ZealousGolfer.com

Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps challenges you to putt

2009-11-02T11:29:00.004-05:00

America's Olympians are holding a series of online contents to see if the public can challenge their athletic abilities.

With golf joining the Olympics in 2016 and 2020, swimming champion Michael Phelps is willing to take on all challengers (virtually of course) at putting.

Here's his video.

Make as many five foot putts as you can in 60 seconds, and you will top one of the best athletes in the entire world. He nailed 12. Can you do better?

There are a number of other events included in this contest, so make sure to click the link in the video if you are interested in finding out more.

If you beat him, you will be eligible to win some cool prizes like an autographed T-Shirt from Phelps. However, any golfer who sends in a video will be eligible to win in a drawing for tickets to the Vancouver Olympic Games next year.

Ross Fisher takes World Match Play

2009-11-01T17:37:00.003-05:00

In Spain, Ross Fisher closed out the World Match Play Championship today by beating American Anthony Kim 4 and 3.

This way Fisher's first win of 2009, which included beating 2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrera in the process.

However, with Kim's appearance in the tournament's final round, he may have a shot at qualifying for the European Tour's Dubai World Championship with the top 35 on the Tour's money list.

PGA Tour 2010 Preview: Nationwide Tour graduates

2009-10-27T15:18:00.002-04:00

It seems like the young players who rise the fastest once they make it to the big show have recently been the graduates of the Nationwide Tour. This hasn't been a surprising trend.

Nationwide Tour players, unlike the Q-School qualifiers to the PGA Tour, earn their cards from consistently solid play over the course of a full season.

Having proven that they can keep up great golf over months of time, we have witnessed many capture early victories on the PGA Tour in addition to managing to keep their TOUR cards.

The Nationwide Tour's 2009 season is over, and the 25 players who will get their shot at PGA Tour events next year have been named. Golf World has published a little preview of the things to come in the form of short bios about those 25 players.

It's worth checking out right here. Some of these names will manage to stick around the PGA Tour for a long time.

Duval is now on the bubble to keep PGA Tour card

2009-10-26T20:17:00.003-04:00

David Duval is now on the brink of keeping his PGA Tour card. After the Frys.com Open, Duval is ranked 125th on the season money list.

He'll have an opportunity when he plays this weekend at the Viking Classic to fight for his card.

Of course, Duval was the world's top-ranked player before Tiger Woods took the universe by storm. Since then, Duval has failed to attain virtually any semblance of his success in the last 1990s and early 2000s. However, he managed to put himself in contention at the 2009 U.S. Open before being defeated by Lucas Glover on Sunday.

If his performance at Bethpage Black tells the golf world anything, it is that Duval still has "it" somewhere. Nonetheless, he has made only one cut in the seven tournaments he played following the U.S. Open.

Former British Open champion Todd Hamilton (133), 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate (141), and ex-Ryder Cup player Chris DiMarco (138) are currently outside of the bubble.

ZealousGolfer.com Travel: Las Vegas, NV

2009-10-25T14:51:00.003-04:00

We are going to change direction a little bit with the latest ZealousGolfer.com travel article. Usually, I like to focus on one resort and what it offers to golfers and other guests. However, I wanted to discuss one of the most underrated golf towns on the planet: Las Vegas, Nevada.

If you live in America, you probably have been to Vegas at some point in time. Nonetheless, many golfing visitors haven't managed to work a trip to the links into their schedules. It's about time. Here are a few spots you need to check out on your next vacation to Vegas.

Let's start with the most important detail: the courses. Although many tourists would tell you to check out the course at the Wynn, my personal favorite is Bali Hai Golf Clu b at Mandalay Bay. Four sets of tees playing at more than 7,000 yards from the tips give golfers of all abilities a lot of room to have fun at Bali Hai.

Furthermore, Bali Hai's high quality course has been recognized. It was ranked as one of the top 50 public courses by Golf Digest's Golf World this year. While expensive, it will still be a cheaper play than Wynn's course while offering the amenities of the resort, as the course was built right next to the hotel.

