Happy Thanksgiving 07

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving (ready or not here comes the holiday season).

My main goal in publishing these newsletters is to provide you with the best golf instruction resources I am aware of. To date I've mainly included the Thumbs Down method, but I'm pleased to announce an affiliation with Chuck Evans. For those of you not familiar with Chuck, he's one of only 31 Teachers in the world to hold the designation of "Doctorate in Golf Stroke Engineering", and a Golf Magazine Top Teacher. He's been called, The Teacher of Teachers and has been touted as one of the most highly sought after instructors in the world not only by players but other teachers as well!

Evans Golf Group recently announced the merger of two golf companies', Chuck Evans Golf and Medicus, now known as Medicus Golf Institute. Medicus has long been known for their game improvement training aids and programs. These two power houses have come together to form a company that combines both instruction and training aids to enhance, and improve, your golf game.

Chuck's written a wonderful ebook and he's also offering his entire golf training system for $67 (sorry, his half price offer has expired). Included as a bonus are interviews on 2 downloadable CD's and if that wasn't enough....he also has agreed to come on a "live call with you personally! For a limited time you can talk with Chuck Evans and ask him any golf question you have, would that help you and solve some of your questions? You will be able to ask him anything you want. Hurry up, as he will only be accepting so many customers because Chuck is busy!

To receive your FREE Secrets to Better Golfing interview with Chuck Evans go to:

http://www.masteryourgolfgame.com?lid=&a_aid=93a827ca

While you're there take advantage and purchase Chuck's entire golf training system.

Wie Bad

Now that you’re an adult answer this question (honestly please). Do you now believe that all the hype you heard while growing up about how great it would be to be an adult, was highly overrated? Most people do. Why else do we always hear adults wanting to turn back the clock and become kids again? We all do it, right?

Think for a moment about how true the statement is these days for Michele Wie, who turned 18 less than a week ago and is now legally an adult. Her 18th birthday was October 11, but it seems like only yesterday that she was a 14 year old phenom, on her way to conquering the world of golf, both women’s AND men’s. In the summer of 2005 at the age of 16, Wie drew a large crowd watching her play and almost making it, during US Open qualifying at Canoe Brook in New Jersey. Not that long ago it looked like she was a can’t miss.

If her first few days as an adult are any indication, Wie should begin efforts to brand her name and capitalize on what she’s already accomplished, because her golf game has suffered a meltdown, no one could see coming. Forget about competing against the men anymore, because Wie can’t even make a cut competing against the women (no offense intended!). Who would have thought that just a few short years ago Wie would be at a crossroad in her career, at the ripe old age of 18. Talk about a case of teenage burnout on steroids!

Blame it on her wrist injury. Blame it on her new life in college, or even blame it on her change of caddies, after her parents fired Greg Johnson, her long standing caddie. (If I was still a betting man, I’d bet heavily that the parents are a big part of this problem.) Regardless, Wie’s game over the past 15 months has abandoned her, coming apart at the seams by pro’s standards. One day she’s the darling of the media, almost making the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii, then a few short years later she’s shooting rounds in the high 70’s and 80’s, not in the 60’s as required to compete. To put it all into perspective, last week at the Samsung World Championships Michele Wie shot 79-79-77-71 for 18 over par while Lorena Ochoa, the winner shot 68-67-69-66, 36 shots better at 18 under. Her ballooning scoring average in 2007 rivals the spectacular train wreck performed by the 2007 NY Mets in September, as they collapsed down the back stretch of this year’s baseball season.

At least Wie’s in good company. While the world was discovering her on her way up, Annika Sorenstam was the queen of golf, even more dominant than Tiger Woods was in the men’s game. For the past two seasons though, Lorena Ochoa is #1, with Suzanne Pettersen her main competitor each week lately. Now it’s Annika’s turn to try and get back on top, as she battles back from an early season neck injury that sidelined her for a few months.

Golf, more than any other sport has a way of coming and going and sometimes never coming back again EVER, at least at the same high level. To validate this, you only need to remember when the names David Duval and Ty Tryon filled the Golf Channel headlines and how quickly they disappeared from the radar screen. The major difference these days of course is that when golfers win tournaments and finish in the top 10 frequently, like David Duval did in the late 1990’s through 2001, they make a boat load of cash to carry them through the rough times.

In the case of Michele Wie, I somehow think she’ll survive this and chalk it up to a learning experience. My 2 cents prediction is that she’ll put her game face back on and compete on the LPGA Tour in the years to come. Whether she does or doesn’t, the women of the LPGA Tour are more fun to watch than ever before. What do you think?

Please send me your comments and I’ll post them on future blog entries.

President's Cup week

On Sunday 9-23, both New York football teams won their first games of the 2007 NFL season. The Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays to pull to within 1 game of the Boston Red Sox in the all important loss column for first place, going into the last week of the baseball season. It appears almost certain they will at least clinch a playoff spot in the American League East, but it’s still anyone's guess who will play who and where they’ll play, as the playoffs begin next week.

The real question in sports this week is, does anyone REALLY care what’s going on in golf these days, besides the players, their families, sponsors and some devoted fans? (AND of course the entire city of Montreal and a few Canadian provinces, if not more.) Does the anticipation for the President’s Cup raise your adrenaline levels like the Ryder Cup, The Masters or ANY of the majors? ME either! In fact, it’s that time of the year when football, baseball’s finale, then hockey (especially hockey) and basketball take over mind share for die hard sports fans (like ME).

The golf season for ME typically lasts into the first week of December, or longer some years like last year, when a member of my 3-some played in shorts on his 55th birthday, Jan 6. I play nine months out of the year and think golf non-stop. TV golf, well that’s a different story. The President’s Cup has always been played this time of year when my focus changes with the seasons. A recent example can be found in last week’s newsletter and blog article, where I wrote about Tiger shutting it down for the season last week to become a full time dad. I said he’d gone fishing. Well, I believe it’s still true but I had completely forgotten about the President’s Cup in Montreal this coming weekend, September 28-30, so shame on ME. Also, shame on you for not noticing my mistake OR al least sending ME a comment about it.

No, it’s not the Ryder Cup, but each President’s Cup over the last ten years has been entertaining, as the best players in the world battle for their country’s team, just like in the Ryder Cup. Too bad the mind share just isn’t there, AGAIN. Am I alone? Do you feel the same way? Your comments are always welcome.
________________________________________________

It’s Alan Martin, with a 60 second Thumbs Down method golf tip about the power source in the golf swing. Where does the power come from? What’s your answer? Please reply to ajm.me@thumbsdown.info or feel free to call ME 609-448-4331.

Is it the large muscles of the shoulders, or the legs, or the hips? I believe a majority of golfers would say yes. Once upon a time I was one of the more than 50 percenter’s that turned and pivoted my body like a corkscrew into the ground for power. I hit the ball hard and relatively long for a 5’7”, 150 pound man, but after 25 years of that kind of thinking I ended up with these results: 20 less yards with every club in my bag (putter excluded) and an out of control slice. I still hit it hard.

OR is it the arms that swing, with the forearms, wrists and hands that generate the REAL POWER in the golf swing? If you’ve read any of my Thumbs Down HOW TO guides (Front Nine, Back Nine, Preview, Drills or Pro editions) on curing a slice and teaching yourself to become a better ball striker, you know how much I believe this is where the secret lies, ESPECIALLY for amateur and recreational players.

Pro’s play a different game than the rest of us. They can afford to fine tune their swings to perfection, but for the tens of millions of others, squaring the club at impact with the smaller muscles in the forearms, wrists, hands (and don’t forget those thumbs) provide the missing ingredient's for increased power, accuracy and control.

Don’t forget, for a limited time I’m offering Better Ball Striking for under $10, then a 100% trade-in (means it’s FREE) for an upgrade to the new and improved Back Nine or Pro Plus editions. Both include virtual lessons via the internet by ME.

