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
April 24, 2007
April 19, 2007
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
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
February 24, 2007
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.
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.
February 10, 2007
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.
February 08, 2007
Thumbs Down method - Newsletter Jan 28
This week on the pro tours:
PGA TOUR
Buick Invitational
SAN DIEGO, CA
Jan 25-28
Tiger Woods won his third straight Buick Invitational, for his seventh consecutive victory on the PGA TOUR, the second-longest winning steak in history. Byron Nelson set the record in 1945 with 11 in a row, another one of those records nobody thought was in reach of ever being threatened.
With Tiger, the final result is becoming all too predictable, even when he's on the second page of the leaderboard during the early rounds. These days it's just a matter of WHEN and not IF he'll catch the leaders and win, especially when the top contenders combined have a total of one win. Woods caught up to the pack during the final round with an eagle on the 9th hole, then buried the final challengers on the back nine for a 6-under 66. He got help when Andrew Buckle and Jeff Quinney, who shared the lead on the back nine until they both stumbled on a cool, breezy afternoon at Torrey Pines. Charles Howell III provided the final challenge with three birdies in a four-hole stretch and tour rookie Brandt Snedeker, who held the lead from the opening day with a 61 closed with a 71 and finished third.
The way Woods is playing reminds me of the 2000 season when he won six in a row, including two majors, the US OPEN and PGA. To put it in perspective, since July he's finished no worse than second in stroke play anywhere in the world. Even though Nelson's record was a true winning streak and Wood's isn't because he lost once in Europe and twice in Asia since September, it counts in the PGA TOUR record books.Should Byron Nelson's record be in jeopardy of being broken? My own personal opinion is that Nelson won eleven tournaments in a row and that's the record. The tour he played them on is irrelevant so Nelson's record should stand. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
EUROPEAN TOUR
The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
DOHA, Qatar
Jan 25-28
Playing the 17th hole in the final round Nick O'Hern held a two stroke lead, then quickly lost it to Retief Goosen who finished birdie - eagle to win over a stunned O'Hern. Goosen, O'Hern and Richard Green started the final round tied for the lead. With two holes remaining Goosen held a share of the lead until he bogied the 15th, then fell two back when O'Hern birdied 16. Green fell off the pace during the final five holes with three bogies an eagle and a birdie on 18 to finish tied for fourth with Graeme McDowell and Stuart Appleby. 2005 champion Ernie Els, finished third with a 5-under 67.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Turtle Bay Championship
KAHUKU, Hawaii
Jan 26-28
Fred Funk cruised to his second Champions Tour victory after posting his second consecutive round of 8-under 64 in the final round at the Turtle Bay Championship. Funk's 23 under par is the lowest score in relation to par in a 54-hole tournament in Champions Tour history. His birdie on the final hole and Tom Kite's bogey made the margin of victory 11. That bested the previous Champions Tour record for largest margin of victory by two.
Kite threw away an easy runner-up finish down the stretch. He dropped three shots in the final two holes and fell into a tie for second at 12-under-par. He was joined by Loren Roberts, the 2006 champion, Tom Purtzer, Denis Watson and Kiyoshi Murota. Tim Simpson, D.A. Weibring and David Eger shared eighth place at 11-under-par. Scott Simpson, David Edwards and Mike Reid tied for 10th at minus-10.
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Movistar Panama Championship
PANAMA CITY, Panama
Jan 25-28
Miguel Carballo fired a 5-under 65 in the final round to win the Nationwide Tour's 2007 season-opener. He finished at 6-under-par for a two-shot victory over three players: Jim McGovern, Hunter Haas and Patrick Sheehan. Third-round leader Marc Yurnesa shot a 73 and slipped into a tie for fifth place with Camilo Benedetti.
Carballo is the third Latin American to win on the Nationwide Tour after Paraguay's Angel Franco and Keoke Cotner and Esteban Toledo of Spain. His victory came at the same course, Panama Golf Club, where another famous Argentine golfer won: Hall of Famer Roberto De Vicenzo. Jeremy Anderson shot a 67 to move into a tie for seventh place at 2-under. He was joined there by Chris Nallen, Tim Wilkinson, Richard Johnson and Gary Christian.
PGA TOUR
Buick Invitational
SAN DIEGO, CA
Jan 25-28
Tiger Woods won his third straight Buick Invitational, for his seventh consecutive victory on the PGA TOUR, the second-longest winning steak in history. Byron Nelson set the record in 1945 with 11 in a row, another one of those records nobody thought was in reach of ever being threatened.
With Tiger, the final result is becoming all too predictable, even when he's on the second page of the leaderboard during the early rounds. These days it's just a matter of WHEN and not IF he'll catch the leaders and win, especially when the top contenders combined have a total of one win. Woods caught up to the pack during the final round with an eagle on the 9th hole, then buried the final challengers on the back nine for a 6-under 66. He got help when Andrew Buckle and Jeff Quinney, who shared the lead on the back nine until they both stumbled on a cool, breezy afternoon at Torrey Pines. Charles Howell III provided the final challenge with three birdies in a four-hole stretch and tour rookie Brandt Snedeker, who held the lead from the opening day with a 61 closed with a 71 and finished third.
The way Woods is playing reminds me of the 2000 season when he won six in a row, including two majors, the US OPEN and PGA. To put it in perspective, since July he's finished no worse than second in stroke play anywhere in the world. Even though Nelson's record was a true winning streak and Wood's isn't because he lost once in Europe and twice in Asia since September, it counts in the PGA TOUR record books.Should Byron Nelson's record be in jeopardy of being broken? My own personal opinion is that Nelson won eleven tournaments in a row and that's the record. The tour he played them on is irrelevant so Nelson's record should stand. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
EUROPEAN TOUR
The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
DOHA, Qatar
Jan 25-28
Playing the 17th hole in the final round Nick O'Hern held a two stroke lead, then quickly lost it to Retief Goosen who finished birdie - eagle to win over a stunned O'Hern. Goosen, O'Hern and Richard Green started the final round tied for the lead. With two holes remaining Goosen held a share of the lead until he bogied the 15th, then fell two back when O'Hern birdied 16. Green fell off the pace during the final five holes with three bogies an eagle and a birdie on 18 to finish tied for fourth with Graeme McDowell and Stuart Appleby. 2005 champion Ernie Els, finished third with a 5-under 67.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Turtle Bay Championship
KAHUKU, Hawaii
Jan 26-28
Fred Funk cruised to his second Champions Tour victory after posting his second consecutive round of 8-under 64 in the final round at the Turtle Bay Championship. Funk's 23 under par is the lowest score in relation to par in a 54-hole tournament in Champions Tour history. His birdie on the final hole and Tom Kite's bogey made the margin of victory 11. That bested the previous Champions Tour record for largest margin of victory by two.
Kite threw away an easy runner-up finish down the stretch. He dropped three shots in the final two holes and fell into a tie for second at 12-under-par. He was joined by Loren Roberts, the 2006 champion, Tom Purtzer, Denis Watson and Kiyoshi Murota. Tim Simpson, D.A. Weibring and David Eger shared eighth place at 11-under-par. Scott Simpson, David Edwards and Mike Reid tied for 10th at minus-10.
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Movistar Panama Championship
PANAMA CITY, Panama
Jan 25-28
Miguel Carballo fired a 5-under 65 in the final round to win the Nationwide Tour's 2007 season-opener. He finished at 6-under-par for a two-shot victory over three players: Jim McGovern, Hunter Haas and Patrick Sheehan. Third-round leader Marc Yurnesa shot a 73 and slipped into a tie for fifth place with Camilo Benedetti.
Carballo is the third Latin American to win on the Nationwide Tour after Paraguay's Angel Franco and Keoke Cotner and Esteban Toledo of Spain. His victory came at the same course, Panama Golf Club, where another famous Argentine golfer won: Hall of Famer Roberto De Vicenzo. Jeremy Anderson shot a 67 to move into a tie for seventh place at 2-under. He was joined there by Chris Nallen, Tim Wilkinson, Richard Johnson and Gary Christian.
Thumbs Down method - Newsletter Jan 20
While many of us were watching the NFL playoffs on Sunday January 21 to determine this year's Super Bowl finalists, these pro golf events were taking place:
PGA TOUR
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
PALM DESERT, CA
Jan 17-21
Justin Rose shot a 6-under 66 to take sole possession of the lead after three rounds of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at 18-under-par and looked in control to win his first PGA TOUR event. Unfortunately for Rose, he joined last week's final round leader Charles Howell III as frontrunners, hungry for a win but who couldn't close the deal. Rose finished one stroke back to the eventual winner Charley Hoffman (who??), who finished regulation with a birdie and an eagle to post at 17-under-par. Hoffman then defeated John Rollins (another who??) on the first playoff hole.
Low scoring, sometimes 30 or more under par is the norm for this five round, 90 hole tournament, the only one on the PGA TOUR schedule. It's rotated over four courses for the first four rounds: Bermuda Dunes Country Club, the Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West, La Quinta Country Club and The Classic Club, which will host the final round on Sunday. This year's winning score defied past history by going in reverse during the final round, mostly due to gusting winds over 40 mph. The winds were so severe they almost cancelled the final round. Last year in January I played a round in Florida with this same type of wind. You know the conditions are difficult when the wind is howling so hard that the ball actually wobbles on the green as you're putting.
With the exception of defending champion Phil Mickelson, who kicked off his 2007 season at this event, the leaderboard consisted of very few familiar names to the casual viewer. In addition to Hoffman and Rollins, other lesser known players in contention included: Lucas Glover, Charles Warren, John Senden, Matt Kuchar, Dean Wilson, Heath Slocum Vaughn Taylor, Charles Warren, Cliff Kresge and Jeff Quinney to name a few.
Think about how good these guys are. Every week they battle and typically finish their four rounds under par, ending up so far down on the leader board that we don't even notice. When was the last time any of us had a round under par, let alone four? NEVER is the honest answer. Hey, these guys are REALLY GOOD! As for Mickelson, he closed with a 6-over 78 to share 45th at seven-under-par. Not bad for a week the press described as atrocious.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
MasterCard Championship
KA'UPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii
Jan 19-21
Anyone who thought Hale Irwin was too old and washed up is sadly mistaken. Irwin showed how competitive and determined he was in the off-season, as he won the Champions Tour's season-opening MasterCard Championship, beating Jim Thorpe and Tom Kite by five strokes for his tour-record 45th victory. Coming off his first winless season in 12 years, the 61-year-old Irwin closed with a 7-under 65 for a 23-under winning score.
Last year, he was shutout for the first time since joining the Champions Tour in 1995 and saw his streak of seasons with $1 million in winnings end at 10. On Saturday, Irwin had 10 birdies and almost shot his age, but missed a 12-foot birdie putt on 18 and settled for a 62. He has dominated in Hawaii like no other golfer, winning nine times on the senior tour, including the 1997 MasterCard and also taking the 1981 Hawaiian Open on the PGA Tour. As a side note, Gary Player is still playing on the Champions Tour and CAN STILL play, as he shot his age of 69 two out of the three rounds.
Jay Haas and first-round leader Brad Bryant tied for fifth place at 15-under-par. D.A. Weibring and Tom Jenkins both shot rounds of 5-under 67 and shared seventh place at minus-14. Eduardo Romero (68), Tom Watson (68), Jerry Pate (70) and Allen Doyle (70) tied for ninth place at 13-under-par. Dana Quigley, the iron man of golf who won here in 2003 and 2005, was in contention until fading in the final round.
