Brittany Lincicome

18-year-old Jessica Korda earned her 1st career LPGA Tour win at the ISPA Hanada Woman’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne after a dramatic six-player playoff (the six-player playoff was the largest in LPGA Tour history).

The top six players included Jessica Korda, Brittany Lincicome, Stacy Lewis, Julieta Granada, So Yeon Ryu and Hee Kyung Seo.

Golf Fuel Team Member Brittany Lincicome (she uses Golf Fuel mental focus products before and during every round and has our logo on her towel during play), made a strong charge to force the playoff and had an opportunity to win in the first extra hole.

Lincicome’s 6-foot birdie try circled the cup and stayed out. “I couldn’t have hit it any better,” Lincicome said. “It was perfect, perfect speed… Lips out and comes back to you.” With the miss the playoff continued for another hole.

In the second playoff hole Lincicome also narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie. “Same thing on the second putt, hit it exactly where I wanted to hit it and it just didn’t break,” Lincicome said. Moments later Korda sunk a 25-foot birdie putt from the top of the green to earn her the title.

All of us here at Golf Fuel want to take time out to congratulate Brittany and all the LPGA players on taking their game to the next level and striving to be the best on the course. Brittany won two tournaments last year using Golf Fuel products and it looks to be another dominating year for her in 2012 with a second place finish in the first tournament.

Do you want to take your game to the next level?

The Original Post is Located Here: The LPGA started the 2012 season with drama | Brittany Lincicome

Pavin wins Allianz Championship on Champions Tour

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP)—Corey Pavin can’t remember a better par save.

Pavin rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat Peter Senior and win the Allianz Championship at Broken Sound Golf Club. But the shot everyone will remember is the 8-iron Pavin turned around and hit left-handed on the par-3 14th hole when he was tied for the lead with Mark Calcavecchia.

Pavin had no option because there was a tree root to the left of the ball. The chip rolled to 5 feet and Pavin made the crucial putt.

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime shot,” Pavin said. “I can’t think of a better up-and-down I’ve had in my career. It’s not like I practice turning 8-irons over and hit them left-handed. When that happens, you think you’re going to win, but I had to get that thought out of my head.”

Pavin and Senior both shot a final-round 71 to finish tied at 11-under 205. Senior forced the playoff with a birdie on the final hole of regulation, but his birdie try in the playoff stopped an inch short of the cup.

“I putted awful all day,” Senior said. “I was happy to make the last one to get into the playoff, but I don’t think I’ve ever left so many putts short in my life.”

Calcavecchia appeared to be cruising to victory when he birdied the par-5 11th hole to take a three-shot lead over Pavin. But Calcavecchia, who was 5 under for the day at that point, bogeyed six of his last seven holes to finish tied for seventh after a 73.

“I felt pretty good (after No. 11), I’ll tell you that,” Calcavecchia said. “But I three-putted 12, got a bad break at 13 and when I hit it over the green on 15, it pretty much did me in.”

On his unlikely chip, Pavin said he was just hoping to get the ball up the hill near the green, so he could at least make a bogey. Calcavecchia believed he was going to be leading by himself again.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-championstour

Congratulations to Pavin! I want to see more of his game!

The Original Post is Located Here: Pavin wins Allianz Championship

Korda wins Women’s Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Jessica Korda broke out her father’s trademark scissor-kick celebration Sunday when she won the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne for her first LPGA Tour title.

She decided against the cart wheels that her father, Petr, did when he won the 1998 Australian Open tennis title. Maybe she was still dizzy following a topsy-turvy final day of the tournament.

After losing the lead with a late bogey run, the 18-year-old American fought back to take the last spot in an improbable six-player playoff, then won with a 25-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole.

“It is a really special place for my family,” Korda said. “For my first win, I honestly could not have thought of a better place.”

What did her father say when they spoke by phone after the victory?

“That he was, `So proud of me and we’ll talk about the three-putts after,”’ she said.

She closed with a 1-over 74 to finish at 3-under 289 in the first women’s professional event at Royal Melbourne, the difficult sand-belt layout that was the site of the 2011 Presidents Cup.

Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Julieta Granada, So Yeon Ryu and Hee Kyung Seo also were in the playoff that matched the largest in LPGA Tour history.

Ryu and Seo, playing ahead of Korda and Nikki Campbell in the second-to-last group, topped the leaderboard at 4 under going into the final hole of regulation, but made bogeys to set up the big playoff.

Lewis finished with a 70, Lincicome and Granada shot 71, and Ryu and Seo 73.

Split into threesomes on the par-4 18th, all six players parred the first extra hole. Lincicome’s 6-foot birdie try circled the cup and stayed out.

“I couldn’t have hit it any better,” Lincicome said. “It was perfect, perfect speed. … Lips out and comes back to you.”

Playing in the first threesome, Lincicome also narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie try on the second playoff hole.

“Same thing on the second putt, hit it exactly where I wanted to hit it and it just didn’t break,” Lincicome said.

A few minutes later in the second group, Korda made her birdie putt, and won when Granada missed a 12-footer that would have sent the two back to the 18th tee.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-womensaustralianopen

These teens will make American Women competitive again. Congratulations Korda!

The Original Post is Located Here: Korda Wins Australian Open

Wi patiently waits his turn to win

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP)—Charlie Wi is pleasant by nature, so he was not likely to be insulted when someone asked him if it felt like an out-of-body experience to see his name atop the leaderboard through two rounds of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

He escaped most of the rain Friday at Pebble Beach, holed out a wedge for eagle from the 13th fairway and escaped with bogey on his final hole for a 3-under 69 that gave him a three-shot lead over Dustin Johnson.

“It’s my seventh year on the PGA Tour,” Wi said. “I’m doing something good to be here for that long.”

The leaderboard was filled with possibilities going into Saturday, when everyone completes the three-course rotation, and it was easy to overlook the guy at the top—especially because Wi has never won on tour.

Johnson is a two-time Pebble Beach champion in the last three years, and a rare lapse in his short game forced him to settle for a 72 at Spyglass Hill. Another shot behind were a pair of multiple major champions, Vijay Singhand Padraig Harrington. Right behind was Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner at Pebble, a four-time major champion.

And still in the mix: Tiger Woods.

Woods took 33 putts at Monterey Peninsula and had to settle for a 68, leaving him six shots behind.

“I’ve going to have to shoot a low one tomorrow,” Woods said.

Wi and Woods have a history, even if Woods might not remember. They played junior golf together in Southern California in the 1980s, and one tournament stands out for Wi.

“I knew he was a fierce competitor, even when we were younger,” Wi said. “I remember playing with him when I was 13 and he was 9, and we were playing together. There’s a golf course in Long Beach called El Dorado. The ninth hole is a really long par 3. I didn’t know what he did with his tee shot, but I remember he had 70 yards left, and he lipped it out and got so mad.

“I said, `What’s wrong?’ I thought it was a great shot,” Wi said. “He said, `I was trying to hole that.’ I said, `Oh, come on.’ And that always stuck with me—9 years old at El Dorado.”

Did he beat Woods that day?

“He was 9,” Wi said with mock indignation. “Yes. I was outdriving him back then.”

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-pebblebeach

Everybody has their turn and just like the big names in the world of golf, they waited patiently too..

The Original Post is Located Here: Charlie Wi Waits for His Turn to Win Patiently

Jessica Korda leads Australian Open golf

MELBOURNE — American teenager Jessica Korda held a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne on Saturday.

The 18-year-old rookie, daughter of former tennis champion Petr Korda, fired par-73 in windy conditions to lead South Koreans Ryu So-Yeon and Seo Hee-Kyung, and Australian Nikki Campbell heading into Sunday’s final round.

Korda, ranked 285, carded three birdies matched by three bogeys, to vault to the top of the leader board.

“My dad was world number two and I told him I want to beat that,” Korda said of her Czech tennis-playing father, who won the Australian Open tennis crown in 1998.

“I started well but as things started going on and on, I started feeling shaky as the wind gusted towards the end of the day. I finished pretty strong and kept at level par,” she said.

