Aussie Golfer: The Australian Golf Blog

McDowell penalised for moving his golf ball

2012-05-28T08:00:00.000+10:00

Careful where you step when walking towards your golf ball.

We highlighted a couple of week's ago (with tongue firmly in check) how golf is much easier on the professional tour thanks to grandstands you can use to guide your ball around the golf course.

Conversely, golf is becoming more difficult for professional golfers on the big tours thanks to TV coverage. It seems like every month there is a rules infringement that was ultimately decided after a review of the TV footage, and this month, it's Graeme McDowell's turn.

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Top 10 recovery shots on PGA Tour: video

2012-05-25T08:00:00.000+10:00

The latest in the long line of the PGA Tour Top-10 video series features the best recovery shots of all time.

Check them out, and have a go at a few of them next weekend.

Can you use clubs for alignment during a round of golf?

2012-05-24T15:14:00.000+10:00

A little rules reminder today on about alignment aids during a round of golf.

It concerns the act of aligning yourself with golf clubs during a round of golf. I'm guessing that most golfers were guess that aligning yourself with foreign objects (e.g. sticks, swing guides) are probably illegal during the course of as round, but what about with your own golf clubs? Can you place them on the ground before you swing to line yourself up towards your intended line?

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Rating Australia's Top 9 golf courses

2012-05-22T10:30:00.000+10:00

Australian golf writer rates his best Australian golf courses.

Australian golf writer Ben Everill recently listed his Top 9 Australian golf courses for the new Back 9 Network website. These sorts of lists are usually wrought with controversy but by and large, this list by Everill seems to have everyone in agreement (Geoff Shackleford aside).

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Flanagan takes bounce off cameraman to win on Nationwide Tour

2012-05-21T17:14:00.000+10:00

Why professional golf is easier than amateur golf.

While the drought continues on the US PGA Tour for Australians, Nick Flanagan won the Nationwide Tour tournament this week in dramatic fashion.

Flanagan eventually beat fellow Australian Cameron Percy in a three hole playoff but Percy can consider himself very unlucky not to have won the tournament in regulation.

Nick Flanagan needed to birdie the final hole to force a playoff but his approach shot sailed the green. It bounced off a TV cameraman's chest and bounced back onto the green for a birdie attempt. Flanagan made the birdie putt and then beat Percy in three playoff holes.

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Mickelson plays a Mickelson-like shot, and we're not surprised

2012-05-21T08:01:00.000+10:00

It is never really surprising when you see Phil Mickelson play a golf shot that is nothing short of extraordinary.

Here Phil Mickelson plays a hybrid from just under 100 metres around a tree and on to the green, during the second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. No prizes for guessing if he makes the birdie putt or not. The to-and-fro between the commentators adds a nice little touch to it all. who could possibly bet against Mickelson pulling off any sort of golf shot?

While this shot is not as astounding as the incredible flop shot he played during the 2012 US Masters, it is still a nice way to start the week.

Young Aussie golf champion to return to Australia

2012-05-20T21:53:00.000+10:00

Jake Stirling chats to Aussie Golfer about his victory in his final American collegiate golf tournament.

Jake Stirling could be a name to remember in Australian golf. The 22-year-old from Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne won his final American collegiate golf tournament last Friday. Aussie Golfer managed to get in touch with Stirling before he flies back to Australia to talk about the victory and his future plans.

Representing Meridian Community College in Mississippi, Stirling won the individual title at the 2012 NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship in Kansas. In his final collegiate event, Stirling managed to take the lead with two holes to play of the four round tournament, and held on with a couple of clutch pars over the final two holes to claim victory in some extremely tough conditions.

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Australian golfer wins American Junior College Golf Championship

2012-05-20T10:00:00.000+10:00

Young Melbourne golfer wins junior college golf championship.

Update: Contrary to early reports, Jake Stirling is the second Australian to win the individual medal at the NJCAA Div I Men's Golf Championship.

Australian golfer Jake Stirling has become the second Australian to win the individual medal at the 2012 NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.

Stirling, 22, is a member of Victoria Golf Club and has spent several years at Meridian Community College in Mississippi. He claimed the individual title at the prestigious championship by taking the lead and then making crucial pars on his final two holes to edge out his nearest rival by just one shot.

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An update on Mr55, Rhein Gibson

2012-05-18T17:12:00.000+10:00

Aussie golfer shoots 55, and here is how it all happened.

Australian golfer Rhein Gibson looks to have shot the best round of golf ever. His 16-under-par 55 at a golf course in Oklahoma is making headlines around the world, but if you feel like knowing more about it one of his playing partners has written down the whole story.

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Aussie golfer shoots lowest golf round ever

2012-05-18T14:29:00.000+10:00

This is what a round of 16-under looks like.

If you haven't heard already, a young and relatively unknown Australian golfer has just set a world record for the lowest golf score in history.