Once you check out the course, you will need to find an equally spectacular gambling experience. Although Mandalay Bay would be a good choice for your stay, there are certainly other options available.

The Bellagio is the place to go for poker in Vegas. With shopping, dining, and a

gorgeous layout, the Bellagio will please virtually any guest. The resort also hosts the world-renowned Cirque show, "O." You can't go wrong here.

Aside from the Bellagio, the Palms is another great spot for younger guests. The resort is well-known for unmatched nightlife. The pool parties that many guests frequent on the weekends at the Palms will also provide guests with an extremely memorable experience.

One common concern facing golfers is the heat. We all are aware that Vegas is sco

rching during the summer. How do you beat the heat?

May and September are solid choices if you can stand relatively hot temperatures. The price of your rounds will start to decline, but you will be able to get onto courses fairly easily. If you manage to snag early or late tee times, the golf will be fantastic. Most resorts and area golf courses manage to keep their fairways in superb condition during these months.

At any rate, Vegas golf is an experience that no golfer should miss out on. For further reading, check out this casino guide.

Where are your favorite spots in Vegas?

PGA Tour readies for "groove" rule change

2009-10-25T11:51:00.003-04:00

As the title notes, PGA Tour players are finally getting into the "groove" of the major 2010 rules change.

If you have been reading virtually any golf publication, you are probably aware that the USGA is employing new restrictions on the grooves of any golf club with a loft higher than 25 degrees.

The TOUR's Luke Donald explains the reasoning: "The goal of the USGA is to put a higher premium on hitting more fairways and greens; they don't want players bombing it out there, then having an easy time stopping the ball out of the rough. They want us to pay a greater penalty for hitting our tee ball or second shot into the rough."

In the article, Donald states that he has been playing with Mizuno irons within the new limits all year. Although he hasn't noticed a significant difference with the ball flight of his irons, he believes that the short game will be changed radically.

Next year will certainly be an interesting time for the PGA Tour. The new rules will not affect recreational golfers in any way until 2024, so you probably don't have to worry too much about your game quite yet.

Tadd Fujikawa heads to PGA TOUR Q-School

2009-10-22T16:37:00.004-04:00

The first day of the 2009 PGA Tour Qualifying School is in the books. The first stage opened today with 69 players fighting for only 22 spots to the second stage.

The offspring of many former golf greats were fighting desperately for their TOUR cards today (including Jay Haas Jr., son of Jay Haas Sr., and Jack Nicklaus's son Gary).

The real story, as a visit to GolfChannel.com will show, is the possible revival of ex-teenage-golfing-phenomenon Tadd Fujikawa.

His accomplishments as a junior player were enormous, from being the youngest player to qualify to the US Open to several memorable rounds at PGA Tour events on Hawaiian courses.

If nothing else proves it, Tadd had a category dedicated to him on ZealousGolfer.com. If that doesn't prove he was anticipated to be the next big thing, I don't know what will.

At any rate, Tadd's professional career hasn't panned out as he hoped. Now 18, he has been unable to make cuts on virtually any professional tour (eerily similar to his female predecessor Michelle Wie). To make matters worse, his father was recently imprisoned for drug trafficking.

Nonetheless, Tadd is back in action as he attempts to acquire playing status on the PGA Tour.

At today's event in Florida, Tadd put himself solidly on the top of the leaderboard with a round of 68. That score gave Fujikawa fourth place.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but it appears Tadd's resurgence will not be stopped at the first stage of qualifying school.

Read It? Golf Digest 'Green Star' Awards

2009-10-20T15:02:00.002-04:00

For this edition of "Read It?" I wanted to talk about a section in the November '09 Golf Digest. GD has published the second annual "Green Star Awards" to celebrate the accomplishments of golf resorts that have made extraordinary efforts to protect the environment.

In addition to listing the courses that received this year's awards, Golf Digest also published several articles related to golf and environmental protection.

The links between golf and the environment, as Golf Digest notes, are obvious. For one, a vast majority of those who spend their days on the links have a love of nature and the outdoors. On the other hand, the pesticides and immense amount of water used in maintaining our courses poses a severe environmental risk.