“I saw a couple of leader boards but honestly I was trying to work out everything. The wind was picking up and coming back down. I had to back off a lot of shots.”

Korda said her father played golf but “he caddied for me (on the LPGA Tour) last year and was so sick of golf at the end of it that the only time we got him out was in December once or twice.”

Korda said she was unfazed by leading the tournament at the age of 18.

“It feels like any other day, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, it feels really good but I have one more day left,” she said.

Overnight leader Ryu lost ground with a three-over 76 in a round of three birdies and six bogeys, while compatriot Seo had a 75.

Campbell had the day’s best round of three-under 70, while world number one and defending champion Yani Tseng of Taiwan shot 71 to be two off the pace.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j_Kleh-jn-ILFsfewV0sebrYjuDg?docId=CNG.bfde8ce317beaf7d920ce18fdf5d323f.461

Congratulations to Korda! Keep it up!

The Original Post is Located Here: Golf: American Golfer Leads Australian Open

Golf-South Africa to host Tournament of Hope in 2013

Feb 10 (Reuters) – The inaugural Tournament of Hope, widely proclaimed as the richest single event in golf, will be held in South Africa late next year, the International Federation of PGA Tours said on Friday.

To be played from Nov. 28-Dec. 1, the $8.5 million tournament will become the sixth elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event and will help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

“In addition to the Tournament of Hope, the promoters will organise other awareness functions in South Africa and around the world during the week of the tournament,” the International Federation of PGA Tours said in a statement.

The 2013 edition will end on World AIDS Day and the tournament will be staged on similar dates in future years.

Three of the WGC events are held in the United States, the Accenture Match Play Championship, the Cadillac Championship and the Bridgestone Invitational, while the HSBC Champions and World Cup team competition are both staged in China.

The five individual WGC events bring together the best players in the world, based on the official rankings, and are widely regarded as one rung down from the majors.

The Tournament of Hope was first announced by Sunshine Tour commissioner Gareth Tindall in April last year when he described it as offering “the biggest prize money in professional golf”.

Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/southAfricaNews/idAFL2E8DAGH420120210

This is an elite golf tournament that will help AIDS victims.. I am sure every one is will be waiting for this..

The Original Post is Located Here: South Africa to host 2012 Golf Tournament of Hope

San Marcos — There are several characteristics shared by a full golf swing and a quarterback’s throwing motion. So during the Superbowl, sit on the couch, watch Eli Manning and Tom Brady throw the deep ball — and get better at golf.

First, watch the way Tom Brady strides into his passes. As he starts to throw he steps toward his target, and by the time he has released the ball his weight is almost entirely on his front foot.

The same weight shift should occur in a good swing.

As the club starts down from the top, your weight should begin to shift toward your front foot. By the time you arrive at your finish, your front foot should be supporting all of your body weight.

Additionally, Eli Manning’s body rotation is worth noting. Once the ball is thrown, Eli’s entire upper body has turned to face his target.

A full golf shot requires the same motion. It is imperative to turn through the shot, until both your sternum and belt buckle are pointing at the target.

A balanced follow through that ends with your weight on your front foot, and your body turned to face the target is a key for throwing a football, but far more importantly is an essential part of hitting a great golf shot.

Read more: http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/sports/x1704536259/Golf-tips-from-Gabe-for-1-5

I hope you learn as much as I did!

The Original Post is Located Here: Gabe: Golf Tips for 1/5

Attention returns to Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP)—Bill Murray stumbled into the back of a crowded conference room Tuesday just as Tiger Woods was wrapping up his press conference at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The “Caddyshack” star looked more confused than usual.

“Where’s the other guy?” Murray asked.

Murray, as it turned out, was an hour late.

He was supposed to be at the interview table with D.A. Points, his partner last year when they won the pro-am, and perhaps the most overlooked defending champion at a PGA Tour event since Nick Price at Colonial in 2003.

“I got here and I got the program and I looked at the tickets and I thought, `Wait a minute. Didn’t I win?”’ Points said. “And there are pictures of Bill everywhere. I’m driving down the highway, I see a billboard. There’s Bill. There’s Tiger. I’m like, `Where am I?”’

