Golf News, Tips, And Products

New golf rules for 2012 : They make sense

2011-12-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest golf rules changes for next year will be aboutball movement. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club announcedruleschanges Oct. 24. One of the most important is about penalizing golfers for the ball moving after it has been addressed.

Addressing the ball refers to golfers taking a stance and are ready to hit the ball. Factors such as wind, terrain and even a rogue squirrel might cause the ball to move just as a golfer is about to hit it. Ealier rules stated a player was penalized a stroke for the ball moving even if the golfer didn't touch it before he struck the shot. This will no longer be the case from next year till 2015.

Tour players Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson have been caught with this rule this year. In Simpson's case, it could have cost him the top money earner spot on the PGA Tour. Had Simpson gained an extra stroke at the Zurich Classic in May, Simpson might have gotten first place instead of second after the playoff. That difference would have been enough to make the top place on the money earner list in 2011.

In some cases, penalizing golfers for a shot won't be necessary. If the ball is moving just as someone goes to hit it, the effect might be detrimental to the stroke. A ball already in motion will alter the trajectory before a club strikes it. A golfer hitting a ball in motion is a penalty in and of itself.

The rules changes are easy but could mean some differences for the future. Allowing a player to smooth over dirt or sand in front of the shot might improve a sight line to the hole. Of course if there is a boulder or rock in your way, smoothing over dirt won't do good. It's almost as if golfers need that rule so they can get into a routine for their golf shot. Baseball players commonly smooth over dirt in the batters box as part of their routine leading up to an at-bat. Smoothing over dirt and sand would be the same way. So all in all, i see no problem with the new changes to the rules and find them simple yet could make a big impact in some situations.

THE KING OF MONEY

2011-12-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- No. 1-ranked Luke Donald made history Sunday in becoming the first golfer to win both the American and European money titles, shooting a 6-under 66 to finish third at the Dubai World Championship and see off his nearest rival Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai.

The 34-year-old Englishman, who won the PGA Tour title earlier this year, had to finish better than ninth or hope McIlroy didn’t win the tournament.

Donald finished third behind winner Alvaro Quiros while McIlroy struggled for much of the week, finishing on a 9 under total of 279 in a tie for 11th in the tournament. That left McIlroy more than $1 million behind Donald in the money race.

Donald pocketed $7,123,770 in official European Tour winnings in 2011, along with $6,683,214 on the PGA Tour, for a total of $13,806,984.

“It’s something that I didn’t think was possible,” Donald said. “I played extremely solid, consistent golf all year winning four times and playing right at the right moments. I think it is testament to my hard work and it’s nice to see it paying off.”

Donald started slowly in Dubai, possibly still showing signs of rust after spending five weeks away from the game for the funeral of his father and birth of his second daughter. In his first tournament back, last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, Donald finished 10 shots off the pace in a tie for seventh.

Donald finished the first day at the Dubai tournament in 26th place, after carding three bogeys on the back nine. But starting with the second round on Friday, he climbed up the leaderboard. He strung together three birdies in a row on the second day to reach 12th as his short game improved. Then, he had two stellar rounds of 6-under 66 to challenge for the lead.

“What a three-way finish there and an exciting way for the tournament to end,” Donald said. “I had so many mixed emotions but just tried to finish strong and three birdies was a nice way to finish the year.”

The No. 2-ranked McIlroy had all but conceded the Race to Dubai money title Saturday, after finishing with a 1-under 71. That left the Northern Irishman in a tie for eighth and six shots behind eventual winner Alvaro Quiros of Spain.

He said on Friday that he has been suffering fatigue for the past several weeks from the lingering effects of dengue fever, which he believes he picked up a few weeks earlier in either South Korea or China.

“I just couldn’t get anything going when I needed to,” McIlroy said. “I think that I played a nine-hole stretch on Friday night and Saturday morning in 5-over par … If I had played them on even par, I would have been in a great position going into today. I think that is really where the tournament got away from me.”

Tigers back?

2011-12-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

Earl Woods could blow smoke with the best of them, yet it was always entertaining.