My favorite piece in this section was Roger Schiffman's interview of Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat), a well-known NYT columnist. Apparently, Friedman is an avid golfer who has several ideas on how golfers and courses can take responsibility for the environment.

Friedman urges the golf community to unite in order to establish norms governing the environmental responsibilities of players and courses. He explains, "Everyone needs to get together and say: 'Our objective is to preserve and enhance the game and the planet on which it's played. To make golf a leader in greening the world."

For Friedman, golf courses should post a rating of their carbon footprint next to slope and course ratings.

The November issue is on newsstands now.

Rory McIlroy to join PGA Tour next year

2009-10-17T17:57:00.006-04:00

Big news in European and American golf! Young gun Rory McIlroy, a native of Northern Ireland, is reportedly joining the PGA Tour in 2010.

Golf Digest claims that an official announcement will come in November at the Dubai World Championship.

This year, McIlroy had turned heads on both sides of the pond. Despite being only 20 years old, he has been a contender in major championships, and he currently is the money leader on the European Tour.

By playing as a "full time" member on the PGA Tour, McIlroy will have a shot to play for huge money during the FedEx Cup in the early fall.

Welcome to the States, Rory.

Anthony Kim teaches you to play drunk golf

2009-10-15T16:46:00.004-04:00

One of the biggest controversies in golf this week (if not the most interesting one) came from Aussie Robert Allenby's comment that America's Anthony Kim may have played a round drunk during the Presidents Cup.

Yesterday, Kim denied Allenby's claim, as ESPN reported.

Though drinking allegations may not be overwhelmingly unrealistic with some of the PGA Tour's fan favorites (John Daly comes to mind), a 4 a.m. alcohol run doesn't seem too likely with Kim.

Sports humor website Sportspickle.com is now giving you Kim's tips on how to play golf while drunk. You can read the article here.

My favorite? "Tip #2 -- Simplify your swing thoughts -- Anyone who has played golf knows that you can have a thousand thoughts going through your head as you stand over the ball. Whereas when you're playing your best golf, your thoughts are pure, simple. Helloooooo, alcohol! Have a six-pack before your 9:00 a.m. tee time and you won't have a single thought in your head."

American Smackdown: U.S. wins Presidents Cup

2009-10-11T19:59:00.002-04:00

On the final day of the 2009 Presidents Cup, the American team's performance was nothing short of dominant.

In the end, the U.S. won with 19.5 to the international team's 14.5 points.

Critical wins from Stewart Cink (who defeated young gun Adam Scott) and Tiger Woods (who defeated his PGA Championship rival, Y.E. Yang) put the U.S. back on top of the world.

In fact, Woods finished the event with a 5-0 record, which makes Tiger only the third player in history to accomplish the feat.

Congratulations to team USA.

America is smoking the world in Presidents play

2009-10-10T22:41:00.004-04:00

With one day left, the International team is watching their chances at the Presidents Cup slip away. By the end of play on Saturday, the United States team led by an impressive three points.

Though the team, as a whole, has put on a strong performance, the American side has clearly been led by a surprisingly strong team of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Woods and Stricker are 4-0 thus far as a team, an unmatched feat over the past 30 years of Presidents Cup matches.

Though America has struggled over the past two decades to maintain its dominance in international competition, it appears that the U.S. will seal the deal tomorrow.

Sunday will consist of singles matches starting at 12:35 p.m. EST. The pairings are available here.

Golf returns to Olympic Games

2009-10-10T15:05:00.004-04:00

Once again, golf has returned to the Olympics. After a vote yesterday by the International Olympic Committee, golf will be an official competition at the 2016 and 2020 Games.

As we found out earlier this month, the 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio.

The format will include a stroke play tournament over 72 holes. Golf will be offered to men's and women's fields, and each pool will consist of 60 players.

In addition to golf, the rugby world was informed that the event would also be added to the Summer Games.

Tiger Woods, who was a critical asset to golf's supporters, stated his approval of the addition: "It would be an honor for anyone who plays this game to become an Olympian."

