Building rhythm, timing, and tempo into your swing is a prerequisite to hitting good golf
shots time and time again.
Initiate the swing trigger.
Player, Palmer, and Nicholas all start their swings with a little move that triggers the action. Player kicks in his right knee. Palmer waggles his club one final time. And Nicholas turns his head to the right. These movements help each player make a smooth, fluid start to the backswing, preventing any jerky movements that destroys critical swing linkage.
Start the takeaway.
Requiring a one-piece movement, the takeaway determines the swing's shape and tempo. Moving the club, hands, arms, and chest in unison keeps the clubhead low and the backswing full. It
also starts a wide and a powerful move away from the ball.
Set the clubhead on the right plane.
During the first few feet the swing, the club must move gradually inside the ball-to-target line. At the same time it must stay outside your hands. The key to setting the clubhead on the right plane lies in starting the swing with the butt of the club. Moving the club in
toward your right thigh helps set the club on the right path.
Open the clubhead slightly.
I recommend in my golf tips that you think of the clubface as a gate that opens slowly clockwise in conjunction with the turning motion of your body. Open it slowly as you set the clubhead on the right plane.
Check the club at the mid-point of the backswing.
At this point your left arm should be close to your body and the right elbow splayed out slightly, pointing down toward the ground. Your wrists should be fully cocked, forming a 90-degree right angle between your hands and the club. From here, it's an easy move to the top of the backswing, also known as the slot.
Turn your head right.
Here, you should be aware of some tension in your right knee. Your left shoulder should be comfortably underneath your chin. Allowing your head to turn to the right as you swing the back to the ball encourages your spine to rotate. It also gets your weight moving in the right direction. The club should be as parallel to the target line as possible when it reaches the slot
Start turning the lower body.
The body as a whole is then able to unwind in one motion. The movement produces a swinging motion of the arms, hands, and club, allowing the clubhead to peak through impact. Think about
swinging the clubhead, not hitting the ball.
Straighten and release your right arm.
Do it as early as possible from the downswing, maintaining the 90- degree angle at the back of your wrists. Gradually opening up your body the target widens your downswing arc and puts the clubhead on a square path to the ball. In my golf lessons I tell players to drive the right knee toward the left -- but to delay the club's release as long as they can, creating solid contact.
Firm up the left side of your body.
It needs to both support and resist the release of the clubhead as your torso unwinds. At the same time drive your right side through the ball as hard as you like. Your arms should be fully extended and your weight going forward, sort of like a lumber jack chopping
down a tree, to generate optimum impact. I have players in my golf instruction sessions practice swinging the club like a baseball bat. Then, I have them lower the club to the ground, but continue to swing the club the same way.
Rotate the body fully through impact.
Most of the player's weight will end-up on the left side of your body and your right heel will be up. At this point, the knees touch lightly, the hips are fully turned, and the right shoulder is pointed at the target. Accelerating the clubhead through the swing carries the
player through the swing.
Finish with hand high above left shoulder.
The player will be in a straight up, balanced position when the swing is completed. Your hands will finish high, just like you see in golf instruction manuals.
Producing good golf shots requires not only knowing which body parts to move in isolation but also examining the swing holistically. Practicing the steps I describe above in the sequence
encourages this holistic look. Successfully linking them together into a smooth swing, with rhythm, tempo, and the right timing, builds a coordinated, repeating action, and generates consistency and accuracy.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
CHIPS AND PITCHES
BEST TIP: Let left arm control club with little wrist action.
Choke down on the club an inch or two for chips.
Use a narrow, open stance. Open the clubface and keep it square to the target.
Use the same basic swing for a chip and pitch.
For chips, stand tall and raise your hands to get the heel of the club up and the toe down. This promotes crisp shots.
Play ball off right foot, angle shaft toward target, open stance, let shoulders control swing, keep left arm against left side, let clubhead swing to left of target after impact.
Don't rush the downswing.
Make sure the shaft is leaning toward the target at impact.
To avoid hitting chips and pitches fat:
don't sole the club at address.
use an open, narrow stance.
keep arms connected to chest and rotate body rather than sliding hips laterally and jabbing at the ball with your hands.
focus eyes on front of ball, with weight on front foot and wrists ahead of ball at impact.
be sure to make a complete follow-through.
Use arm and shoulder swing, not hands, for short chips.
Let gravity do most of the work on downswing.
Let left arm control club throughout swing with little wrist action.
Play ball back in stance with hands and weight towards target.
For high pitches, start downswing with legs.
Open stance, square shoulders. Club should go straight back and through. Rock (like a clothes hanger on a hook), don't turn shoulders. Let arms drop to start downswing. Use a light grip.
Clubhead should trail, not lead, hands and wrists at impact.
Use inside out swingpath and be sure to pivot.
To avoid "scooping" chips and pitches, keep wrists ahead of ball at impact.
In pitches, ball and shaft should be centered and weight
should be divided evenly.
For distance control, don't let right hand take control of clubhead speed.
Control the distance on short shots by limiting your backswing.
To avoid thin chips, don't try to help the ball into the air.
Use a low running shot when conditions permit for more control.
For a low running chip, use a very narrow stance, play ball off right foot, keep hands ahead of ball, and swing straight back and through with firm hands. Keep your hands low at
the finish.
For a short, pop chip, use an open and narrow stance, an open clubface, play the ball in the middle, hit ball from out to in. Don't flip wrists.
When chipping, keep butt of club pointed at belt buckle.
For short shots, move feet closer together and take shallow divots.
Keep lower body still on short chips just off the green.
For long chips, keep lower body relaxed and let it react naturally to actions of arms and upper body. Start downswing by shifting knees toward target.
To improve your rhythm, make your backswing and forward swing equal in length.
Choke down on the club an inch or two for chips.
Use a narrow, open stance. Open the clubface and keep it square to the target.
Use the same basic swing for a chip and pitch.
For chips, stand tall and raise your hands to get the heel of the club up and the toe down. This promotes crisp shots.
Play ball off right foot, angle shaft toward target, open stance, let shoulders control swing, keep left arm against left side, let clubhead swing to left of target after impact.
Don't rush the downswing.
Make sure the shaft is leaning toward the target at impact.
To avoid hitting chips and pitches fat:
don't sole the club at address.
use an open, narrow stance.
keep arms connected to chest and rotate body rather than sliding hips laterally and jabbing at the ball with your hands.
focus eyes on front of ball, with weight on front foot and wrists ahead of ball at impact.
be sure to make a complete follow-through.
Use arm and shoulder swing, not hands, for short chips.
Let gravity do most of the work on downswing.
Let left arm control club throughout swing with little wrist action.
Play ball back in stance with hands and weight towards target.
For high pitches, start downswing with legs.
Open stance, square shoulders. Club should go straight back and through. Rock (like a clothes hanger on a hook), don't turn shoulders. Let arms drop to start downswing. Use a light grip.
Clubhead should trail, not lead, hands and wrists at impact.
Use inside out swingpath and be sure to pivot.
To avoid "scooping" chips and pitches, keep wrists ahead of ball at impact.
In pitches, ball and shaft should be centered and weight
should be divided evenly.
For distance control, don't let right hand take control of clubhead speed.
Control the distance on short shots by limiting your backswing.
To avoid thin chips, don't try to help the ball into the air.
Use a low running shot when conditions permit for more control.
For a low running chip, use a very narrow stance, play ball off right foot, keep hands ahead of ball, and swing straight back and through with firm hands. Keep your hands low at
the finish.
For a short, pop chip, use an open and narrow stance, an open clubface, play the ball in the middle, hit ball from out to in. Don't flip wrists.
When chipping, keep butt of club pointed at belt buckle.
For short shots, move feet closer together and take shallow divots.
Keep lower body still on short chips just off the green.
For long chips, keep lower body relaxed and let it react naturally to actions of arms and upper body. Start downswing by shifting knees toward target.
To improve your rhythm, make your backswing and forward swing equal in length.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
HOOKING
PROBLEM: Hitting the ball with a closed clubface, causing shots to curve to the left.
The first thing you should do is check your grip. The Vs in each hand should point over your right shoulder. If they point farther right, your grip is too "strong" and could
produce a closed face and a hook at impact – when the hands return to their normal position.
If your grip is proper and you are still hooking, try weakening your grip by gradually moving both hands to the left.
Check your stance to make sure that your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are parallel to your target line.
One cause could be the ball location. If it is too far back, it could produce an excessive in-to-out swingpath.
Grip club more in the palm of your hands, rather than the fingers, to reduce wrist action and premature closing of the clubface.
Make sure that your left wrist is not too relaxed at impact. If it is, your right wrist will take over and close the clubface too early.
On the downswing, make sure that the action begins with your legs and body to guard against wrists unhinging and closing the clubface too soon.
The first thing you should do is check your grip. The Vs in each hand should point over your right shoulder. If they point farther right, your grip is too "strong" and could
produce a closed face and a hook at impact – when the hands return to their normal position.
If your grip is proper and you are still hooking, try weakening your grip by gradually moving both hands to the left.
Check your stance to make sure that your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are parallel to your target line.
One cause could be the ball location. If it is too far back, it could produce an excessive in-to-out swingpath.
Grip club more in the palm of your hands, rather than the fingers, to reduce wrist action and premature closing of the clubface.
Make sure that your left wrist is not too relaxed at impact. If it is, your right wrist will take over and close the clubface too early.
On the downswing, make sure that the action begins with your legs and body to guard against wrists unhinging and closing the clubface too soon.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
CURING THE SLICE
BEST TIP: Keep left arm straight and rotate it before impact.
Line up ball on heel of club at address to promote inside-out swingpath.
Use a strong grip, light grip pressure and relaxed forearms. This helps square the clubface at impact.
Grip club in fingers. This also adds distance.
Take club straight back on backswing, and change the swing plane to inside-out on downswing.
To get proper swing feel, pretend that an elastic cord connects your right elbow to your right hip and your left elbow to your left hip.
On takeaway through downswing, keep your left wrist straight and your right wrist cupped.
Don't let your body get ahead of your arms and hands on downswing. Try to hold your body back.
Square shoulder alignment is critical.
On downswing, pull down with both arms, as if you're ringing a bell.
Flatten swing plane.
Transfer weight from top of swing diagonally toward right of target, while letting right elbow come down. Also corrects "toe shots."
Keep back towards target longer and delay hipturn on downswing to avoid outside-in swingpath.
Practice hitting the ball with back to target to get proper feel.
On downswing, swing with arms and hands, not shoulders and body.
Align shoulders to right of target at address. On downswing, move right shoulder down rather than out toward target line. Tuck right elbow in close to torso. Avoid spinning shoulders too early.
Always turn. Never sway. Full turn sets stage for proper downswing. Lower body first. Shoulders and arms second. At impact, belt buckle should be even with the ball and majority of weight should be on left foot.
Avoid spinning of hips at start of downswing. From top of downswing, focus on shifting hips laterally toward target. Hips will turn, but it will happen naturally. Don't force it.
Keep hands in front of chest and both arms extended well into backswing
Keep left arm in line with shoulders at top of backswing. Don't drop left shoulder during backswing.
Keep right side low at address. Play the ball even with your left armpit and with your spine
tilted away from target.
Delay hand and chest rotation on downswing.
Start your downswing with arms moving down rather than forward.
Don't let chest outrun arms and hands on downswing. Keeping chest back gives arms room to swing down from inside out.
Don't swing inside to out. Instead, swing inside to square to inside and rotate forearms
along with body through hitting area.
Don't exaggerate taking club inside on backswing. Maintain spine angle.
Try to make the toe of the club reach the ball before the heel. Avoid opening hips.
To help square the clubface at impact, pretend you are hitting a ball well behind the actual ball.
Keep your left arm straight through impact and rotate it as it approaches ball.
If you rotate your left forearm properly through impact, you can hit hard with your right hand without slicing.
If your divots on practice swings are well behind the ball, it is a sign you are making an improper inside arm swing when you take the club back.
Relax the thumb and forefinger on your right hand. This relaxes the right arm and makes it easier to swing the club along the right plane.
To avoid swinging "over the top," start your downswing with your arms while keeping your back to the target.
With a neutral grip and a "frisbee throw" with the left hand, try to make the back of your left hand parallel to the ground at impact.
Line up ball on heel of club at address to promote inside-out swingpath.
Use a strong grip, light grip pressure and relaxed forearms. This helps square the clubface at impact.
Grip club in fingers. This also adds distance.
Take club straight back on backswing, and change the swing plane to inside-out on downswing.
To get proper swing feel, pretend that an elastic cord connects your right elbow to your right hip and your left elbow to your left hip.
On takeaway through downswing, keep your left wrist straight and your right wrist cupped.
Don't let your body get ahead of your arms and hands on downswing. Try to hold your body back.
Square shoulder alignment is critical.
On downswing, pull down with both arms, as if you're ringing a bell.
Flatten swing plane.
Transfer weight from top of swing diagonally toward right of target, while letting right elbow come down. Also corrects "toe shots."