Just think about this for a moment. Athletes in their 50's and 60's are competing in a sport and playing at such a high level. WOW! Only in golf is this possible. I remember when I was first watching professional golf in the mid 1960's when the top players were: Billy Casper, Orville Moody, Miller Barber, Bob Murphy and an out of shape Jack Nicklaus. These guys could hit it far and shoot under par (with yesterday's equipment), but didn't look anything like our vision of professional athletes. Arnold Palmer was one of the few that wasstrong and athletically built. In those days Gary Player was the rare exception in that he worked out frequently, but back then it meant he was doing hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups each day.
LPGA TOUR
Women's World Cup of Golf
SUN CITY, South Africa
Jan 19-21
Paraguay won the Women's World Cup by seven strokes over the United States at the Gary Player Country Club. Celeste Troche and Julieta Granada who won last year's ADT LPGA Championship combined to shoot a 7-under 65 Sunday in betterball for the easy win.
Granada had five birdies and Troche added three more, including a chip-in at the 17th, to win at 9-under 279. The United States team of Pat Hurst and Juli Inkster finished second, seven strokes back. South Korea (67) was third at 287.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates
Jan 18-21
Paul Casey shot a 7-under 65 Sunday to win the by one stroke over Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson. Defending champion Chris DiMarco was fourth at 15-under. Casey had five birdies on the front nine and three on the back, easily overcoming his three-stroke deficit from the third round. Jimenez, who was even with Casey after 16 holes, bogeyed the 17th and wasn't able to birdie 18 to force a playoff. Padraig Harrington, Jean Francois and Retief Goosen tied for fifth at 14-under.
PGA TOUR
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
PALM DESERT, CA
Jan 17-21
Justin Rose shot a 6-under 66 to take sole possession of the lead after three rounds of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at 18-under-par and looked in control to win his first PGA TOUR event. Unfortunately for Rose, he joined last week's final round leader Charles Howell III as frontrunners, hungry for a win but who couldn't close the deal. Rose finished one stroke back to the eventual winner Charley Hoffman (who??), who finished regulation with a birdie and an eagle to post at 17-under-par. Hoffman then defeated John Rollins (another who??) on the first playoff hole.
Low scoring, sometimes 30 or more under par is the norm for this five round, 90 hole tournament, the only one on the PGA TOUR schedule. It's rotated over four courses for the first four rounds: Bermuda Dunes Country Club, the Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West, La Quinta Country Club and The Classic Club, which will host the final round on Sunday. This year's winning score defied past history by going in reverse during the final round, mostly due to gusting winds over 40 mph. The winds were so severe they almost cancelled the final round. Last year in January I played a round in Florida with this same type of wind. You know the conditions are difficult when the wind is howling so hard that the ball actually wobbles on the green as you're putting.
With the exception of defending champion Phil Mickelson, who kicked off his 2007 season at this event, the leaderboard consisted of very few familiar names to the casual viewer. In addition to Hoffman and Rollins, other lesser known players in contention included: Lucas Glover, Charles Warren, John Senden, Matt Kuchar, Dean Wilson, Heath Slocum Vaughn Taylor, Charles Warren, Cliff Kresge and Jeff Quinney to name a few.
Think about how good these guys are. Every week they battle and typically finish their four rounds under par, ending up so far down on the leader board that we don't even notice. When was the last time any of us had a round under par, let alone four? NEVER is the honest answer. Hey, these guys are REALLY GOOD! As for Mickelson, he closed with a 6-over 78 to share 45th at seven-under-par. Not bad for a week the press described as atrocious.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
MasterCard Championship
KA'UPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii
Jan 19-21
Anyone who thought Hale Irwin was too old and washed up is sadly mistaken. Irwin showed how competitive and determined he was in the off-season, as he won the Champions Tour's season-opening MasterCard Championship, beating Jim Thorpe and Tom Kite by five strokes for his tour-record 45th victory. Coming off his first winless season in 12 years, the 61-year-old Irwin closed with a 7-under 65 for a 23-under winning score.
Last year, he was shutout for the first time since joining the Champions Tour in 1995 and saw his streak of seasons with $1 million in winnings end at 10. On Saturday, Irwin had 10 birdies and almost shot his age, but missed a 12-foot birdie putt on 18 and settled for a 62. He has dominated in Hawaii like no other golfer, winning nine times on the senior tour, including the 1997 MasterCard and also taking the 1981 Hawaiian Open on the PGA Tour. As a side note, Gary Player is still playing on the Champions Tour and CAN STILL play, as he shot his age of 69 two out of the three rounds.
Jay Haas and first-round leader Brad Bryant tied for fifth place at 15-under-par. D.A. Weibring and Tom Jenkins both shot rounds of 5-under 67 and shared seventh place at minus-14. Eduardo Romero (68), Tom Watson (68), Jerry Pate (70) and Allen Doyle (70) tied for ninth place at 13-under-par. Dana Quigley, the iron man of golf who won here in 2003 and 2005, was in contention until fading in the final round.
Just think about this for a moment. Athletes in their 50's and 60's are competing in a sport and playing at such a high level. WOW! Only in golf is this possible. I remember when I was first watching professional golf in the mid 1960's when the top players were: Billy Casper, Orville Moody, Miller Barber, Bob Murphy and an out of shape Jack Nicklaus. These guys could hit it far and shoot under par (with yesterday's equipment), but didn't look anything like our vision of professional athletes. Arnold Palmer was one of the few that wasstrong and athletically built. In those days Gary Player was the rare exception in that he worked out frequently, but back then it meant he was doing hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups each day.
LPGA TOUR
Women's World Cup of Golf
SUN CITY, South Africa
Jan 19-21
Paraguay won the Women's World Cup by seven strokes over the United States at the Gary Player Country Club. Celeste Troche and Julieta Granada who won last year's ADT LPGA Championship combined to shoot a 7-under 65 Sunday in betterball for the easy win.
Granada had five birdies and Troche added three more, including a chip-in at the 17th, to win at 9-under 279. The United States team of Pat Hurst and Juli Inkster finished second, seven strokes back. South Korea (67) was third at 287.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates
Jan 18-21
Paul Casey shot a 7-under 65 Sunday to win the by one stroke over Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson. Defending champion Chris DiMarco was fourth at 15-under. Casey had five birdies on the front nine and three on the back, easily overcoming his three-stroke deficit from the third round. Jimenez, who was even with Casey after 16 holes, bogeyed the 17th and wasn't able to birdie 18 to force a playoff. Padraig Harrington, Jean Francois and Retief Goosen tied for fifth at 14-under.
2007 Intro Newsletter
Happy 2007 to you and yours!
This year's Thumbs Down Method newsletter has changed quite a bit from last year's. They're more frequent, so expect to receive 3 or 4 each month throughout the year. Each issue will include a recap of the recent Pro Tour events with my comments and opinions, golf related topics of interest, plus ball striking tips from ME. To be removed from the list please email me at info@thumbsdown.info
Many of you who receive this newsletter are customers of the Front Nine edition of Thumbs Down, the virtual golf lesson. I'm pleased to report that a lot of progress has been made in completing the re-construction of The Back Nine edition, which provides step by step ball striking drills in a graphical format that let's each picture tell thestory. The images were designed to easily understand, remember and replay in your mind, so you can give yourself a Virtual Golf Lesson anytime, anywhere. The Back Nine is positioned as a HOW TO guide and training aid you can practice with, then legally use on the course as you play.
A short Sneak Preview is now available (holes 10-13), which I'd like to personally share with you on request FREE. If you'd like to receive an electronic copy please email info@thumbsdown.info. For those of you in the US, I'd also like to introduce a new technology product, which I use to electronically deliver the book using the Internet and discuss will you one-on-one in real-time. Soon this technology will include a video component and made available to teaching pros for giving live lessons remotely.
Now, I NEED YOUR HELP. On February 1st I will be attending a Golf Channel audition for an upcoming show on new golf inventions. My presentation will describe how I developed (invented) the Thumbs Down method to cure my slice, by squaring the club at impact and how it improved my ball striking and ball flight to hit a draw.
If you've used the Thumbs Down method and have experienced positive results I would appreciate a few encouraging words as a testimonial (I won't name names), which will be included in my presentation. Please email info@thumbsdown.info with your comments and results. Thank you, Alan.
The Mercedes-Benz Championship
KAPALUA, Hawaii
Jan 4-7
The new era in golf began with many of us scratching our heads, wondering why Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson decided to skip the season-opening and Fed Ex Cup ribbon cutting tournament. I don't know about you but ever since The Western Open, one of golf's oldest and most respected venues changed it's name to The Cialis Western Open, golf lost some of it's shine. In an era when athletes are a far cry from the roll models of yesteryear, golf was in my eyes squeaky clean. Ever since the re-naming a few years ago I've noticed Tiger and Phil acting bigger than the game, playing whenever they wanted. As an example, what's up with Phil missing the World Series of Golf, which features the winners of all 4 majors. As winner of the 2006 Masters, Phil was the lefty that was supposed to play, not Mike Weir. I really don't care anymore who wins many of these tournaments, but players have always had an obligation to play in certain events and always did, until recent years when they make millions even if they don't win a tournament. It's a sign of the times in sports I guess.
Coming off his least productive season in five years, the old version of Vijay Singh showed up and delivered a strong statement that he's still around. Singh closed with a 3-under 70 for a two-shot victory over Adam Scott. This is Singh's 30th PGA TOUR win and with that he reached three milestones. He became the 17th player with 30 or more wins in PGA TOUR history. The title was also his 18th since turning 40. That broke the tour record for victories over 40, previously held by Sam Snead. Finally, the $1,100,000 winners check pushed Singh over the $50 million mark in career earnings on the PGA TOUR. He is just the second player to break that plateau, joining Tiger Woods, who has over $65 million in career earnings. Will MacKenzie was by far the crowd favorite all week. He contended for the lead until falling behind Adam Scott, who finished second. Trevor Immelman was alone in third at 9-under-par 283. Davis Love III, the 1993 winner, fired a five-under 68 to share fourth at minus-8. He was joined there by J.B. Holmes (72) and Mackenzie (72). Luke Donald took seventh place at 7-under-par 285 after his third straight 71. Former PGA champion David Toms closed with the best round of the day, a 6- under 67, to end in a tie for eighth at minus-6. He ended alongside K.J. Choi and J.J. Henry. Stuart Appleby, who won this event the last three years, shared 13th as he closed with three straight rounds under par.
Sony Open in Hawaii
HONOLULU
Hawaii
Jan 11-14
With ALL of the buzz, ALL of the talk and most of all, ALL the hype about Michele Wie's attempt to finally qualify on the PGA Tour , another Hawaiian fenom Tadd Fujikawa stole the spotlight. Never mind who won the tournament, these two teenagers received a large majority of the media's attention all week. Wie left very little doubt that this wasn't her week when she shot herself out of contention early. An opening round of 78 was followed by a 76 to miss the cut by 14 shots. In the past, the media would have interviewed her into submission, asking about her lack of success trying the make the cut vs the men and how much did her wrist injury affect her play. I for one am glad that we weren't subjected to that. Instead, Michelle virtually disappeared from the TV stage, replaced by Tadd Fujikawa as he played the Back Nine during his second round. At 5 foot 1 and just turning sixteen years old earlier in the week Fujikawa closed in on history right before my eyes. I began watching him on The Golf Channel starting on the 15th hole at 1 under par, with the cut line at even par. After a bogey, he ended the round with a dramatic eagle on the 18th hole for a 66, finishing at 4 under par. Fujikawa became the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut on the PGA TOUR. I for one think it's time for Michelle Wie to forget about competing against the men and focus her efforts on regularly playing the LPGA Tour and winning against her peers, women pros. Those girls can play! What do you think? Email me your comments at info@thumbsdown.info
Oh bye the way, Paul Goydos staged a rally with three birdies in the final four holes to win the tournament. It was his first victory in 11 years after passing third-round leader Charles Howell III, who looked like the eventual winner with a 2 stroke lead with three holes to play. Instead, it was a crushing defeat for Howell who hasn't won since 2002. He tied with Luke Donald for second, a stroke back. During his post tournament interview with Jerry Foltz of The Golf Channel Goydos answered the question about whether he thought he would win again on the PGA TOUR by saying in a very laid back tone "I like to win at least once every decade". Golf
Thumbs Down Golf Tip:
The Truth Be Told
AJ Bonar sold millions of videos called "AJ Reveals The Truth About Golf" on The Golf Channel over the past few years. In the October issue of Golf Magazine, Bonar was featured and established himself as a maverick teacher by accusing teaching pros of teaching incorrectly to their students. With too much focus and attention on swing planes, too many teaching pros and instructors overlook the importance of controlling the clubface using the hands, wrists and forearms. I agree with AJ and wrote this quote for the 11th holeon The Back Nine edition. "All great ball strikers use their hands and wrists for hidden power, whether they choose to admit it or not".