Like virtually all other golf events on the planet, one concern the Committee had was whether the top players would participate in the event. Nonetheless, strong support from superstars like Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, and Phil Mickelson during the process helped to quell those fears.

Olympic Golf: Announcement to be made Friday

2009-10-08T18:09:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, October 9th, 2009, the golf world will find out if the game will make an appearance in the 2016 Olympic games.

Golf has made it to the final challenge in the difficult process of Olympic event selection, and tomorrow will mark the final presentation and final vote.

According to TheGolfChannel.com, Ty Votaw is in charge of golf's presentation to the Olympic committee. He will be given 20 minutes to present his case on behalf of golf, and a 10 minute Q&A will follow.

Afterwards, a vote will take place. If golf earns a majority of the votes, then it will officially be included in the Games.

The final decision should be announced at 7 AM EST.

Tiger Woods gets to the $1 billion mark in career earnings

2009-10-01T15:48:00.003-04:00

He did it. With his FedEx Cup victory last Sunday and the $10 million prize, Tiger Woods has finally made $1 billion in career earnings.

Forbes.com is reporting that Tiger is the first athlete to reach the billion dollar mark. Though that is an accomplishment in itself, Woods managed to do it in only 33 years of life!

The athlete who is closest to Woods in career earning is Michael Jordan, who is almost a decade away from his multiple retirements. Though Jordan, by Forbes' estimate, will eclipse the billion dollar mark in next four to five years, no athlete today rivals Woods in money-making ability.

Congratulations, Tiger.

Obama Meets "The King"

2009-09-30T11:50:00.004-04:00

Today, golfing great Arnold Palmer received the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal from President Barack Obama.

The award given to Palmer became official when Obama signed the Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act while Arnie was present in the White House.

Even the division over health care was not enough to prevent 2/3 of the Senate from sponsoring the award.

The Congressional Gold Medal was first awarded to George Washington, and Palmer is now the second golfer to have received this honor (Byron Nelson was the first).

Congratulations to the King.

Read It? Watson on Turnberry in October's Golf Digest

2009-09-29T21:51:00.005-04:00

I am introducing a new ZealousGolfer.com feature covering some of the stories that appear in golf's major publications.

This month, Golf Digest released an exclusive interview with Open Championship runner-up Tom Watson. Watson discussed the details of his rise and fall at Turnberry during the 2009 British Open.

For example, Watson was asked what shot he would most like to do-over from the tournament? His response:

"I'd probably hit the 8-iron easier to the 72nd. I had 170 yards to the front, 164 to the right front, where you didn't want to go because the green runs to the right. So I hit it at the flag. [...] You'd think I could stop it, but that crest was probably the driest part of the green."

The rest of the interview is available in the October 2009 edition of Golf Digest.

If you are thinking about a golf trip to the UK, make sure to click Travel Guide - Scotland. This article provides a wealth of information about Scotland's best hotels for golfers.

To read more about Stewart Cink's victory over the 59 year old golf legend, here is our article from the ZealousGolfer.com vault.

ZealousGolfer.com reaches 800 posts

2009-09-28T15:58:00.005-04:00

This is it. With this post, ZealousGolfer.com will have officially published 800 articles since its birth on August 26th, 2006. Wow.

I can't believe we've made it this far. This blog has expanded from a small Blogspot account under the name "Golf Heaven" to a golf website covering news, courses, equipment, and everything in between.

My golf blogging career started when I attended the Bridgestone Classic back in 2006. Tiger Woods faced Stewart Cink in an unbelievable playoff after a fantastic comeback on Sunday by Woods. I drove home from Akron, Ohio, and I knew I wanted to share my excitement with others. Thus, ZealousGolfer.com was born.

Thanks to all of you who have visited this site, commented on posts, subscribed to our RSS feed, and shown support in other ways.

As promised, here are some of my favorite posts from ZealousGolfer.com history. Enjoy!