With the holidays approaching, the gift of golf ALWAYS scores points with family, friends and business. Please visit http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/

Tiger in the Spotlight ...yes again

If it looks like the focus of my last few stories has been Tiger Woods, I admit it, but there’s a good reason. I realize, NOT everyone agrees with my view point, (some of you more than others as your comments imply) BUT this guy is the real deal! He’s the kind of athlete one can admire, (try to) imitate and enjoy watching perform with the utmost respect, both for his talent level and endless desire to win, but also as a person. Today it’s rare to find that combination in a professional athlete, especially one who’s consistently re-writing the history books (both hard copy and on-line versions) AND ALWAYS in the spotlight with every move he makes. Once there was a guy named OJ who seemed to own the world (…but we won’t go down that road).

With all the historic achievements bestowed on him, Tiger Woods did something last Sunday 9-16-07, he had never done before. No, I’m not referring to his hitting into the group in front of him (Sergio Garcia and Zach Johnson) with his second shot from 286 yards with a 5 wood, while they were on the ninth green of the par 5 hole. I’ll bet he’s hit into many groups during his storied career. This was the first time Woods walked away from one tournament with two trophies. Along with winning the TOUR Championship and its $1.26 million prize, he was a runaway winner of the inaugural FedEx Cup and the $10 million that goes into his retirement account.

The PGA TOUR's "new era in golf" came to a familiar conclusion Sunday when the world's #1 player captured the TOUR Championship in record-setting fashion, closing with a 4-under 66 for an eight-shot victory at East Lake and his seventh title of the season.

Since the beginning of August, when Tiger took it up to a gear NO other golfer can, he’s won everything in site: The WGC, The PGA, The Tour Championship and The FedEx Cup. I think it’s safe to say that we’ll see highlights of his wins this season a plenty, but we won’t see Tiger on the golf course again until next season’s opener in early January, the Mercedes Championship from Maui. It’s time to give someone else their turn to win.

The FedEx Cup didn't change anything but Tiger Woods' bank account. What’s dramatically changed is this; Tiger’s a dad now! So DON'T be surprised if he’s hung a big sign outside his door that says, “Gone Fishing”.

The cream rises to the top

Alan Martin here, with a 60 second Thumbs Down method golf tip titled: A Pretty Swing don't mean a thing.

On hole #4 of the Front Nine edition of Thumbs Down, the virtual golf lesson I explain how "if the club isn't square, your shots could end up anywhere". Translation: the #1 priority of the golf swing needs to be squaring the club at impact, NOT having the prettiest swing. It's nice to have a smooth rhythmic swing, but golf has had and continues to have champions with average looking or downright ugly looking swings, so it's not a must. Miller Barber, Jim Furyk, Jim Thorp, Alan Doyle and of course that guy Arnold Palmer are a few examples of champions who have gotten the job done without the prettiest of swings. Instead, all pros look basically the same coming through the hitting zone, striking the ball to perfection on almost every shot.

Throughout the Front Nine I tell you to focus on a method that squares the club and to concentrate your precious swing thought time on the moment "just before" ball contact. That's what the Thumbs Down method does. Bottom Line: Better Golf, More Often.

Checkout http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/. Take advantage of my limited offer of "better ball striking" for less than $10. I hope you enjoy today's story below titled "The cream rises to the top".

On the official starting Sunday of the 2007 football season, the best players in the worlds of professional golf and tennis helped take the meaning of this well known expression to the next level, TOTAL DOMINATION.

During the 1970’s I enjoyed watching a stoic yet classy Bjorn Borg play tennis, hitting top spin passing shots with his tiny wooden racket (the Donnay Borg) from every possible angle, on his way to five straight Wimbledon titles. Unfortunately for Borg, Jimmy Conners, John McEnroe and other rivals stood in the way of his ever winning the US Open.

After completing his sixth consecutive Wimbledon victory earlier this year, Roger Federer did what Borg couldn't. He made it look easy as he completed his forth year in a row hoisting the US Open trophy, as he played in his record ninth straight grand slam final match. Can anyone beat this guy? Yes, but the upsets are few and far between!

As Federer’s match against Novak Djokovic was beginning, Tiger Woods was showing Steve Stricker, Aaron Baddley and the rest of golf what being #1 is about, finishing them all off during the FedEx Cup playoffs at the BMW Championship. Any bets on who will finish runner-up in the FedEx Cup race and the $10 million prize? (Actually, it’s a deferred annuity not a lump sum, so take out your violins for Tiger).

Normally, I root for the underdog, but it’s hard to root against these two dominators in their respective sports. Instead I’m enjoying watching history take place, as both Woods and Federer show why they’re in a class above every other player that ever played their sport. Sorry to fans of Jack, Arnie, Ben, Bobby, Bjorn, Arthur and all other past champions in golf and tennis, but it’s true. Thankfully, both are class acts and true role models, a characteristic missing from most professional athletes today.

Do you agree? Disagree? Email your thoughts to ajm.me@thumbsdown.info

The greatest inventions of our time

Alan Martin here, with a 60 second Thumbs Down method golf tip titled: The Truth Be Told

Pros control the clubface and control their shots ...by letting the club do all the work. ALL great ball strikers use their hands and wrists for hidden power, whether they know it or want to admit it. A common denominator that exists with all the best players is how they have the ability to square the club and put it in the ideal hitting position at impact on every shot.

Discover for yourself (as I did) how pros maximize the true source of power and control that comes from the correct use of the hands, wrists and forearms. Visit http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/ for more details.

It’s ironic timing, yet very fitting that my subject matter for this blog story comes on the eve of the conclusion of the Golf Channel’s Fore Inventors Only. After all, this new program, which was conceived by the same people who created "The Big Break" program series, helped begin the process of taking my Thumbs Down efforts for the past 10+ years to the next level.

On a perfect weather Labor Day late afternoon, after dropping my daughter off at college for her freshman year, I kicked back and watched two major league battles in two sports I love to watch, golf and tennis. These events were especially special because it was the final round of the first ever playoffs in golf, at the Deutsche Bank Championship and the end of the first week at the US Open in tennis, which is always a treat. These events were particularly timely for me because they followed an emotional week, where my daughter developed a nasty throat infection and missed all the weekend activities that the university planned for incoming freshman, prior to her first day of classes (today).

As I constantly switched back to watch every stroke from both events, a strange thought and question crossed my mind that went something like this: What’s the greatest invention of my lifetime? The TV, PC, golf and automobile have to rank as 4 of the my top 5, but watching these events almost simultaneously made one stand out high and above the rest, especially when dealing with a sports freak (ME) and my description of late weekend heaven. The winner in my book as the most useful and valuable tools during my lifetime is the TV remote control.

There’s no question of the importance of the computer and specifically the laptop, a handy device I’d have difficulty doing without. How else could I bring you such an entertaining story as this one? But the personal computer ranks as a distant fifth to the others and especially to the remote control. Living equidistant between New York and Philadelphia really helps because there’s a choice of channels between both major markets, which usually assures easy viewing with just a press or two.

On this Labor Day Monday you couldn’t have asked for more action and drama as I watched the back nine on NBC where Phil Mickelson battled head to head in a 2-some against Tiger Woods, holding on to win the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, while a five set thriller on CBS between James Blake and Tommy Haas was televised at the US Open. Their match jockeyed back and forth, with both players ahead then behind, each with match points until Haas finally won it with an ace that made it in by ¼ inch during the tie-breaker.

So, what do you think is the greatest invention of your lifetime? Also, after tonight’s conclusion to Fore Inventors Only, I’d like your opinion of who the winner should be. If you didn’t watch the show you can see the inventions at http://www.golfchannel.com/. I’m interested in knowing if you watched the show and if you voted. If yes, who did you vote for? If no, who do you think should have won? Please email me your comments at ajm.ME@thumbsdown.info.

...AND DON’T FORGET I’m offering a special for a limited time to customers and subscribers (you) to improve your ball striking with my Front Nine eBook for under $10, then get a 100% trade in (which means it's FREE), to celebrate the opening of the new Back Nine and release of the Pro Plus editions of Thumbs Down, the virtual golf lesson.