This year's Thumbs Down Method newsletter has changed quite a bit from last year's. They're more frequent, so expect to receive 3 or 4 each month throughout the year. Each issue will include a recap of the recent Pro Tour events with my comments and opinions, golf related topics of interest, plus ball striking tips from ME. To be removed from the list please email me at info@thumbsdown.info
Many of you who receive this newsletter are customers of the Front Nine edition of Thumbs Down, the virtual golf lesson. I'm pleased to report that a lot of progress has been made in completing the re-construction of The Back Nine edition, which provides step by step ball striking drills in a graphical format that let's each picture tell thestory. The images were designed to easily understand, remember and replay in your mind, so you can give yourself a Virtual Golf Lesson anytime, anywhere. The Back Nine is positioned as a HOW TO guide and training aid you can practice with, then legally use on the course as you play.
A short Sneak Preview is now available (holes 10-13), which I'd like to personally share with you on request FREE. If you'd like to receive an electronic copy please email info@thumbsdown.info. For those of you in the US, I'd also like to introduce a new technology product, which I use to electronically deliver the book using the Internet and discuss will you one-on-one in real-time. Soon this technology will include a video component and made available to teaching pros for giving live lessons remotely.
Now, I NEED YOUR HELP. On February 1st I will be attending a Golf Channel audition for an upcoming show on new golf inventions. My presentation will describe how I developed (invented) the Thumbs Down method to cure my slice, by squaring the club at impact and how it improved my ball striking and ball flight to hit a draw.
If you've used the Thumbs Down method and have experienced positive results I would appreciate a few encouraging words as a testimonial (I won't name names), which will be included in my presentation. Please email info@thumbsdown.info with your comments and results. Thank you, Alan.
The Mercedes-Benz Championship
KAPALUA, Hawaii
Jan 4-7
The new era in golf began with many of us scratching our heads, wondering why Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson decided to skip the season-opening and Fed Ex Cup ribbon cutting tournament. I don't know about you but ever since The Western Open, one of golf's oldest and most respected venues changed it's name to The Cialis Western Open, golf lost some of it's shine. In an era when athletes are a far cry from the roll models of yesteryear, golf was in my eyes squeaky clean. Ever since the re-naming a few years ago I've noticed Tiger and Phil acting bigger than the game, playing whenever they wanted. As an example, what's up with Phil missing the World Series of Golf, which features the winners of all 4 majors. As winner of the 2006 Masters, Phil was the lefty that was supposed to play, not Mike Weir. I really don't care anymore who wins many of these tournaments, but players have always had an obligation to play in certain events and always did, until recent years when they make millions even if they don't win a tournament. It's a sign of the times in sports I guess.
Coming off his least productive season in five years, the old version of Vijay Singh showed up and delivered a strong statement that he's still around. Singh closed with a 3-under 70 for a two-shot victory over Adam Scott. This is Singh's 30th PGA TOUR win and with that he reached three milestones. He became the 17th player with 30 or more wins in PGA TOUR history. The title was also his 18th since turning 40. That broke the tour record for victories over 40, previously held by Sam Snead. Finally, the $1,100,000 winners check pushed Singh over the $50 million mark in career earnings on the PGA TOUR. He is just the second player to break that plateau, joining Tiger Woods, who has over $65 million in career earnings. Will MacKenzie was by far the crowd favorite all week. He contended for the lead until falling behind Adam Scott, who finished second. Trevor Immelman was alone in third at 9-under-par 283. Davis Love III, the 1993 winner, fired a five-under 68 to share fourth at minus-8. He was joined there by J.B. Holmes (72) and Mackenzie (72). Luke Donald took seventh place at 7-under-par 285 after his third straight 71. Former PGA champion David Toms closed with the best round of the day, a 6- under 67, to end in a tie for eighth at minus-6. He ended alongside K.J. Choi and J.J. Henry. Stuart Appleby, who won this event the last three years, shared 13th as he closed with three straight rounds under par.
Sony Open in Hawaii
HONOLULU
Hawaii
Jan 11-14
With ALL of the buzz, ALL of the talk and most of all, ALL the hype about Michele Wie's attempt to finally qualify on the PGA Tour , another Hawaiian fenom Tadd Fujikawa stole the spotlight. Never mind who won the tournament, these two teenagers received a large majority of the media's attention all week. Wie left very little doubt that this wasn't her week when she shot herself out of contention early. An opening round of 78 was followed by a 76 to miss the cut by 14 shots. In the past, the media would have interviewed her into submission, asking about her lack of success trying the make the cut vs the men and how much did her wrist injury affect her play. I for one am glad that we weren't subjected to that. Instead, Michelle virtually disappeared from the TV stage, replaced by Tadd Fujikawa as he played the Back Nine during his second round. At 5 foot 1 and just turning sixteen years old earlier in the week Fujikawa closed in on history right before my eyes. I began watching him on The Golf Channel starting on the 15th hole at 1 under par, with the cut line at even par. After a bogey, he ended the round with a dramatic eagle on the 18th hole for a 66, finishing at 4 under par. Fujikawa became the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut on the PGA TOUR. I for one think it's time for Michelle Wie to forget about competing against the men and focus her efforts on regularly playing the LPGA Tour and winning against her peers, women pros. Those girls can play! What do you think? Email me your comments at info@thumbsdown.info
Oh bye the way, Paul Goydos staged a rally with three birdies in the final four holes to win the tournament. It was his first victory in 11 years after passing third-round leader Charles Howell III, who looked like the eventual winner with a 2 stroke lead with three holes to play. Instead, it was a crushing defeat for Howell who hasn't won since 2002. He tied with Luke Donald for second, a stroke back. During his post tournament interview with Jerry Foltz of The Golf Channel Goydos answered the question about whether he thought he would win again on the PGA TOUR by saying in a very laid back tone "I like to win at least once every decade". Golf
Thumbs Down Golf Tip:
The Truth Be Told
AJ Bonar sold millions of videos called "AJ Reveals The Truth About Golf" on The Golf Channel over the past few years. In the October issue of Golf Magazine, Bonar was featured and established himself as a maverick teacher by accusing teaching pros of teaching incorrectly to their students. With too much focus and attention on swing planes, too many teaching pros and instructors overlook the importance of controlling the clubface using the hands, wrists and forearms. I agree with AJ and wrote this quote for the 11th holeon The Back Nine edition. "All great ball strikers use their hands and wrists for hidden power, whether they choose to admit it or not".
October 05, 2006
Over the River and Through the Woods
Imagine you're on the game show Jeopardy and this was the answer.
Of the two choices below, what would be your correct question?
1. How do you get to Grandmother's house
2. What is a fitting description of a Disc Golf course layout
If you selected question #2 you're probably already a player or you thought it was a trick question, but I assure you it wasn't. Yes, I said disc golf, it wasn't a misprint.
To go one step further with the description, add the lines "in-between the buildings and around the maintenance facilities". This would apply if the course was located on the campus of Douglass / Cook College at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Truth be told the river is actually a pond, but that minor fact didn't matter to over 100 professional and amateur disc golfers who played at the 34th annual Jersey Jam on August 19th and 20th respectively on the Rutger's course. Disc golf ...who would have thunk it? More about this event follows below.
They're real and they're spectacular! Well, maybe that's overdoing it a little, (as a fan of Seinfeld I just like that expression) but disc golfers are for real and the way the professionals make the disc fly is nothing short of magnificent. Yes, there are pro disc golfers and there is a professional tour where men and women compete for prize money. In addition, hundreds of regional events are scheduled year round for amateurs to play and compete (checkout http://www.pdga.com/ for all the details). In fact, disc golf is played in over 22 countries around the world.
Before jumping ahead to quickly, rewind back to the early 1960's when Vince Lombardi addressed his new team the Green Bay Packers, for the first time. To stress the importance of the basics, he uttered his infamous remark (as he held up a football) "gentlemen, this is a football. Am I going to fast for anyone"?
So that I don't make that mistake, it's important to step back and review the basics of disc golf.
What is Disc Golf?
Disc golf is played much like traditional golf, with the exception of the chosen weapons and the intended target. Instead of hitting a ball with clubs into a small hole in the ground, players throw a flying disc, or Frisbee(r) into an elevated metal basket. The sport was formalized in the 1970's, modeled after traditional ball golf.
A plethora of similarities exist between the two sports that include, but are not limited to the following:
- The objective of the games are the same; to complete each hole in the fewest number of strokes, or in the case of disc golf the fewest number of throws.
- A hole begins when a golf disc is thrown from a tee area toward the basket, typically a par three or four, measured in hundreds of feet, not yards. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer (I'm sure there are courses with holes over a river, as the title implies, although I haven't witnessed it). Therefore, the player's strategy can vary from flying the disc over or around the obstacle, or play "a roller", which hits the ground running hard toward its intended target. My observations compare playing roller type golf to "links golf" in that certain shots work out better by keeping the disc on the ground, especially in windy conditions. Remember, disc golf is played all year round, in all conditions. Finally, when "the putt" lands in the basket the hole is completed.
- The game is played in the same sized groups and combinations: singles, 2-somes, 3-somes, 4-somes, partners etc. They play shotguns, scrambles and partner better ball.
- Discs are stored in a bag, described as similar to a gym or small duffle bag with pockets, with anywhere from a few to over 12-15 or more different discs, for the different types of shots required. A large majority of golfers carry the bag, but I'm starting to see more pull carts being used, during the tournaments I observed. During a tournament I saw a wife was caddying for her husband (just like you often see on the pro golf tours).
- Disc golfers share the same joys and frustrations of traditional golfers, whether it's sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway.
There are some differences, however.
- The most significant is the cost. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee( You won't need to rent a motorized cart. The equipment needed to start includes: One disc (approx $10-$15) and a bag costs around $30( Disc golf uses a rating system to rank each player. There is no handicap system like in ball golf, where any player can play any other player fairly, by giving them strokes on designated holes to make up for the differential in ability. ( Dress code is a major difference. In contrast to the business casual look of khaki pants or shorts and collared shirts worn in traditional golf, disc golfers overall have a much more relaxed look, with jeans, tee shirts and sneakers or hiking type boots (no disrespect intended). Note, in tournaments a collared shirt is typically required.
Who Plays Disc Golf?
Just like ball golf, disc golf is played by boys, girls, men and women from school age to old age. It's designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status. As you would expect, pros are typically strong and athletically built, but recreational players are a diverse group that come in all different shapes and sizes; from king sized "big dogs" to the twiggy thin. The game today is played by the baby boomer generation, predominately men, but women are always welcome and encouraged to join in. Disc golf is easy to learn, so no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there.