2009 Season:

"Cink captures the Claret Jug" - 7/19/09

The Masters was a showdown, yet Angel Cabrera emerged as the victor mainly because of his peers' mistakes. Lucas Glover's US Open title was intriguing, but his run didn't have the same powerful underdog storyline as we have seen with some previous winners...

"Angel Cabrera wins his first green jacket" - 4/12/09

Kenny Perry, as he told the media, was responsible for losing the major championship that was his for most of the 72 holes of play. In a dramatic two hole playoff, Angel Cabrera outlasted the PGA Tour veteran to claim his second major title...

"Great Tiger Woods putts" - 4/1/09

Over the course of his career, Tiger Woods has provided audiences with many historic moments and dramatic finishes. With the Masters on the horizon, here is a collection of some of Tiger's most memorable putts...

"They're Back: Tiger and Lefty return to prominence" - 3/18/09

Tiger Woods, by competing at the CA Championship, turned in his second set of PGA Tour scorecards for the year. Though Tiger put on a lackluster performance at the CA Championship (taking ninth only because of his two solid weekend rounds), he certainly turned heads once again. Sure, Tiger has failed to emerge from his prolonged absence as the same player that beat the world's best while playing on one leg, but he has, at least, demonstrated that he is taking form again...

2008 Season:

"Paddy takes home another major title" - 8/10/08

As soon as Tiger Woods announced his injury following a spectacular Monday finish to the U.S. Open, golf commentators claimed that some player would find a great deal of opportunity in Tiger's absence. At this point, it certainly looks like Padraig Harrington is that player...

"Monday Final: Woods vs. Mediate" - 6/15/08

Epic. Tiger Woods, billed as the first player to win the "Grand Slam," recovered from

a devastating loss at Augusta National and a knee surgery to find himself in a playoff for the title. Rocco Mediate (left) has quite a different story...

2007 Season:

"Paddy in, Garcia out. Harrington wins Claret Jug" - 7/22/07

Irish star Padraig Harrington (left) beat Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia in a playoff on the fourth day of the 2007 British Open. Harrington entered the 18th hole with a one stroke lead over the leader of the first three rounds, Garcia. However, Harrington limped out of the hole with an unfortunate double bogey. At least, Harrington was able to one putt the hole and give himself some hope of a playoff if Garcia was to falter...

"Path-Pro Training Aid" - 2/3/07

Golf is unlike any other sport in the massive amount of clubs, videos, aids, and other equipment promising to significantly lower your scores. As a golf addict, I have used many of these in a futile attempt to improve my game. Most cover only very basic flaws, or only correct the "over-the-top" move. With this in mind, I set out to find a great product which can address virtually any fault...

"ZealousGolfer.com: The New Golf Heaven" - 1/7/07

To take the next step for this blog, I decided I needed a domain name. As much as I love the name Golf Heaven, the blogspot address is too lengthy. So, I am happy to unveil ZealousGolfer.com! Zealous Golfer is the new name of the site as all Golf Heaven domains were already owned. May I assure all of my readers that he content will continue to improve, hopefully fueled by the easy to find site.

2006 Season:

"Welcome to Golf Heaven" - 8/26/06

Welcome to Golf Heaven, the new home of golf news and information. As an avid blog reader, I have noticed that there have not really been any good golf blogs and so, I created Golf Heaven. I will try to provide information pertaining to equipment, tour coverage, Tiger Tracks, and other golf news. Thank you for coming to Golf Heaven, and enjoy.

Tiger Woods is the 2009 FedEx Cup Champion

2009-09-27T19:20:00.004-04:00

The 2009 PGA Tour "Playoffs" of the FedEx Cup are all wrapped up. Not surprisingly, Tiger Woods came out on top.

The FedEx Cup season-ending tournament, the Tour Championship, was captured by Phil Mickelson. After strong performances throughout the year despite the news that both his wife and mother would have to fight breast cancer, Mickelson capped his season with an impressive victory.

After a spectacular Sunday, Mickelson finished at -9, which placed Lefty three strokes ahead of Tiger Woods.

Woods completed his FedEx Cup with a second place finish en route to the title.