Keep back towards target longer and delay hipturn on downswing to avoid outside-in swingpath.
Practice hitting the ball with back to target to get proper feel.
On downswing, swing with arms and hands, not shoulders and body.
Align shoulders to right of target at address. On downswing, move right shoulder down rather than out toward target line. Tuck right elbow in close to torso. Avoid spinning shoulders too early.
Always turn. Never sway. Full turn sets stage for proper downswing. Lower body first. Shoulders and arms second. At impact, belt buckle should be even with the ball and majority of weight should be on left foot.
Avoid spinning of hips at start of downswing. From top of downswing, focus on shifting hips laterally toward target. Hips will turn, but it will happen naturally. Don't force it.
Keep hands in front of chest and both arms extended well into backswing
Keep left arm in line with shoulders at top of backswing. Don't drop left shoulder during backswing.
Keep right side low at address. Play the ball even with your left armpit and with your spine
tilted away from target.
Delay hand and chest rotation on downswing.
Start your downswing with arms moving down rather than forward.
Don't let chest outrun arms and hands on downswing. Keeping chest back gives arms room to swing down from inside out.
Don't swing inside to out. Instead, swing inside to square to inside and rotate forearms
along with body through hitting area.
Don't exaggerate taking club inside on backswing. Maintain spine angle.
Try to make the toe of the club reach the ball before the heel. Avoid opening hips.
To help square the clubface at impact, pretend you are hitting a ball well behind the actual ball.
Keep your left arm straight through impact and rotate it as it approaches ball.
If you rotate your left forearm properly through impact, you can hit hard with your right hand without slicing.
If your divots on practice swings are well behind the ball, it is a sign you are making an improper inside arm swing when you take the club back.
Relax the thumb and forefinger on your right hand. This relaxes the right arm and makes it easier to swing the club along the right plane.
To avoid swinging "over the top," start your downswing with your arms while keeping your back to the target.
With a neutral grip and a "frisbee throw" with the left hand, try to make the back of your left hand parallel to the ground at impact.
Monday, October 27, 2008
FAIRWAY WOODS AND METALS
BEST TIP: Keep the club low on takeaway and low through impact.
Swing fairway woods with the same tempo used for a seven-iron.
Avoid trying to lift the ball with the club by either collapsing the left arm or straightening up.
Position the ball opposite your left heel, which should be the bottom of your swing arc.
Keep your head steady throughout the swing.
Keep the club low on takeaway and low through impact, creating the feeling of hitting the ball forward -- not up.
Ball should be hit with a slightly descending blow.
Make an aggressive swing and follow-through without steering the ball.
Brush the grass rather than taking a divot.
Seven woods should be played in the middle of the stance, with hands in front of ball at address.
When hitting your fairway woods you want to sweep them away, and you definitely don't want to come down too steep on these shots. Here's a great way to feel the sweeping motion with a fairway wood.
On your backswing try to move the club back on a wide arc by extending your left arm away from the target. Then on the follow-through do the opposite, which is to extend the right arm. When you widen your arc on the backswing and follow-through, you'll find it a lot easier to sweep the fairway woods away. Plus you'll increase the distance you hit these shots, because the wider the arc the more clubhead speed -- and the more clubhead speed the farther the ball goes.
Swing fairway woods with the same tempo used for a seven-iron.
Avoid trying to lift the ball with the club by either collapsing the left arm or straightening up.
Position the ball opposite your left heel, which should be the bottom of your swing arc.
Keep your head steady throughout the swing.
Keep the club low on takeaway and low through impact, creating the feeling of hitting the ball forward -- not up.
Ball should be hit with a slightly descending blow.
Make an aggressive swing and follow-through without steering the ball.
Brush the grass rather than taking a divot.
Seven woods should be played in the middle of the stance, with hands in front of ball at address.
When hitting your fairway woods you want to sweep them away, and you definitely don't want to come down too steep on these shots. Here's a great way to feel the sweeping motion with a fairway wood.
On your backswing try to move the club back on a wide arc by extending your left arm away from the target. Then on the follow-through do the opposite, which is to extend the right arm. When you widen your arc on the backswing and follow-through, you'll find it a lot easier to sweep the fairway woods away. Plus you'll increase the distance you hit these shots, because the wider the arc the more clubhead speed -- and the more clubhead speed the farther the ball goes.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
GETTING MORE DISTANCE
BEST TIP: Maximize coil and keep body relaxed with a light grip.
At address, keep most of your weight on right foot.
Widen your stance, with toes pointed out.
Tee ball high and hit it with an ascending blow.
Use a strong grip and light grip pressure.
Waggle to relax muscles and rehearse hinging of right wrist.
Make a wide arc and strive for maximum extension.
Maximize coil and get left shoulder and hip behind ball on backswing.
To maximize coil, don't lift left foot on backswing.
Hinge wrists fully at top of backswing.
Be sure to complete the backswing to put the club in the right position.
Don't let your left arm bend at the top of the backswing.
Start your downswing by pointing the butt end of the club toward the
ball.
Relax arms, make a shallow approach, delay turning of shoulders on downswing, let arms extend and pull shoulders into finish.
Accelerate the club slowly on downswing.
Rotate shaft through impact.
Try to generate maximum clubhead speed when the clubhead passes the ball, not at or before impact.
Keep head and upper body behind ball throughout swing.
Try to keep your right heel on the ground longer on downswing to help keep your body back.
Hit the ball on the upswing.
Throughout the swing, the only pressure point in your grip should be at the point where the lower pad of your right thumb meets the knuckle of your left thumb.
A Small Move That Makes A Big Difference
Want extra distance without extra effort? If so, simply turn your shoulders a little farther on the backswing. This extra coiling creates a greater swing arc and thereby produces greater leverage. And the more leverage gained, the more clubspeed possible during the release.
The results of that little extra turn will reveal that power depends mainly on a full free swing and a delayed hitting action, not upon a forced, speed-up tempo.
At address, keep most of your weight on right foot.
Widen your stance, with toes pointed out.
Tee ball high and hit it with an ascending blow.
Use a strong grip and light grip pressure.
Waggle to relax muscles and rehearse hinging of right wrist.
Make a wide arc and strive for maximum extension.
Maximize coil and get left shoulder and hip behind ball on backswing.
To maximize coil, don't lift left foot on backswing.
Hinge wrists fully at top of backswing.
Be sure to complete the backswing to put the club in the right position.
Don't let your left arm bend at the top of the backswing.
Start your downswing by pointing the butt end of the club toward the
ball.
Relax arms, make a shallow approach, delay turning of shoulders on downswing, let arms extend and pull shoulders into finish.
Accelerate the club slowly on downswing.
Rotate shaft through impact.
Try to generate maximum clubhead speed when the clubhead passes the ball, not at or before impact.
Keep head and upper body behind ball throughout swing.
Try to keep your right heel on the ground longer on downswing to help keep your body back.
Hit the ball on the upswing.
Throughout the swing, the only pressure point in your grip should be at the point where the lower pad of your right thumb meets the knuckle of your left thumb.
A Small Move That Makes A Big Difference
Want extra distance without extra effort? If so, simply turn your shoulders a little farther on the backswing. This extra coiling creates a greater swing arc and thereby produces greater leverage. And the more leverage gained, the more clubspeed possible during the release.
The results of that little extra turn will reveal that power depends mainly on a full free swing and a delayed hitting action, not upon a forced, speed-up tempo.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
DRIVES
BEST TIP: Keep a relaxed grip and swing with the force of a seven-iron.
Think smooth takeaway, full extension, long, slow, sweeping swing and smooth acceleration on downswing.
Start with 60% of weight on right foot.
Keep body relaxed and grip soft.
During swing, think only of following through and finishing the swing down the target line.
For accuracy, pretend you are throwing a basketball down the fairway underhand with our right arm.
Hit with the same tempo you use for a seven iron.
You should feel as though you are throwing the driver straight (not far or hard) down the
fairway.
Make sure your left hip never passes your left foot on the downswing.
Think smooth takeaway, full extension, long, slow, sweeping swing and smooth acceleration on downswing.
Start with 60% of weight on right foot.
Keep body relaxed and grip soft.
During swing, think only of following through and finishing the swing down the target line.
For accuracy, pretend you are throwing a basketball down the fairway underhand with our right arm.
Hit with the same tempo you use for a seven iron.
You should feel as though you are throwing the driver straight (not far or hard) down the
fairway.
Make sure your left hip never passes your left foot on the downswing.
Friday, October 24, 2008
STANCE
BEST TIP: Play ball far enough away to get full extension.
Aim clubface first. Then align your body.
At address, your hands should be about four inches from your thighs.
Keep your head up.
Bend forward from the hips about 33 degrees and tilt body toward right at address.
Let your arms hang naturally.
Elbows should be bent slightly inward at address.
Keep your chin up. Maintain minimal knee bend.
Keep right knee flexed and stable. Don't let it slide or straighten throughout swing.
For drives, set up with 80% of weight on right foot.
Make sure the ball is not too far forward. For drives, it should be at a point below left shoulder.
Position ball under the logo on your shirt.
Play ball far enough away from body to get full extension.
The longer the club, the more the left foot should be flared out – from perpendicular for short irons to 45 degrees for the driver.
Aim clubface first. Then align your body.
At address, your hands should be about four inches from your thighs.
Keep your head up.
Bend forward from the hips about 33 degrees and tilt body toward right at address.
Let your arms hang naturally.
Elbows should be bent slightly inward at address.
Keep your chin up. Maintain minimal knee bend.
Keep right knee flexed and stable. Don't let it slide or straighten throughout swing.
For drives, set up with 80% of weight on right foot.
Make sure the ball is not too far forward. For drives, it should be at a point below left shoulder.
Position ball under the logo on your shirt.
Play ball far enough away from body to get full extension.
The longer the club, the more the left foot should be flared out – from perpendicular for short irons to 45 degrees for the driver.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
GRIP
BEST TIP: Don't squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube.
Your grip should be in the fingers of both hands,
not the palms.
Most of the grip pressure should be felt in the last three fingers of your left hand. There is much less pressure in the right hand. There should be no pressure at all in the thumb and forefinger of the right hand.
Keep your overall grip pressure light. Don't "squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube."
Make sure your grip is strong enough, with both V's pointing over your right shoulder.
A strong left hand grip produces solid shots.
Keep hands close together.
For low ball flight, keep grip pressure firm throughout swing.
To promote a fade, keep left grip firm and right grip light.
When putting, keep palms facing each other.
For better accuracy when putting, make both V's in your grip point to your chin.
To avoid trouble on the right, strengthen your grip.
To avoid trouble on the left, weaken your grip.
A good grip is the first first thing that I look for when first time students come to see me. The reason is your hands are the only parts of your body touching the club the whole time you are swinging, and your hands control the club face. Make sure you're holding the club more in your fingers of your top hand than in your palm. This may feel uncomfortable at the
beginning, but it will soon feel better and will also help you control the club face so you can hit straighter shots.
Grip Under Pad For More Control
An incorrect left hand grip results in a sloppy hold on the club at the top of the backswing,
which in turn causes misdirected shots. When you let go with the left hand at the top,
you must re-grip on the way down. At this point the right hand usually takes over, altering
clubface alignment and clubhead path and causing inaccuracy.
A correct left hand grip has the club running diagonally just above the roots of the fingers
and resting just below the heel pad of the hand. When you fold your hand over the club,
it should anchor snugly below the pad. When the club rests too high on the heel pad,
your control is reduced.
A Checkpoint For Grip Length
Gripping the club too long can cause many swing ailments. If the butt end of the club
presses into the heel pad of your left hand, you may lose control of the club at the top of
your backswing. This can cause you to re-grip the club on your downswing and slow
down your arm swing through the ball. By gripping the club so the butt end is even with
the edge of the heel of your left hand, you will retain control throughout your swing.
This will create confidence and lower your score.
You should grip the club about as hard as you would grip an egg. Grasp too hard and
you'll lose all of your feel-and essential part of the game.
Your grip should be in the fingers of both hands,
not the palms.
Most of the grip pressure should be felt in the last three fingers of your left hand. There is much less pressure in the right hand. There should be no pressure at all in the thumb and forefinger of the right hand.
Keep your overall grip pressure light. Don't "squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube."
Make sure your grip is strong enough, with both V's pointing over your right shoulder.
A strong left hand grip produces solid shots.
Keep hands close together.
For low ball flight, keep grip pressure firm throughout swing.
To promote a fade, keep left grip firm and right grip light.
When putting, keep palms facing each other.
For better accuracy when putting, make both V's in your grip point to your chin.
To avoid trouble on the right, strengthen your grip.
To avoid trouble on the left, weaken your grip.
A good grip is the first first thing that I look for when first time students come to see me. The reason is your hands are the only parts of your body touching the club the whole time you are swinging, and your hands control the club face. Make sure you're holding the club more in your fingers of your top hand than in your palm. This may feel uncomfortable at the
beginning, but it will soon feel better and will also help you control the club face so you can hit straighter shots.