It’s the only PGA Tour event Points has won, so he was a little bummed at the oversight.

But he gets it.

“The celebrities obviously make this event larger-than-life sometimes,” he said.

That’s the effect Woods has this week at Pebble Beach.

It’s not unusual for him to start a PGA Tour season along the Pacific coast, though it’s usually at Torrey Pines. And there is a certain magic about Woods and Pebble Beach, which has been a big part of his career even though he has won only twice, both in the same year.

The first was the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and it’s a timely memory considering the last two weeks have featured wild comebacks and ugly meltdowns. Brandt Snedeker came from seven shots behind at Torrey Pines to beat Kyle Stanley, who made triple bogey on the final hole; then Stanley came from eight shots back and won in Phoenix after Spencer Levin shot 75.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-onthefringe-020712

This is another reason why golf fans are crazy over Tiger Woods..

The Original Post is Located Here: Tiger Woods Getting Attention at Pebble Beach

Love preparing for a Ryder Cup year

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP)—There is plenty of evidence that this is a Ryder Cup year.

The U.S. players are starting to earn points from regular PGA Tour events, with Kyle Stanley atop the standings based on his runner-up finish and win in consecutive weeks. Davis Love III walks onto the range and players call him “captain.”

Love, however, said the race to make the team really doesn’t start until late May. That’s when two dozen or so players begin getting fitted for uniforms.

“When I always played, you went to the Memorial, got measured for clothes, and you started choking on points,” Love said Wednesday. “So that’s probably the time that it’s serious, when you get measured for your clothes and the points start settling out.”

Love still hasn’t announced his assistant captains, saying he will work with European captain Jose Maria Olazabal to find a good time when they can do that together. He thinks four assistants is a good number.

Love said he would consider past captains, and especially longtime friendFred Couples, even though Couples could be a distraction because the players like him so much. Couples is 2-0 as Presidents Cup captain.

“I’m looking to get the guys to play more relaxed and have fun,” he said. “Obviously, we want to win, and it seems like Fred has put together a formula where they came out firing and relaxed and made some great pairings. So he and I have already talked a lot, and he would be high on my list.

“I’m going to rely on my friends that have played a lot of Ryder Cups, and Fred is definitely one of them.”

Love said, however, that Couples is a candidate to be Presidents Cup captain for the third time.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-pebble-notebook

I am not much looking forward for this event but I am sure a lot of golf fans out there will check this out..

The Original Post is Located Here: Ryder Cup Preparation in 2012

NFL Players and Coaches Playing at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Fan’s Look

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is taking place this year from February 9, 2012 through February 12, 2012. I’ve been a golf fan and golf player for over 40 years. Each year I enjoy watching watching the Pebble Beach Pro-Am to see the celebrities playing golf in the tournament with the pros. I wouldn’t want to see celebrities playing with the pros very often though, but it works at Pebble Beach.

Of all the major sports in America, there are more NFL players and coaches playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament in 2012. There is only one major league baseball player playing in 2012, San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain is paired with Matt Bettancourt. Cain will be heading for spring training later this month.

Former MLB commissioner Peter Ueberroth is playing though, partnered with Ian Poulter. Ueberroth is co-owner and co-chairman of Pebble Beach, so his playing in the tournament is no surprise. The NBA is represented by Basketball Hall of Fame great Clyde Drexler, who is paired with Kevin Stadler.

NFL Players and Coaches Playing Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The biggest sports stars pairing at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am has Tiger Woods playing with Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo. Kind of fitting, as Tiger has not won a major is a while, and Tony Romo has missed the playoffs the last two years too.

Green Bay Packers QB and 2011 NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is playing the tournament with D.J. Trahan as his partner. Former NFL QB and current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Jim Harbough is playing the tournament with Ryan Moore.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ycn-10947108

Now fans of football and golf can enjoy watching these games at Pebble Beach..

The Original Post is Located Here: A Closer Look at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for NFL Players and Coaches