Here are some thoughts on the tournament:

David Duval: Duval finished last year tied for runner-up with JB Holmes (one stroke behind winner Dustin Johnson) stirring up fan memories of his past playing abilities that led him to win the 2001 British Open. It would be great to see Davie back in form for the start of the 2011 season.

John Daly: John Daly is in the field this week (paired with Dallas Cowboy’s Tony Romo). Daly, struggling with his game, losing his tour card, and seeing his earnings shrink, will be toting a new golf bag that looks like something straight out Caddyshack. The bag sports a loud red pattern that matches the trousers he wears on the golf course and has a built-in flat screen television that will run ads – another needed money maker for Daly. All it’s lacking is the beer tap and clubs that shoot out of the bag.

Michael Bolton: India’s Arjun Atwal will be playing alongside singer Michael Bolton. Wednesday’s 3M Celebrity Challenge brought inspiration to everyone, but it was actor-comedian Anthony Anderson who felt Bolton’s presence the most. Anderson burst into song Wednesday (suddenly and loudly) on the 18th green – his timing seemed suspicious. “When a maaa-an loves a woo-man …” Anderson bellowed semi-melodically as Michael Bolton stood over a 5-foot putt worth $19,000 in charity money. Bolton stepped away from his ball with a cocked eyebrow, waited for the laughter to subside, then refocused and rolled the putt into the cup to win the biggest chunk of the cash in the match.

For the easy-listening fans out there, musician Kenny G is paired with South Korean K.J. Choi. G won the 2001 pro-am with Phil Mickelson in 2001.

Cell Phones: Cell phones will be allowed for the first time in years, provided they are put on silent and users aren’t yapping near the ropes or taking pictures, two big no-no’s (photos are allowed during practice rounds). A public service video from tournament chair Clint Eastwood will remind arriving fans of the new rule as they board shuttle. Paring sheets this year they are available as an app at the Android Market, iPhone App Store, or iTunes.

Business as Usual: As usual, Tiger Woods will skip the Pro-Am as he has done since 2002, playing this week in the Dubai Desert Classic (who wouldn’t choose 135 degree heat over the cool breezes of the California coast?)

Keith

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It’s Pebble Beach Time!

Singh had received sponsorships and fees through his management company (IMG) from Stanford, while Toms earned over $900,000 in profits from a fraudulent certificate of deposit scheme based out of Antigua.

Singh, with strong ties to Stanford, made headlines last June for continuing to wear the Stanford logo shirt for free and offering to pay the $500,000 bond for Stanford’s release from jail (Singh’s payment was refused due to not being a US citizen).

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Ponzi Scheme Hits the PGA

Al Czervik: Are you kiddin’? When I was your age, I would lug fifty pounds of ice up five, six flights of stairs!

Tony D’Annunzio: So what?

Al Czervik: So what?  [opens compartment in golf bag, revealing radio] So let’s dance!  [turns on Journey's "Any Way You Want It," ]

– Caddyshack 1980

I have personally witnessed a former co-worker of mine hit himself in the nose with ball twice in the same round. I laughed when a non-golfing friend showed up to a bachelor party golf outing with woods actually made of wood – then cried when he shot a 92. I’ve snuck onto a course in the middle of the night and played a round of drunk tiki-torch golf, only to realize that one in our group had passed out on the 6^th fairway- we realized he was missing after we finished hole 13. I can’t play a round without asking the ball “why he didn’t like his home?” My buddies still bring up my shot that broke the cart hub cap into a million pieces, the time my cart rolled into the lake, or that time the club flew out of my hands on the driving range and I saw in slow motion people dropping to the ground one by one in downtown Miami-style fashion as a five iron flew over their heads.

I have also been witness to an elderly gentleman suffering a heart attack on the second green of his neighborhood county club – a stone plaque now stands to remind everyone of his love of the game and that he left this world doing what he loved.

This is golf.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a scratch golfer with your name on a trophy in your home course clubhouse, or that twice a year player that can impress a military sniper and take out a person 300 yards on the parallel fairway, golf lives in every player. For some it’s the desire to improve their game, for others the simple joy of dreaming about teeing up at Torrey Pines with Phil while commuting to work each morning. Either way, our moments on the course (alone or with friends) keep the game of golf alive. Knocking out a winning score is great, but laughing over beers and reminiscing about the time three years ago you lost your footing shooting from a hazard and rolled down an embankment Chris Farley style is pure golf (how I wish this wasn’t based off actual events).