The Professional Disc Golf Association, with over 16,000 members, is the governing body for the sport, and sanctions competitive events for men and women of every skill level from novice to professional. Permanent disc golf courses are found throughout the United States as well as in countries worldwide.
Where do you play?
Many city parks have golf courses already set up. Most are free to play as often as you like. Disc golfers who do not have the benefit of a permanent disc golf facility in their area often "make up" courses in nearby parks and green spaces. One of the great features disc golf shares with traditional golf is that they are both played in beautiful settings. A nine-hole disc golf course can be established on as little as five acres of land, and a championship-caliber 18-hole course on 30 to 40 acres. Disc golf courses can coexist with existing park facilities and activity areas. The ideal location combines wooded and open terrains, and a variety of topographical change.
The need for more courses is constant, as the sport continues to grow in popularity. The PDGA has created standards for the design and installation of new golf courses, to ensure their success in the community.
In Summary: Why should you play?
The ongoing fitness boom finds more and more people taking up recreational activities in an effort to improve health and quality of life. Disc golf provides upper and lower body conditioning, aerobic exercise, and promotes a combination of physical and mental abilities that allow very little risk of physical injury. Concentration skills increase by mastering shots and negotiating obstacles. Players of limited fitness levels can start slowly and gradually increase their level of play as fitness improves. Scheduling is also flexible; a round takes one to two hours, and may be played alone, eliminating the difficulty of scheduling tee times. And as in traditional golf, disc golfers find themselves "hooked;" increasing the likelihood of frequent participation. Disc golf is played year-round, even in rain or snow. Perhaps the greatest attribute of the sport is the expense - or rather, the lack of it. A professional quality disc costs less than $10, and it only takes one for basic play. And, of course, there's the sheer fun of the game - no matter what your age or skill level!
Below is a recap of two events which occurred in our region during July and August of 2006.
Skylands Classic Pro / Am event - July 22 & 23 Warwick, NY
Brakewell Steel / Warwick Town Park Disc Golf Course is a beautiful park like setting in lower upstate New York. The 18 hole course was designed and created between August 1998 and April 1999 by many volunteers around the area that share a love for disc golf. The course features challenging terrain that includes wide open fields and narrow wooded fairways nestled in a scenic environment that offers beautiful vistas and pronounced elevation changes. Rolling hills and natural boundaries along the wonderfully manicured landscape provide a dynamic golf experience, while wind currents that vary from day to day, will occasionally require tricky shot adjustments.
The Warwick course has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most versatile, challenging, and fun courses in the United States. What makes Warwick especially unique is that they have two permanent baskets on all 18 holes. Combined with two concrete tee pads per hole, the Warwick "Animal" course offers four distinctly different layouts that range from a Pro Par of 54 to a Pro Par of 68.
This event attracted the best men and women pros from around the country as well as International players from Sweden, Finland, Japan, and other countries, plus many of the areas top amateurs, 90 in total. I attended as a spectator on the second day, following the top men's and women's groups during their final round. Congratulations to:David Feldberg, Des Reading, Bryan Motley, and Jay Gobrecht for winning the 2006 Skylands Classic!! The leader board also featured others who cashed at this event. For the men: Nate Doss, Ken Climo, Barry Schultz, Brian Schweberger, Steve Rico, plus New Jersey's own Steve Brinster and Bob Graham. For the women, Carrie Berlogar, Val Jenkins, Leslie Demark, and Mandi Snodgrass. Not exactly household names like Woods, Hogan, Palmer and Nicklaus, but in the game of disc golf these are some of the game's best.
Jersey Jam - August 19-20, 2006 the 34th annual
The Jersey Jam is the longest running tournament in the country, now in it's 34th year. Two 18 hole rounds are played each day with a lunch break in-between, Saturday for professionals and Sunday for amateurs.
Early on a hot and sunny Saturday morning, 47 pros from NJ, PA and the surrounding states throughout the Delaware Valley and the Northeast and further south were scattered all over the course warming up. Then, tournament director and principal figure of the NJ Disc Devils Eddie Nathan yells out to all players BRING IT IN, for the pre-game meeting. Just saying that Eddie yells out does not do it justice, so trust me when I say that this isn't just any yell. It sounds more like a good imitation of the horn on the TV show Survivor, as he screams at the top of his lungs. After the meeting the players proceed to their opening hole, anxious to hear Eddie yell out TWO MINUTES, as play is about to begin.
I attended this event as a sponsor. My product, The Cardkeeper is a wallet style scorecard and pencil holder, which I donated for use as prizes to the winners of CTPs (closest to the pin contests). During tournament play each group of four players stored the official scorecards in The Cardkeeper wallets. As a commercial plug, my product is quickly becoming a popular accessory item by disc golfers throughout the country. Marshall Street, http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com/, one of the game's top on-line distributors of disc golf products sells The Cardkeeper.
On this day I volunteered to help out on the course, so they put me on Hole #1 as a spotter. The opening hole is a par 3, 291 feet. From the tee the hole is straight ahead, however there are a few obstacles to avoid along the way. At about 120 feet out, there are several trees 15 -20 feet high spread across a landing area 100 -120 feet wide. Next, you need to fly the disc over a large hedge 8 feet high and 20 feet wide before landing safely for the next shot. Don't go too far right on the tee shot or you'll be blocked out by a thickly wooded row of trees that separate the course from the Eagleton Institute building and parking lot (it's out of bounds and a 1 stroke penalty). Go too far left and you hit another university building or one of two large trees that stand near bye it.
For the better pros the obstacles hardly seemed to exist, as their discs flew over the hedge and safely onto the fairway, within 100 feet of the hole (actually it's a basket). Just like in ball golf, the objective is to get the second shot close enough to putt for a par. Throughout the round I saw only a few birdies and many pars, plus several that went very right or very left that resulted in bogies. It was actually a tough opening hole. After a fun morning round (and a great sun tan) they served a barbeque lunch for all. A special thanks goes out two Andrew Sweeten, the President of the Bucks County Disc Golf Alliance for his efforts through the sweltering heat as main cook AND for the awesome burgers and hotdogs.
The afternoon round paired the players with the lowest scores together to determine the winners of the total purse of $3,270. In a playoff, Steve Brinster defeated Joseph Mela to take the first prize of $550, followed in third place by course pro Bob Graham who won $255.
On Sunday, with the weather equally beautiful and a gusty wind, 55 amateurs and recreational players went through the same drill as the prior day. As you would expect, there was A LOT more for me to spot on this day, compared to the pros. The obstacles I described earlier did their jobs rather well, as many shots hit the first rows of trees or the hedges caught them. I must admit that there were a few laughs to be had, from some of the positions in the hedge the players had to take, in order to play the next shot. Like ball golf you have to play it from where it lies or move it and take a one stroke penalty. For many that made it over the initial trees and hedge, their banana shaped shots found the wooded area to the right, which left no bargains for their second shot either.
I witnessed the same joys and frustrations from the players as those experienced in traditional golf. At the end of the day, everyone enjoyed themselves and the event was once again a success. After all, that's what playing disc golf is all about.
Of the two choices below, what would be your correct question?
1. How do you get to Grandmother's house
2. What is a fitting description of a Disc Golf course layout
If you selected question #2 you're probably already a player or you thought it was a trick question, but I assure you it wasn't. Yes, I said disc golf, it wasn't a misprint.
To go one step further with the description, add the lines "in-between the buildings and around the maintenance facilities". This would apply if the course was located on the campus of Douglass / Cook College at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Truth be told the river is actually a pond, but that minor fact didn't matter to over 100 professional and amateur disc golfers who played at the 34th annual Jersey Jam on August 19th and 20th respectively on the Rutger's course. Disc golf ...who would have thunk it? More about this event follows below.
They're real and they're spectacular! Well, maybe that's overdoing it a little, (as a fan of Seinfeld I just like that expression) but disc golfers are for real and the way the professionals make the disc fly is nothing short of magnificent. Yes, there are pro disc golfers and there is a professional tour where men and women compete for prize money. In addition, hundreds of regional events are scheduled year round for amateurs to play and compete (checkout http://www.pdga.com/ for all the details). In fact, disc golf is played in over 22 countries around the world.
Before jumping ahead to quickly, rewind back to the early 1960's when Vince Lombardi addressed his new team the Green Bay Packers, for the first time. To stress the importance of the basics, he uttered his infamous remark (as he held up a football) "gentlemen, this is a football. Am I going to fast for anyone"?
So that I don't make that mistake, it's important to step back and review the basics of disc golf.
What is Disc Golf?
Disc golf is played much like traditional golf, with the exception of the chosen weapons and the intended target. Instead of hitting a ball with clubs into a small hole in the ground, players throw a flying disc, or Frisbee(r) into an elevated metal basket. The sport was formalized in the 1970's, modeled after traditional ball golf.
A plethora of similarities exist between the two sports that include, but are not limited to the following:
- The objective of the games are the same; to complete each hole in the fewest number of strokes, or in the case of disc golf the fewest number of throws.
- A hole begins when a golf disc is thrown from a tee area toward the basket, typically a par three or four, measured in hundreds of feet, not yards. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. The trees, shrubs and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer (I'm sure there are courses with holes over a river, as the title implies, although I haven't witnessed it). Therefore, the player's strategy can vary from flying the disc over or around the obstacle, or play "a roller", which hits the ground running hard toward its intended target. My observations compare playing roller type golf to "links golf" in that certain shots work out better by keeping the disc on the ground, especially in windy conditions. Remember, disc golf is played all year round, in all conditions. Finally, when "the putt" lands in the basket the hole is completed.
- The game is played in the same sized groups and combinations: singles, 2-somes, 3-somes, 4-somes, partners etc. They play shotguns, scrambles and partner better ball.
- Discs are stored in a bag, described as similar to a gym or small duffle bag with pockets, with anywhere from a few to over 12-15 or more different discs, for the different types of shots required. A large majority of golfers carry the bag, but I'm starting to see more pull carts being used, during the tournaments I observed. During a tournament I saw a wife was caddying for her husband (just like you often see on the pro golf tours).
- Disc golfers share the same joys and frustrations of traditional golfers, whether it's sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway.
There are some differences, however.
- The most significant is the cost. Disc golf rarely requires a greens fee( You won't need to rent a motorized cart. The equipment needed to start includes: One disc (approx $10-$15) and a bag costs around $30( Disc golf uses a rating system to rank each player. There is no handicap system like in ball golf, where any player can play any other player fairly, by giving them strokes on designated holes to make up for the differential in ability. ( Dress code is a major difference. In contrast to the business casual look of khaki pants or shorts and collared shirts worn in traditional golf, disc golfers overall have a much more relaxed look, with jeans, tee shirts and sneakers or hiking type boots (no disrespect intended). Note, in tournaments a collared shirt is typically required.
Who Plays Disc Golf?
Just like ball golf, disc golf is played by boys, girls, men and women from school age to old age. It's designed to be enjoyed by people of all ages, male and female, regardless of economic status. As you would expect, pros are typically strong and athletically built, but recreational players are a diverse group that come in all different shapes and sizes; from king sized "big dogs" to the twiggy thin. The game today is played by the baby boomer generation, predominately men, but women are always welcome and encouraged to join in. Disc golf is easy to learn, so no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there.
The Professional Disc Golf Association, with over 16,000 members, is the governing body for the sport, and sanctions competitive events for men and women of every skill level from novice to professional. Permanent disc golf courses are found throughout the United States as well as in countries worldwide.