Grip Under Pad For More Control
An incorrect left hand grip results in a sloppy hold on the club at the top of the backswing,
which in turn causes misdirected shots. When you let go with the left hand at the top,
you must re-grip on the way down. At this point the right hand usually takes over, altering
clubface alignment and clubhead path and causing inaccuracy.
A correct left hand grip has the club running diagonally just above the roots of the fingers
and resting just below the heel pad of the hand. When you fold your hand over the club,
it should anchor snugly below the pad. When the club rests too high on the heel pad,
your control is reduced.
A Checkpoint For Grip Length
Gripping the club too long can cause many swing ailments. If the butt end of the club
presses into the heel pad of your left hand, you may lose control of the club at the top of
your backswing. This can cause you to re-grip the club on your downswing and slow
down your arm swing through the ball. By gripping the club so the butt end is even with
the edge of the heel of your left hand, you will retain control throughout your swing.
This will create confidence and lower your score.
You should grip the club about as hard as you would grip an egg. Grasp too hard and
you'll lose all of your feel-and essential part of the game.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
TIPS AND INSTRUCTION ON FULL SWING GOLF SHOTS
BEST TIP: It's like throwing a frisbee with your left arm.
Strive for a "one-piece" takeaway. Move shoulders with arms and hands. Extend left arm.
Take club back low and slow.
Let your body start the backward movement of arms and club.
On backswing, coil with your shoulders first, then hips.
On takeaway, when club is halfway back, shaft should be lined up with toes, and right arm should be a little higher than left arm.
At top of backswing, keep weight on inside of right foot.
Feel "lazy" at top of backswing to promote the right tempo.
On backswing, keep arms in front of your chest. Make sure left arm stays with your chest on downswing. If arms go slack on downswing, club will fall behind, producing weak pushes or slices.
Drop arms into downswing by gravity alone.
On downswing, right elbow should lead right arm to impact.
On downswing, pull rather than push the club along the swing plane.
Start downswing by transferring weight to left foot and by moving body toward target.
On downswing, chest leads arms to create pulling action. It's like throwing a frisbee with your left arm. Forget the hips on downswing. Level rotation of chest squares clubface without
conscious forearm rotation or wrist-flipping.
On downswing, try to keep shaft at 90 degree angle when arms are waist-high.
On downswing, keep the hinge in your right hand as long as you can.
Left side should start the downswing and right side does the hitting.
On downswing, let right elbow fall to right side to keep ball straight.
Make a shallow approach to the ball. For shallow, inside-out swings, start downswing with body.
Proper sequence on downswing is shift weight, rotate hips, release hands and arms.
Hands should be in front of ball at impact on all fairway shots.
Think about swinging only the handle of the club to get a smoother swing motion.
Keep height level and left arm straight throughout swing.
Maintain flex in right knee throughout swing.
Keep arms and shoulders loose throughout swing. It generates
extension and speed.
To help square clubface, try to touch your left forearm with your right forearm at impact.
Keep clubhead moving along target line.
Keep your elbows together throughout the swing.
Keep spine angle (the forward bend) constant throughout swing.
Divots should point toward target.
keep head and body behind ball throughout swing.
Hit with 80% of power.
When in doubt, use more club.
Point your chin at a spot just behind the ball throughout the swing.
To get correct feel for swing, practice with right foot drawn back and flared to the right.
Swing path controls the direction of ball flight. An open or closed face controls fades or draws.
Accelerate through shot.
Make sure left shoulder and arm are in the same position at impact as they are at address.
Keep body behind ball to prevent "skyed" shots.
Move the ball with the clubhead, not your body.
Drill to promote correct feel: Freeze midway into downswing and make sure that handle of club points to target line, right arm is pressed against side of chest and shoulders are lined up to right of target.
Keep both feet flat on ground longer throughout swing for better balance.
Control shot with speed at which you unwind your body, not with hands and arms.
Strive for a "one-piece" takeaway. Move shoulders with arms and hands. Extend left arm.
Take club back low and slow.
Let your body start the backward movement of arms and club.
On backswing, coil with your shoulders first, then hips.
On takeaway, when club is halfway back, shaft should be lined up with toes, and right arm should be a little higher than left arm.
At top of backswing, keep weight on inside of right foot.
Feel "lazy" at top of backswing to promote the right tempo.
On backswing, keep arms in front of your chest. Make sure left arm stays with your chest on downswing. If arms go slack on downswing, club will fall behind, producing weak pushes or slices.
Drop arms into downswing by gravity alone.
On downswing, right elbow should lead right arm to impact.
On downswing, pull rather than push the club along the swing plane.
Start downswing by transferring weight to left foot and by moving body toward target.
On downswing, chest leads arms to create pulling action. It's like throwing a frisbee with your left arm. Forget the hips on downswing. Level rotation of chest squares clubface without
conscious forearm rotation or wrist-flipping.
On downswing, try to keep shaft at 90 degree angle when arms are waist-high.
On downswing, keep the hinge in your right hand as long as you can.
Left side should start the downswing and right side does the hitting.
On downswing, let right elbow fall to right side to keep ball straight.
Make a shallow approach to the ball. For shallow, inside-out swings, start downswing with body.
Proper sequence on downswing is shift weight, rotate hips, release hands and arms.
Hands should be in front of ball at impact on all fairway shots.
Think about swinging only the handle of the club to get a smoother swing motion.
Keep height level and left arm straight throughout swing.
Maintain flex in right knee throughout swing.
Keep arms and shoulders loose throughout swing. It generates
extension and speed.
To help square clubface, try to touch your left forearm with your right forearm at impact.
Keep clubhead moving along target line.
Keep your elbows together throughout the swing.
Keep spine angle (the forward bend) constant throughout swing.
Divots should point toward target.
keep head and body behind ball throughout swing.
Hit with 80% of power.
When in doubt, use more club.
Point your chin at a spot just behind the ball throughout the swing.
To get correct feel for swing, practice with right foot drawn back and flared to the right.
Swing path controls the direction of ball flight. An open or closed face controls fades or draws.
Accelerate through shot.
Make sure left shoulder and arm are in the same position at impact as they are at address.
Keep body behind ball to prevent "skyed" shots.
Move the ball with the clubhead, not your body.
Drill to promote correct feel: Freeze midway into downswing and make sure that handle of club points to target line, right arm is pressed against side of chest and shoulders are lined up to right of target.
Keep both feet flat on ground longer throughout swing for better balance.
Control shot with speed at which you unwind your body, not with hands and arms.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Getting Started in Golf
Balance : The Foundation of Golf
Balance is the foundation of golf and this section teaches the importance of this and the steps you can take to get it right.
Getting Power Into The Ball
Getting Power into the golf ball is really important. This page teaches the beginner how to get maximum power into the ball for optimum distance on the fairway.
Addressing The Ball
This page focuses on how a golfing novice or beginner should correctly approach the ball on the tee and look at the golf ball in the proper manner and addressing the ball correctly
Golf Swing Basics
Fundamentals of the Swing. This section covers the basic approach to the golf swing to ensure the ball is hit correctly at all times on the golf course.
Correct Golf Posture
This page discusses developing the correct posture in the game of golf. It isn't just beginners that struggle with adopting the correct body position.
The Vardon Grip
The Vardon grip is a popular way of holding a golf club. This page offers golf instruction and grip pressure advice for the novice golfer .
Golf Shots
Various golf shots and techniques to try.
Putting Tips For Golf
Putting tips for novice golfers. Advice and tips for golf beginners on the putting green. Learning how to master the putt is a must if you're a novice golfer looking to improve your golf game.
Balance is the foundation of golf and this section teaches the importance of this and the steps you can take to get it right.
Getting Power Into The Ball
Getting Power into the golf ball is really important. This page teaches the beginner how to get maximum power into the ball for optimum distance on the fairway.
Addressing The Ball
This page focuses on how a golfing novice or beginner should correctly approach the ball on the tee and look at the golf ball in the proper manner and addressing the ball correctly
Golf Swing Basics
Fundamentals of the Swing. This section covers the basic approach to the golf swing to ensure the ball is hit correctly at all times on the golf course.
Correct Golf Posture
This page discusses developing the correct posture in the game of golf. It isn't just beginners that struggle with adopting the correct body position.
The Vardon Grip
The Vardon grip is a popular way of holding a golf club. This page offers golf instruction and grip pressure advice for the novice golfer .
Golf Shots
Various golf shots and techniques to try.
Putting Tips For Golf
Putting tips for novice golfers. Advice and tips for golf beginners on the putting green. Learning how to master the putt is a must if you're a novice golfer looking to improve your golf game.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Golf tip: Use the tee box to your advantage for lower scores
When you walk up onto a tee box do you randomly place your tee into the ground or do you take into consideration your situation and make the best of it?
Use the following guidelines to help you lower your score by playing smarter.
1. Find a flat area Do not assume that all tee boxes are created equally. Some are better than others. Always be sure to find a flat area where you will be able to stand normally. Over time, tee boxes can become uneven. Why make your shot any more difficult than necessary?
2. Look for the best angle to your target When you place your tee into the ground, look for the most direct route to your target. If by walking to the far side of the tee box you can have an angle to your fairway or pin that does not require you to have to hit over any trouble - a bunker or water, for example - you should take the time and energy to do so. Be looking for the path of least resistance.
3. Tee off on the side of the trouble It may seem counter-intuitive but it is easier to aim away from the trouble if you are on that particular side. If you have out of bounds on the left, it can be helpful to tee off on the left side of the tee box and aim away.
By placing yourself on the side of the trouble it can give you a better angle to the safer side of the fairway as it can visually open up that direction to you and make it easier to aim well.
Next time you go to the golf course, take extra time and care to where you place your golf tee and ball into the ground. By following these three simple guidelines, you can play smarter - and therefore better.
Use the following guidelines to help you lower your score by playing smarter.
1. Find a flat area Do not assume that all tee boxes are created equally. Some are better than others. Always be sure to find a flat area where you will be able to stand normally. Over time, tee boxes can become uneven. Why make your shot any more difficult than necessary?
2. Look for the best angle to your target When you place your tee into the ground, look for the most direct route to your target. If by walking to the far side of the tee box you can have an angle to your fairway or pin that does not require you to have to hit over any trouble - a bunker or water, for example - you should take the time and energy to do so. Be looking for the path of least resistance.
3. Tee off on the side of the trouble It may seem counter-intuitive but it is easier to aim away from the trouble if you are on that particular side. If you have out of bounds on the left, it can be helpful to tee off on the left side of the tee box and aim away.
By placing yourself on the side of the trouble it can give you a better angle to the safer side of the fairway as it can visually open up that direction to you and make it easier to aim well.
Next time you go to the golf course, take extra time and care to where you place your golf tee and ball into the ground. By following these three simple guidelines, you can play smarter - and therefore better.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Be a stepper: The three responsibilities of a golfer's set-up footwork
Your feet have three responsibilities and in order to accomplish each of these it can and should take as many steps to do so:
1. Ball position
2. Proper distance from your golf ball and club
3. Alignment
Ball position
When stepping your feet, it is important that you accomplish proper ball position for the club and the situation at hand.
If you are hitting an iron, hybrid or fairway wood, with your golf ball on the ground in a relatively flat lie, you should step your feet equidistantly apart as you widen them so that the club is centered in your body at the completion of your stepping.
The ball position should be more in line with the forward instep, the left step should be smaller and the right, widening step should be wider.
The proper foot work will accomplish the right ball position, making proper contact possible.
Proper distance from your golf ball and club
When stepping your feet, you must also adjust your distance from your club and ball so that you are in the proper posture (bowing forward from your hips) and adjusting your feet to the point where you feel your hands hanging directly below your shoulders.
With each club, you should consistently be the same distance from the end of the grip of the club to your body. This is the measuring point, rather than to the ball, which should change as the length of each club changes.
Alignment
http://www.worldgolf.com/images/golf-instruction/golf-swing-footwork.jpg
When stepping your feet, after you've properly aimed your clubface to the target, you need to stand so that the line through your toes is parallel to the target line, thus left of the target. This line through your toes should be "parallel left." This line is parallel to the target line but left of the target, much like railroad tracks.
As you can see, your feet have many responsibilities during your set up routine. Therefore, I like to see a minimum of four steps to adjust and prefer six to eight steps. The first couple of steps may be larger to get you in the rough vicinity of the right distance, and the remaining make the smaller adjustments necessary to be particular about ball position, proper distance from the golf club and proper alignment.
You will also tend to see better players taking more steps. Besides accomplishing each of these responsibilities, it can also serve to relax the body and help with rhythm.
So, mimic the good golfers and become a stepper.
1. Ball position
2. Proper distance from your golf ball and club
3. Alignment
Ball position
When stepping your feet, it is important that you accomplish proper ball position for the club and the situation at hand.
If you are hitting an iron, hybrid or fairway wood, with your golf ball on the ground in a relatively flat lie, you should step your feet equidistantly apart as you widen them so that the club is centered in your body at the completion of your stepping.