You can always brag about your lowest round or that almost hole-in-one that broke your heart, but when everything comes full circle, it’s the fun and embarrassments that you experience on the course that keeps your love of golf endeavoring on. No matter how good or bad you shoot during a round, it never gets old to ask your friend if he wants anything from the cart girl as he’s going to the bathroom in the woods off the fairway.

Keith

Post from: Golf Nation

This is Golf

Since the weather has been gorgeous the last few days, I decided to go hit some golf balls. And since I was going, I might was well take a few new clubs with me and review them for the readers. Since this is my first review, I feel that I should give you a few details about my skill level.

I am not a pro. I’m not even on the same planet as Tiger, Phil and the gang. I’m not even a super-low handicapper. I’m just your every -day average Joe Golfer. More than likely, my skill level matches yours. As such, that’s how I will approach my review. I’m not going to use a lot of technical jargon or golf specific terms. I’ll just give an honest review that the average golfer can use to help in deciding which equipment to buy.

With that said, the two clubs I decided to review are the Taylor Made R9 (with FCT technology) and the Nike SQ Dymo (with Str8-Fit technology). The advantage that these two clubs offer over other clubs is the ability to change the weighting of the club and club face and angle to alter your shot. I’ll get into each specific technology in a moment.

The Numbers

First, I needed to set up a point of reference for how the two clubs changed my shot, so I hit a few balls with my current driver to determine how I strike the ball. Currently, I hit a Callaway X460 driver with an 11 degree loft. Here’s the breakdown of my shots with the Callaway, as a reference:

• 10% – Straight
• 60% – Slight fade
• 30% – Ugly slice
• Average Distance – 225 yards
   

After making the necessary adjustments to the R9 and the Dymo, here’s the breakdown for those clubs:

Taylor Made

• 15% – Straight
• 65% – Slight fade
• 20% – Ugly slice
• Average Distance – 235 yards
   

Nike

• 30% – Straight
• 60% – Slight fade
• 10% – Ugly slice
• Average Distance – 245 yards
   

While neither club totally eradicated my slice, the Nike club did a better job of turning the slice and the fade into very playable balls. It also increased my yardage by a good bit, probably because I hit more balls straighter. The Taylor Made, while helping with the slice, didn’t do enough to make the balls I hit playable. If I still can’t land in the fairway, what good is the club to me?
Advantage: Nike

The Technology

The Taylor Made R9 comes with Flight Control Technology. What is that you ask? Basically, it’s a technology that allows you to adjust the loft, lie and face angle of the club. The club comes with a small tool that can be used to adjust the club head and weights in the back of the head. All of this is done so that you can keep your swing ugly (like mine) but get better results. The tool that came with the R9 was small and pretty easy to use. I was able to adjust the club pretty easily between swings. And as the results above show, I was able to improve my accuracy.

The Nike SQ Dymo comes with Str8-Fit technology. Str8 Fit allows you to move the club head around to open or close the club face. Similar to the R9, the Nike technology gives the golfer the ability to improve accuracy by tweaking the club to compensate for your natural swing. The club comes with a wrench to loosen and tighten the club head for adjustment. The wrench is a little bulky, but it comes with an audio and visual alarm to let you know when the club head is sufficiently tight, so that you don’t damage the shaft or club head by applying too much torque.

After using and adjusting both, I’d have to say that the Nike made life a little easier. The head was easy to remove and adjust. The Taylor Made, while easy to use, required that I adjust the club-head and tinker with the weights to find the right set-up. The Nike club made the switch much simpler. And for me, simple is the key.
Advantage: Nike

The Aesthetics

You want your new driver to look really cool and intimidating in your bag, right? You want the person you are playing against the think that you are about to decimate them. And you need the look of your club to do that.
Both clubs look really nice. The Taylor Made has a classic look with very simple lines. The Nike club is also very streamlined, but unlike the Taylor Made (which has the screws visible in the back and bottom of the club head); it remains clean all the way throughout. The Nike club looks much sleeker without the bulky screws that show on the Taylor Made.
Advantage: Nike

The Miscellaneous

The Nike club has a pretty cool head cover, that I had never seen before. It’s not like normal head covers that have the long, sock-like, tube that you have to pull the club head through. The Nike cover has a small Velcro flap at the top to hold the club head in and a small pincher-like (I have no idea how to describe it) device at the bottom to secure the shaft. This makes it very easy to put the head cover on and off after each shot, which is very important for me, since I don’t like to get my club head dinged up rattling around in my bag.