Where do you play?
Many city parks have golf courses already set up. Most are free to play as often as you like. Disc golfers who do not have the benefit of a permanent disc golf facility in their area often "make up" courses in nearby parks and green spaces. One of the great features disc golf shares with traditional golf is that they are both played in beautiful settings. A nine-hole disc golf course can be established on as little as five acres of land, and a championship-caliber 18-hole course on 30 to 40 acres. Disc golf courses can coexist with existing park facilities and activity areas. The ideal location combines wooded and open terrains, and a variety of topographical change.
The need for more courses is constant, as the sport continues to grow in popularity. The PDGA has created standards for the design and installation of new golf courses, to ensure their success in the community.
In Summary: Why should you play?
The ongoing fitness boom finds more and more people taking up recreational activities in an effort to improve health and quality of life. Disc golf provides upper and lower body conditioning, aerobic exercise, and promotes a combination of physical and mental abilities that allow very little risk of physical injury. Concentration skills increase by mastering shots and negotiating obstacles. Players of limited fitness levels can start slowly and gradually increase their level of play as fitness improves. Scheduling is also flexible; a round takes one to two hours, and may be played alone, eliminating the difficulty of scheduling tee times. And as in traditional golf, disc golfers find themselves "hooked;" increasing the likelihood of frequent participation. Disc golf is played year-round, even in rain or snow. Perhaps the greatest attribute of the sport is the expense - or rather, the lack of it. A professional quality disc costs less than $10, and it only takes one for basic play. And, of course, there's the sheer fun of the game - no matter what your age or skill level!
Below is a recap of two events which occurred in our region during July and August of 2006.
Skylands Classic Pro / Am event - July 22 & 23 Warwick, NY
Brakewell Steel / Warwick Town Park Disc Golf Course is a beautiful park like setting in lower upstate New York. The 18 hole course was designed and created between August 1998 and April 1999 by many volunteers around the area that share a love for disc golf. The course features challenging terrain that includes wide open fields and narrow wooded fairways nestled in a scenic environment that offers beautiful vistas and pronounced elevation changes. Rolling hills and natural boundaries along the wonderfully manicured landscape provide a dynamic golf experience, while wind currents that vary from day to day, will occasionally require tricky shot adjustments.
The Warwick course has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most versatile, challenging, and fun courses in the United States. What makes Warwick especially unique is that they have two permanent baskets on all 18 holes. Combined with two concrete tee pads per hole, the Warwick "Animal" course offers four distinctly different layouts that range from a Pro Par of 54 to a Pro Par of 68.
This event attracted the best men and women pros from around the country as well as International players from Sweden, Finland, Japan, and other countries, plus many of the areas top amateurs, 90 in total. I attended as a spectator on the second day, following the top men's and women's groups during their final round. Congratulations to:David Feldberg, Des Reading, Bryan Motley, and Jay Gobrecht for winning the 2006 Skylands Classic!! The leader board also featured others who cashed at this event. For the men: Nate Doss, Ken Climo, Barry Schultz, Brian Schweberger, Steve Rico, plus New Jersey's own Steve Brinster and Bob Graham. For the women, Carrie Berlogar, Val Jenkins, Leslie Demark, and Mandi Snodgrass. Not exactly household names like Woods, Hogan, Palmer and Nicklaus, but in the game of disc golf these are some of the game's best.
Jersey Jam - August 19-20, 2006 the 34th annual
The Jersey Jam is the longest running tournament in the country, now in it's 34th year. Two 18 hole rounds are played each day with a lunch break in-between, Saturday for professionals and Sunday for amateurs.
Early on a hot and sunny Saturday morning, 47 pros from NJ, PA and the surrounding states throughout the Delaware Valley and the Northeast and further south were scattered all over the course warming up. Then, tournament director and principal figure of the NJ Disc Devils Eddie Nathan yells out to all players BRING IT IN, for the pre-game meeting. Just saying that Eddie yells out does not do it justice, so trust me when I say that this isn't just any yell. It sounds more like a good imitation of the horn on the TV show Survivor, as he screams at the top of his lungs. After the meeting the players proceed to their opening hole, anxious to hear Eddie yell out TWO MINUTES, as play is about to begin.
I attended this event as a sponsor. My product, The Cardkeeper is a wallet style scorecard and pencil holder, which I donated for use as prizes to the winners of CTPs (closest to the pin contests). During tournament play each group of four players stored the official scorecards in The Cardkeeper wallets. As a commercial plug, my product is quickly becoming a popular accessory item by disc golfers throughout the country. Marshall Street, http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com/, one of the game's top on-line distributors of disc golf products sells The Cardkeeper.
On this day I volunteered to help out on the course, so they put me on Hole #1 as a spotter. The opening hole is a par 3, 291 feet. From the tee the hole is straight ahead, however there are a few obstacles to avoid along the way. At about 120 feet out, there are several trees 15 -20 feet high spread across a landing area 100 -120 feet wide. Next, you need to fly the disc over a large hedge 8 feet high and 20 feet wide before landing safely for the next shot. Don't go too far right on the tee shot or you'll be blocked out by a thickly wooded row of trees that separate the course from the Eagleton Institute building and parking lot (it's out of bounds and a 1 stroke penalty). Go too far left and you hit another university building or one of two large trees that stand near bye it.
For the better pros the obstacles hardly seemed to exist, as their discs flew over the hedge and safely onto the fairway, within 100 feet of the hole (actually it's a basket). Just like in ball golf, the objective is to get the second shot close enough to putt for a par. Throughout the round I saw only a few birdies and many pars, plus several that went very right or very left that resulted in bogies. It was actually a tough opening hole. After a fun morning round (and a great sun tan) they served a barbeque lunch for all. A special thanks goes out two Andrew Sweeten, the President of the Bucks County Disc Golf Alliance for his efforts through the sweltering heat as main cook AND for the awesome burgers and hotdogs.
The afternoon round paired the players with the lowest scores together to determine the winners of the total purse of $3,270. In a playoff, Steve Brinster defeated Joseph Mela to take the first prize of $550, followed in third place by course pro Bob Graham who won $255.
On Sunday, with the weather equally beautiful and a gusty wind, 55 amateurs and recreational players went through the same drill as the prior day. As you would expect, there was A LOT more for me to spot on this day, compared to the pros. The obstacles I described earlier did their jobs rather well, as many shots hit the first rows of trees or the hedges caught them. I must admit that there were a few laughs to be had, from some of the positions in the hedge the players had to take, in order to play the next shot. Like ball golf you have to play it from where it lies or move it and take a one stroke penalty. For many that made it over the initial trees and hedge, their banana shaped shots found the wooded area to the right, which left no bargains for their second shot either.
I witnessed the same joys and frustrations from the players as those experienced in traditional golf. At the end of the day, everyone enjoyed themselves and the event was once again a success. After all, that's what playing disc golf is all about.
August 08, 2006
Creating a successful tournament
The article to follow was written by me for a regional golf publication in 2005. If you're organizing a golf tournament, outing or event as they're all referred by, it should provide a tip or two which I hope benefits you.
Throughout New Jersey in 2004 well over one hundred thousand rounds of golf were played by tens of thousands of golfers that attended thousands of golf tournaments. If you multiply these numbers times the totals from every other state across the nation, the result is a mind-boggling number that rivals the amount of transactions per second performed by a computer.
What possible reason could account for the increasing popularity of these events each year? The answer is simple. Organizing a golf outing fits well in a wide variety of scenarios: They're an easy way for a non-profit organization to raise funds for their favorite cause. Golf outings are an easy way to pay tribute to a friend or loved one who lost their lives, or for old friends to get together for a day of fun and camaraderie. When networking groups need a venue where they can spend several hours together with their customers, suppliers, peers and / or prospects, or when a company wants to show appreciation to their employees and customers, a golf outing is the easy way to bring them together. It might appear easy from the outside, but if it's your job to organize the event or if you're a volunteer who just wants to get involved and help out, you know first hand that there's nothing simple or easy about it.
The subject matter which follows takes you "inside the ropes", giving first hand experiences from a few brave souls that run annual tournaments, the courses that host them and an event management company which provides complete event solutions. It was designed to provide you with a hands on guide in a format that should streamline your efforts, whether you're a first time event planner or a group that needs to improve on a previous year's performance. Highlighted throughout are subtle Do's and Don'ts, to help you create your successful event.
Let's take a step back and define what we mean by a golf tournament and clarify the terminology. Throughout this article the terms tournaments, outings and events all refer to the same thing. Tournaments come in all shapes, sizes and reasons for being organized. They range from small groups of twelve or more golfers celebrating a birthday or holding a bachelor party, to charities or corporations with hundreds of attendees (and everything in-between). "All formats that have a winner are technically considered tournaments", states Tim Kreps, the General Manager at Harbor Pines in Egg Harbor. Golf events are designed to be fun, but the fact is they're a billion-dollar industry which accounts for millions of fundraising dollars each year. The proceeds provide needed scholarships and money that benefits many causes. Golf outings help fuel local economies, the golf courses and their concession businesses, plus the food and beverage industries with a high level of guaranteed business each season, regardless of weather conditions.
When Dave Acolia, a manager with UPS first decided to get involved at his district's annual golf fundraiser for The United Way, he just wanted to help. Eleven years later Acolia has taken charge, heading up the event with a passionate approach. When asked why he takes on this challenge each year, the conviction of his belief was clear. "Once I started volunteering at United Way community work days and saw first hand where the money goes, I was hooked. It's a year round effort organizing sponsors, asking business owners for prize donations and restaurants for gift certificates. I'm constantly asking for contributions and soliciting help from peers to raise awareness internally, but it's well worth all the effort. My time is also spent attending sports memorabilia shows, looking for interesting items to auction off at the dinner awards ceremony. A key to the success of our fundraising efforts is constant email communications, stressing the importance of registering with payment months in advance. Everyone is well informed of the opportunities to win prizes through hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the pin and double your money contests throughout the round. Also, it's a good idea to have special attractions such as a comedian and offer unique food items on certain holes. This assures that everyone is well fed and happy to contribute to the fundraising cause. A detail, which cannot be overstated, is developing a close relationship with the golf course. Mike Beal, club pro at Miry Run in Robbinsville who's hosted the event for several years knows our group well. He worked with us to reschedule last year's September rainout to early October. I can't stress enough the importance of surrounding yourself with people who understand your needs, to assure a successful tournament."
Paying attention to details is the key for Sally Roslow, a certified fundraising executive for the New Jersey Hospital Association. Talk about pressure, for the past seven years Roslow has run a tournament for CEO's, Board and Trustee members each September at TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton. As you would imagine expectations are high. "From the moment they drive through the gates and are welcomed at the bag drop, the number one goal is for our members to have a day of fun and camaraderie, networking with their peers," says Roslow. "Every detail is taken care of beginning with spelling each participant's name correctly on the master list, then presenting it to the golf course several days in advance of the event. Years ago we made sure we didn't lose money, but now it's become a serious fundraising event for scholarships. As a rule, payment must be received with registration form prior to the event. The entry fee is inclusive of a donation, plus all golf and food expenses, so the only time members need to reach into their pockets is for a golf ball, a tee or ball marker, etc. Each participant receives a quality tee gift and a chance to win prizes for a hole-in-one. One major detail which cannot be overlooked is this; raffles, mulligans and door prizes fall under the gaming laws of the State of New Jersey. They all require a license to be legal. The donation of a car cannot include any additional expense, so it can't be a lease. Be sure to get adequate hole-in-one insurance, competent witnesses and don't forget to send a 1099 to the winner. It's a year round planning process. Knowing your audience is important for a number of reasons, but especially when planning a stroke play format. Pairing foursomes is always a challenge. It's important to make every effort to avoid personality conflicts while assuring that a round of golf is played in the allotted time". With two groups starting on each hole (except on par threes), keeping track of the speed of play and where groups are at all times is just another detail Roslow pays personal attention to. "Never forget to recognize your sponsors, the foundation for supporting your event. Like many things in life vendors change, so expect to always be cultivating new sponsors and be sure to show your appreciation often. You can only control so much," but giving the personal touch is something she takes great pride in providing to all members.