The ball position should be more in line with the forward instep, the left step should be smaller and the right, widening step should be wider.
The proper foot work will accomplish the right ball position, making proper contact possible.
Proper distance from your golf ball and club
When stepping your feet, you must also adjust your distance from your club and ball so that you are in the proper posture (bowing forward from your hips) and adjusting your feet to the point where you feel your hands hanging directly below your shoulders.
With each club, you should consistently be the same distance from the end of the grip of the club to your body. This is the measuring point, rather than to the ball, which should change as the length of each club changes.
Alignment
http://www.worldgolf.com/images/golf-instruction/golf-swing-footwork.jpg
When stepping your feet, after you've properly aimed your clubface to the target, you need to stand so that the line through your toes is parallel to the target line, thus left of the target. This line through your toes should be "parallel left." This line is parallel to the target line but left of the target, much like railroad tracks.
As you can see, your feet have many responsibilities during your set up routine. Therefore, I like to see a minimum of four steps to adjust and prefer six to eight steps. The first couple of steps may be larger to get you in the rough vicinity of the right distance, and the remaining make the smaller adjustments necessary to be particular about ball position, proper distance from the golf club and proper alignment.
You will also tend to see better players taking more steps. Besides accomplishing each of these responsibilities, it can also serve to relax the body and help with rhythm.
So, mimic the good golfers and become a stepper.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Golf Tips to improve your Chipping
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/img/golf-tips/chipping-tip.gif
Weight Distribution is Vital When Chipping
One key to consistently getting the ball up and down is proper weight distribution. Keep at least 60% of your weight on the front foot at address (left foot for right-handed golfers). Think of hitting slightly down and through the ball. This will encourage a good weight transfer and, in turn, help complete the follow-through. Keep the back of the left wrist facing the target and don't let it break down. That's crucial. Otherwise, your shots will break down as well!
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/img/golf-tips/chipping-from-bunkers.gif
Chipping from Bunkers
Many golfers make the sand bunker shot more difficult than it has to be. This is because they were taught that the only way to come out of a trap is with an explosion shot, a rather unnatural stroke for the beginner since the club head has to strike the sand behind the ball and does not strike the ball itself.
There are a number of occasions when the lie of the ball and the lay of the land make playing an explosion shot unnecessary and even unwise. Whenever the bank of the trap is low and there is enough putting surface between the trap and the hole, a golfer would be more sensible to play a variation on a chip shot—with the club head contacting the ball cleanly and lofting it onto the green. Allow for some roll.
A chip from the sand is played the same as a chip from any other lie, with two modifications. First, you grip the club low on the shaft, as far down as the bottom of the leather if this is comfortable. Secondly, glue your eyes on the left half of the ball rather than on the right half as you do on ordinary shots. This enables you to deliver a clean, descending blow, and that is the essence of all chip shots.
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/img/golf-tips/chipping-from-fringe.gif
Chipping from the Fringe
When you are playing a chip shot from off the fringe of the green, I think it is a sensible practice to visualize this kind of stroke as a close cousin to the putting stroke. In chipping from the apron, just as in putting, the club head should follow a straight line from the top of the backswing through impact with the ball and on top of the follow-through. Imagine that your ball is lying atop a yardstick that is pointing toward the hole. Your club head should stay directly above the yardstick during all phases of the chip shot. Your stance will be open with your left foot at approximately a 45-degree angle to the pin, in order to facilitate the proper movement of the club head. This open stance and the over-the-yard-stick stroke—these are the fundamentals that will make it easy for you to keep your chip right on the line to the pin.
Many golfers make the mistake on their short chips of assuming a square stance, keeping both feet perpendicular to the line to the target. The result is that the club head deviates from the straight line during the swing, and an inaccurate shot is the consequence.
Weight Distribution is Vital When Chipping
One key to consistently getting the ball up and down is proper weight distribution. Keep at least 60% of your weight on the front foot at address (left foot for right-handed golfers). Think of hitting slightly down and through the ball. This will encourage a good weight transfer and, in turn, help complete the follow-through. Keep the back of the left wrist facing the target and don't let it break down. That's crucial. Otherwise, your shots will break down as well!
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/img/golf-tips/chipping-from-bunkers.gif
Chipping from Bunkers
Many golfers make the sand bunker shot more difficult than it has to be. This is because they were taught that the only way to come out of a trap is with an explosion shot, a rather unnatural stroke for the beginner since the club head has to strike the sand behind the ball and does not strike the ball itself.
There are a number of occasions when the lie of the ball and the lay of the land make playing an explosion shot unnecessary and even unwise. Whenever the bank of the trap is low and there is enough putting surface between the trap and the hole, a golfer would be more sensible to play a variation on a chip shot—with the club head contacting the ball cleanly and lofting it onto the green. Allow for some roll.
A chip from the sand is played the same as a chip from any other lie, with two modifications. First, you grip the club low on the shaft, as far down as the bottom of the leather if this is comfortable. Secondly, glue your eyes on the left half of the ball rather than on the right half as you do on ordinary shots. This enables you to deliver a clean, descending blow, and that is the essence of all chip shots.
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/img/golf-tips/chipping-from-fringe.gif
Chipping from the Fringe
When you are playing a chip shot from off the fringe of the green, I think it is a sensible practice to visualize this kind of stroke as a close cousin to the putting stroke. In chipping from the apron, just as in putting, the club head should follow a straight line from the top of the backswing through impact with the ball and on top of the follow-through. Imagine that your ball is lying atop a yardstick that is pointing toward the hole. Your club head should stay directly above the yardstick during all phases of the chip shot. Your stance will be open with your left foot at approximately a 45-degree angle to the pin, in order to facilitate the proper movement of the club head. This open stance and the over-the-yard-stick stroke—these are the fundamentals that will make it easy for you to keep your chip right on the line to the pin.
Many golfers make the mistake on their short chips of assuming a square stance, keeping both feet perpendicular to the line to the target. The result is that the club head deviates from the straight line during the swing, and an inaccurate shot is the consequence.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Staying out of Trouble with your Driver
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/img/golf-tips/driver-slice-tip.gif
Swing Easy. Nothing can be better for your game than learning how to swing the club easier and make your swing more fluid. If you go to the range and concentrate ONLY on swinging easy, it will revolutionize your ability to position yourself for a good approach shot when you get onto the course. You will make more consistent impact with the ball, and it will reduce the amount of side-spin you naturally place on the ball because the club head won't be traveling as fast or with as much force. Again, I know you've heard it before, but I ask you to concentrate on this for 1 week. And if you can't physically practice it, visualize it at the office (visualization works great).
Switch to a low spin ball. Lower spin off of the tee means that the ball is going to fly straighter regardless of how whether your ball moves right or left. I recommend the Titleist DT SoLo, the Precept Laddie, or the Maxfli Noodle. You can find these balls priced anywhere from $13 to $20 per dozen, and they will play a large role in reducing the side spin that you place on the ball.
Swing Easy. Nothing can be better for your game than learning how to swing the club easier and make your swing more fluid. If you go to the range and concentrate ONLY on swinging easy, it will revolutionize your ability to position yourself for a good approach shot when you get onto the course. You will make more consistent impact with the ball, and it will reduce the amount of side-spin you naturally place on the ball because the club head won't be traveling as fast or with as much force. Again, I know you've heard it before, but I ask you to concentrate on this for 1 week. And if you can't physically practice it, visualize it at the office (visualization works great).
Switch to a low spin ball. Lower spin off of the tee means that the ball is going to fly straighter regardless of how whether your ball moves right or left. I recommend the Titleist DT SoLo, the Precept Laddie, or the Maxfli Noodle. You can find these balls priced anywhere from $13 to $20 per dozen, and they will play a large role in reducing the side spin that you place on the ball.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club
Address Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club, Jerudong Park, Jerudong BG3122, Brunei Darussalam
Telephone +673-261 1582
Fax +673-261 0499
Website http://www.jerudong-park.com
Email rbgcc@jerudong-park.com
Holes 18
Yardage 6172 metres
Par 72
Visitors 7 days a week, except religious holidays
Affiliated members can sign in 3 guests at full rate of green and other charges, i.e. caddy and buggy fee.
Night play
Green Members' Guest:
Fees Mon - Thu: - C , Fri- Sun & PH : -D
Visitors :Mon - Thu -D , Weekends Fri - Sun & P H -E
Inclusive shared buggy, non - sharing buggy : + B$ 10.00 (= approx.3.25 Pounds)
Course Designer Ronald Fream
Facilities
* Restaurant, Banqueting, Meeting/Function Room, Locker Rooms
* Two air-conditioned rest houses provide a break from play and refreshments.
* Pool Side Terrace
* Mini Garden 9 Holes Golf Course, Bowling, Squash Courts, Mini Gymnasium, Swimming Pool & Sauna, Snooker
Telephone +673-261 1582
Fax +673-261 0499
Website http://www.jerudong-park.com
Email rbgcc@jerudong-park.com
Holes 18
Yardage 6172 metres
Par 72
Visitors 7 days a week, except religious holidays
Affiliated members can sign in 3 guests at full rate of green and other charges, i.e. caddy and buggy fee.
Night play
Green Members' Guest:
Fees Mon - Thu: - C , Fri- Sun & PH : -D
Visitors :Mon - Thu -D , Weekends Fri - Sun & P H -E
Inclusive shared buggy, non - sharing buggy : + B$ 10.00 (= approx.3.25 Pounds)
Course Designer Ronald Fream
Facilities
* Restaurant, Banqueting, Meeting/Function Room, Locker Rooms
* Two air-conditioned rest houses provide a break from play and refreshments.
* Pool Side Terrace
* Mini Garden 9 Holes Golf Course, Bowling, Squash Courts, Mini Gymnasium, Swimming Pool & Sauna, Snooker
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Greg Norman commits to 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic
Australian legend Greg Norman is the first golfing superstar to commit to the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic when the event tees off in Perth, Western Australia from February 19 to 22.
The participation of former world number one Norman, who two weeks ago rolled back the years at Royal Birkdale and almost secured an incredible third Open Championship title, is an indication that Asia Pacific's premier luxury golf tournament will once again feature a strong field of international stars.
"Historically the Johnnie Walker Classic, one of Asia Pacific's most established and popular golf events, has always boasted a high calibre line-up and the participation of Greg Norman is confirmation that we will maintain that tradition in 2009," commented David Gates, Global Brand Director for Johnnie Walker.
"Greg's presence will give Australian golf fans the rare opportunity to watch their greatest ever golfer in action on home soil alongside a host of other international golfing giants who will be competing in the 18th staging of the event, first played in 1990 at the Hong Kong Golf Club."
Despite cutting back his playing schedule to accommodate his worldwide commitments to his course design and other business interests, Norman's revival at The Open two weeks ago makes the 53-year-old an excellent example of the personal progress message of "Keep Walking" that lies at heart of the Johnnie Walker brand.
Against the odds, Norman dominated the leader board for most of The Open Championship and never gave up as he strived to secure the Claret Jug ahead of the world's best golfers in conditions that were arguably the most demanding in the history of the Championship.
Over the years, Norman has enjoyed a sparkling career that has seen him win over 80 tournaments worldwide including two Open Championships in 1986 and 1993 and spend a total of 331 weeks at the top of the official world rankings.
The charismatic golfer, known throughout the world as the 'Great White Shark', makes a welcome return to the Johnnie Walker Classic which he won in 1994 at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket.
In becoming the fourth winner of the coveted Johnnie Walker Striding Man trophy, the towering blond overcame a star-studded field that featured golfing greats such as Bernhard Langer of Germany, who had won his second US Masters the previous year; Zimbabwean Nick Price, who went on to win the Open Championship and the US PGA Championship that same year; American Fred Couples, who had won the inaugural Johnnie Walker World Championship; and Ian Woosnam of Wales, who had been victorious at the US Masters just three years before.
"I have always had a great time competing in Johnnie Walker events and particularly look forward to attending some of the spectacular off-course parties that the tournament is well known for," said Norman, who has supported the Johnnie Walker Classic on a number of occasions over the years plus participating in previous Johnnie Walker events, the Johnnie Walker World Championship and the Johnnie Walker Super Tour.
"It will also be a great treat to be competing back on home soil in Australia, especially in Perth which offers great weather, a fantastic championship course at The Vines and a wonderful backdrop for a tournament as prestigious as the Johnnie Walker Classic."
Western Australian Tourism Minister Sheila McHale said the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic would attract more media attention than usual with Australia's most triumphant golfer headlining the event.
"This is why we love to invest in and host prestigious events like the Johnnie Walker Classic – it attracts the world's best and puts Perth on the international golfing map," Minister McHale said.
"Hosting the tournament is fantastic for all Australian golfing fans – not only can they see their golfing idols in action but they can later play on the same championship course."
Norman can expect tough competition from a host of top international players as the tournament's unique status of being tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian Tours means that the Johnnie Walker Classic always attracts a stellar field.
