−The Armchair Golfer

Cristie Kerr Graces Cover of VIVmag

2009-11-04T15:28:00.015-05:00

(Sunshine, Sachs & Associates)

LPGA TOUR STAR CRISTIE KERR is featured in the November/December issue of VIVmag.

“Golf is an obvious love of mine, but I have a number of other passions in my life—including fashion—which I know is shared among VIVmag women,” Cristie said in a statement.

“I am honored to be on the cover of VIVmag’s annual ‘Giving Back’ issue because advocating for breast cancer awareness is a cause very close to my heart—an important message that will resonate with their readers who also are committed to wellness and awareness.”

Cristie’s Fashion Statement

I know, I know. This is not where you turn for fashion. Still, since I have it, I’ll run down what Cristie is wearing. It just seems like the right thing to do.

• The classic black cocktail dress is from Prada and Proenza Schouler

• Jewelry is courtesy of Roberto Cavalli and David Yurman

• The watch, her own, is from Audemars Piguet

To read the story, which is titled “Cristie Kerr’s Crusade,” go to vivmag.com/cristiekerr.

−The Armchair Golfer

Q&A: Natalie Gulbis at Pinehurst

2009-11-03T14:59:00.033-05:00

Natalie Gulbis.

NATALIE GULBIS IS ONE of the most recognizable female golfers on the planet. Only 26, Natalie is completing her eighth season on the LPGA Tour. Yes, eight seasons. It’s kind of hard to believe.

Natalie has won one LPGA title and played on three victorious U.S. Solheim Cup teams. She has five top 10 finishes in majors. And, of course, she is a golfer-model, with looks and sex appeal that attract legions of admirers and land her in magazine spreads and on TV programs such as “The Celebrity Apprentice” and her own reality show on the Golf Channel.

What is Natalie like up close? What is it like to talk to her?

I can tell you—at least a little bit—because I stood with her under a canopy on the 10th tee of Pinehurst No. 8 last week.

I was a sponsor’s guest at the finals of the McGladrey Team Championship, a national best-ball amateur tournament. In addition to attending the festivities and VIP activities such as a skills challenge, I had the opportunity to talk to Natalie, Zach Johnson and Chris DiMarco, the three RSM McGladrey tour pros.

I didn’t know exactly when or where I’d have my chat with the three tour players. Although I had prepared some questions and carried a tiny digital voice recorder in my pocket, I knew I better be ready for anything. This would not be sit-downs or in-depth interviews. I was there to take in the experience, including my encounters with Natalie, Zach and Chris.

Natalie was first. I introduced myself and shook her hand. We talked, sometimes whispering, as amateur teams teed off in the three-day competition. She stepped away a couple of times for photographs with the teams, as did Zach, who stood nearby.

Natalie is personable and direct. She is totally at ease and an eager advocate for the women’s game, charities and her sponsors. Although she has fielded thousands of questions, this may be the first time she was asked this opener.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: I have to ask you a couple of questions for my daughters. My 9-year-old wants to know your favorite color.

NATALIE GULBIS: My favorite color is purple.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: My 14-year-old daughter wants to know if you have any pets.

NATALIE GULBIS: I don’t have any pets. I had pets growing up, but now since I turned professional it’s too hard to be on the road and have pets. Stuffed animals is about the extent. My family does, though. My family in Sacramento has a dog and a cat.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What’s it been like for you to be associated with this event and the Special Olympics?

NATALIE GULBIS: It’s been great. It’s been an honor to be associated with RSM McGladrey, to be part of a team. We always consider ourselves to be a team. I’ve learned so much from them. And then with their partnership with the Special Olympics, to be able to be involved in Special Olympics in golf and help them raise money and raise awareness has been a pure joy.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: It looked like you were really having a good time at the auction last night.

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, last night was fun.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Raised a lot of money.

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, 34 grand.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: And your group went for $10,000? (Note: A two-day outing with Natalie for four people was a feature of the Special Olympics golf live auction the night before.)

NATALIE GULBIS: $10,000.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: So, I was looking at your schedule and you’re on your way to Korea after this?

NATALIE GULBIS: Actually, I pulled out of Korea. I would have normally went to Korea tonight and played Japan next week.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: I was thinking, “Wow, what a schedule.”