Ask the question, "what makes a good tournament from a bad or mediocre one" and without hesitation Kim Rifici will tell you about the merits of an organized committee. As a veteran of five years coordinating events at Valleybrook Golf Club in Blackwood, Rifici highly recommends committees meet regularly, communicating on a weekly basis. Cooperation between groups and the golf course benefits both parties. How does she measure success? "When a group rebooks immediately, we know that the event was a success and planning next year's event has already begun". She adds, "book well in advance and don't try to do everything yourself. Give as much to participants as possible, like planning a picnic lunch prior and an awards dinner after golf. Because fundraising accounts for the majority of our events, many sponsorship opportunities are part of every event. Examples include tee signage on each hole, prize holes and beverage carts. Remember, the real dollars raised come from prizes, sponsors and extras, not the golf".
As simple as it sounds, "expect the unexpected and set your priorities," says Todd Edelman, Golf Outing Sales Manager at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township since 1998. Edelman, a veteran of many years of personal experience in his current role also acts as the coordinator of his own annual event. He runs a memorial fundraiser for a childhood friend who died in the events of September 11. With more hands on experience than most he suggests that a group first needs to plan ahead and determine what's most important to the success of their tournament. As examples, are they looking for a low price with an ala carte buffet style for lunch or a higher quality complete day with several meals and all the amenities? If this is your first event or if you're looking to improve on a past years, don't be afraid to ask the course for help or work with a Golf Event Management company that does this as a core business.
"When groups come to me I suggest they have a few checklist items prepared, which include:
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down Method newsletter, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with your comments on what you think, any questions about your ball striking or your golf game in general at mailto:atInfo@ThumbsDown.info.
To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to www.GolfInstructionMadeSimple.com.
Alan Martin
Throughout New Jersey in 2004 well over one hundred thousand rounds of golf were played by tens of thousands of golfers that attended thousands of golf tournaments. If you multiply these numbers times the totals from every other state across the nation, the result is a mind-boggling number that rivals the amount of transactions per second performed by a computer.
What possible reason could account for the increasing popularity of these events each year? The answer is simple. Organizing a golf outing fits well in a wide variety of scenarios: They're an easy way for a non-profit organization to raise funds for their favorite cause. Golf outings are an easy way to pay tribute to a friend or loved one who lost their lives, or for old friends to get together for a day of fun and camaraderie. When networking groups need a venue where they can spend several hours together with their customers, suppliers, peers and / or prospects, or when a company wants to show appreciation to their employees and customers, a golf outing is the easy way to bring them together. It might appear easy from the outside, but if it's your job to organize the event or if you're a volunteer who just wants to get involved and help out, you know first hand that there's nothing simple or easy about it.
The subject matter which follows takes you "inside the ropes", giving first hand experiences from a few brave souls that run annual tournaments, the courses that host them and an event management company which provides complete event solutions. It was designed to provide you with a hands on guide in a format that should streamline your efforts, whether you're a first time event planner or a group that needs to improve on a previous year's performance. Highlighted throughout are subtle Do's and Don'ts, to help you create your successful event.
Let's take a step back and define what we mean by a golf tournament and clarify the terminology. Throughout this article the terms tournaments, outings and events all refer to the same thing. Tournaments come in all shapes, sizes and reasons for being organized. They range from small groups of twelve or more golfers celebrating a birthday or holding a bachelor party, to charities or corporations with hundreds of attendees (and everything in-between). "All formats that have a winner are technically considered tournaments", states Tim Kreps, the General Manager at Harbor Pines in Egg Harbor. Golf events are designed to be fun, but the fact is they're a billion-dollar industry which accounts for millions of fundraising dollars each year. The proceeds provide needed scholarships and money that benefits many causes. Golf outings help fuel local economies, the golf courses and their concession businesses, plus the food and beverage industries with a high level of guaranteed business each season, regardless of weather conditions.
When Dave Acolia, a manager with UPS first decided to get involved at his district's annual golf fundraiser for The United Way, he just wanted to help. Eleven years later Acolia has taken charge, heading up the event with a passionate approach. When asked why he takes on this challenge each year, the conviction of his belief was clear. "Once I started volunteering at United Way community work days and saw first hand where the money goes, I was hooked. It's a year round effort organizing sponsors, asking business owners for prize donations and restaurants for gift certificates. I'm constantly asking for contributions and soliciting help from peers to raise awareness internally, but it's well worth all the effort. My time is also spent attending sports memorabilia shows, looking for interesting items to auction off at the dinner awards ceremony. A key to the success of our fundraising efforts is constant email communications, stressing the importance of registering with payment months in advance. Everyone is well informed of the opportunities to win prizes through hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the pin and double your money contests throughout the round. Also, it's a good idea to have special attractions such as a comedian and offer unique food items on certain holes. This assures that everyone is well fed and happy to contribute to the fundraising cause. A detail, which cannot be overstated, is developing a close relationship with the golf course. Mike Beal, club pro at Miry Run in Robbinsville who's hosted the event for several years knows our group well. He worked with us to reschedule last year's September rainout to early October. I can't stress enough the importance of surrounding yourself with people who understand your needs, to assure a successful tournament."
Paying attention to details is the key for Sally Roslow, a certified fundraising executive for the New Jersey Hospital Association. Talk about pressure, for the past seven years Roslow has run a tournament for CEO's, Board and Trustee members each September at TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton. As you would imagine expectations are high. "From the moment they drive through the gates and are welcomed at the bag drop, the number one goal is for our members to have a day of fun and camaraderie, networking with their peers," says Roslow. "Every detail is taken care of beginning with spelling each participant's name correctly on the master list, then presenting it to the golf course several days in advance of the event. Years ago we made sure we didn't lose money, but now it's become a serious fundraising event for scholarships. As a rule, payment must be received with registration form prior to the event. The entry fee is inclusive of a donation, plus all golf and food expenses, so the only time members need to reach into their pockets is for a golf ball, a tee or ball marker, etc. Each participant receives a quality tee gift and a chance to win prizes for a hole-in-one. One major detail which cannot be overlooked is this; raffles, mulligans and door prizes fall under the gaming laws of the State of New Jersey. They all require a license to be legal. The donation of a car cannot include any additional expense, so it can't be a lease. Be sure to get adequate hole-in-one insurance, competent witnesses and don't forget to send a 1099 to the winner. It's a year round planning process. Knowing your audience is important for a number of reasons, but especially when planning a stroke play format. Pairing foursomes is always a challenge. It's important to make every effort to avoid personality conflicts while assuring that a round of golf is played in the allotted time". With two groups starting on each hole (except on par threes), keeping track of the speed of play and where groups are at all times is just another detail Roslow pays personal attention to. "Never forget to recognize your sponsors, the foundation for supporting your event. Like many things in life vendors change, so expect to always be cultivating new sponsors and be sure to show your appreciation often. You can only control so much," but giving the personal touch is something she takes great pride in providing to all members.
Ask the question, "what makes a good tournament from a bad or mediocre one" and without hesitation Kim Rifici will tell you about the merits of an organized committee. As a veteran of five years coordinating events at Valleybrook Golf Club in Blackwood, Rifici highly recommends committees meet regularly, communicating on a weekly basis. Cooperation between groups and the golf course benefits both parties. How does she measure success? "When a group rebooks immediately, we know that the event was a success and planning next year's event has already begun". She adds, "book well in advance and don't try to do everything yourself. Give as much to participants as possible, like planning a picnic lunch prior and an awards dinner after golf. Because fundraising accounts for the majority of our events, many sponsorship opportunities are part of every event. Examples include tee signage on each hole, prize holes and beverage carts. Remember, the real dollars raised come from prizes, sponsors and extras, not the golf".
As simple as it sounds, "expect the unexpected and set your priorities," says Todd Edelman, Golf Outing Sales Manager at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township since 1998. Edelman, a veteran of many years of personal experience in his current role also acts as the coordinator of his own annual event. He runs a memorial fundraiser for a childhood friend who died in the events of September 11. With more hands on experience than most he suggests that a group first needs to plan ahead and determine what's most important to the success of their tournament. As examples, are they looking for a low price with an ala carte buffet style for lunch or a higher quality complete day with several meals and all the amenities? If this is your first event or if you're looking to improve on a past years, don't be afraid to ask the course for help or work with a Golf Event Management company that does this as a core business.
"When groups come to me I suggest they have a few checklist items prepared, which include:
- Select a preferred date plus an alternative or two, just in case the course is already booked
- Have a budget range already set
- Determine main objectives. Ex: Is it a fundraiser, business appreciation, memorial?
- Organize a committee of dedicated volunteers who have experience with organizing events
- Have more than enough sponsors
- Plan on giving yourself at least six months in advance to prepare. Never think it's too early to start
- Advertise the event several months in advance. It's better to overbook than under subscribe
- Getting registration and money well in advance of your event
- Suggesting a suitable format for the participants. Scramble, stroke play etc."
Thus far there's been no mention of the main obstacle for a successful tournament, the weather. Frost delays are easier to deal with than rain by scheduling starting times after 10:00 before mid May and after Labor Day. Like the expression, "the best way to get out of a Full Nelson is to not get into one in the first place"; it's best not to schedule your event on a day when it's going to rain. All kidding aside, we all know that predicting the weather several months in advance is not a viable option. At Fiddlers Elbow Country Club in Far Hills, they've come up with some creative ways to deal with rainy days. Just in case conditions are absolutely unplayable, their 54-hole facility affords the flexibility to re-schedule later in the season. There's so much planning and effort involved that canceling is not an attractive option for the event's planners. On rainy days, Golf Event Manager Joe Febonio and his staff work with the committee on ideas like adjusting the format or playing nine holes and moving up dinner, to allow the group's main purpose to continue. "With Monday - Thursday designated for tournaments, it's our job to assure that the show can still go on as scheduled".
The golf outing at the New Jersey Chapter of Meeting Professionals International "MPI" represents each year's largest fundraiser and networking event. A long list of responsibilities are delegated to their team of committee members, all hard working professionals with full time careers and families to juggle. Topping this year's list was issuing a request for proposal for selecting a new course to host the event. Along with meeting their budget requirements, a central location weighed heavily into the selection because members are spread throughout the Tri state area. Next, last year's sponsor's are contacted by the entire committee, asking for their continued support. With the financial issues behind them, MPI focuses on their main objective of networking. The golf tournament represents a priceless opportunity to spend a full day in a relaxed setting. Members can make connections and conduct business without cell phones and the typical everyday distractions. With 144 golfers of all skill levels, a five or more hour round is factored into the plans and actually a positive thing. There's time to network with peers, suppliers and friends, plus give their mental batteries a well-needed charge. Overall success is often times measured by a group's ability to master tiny details, that seem minor but aren't. Cathy Reynolds, who heads up all special events for the MPI chapter, reminds us that people often remember the first and last events of the day. That means making sure to have a warm welcoming committee at check-in and don't ever take for granted the importance of the PA system at dinner. This assures that your awards ceremony leaves a positive lasting impression.