Both include foundation ball strikng information and drills that are priceless, for less than the price of a round of golf and lunch at a typical country club. PLUS, I include a virtual lesson using the internet, which let’s us connect to review the lessons and answer questions, just like as if we were together. Please visit my website www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/ and www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/order.htm for product details.

Eye of the Tiger

Who do you think will finish second at the PGA Championship?

In 2000, I just began a new job and remember the first time meeting my new Regional VP at a local sales meeting and talking golf. After the initial introduction, the above question was the first I asked him. Of course back then I was referring to fact that Tiger Woods was winning every major tournament in sight ...and there was no reason to think anything would change, so the field was playing for second. Little did I realize that was the year the PGA Championship at Medina would come down to an epic battle between Tiger and Bob May.

Yesterday, I took my kids to see the NY Yankees baseball game, a 1:05 start in the Bronx. Planning ahead, I set the timer for 1:00 to tape (an old fashioned VCR) the WGC Bridgestone Championship. Rory Sabbatini held a one shot lead over Tiger going into the final round and was confident, trash talking at every opportunity. All Saturday night I saw replays of the press conference earlier this year at the Wachovia Championship, where Sabbatini also held a lead over Tiger going into the final round, saying how he thought Tiger had lost his edge and was beatable. NOT! Tiger won that event as Sabbatini faded. At Saturday's press conference Tiger reminded everyone how he’s won as many tournaments this year alone as Sabbatini’s career grand total.

As I returned home from a fun afternoon around 7:00, I sat down with my dinner and turned on the replay, not having any idea what had happened. As I began watching, the TV crew explained how going head to head in the final group with Tiger was REALLY hazardous to the game of his competitor. Although their game plans are to play well, be patient and follow their plan, it usually takes only a few holes for them to hit a few bad shots or miss a few putts, then implode. Typically they shoot in the high 70’s or even 80 or above. At the same time, Tiger plays steady, makes pars plus adds a few birdies to take the lead, then pulls away from the field.

All I can say after watching the first few holes yesterday is WOW…WOW and more WOW! It was déjà vu all over again, an instant replay of the past. Like many before him, Sabbatini scrambled on the first hole for par, then started missing fairways. On this day at Firestone Country Club, where Woods has won many times before, the conditions were US Open-like. The rough was long, thick and wet, thanks to a steady rain all day. Sabbatini slopped it up with bogies and doubles on the front nine, while Tiger hit fairways and greens, making pars and birdies and pulling away. He lead by seven shots before the end of the front nine, but put an exclamation point by chipping in twice from off the green.

Tiger is one modern day athlete you don’t mess with, especially when it’s the final round and he’s in your rear view mirror.

Golf’s Majors – Events that never disappoint

For all those who criticize golf and insist it’s NOT a real sport, what have you been watching for the past forty + years? Ever since I was ten years old and watched Arnold Palmer win the 1964 Masters, I’ve been glued to the TV every year, four times a year during the majors: Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA Championship.

This year’s final round of the 136th British Open (or more officially known as the Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links), won by Padraig Harrington in a playoff vs Sergio Garcia, was yet another nail biting finish that did not disappoint. Isn’t it amazing how even after 72 holes of 300 + yard drives, 250 yard iron shots during regulation play and another four playoff holes, that once again the final outcome came down to a short putt?

Think back to the last time a big time sporting event actually came through with the drama and heart-pounding suspense it was hyped up to be. From my own experiences, the majority of Super Bowls I’ve watched over the years have been mainly disappointing blowouts. The worst hyped events were the big boxing matches. When Ali was at the end of his boxing career I remember getting psyched up a few weeks prior to each fight, only to watch endless rounds of boring clenching and holding. I love baseball and hockey, which is my favorite action packed spectator sport, but when your team is out of it (like my NY Rangers), it’s on to the next season. The other problem that occurs with most other sports is when referees, umpires, judges, etc make judgmental calls that negatively influence the outcome and ruin the game. The recent betting scandal with Tim Donaghy the basketball referee, only accentuates the beauty of golf’s “self policing” style of rule enforcement.

Watching a great golf tournament on a great golf course like the one's they play the majors on is always a treat, even if I’m not rooting for a specific player. This week, I must admit I was rooting for Sergio to break through and erase the demons that haunt those winners who haven’t won a major. Funny thing, Padraig Harrington was in that category himself (for a lot longer) until he shot a final round 67 vs Garcia’s 73 on Sunday, then won the playoff one stroke up. All I can say is, who cares what anyone else thinks. GOLF IS GREAT THEATRE!

Here’s a few questions to leave you with. Your answers and comments are important and welcome, which I plan to post on each blog to make it more interactive and interesting for all:

1. For Sergio, was OPEN week a dream or his worst nightmare?
2. What business related relationship do the winners of the last two British Opens at Carnoustie have in common?

Tiger, a lot like Jack

U.S. Open
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont, Pennsylvania
June 14-17, 2007
Defending Champion: Geoff Ogilvy

Everyone remembers Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships and Tiger Wood's relentless pursuit to break it. After watching Tiger move up on the leader board only to come up short to finish second, like he also did at the Masters I quickly remembered how Nicklaus finished runner up 19 times, also a record. To match Jack, Tiger has a lot of disappointment to experience before eventually surpassing him as best of all time. What I clearly noticed at this year's first two majors is how similar these two champions are in their mental approach to preparing for majors.

At major tournaments with the toughest playing conditions, Nicklaus always felt like he had an immediate edge. His reasoning was simple; most of the field eliminated themselves. Look at the scores at Oakmont this year, Winged Foot last year and US Opens since the mid 1960's and you'll see very similar results. With rare exception, the winning scores are near or over par, but a closer look at the entire field shows many top players posting embarrassing rounds in the high 70's or 80's. Finishing scores of +20 or higher are very common.

Tiger, like Jack has the knack to hang in there, grind it out and minimize the damage until there's only a few players left standing to beat. Even when he's way down the leader board after rounds one and two, Tiger almost always seems to get himself back into contention, heading toward the top on Sunday. I would have given great odds that he would come back to win during the final round at Oakmont.

The conditions played into Tiger's favor but at the end the one stroke margin of victory came from the same place it usually does at the pro level, on the greens. The winning edge came from Angel Cabrera's ability to make birdies when he had the chances verses Tiger Wood's inability to do the same. At the end it wasn't how many fairways, or 395 yard bombs off the tee, or greens in regulation as it was getting the ball to drop into the 4 ¼ inch cup at the right time.

For those who don't think golf is a real sport, wake up. Golf is great theatre!

US Open Week, June 14th-17th

The best golfers, most dedicated fans and media from around the world are in Oakmont, Pennsylvania to see this season's second major championship, the U.S. Open at famed Oakmont Country Club, for a record eighth time. The last time the Open was played at Oakmont was in 1994. Ernie Els claimed the first of his two U.S. Open titles by fending off Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie, in the first three-way playoff since 1963. Oakmont is much different than it was in 1973 when Johnny Miller shot a U.S. Open record round of eight-under 63, beating John Schlee by a stroke. Over 5,000 trees were removed to regain the original links style design plus length added to measure well over 7,200 yards.

Remembering back to last year at Winged Foot, when Geoff Ogilvy gutted out the win as Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomery and the heartbreak loser Phil Mickelson, winner of the previous two majors -- the 2005 PGA Championship and the 2006 Masters, all had finishes they'd like to forget.

