Golfer's Notepad

Again, Golf Rears Its GREAT Head

2010-04-18T16:31:00.003-07:00

For two weeks in a row, we see good prevailing in the game of golf. Last week Phil Mickelson embraced his wife after winning the Masters while Tiger continued his "recovery" by throwing his club and cussing after hitting a bad shot. Sorry, Tiger, in golf, the good guys win.

This weekend in Hilton Head, one of my favorite tournaments, for growing up our family spent a lot of time vacationing there, another "good" result occurred.

Brian Davis, a PGA journeyman, almost holed out on his second shot from the 18th fairway and went on to make the birdie to tie Jim Furyk which resulted in a sudden death playoff.

After hitting a great tee shot, Davis pulled his second shot into the grassy hazard area of Calibogue Sound. With Furyk a few feet away from his par, Davis decided to go ahead and hit the shot from the hazard.

As Davis attempted to chip on, his wedge moved a loose reed in the marshy area. Davis quickly called for a rules official, who after calling colleagues to check the replay, confirmed the penalty.

"I thought I saw movement," Davis said. "It's a disappointment."

Things like this are what makes golf great. This tournament, possibly Davis' only chance at a PGA Tour Victory, ended with his self-imposed violation, something inconceivable in most other sports, where competitors take pride in getting every edge they can.

So, next weekend when you are in the woods and you are contemplating using your "foot wedge", think again.

For a complete scoreboard from the 2010 Verizon Heritage, go HERE.

Mickelson’s Krispy Kreme Stop A Social Media Hit - CNBC

2010-04-14T22:22:00.001-07:00

Mickelson’s Krispy Kreme Stop A Social Media Hit - CNBC

Aren't we glad he won!!

I Did A Bad, Bad, Thing........(Let's Go Mountaineers!)

2010-03-21T18:02:00.002-07:00

Just like Chris Isaak said in "baby did a bad, bad thing". I did one to today. No, I wasn't messing around with other women like Tiger Woods, my bad thing was I didn't watch golf at all this weekend!

I know, for someone who writes about golf, shouldn't I be watching it? Hell no! This is March Madness. This turned out to be one of the best four days of college basketball I can remember. All the upsets, especially Kansas getting dropped, had my eyes glued to CBS for hours starting Thursday morning (here in Phoenix games started around 9 am). West Virginia, behind 28 points from Da'Sean Butler, is on the way to Syracuse and the Sweet 16. Let's gooooooo Mountaineeeeeers!

Err..sorry back to golf.

Furyk closed with a 2-under 69 on Sunday for a one-shot victory over K.J. Choi in the Transitions Championship. This is his first victory since the 2007 Canadian Open and ends his longest winless stretch since he first joined the tour 16 years ago.

No Champions, LPGA, or Nationwide events this week.

Temptation Tiger On South Park

2010-03-17T16:48:00.001-07:00

Alright folks, be sure to tune into South Park tonight to catch Tiger Woods at his finest. You can catch a short glimpse of what to come by clicking HERE.

Tiger To Return At The Masters

2010-03-16T16:38:00.001-07:00

Well folks, the day has arrived. With everyone in the golf world wondering when Tiger would emerge from his den, Augusta will be the place. As I wrote back on February 18, I thought he would return during Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill tournament, but The Masters will be the place.

Since I don't like Tiger and don't want to spend any more time writing about him, read what the "professional"sports writers are saying HERE.

Big Easy Wins At The Blue Monster

2010-03-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

After a two year drought on the PGA Tour, Ernie Els wins the CA Championship by outplaying fellow South African Charl Schwartzel shooting a 6-under 66 to win by four strokes at the Blue Monster at Doral. With his victory, Els returned to the top ten in the world rankings and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson.

A pivotal time in the final round found Els holding on to a one shot lead at the 14th hole and raising his arms as the 24 foot par put rolled in the hole. This was the type of drama we haven't seen in Els since his last victory two years ago at the Honda Classic.

For a final leaderboard, click HERE.

For the other PGA Tour players not at Doral, Chad Collins birdied the par-5 fifth hole for a share of the Puerto Rico Open lead with Kevin Streelman just before third-round play was suspended because of darkness Sunday in the rain-delayed PGA Tour event. The event will finish up on Monday.

No LPGA, European, Nationwide, and Champions Tour events were scheduled this weekend.

Don't Worry Phil Fans

2010-03-12T22:24:00.004-07:00

All the Phil Mickelson fans out there (including me) don't fret about his game and where he is right now. He has a lot on his mind with his wife still undergoing cancer treatments, but the Masters is coming and we all know how well he plays at Augusta. Read more about Phil and his game and the rest of the field at the CA Championship HERE.