Ben Everill reports that Rhein Gibson from Lismore in New South Wales shot a 16-under-par 55 at his current home club in Oklahoma. The score will soon be added to the Guinness Book of World Records as the lowest golf score ever, beating the previous best of 15-under on a par 70 golf course.

Gibson reportedly almost quit his round after the first hole because of the wet conditions but went on to record just 19 putts in his record breaking round of golf.

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Bubba Watson's Masters 'divot' sold for $49.99 on eBay

2012-05-18T08:24:00.000+10:00

Supposedly Bubba Watson's miracle shot divot went up for auction on eBay and the story behind it is hilarious.

From the department of "there is no way this is for real" comes this golf fan trying to sell a pile of straw on eBay. He (or she) is claiming it is the pine straw divot from Bubba Watson's miracle shot on the second playoff hole of this year's US Masters.

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Callaway adds a touch of colour

2012-05-17T17:14:00.001+10:00

Callaway has gone colourful for their latest equipment launch.

It is all about colour for Callaway right now. They've released a cool video highlighting their Colour Your Game collection which means you can now colour your golf bag, Callaway golf clubs and clothing with Blue, Orange, Green and Yellow colour into a premium range of equipment and apparel.

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Bill Clinton talks golf and other stuff on the Feherty show

2012-05-17T07:58:00.000+10:00

Former US President Bill Clinton is interviewed on the Feherty show.

We don't get the Golf Channel in Australia, so it means we miss the David Feherty show which sees the him interview famous golfers or famous people who love the game.

In a recent episode he interviewed former US President Bill Clinton which was teed up courtesy of their mutual friend, Greg Norman. It is a tease really without being able to watch the whole thing, but I thought the trailer for the episode was worth watching in itself. There are a whole load of off-cuts from the interview on the website if you're keen to hear more.

Kevin Na, slow play and heckling

2012-05-15T17:39:00.004+10:00

Kevin Na is fighting the slow-play demons, but should we feel sorry for him and does it justify the heckling?

The weekend's golf from the PGA Tour offered up a few interesting stories. Matt Kuchar's victory at The PLAYERS Championship was obviously a talking point, but almost overshadowing his win was the discussion about the slow-play from Kevin Na, and the associated on-course heckling he received.

You may recall Kevin Na as being that guy who recorded a 16 on one hole last year, but he is also known as one of the slowest golfers on the PGA Tour. His waggles and wiggles over the golf ball is painful to watch and I can only imagine how much it must hurt to play alongside him for a full round.

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Is golf a sport? And what if it isn't?

2012-05-15T07:47:00.000+10:00

The question of golf being a legitimate sport leaves me cold, but what exactly would happen if it were deemed not to be?

My latest column at Inside Golf looks at a topic often debated among non-golfers: "Is golf a sport?". I take a look at what some of the implications would be golf were to suddenly be relegated to nothing more than just a game.

"John Daly, Craig Parry, Duffy Waldorf and countless numbers of large boned amateur golfers would breathe a sigh of relief if golf was announced as no longer a sport. These guys could no longer be used in arguments by those who question the athleticism of the game, and they could just get on with it without the fear of being mistaken for a sportsperson."

Inside Golf has now gone completely digital and can now be read on the iPad or iPhone for $0.99 an issue or $5.49 for a yearly subscription.

So if you want to read the whole article check out Inside Golf through iTunes, or if you're short of a buck, pick up the latest hard copy of Inside Golf for free at your local golf course or golf shop.

Yap wins big with a pair of aces

2012-05-14T07:58:00.000+10:00

Young golfer aces brand new golf holes in the aces of nine days.

Sydney's Bonnie Doon Golf Club has recently received a makeover courtesy of the Geoff Ogilvy and Mike Clayton course design team. Since May 1st, six brand new holes have opened including two new par-3's, and 18-year-old Noa Yap already has holes-in-one on two of them.

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An American's perspective on golf in Australia

2012-05-09T14:16:00.000+10:00

We have a lot to be thankful for, as American Geoff Shackleford outlines the differences between golf in the USA and Australia.

Check out this article by American golf writer Geoff Shackleford. Written for Golf Digest, it outlines a few of his thoughts on the differences between playing golf in the US and in Australia.

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Video: World Golf Hall of Fame inductee speeches

2012-05-09T11:02:00.001+10:00

Acceptance speeches by the inductees to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Yesterday we mentioned that Dan Jenkins, Sandy Lyle, Hollis Stacy, Peter Alliss, and Phil Mickelson were all inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida. Highlights from the acceptance speeches are below. Make sure you watch to Peter Alliss' speech, absolute gold. It endorsed in a tweet by Steve Elkington.

The Lengend Peter Alliss was inducted into the HOF..... What an incredible Speech!...a must see ... Somebody put it up....