Television coverage this week is as follows: ESPN and NBC from 10:00 a.m. (et) until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. NBC will be on air from 3:00-5:00 p.m., while the remaining seven hours of action will be on ESPN. NBC will be on air from 1:00-7:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Here are pairings and tee times for days one and two:
# 1 Thursday/# 10 Friday
7:00/12:30 - Ken Duke, Sam Walker, Johnson Wagner
7:11/12:41 - Craig Kanada, Jon Mills, Tom Gillis
7:22/12:52 - Allen Doyle, Olin Browne, Tom Byrum
7:33/1:03 - Nick Dougherty, a-Trip Kuehne, Ricky Barnes
7:44/1:14 - Ryuji Imada, Vaughn Taylor, Michael Campbell
7:55/1:25 - Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, Pablo Martin
8:06/1:36 - Tiger Woods, a-Richie Ramsay, Geoff Ogilvy
8:17/1:47 - Justin Leonard, Rory Sabbatini, Jerry Kelly
8:28/1:58 - Retief Goosen, Luke Donald, Angel Cabrera
8:39/2:09 - Bob Estes, Johan Edfors, Ryan Palmer
8:50/2:20 - Woody Austin, Mathew Goggin, Pat Perez
9:01/2:31 - Jason Allen, Mike Small, Geoffrey Sisk
9:12/2:42 - Michael Berg, a-Jason Kokrak, Kyle Dobbs
12:30/7:00 - Jeff Brehaut, Andrew Buckle, Darron Stiles
12:41/7:11 - Martin Laird, a-Alex Prugh, Todd Fischer
12:52/7:22 - Joe Durant, Steve Stricker, Joey Sindelar
1:03/7:33 - Trevor Immelman, Stewart Cink, Paul Casey
1:14/7:44 - Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Henrik Stenson
1:25/7:55 - Jeff Sluman, Fred Funk, Toru Taniguchi
1:36/8:06 - Camilo Villegas, Lucas Glover, Aaron Baddeley
1:47/8:17 - David Howell, J.J. Henry, Rod Pampling
1:58/8:28 - Lee Westwood, Chad Campbell, Carl Pettersson
2:09/8:39 - Brett Quigley, Anthony Wall, Hunter Mahan
2:20/8:50 - Kevin Sutherland, Soren Kjeldsen, Eric Axley
2:31/9:01 - Joe Daley, a-Martin Ureta, Miguel Rodriguez
2:42/9:12 - a-Chris Condello, Adam Speirs, Jacob Rogers

# 10 Thursday/# 1 Friday
7:00/12:30 - Michael Putnam, a-Rhys Davies, Lee Williams
7:11/12:41 - Boo Weekley, Nobuhiro Masuda, Bubba Watson
7:22/12:52 - a-John Kelly, Graeme McDowell, Kirk Triplett
7:33/1:03 - Colin Montgomerie, Chris Dimarco, Tim Clark
7:44/1:14 - Ernie Els, Zach Johnson, Padraig Harrington
7:55/1:25 - Thomas Bjorn, Ben Curtis, Stephen Ames
8:06/1:36 - K.J. Choi, David Toms, Mike Weir
8:17/1:47 - Stuart Appleby, Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby
8:28/1:58 - Todd Hamilton, John Rollins, Anders Hansen
8:39/2:09 - Niclas Fasth, Arron Oberholser, Nathan Green
8:50/2:20 - Nick Watney, Peter Hanson, Harrison Frazar
9:01/2:31 - a-Philip Pettitt Jr, Warren Pineo, John Koskinen
9:12/2:42 - Andy Matthews, a-Jeff Golden, Michael Block
12:30/7:00 - Jason Dufner, Darren Fichardt, Chris Stroud
12:41/7:11 - Brandt Snedeker, Christian Cevaer, Steve Marino
12:52/7:22 - Shaun Micheel, Charl Schwartzel, Tom Pernice Jr.
1:03/7:33 - Nick O'Hern, Brett Wetterich, Robert Karlsson
1:14/7:44 - Kaname Yokoo, Paul Goydos, Kenneth Ferrie
1:25/7:55 - Ian Poulter, Ryan Moore, Shingo Katayama
1:36/8:06 - Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk
1:47/8:17 - Lee Janzen, Steve Elkington, Rich Beem
1:58/8:28 - Charles Howell, Justin Rose, Sean O'Hair
2:09/8:39 - Anthony Kim, Jeev Milkha Singh, Dean Wilson
2:20/8:50 - Tim Petrovic, Marcus Fraser, Tripp Isenhour
2:31/9:01 - D.J. Brigman, a-Richard Lee, George McNeill
2:42/9:12 - Frank Bensel, Todd Rossetti, a-Mark Harrell

Q&A: Who can qualify for the US Open?
Any professional golfer, or any amateur with a USGA men's handicap index of 1.4 or lower, can attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open. Many golfers are exempt from sectional qualifying, or exempt from local qualifying but not from sectional. Most of the exemptions are based on such things as performance in other majors, performance in other USGA championships, standing on the money list or world golf rankings, and so on. Assuming you don't qualify for an exemption, then you'll have to take part in a local qualifier. In 2006, local qualifiers were held at 110 locations across the United States, with more than 7,000 golfers taking part.

Elsewhere in professional golf:

EUROPEAN TOUR
OPEN DE SAINT-OMER, Aa Saint Omer Golf Club, Lumbres, France
Last year, Cesar Monasterio closed with a four-under 67 to overcome a five- shot deficit and claim a one-stroke win over Martin Maritz and third-round leader Henrik Nystrom

NATIONWIDE TOUR
Rochester Area Charities Showdown at Somerby, Somerby Golf Club, Byron, Minnesota
Last year, Brandt Snedeker needed two extra holes to defeat Jeff Quinney. Both players have been playing well this year on the PGA Tour as Snedeker is 43rd on the money list, while Quinney is 27th. Each has practically secured their PGA Tour card for next year with over a $1 million earned to this point in the season.

Last Week's recap:
PGA TOUR
Woody Austin fired a final round eight-under 62 to capture the Stanford St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. Austin played the round of his life when it counted for his fifth win on the PGA Tour.

LPGA TOUR
Suzann Pettersen won the McDonald's LPGA Championship on Sunday and moved up eight places to # 4 in the latest Rolex Rankings for women's golf. Karrie Webb finished runner-up for the second year in a row and knocked Annika Sorenstam from the # 2 position. Sorenstam, the longtime No. 1 before Lorena Ochoa supplanted her earlier this season, is the new # 3.

EUROPEAN TOUR
Richard Green bogeyed the final hole of the BA-CA Golf Open to tie Jean-Francois Remesy at 16-under-par, winning on the first playoff hole, his first win since the 1997 Dubai Desert Classic.

CHAMPIONS TOUR
Jay Haas bogied the final two holes but had a big enough cushion to win The Principal Charity Classic by three strokes.

NATIONWIDE TOUR
Kyle Thompson shot a one-under 70 over Bob Burns to win the Rex Hospital Open in wire-to-wire fashion, his first Nationwide Tour victory.

Pro Tour Recaps - Week of May 31 - June 3

PGA TOUR
Memorial Tournament
Muirfield Village GC
Dublin, Ohio
Defending Champion: Carl Pettersson
Purse: $6,000,000

K.J. Choi overcame a 5-shot deficit to win the Memorial Tournament. Choi, a self taught pro learned to play golf by reading books by Jack Nicklaus and spending hours watching his videos. Australian’s Adam Scott and Rod Pampling, both had leads but could not hold them, as Choi endured for his fifth TOUR win. Full Field Scores


Ginn Tribute Hosted by ANNIKA
RiverTowne Country Club
Charleston, South Carolina
Purse: $2,600,000

Nicole Castrale fought from behind to win her first LPGA Tour victory, beating Lorena Ochoa on the first hole of a playoff. Ochoa, was up by six shots Saturday and still ahead by two shots with three holes to play Sunday, but bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes allowed Castrale to tie at the end of regulation. Castrale, who watched Ochoa's drive land in the hazard on the first playoff hole, found the fairway and made a routine par for the win. Full Field Scores

CHAMPIONS TOUR
The Boeing Championship at Sandestin
Raven Golf Club at Sandestin Resort
Sandestin, Florida
Defending Champion: Bobby Wadkins
Purse: $1,650,000

Loren Roberts won The Boeing Championship for his first Champions Tour victory of the year, closing with a 6-under 65 and a 16-under total, for a three-stroke victory over Argentina's Eduardo Romero. Full Field Scores

EUROPEAN TOUR
The Celtic Manor Wales Open
Celtic Manor Resort
City of Newport, Wales
Defending Champion: Robert Karlsson