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, that was a little bit too much. You get over there and you lose a day.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How’s your back? (Note: Natalie has had back problems for at least two years.)

NATALIE GULBIS: Good. Very good, thank you.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Are you doing some new strength work?

NATALIE GULBIS: Different. I changed my work. I used to do much more overall strength and now I just do core strength.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Your back has been good all year?

NATALIE GULBIS: At times, yes.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Backs are tough in golf, aren’t they?

NATALIE GULBIS: They are.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: How’s your game and what are you working on?

NATALIE GULBIS: Right now I am working and spending a lot of time on my short game. I’ve been striking the ball well, I’ve been putting well, but missed a lot of opportunities for up and downs when I’ve missed greens so I’ve been working on my short game a lot.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Tough year in golf for all tours. What’s it been like to see events like the Corning Classic go away?

NATALIE GULBIS: Middle of the year it was really scary. We had 10 events up for renewal and we didn’t know how many of those we were going to re-sign. But we’ve had some pretty good momentum here in the last couple of months and we got the preview of our schedule for 2010 and it looks like we’re only going to lose two tournaments. That was big.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Have you gotten used to playing without Annika [Sorenstam] out there or does it still feel sort of strange?

NATALIE GULBIS: It definitely does when she’s the past champion of a tournament and she’s not there to defend. You just miss seeing her on leaderboards, seeing her on the putting green. She was one of my best friends on tour. We used to rent a house every year at the British Open. You see her name on past champions at most of our tournaments. To think that she’s not in the field any more is sad.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: Have you seen the baby [Annika’s first child born in September]?

NATALIE GULBIS: No, just pictures. I hope to meet her in January. I’ll probably go down to Florida to see her.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: What is your best advice for the amateur golfer?

NATALIE GULBIS: Spend as much time on the short game as they can. That’s usually the ultimate goal, to shoot lower scores. You can’t do that without working on your short game.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Chris DiMarco and the Corporate Outing

(Photos: RSM McGladrey)

Weary of Golf, God Rains Out Viking Classic

2009-11-02T10:20:00.006-05:00

(AdamXC/Flickr)

“IT HAS BEEN A LONG SEASON,” God said in a statement about the rainy conditions that led to the cancellation of the 2009 Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi. “I thought the PGA Tour players could use an extra week’s rest.”

The last PGA Tour event to be canceled was 13 years ago. Does this mean God is not a fan of the Fall Series?

“I would discourage anyone from jumping to conclusions about what this means, as people tend to do. Of course, I’m still omnipresent. That will never change. Let’s just say football and the World Series between the Phillies and Yankees are a heightened focus.”

What about the many players who are on the bubble and depending on the final events to secure their 2010 PGA Tour playing privileges?

“They need not worry,” God said. “I have a plan for all of them. It will all work out in the end.”

−The Armchair Golfer

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

ARMCHAIR GOLF Briefs

2009-11-01T21:20:00.014-05:00

(Josh V-R/Flickr)

Assorted news items sent to ARMCHAIR GOLF. Endorsement is not implied. No consideration or compensation was received.

GOLF DESTINATIONS

• PGA Golf Catalunya Resort has confirmed its position as one of the finest golf estates on the Continent after being ranked in the Top 10 of Golf World magazine’s Top 100 European Courses.

• Linna Golf in Finland has taken its place among the best resorts on the Continent after being ranked in Golf World magazine’s new Top 100 Courses in Europe.

• KPMG announced that its seventh annual Golf Business Forum will take place at The Gloria Resort, Turkey, May 12-14, 2010. Leading figures from the golf business world, including Greg Norman, will attend the conference in Belek, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, voted Golf Destination of the Year by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) in 2008.

• Marriott Golf announced that Shadow Ridge Golf Club in Palm Desert, Calif., was recognized as one of the Top 50 Resort Golf Facilities in the United States, according to Golf World magazine’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards.

GOLF EVENTS

• On Monday, Oct. 26, special displays recounting the historic paths each of the 2009 Inductees took to the World Golf Hall of Fame opened to the public. The opening was one week prior to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Christy O’Connor, José María Olazábal and Lanny Wadkins becoming official members of the Hall of Fame at the annual Induction Ceremony, set for Monday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. (airs on Golf Channel at 10 p.m. ET).

• Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy (Hank Haney IJGA) announced BMW Southern Region as the presenting sponsor of the Hank Haney Invitational to be held November 13th-15th at Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

GOLF ENTERTAINMENT

• The Golf Poet (golfpoet.com) writes about the connection between golf and poetry and has been featured at the Boston Globe.

• Skill Technology, an independent game studio in Chicago, has launched their first online game, Gimme Golf (gimmegolf.com), offering players the opportunity to compete in real cash tournaments.

GOLF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

• A men’s outerwear collection, led by the new Ultimate Jacket V2, highlight the new 2010 Sunice® Outerwear Collection, which showcases golfwear that combines science and fashion-forward style.

• Updated from years past, a Golf Privilege Card (golflungcard.org) membership provides golfers savings on rounds of golf at courses throughout the country, the convenience of scheduling tee times online and a $250.00 PGA Tour Experiences Gift Card to the TOUR Academies located at some of the top resorts in the country. The purchase of a membership directly benefits the American Lung Association in your local community.

• Arik Nordby is a bad golfer, good drinker and creator of BogeyPro® (bogeypro.com), the brand for the average-to-bad golfer, including humorous products and gifts.

• TurfNet.com, an online community for golf course superintendents, has teamed with Endavo Media, an Atlanta-based Internet TV platform provider, to add the latest online video features to its site.

• In conjunction with the debut of adidas Golf’s revolutionary new TOUR360 4.0 golf shoe, PrideSports, maker of Softspikes® cleats, has announced that the Company’s proprietary new THiNTech cleat design will be used as original equipment in the new shoe line.

−The Armchair Golfer

Golf Shots: Urban Golf in Chicago

2009-10-31T19:58:00.025-04:00

(Photos courtesy of The Skillet Lickers/Flickr)

Urban golf is a game derived from the original game of golf,
in which individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole
or at a specified target using various clubs.
—Wikipedia

Playing it way back in the stance.

Someone call Hank Haney.

An urban golf caddie?

The dumpster recovery, one of the toughest shots
in urban golf.

Must be happy with his score.

−The Armchair Golfer

Halloween Edition: Golf’s Spookiest Shots

2009-10-30T13:06:00.011-04:00

TOMORROW IS HALLOWEEN. But if you’re a golfer—especially a tour pro who plays the game for a living—it’s Halloween every day you tee it up. Because ghosts, goblins, haunted houses and Freddy Krueger are kid stuff compared to golf. Golf is sheer terror, a gruesome monster that will eat you alive.

Following are some of golf’s spookiest shots. (Note: The spookiness factor is on a scale of 1 to 10.)

The opening tee shot
Butterflies are common on the first tee, even for tour pros. That’s why you see hooks, blocks and all manner of tee shots until the jitters wear off. (If they do.)
Spookiness factor: 7
(9 if it’s the Ryder Cup)

OB right
Right-handed golfers who play a natural draw can somehow hit a push-fade when there are OB stakes down the right-hand side of the fairway. (Thanks to Shane Bacon for this one.)
Spookiness factor: 7

Any shot over water
This one always amazes me. I think, “They’re pros. No problem.” Then splash. This year I saw a journeyman dump a wedge shot in the drink while leading the Memorial. And it happens every year at the Masters. Someone hits it in the water when you least expect it.
Spookiness factor: 7
(10 if you’re leading in the final round of the Masters)

The three-footer
I have a theory: The more you hate three-footers, the more three-footers you’ll have. Actually, it’s probably a law. Careers are made or destroyed by the short putt. Sam Snead. Doug Sanders. Scott Hoch.
Spookiness factor: 8
(10 if it’s to win your first major)

The shank
“I think he shanked it.” You don’t want Johnny Miller saying that on TV after you hit a 4-iron from a perfect lie in the middle of the fairway. Once it happens, it’s in the back of your mind on every shot the rest of the way. Even on putts.
Spookiness factor: 10

BONUS: AN EVENT

Q-School
Is there anything scarier than playing for your golf life?
Spookiness factor: 10

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: jontimarsh/Flickr)