When your event needs an experienced hands on partner with industry connections, a Golf Event Management company may be a no brainer solution. For sixteen years, Greg Porcino President of GEM Marketing based in Somerville, has made a business of assisting a diverse group of tournament organizers achieve their goals. Need to do a better job reaching your target market, improving your identity or just freeing up employees to do their real jobs? Working with an event management company will quickly justify the investment by allowing committees to focus on selling the tournament, achieving revenue goals. Maybe your group needs help being recognized or simply more entertaining for guests. If so, you can leverage their relationships with media outlets, entertainers / celebrities, special attractions and product / equipment manufacturers. For first timers, they can eliminate the learning curve, reducing both risk and anxiety. With today's busy lifestyles tournaments are constantly challenged to maintain attendance and profitability. For any or all of these reasons Golf Event Management companies may be the right choice for creating your successful tournament.
When Bill Kennedy, assistant sports editor and golf writer for the Times of Trenton attends an outing, it's usually because he wants to play the course that's hosting it. For the past six years, Kennedy holds his annual reunion for high school alumni (he's in his sixties) and friends, as part of The William Morton Foundation golf tournament. Each year the fundraising effort provides a student athlete with much needed money for college. Kennedy will admit that he breaks most of the rules like doing almost all of the work himself and playing in his own event. He also takes verbal registrations, trusting that his friends will attend and pay him because they said they would. "I play in the event to keep my sanity. At the end of the day, everyone has fun and money was raised for a good cause. That's what running a tournament is all about".
There are no hard and fast rules for creating a successful golf tournament BUT unless you enjoy living life on the edge, follow the Do's and Don'ts (in no particular order of importance) below:
Do's:
1. Organize a strong committee and delegate responsibility
2. Have constant communications with attendees and committees
3. Develop a good relationship with key event sponsors
4. Send a "thank you" to sponsors and attendees
5. Advertise the event aggressively
6. Form a strong partnership with the golf course
7. Provide quality prizes and amenities
8. Insist on early registration and payment
9. Plan next year's event early
10. Keep the awards ceremony short
Don'ts:
1. Try to do all the work yourself
2. Select a site before budget is set
3. Have an alternative date for holding the event
4. Cut corners on food and beverage issues
5. Take verbal registration and payment commitments
6. Under subscribe sponsors
7. Play in your own event
8. Overbook with too many players
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down Method newsletter, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with your comments on what you think, any questions about your ball striking or your golf game in general at mailto:atInfo@ThumbsDown.info.
To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to www.GolfInstructionMadeSimple.com.
Alan Martin
May 22, 2006
A Pretty Swing ...don't mean a thing
It is high, it is far, it is??? If you've ever watched a baseball game on TV or listened on the radio you've heard the announcer use this expression (or a similar one) after the ball is hit and looks like it's on its way out of the park.
The idea for this article came to me recently when I saw a picture in the newspaper, showing one of baseball's power hitters, just after he finished his swing, in a perfect follow-through pose. Was it a home run? OR was it off the wall? OR was it just a long out OR foul back? (In this case I watched the game the night before so I knew it was a home run). QUESTION: What would the swing have looked like if the batter hit it on the end of the bat or a fraction of an inch too high on the bat and just missed, or popped it up? MY ANSWER: It probably would have looked exactly the same. Isn't it funny how in baseball, the exact same swing can produce a foul ball, a towering pop-up, a screaming liner right at someone or a monster blast, depending on where they hit the ball on the bat? Simply put: It's all about SOLID CONTACT.
Have you ever wondered why in golf, a good or bad shot is almost never explained in those simple terms? I know I have. Instead, if a shot is hit off-line the TV coverage typically replays the swing in slow motion and analyzes it something like this: See how the club is not parallel to the target line on the back-swing? Notice that the hips haven't cleared yet, allowing the club to swing on-plane? All too often we hear technical language only a physics major would understand, not typical amateurs like you and ME.
As a side note, it's good timing that I write this article comparing the golf and baseball swings, as we're witnessing history being made. At the present time, the most legendary figure in the history of sports, Babe Ruth has had his once insurmountable home run record of 714 tied. As the baseball and golf seasons are in full swing (no pun intended), what better time to put the golf and the baseball swings side by side.
In baseball, they talk in terms of "did he get it all"? OR get good wood, OR hit it on the fat of the bat. Again, did he make solid contact? In golf, the shot stayed right because the player did not release the club through impact.
Another side-note; during my round this weekend a member of our three-some brought an old, classic wooden driver (from the 60's), to hit just for laughs and to compare it against today's high tech golf weaponry. On the 14thhole I took a cut with it off the tee. Because the original grip was still on the club, I almost gave the term RELEASE a new meaning when I hit it, because my right hand slipped off and my left hand held on for dear life just after impact. Imagine being a relatively new player and having an instructor tell you to release the club. If they swung and let go could you blame them? What else could itpossibly mean? Here's my 2 cents: If you really want to Keep IT Simple, speak in a language the typical player can understand and can relate to, PLEASE!
In baseball, a hitter is taught to drive the hands through the swing, break the wrists and hit it hard. In golf, we don't have the luxury of just hitting the ball hard. It needs to go in the right direction and there are NO DO-OVERS, like a foul ball in baseball. When a player uses active hands at impact to square the club, manyof today's instructors refer to it as flipping, and that's definitely taboo. Instead, they teach the best players (the guys who hit hundreds or thousands of balls a week) to turn your hipsinto the ball and let centrifugal force square the club naturally. MY ANSWER: Most of us are amateurs who don't have time to practice and "there's nothing natural about it". Watch what the best players actually do with their hands (not what they say they do) and what you'll see is that great ball strikers have great hand action.
What both swings have in common is they happen in a flash. In golf,the ball makes contact with the club for less than 2 seconds TOTAL during the entire round. A pretty swing is nice, but more than one half of the swing is just preparation to impact. Therefore, the most important split seconds of the golf swing are just before, during and immediately after the club strikes the ball. This is the portion of a Pro's swing you need to copy. In simple terms; IF THE CLUB ISN'T SQUARE ...the ball could end up anywhere.
Thumbs Down, is my simple method any player can quickly learn,which SQUARES THE CLUB WITH YOUR EXISTING SWING, plus adds an extra pop on the ball without over swinging. It's based on the same sound swing fundamentals taught by the best instructors ...made easier than you ever imagined. Bottom Line... better golf, MORE OFTEN.
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down Method newsletter, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with your comments on what you think, any questions about your ball striking or your golf game in general at mailto:atInfo@ThumbsDown.info.
To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to www.GolfInstructionMadeSimple.com.
Alan Martin
The idea for this article came to me recently when I saw a picture in the newspaper, showing one of baseball's power hitters, just after he finished his swing, in a perfect follow-through pose. Was it a home run? OR was it off the wall? OR was it just a long out OR foul back? (In this case I watched the game the night before so I knew it was a home run). QUESTION: What would the swing have looked like if the batter hit it on the end of the bat or a fraction of an inch too high on the bat and just missed, or popped it up? MY ANSWER: It probably would have looked exactly the same. Isn't it funny how in baseball, the exact same swing can produce a foul ball, a towering pop-up, a screaming liner right at someone or a monster blast, depending on where they hit the ball on the bat? Simply put: It's all about SOLID CONTACT.
Have you ever wondered why in golf, a good or bad shot is almost never explained in those simple terms? I know I have. Instead, if a shot is hit off-line the TV coverage typically replays the swing in slow motion and analyzes it something like this: See how the club is not parallel to the target line on the back-swing? Notice that the hips haven't cleared yet, allowing the club to swing on-plane? All too often we hear technical language only a physics major would understand, not typical amateurs like you and ME.
As a side note, it's good timing that I write this article comparing the golf and baseball swings, as we're witnessing history being made. At the present time, the most legendary figure in the history of sports, Babe Ruth has had his once insurmountable home run record of 714 tied. As the baseball and golf seasons are in full swing (no pun intended), what better time to put the golf and the baseball swings side by side.
In baseball, they talk in terms of "did he get it all"? OR get good wood, OR hit it on the fat of the bat. Again, did he make solid contact? In golf, the shot stayed right because the player did not release the club through impact.
Another side-note; during my round this weekend a member of our three-some brought an old, classic wooden driver (from the 60's), to hit just for laughs and to compare it against today's high tech golf weaponry. On the 14thhole I took a cut with it off the tee. Because the original grip was still on the club, I almost gave the term RELEASE a new meaning when I hit it, because my right hand slipped off and my left hand held on for dear life just after impact. Imagine being a relatively new player and having an instructor tell you to release the club. If they swung and let go could you blame them? What else could itpossibly mean? Here's my 2 cents: If you really want to Keep IT Simple, speak in a language the typical player can understand and can relate to, PLEASE!
In baseball, a hitter is taught to drive the hands through the swing, break the wrists and hit it hard. In golf, we don't have the luxury of just hitting the ball hard. It needs to go in the right direction and there are NO DO-OVERS, like a foul ball in baseball. When a player uses active hands at impact to square the club, manyof today's instructors refer to it as flipping, and that's definitely taboo. Instead, they teach the best players (the guys who hit hundreds or thousands of balls a week) to turn your hipsinto the ball and let centrifugal force square the club naturally. MY ANSWER: Most of us are amateurs who don't have time to practice and "there's nothing natural about it". Watch what the best players actually do with their hands (not what they say they do) and what you'll see is that great ball strikers have great hand action.
What both swings have in common is they happen in a flash. In golf,the ball makes contact with the club for less than 2 seconds TOTAL during the entire round. A pretty swing is nice, but more than one half of the swing is just preparation to impact. Therefore, the most important split seconds of the golf swing are just before, during and immediately after the club strikes the ball. This is the portion of a Pro's swing you need to copy. In simple terms; IF THE CLUB ISN'T SQUARE ...the ball could end up anywhere.
Thumbs Down, is my simple method any player can quickly learn,which SQUARES THE CLUB WITH YOUR EXISTING SWING, plus adds an extra pop on the ball without over swinging. It's based on the same sound swing fundamentals taught by the best instructors ...made easier than you ever imagined. Bottom Line... better golf, MORE OFTEN.
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down Method newsletter, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with your comments on what you think, any questions about your ball striking or your golf game in general at mailto:atInfo@ThumbsDown.info.
To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to www.GolfInstructionMadeSimple.com.
Alan Martin
April 28, 2006
Why pros are PROS
Thumbs Down Method Newsletter - April 2006
Welcome to the maiden Thumbs Down Method newsletter, the first of many throughout the 2006 golf season. My inspiration for this first issue was actually the same as the one which prompted my decision in 1996 to write the Thumbs Down guide(s) for better ball striking. Back then, self preservation lead me to search for a cure to correct my out of control slice and save my golf game, which I never found until I developed Thumbs Down and fixed it by myself.
Not only did I never find my cure, but all the articles I read in the magazines, all the simple TV tips from pros and top instructors only made it more complicated, confusing and counter-productive for me. Simply put: things got worse, not better for me. There's no questioning the knowledge or credibility level of the top sources in golf, but I found they rarely communicate their message in a language a non-pro (the typical player like me and you) can relate to and even understand. Trying to apply their tips when I practiced all too often ended in frustration instead of the joy I initially intended.
I couldn't have scripted the perfect example of what I'm describing any better then recently after scanning through a copy of the leading golf magazine and reading a tip written and demonstrated by one of the world's best pros. Anytime a top player offers a way to generate more power with less effort, a large audience of amateurs (like me) are anxiously reading and wanting to know more. This quick tip shows a picture of the player just after striking the ball, with head down and forearms rotating as the club extends about two feet beyond impact. I've seen this pose dozens of times and refer to it as classic power position. The typical player that views a picture like this is hoping for a simple explanation to discover some new magic move or secret that changes their game forever, but rarely gets it. Instead they use a lot of technical language we don't understand and the average amateur can't relate to. Watching a world class athlete do what comes natural to them, then hearing their explanation of what they're thinking is often not what we're expecting them to say. In fact, most of the time it's a frustrating and confusing experience.