Richard Sterne of South Africa made a 7-foot putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Wales Open after Bradley Dredge missed a 5-footer that would have forced a playoff. Full Field Scores

NATIONWIDE TOUR
LaSalle Bank Open
The Glen Club
Glenview, Illinois
Defending Champion: Jason Dufner
Purse: $750,000

John Riegger ended a 20+ year draught, winning his first professional tour title. Riegger fought from behind as he holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish at 17- under, one-stroke better than B.J. Staten. Full Field Scores

The Girls Rock in New Jersey

LPGA Tour
Sybase Classic
Upper Montclair Country Club
Clifton, New Jersey
Defending: Lorena Ochoa
Purse: $1,400,000

This week the LPGA made their annual stop in New Jersey, but instead of the usual Shopright Classic from Seaview Marriot, the Sybase Classic took center stage. Playing for the first time at Montclair Country Club, defending champion and the No. 1 player in women's golf Lorena Ochoa won, finishing three strokes ahead of tournament frontrunner Sarah Lee. Ochoa closed the deal with a 4-under 68 for an 18-under tournament total. The duo distanced themselves from the field the day before, turning the outcome into a match play event. The victory was the second of the season and the 11th of her career for the LPGA Tour's top player in 2006. Full Field Scores

Editorial comment:
When I see scores like this, the first thought is that the course was short and easy. It blows my mind to see how low pros go, because as a handicap golfer for over 40 years I know “there’s nothing easy about it”. There’s no such thing as an easy golf course and par was meant to be broken, only by a chosen few. Pro golfers make it look easy because they are that good, miles above the rest of us. Oh well, I’ll just have to settle for breaking 80. Golf’s still the best good habit in my life. Email your thoughts to: AJM.ME@thumbsdown.info.

Also this week in the world of NJ Golf:

Matt Davidson from West Windsor, who qualified to play on the PGA Tour in 2005 shot a 65 in the final round to finish in sixth place (his best finish of the year) and on the Hooters Tour. Davidson finished at 12 under par and now ranks 24th on the tour’s money list.

Davidson had an unusual “be careful what you wish for” experience in 2004 by playing the best six rounds of his life at Q-School, qualifying to play on the PGA Tour. In his first round as a pro he was paired with Michele Wie during the 2005 Sony Open in Hawaii. As his father put it, “it’s like he started his career with the NY Yankees. A great learning experience, but talk about pressure”.

This week's other Pro Tour events:

PGA Tour
AT&T Classic
TPC at Sugarloaf
Duluth, Georgia
Defending: Phil Mickelson
Purse: $5,400,000

Master’s Champion Zack Johnson validated is credentials as a PGA winner at the AT&T Classic (formerly the Bell South), beating Ryuji Imada on the first hole of a playoff. After Imada slightly pulled his approach shot into the water, Johnson abandoned his conservative strategy that helped him win the Masters, by laying up on par 5’s. This time went for it and landed his second shot onto the 18th green, leaving a 60-footer for eagle. His approach putt finished a few inches from the hole, with a tap in for the victory. Johnson, also the 2004 winner, closed with a 5-under 67, 15-under par. Full Field Scores

European Tour
Irish Open
Adare Manor Golf Club
Limerick, Ireland
Defending: Thomas Bjorn

Padraig Harrington became the first Irishman to win the Irish Open in 25 years Sunday, beating Welshman Bradley Dredge on the first hole of a playoff. Full Field Scores

Nationwide Tour
BMW Charity Pro-Am
The Cliffs
Greenville, South Carolina
Defending: Ken Duke
Purse: $650,000 ($117,000 to winner)

Nick Flanagan birdied his final three holes Sunday and shot a 7-under 65 to win the BMW Charity Pro-Am, his second Nationwide Tour victory in a row. In the final round he pulled ahead of third-round leader, Richard Johnson and Tommy Gainey, a contestant from the Golf Channel series "The Big Break" who had a disappointing final round of 77. Full Field Scores

Champions Tour
The Regions Charity Classic
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Hoover, Alabama
Defending: Brad Bryant
Purse: $1,600,000

Brad Bryant repeated as champion by beating R.W. Eaks on the third hole of a playoff, becoming the first player to win the tournament twice. After both players parred the 470-yard par-4, 18th hole twice in the playoff, Bryant sank a 13-foot birdie putt to win. Full Field Scores

Canadian Tour
Iberostar Riviera Maya Open
Riviera Maya, Mexico
Spencer Levin finished with a 7-under 65, for a 21-under-par total to win his first tour title. Full Field Scores

Pro Tour Recaps - Week of Apr 26-29

EDS Byron Nelson Championship
TPC at Four Seasons
Irving, Texas
Defending: Brett Wetterich
Purse: $6,300,000

Scott Verplank won the tournament he's always wanted to win, in front of the home town crowd. After his 2-foot par putt fell into the hole for a dream victory, Verplank dropped into a squatting position and looked skyward, almost in disbelief. He did his best Ben Crenshaw imitation, after he won the 1995 Masters.

Back then Harvey Penik, Crenshaw’s childhood mentor who died the week before the Masters, provided the inspiration that seemed to make all the difference. Crenshaw fell to his knees and cried after his victory. This year’s host the late Byron Nelson ,who died last year at the age of 95 played a similar role for Verplank as a young player. If you ever believed in fate, these two player’s victories gave plenty of reasons to believe. Luke Donald started the day up by one stroke. His lead had grown to three after making a 12-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole, where Verplank began a his own 3-hole birdie run.

The tournament shifted at the ninth hole when Donald’s tee shot hooked into the trees and he made double bogey. Verplank closed with a 4-under-66 at 13-under, a stroke ahead of Luke Donald for his fifth PGA TOUR victory, his first since the 2001 Canadian Open. Phil Mickelson, Jerry Kelly, Rory Sabbatini and Ian Poulter tied for third at 10 under.

Mickelson played in his first tournament since the Masters and officially switching swing instructors from Rick Smith to Butch Harmon. Do you think players of this caliber need swing coaches? Email your opinion to ajm.ME@thumbsdown.info.

This victory was much more valuable to Verplank than the $1.134 million check and a custom-made motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers. It was the 21st Nelson tournament for Verplank, who considers the event his fifth major because of the man for which it's named -- and who used to write him encouraging notes. Verplank wasonce a standard bearer at the tournament, where his mother was a volunteer. Full Field Scores

Corona Championship
Tres Marias Residential Golf Club
Morelia, Mexico
Defending: Lorena Ochoa
Purse: $1,300,000

Italy's Silvia Cavalleri won her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 66 and a 20-under par total, for a two-stroke victory over Lorena Ochoa and Julieta Granada. Cavalleri had seven birdies in her bogey-free final round in light rain and earned $195,000. Ochoa, the 2006 winner playing her first tournament as the No. 1 player in the world, shot a 68. Granada, also second last year, also finished with a 68.

Cavalleri took the lead with birdies on Nos. 5-7, forcing Ochoa to take a more aggressive approach. The Mexican star pushed hard, but missed several birdies. She lost a ball on the 15th, but came back to par the hole. Pat Hurst shot a 70 to finish fourth, five strokes back at 15 under. South Korean rookie Na On Min (72) followed at 13 under.

Stacy Prammanasudh, the Fields Open winner in Hawaii in February, closed with a 70 to finish at 12 under. Prammanasudh began the day well, birdieing six of her first 10 holes, but then stumbled with a bogey on the tricky 13th, followed by a double bogey on the 14th and a bogey on the 18th. Full Field Scores

Open de Espana
Centro National de Golf
Madrid, Spain
Defending: Niclas Fasth
Purse: $2,715,000

Charl Schwartzel claimed his second European Tour title, with a 15-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole to shoot a 5-under 67 in the final round to beat Jyoti Randhawa by a stroke. The South African hit a spectacular 3-iron shot more than 230 yards into the wind at the end of a long day. Schwartzel bogied the 18th and finished at 16-under. His first win came in December 2004 at the age of 20 at the Dunhill Championship.