Over the past 18 years the Johnnie Walker Classic has been played in eight different countries and 13 different golf clubs around the Asia Pacific region including China in 2005 and this year, for the first time, India, reflecting the brand's "Keep Walking" philosophy.
It will be the fourth visit to Perth, Western Australia for the event and the fifth time the event has been staged in Australia following its Antipodean debut back in 1997 at the Hope Island Golf Club.
The participation of former world number one Norman, who two weeks ago rolled back the years at Royal Birkdale and almost secured an incredible third Open Championship title, is an indication that Asia Pacific's premier luxury golf tournament will once again feature a strong field of international stars.
"Historically the Johnnie Walker Classic, one of Asia Pacific's most established and popular golf events, has always boasted a high calibre line-up and the participation of Greg Norman is confirmation that we will maintain that tradition in 2009," commented David Gates, Global Brand Director for Johnnie Walker.
"Greg's presence will give Australian golf fans the rare opportunity to watch their greatest ever golfer in action on home soil alongside a host of other international golfing giants who will be competing in the 18th staging of the event, first played in 1990 at the Hong Kong Golf Club."
Despite cutting back his playing schedule to accommodate his worldwide commitments to his course design and other business interests, Norman's revival at The Open two weeks ago makes the 53-year-old an excellent example of the personal progress message of "Keep Walking" that lies at heart of the Johnnie Walker brand.
Against the odds, Norman dominated the leader board for most of The Open Championship and never gave up as he strived to secure the Claret Jug ahead of the world's best golfers in conditions that were arguably the most demanding in the history of the Championship.
Over the years, Norman has enjoyed a sparkling career that has seen him win over 80 tournaments worldwide including two Open Championships in 1986 and 1993 and spend a total of 331 weeks at the top of the official world rankings.
The charismatic golfer, known throughout the world as the 'Great White Shark', makes a welcome return to the Johnnie Walker Classic which he won in 1994 at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket.
In becoming the fourth winner of the coveted Johnnie Walker Striding Man trophy, the towering blond overcame a star-studded field that featured golfing greats such as Bernhard Langer of Germany, who had won his second US Masters the previous year; Zimbabwean Nick Price, who went on to win the Open Championship and the US PGA Championship that same year; American Fred Couples, who had won the inaugural Johnnie Walker World Championship; and Ian Woosnam of Wales, who had been victorious at the US Masters just three years before.
"I have always had a great time competing in Johnnie Walker events and particularly look forward to attending some of the spectacular off-course parties that the tournament is well known for," said Norman, who has supported the Johnnie Walker Classic on a number of occasions over the years plus participating in previous Johnnie Walker events, the Johnnie Walker World Championship and the Johnnie Walker Super Tour.
"It will also be a great treat to be competing back on home soil in Australia, especially in Perth which offers great weather, a fantastic championship course at The Vines and a wonderful backdrop for a tournament as prestigious as the Johnnie Walker Classic."
Western Australian Tourism Minister Sheila McHale said the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic would attract more media attention than usual with Australia's most triumphant golfer headlining the event.
"This is why we love to invest in and host prestigious events like the Johnnie Walker Classic – it attracts the world's best and puts Perth on the international golfing map," Minister McHale said.
"Hosting the tournament is fantastic for all Australian golfing fans – not only can they see their golfing idols in action but they can later play on the same championship course."
Norman can expect tough competition from a host of top international players as the tournament's unique status of being tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian Tours means that the Johnnie Walker Classic always attracts a stellar field.
Over the past 18 years the Johnnie Walker Classic has been played in eight different countries and 13 different golf clubs around the Asia Pacific region including China in 2005 and this year, for the first time, India, reflecting the brand's "Keep Walking" philosophy.
It will be the fourth visit to Perth, Western Australia for the event and the fifth time the event has been staged in Australia following its Antipodean debut back in 1997 at the Hope Island Golf Club.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Empire Hotel & Country Club
The Empire Hotel and Country Club was named Asia's leading golf resort in the 2004 World Travel Awards, thanks to the top class facilities and the famous Empire Course which hugs the South China Sea. It has also stamped its mark on the Asian Tour being voted the Host Venue of the Year in 2005.
http://www.golftoday.co.uk/asian/images/empire_h&cc_brunei.jpg
The par-71 Jack Nicklaus designed Empire course has incorporated the coast as the main viewpoint with the front nine and back nine both overlooking the South China Sea. Iron play will be the key in producing a solid round especially with the well-bunkered holes throughout the course.
Course Record:
63: (eight-under-par) - Danny Chia (Mas), Brunei Open 2005 and Lin Wen-tang (Tpe), Brunei Open 2006
Past Winners
2005: Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 19-under-par 265
2006: Wang Ter-chang (Tpe) 16-under-par 268
Hole Yards Par
1 367 4
2 566 5
3 412 4
4 186 3
5 407 4
6 357 4
7 220 3
8 399 4
9 413 4
OUT 3328 35
10 393 4
11 440 4
12 561 5
13 442 4
14 221 3
15 549 5
16 171 3
17 434 4
18 476 4
IN 3685 36
OUT 3328 35
TOTAL 7013 71
http://www.golftoday.co.uk/asian/images/empire_h&cc_brunei.jpg
The par-71 Jack Nicklaus designed Empire course has incorporated the coast as the main viewpoint with the front nine and back nine both overlooking the South China Sea. Iron play will be the key in producing a solid round especially with the well-bunkered holes throughout the course.
Course Record:
63: (eight-under-par) - Danny Chia (Mas), Brunei Open 2005 and Lin Wen-tang (Tpe), Brunei Open 2006
Past Winners
2005: Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 19-under-par 265
2006: Wang Ter-chang (Tpe) 16-under-par 268
Hole Yards Par
1 367 4
2 566 5
3 412 4
4 186 3
5 407 4
6 357 4
7 220 3
8 399 4
9 413 4
OUT 3328 35
10 393 4
11 440 4
12 561 5
13 442 4
14 221 3
15 549 5
16 171 3
17 434 4
18 476 4
IN 3685 36
OUT 3328 35
TOTAL 7013 71
Monday, October 13, 2008
Prom aims to be first Thai champion in Brunei
Asian Tour star Prom Meesawat will lead an exciting Thai onslaught at the Brunei Open from August 21 to 24.
The talented Prom is relishing a return to one of his favourite Asian Tour events and hopes to turn his game around at the highly-acclaimed Empire Hotel and Country Club for a title assault.
The burly Thai, who has finished seventh and third on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit in the past two seasons, will be joined by compatriots Chinnarat Phadungsil and seasoned campaigner Chawalit Plaphol, who will both make their Brunei Open debuts.
Former Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant will also feature in the popular US$300,000 event alongside defending champion Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, compatriot Lu Wen-teh, 2005 champion Terry Pilkadaris of Australia, Filipino duo Angelo Que and Artemio Murakami, Korea's Noh Seung-yul, Gaurav Ghei of India and Malaysia's Airil Rizman.
Prom plans to get his game into momentum at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, which has yet to herald a winner from Thailand since the Brunei Open's inauguration in 2005.
"I'm looking forward to playing in Brunei. I like the conditions at Empire Hotel and Country Club and I hope to enjoy my time out on the golf course again and produce a good finish," said the 24-year-old Hua Hin-based player.
"I've been playing in Japan during the mid-season break but have not been able to find my rhythm. When my driving is good, my putting is off and when I am solid on the greens, I have trouble on the tee.
"It's been like that recently, so I hope it will fall into place in Brunei," added Prom, who won the 2006 SK Telecom Open after beating a top field that included K.J. Choi and Jeev Milkha Singh.
With many big money events lined up in the second half of the Asian Tour season, Prom knows he must shift his game into high gear in his search for a second career victory.
Thai teenage phenomenon Chinnarat is only 19 but he already has two Asian Tour victories under his belt. The former world junior amateur champion hopes to add the Brunei Open title onto his impressive resume in what will be his first visit to the sultantate.
"I will try to win in my first appearance in Brunei. I missed last year's event as I was playing in Europe while two years ago, I was injured and couldn't play," said Chinnarat.
The power-packed Thai is however lamenting poor putting and hopes to improve on the greens in hope of launching a title charge in Brunei. "I am not too confident with my putting at the moment. I am working hard on it as I hear the greens at the Empire Hotel and Country Club are excellent," said Chinnarat.
Two-time winner Chawalit hopes that the hard work that he has put into his game over the past month will reap its rewards when he makes his Brunei Open debut.
"I am not pleased with my performance this season. My driving and long iron shots have been off target but I've spent an average of three hours a day in the past few weeks to fix the problem and I hope it will show at the Brunei Open," said Chawalit.
"I'm not happy with my position on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. I want to make a serious charge up the rankings and I will be fully focused in Brunei," added the Thai, who is currently ranked 74th on the Order of Merit.
The talented Prom is relishing a return to one of his favourite Asian Tour events and hopes to turn his game around at the highly-acclaimed Empire Hotel and Country Club for a title assault.
The burly Thai, who has finished seventh and third on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit in the past two seasons, will be joined by compatriots Chinnarat Phadungsil and seasoned campaigner Chawalit Plaphol, who will both make their Brunei Open debuts.
Former Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant will also feature in the popular US$300,000 event alongside defending champion Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, compatriot Lu Wen-teh, 2005 champion Terry Pilkadaris of Australia, Filipino duo Angelo Que and Artemio Murakami, Korea's Noh Seung-yul, Gaurav Ghei of India and Malaysia's Airil Rizman.
Prom plans to get his game into momentum at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, which has yet to herald a winner from Thailand since the Brunei Open's inauguration in 2005.
"I'm looking forward to playing in Brunei. I like the conditions at Empire Hotel and Country Club and I hope to enjoy my time out on the golf course again and produce a good finish," said the 24-year-old Hua Hin-based player.
"I've been playing in Japan during the mid-season break but have not been able to find my rhythm. When my driving is good, my putting is off and when I am solid on the greens, I have trouble on the tee.
"It's been like that recently, so I hope it will fall into place in Brunei," added Prom, who won the 2006 SK Telecom Open after beating a top field that included K.J. Choi and Jeev Milkha Singh.
With many big money events lined up in the second half of the Asian Tour season, Prom knows he must shift his game into high gear in his search for a second career victory.
Thai teenage phenomenon Chinnarat is only 19 but he already has two Asian Tour victories under his belt. The former world junior amateur champion hopes to add the Brunei Open title onto his impressive resume in what will be his first visit to the sultantate.
"I will try to win in my first appearance in Brunei. I missed last year's event as I was playing in Europe while two years ago, I was injured and couldn't play," said Chinnarat.
The power-packed Thai is however lamenting poor putting and hopes to improve on the greens in hope of launching a title charge in Brunei. "I am not too confident with my putting at the moment. I am working hard on it as I hear the greens at the Empire Hotel and Country Club are excellent," said Chinnarat.
Two-time winner Chawalit hopes that the hard work that he has put into his game over the past month will reap its rewards when he makes his Brunei Open debut.
"I am not pleased with my performance this season. My driving and long iron shots have been off target but I've spent an average of three hours a day in the past few weeks to fix the problem and I hope it will show at the Brunei Open," said Chawalit.
"I'm not happy with my position on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. I want to make a serious charge up the rankings and I will be fully focused in Brunei," added the Thai, who is currently ranked 74th on the Order of Merit.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
ASIAN TOUR SCHEDULE AND PURSES - AUGUST TO DECEMBER, 2008
Aug 6 – 9: Worldwide Selangor Masters, Seri Selangor Golf Club, Malaysia, $310,000
Aug 21 – 24: Brunei Open, The Empire Hotel & CC, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, $300,000
Aug 28 – 31: Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational, Damai Indah GCC, Pantai Indah Kapok course, Indonesia, $350,000
Sep 18 – 21: Fortis International Challenge, Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sep 18 – 21: Mercuries Taiwan Masters, Taiwan GCC, Taipei, Chinese Taipei $500,000
Sept 25 – 28: Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, Ibaraki CC, Osaka, Japan, $1,850,000
Oct 2 – 5: Kolon-Hana Bank 51st Korea Open, Woo Jeong Hills CC, Cheonan, Korea, $1,000,000
Oct 9 – 12: Hero Honda Indian Open, Delhi Golf Club, New Delhi, India, $1,000,000
Oct 16 – 19: Midea China Classic, Royal Orchid International GC, Guangzhou, China, $500,000
Oct 23 – 26: Macau Open, Macau Golf & Country Club, Macau, $500,000
Nov 6 – 9: HSBC Champions, Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China $5,000,000
Nov 13 – 16: Barclays Singapore Open, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore, $5,000,000
Nov 20 – 23: UBS Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong, $2,250,000
Nov 27 – 30: Omega Mission Hills World Cup, Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen, China, $5,500,000
Dec 4 – 7: Hana Bank Vietnam Masters, Course TBC, Hanoi, Vietnam, US$500,000
Dec 11 – 14: Cambodian Open, Phokeethra Country Club, Siem Reap, $300,000
Dec 18 – 21: Volvo Masters of Asia, Thai Country Club, Bangkok, $750,000.