Play The Driver Camilo Used To Win In Florida

2010-03-08T20:18:00.002-07:00

Camilo is #1 on PGA Tour in driving distance. Use the same club he does.

Is Villegas Going To Be Golf's Newest Superstar?

2010-03-07T16:32:00.001-07:00

Camillo Villegas has been at the top of my blog postings a few times already and good looks aside, he may continue to be there as he continues to dominate this year. After flying back from Columbia, South America, earlier in the week where he is putting together a Nationwide Tour Event, Villegas put on a show at the Honda Classic in Florida.

An All-American from the University of Florida, Villegas blew away the competition by five strokes to win this third event on the PGA Tour. Get the final standings by clicking HERE.

Villegas overcame back to back bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes and another on the par 3 15th, but his great putting and ability to scramble from some bad tee shots, helped him secure victory. By winning, Villegas vaulted to #3 in the FED EX Cup standings.

I know I may have to eat my words (as I did for the WGC-Accenture thinking Geoff Ogilivy would win) Camilo may be the favorite going into the Masters. His putting may need a little tweaking, but let's look at some stats to back up what I am saying:

1. He won in dominating fashion today

2. Last week here in Scottsdale, he shot a tournament tying record 62 and finished in 8th place

3. At the WGC he missed playing for the championship by a 3 foot missed putt

4. He leads the tour in driving distance, #1 in eagles, 9th in birdies, and 4th in scoring

Camilo is now working with a sports psychologist, which seems to have made him very focused on his game. Let's see a few Sunday's from now if a green jacket might be added to his already spiffy clothes closet!

Let's Be A Little Funny Before We Get Serious Tomorrow

2010-03-03T21:52:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow starts another grueling tournament with players jockeying for FED EX CUP points and hope of making the Ryder Cup team this fall. So before they have to get up at start playing golf all day (lucky bastards), I though I would inject some comedy. I found these jokes on the 'net so thanks to whomever wrote them.

1. Doctor to patient: "I'm afraid you are very run down. I suggest you lay off golf for a while and get a good day in at the office now and then."

2. Good news: I got a hole in one on the first green. Bad news: I got a 128 on the other 17.

3. "Do you pay a high price for golf?" a golfer was asked while leaving the clubhouse. "I will today," the golfer replied, "I didn't tell my wife I was coming here!"

Smokin' Deal On Personalized Pro-V1

2010-03-02T19:46:00.003-07:00

Get your name or whatever you want stamped on your golf balls.

My Man Crush No More

2010-03-01T17:24:00.002-07:00

Well, Mr. Fashion, Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. Good Golfer.....where did you go Ian Poulter? Friday I wrote about what a great guy he is for giving the little girl an autographed golf ball. Now, yesterday, mockingly clapping his hands after missing a putt, he flipped off the crowd at the 16th green at the Phoenix Open.

He said that he was just rubbing his nose. Huh? He will come back next year, though, so, he didn't fall too far from the top of my favorites list. Come on Ian, clean it up, paybacks might be hell at the Ryder Cup this fall.

The Final Day At The Open And My Nap

2010-02-28T21:14:00.004-07:00

Well the Waste Management hoenix Open ended today with some great play. My favorite Phil Mickelson and my new man-crush Ian Poulter finished far behind, but the guys at the top made it worth watching. Unfortunately, I fell asleep, so I will have to rob some info from a couple of sites to fill you in on the details.

Hunter Mahan won the Waste Management Phoenix Open for his second PGA TOUR title, coming from four strokes back to beat Rickie Fowler by a shot in a 1-2 finish for former Oklahoma State players.

The 27-year-old Mahan had an eagle and a pair of birdies in a late four-hole span Sunday to finish at 16-under 268. Mahan, whose first victory came at the 2007 Travelers Championship, closed with consecutive bogey-free 6-under 65s.

Fowler, just 21 and a TOUR rookie, had a final-round 68 for the second runner-up finish of his young career, both of them in Arizona.

In his second PGA TOUR event last Oct. 25, Fowler lost in a three-way playoff to Troy Mattison in the Frys.com Open just down the road at the Grayhawk Golf Club.

South Korea's Y.E. Yang also shot a 65 to finish at 14 under, two off the pace. Last year's PGA Championship winner, Yang led until his tee shot went in the water at No. 17.

Yes, today here in Scottsdale was rainy and high in the upper 50s...a great time for a nap. I got up and went to church with the family, had a light lunch, and baby Hutch and the wife and I all decided that we did our good deed for the day so to the king size bed we went. After about 30 minutes of wrangling the comforter and Hutchie playing Batman on my I-Phone, we finally called it quits. Before we knew it, it was 4 pm and time to do..well.......nothing. Hope you had a good day as well!!