Randhawa, still looking for his first European Tour win, ended alone in second place at 15-under following a round of 67. He missed an 18-inch par putt at the 15th hole which turned out to be the difference. Carlos Rodiles shot a 72 and finished in third place at 14-under. Simon Dyson (71) and Mark Foster (68) tied for fourth place at 13-under, while Fredrik Andersson (68) and Andres Romero (66) finished another shot further back at 276.

Three days of weather delays totaling nearly 12 hours pushed the bulk of the third round to Sunday morning. When the last round finally began, Schwartzel was three shots off Rodiles' 54- hole lead. But as it wound down, he found himself chasing Randhawa, finally catching the leader with a birdie at the 13th hole. Full Field Scores

Henrico County Open
The Dominion Club
Glen Allen, Virginia
Defending: Matt Kuchar
Purse: $500,000

Nick Flanagan the 2003 U.S. Amateur champion needed three playoff holes to earn his first tour win. Flanagan, birdied the third extra hole to defeat Chris Baryla for the title.

Roland Thatcher and Bryn Parry had been eliminated on the first two extra holes. Flanagan carded a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish at 13-under-par. Baryla, Parry's playing partner, matched that 70, while the final pairing of Parry and Thatcher each carded final-round 71s to force the extra session. At the third playoff hole 18th, Baryla found a greenside bunker with this second shot. Flanagan's second bounced just over the green into the rough. Baryla blasted out to 4 feet, then Flanagan chipped within a foot. Baryla missed his birdie putt as Flanagan tapped in for birdie and his first tour title. "That's about the longest half-foot putt I've ever had," joked Flanagan, who picked up $81,000 for the win. Full Field Scores

Pro Tour recaps - April 19-22, 2007

PGA TOUR
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
TPC of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Defending: Chris Couch
Purse: $6,100,000 ($1,098,000 to winner)

Nick Watney won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, closing with a 3-under 69 on Sunday for a three-stroke victory over Ken Duke. Watney became the fifth first-time winner on the PGA TOUR this season and the fifth first-time winner in the last six years at New Orleans' annual PGA TOUR event. He joins Chris Couch (2006), Tim Petrovic (2005), Steve Flesch (2003) and K.J. Choi (2002).

After sleeping on a two-stroke final round lead, Watney got off to a shaky start. He bogeyed two of his first four holes, before the shot of the tournament occurred. On the par-4 fifth Watney holed his132-yard approach shot for an eagle, to pull back into a tie for the lead. The turning point of the tournament didn’t occur until the 14th, when Watney stuck his tee shot to short birdie range while Duke's tee shot landed short and left of the green. When his chip went 7 feet past the pin and he missed the par putt, he fell two shots back. Watney parred the final four holes, missing the fairway only once off the tee and hitting every green in regulation.

TOUR rookie Anthony Kim had the best round of the day, a 65 -- one shot off the course record that fellow rookie Kyle Reifers set Thursday. The round of nine birdies and two bogeys left him tied for third with John Mallinger at 11 under.

Heading into the final round, 13-time winner Mark Calcavecchia was the only player in the top five with a previous victory. He started the day only three shots back and appeared primed to close in on the lead, but never seriously challenged. With a final round 71 Calcavecchia tied for fifth with Bubba Watson and Chris Stroud at 10 under.

The tournament switched locations from the course at English Turn to the current location in 2005, only months before it was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Over 2,000 fallen trees clogged drains and flooded the course, which was closed for 10 months, with $2 million in repairs to 30 acres of damaged turf.

Full field scores:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=11101&dv=7396180&select=9617

EUROPEAN TOUR
BMW Asian Open
Tomson Golf Course
Shanghai, China
Defending: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
Purse: $2,300,000

Raphael Jacquelin was helped by early birdies during the final round to complete a wire-to-wire victory. The Frenchman made four bogeys on his last six holes, but held on for his second European Tour title.

Jacquelin's 1-over 73 was good enough at 10-under for a two-shot win over Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen who finished alone in second place at 8-under. Kjeldsen made a double-bogey at the 14th and a bogey at #16, one of a handful of players who made the win easier for Jacquelin. Asian Tour regulars Simon Yates (74) and Scott Hend (75) tied for third place at 7-under while 2005 champion and world #5 Ernie Els (72) shared fifth place with Richard Sterne (69), Sung-Man Lee (73) and Markus Brier (74) at 6-under. Kjeldsen, Yates and Hend played the final five holes a combined 8 over par.

Further down the leader board, several of the biggest names in the tournament posted commendable finishes. Miguel Angel Jimenez had a 73 Sunday and finished in a five-way tie for 10th place at 4-under. World #8 Retief Goosen closed with a 71 and tied for 15th place alongside eight-time Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie (77) and two others at 3-under.

Scoring was considerably higher Sunday than it had been in the first three rounds. A windy, rainy Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club was tough on just about everyone, especially down the stretch.

Full field scores:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=11105&dv=8732923&select=9762


CHAMPIONS TOUR
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa
Savannah, Georgia
Defending: Jay Haas
Purse: $2,500,000

Jay Haas parred the first playoff hole to defeat Tom Kite and successfully defend his title at the Legends of Golf on Sunday. Both made spectacular up-and-downs at 18 in regulation, a feat others were not able to accomplish. Kite came up short with his second, then chipped to 12 feet and made the putt. Haas hit a spectacular bunker shot to 2 feet to join Kite at 9-under-par.

In their playoff, Kite and Haas both found the fairway on the difficult 18th hole, but neither player hit the green in regulation. Haas had mud on his ball and the approach shot sailed long and right, then he chipped to 2 feet, all but guaranteeing a par. Kite hit a poor shot 55 feet short of the stick, then left himself with 4 feet for par as his long birdie putt for the win sailed past the hole. Kite then missed the par putt, as Haas tapped in for his eighth Champions Tour victory and his second this season.

Mark James, who held the lead throughout much of the final round, lost first place when he three-putted the 17th hole. He was tied for the top spot on 18, but he ran his birdie putt 7 feet by, then missed his par effort. Wayne Levi also stood atop the leader board on Sunday, but an errant drive hurt him on the closing hole. He landed in the right rough and hit his approach into the same bunker Haas saved par from in regulation. Unfortunately for Levi, he was not as fortunate as his 6-footer that could have gotten him in the playoff stayed above ground.

James and Levi both shot 70s and tied for third place with Gil Morgan (67) and Brad Bryant (70) at 8-under-par. Nick Price posted his best showing on the Champions Tour thanks in part to a 7-under 65 on Sunday. He tied for seventh place with Hale Irwin, who carded a final-round 69, at minus-7.

Eduardo Romero had a final round of 6-under 66 and tied for ninth with Bobby Wadkins as he shot a 5-under 67. Both finish the tournament at 5-under-par. Loren Roberts' Champions Tour record of 37 consecutive rounds of par or better came to an end on Sunday as he posted a 3-over 75 to tie for 16th at minus-2.

Full field scores:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=10100&select=9722


NATIONWIDE TOUR
Athens Regional Foundation Classic
Jennings Mill Country Club
Bogart, Georgia
Defending: Paul Gow
Purse: $500,000

Martin Laird birdied the 72nd hole on Sunday to collect his first Nationwide Tour victory. He posted a 2-under 70 and won with a score of 16-under-par.

Laird did not get off to a great start Sunday as he bogeyed the 3rd hole, but birdies at #4 and #6 and another at #10 gave him a two-shot lead, then added back to back birdies at #13 and #14 to pad his advantage.

Justin Bolli and Jeremy Anderson both fired rounds of 6-under 66 on Sunday and watched as Laird birdied 18 to cost them a chance at a playoff. They completed four rounds at 15-under-par. Michael Letzig carded a 6-under 66 to take fourth at minus-14, while Robert Damron moved up 21 spots in the final round thanks to an 8-under 64. He came in fifth place at 13-under-par.