To elaborate, when a player describes that one of their key power moves happens AFTER the ball is struck, it means that solid ball striking comes too natural to them. I guess hitting thousands of balls every week does that for you. For the rest of us, there's nothing natural about it. In fact, I believe that the moment of the golf swing that's all too often "glanced over" is the most important split second in the entire golf swing (all 10,000+ steps). For me, unless the club makes solid contact with the ball, with the clubface squared and following a line to your target, nothing else really matters. It's clear that pros and instructors agree, but it's confusing when they describe it by telling you to "shake hands with the target." To further drive my point home, go to the practice range and try this tip: Match your swing plane on the through-swing with your backswing and downswing. I dare you!
In sharp contrast, I've dedicated an entire book on the importance of starting with solid ball contact, then working backwards to the golf swing. I believe that the first 3/4 of the golf swing is merely preparation to impact and the final 1/4 (on the downswing when your hands are just above waist height) is where the swing REALLY begins. It's the zone you need to master when you warm-up and practice. The Thumbs Down method is all about MASTERING THE IMPACT ZONE first. Get this part right and your swing magically gets better.
Golf is a complex game. There's no question there are numerous steps in the golf swing that are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - too many at times. All I know is that when I taught myself to square the club at impact, I finally learned to consistently hit the ball solidly with all my clubs and control where the ball is going. Oh, bye the way ...my swing has also noticeably improved as a by-product of changing my swing thought priorities with Thumbs Down.
Professional golfers are in a class by themselves. They're SO good as compared to the rest of us it's mind boggling to believe. What they do and how they explain what they do is equally difficult to fathom at times. In their attempt to KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID "Kiss", pros and top instructors use technical terms which don't often translate into better golf for the rest of us.
To REALLY kiss, it's as simple as
Thumbs Down ...for Thumbs Up results.
In golf ...it doesn't get easier than this!
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down method newsletter. The subject matter in this issue forms the foundation for future newsletters, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with any questions about your ball striking or golf game in general at Info@ThumbsDown.info. To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/ Also visit my blog and comment at www.ThumbsDownMethod.blogspot.com
Alan Martin
Welcome to the maiden Thumbs Down Method newsletter, the first of many throughout the 2006 golf season. My inspiration for this first issue was actually the same as the one which prompted my decision in 1996 to write the Thumbs Down guide(s) for better ball striking. Back then, self preservation lead me to search for a cure to correct my out of control slice and save my golf game, which I never found until I developed Thumbs Down and fixed it by myself.
Not only did I never find my cure, but all the articles I read in the magazines, all the simple TV tips from pros and top instructors only made it more complicated, confusing and counter-productive for me. Simply put: things got worse, not better for me. There's no questioning the knowledge or credibility level of the top sources in golf, but I found they rarely communicate their message in a language a non-pro (the typical player like me and you) can relate to and even understand. Trying to apply their tips when I practiced all too often ended in frustration instead of the joy I initially intended.
I couldn't have scripted the perfect example of what I'm describing any better then recently after scanning through a copy of the leading golf magazine and reading a tip written and demonstrated by one of the world's best pros. Anytime a top player offers a way to generate more power with less effort, a large audience of amateurs (like me) are anxiously reading and wanting to know more. This quick tip shows a picture of the player just after striking the ball, with head down and forearms rotating as the club extends about two feet beyond impact. I've seen this pose dozens of times and refer to it as classic power position. The typical player that views a picture like this is hoping for a simple explanation to discover some new magic move or secret that changes their game forever, but rarely gets it. Instead they use a lot of technical language we don't understand and the average amateur can't relate to. Watching a world class athlete do what comes natural to them, then hearing their explanation of what they're thinking is often not what we're expecting them to say. In fact, most of the time it's a frustrating and confusing experience.
To elaborate, when a player describes that one of their key power moves happens AFTER the ball is struck, it means that solid ball striking comes too natural to them. I guess hitting thousands of balls every week does that for you. For the rest of us, there's nothing natural about it. In fact, I believe that the moment of the golf swing that's all too often "glanced over" is the most important split second in the entire golf swing (all 10,000+ steps). For me, unless the club makes solid contact with the ball, with the clubface squared and following a line to your target, nothing else really matters. It's clear that pros and instructors agree, but it's confusing when they describe it by telling you to "shake hands with the target." To further drive my point home, go to the practice range and try this tip: Match your swing plane on the through-swing with your backswing and downswing. I dare you!
In sharp contrast, I've dedicated an entire book on the importance of starting with solid ball contact, then working backwards to the golf swing. I believe that the first 3/4 of the golf swing is merely preparation to impact and the final 1/4 (on the downswing when your hands are just above waist height) is where the swing REALLY begins. It's the zone you need to master when you warm-up and practice. The Thumbs Down method is all about MASTERING THE IMPACT ZONE first. Get this part right and your swing magically gets better.
Golf is a complex game. There's no question there are numerous steps in the golf swing that are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - too many at times. All I know is that when I taught myself to square the club at impact, I finally learned to consistently hit the ball solidly with all my clubs and control where the ball is going. Oh, bye the way ...my swing has also noticeably improved as a by-product of changing my swing thought priorities with Thumbs Down.
Professional golfers are in a class by themselves. They're SO good as compared to the rest of us it's mind boggling to believe. What they do and how they explain what they do is equally difficult to fathom at times. In their attempt to KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID "Kiss", pros and top instructors use technical terms which don't often translate into better golf for the rest of us.
To REALLY kiss, it's as simple as
Thumbs Down ...for Thumbs Up results.
In golf ...it doesn't get easier than this!
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down method newsletter. The subject matter in this issue forms the foundation for future newsletters, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with any questions about your ball striking or golf game in general at Info@ThumbsDown.info. To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/ Also visit my blog and comment at www.ThumbsDownMethod.blogspot.com
Alan Martin
April 09, 2006
A Thumbs Down Attitude Helps Me Discover Scoring Opportunities in Every Shot
...by Nick Petti
Has one awkward shot ever thrown you off your entire game? Do you know the kind I mean? A shot that throws you so off balance you take it into the next shot, and the shot after that, until you've made a complete mess of your scorecard?
The kind of shot that has you begging for golf instruction from your golf equipment supply guy?
Here is a great way to discover the scoring opportunities hidden in every one of those awkward shots and how you can gain the edge-up on your opponents who are not aware of what I'm about to tell you.
Please forget about your swing for one moment and burn this piece of golf instruction made simple into your brain.
Golf is a mind set.
It is cerebral. It is a thought process. Of course a little good luck never hurts, but, to achieve the advantage of that winning mind set, you have to acquire an attitude that is becoming of relaxed focus.
Use whichever attitude works best for you to gain that winning mind set and get ready to lower your score and add 20 yards to every club in your bag - except your putters of course.
Now, for me, it's a little secret I call my thumbs down attitude - which is perhaps a story for another day - and my Callaway golf attitude. If I'm swinging what the best in the game swing, my attitude toward my game improves.
When I'm faced with one of those awkward shots, I think it through. I put on my Callaway golf and thumbs down game face, and I focus.
I see myself swinging true. I see myself keeping my balance and my head from moving, then...
I see the line my Callaway golf club must travel. I set up my shot by considering where the club head is in relation to where it needs to be for the greatest distance and accuracy. And I keep in mind that the ball is going to have contact with the club head for several inches through my swing.
After a few practice swings I judge what relationship my feet should have with the line and I find a comfortable stance - then relax.
Relaxed focus and attitude are keys to golf success.
When you try this, first be aware of any problems you may encounter keeping your balance. Shift if necessary until you find a comfortable position where there is no tension in your swing. Keep from swaying as you are about to the hit the ball, but stay loose.
I free my muscles and focus my mind on swinging my Callaway golf club smoothly. Thumbs down keeps my relaxed focus as I address the ball, which enables me to stay square on impact.
Remember, if you are fidgety when you address the ball, you are not going to achieve relaxed focus. This is not a time to be thinking of golf instruction from your golf equipment supply guy.
It is a time to keep your feet still and make sure you see the ball from the beginning of your swing through the end. An awkward shot demands relaxed focus.
This will be your edge-up on opponents.
You really can discover the scoring opportunity hidden in every awkward shot. Just remember that a relaxed golfer is a focused golfer and a focused golfer usually scores lowest.
Don't let the awkward shots beat you. Relax and think them through. Maintain the edge-up on your opponents and you'll beat them every time.
That's what I did today, despite the rain and 30 mph wind gusts.
Now, there is some "golf instruction made simple" worth sharing with my golf equipment supply guy: my focus from relaxation and my attitude from Callaway golf and thumbs down.
Has one awkward shot ever thrown you off your entire game? Do you know the kind I mean? A shot that throws you so off balance you take it into the next shot, and the shot after that, until you've made a complete mess of your scorecard?
The kind of shot that has you begging for golf instruction from your golf equipment supply guy?
Here is a great way to discover the scoring opportunities hidden in every one of those awkward shots and how you can gain the edge-up on your opponents who are not aware of what I'm about to tell you.
Please forget about your swing for one moment and burn this piece of golf instruction made simple into your brain.
Golf is a mind set.
It is cerebral. It is a thought process. Of course a little good luck never hurts, but, to achieve the advantage of that winning mind set, you have to acquire an attitude that is becoming of relaxed focus.
Use whichever attitude works best for you to gain that winning mind set and get ready to lower your score and add 20 yards to every club in your bag - except your putters of course.
Now, for me, it's a little secret I call my thumbs down attitude - which is perhaps a story for another day - and my Callaway golf attitude. If I'm swinging what the best in the game swing, my attitude toward my game improves.
When I'm faced with one of those awkward shots, I think it through. I put on my Callaway golf and thumbs down game face, and I focus.
I see myself swinging true. I see myself keeping my balance and my head from moving, then...
I see the line my Callaway golf club must travel. I set up my shot by considering where the club head is in relation to where it needs to be for the greatest distance and accuracy. And I keep in mind that the ball is going to have contact with the club head for several inches through my swing.
After a few practice swings I judge what relationship my feet should have with the line and I find a comfortable stance - then relax.
Relaxed focus and attitude are keys to golf success.
When you try this, first be aware of any problems you may encounter keeping your balance. Shift if necessary until you find a comfortable position where there is no tension in your swing. Keep from swaying as you are about to the hit the ball, but stay loose.
I free my muscles and focus my mind on swinging my Callaway golf club smoothly. Thumbs down keeps my relaxed focus as I address the ball, which enables me to stay square on impact.
Remember, if you are fidgety when you address the ball, you are not going to achieve relaxed focus. This is not a time to be thinking of golf instruction from your golf equipment supply guy.
It is a time to keep your feet still and make sure you see the ball from the beginning of your swing through the end. An awkward shot demands relaxed focus.
This will be your edge-up on opponents.
You really can discover the scoring opportunity hidden in every awkward shot. Just remember that a relaxed golfer is a focused golfer and a focused golfer usually scores lowest.
Don't let the awkward shots beat you. Relax and think them through. Maintain the edge-up on your opponents and you'll beat them every time.
That's what I did today, despite the rain and 30 mph wind gusts.
Now, there is some "golf instruction made simple" worth sharing with my golf equipment supply guy: my focus from relaxation and my attitude from Callaway golf and thumbs down.
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