Day 2 at the Phoenix Open. The Good, The Bad, And My New Man Crush

2010-02-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

I left the house around 8 am this morning heading to the tournament. I knew it was going to be a good day, for I saw a really unattractive (I assume she thought she was attractive) with about 5 inch heels, trip and fall in the parking lot. Serves her right. Get better looking!!

My friends and I (I won't mention any names, for we were supposed to be at work), entered the tournament, got a cold one and headed out onto the grounds. We immediately headed to hole 16, the loudest hole in any tour event. I hadn't been to the Open in a while and unfortunately the entire hole is covered in bleachers and corporate sponsor booths. No more sitting on the grassy knoll behind the green. Here, no one is immune from the wrath of boos from the fans if you don't hit the green. Even local favorite Phil Mickelson was heckled when the hit his tee shot into the left green side bunker.

THE GOOD

As I was leaving the course, I checked the PGA Tour app on my I-Phone I sneaked into the tournament. I couldn't believe all the low scores. Camilo Villegas shot 2-under and is tied with Mark Wilson who shot a 5-under 66. Arizona State alum Pat Perez shot 3-under and is in a tie for 6th with Scottsdale resident Tom Lehman. The round of the day was turned in by last week's winner Ian Poulter who shot at blazing 8-under 63.

Check out the entire leaderboard HERE.

THE BAD

Not only is the 16th hole a tough venue for the golfers, this morning it was a tough venue for fans (at least me and my guys) as well. It was around 9:30 am when we sat down in the bleachers. A few groups came and went. After about the 4th group, an extremely drunk guy started yelling and heckling. Yeah, this is the 16th, but come on. It was becoming obnoxious! His girlfriend tried to keep him quiet, but he kept saying "you be quiet, you haven't drunk $125 bucks worth of booze this morning." I admit, that was funny, but he was really bothering the patrons. We took off and headed to another hole.

MY MAN CRUSH

OK, I am not gay (not that there is anything wrong with it), but Ian Poulter has moved into second on my favorite golfers list. As you may have read in my postings from the WGC-Accenture, he can dress however he wants, especially when he backs it up with his play. Today he was dressed in a great pair of blue plaid slacks with the belt and shoes to match. But what HE did at the 16th hole is what impressed me the most and while I love to play and write about golf.

Poulter hit a some-what mediocre tee shot. It landed on the green, thus no boos. Phil Mickelson was in his group so most of the cheers were aimed at him. Poulter lined up his putt for birdie, there was no noise, it was dead quiet.

Then as the ball was rolling about half way to the hole, a tiny, angelic, female voice peeped out "get in the hole!" The entire crowd laughed and let out a huge "awwww". Poulter turned around and smiled at the young child as to thank her for her support. As he was walking off the green, he signed the golf ball and gave it to her. That is class. That is what golf is about. That's why I can't stand Tiger Woods and the way he, I believe, defamed the great game of golf.

Thanks Ian, my newest man crush.

O.K. Ladies You Can Swoon. Camilo Villegas Leads Tournament

2010-02-25T20:06:00.002-07:00

Sporting his new short hair cut, Columbian Camilo Villegas leads here in Scottsdale at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fresh off his "almost" play in the finals in Tucson last week where he missed a three foot putt to put him in the championship, Villegas shot a bogey free nine-under par 62 which ties the Phoenix Open first round record.

Defending Phoenix Open champion Kenny Perry and Phil Mickelson are in a large group at 68. WGC-Accenture Open winner Ian Poulter struggled shooting 72. The excitement of the day came from the "older" fellas, Tom Lehman and Fred Couples, playing well and shooting 66 and 67 respectively.

For a full leaderboard update and pairings for tomorrow, click HERE.

Tomorrow I am heading out in the morning to catch some of the second round and will try and sneak in my I-Phone to take some pics. I promise I will keep my eyes on the golfers and not the short skirts, high heels, and silicone......come on it is Scottsdale!

Do I Want This At My Next Backyard Party?

2010-02-24T21:02:00.002-07:00

http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/crazy-golf-stunt.html

Ian Poulter Is Match Play Champion

2010-02-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Pretty in Pink. Yes, I do like the way Ian Poulter dresses, especially if he can back it up with his game. And he did by beating fellow Englishman Paul Casey 4-and-2 at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. This was his ninth career victory.

With cold and rain as part of the back drop, Poulter dominated most of the day. He was 4 up at one point showing an exceptional short game with great chip shots on two holes leading to birdies. Poulter played only 114 holes all week - only Tiger Woods with 112 holes in 2003 played fewer - and earned $1.4 million for the biggest check of his career.