Such was the case years ago when he was raving about how Tiger Woods thoroughly enjoyed the biggest stage in golf, because his son knew he could perform under pressure. But if that were true, how did Woods hack the final round of the Quad City Classic when he had a chance to win in his third start as a pro??

"It took me a while to figure out why he didn't win," Earl Woods said in a 2003 interview. "Then it dawned on me and I told my wife, `Tiger is going to win in Las Vegas.' Because in his subconscious mind, he did not want to win his first tournament in some ... place like Quad Cities."

Woods ended the longest drought of his career -- 26 tournaments without a win over 749 days -- at the Chevron World Challenge, and whether that was the ideal place for him to finally pose with a trophy again depends on the perspective.

In one respect, he came full circle at Sherwood Country Club.

This was the first tournament that Woods skipped in the immediate aftermath of Thanksgiving night 2009, when his personal life imploded. And it was at this tournament last year when he blew a four-shot lead and lost to Graeme McDowell in a playoff, a sign that something wasn't quite right with his game.

On Sunday, he looked like the Woods of old by making clutch birdie putts on the last two holes to beat Zach Johnson, who played bogey-free on the back nine.

Then again, Johnson was one of only 17 players Woods had to beat at Sherwood.

Even though the Chevron World Challenge had 11 of the top 25 players in the world ranking -- the most of any tournament in the world last week -- some of the easiest events to win have the smallest fields. And the field shrinks even more when free money is being offered ($140,000 for last place). It also could be argued that some players had one eye on the holiday season. For 12 of the 18 players at Sherwood, that was their last tournament of the year.

Some will never be satisfied, though.

Woods could win his first tournament of 2012 in Abu Dhabi, and skeptics won't think it matters until he wins on the PGA Tour (Europe has more top players, though the depth is lacking). He could win at Pebble Beach, and some will say the only measure is the majors.

Here's how to gauge Sunday: It was a significant win because it was significant to Woods.

He said in August that his left leg feels as strong as it has in years, and that much should be believed. "If the man is healthy, that's paramount," Johnson said.

Woods said he has been working hard on his new swing over the last three months, and that much was evident based on the quality of shots he hit at the Australian Open, at the Presidents Cup and at the Chevron World Challenge.

What he needs is confidence, and making two key putts with a tournament on the line is only going to help.

Steve Stricker played with Woods in the opening round at Sherwood a year ago when Woods opened with a 65. He was with him for the first round this year when Woods shot 69 in gusting conditions.

"Last year I played with him here in the first round and I thought, `Wow, this guy is back,'" Steve Stricker said. "But you could tell this time around, he's got even more confidence and more game. He feels even better about the direction he's headed."

We'll have to wait a few months to see exactly where it's headed.

Woods said he worked so hard after missing the cut in the PGA Championship that despite winning so late in the year, he was looking forward to a break. He will not compete again for nearly two months -- until starting his 2012 season in Abu Dhabi against a world-class field, with Martin Kaymer as the defending champion.

"This tournament would be a good win for him," Stricker said as Woods was locked in a duel with Johnson on the back nine. "It's not against a full field or anything like that, but there are good players here. This would be a great stepping stone for him."

Even when it was considered part of the silly season, this tournament has a history of leading to better things for the winner.

Tom Lehman won in 1999, and then captured the Phoenix Open the next year to end a four-year winless stretch on the PGA Tour. Davis Love III won in 2000 and two months later won at Pebble Beach for his first tour victory in nearly three years. Luke Donald won in 2005, and the next year won the Honda Classic for his first tour win in four years. It even worked for Woods at the end of 2004, which at the time was his worst year on tour. The following season, he won two majors.

In the most recent example, and the one Woods cited on the 18th green, Jim Furyk won at Sherwood in 2009. The following year, Furyk had a career-high three wins on tour and captured the FedExCup.

If there is a rush to declare that Woods is back -- or at the very least, on his way -- it's because fans have been clamoring for him to show signs of life.

One win is not enough, even if it had been against a full field. And while the finish was vintage Woods, it looked as though he had to work much harder to give himself a chance at the end. How much Woods gains from this win will not be determined for several months. But he got something out of it, for sure.