— Steve Elkington (@elkpga) May 8, 2012

Mickelson inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame

2012-05-08T16:05:00.000+10:00

The World Golf Hall of Fame made a few more inductions last night and there were some recollections and comments made that are worth sharing.

Golfers Phil Mickelson, Sandy Lyle and Hollis Stacy were inducted to the World golf Hall of Fame last night. Phil Mickelson seems to be getting funnier and funnier and thanked the fans with this in his acceptance speech:

"I want to thank the fans. This has been a fun run because of them. I've tried to reciprocate by launching drive after drive at them."

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Rickie Fowler wins first PGA tour event: video highlights

2012-05-07T15:53:00.002+10:00

Orange loving fashionistas rejoice as Rickie Fowler wins a three-way playoff to record his first PGA Tour victory.

There were some who wondered if Rickie Fowler had what it takes to win a PGA Tour event, while others just wondered when. Today was a win for those who like to wear orange*, when Rickie Fowler beat Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points^ to win the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

It was an impressive finish which saw Fowler stick his approach shot to 4-feet and make the birdie at the first playoff hole. Do we have a new young rivalry, namely McIlroy v Fowler? Quite possibly. with this sort of form, I'd expect them to be facing off against each at some point during the Ryder Cup later this year.

* Orange is the school colours of his former college, Oklahoma State University. There had to be a reason, why else would you wear those colours from top to bottom? The Dutch excluded.

^ DA stands for Darren Andrew.

McIlroy's golf swing as a three-year-old: video

2012-05-07T07:58:00.000+10:00

Even at the age of three, Rory McIlroy had a swing better than yours.

Rory McIlroy has released some home video of himself as a three-year-old, practising his golf swing in his mother's lounge room.

It is remarkable for a few reasons. He obviously had talent, as his swing is so smooth it's hard to believe he is only three years old in this video. Secondly, his parents must have had a lot of faith in his ability, because despite the swing control, I would still be a little worried about that back swing getting caught up in the TV set.

If you haven't checked out the very bold website that it RoryMcIlroy.com, go check it out now.

Frances Bondad ties for second in the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open

2012-05-07T00:00:00.000+10:00

Australian Frances Bondad finished runner-up at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open presented by EventScotland on a glorious final day at Archerfield Links in East Lothian.

Frances Bondad

The New South Wales player fired a final round of 67 to end just one shot behind Scottish teenager Carly Booth, 19, who earned her maiden win on the Ladies European Tour. A winner on the Ladies European Tour late last year at the Sanya Ladies Open in China, Bondad had a flawless final round containing five birdies at the first, fifth, sixth, eighth and 12^th holes.

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2013 US Masters tickets: Apply now

2012-05-04T15:27:00.000+10:00

Online application for 2013 US Masters tickets now open.

Fancy some tickets to the 2012 US Masters? The official online application process for tickets to both the practice and tournament days is now open.

The US Masters switched from the paper form to the online ticket application process a few years ago. Tickets are drawn at random from all applications and you'll get an answer via email (successful or otherwise) later in the year. Basically, it's a lottery but if you don't apply, I can guarantee you won't get tickets.

Head on over to Masters.com to sign up and select which tickets you'd prefer, they're remarkably cheap for such a tournament. Wouldn't it be something to be there when an Aussie wins next year?!

On what makes a good golf course

2012-05-03T08:30:00.000+10:00

Some fascinating discussion on when golf course designers get it right, and wrong.

I don't pretend to be an expert on course design but in the process of managing Aussie Golfer I've begun to get more and more interested in the nuances of course design, purely by listening and reading to what the best in the business have to say.

There is a big debate going on right now that encompasses the attempts by golf courses to deal with the long distances the golf ball travels, and a desire to keep golf fun and interesting. It has lead to some very interesting discussion about what makes a good golf hole and routinely dispels the myth that the length of a golf course defines its status and interest.

For the average golfer, (and by that I just mean golfers only concerned with their own golf game) some knowledge of course design can be beneficial to your golf game. You may have heard some professional golfers talking about "playing the course backwards", in order to come up with a strategy. This is very much tied in with what a (good) course designer was thinking when the golf holes were first conceived.

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Tiger Woods answers fan questions

2012-05-01T11:33:00.002+10:00

Team Tiger records a video answering fan questions.

Tiger Woods Corporation are working hard on improving the image of Tiger Woods. Tiger throws out the odd comment on Twitter but he's often as elusive to his fans as he is to the media.

Instead of fronting the media this week, Tiger Woods fronted his very own camera to record 14 minutes of answers to fan questions which you can view at TigerWoods.com.

Very few people can pull off this sort of Q&A session in front of a camera but this comes off as a little staged, and safe. The questions are interesting enough, and the answers leave you hanging on the fence of "That's boring" and "Oh, that was interesting".