Aug 21 – 24: Brunei Open, The Empire Hotel & CC, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, $300,000
Aug 28 – 31: Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational, Damai Indah GCC, Pantai Indah Kapok course, Indonesia, $350,000
Sep 18 – 21: Fortis International Challenge, Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sep 18 – 21: Mercuries Taiwan Masters, Taiwan GCC, Taipei, Chinese Taipei $500,000
Sept 25 – 28: Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open, Ibaraki CC, Osaka, Japan, $1,850,000
Oct 2 – 5: Kolon-Hana Bank 51st Korea Open, Woo Jeong Hills CC, Cheonan, Korea, $1,000,000
Oct 9 – 12: Hero Honda Indian Open, Delhi Golf Club, New Delhi, India, $1,000,000
Oct 16 – 19: Midea China Classic, Royal Orchid International GC, Guangzhou, China, $500,000
Oct 23 – 26: Macau Open, Macau Golf & Country Club, Macau, $500,000
Nov 6 – 9: HSBC Champions, Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China $5,000,000
Nov 13 – 16: Barclays Singapore Open, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore, $5,000,000
Nov 20 – 23: UBS Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong, $2,250,000
Nov 27 – 30: Omega Mission Hills World Cup, Mission Hills Golf Club, Shenzhen, China, $5,500,000
Dec 4 – 7: Hana Bank Vietnam Masters, Course TBC, Hanoi, Vietnam, US$500,000
Dec 11 – 14: Cambodian Open, Phokeethra Country Club, Siem Reap, $300,000
Dec 18 – 21: Volvo Masters of Asia, Thai Country Club, Bangkok, $750,000.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Asian Tour enters second half of season on a high
The second half of the Asian Tour season resumes this week with the Worldwide Selangor Masters heralding an exciting push towards a record-breaking season.
This week's RM1 million (US$310,000) event, headlined by two-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee, begins at Seri Selangor Golf Club from Wednesday and will mark an exciting run of 15 tournaments to be played from now until December.
By the time the last putt drops at the Volvo Masters of Asia in Bangkok four days before Christmas, the region's talented players would have competed in an unprecedented 29 tournaments for an all-time record of over US$38 million in total prize money this season.
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han is predicting an exciting five months ahead for golf in the region. While many lucrative world-class tournaments will be showcased, Han said that the race for the coveted Order of Merit crown will also very much be the centre of attention.
"The second half of the Asian Tour season promises to be an exciting period for professional golf in Asia. There will be plenty to play for with many world-class tournaments like the HSBC Champions, Barclays Singapore Open, UBS Hong Kong Open and Volvo Masters of Asia lined up towards the end of the season," said Han today.
"We are also delighted that two new events will make their debut on our burgeoning schedule which are this week's Worldwide Selangor Masters and the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open in Japan in September.
"The continued growth of professional golf will see the Asian Tour hitting a new record in terms of tournaments played and prize money offered and we are extremely pleased with how our 2008 season has unfolded."
Over the next five months, the Asian Tour will travel to destinations including Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, China and Thailand which Han said was a wonderful reflection of how the game was growing across the region.
Following the conclusion of the Worldwide Selangor Masters, the Tour heads to Borneo for the fourth edition of the Brunei Open with Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang defending his title. Filipino Juvic Pagunsan will then defend his Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational title in Jakarta at the end of August.
The popular Mercuries Taiwan Masters and the inaugural Panasonic Open, jointly sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour, will feature in September before the Tour embarks on a frantic finish.
The Kolon-Hana Bank Korea Open, Hero Honda Indian Open, Midea China Classic and Macau Open will occupy the month of October while the HSBC Champions, Barclays Singapore Open, both US$5 million events, will be played in November, followed by the UBS Hong Kong Open, which offers US$2.25 million.
The Hana Bank Vietnam Masters will return for its second edition, as with the Cambodian Open in December before the Tour's top-65 players converge for the season-finale, the Volvo Masters of Asia in Bangkok from December 18 to 21.
Some of the game's biggest names including world number two Phil Mickelson and US Masters winner Trevor Immelman will also be gracing the fairways in Asia.
Han said: "The ultimate highlight to the season will be the crowning of the Asian Tour's new number one player. The race for the prestigious Order of Merit crown will certainly gather pace over the next few months as the challengers to the throne chase down the current leader Mark Brown.
"In between our Tour events, Asia's players will also look forward to compete in the Fortis International Challenge in Malaysia where they will play for three tickets to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in November. It certainly will be a exciting period for Asia over the next few months."
Brown, winner of the SAIL Open and Johnnie Walker Classic in February, currently leads the race for the merit title with winnings of US$651,093, followed by India's Jeev Milkha Singh (US$540,694) in second place and S.S.P. Chowrasia (US$439,930) in third position.
This week's RM1 million (US$310,000) event, headlined by two-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee, begins at Seri Selangor Golf Club from Wednesday and will mark an exciting run of 15 tournaments to be played from now until December.
By the time the last putt drops at the Volvo Masters of Asia in Bangkok four days before Christmas, the region's talented players would have competed in an unprecedented 29 tournaments for an all-time record of over US$38 million in total prize money this season.
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han is predicting an exciting five months ahead for golf in the region. While many lucrative world-class tournaments will be showcased, Han said that the race for the coveted Order of Merit crown will also very much be the centre of attention.
"The second half of the Asian Tour season promises to be an exciting period for professional golf in Asia. There will be plenty to play for with many world-class tournaments like the HSBC Champions, Barclays Singapore Open, UBS Hong Kong Open and Volvo Masters of Asia lined up towards the end of the season," said Han today.
"We are also delighted that two new events will make their debut on our burgeoning schedule which are this week's Worldwide Selangor Masters and the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open in Japan in September.
"The continued growth of professional golf will see the Asian Tour hitting a new record in terms of tournaments played and prize money offered and we are extremely pleased with how our 2008 season has unfolded."
Over the next five months, the Asian Tour will travel to destinations including Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, China and Thailand which Han said was a wonderful reflection of how the game was growing across the region.
Following the conclusion of the Worldwide Selangor Masters, the Tour heads to Borneo for the fourth edition of the Brunei Open with Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang defending his title. Filipino Juvic Pagunsan will then defend his Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational title in Jakarta at the end of August.
The popular Mercuries Taiwan Masters and the inaugural Panasonic Open, jointly sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour, will feature in September before the Tour embarks on a frantic finish.
The Kolon-Hana Bank Korea Open, Hero Honda Indian Open, Midea China Classic and Macau Open will occupy the month of October while the HSBC Champions, Barclays Singapore Open, both US$5 million events, will be played in November, followed by the UBS Hong Kong Open, which offers US$2.25 million.
The Hana Bank Vietnam Masters will return for its second edition, as with the Cambodian Open in December before the Tour's top-65 players converge for the season-finale, the Volvo Masters of Asia in Bangkok from December 18 to 21.
Some of the game's biggest names including world number two Phil Mickelson and US Masters winner Trevor Immelman will also be gracing the fairways in Asia.
Han said: "The ultimate highlight to the season will be the crowning of the Asian Tour's new number one player. The race for the prestigious Order of Merit crown will certainly gather pace over the next few months as the challengers to the throne chase down the current leader Mark Brown.
"In between our Tour events, Asia's players will also look forward to compete in the Fortis International Challenge in Malaysia where they will play for three tickets to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in November. It certainly will be a exciting period for Asia over the next few months."
Brown, winner of the SAIL Open and Johnnie Walker Classic in February, currently leads the race for the merit title with winnings of US$651,093, followed by India's Jeev Milkha Singh (US$540,694) in second place and S.S.P. Chowrasia (US$439,930) in third position.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Ben Leong claims maiden victory
Malaysia's Ben Leong bravely held off Thai star Thongchai Jaidee to win the Worldwide Selangor Masters by one shot for his maiden Asian Tour title on Saturday.
The 22-year-old rising star held his nerve to shoot a final round of two-under-par 69 at Seri Selangor Golf Club and achieved a magical hat-trick of victories as he had triumphed twice in Malaysia over the past fortnight.
Two-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai, who trailed Leong by one shot upon the completion of the third round this morning, fought doggedly with three birdies in the middle of the back nine but failed to find the crucial birdie at the last hole needed to tie the young Malaysian as he settled for a 69.
Iain Steel of Malaysia finished a distant third and nine shots back after a 73 while Danny Chia, also from Malaysia, Mars Pucay of the Philippines, India's Gaurav Ghei and Australian Neven Basic shared fourth place.
"It is a relief. Finally, I don't have to go back to Q-school now," said Leong, who won the Asian Tour's Qualifying School in the past two seasons to earn his playing rights.
"That's all I'm thinking but it certainly means a lot to win. It means that I can really compete now. This win means a lot more than the earlier two and is a dream come true. Now I can arrange my schedule and I know what I want and don't want now," added the champion, who earned US$48,147 with his 15-under-par 269 winning aggregate.
Leong suffered an attack of nerves when he saw a four-shot lead reduced by half by a battling Thongchai, who overcome successive bogeys after the turn with a run of three birdies from the 12th hole.
The Malaysian needed to make huge par saves on the 16th and 17th holes from five feet and eight feet respectively to retain his two shot lead but made his walk up the par four 18th hole difficult with some wayward shots and eventually left himself with a five-footer for bogey.
Thongchai had a chance to force a play-off but his 20-foot birdie attempt from the edge of the green rolled well wide and after Leong rolled in his winning putt, he clenched his fist in celebration.
"I was really nervous going into the last hole. Two strokes were not much and I got ahead of myself on the drive and swung it too quick and hit it well right. Fortunately enough I left myself with a five footer (for bogey) and my putting has been solid the whole week. I was pretty confident with the putt but I was just trying to keep the devil out of the head. It worked out alright," said Leong, whose card included five birdies and three bogeys.
He wasn't surprised to see Thongchai, who was chasing his ninth Asian Tour victory, come back strongly. "That's what great players do. They just hang in there and they come up with birdies. I was telling myself to stay in the present and that I still had the lead and don't get ahead of myself," said Leong.
Thongchai tipped his cap to the Asian Tour's newest winner, saying he admired the way the young Malaysian held his composure during the heat of battle in the Worldwide Selangor Masters.
"Ben is a good player and he played well in front of his home fans. He was steady and composed and there is a bright future for him. He has shown that he can compete among the top players on the Asian Tour. Congratulations to Ben," said Thongchai.
"I played well and tried to catch up at one point. I had a good run with three birdies in a row but Ben played really well to hold on. I missed a good birdie chance on the 17th hole but overall I am pleased with my performance this week," added Thongchai.
Steel, who played in the last group with Leong and Thongchai, got to within three shots of the lead when he eagled the fifth hole but failed to sustain his challenge as he settled for a 73.
"I knew these guys were playing really good and Ben putted well all 18 holes. They weren't going to come back my way and I kept pressing and pressing but went the other way," said Steel.
The 22-year-old rising star held his nerve to shoot a final round of two-under-par 69 at Seri Selangor Golf Club and achieved a magical hat-trick of victories as he had triumphed twice in Malaysia over the past fortnight.
Two-time Asian Tour number one Thongchai, who trailed Leong by one shot upon the completion of the third round this morning, fought doggedly with three birdies in the middle of the back nine but failed to find the crucial birdie at the last hole needed to tie the young Malaysian as he settled for a 69.
Iain Steel of Malaysia finished a distant third and nine shots back after a 73 while Danny Chia, also from Malaysia, Mars Pucay of the Philippines, India's Gaurav Ghei and Australian Neven Basic shared fourth place.
"It is a relief. Finally, I don't have to go back to Q-school now," said Leong, who won the Asian Tour's Qualifying School in the past two seasons to earn his playing rights.
"That's all I'm thinking but it certainly means a lot to win. It means that I can really compete now. This win means a lot more than the earlier two and is a dream come true. Now I can arrange my schedule and I know what I want and don't want now," added the champion, who earned US$48,147 with his 15-under-par 269 winning aggregate.
Leong suffered an attack of nerves when he saw a four-shot lead reduced by half by a battling Thongchai, who overcome successive bogeys after the turn with a run of three birdies from the 12th hole.
The Malaysian needed to make huge par saves on the 16th and 17th holes from five feet and eight feet respectively to retain his two shot lead but made his walk up the par four 18th hole difficult with some wayward shots and eventually left himself with a five-footer for bogey.
Thongchai had a chance to force a play-off but his 20-foot birdie attempt from the edge of the green rolled well wide and after Leong rolled in his winning putt, he clenched his fist in celebration.
"I was really nervous going into the last hole. Two strokes were not much and I got ahead of myself on the drive and swung it too quick and hit it well right. Fortunately enough I left myself with a five footer (for bogey) and my putting has been solid the whole week. I was pretty confident with the putt but I was just trying to keep the devil out of the head. It worked out alright," said Leong, whose card included five birdies and three bogeys.
He wasn't surprised to see Thongchai, who was chasing his ninth Asian Tour victory, come back strongly. "That's what great players do. They just hang in there and they come up with birdies. I was telling myself to stay in the present and that I still had the lead and don't get ahead of myself," said Leong.