Known mostly for what's in his closet, Poulter quickly is gaining a strong reputation for his prowess in match play. He improved his overall record in the Match Play Championship to 18-7, and was so dominant on the weekend that he trailed for only one hole over the final 50 holes of the tournament.

After defeating Camilo Villegas early Sunday morning in the longest match of the week (24 holes), Casey struggled at times with his swing and his short game wasn't good enough to allow him to catch up. He netted $850,000 for his second place finish.

After watching the matches this week, I think the Americans need to be a little worried. With the Ryder Cup coming up in a few months in Wales, the stellar play by Poulter, Casey, Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, and Oliver Wilson, Colin Montgomerie's team looks strong.

For the final bracket, click HERE.

Tickets For Waste Management Phoenix Open

2010-02-21T17:53:00.003-07:00

I've hooked up with a great company for tickets to the upcoming Phoenix Open. Should be a great event this year with Waste Management as a new sponsor. Last year's Open winner Kenny Perry will defend his title and Phil Mickelson has committed to play. Tickets can be purchased for individual days or for the entire week. Hope to see you out there!!

Tickets can be purchased here.
Phoenix Open Golf

The Tiger As We Knew Him Is No More

2010-02-19T18:10:00.005-07:00

Even though Tiger is 35 years old and has accomplished almost everything on the course, we still think of him as a young, wirey, smiling star who always wore red on Sunday as he would accept a tournament championship trophy. Not any more.

Known by his fellow players and seen by his army of fans to throw his clubs down or use vulgarities around the fairway were things we barely noticed or just shrugged our shoulders and moved on. Not any more.

Seeing him chip at Augusta, watching the Nike ball hover at the edge of the cup and finally fall in or watching him limp around the U.S. Open to come back and win in a playoff, are memories which should live in our minds forever. Not any more.

Initially I did not see the press conference. I had to listen to it on the radio on my drive back home. As I listened, I began to feel sorry for him. As some of you know, I am not a Tiger Woods fan. My golf hero is Jack Nicklaus and I much prefer Phil Mickelson. However the monotone voice almost put me in a trance like the Sirens did to Odysseus and his crew. I couldn't wait to see the video.

What first struck me was that Tiger came out at exactly 90 seconds after the hour into a room engulfed with blue curtains and one small podium. Was this a presidential press conference? And if so, where are Obama's teleprompters? Standing stoic and talking in his robotic voice he began to apologize for his transgressions. Telling us that he was receiving help. For what? He never addressed that. Then he began to speak about his Buddhist background and how he strayed away from it. Did Buddha score hookers and Perkins waitresses in an Escalade outside the restaurant?

He needed to do this. Tiger is paid around $150 million a year. He owed an apology to his sponsors. Everyday people like you and me give millions to his charitable foundations. He owed us an apology. He publicly needed to apologize to his friends and family. I heard one of the alleged mistresses speak out after the conference wanting an apology. What the hell, I thought. But then again, if Tiger promised her god knows what, maybe he owes her one too.

I give him credit for at least getting out in front of the public. More than half of the U.S. was either listening or watching. I can understand him stumbling through some of it. Hell, I stumble with my words ordering food at a drive thru. But he should have answered questions. Two other huge sports stars, Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez, faced the scrutiny of the media. Why not Tiger?

It all comes down to a matter of trust. Do you believe him or not. How many other women are out there that he did pay to keep quiet? Is he so arrogant that this is only a blip on his radar and his self -indulging lifestyle will continue once this has passed?

From now on when I first see Tiger I am going to think of him as an adulterer and liar. Not the great golfer that he really is or may be. Sad.

So to me on Sunday the only scarlet red Tiger should be wearing is the letter "A".

Day 2 At The WGC, Eating My Words, and the Tiger Show

2010-02-18T20:10:00.004-07:00

Day two of the WGC-Accenture closed with some major upsets. Unfortunately, my pick for the champion, Geoff Ogilvy, was sent home with a defeat by Camilo Villegas. So as I stated in my previous writings, I am eating my words. With his loss, the defending champion and all number one seeds are gone. A breakdown from today's play:

In the Bobby Jones bracket, (12) Thongchai Jaidee continues his stellar play be defeating (4) Robert Karlsson. From the Ben Hogan bracket, (1) Martin Kaymer was upended by (9) Tim Clark. From the Gary Player bracket (1) Lee Westwood was defeated by American (8) Nick Watney and in the Sam Snead bracket (1) Jim Furyk was eliminated by (9) Charl Schwartzel.