Bolli was 2 under on the front, but recorded four birdies in his first seven holes of the back nine. Anderson was even through 10 holes with one birdie and one bogey, but he amassed six birdies in his final eight holes to suddenly become a clubhouse leader at minus-15. Things became undone quickly for Laird after he bogeyed 15 and 16 to tie him for the lead with Bolli and Anderson. Laird then birdied the par-5 closing hole to secure his first victory on the Nationwide Tour. He earned the victory despite the great back-nine play from his closest competitors.

Hunter Haas and David Hearn both posted rounds of 5-under 67 on Sunday and shared sixth with Nicholas Thompson, who trailed by one at the start of the round, but only managed an even-par 72 in round four. The trio finished at minus-12. John Riegger shot a 66 and claimed ninth at 11-under-par.

Full field scores:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=11103&dv=5321798&select=9828

Pro Tour recaps - April 12-15, 2007

Welcome to a new chapter in the evolution of The Thumbsdown Method blog. For those of you who receive my newsletters, the changes will be transparent. Be aware that a new audience comprised of readers from a top regional golf magazine will be joining you. Checkout http://www.njgolflinks.com/

During the next few weeks this blog will be transitioned to a new format called, Turn Golf into Business, driving business through the power of Golf. At that time my audience will begin to grow exponentially. Again, everything will be transparent to you. You're still just a click away from interesting recaps of each week's Pro Tour events, plus questions you can respond to and view in the next week's blog. The blog's future content will be a combination of many sources of golf and business related material that fits the theme, including your input which is always welcome.

Email all comments to ajm.ME@thumbsdown.info


Enjoy last week's Pro Tour recap:

PGA Tour
Verizon Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Defending Champion: Aaron Baddeley
Purse: $5,400,000 ($972,000 to winner)

Boo Weekley, the 33-year-old country boy from the Florida Panhandle didn’t need his putter on either of the two final holes on this challenging Monday finish, after play was cancelled on Sunday, due to unplayable weather conditions. Don’t think for a moment that his lack of a putter implies that he coasted to his first victory. It was anything BUT!

As I tuned into The Golf Channel, playing conditions were brutal as winds, though not as fierce as Sunday, continued to tilt flagsticks on Harbour Town's three closing holes when play resumed at 8:00 a.m. The sand from a bunker along the left side of #16 covered a large part of the fairway.

Weekly had just teed off at #16, a par 4 into a 25+ mph crosswind. At that point he was tied with Stephen Leany, until Leany hooked his second shot to #16 into a tree and out of bounds for a double bogie. Weekly missed a 4-foot tester for a bogie and a now had a one shot lead over a charging Ernie Els, who had just birdied the par 5, 15th. That’s when the drama started.

Weekly hit his seven iron to the par 3 17th, 30 yards long, once again right into the teeth of the wind. His first pitch looked like one of mine as he half hit it 10 feet short into the bank and uphill to the green. He took almost no time before chipping up, then rolling 20 feet right into the hole for par, retaining his lead on Els.

On #18 Weekly did it again, after coming up short and right of the green on his second shot, then chipping his third through the green, one role away finishing unplayable down on the rocks. This time he had a severe sidehill stance, with an uphill chip into a fierce sideways wind, about 20 feet. His chip ended up with the same result and a par, but this time for his first win.

The last scare BOO! faced (sorry, I had to throw that it) was when Els needed to hole out from the 18th fairway to tie and just missed by two feet, for a tap in birdie. Boo Weekly’s first PGA Tour win was well deserved, especially after coming so close at The Honda Classic, when he missed a 3 footer to win. This win got him a spot in next year's Masters.

Jerry Kelly, the third round leader who had a hole-in-one on Saturday, watched his chances to end a nearly five-year-old victory drought, slip away when he drove into the water on #10. He finished with a frustrating 77.

Trivia Question: What connection does Weekly’s finish have in common with Craig Perks? When and where? Email your answer to ajm.ME@thumbsdown.info and have it displayed on the blog.

For full field results, click here: http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=10100&select=9615


LPGA Tour
Ginn OPEN
Reunion Resort & Club
Reunion, Florida
Defending Champion: Mi Hyun Kim
Purse: $2,600,000

Brittany Lincicome, started the day four shots behind Lorena Ochoa and Laura Davies, but survived a blustery day and a six-hour round better than everyone else to shoot an even-par 72 and win her second career LPGA Tournament. Last year, Lincicome surprised an elite field to win the HSBC Women's World Match Play, at Hamilton Farms in New Jersey.

Conditions were simply brutal. Morning storms delayed play for 2 1/2 hours, and once the sky cleared, the wind followed. A 41 mph gust was measured in the area Sunday afternoon, and the wind steadily blew in the 20-25 mph range, causing an already tough course to nearly become unbearable.

The 21-year-old battled and hung in there on a day where only one player broke par and earned $390,000 for the win. She finished at 10 under, one shot better than Lorena Ochoa (77) - who was 6 over on her final six holes. It was a stunning collapse that cost Ochoa an opportunity to pass Annika Sorenstam for the top spot in world rankings.

Laura Davies (79) had the outright lead with two holes to play, but three-putted her way to double bogey at the 17th and then bounced around bunkers for a disastrous triple bogey at the last. She finished alone in third at 7 under, one shot better than Juli Inkster and Nicole Castrale. Se Ri Pak finished tied for sixth place, which gave her enough points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, as soon as she completes her tenth tournament this year.

The day's average score was 76.5, 4 1/2 shots higher than it was Saturday. Natalie Gulbis, who started the day tied for third and four shots off the lead, shot an 80 and finished 2 under, and 10 other players shot in the 80s. "Tough conditions prove who's the best player," Ochoa said. "And today it was Brittany, for sure."

Give your opinion: Today, active LPGA players qualify for The Hall of Fame. Do you agree with that format or should they wait until after their playing days are over, like in men’s golf and all other sports? Email your answer to ajm.ME@thumbsdown.info and have it displayed on the blog.

For full field scores: http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=10100&select=9825


European Tour
Volvo China Open
Shanghai Silport Golf Club
Shanghai, China
Defending Champion: Jeev Milkha Singh
Purse: $2,000,000

Austrian Markus Brier won the China Open by five strokes with a final-round four-under 67 to finish at 10-under par. Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (69), Andrew McLardy of South Africa (70) and Scott Hend of Australia (71) tied for second. South Africa's Richard Sterne chipped in for an eagle on #18 for a 70, finishing a stroke back. Brier earned $333,390 out of a purse of $2 million at the tournament co-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.

For full field scores:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=10100&select=9837


Nationwide Tour
South Georgia Classic
Kinderlou Forest Golf Club
Valdosta, Georgia
Purse: $600,000

John Kimbell, a 38-year-old Nationwide Tour rookie, shot a 3-under 69 for his long awaited first career win. Kimbell made a birdie at #16 to edge Australia's Matthew Jones by one shot, finishing at 10-under-par overall. He was the only player who broke 70 during the final round, claiming the $108,000 first prize.

Jeff Klauk (71) and Chez Reavie (72) tied for third place at five-under, with former PGA Tour player Carlos Franco (73) another shot back. Paul Dickinson, who shared the overnight lead with Jones, struggled to a seven-over 79 and tumbled all the way into a tie for 13th place at one-under.

The tournament was decided from holes 12-16. Jones bogeyed the 12th to fall one shot back, then tied Kimbell again with a birdie at the 14th. But Kimbell pulled ahead for good when he birdied the 16th, then held on with consecutive pars to win in just his ninth Nationwide Tour start.

Just like all other pro tours on Sunday April 15, wind wreaked havoc. Kimbell scored more than six shots better than the field average for the final round, on a course he knows well, having won his third Hooters Tour title there last September.

For full field scores:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=10100&select=9567

Enjoy the recap of this week's feature event and a Thumbs Down method instruction tip.

WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship
The Gallery at Dove Mountain (South Course)
Tucson, AZ
February 21 - 25
Defending Champion: Geoff Ogilvy

A golf tournament is typically like a four day marathon. You can't win it on the first day, but you can lose it. In match play events, like this week's Accenture Match Play Championship it's a sprint all the way. Bottom line, win today's match or go home.