Thongchai tipped his cap to the Asian Tour's newest winner, saying he admired the way the young Malaysian held his composure during the heat of battle in the Worldwide Selangor Masters.
"Ben is a good player and he played well in front of his home fans. He was steady and composed and there is a bright future for him. He has shown that he can compete among the top players on the Asian Tour. Congratulations to Ben," said Thongchai.
"I played well and tried to catch up at one point. I had a good run with three birdies in a row but Ben played really well to hold on. I missed a good birdie chance on the 17th hole but overall I am pleased with my performance this week," added Thongchai.
Steel, who played in the last group with Leong and Thongchai, got to within three shots of the lead when he eagled the fifth hole but failed to sustain his challenge as he settled for a 73.
"I knew these guys were playing really good and Ben putted well all 18 holes. They weren't going to come back my way and I kept pressing and pressing but went the other way," said Steel.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Players divided over golf in the Olympics
Golf's bid to be included as an Olympic sport has been met with a divided response from some of the game's top players.
The International Golf Federation (IGF), a body representing the world's leading tours and major organisers, last month announced they had formed an Olympic Golf Committee to drive their effort for the sport's inclusion in the 2016 Games.
The IGF want golf to be one of two sports from a shortlist of seven to be allowed to enter the Games when a vote is taken at the International Olympic Committee's 121st session in Copenhagen in 14 months' time.
Masters champion Trevor Immelman, though, is totally against the idea of golf and many other sports being placed on the Olympic schedule.
"I'm going to go totally probably against stream here," Immelman said. "I don't think that golf should be an Olympic sport at all.
"I don't think basketball should be an Olympic sport, I don't think tennis should be an Olympic sport.
"If I was running the Olympics I would go back to the way it was originally: gymnastics, weightlifting, swimming, track and field, marathons, that's to me what the Olympics is.
"The Olympics is not about tennis or golf or anything like that.
"In my opinion those are like basketball - you've got three sports there that are guys getting paid a lot of money to play and compete week in and week out playing those sports, and it's just so professional. And to me that's not what the Olympics is about.
"To me the Olympics was founded on amateur sports, guys go in there and train for four years and put their whole lives on the line to win a gold medal.
"So whether I get into trouble for saying this or not, who knows, but that's my opinion. I feel like if I was running, if I was head of the Olympic committee, I would go back to just those specific sports that I mentioned earlier. I think that would be pretty cool."
World No2 Phil Mickelson, however, sees the Olympics as an excellent way to reach a totally new and global audience for the game.
"Having golf as an Olympic sport is exponentially more important to the game of golf than the majors," Mickelson said during a press conference ahead of this week's US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
"It would bring in 168 different countries and their Olympic foundation and all those revenues and that would go towards the growth of the game of golf.
"Every country wants to be represented properly in the Olympics.
"The Olympics brings us to new markets on a worldwide scale and I can't imagine how big the game would become in countries like China and India that has so many more people than the United States does.
"If it became a priority for those countries to partake successfully in the Olympics and put the revenue in towards growing the game there, just about everybody would win."
Englishman Ian Poulter chose to side with Immelman on the issue.
"I haven't really looked into the thought of playing in the Olympic Games to be honest.
"It's never been in the Olympics, so I really haven't paid any attention to it at all at the minute," Poulter said.
"Right now I don't have any interest in doing so. But that might change. It might not.
"I think our schedule, on a global basis, is pretty hectic. I think it's very tiresome, and it just adds another complication in doing your scheduling in the year."
The International Golf Federation (IGF), a body representing the world's leading tours and major organisers, last month announced they had formed an Olympic Golf Committee to drive their effort for the sport's inclusion in the 2016 Games.
The IGF want golf to be one of two sports from a shortlist of seven to be allowed to enter the Games when a vote is taken at the International Olympic Committee's 121st session in Copenhagen in 14 months' time.
Masters champion Trevor Immelman, though, is totally against the idea of golf and many other sports being placed on the Olympic schedule.
"I'm going to go totally probably against stream here," Immelman said. "I don't think that golf should be an Olympic sport at all.
"I don't think basketball should be an Olympic sport, I don't think tennis should be an Olympic sport.
"If I was running the Olympics I would go back to the way it was originally: gymnastics, weightlifting, swimming, track and field, marathons, that's to me what the Olympics is.
"The Olympics is not about tennis or golf or anything like that.
"In my opinion those are like basketball - you've got three sports there that are guys getting paid a lot of money to play and compete week in and week out playing those sports, and it's just so professional. And to me that's not what the Olympics is about.
"To me the Olympics was founded on amateur sports, guys go in there and train for four years and put their whole lives on the line to win a gold medal.
"So whether I get into trouble for saying this or not, who knows, but that's my opinion. I feel like if I was running, if I was head of the Olympic committee, I would go back to just those specific sports that I mentioned earlier. I think that would be pretty cool."
World No2 Phil Mickelson, however, sees the Olympics as an excellent way to reach a totally new and global audience for the game.
"Having golf as an Olympic sport is exponentially more important to the game of golf than the majors," Mickelson said during a press conference ahead of this week's US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
"It would bring in 168 different countries and their Olympic foundation and all those revenues and that would go towards the growth of the game of golf.
"Every country wants to be represented properly in the Olympics.
"The Olympics brings us to new markets on a worldwide scale and I can't imagine how big the game would become in countries like China and India that has so many more people than the United States does.
"If it became a priority for those countries to partake successfully in the Olympics and put the revenue in towards growing the game there, just about everybody would win."
Englishman Ian Poulter chose to side with Immelman on the issue.
"I haven't really looked into the thought of playing in the Olympic Games to be honest.
"It's never been in the Olympics, so I really haven't paid any attention to it at all at the minute," Poulter said.
"Right now I don't have any interest in doing so. But that might change. It might not.
"I think our schedule, on a global basis, is pretty hectic. I think it's very tiresome, and it just adds another complication in doing your scheduling in the year."
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Local players have dominated State Amateur golf tournament
Odds are that any spectators who choose to brave the heat and watch this week's Tennessee State Amateur at Ridgeway Country Club will be rewarded with the chance to see a winner with local ties.
The state's most significant amateur event has been dominated this decade by West Tennesseans, who have won seven of the last eight tournaments.
Two veterans of the local amateur golf scene have contributed to the West Tennessee dominance, with Germantown's Tim Jackson (2001, '05) and Jackson's Danny Green ('00, '03) earning two wins apiece.
Green was the low amateur over the weekend at the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado. He shot 292 (12 over par) to finish tied for 37th. Green also tied for low-amateur honors in 2007.
Youngsters Casey Wittenberg (Memphis, '02), Andrew Pratt (Bartlett, '04) and Bobby Hudson (Memphis, '07) captured the other three local titles.
Wittenberg, a Nationwide Tour player who's a virtual lock to qualify for the PGA Tour next season, won the 2002 event at Ridgeway. Pratt, who's playing the Hooters Tour this season, has also turned pro.
Hudson won last year's event by one stroke at Nashville's Belle Meade Country Club. The 21-year-old is a former Memphis University School standout who is coming off a strong season at the University of Texas. Hudson was an All-Big 12 and All-South Central Region pick for the Longhorns.
The state's most significant amateur event has been dominated this decade by West Tennesseans, who have won seven of the last eight tournaments.
Two veterans of the local amateur golf scene have contributed to the West Tennessee dominance, with Germantown's Tim Jackson (2001, '05) and Jackson's Danny Green ('00, '03) earning two wins apiece.
Green was the low amateur over the weekend at the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado. He shot 292 (12 over par) to finish tied for 37th. Green also tied for low-amateur honors in 2007.
Youngsters Casey Wittenberg (Memphis, '02), Andrew Pratt (Bartlett, '04) and Bobby Hudson (Memphis, '07) captured the other three local titles.
Wittenberg, a Nationwide Tour player who's a virtual lock to qualify for the PGA Tour next season, won the 2002 event at Ridgeway. Pratt, who's playing the Hooters Tour this season, has also turned pro.
Hudson won last year's event by one stroke at Nashville's Belle Meade Country Club. The 21-year-old is a former Memphis University School standout who is coming off a strong season at the University of Texas. Hudson was an All-Big 12 and All-South Central Region pick for the Longhorns.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Hard work gives Garcia his biggest victory
The 28-year-old Spaniard became just the second European to win the PGA TOUR's showcase event as he beat Paul Goydos on the first hole of sudden death, the par-3 17th. The victory was the seventh of his career and the first in 54 starts since his last win in 2005.
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Garcia closed with a 71, one of just eight sub-par scores on a brutally windy day at TPC Sawgrass, to force the playoff. He rolled in a clutch 7-footer for par on the final hole of regulation -- not bad for a man whose putter might as well have been a lightning rod in recent years.
The work Garcia has been doing with short-game guru Stan Utley has clearly paid dividends. What's lost in the conversation, though, is Garcia's prowess tee to green, and he led the deepest field of the year in fairways hit and greens in regulation. No shot was bigger than the sand wedge he nailed to within four feet of the pin on the island green after Goydos found the water.
"I felt so good all week long with all parts of my game," Garcia said. "I feel like I was really coming along, and you know, (I am) just thrilled to be able to be the PLAYERS champ and I'm just going to try to carry it as well as I can. ...
"Not only because of the field, but the course, everything around it, it feels like a major. And it tests you like a major, (but) unfortunately it's not. Maybe sometime in the future, it might be.
"But it definitely feels like it and I'm so thrilled to be here standing with the trophy."
A year ago, Garcia had been in Goydos' position, finishing second to Phil Mickelson. The only other player to finish runner-up in THE PLAYERS one year and win the following year is Tiger Woods in 2000-2001.
"Sergio played better than everybody else, look at the stats," the gracious Goydos said. "I'm glad that that's rewarded."
The victory was worth $1.71 million, 4,950 FedExCup points and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption. More important, though, might be the confidence boost Garcia received with the U.S. Open on the horizon a month down the road.
"I think it's a big jump up for Sergio to win such a big tournament, the fifth major," said Garcia's caddy, Glen Murray. "Mostly, I'm just really happy for him that he's found a bit of confidence in his putting in this, and he's kind of turned the corner.
"I think it's going to stand him in good stead for a long time."
The short term would be even better, though. Garcia plans to play in the Memorial Tournament and Stanford St. Jude Championship leading up to the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June where he could take another major step in his career.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what the greens are going to be like," said Garcia, who has four top-20s in the U.S. Open. "I think it's just an amazing golf course. I think it's going to be really difficult to beat Tiger there, because, you know, he obviously loves that golf course there, kind of like the same way I feel here.
"But at least I want to at least give it a chance and see if I can challenge him a little bit, and you know, whatever happens, happens."
Garcia has been there before in majors -- starting at Medinah where the 19-year-old took Tiger Woods and scissor-kicked his way to a second-place finish in the 1999 PGA Championship. Most recently, it was at Carnoustie where the Spaniard missed a 10-footer for par on the 72nd hole and went on to lose a playoff to Padraig Harrington.
Sunday's victory at THE PLAYERS Championship reinforces Garcia's belief that he's been working on the right things. He knows when he has confidence in himself -- like he did on the Stadium Course -- he's among the best players in the world.
Now he's just wants to keep the momentum going.
"It's been a lot of work, but like everything when you work hard at it, and you work on the right things, they end up paying off," Garcia said. "I don't want to get stuck here. I want to have a good year and keep giving myself chances of winning more events and having a major if I can. Other than that, it's all great.
Garcia has been playing so long it's hard to believe he's still just 28 -- an "old man," he joked -- and the ninth player in his 20s to win on the PGA TOUR this year. He's certainly got the credentials with 13 top-10s in 37 major championship appearances.
Although he played Sunday with the confidence of a veteran, Garcia thinks he performs best when he can harness the exuberance of his youth. Hit shots, and go find them, just like he did at THE PLAYERS. Shake off the bad breaks, and capitalize on the opportunities that are presented. Just like he did Sunday.
"Sometimes you get a little bit too frustrated with this game," Garcia said. "It's a beautiful game, but it's a really hard one."
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Garcia closed with a 71, one of just eight sub-par scores on a brutally windy day at TPC Sawgrass, to force the playoff. He rolled in a clutch 7-footer for par on the final hole of regulation -- not bad for a man whose putter might as well have been a lightning rod in recent years.
The work Garcia has been doing with short-game guru Stan Utley has clearly paid dividends. What's lost in the conversation, though, is Garcia's prowess tee to green, and he led the deepest field of the year in fairways hit and greens in regulation. No shot was bigger than the sand wedge he nailed to within four feet of the pin on the island green after Goydos found the water.
"I felt so good all week long with all parts of my game," Garcia said. "I feel like I was really coming along, and you know, (I am) just thrilled to be able to be the PLAYERS champ and I'm just going to try to carry it as well as I can. ...
"Not only because of the field, but the course, everything around it, it feels like a major. And it tests you like a major, (but) unfortunately it's not. Maybe sometime in the future, it might be.