Kenny Perry's success over the first three days was mitigated by a Sunday meltdown. His 74 was not enough to hold onto the lead, and he dropped to fourth place.

Tiger will take home a $10,000,000 bonus for his FedEx Cup victory.

ZEALOUSGOLFER.COM UPDATE: This is the 799th post. Our next will be number 800!

What I'm Watching: Caddyshack

2009-09-26T01:56:00.004-04:00

After my move to New Orleans, one of my biggest problems is the lack of access to "The Golf Channel." When I can play in December this year (which isn't so easy back in Pittsburgh), I probably won't be too disappointed.

With limited golf programming available to me, I have turned back to golf films to fill the void. No regrets there.

Tonight, I dusted off my copy of "Caddyshack," which of course features the talents of Bill Murray, the late Rodney Dangerfield, and Chevy Chase. Now that Chevy is back in comedy (he plays a prominent role in NBC's new series "Community"), I guess I was motivated to enjoy his younger days once more.

Naturally, I loved "Caddyshack" as much as I always did, and it wasn't a bad way to spend a rainy Friday night.

An aside: this is the 798th ZealousGolfer.com post ever. We are two away from the big 800.

Kenny Perry receives 2009 Payne Stewart Award

2009-09-22T23:40:00.004-04:00

For gentlemanly conduct on and off the course, the PGA Tour has selected Kenny Perry for the 2009 Payne Stewart Award.

Named in honor of the US Open champion, who died in a tragic plane crash a decade ago, the award is given to the "player sharing Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game."

Perry had two victories on the Tour this year, and of course suffered the heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Angel Cabrera at the Masters. Perry is 49.

Sports Illustrated recently did a cool feature on Perry, which you might want to check out here.

In case you have been keeping track at home, this is out 797th post of all time. ZealousGolfer.com is now only three away from post 800!

Ray Romano to appear in the new season of "The Haney Project"

2009-09-16T14:30:00.003-04:00

Last season, Hank Haney, coach of Tiger Woods, took on what was perhaps the most challenging student he ever faced: notorious hacker and basketball legend Charles Barkley. Of course, this project was chronicled on the Golf Channel.

TGC will be bringing the series back with a new celebrity face: comedian and actor Ray Romano. In case you haven't seen it, Romano's swing, unlike Barkley's, does not resemble some unnatural combination of a seizure and wood chopping. In fact, Romano's goal is to lower his 13 handicap and finally break 80.

According to TGC, the series will debut next spring.

Arnold Palmer hits 80

2009-09-10T10:14:00.003-04:00

The King has hit another milestone in his lifetime: his eightieth year. Arnold Palmer celebrated his birthday on September 10th.

For a golfer who accomplished about all one can achieve in this game, this is still a pretty impressive feat. Palmer has continued to play in major golf events over the past few years despite his rising age; for instance, opening the Masters with a tee shot on the first hole.

Happy Birthday Arnold!

Tiger Woods' flip-out caught on film

2009-09-06T21:41:00.006-04:00

Whoa man. What happened to Tiger Woods? Video surfaced today of Tiger throwing his club at some bushes at the Deutsche Bank Championship in frustration.

Tiger has sworn on camera before, and just last week he called out Ernie Els (a very bizarre move for the king of political correctness).

Sadly, the YouTube video of Woods has disappeared. A description of the video's content is available here. Perhaps Nike got behind another one of their athletes as they did with Lebron James a few months ago! I kid, but the footage has certainly gone off the grid.

Hopefully Tiger gets things on track soon. Though this hasn't been the most memorable season of Tiger's career, he hasn't played terrible golf. It's surprising that his character has changed so much in such a short period of time.

EDIT: A fan of the website has located an identical cut of the infamous video! Here it is, folks:

It's Official: Mickelson will play the BMW

2009-09-06T12:18:00.004-04:00

Lefty is definitely back for at least one more week in the 2009 season. On Friday, Golf Channel reported that Phil Mickelson has committed to play in the BMW Championship.

Mickelson's season has been cut short by the shocking news that both his wife and mother have breast cancer.

The BMW Championship is the second to last event in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.