The head cover also came with a storage compartment for the wrench. While this is convenient, I’d be a little concerned about how the extra weight of the wrench will affect the shaft as it sits in your bag. I’m a little worried about the shaft being warped over time.

The Taylor Made, for whatever reason, seemed a bit easier to swing. I felt like I didn’t have to put quite as much effort into it. The adjustment tool is also nice and compact and fits easily in your bag. The grip that came on the Taylor Made also was more comfortable than that of the Nike.
Advantage: Push

Overall

With the price of these clubs being the same, you can’t really go wrong with either one. You’ll more than likely hit the ball straighter with either club. But, if you want a good value for your money, then my choice is the Nike SQ Dymo with Str8—Fit. I had straighter shots and more distance than I got with my regular driver. It was easier to adjust and Nike takes care of the little things that are important to a golfer such as me. Plus, it just looks like a bad ass club.

For my money, the Nike SQ Dymo with Str8-Fit is the way to go. Now if I can only convince my wife that I need to buy one…

[Editor Note: Here is a promo video from Nike that shows a bit more about the technology behind the club]

Post from: Golf Nation

Review: Nike SQ Dymo vs. TaylorMade R9

The IOC is listening to proposals from all 7 sports and will select 2 sports in August that will join the 26 current summer Olympic events.  Golf is believed t to be the unofficial front-runner among the 7, due to its wide appeal and international presence.

The IGF’s presentation will call for a 72-hole stroke play tournament for men and women.  There will be a 60 player field and three hole play-offs will determine the medal winners.

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Golf in the Olympics

One has to question why we need a full 18-hole play-off.  Last years battle between Tiger Woods and Rocco Meidate, while fantastic, is a rare occurrence.  The extra day also puts a drain on the USGA’s finances.  With the extra day, the USGA spent extra money on:

- Another day of buses: $120,000 ($45,000 for smaller buses)

- Security: $30,000

- Parking: $60,000

- Lunches and travel costs (no amount given)

Overall, the costs added up to just over a half a million dollars.

It would seem to me that with that much money being shelled out and the rarity of match-ups like last years, the US Open would follow suit with the other majors and go with a sudden death play-off.

And I’d be all for it.

What do you think?  Should the US Open keep the 18-hole format or move to sudden death?

Post from: Golf Nation

US Open will keep 18-hole play-off format

At a charity event shortly after his caddy left, Villegas was teamed up with Fred Couples.  Since Couples will not be at Bethpage, he offered up the services of his caddy, Joe LaCava, who is considered one of the best in the business.  LaCava also works with Davis Love III.  He’ll work the St Jude Invitational and the US Open with Villegas.

When asked why he parted with Matthews, Villegas stated the Matthews wanted to start a family and work a little less.

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Villegas scores top caddy for the US Open

I thinks its pretty cool that they did a ton of research around the swings and skills of the average golfer and built a ball around that.  The article mentions that often, golf balls are designed for tour level players and then later brought to market, presumably without much thought about the regular golfer.  It’s nice to see the Bridgestone is taking the opposite approach and focusing on golfers like me.

Maybe I’ll buy a few boxes and test them out.

Post from: Golf Nation

New Bridgestone golf balls

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on its website today that the Open will make its ninth trip to Oakmont.  The Open has played in Oakmont in 1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1994 and most recently 2007.  The USGA is expected to make an official announcement later this month.

Post from: Golf Nation

US Open to return to Oakmont

“It’s six months as of right now,” Woods said in an interview at the Memorial. “It’s going to be behind schedule. Obviously, the economy has turned over there and they’ve slowed down construction because of it.”

The total project, called “Tiger Woods Dubai”, includes 100 villas, 75 mansions, 22 palaces and a 360,000 square foot luxury hotel.  The course only had 3 holes under construction when the project was halted.

Woods has 2 other courses in the works – one  in North Carolina (The Cliffs at High Carolina) and one in Mexico (Punta Brava).  Both courses are awaiting permits but otherwise are on schedule.  The North Carolina course is expected to open in the middle of 2010 and the Mexico course is slated to open in late 2010.

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Tiger’s Dubai course delayed