As Jack Nicklaus suggested, match play teaches a player to close the deal every day. In match play format a player can play well and lose or play just OK and win. With players of this high level, seed rankings mean nothing. Just like the famous football expression goes "on any given day anyone can beat anyone". What happened yesterday is ancient history. Finding a way to win is all that matters day after day. In this event a player needs to win five tough matches just to make the 36 hole final.

On day one, with a field of 64 players competing for $8 million of total prize money, most of the favorites won their matches. The most notable exception was Ernie Els, who made a quick exit. When your putter escapes you, it makes for a long day as Els missed four putts inside 10 feet, losing 4 and 2 to Bradley Dredge of Wales.

On day two, Tiger Woods kept his hopes alive to win his 8th straight PGA TOUR event by beating Tim Clark 6&5. However, on this day many upsets of top bracket seeds occurred, including Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and VJ Singh.

On day three, Nick O'Hern established himself as the modern times Tiger slayer. O'Hern accomplished something no one else in the world of golf has been able to. In a shocker, he beat Tiger Woods for the second time head to head in a match play event. There goes Tiger's winning streak and this weekend's TV ratings.

It was a day that Woods simply didn't have it. The weather didn't help either, as it was windy and frigid by desert standards, with a little rain added at times. His drives were blocked right and pulled left on a horrendous front nine, where he would surely have scored in the 40's if it was stroke play. Who would have thunk that!

After clawing back from a 4-down deficit to tie the match on 18, (in typical Tiger fashion) the REAL shocker happened when he missed a 4-foot birdie putt to win on the first extra hole. This time it was Tiger's turn to experience the meaning of "sudden death", as O'Hern saved par with a 12-foot putt that barely snuck into the hole, to win on the 20th hole. He made a nice up and down on a long greenside bunker shot, after watching Tiger fail to get it within 20 feet on his chip from off the green.

It was no surprise for me to see Tiger make a strong comeback after falling behind. He was 4 down after eight holes and looked more like a club player than the world's #1. As he stood over his 10 foot birdie putt on 18th to tie the match, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that it was a virtual gimmie. You knew he would make it and he did.

What happened in the playoff was a different story, one of those "I can't believe what I just saw" events. No one ever thought Tiger would miss a 4 footer to win, then NOT getting up and down and losing was a rare event. If you missed seeing this, you missed golf history. After watching it on TV live, as a golfer I don't remember feeling so human.

For current standings of all brackets paste this link into your Internet browser: http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/leaderboards/current/r470/

Thumbs Down Method Instruction tip:
Start with Solid Contact … and work backwards

What this means is that although ALL the steps that make up the entire golf swing are important (all 10,000+), learning to square the club at impact should be on top of your list. Simply put; First teach yourself to control the clubface (with the hands), using it as a tool to get the job done. For best results, discipline yourself to focus your practice sessions on the impact zone.

Try this Drill: Take slow motion swings only to calf or waist height, making a Thumbs Down motion as you strike down on the ball. After getting the feel of making solid contact on the sweet spot, your confidence level will dramatically improve, along with your game. Lower scores are not a guarantee …they are the natural results.

Thumbs Down method - Newsletter2, Feb 07

On Super Bowl Sunday the final round of these pro tour events were played:

PGA TOUR
FBR Open
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona

Aaron Baddeley shot his second straight 7-under 64 and took advantage of Jeff Quinney's collapse down the final four holes to win the FBR Open by one shot. Trailing by three strokes with four holes to play, Baddeley made three consecutive birdies from No. 15 to secure his second career PGA TOUR victory, completing the lowest weekend score in tournament history.

Formally the Phoenix Open, this tournament which finishes annually on Super Bowl Sunday enjoys a football game-like atmosphere. It's louder and routier than any other event all year, with the only exception being the Ryder Cup, where the Golf Gods permit (and expect) heavy fan participation like this. The 16th hole is unique in all of golf, resembling a stadium where booing is permitted, but Noonan's are not allowed. It's also lined with corporate boxes which account for a majority of the tournaments revenue, loyal is the only other tournament that even this kind of more like a than golf.

It ain't over till it's over is a Yogi –ism, which has never played so true to form as it has so far this season on the PGA TOUR. With the exception of season opening Mercedes Championship, each week has seen the leader going into the final round falter and NOT finish the deal, even when it looked like they were going to win.

Quinney, a former US Amateur Champion and Nationwide Tour grad seemingly handed Baddeley the win. He had the opportunity to put it virtually out of reach but missed a short birdie putt on 15. Later, he hooked his tee shot into the water on 17, made a great chip within 4 feet, before missing the short putt and settling for bogey, then another on 18. He finished one shot behind John Rollins, who slipped into secondplace at 20-under after quietly shooting the round of the day with an 8-under 63. Rollins may have forced a playoff if he hadn't gotten unlucky at the 18th. His approach shot was dead-on, but it hit the flag stick and rolled back off the front of the green, where he made par. In my recap of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic I referred to Rollins as a "who is this guy?"unknown player. He's owed more respect than that, as he's playing very well this year so far. Here's a trivia question: Who's the current FedEx Cup leader? Answer: John Rollins.

Baddeley, meanwhile earned the victory when he made a 10-footer for birdie on 17 and pulled ahead by one shot. He closed with a routine par at the 18th to finish at 21-under-par to win the $1.08 million first prize.

EUROPEAN TOUR
Dubai Desert Classic
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Playing the final round in sandstorm conditions in the desert, Henrik Stenson won the Dubai Desert Classic. The Swede closed with a 4-under 68 to finish the tournament at 19-under-par. Third-round leader Ernie Els, finished second at minus-18. The three-time winner struggled early with three bogeys on the first six holes to shoot a 1-under 71.

Tiger Woods steadly moved up the leaderboard every day and had his chances to challenge Stenson, but had a frustrating day on the greens to finish two back. Woods birdied four of the final six holes to shoot 3-under 69, tieing for third place with Niclas Fasth, who shot a final round 68, at 17-under-par. Ross Fisher, who held at least a share of the lead after the first two rounds, closed with a 71 to finish in fifth at minus-16. Fisher joined Woods, Els, Fasth and Stenson as the five players who owned at least a share of the lead during the final round, before he finished with all bogeys from the 16th.

Peter Hanson shot 1-under 71 Sunday to take sixth at 14-under-par 274. Simon Dyson, Prom Meesawat and Jyoti Randhawa were one stroke further back at minus-13. Thomas Bjorn, shared 10th place at 12-under-par with Robert Karlsson, Maarten Lafeber and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

WOMEN'S EUROPEAN TOUR
Australian Women's Open

Karrie Webb shot an even-par 72 in the final round of the Australian Women's Open for asix-stroke win. Webb, who began the day with a four-stroke lead over Wei Yun-jye of Taiwan, never saw her lead drop below three shots to finish at 10-under. Wei shot 74 to finish second at 4-under.

Paula Marti of Spain and Minea Blomqvist of Finland, each with closing 69s, finished tied for third at 2-under. Brittany Lincicome of the United States and Shin Ji-yai of South Korea also finished with 69s and were another shot back tied for fifth. Katherine Hull of Australia shot a 7-under 65, the best round of the day, to move into ninth place at 1-over. Two of the highest profile golfers in the field had disastrous final rounds. Laura Davies shot 77 to finish at 13-over, while Natalie Gulbis had an 81 and finished at 14-over.

Hot off the presses:
U.S. Women's Open Adopts Three-Hole Playoff

Beginning in 2007, the playoff format for the U.S. Women's Open will be changed to a three-hole aggregate total immediately following the end of regulation play. Until this year, players tied after 72 holes faced an 18-hole playoff the day after regulation play to determine the winner, like last year at Newport (R.I.) Country Club when Annika Sorenstam defeated Pat Hurst. The 2007 Women's Open is scheduled from June 28-July 1 at Pine NeedlesLodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.