The highest remaining seed is England's Paul Casey at No. 6. Casey, the runner-up a year ago, who won the World Match Play Championship in England in 2006, swiftly dispatched Canadian Mike Weir. Get a full rundown on the brackets HERE.

Again play was dominated with coverage from all the major networks of what Tiger Woods will say. Are all the golfers going to take a ten minute time out while Tiger makes his "statements?" My take is that he will say he is sorry for his transgressions, ask for forgiveness, and tell the golf world when he will return. Frankly, I am kind of pissed. Show some respect to the other golfers and sponsors. Couldn't he have waited until Monday?

Being that tomorrow is the deadline for entering the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the folks here in Scottsdale are crossing their fingers that he may make his comeback next week at the TPC. I doubt it. He hasn't played here in a long time and from the rumor mill, he hasn't been practicing that much. Some say he will play in the Tavistock Cup in Florida. My bet he will return to play at Arnold's Bay Hill Championship.

Great Day Of Golf Surpassed By Tiger Announcement

2010-02-17T20:05:00.002-07:00

The first day of the WGC-Accenture Championship was filled with lots of exciting extra holes and top seeded golfers were sent packing to go home early.

The notable losses were (2) Padrig Harrington losing to (15) Jeev Mikah Singh, (3) Kenny Perry losing to (14) Brian Gay, and (2) Henrik Stenson losing to (15) Ben Crane. However, the number one seed Steve Stricker lost to (16) Ross McGowan of England, who only got into the 64-man field because Woods isn't playing, when McGowan rolled in a 30-foot par putt on the 19th hole to become only the second No. 64 seed to win a match. The other was in 2002, when Peter O'Malley beat Woods in the first round.

Check out the current standings and tomorrow's tee times HERE.

My pick (3) Geoff Ogilvy continued his match play dominance at this tournament by crushing (14) Alexander Noren.

The attention of the great play seemed to stop once the announcement that Tiger Woods is going to hold a press conference this Friday at 11:00am EST from Florida. According to his agent Mark Steinberg, Tiger will speak to "friends, colleagues and close associates" in a tightly scripted statement at PGA Tour headquarters.

Should be interesting. I will keep everyone updated.

A Foreign Invasion In The Desert

2010-02-15T21:39:00.003-07:00

I used that title to get your attention.

As you will see from the rankings, there are a lot of foreign golfers in the field this year at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

About 120 miles from my house is Marana, Arizona, the site of this week's PGA Tour event. The four day outing starting this Wednesday will continue until the champion is crowned Sunday. This year the tournament is being held at the Jack Nicklaus Designed Ritz Carlton Golf Club-Dove Mountain. A spectacular venue where, like most Nicklaus courses, you must hit the greens and putt well.

As I reviewed the top ten Golf Power Rankings, I was shocked to see only three American golfers listed, Steve Stricker, Steward Cink, and Jack Johnson. Phil Mickelson is out on vacation and who knows were Tiger Woods may be. Defending champion, Geoff Ogilvy ranked #3 in the Gary Player Bracket (who plays a lot in the U.S. and is a member of Whisper Rock here in Scottsdale) will tee it up on Wednesday against Swedish player Alexander Noren. The winner will play the winner of the Camilo Villegas/Dustin Johnson victor. Johnson was last weeks winner at Pebble Beach. For a complete bracket breakdown, click HERE.

The money this week is on Lee Westwood. He is top of the power rankings, number one one the European Tour, and won a few late 2009 tournaments. But if I were a betting man (and I am sometimes), my money would again be placed on defending champion Ogilvy. Here is the WOW! factor: 89.4 winning percentage (17-2) in this event.

Check back on Sunday to see if I must eat my words.

Back to Back Victories

2010-02-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Dustin Johnson is the first player to win the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in consecutive years, making a short birdie putt on the final hole for a one-shot victory over David Duval and J.B. Holmes

John Daly And Loudmouth Golf

2010-02-13T17:18:00.001-07:00

John Daly has always stood out in the crowd. Now with his affiliation with Loudmouth Golf, he really stands out on the course. Check out his latest wear from this week's AT&T Pro-AM. What do you think of the interesting golf clothes?

GPS To Help Your Golf Game

2010-02-11T20:07:00.001-07:00

With all the hype about the Ping grooves and keeping with "the spirit of the game", technology does have its place in the modern game. With titanium heads, shafts made from stuff that goes on the space shuttle, and balls that can spin on a dime, we are all looking to better our scores. Having a handheld GPS can help and SkyCaddie is one of the best.

Although your SkyCaddie is ready-to-go out of the box, you can customize it with pre-programmed courses when you get a membership plan. Check it out here. (It's now on sale!)