"But it definitely feels like it and I'm so thrilled to be here standing with the trophy."
A year ago, Garcia had been in Goydos' position, finishing second to Phil Mickelson. The only other player to finish runner-up in THE PLAYERS one year and win the following year is Tiger Woods in 2000-2001.
"Sergio played better than everybody else, look at the stats," the gracious Goydos said. "I'm glad that that's rewarded."
The victory was worth $1.71 million, 4,950 FedExCup points and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption. More important, though, might be the confidence boost Garcia received with the U.S. Open on the horizon a month down the road.
"I think it's a big jump up for Sergio to win such a big tournament, the fifth major," said Garcia's caddy, Glen Murray. "Mostly, I'm just really happy for him that he's found a bit of confidence in his putting in this, and he's kind of turned the corner.
"I think it's going to stand him in good stead for a long time."
The short term would be even better, though. Garcia plans to play in the Memorial Tournament and Stanford St. Jude Championship leading up to the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June where he could take another major step in his career.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what the greens are going to be like," said Garcia, who has four top-20s in the U.S. Open. "I think it's just an amazing golf course. I think it's going to be really difficult to beat Tiger there, because, you know, he obviously loves that golf course there, kind of like the same way I feel here.
"But at least I want to at least give it a chance and see if I can challenge him a little bit, and you know, whatever happens, happens."
Garcia has been there before in majors -- starting at Medinah where the 19-year-old took Tiger Woods and scissor-kicked his way to a second-place finish in the 1999 PGA Championship. Most recently, it was at Carnoustie where the Spaniard missed a 10-footer for par on the 72nd hole and went on to lose a playoff to Padraig Harrington.
Sunday's victory at THE PLAYERS Championship reinforces Garcia's belief that he's been working on the right things. He knows when he has confidence in himself -- like he did on the Stadium Course -- he's among the best players in the world.
Now he's just wants to keep the momentum going.
"It's been a lot of work, but like everything when you work hard at it, and you work on the right things, they end up paying off," Garcia said. "I don't want to get stuck here. I want to have a good year and keep giving myself chances of winning more events and having a major if I can. Other than that, it's all great.
Garcia has been playing so long it's hard to believe he's still just 28 -- an "old man," he joked -- and the ninth player in his 20s to win on the PGA TOUR this year. He's certainly got the credentials with 13 top-10s in 37 major championship appearances.
Although he played Sunday with the confidence of a veteran, Garcia thinks he performs best when he can harness the exuberance of his youth. Hit shots, and go find them, just like he did at THE PLAYERS. Shake off the bad breaks, and capitalize on the opportunities that are presented. Just like he did Sunday.
"Sometimes you get a little bit too frustrated with this game," Garcia said. "It's a beautiful game, but it's a really hard one."
Monday, October 6, 2008
Golf: Lucrative event brings top players to NZ
American golfer Brandt Snedeker plans to get married on October 18, with part of his honeymoon at work in New Zealand.
Snedeker joins Adam Scott of Australia and fellow Americans Anthony Kim, and Hunter Mahan in the new "Kiwi Challenge" to be played from October 27-28 at Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers.
The winner gets US$1.5 million ($2.06 million) from a US$2.6 million total, making it the second-largest payoff in the silly season behind the US$2 million at the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
It's the second attempt this decade to capitalise on the emerging youth in golf.
Unlike the Tommy Bahama Challenge, which didn't last long, this brings together four players in the top 50 who are willing to travel.
Mahan went to Wentworth, England last year for the World Match Play Championship, while Snedeker played last year in Australia.
"It's hard for me to relay the feeling of how excited myself and my fiancee are to visit New Zealand," Snedeker said. "We're getting married right before the Kiwi Challenge, and this will be a honeymoon to remember."
Snedeker joins Adam Scott of Australia and fellow Americans Anthony Kim, and Hunter Mahan in the new "Kiwi Challenge" to be played from October 27-28 at Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers.
The winner gets US$1.5 million ($2.06 million) from a US$2.6 million total, making it the second-largest payoff in the silly season behind the US$2 million at the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
It's the second attempt this decade to capitalise on the emerging youth in golf.
Unlike the Tommy Bahama Challenge, which didn't last long, this brings together four players in the top 50 who are willing to travel.
Mahan went to Wentworth, England last year for the World Match Play Championship, while Snedeker played last year in Australia.
"It's hard for me to relay the feeling of how excited myself and my fiancee are to visit New Zealand," Snedeker said. "We're getting married right before the Kiwi Challenge, and this will be a honeymoon to remember."
Sunday, October 5, 2008
USF Men's Golf Lands Five Players for the 2008-09 Season
USF men's golf welcomes a five-member recruiting class set to compete for the dons in the 2008-09 season as announced today by head coach Dr. Gary Nelson. Ji Hwan Park (Fullerton, CA/Emerson Honors HS), Joey Toulon (Vista, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS) and Matt Miller (Pleasonton, CA/Foothills HS) enter as freshman, while Scott Hess (Santa Rosa/Santa Rosa CC) and Kyle Prolo (Benicia, CA/Idaho State) are transfers.
"These five players are appreciated not only for their accomplishments on the course, but for their character and integrity as a whole," Nelson said. "We look forward to their contribution to men's golf and to the USF community."
Ji Hwan Park, 5-11, Freshman, Fullerton, CA/Emerson Honors HS
Ji Hwan Park has already established himself as a force not only in Southern California but also internationally. Park captured more than six Korean National Junior titles. Ranked in the top 40 nationally, Park won the 2007 California State Open against a strong professional field. He posted a top-10 showing in the same event in 2008.
Joey Toulon, 5-11, Freshman, Vista, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS
Joey Toulon is an incoming freshman who joins his brother Tony, a senior for the Dons. Joey has come on strong in numerous events and recently finished third in the Champions High School Junior Invitational. He was named All-San Diego CIF as a junior and captained his high school team for three years.
Matt Miller, 5-10, Freshman, Pleasonton/Foothills HS
Mat Miller is the third freshman to sign with USF. He recently advanced to match play in the San Francisco City Amateur, one of the strongest fields in the State. He has also posted numerous low rounds including a final round 65 in the Alameda Commuters, the lowest round of the tournament against another quality field.
Scott Hess, 5-9, Junior, Santa Rosa, CA/Santa Rosa City College
Scott Hess is a junior transfer from Santa Rosa City College. He brings a wealth of tournament experience including a victory in the Northern California Match Play Championships. He also qualified for the U.S. Public Links, the Hogan Cup Team and represented Northern California on the North-South Championship Team.
Kyle Prolo, 6-0, Senior, Benicia, CA/Idaho State
A senior transfer from Idaho State, Kyle Prolo was their number one player for three years before the Bengals dropped their golf program at the end of the 2007-08 season. A 2008 America Sky First Team Selection, Prolo set records for both single season scoring average and career scoring average for the Bengals. In his final year in Pocatello, Prolo posted multiple top-10 tournament finishes. He will step onto the team with tremendous experience and success at the Division I level.
Park, Toulon, Miller and Prolo will enter USF as Business majors, joining an already accomplished returning group of student-athletes which posted a 3.3 GPA as a team during the 2007-08 campaign.
"These five players are appreciated not only for their accomplishments on the course, but for their character and integrity as a whole," Nelson said. "We look forward to their contribution to men's golf and to the USF community."
Ji Hwan Park, 5-11, Freshman, Fullerton, CA/Emerson Honors HS
Ji Hwan Park has already established himself as a force not only in Southern California but also internationally. Park captured more than six Korean National Junior titles. Ranked in the top 40 nationally, Park won the 2007 California State Open against a strong professional field. He posted a top-10 showing in the same event in 2008.
Joey Toulon, 5-11, Freshman, Vista, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS
Joey Toulon is an incoming freshman who joins his brother Tony, a senior for the Dons. Joey has come on strong in numerous events and recently finished third in the Champions High School Junior Invitational. He was named All-San Diego CIF as a junior and captained his high school team for three years.
Matt Miller, 5-10, Freshman, Pleasonton/Foothills HS
Mat Miller is the third freshman to sign with USF. He recently advanced to match play in the San Francisco City Amateur, one of the strongest fields in the State. He has also posted numerous low rounds including a final round 65 in the Alameda Commuters, the lowest round of the tournament against another quality field.
Scott Hess, 5-9, Junior, Santa Rosa, CA/Santa Rosa City College
Scott Hess is a junior transfer from Santa Rosa City College. He brings a wealth of tournament experience including a victory in the Northern California Match Play Championships. He also qualified for the U.S. Public Links, the Hogan Cup Team and represented Northern California on the North-South Championship Team.
Kyle Prolo, 6-0, Senior, Benicia, CA/Idaho State
A senior transfer from Idaho State, Kyle Prolo was their number one player for three years before the Bengals dropped their golf program at the end of the 2007-08 season. A 2008 America Sky First Team Selection, Prolo set records for both single season scoring average and career scoring average for the Bengals. In his final year in Pocatello, Prolo posted multiple top-10 tournament finishes. He will step onto the team with tremendous experience and success at the Division I level.
Park, Toulon, Miller and Prolo will enter USF as Business majors, joining an already accomplished returning group of student-athletes which posted a 3.3 GPA as a team during the 2007-08 campaign.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Players braced for marathon
Stuart Appleby promised to keep attacking after moving within five strokes of the lead during the third round at the US PGA Championship.
Appleby, one of only two Australians to make the cut in all four majors this year, completed 12 holes on Saturday before bad weather halted play at Oakland Hills.
The Victorian picked up three birdies and one bogey to improve to four over, within striking distance of American leader JB Holmes, who was among eight players who did not even tee off.
Aaron Baddeley, the best placed Australian, completed only one hole, making par to remain three shots behind at two over, while Steve Elkington was five over after dropping one shot in seven holes.
"I've got to shoot some pretty good numbers coming in and tear up the course," Appleby said. "If I can get back to something like even par, that will be nice, but the whole course is a lot easier, so I don't think you'll see scores slipping down any more."
Appleby was frustrated that his momentum was halted by the delay, but he has been around too long to fret over things he cannot control.
After play was stopped shortly after 2pm, a series of thunderstorms rolled through, preventing any further competition for the rest of the day. Officials scheduled the round to resume at the crack of dawn, and were optimistic of completing the final round before darkness, but a Monday finish is a distinct possibility.
A total of 25 players completed the third round, including five of the eight Australians who made the cut, but none of the them moved into contention.
Argentine Andres Romero made the biggest move, shooting a sizzling five-under 65 that matched the course record.
"Almost perfect," Romero said of his round. "I can't believe it. I have a chance tomorrow."
That remained to be seen, although Romero's two-over 212 total had a good chance of being close to the lead starting the final round.
Romero took advantage of slightly easier conditions after the greens were watered overnight, shooting seven birdies.
It was a far cry from the second round, when he dropped six shots in three holes shortly before the turn.
Romero, who played the back nine first, had a quadruple bogey at the par-four 16th, where he put two balls into the pond guarding the green, and he also double-bogeyed the par-four 18th.
"After that I got mad and played not very concentrated the rest of the round," he admitted. "I couldn't come back after that eight, because I was mad. I was fighting for the lead and suddenly I was trying to make the cut, so I was going mad the rest of the round."
Romero, 27, is an exciting young player. He was in the hunt at last year's British Open, until his second shot at the 71st hole took a wicked bounce and ricocheted out-of-bounds. He posted his maiden US PGA Tour victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in March.
Appleby, one of only two Australians to make the cut in all four majors this year, completed 12 holes on Saturday before bad weather halted play at Oakland Hills.
The Victorian picked up three birdies and one bogey to improve to four over, within striking distance of American leader JB Holmes, who was among eight players who did not even tee off.
Aaron Baddeley, the best placed Australian, completed only one hole, making par to remain three shots behind at two over, while Steve Elkington was five over after dropping one shot in seven holes.
"I've got to shoot some pretty good numbers coming in and tear up the course," Appleby said. "If I can get back to something like even par, that will be nice, but the whole course is a lot easier, so I don't think you'll see scores slipping down any more."
Appleby was frustrated that his momentum was halted by the delay, but he has been around too long to fret over things he cannot control.
After play was stopped shortly after 2pm, a series of thunderstorms rolled through, preventing any further competition for the rest of the day. Officials scheduled the round to resume at the crack of dawn, and were optimistic of completing the final round before darkness, but a Monday finish is a distinct possibility.
A total of 25 players completed the third round, including five of the eight Australians who made the cut, but none of the them moved into contention.
Argentine Andres Romero made the biggest move, shooting a sizzling five-under 65 that matched the course record.
"Almost perfect," Romero said of his round. "I can't believe it. I have a chance tomorrow."
That remained to be seen, although Romero's two-over 212 total had a good chance of being close to the lead starting the final round.
Romero took advantage of slightly easier conditions after the greens were watered overnight, shooting seven birdies.
It was a far cry from the second round, when he dropped six shots in three holes shortly before the turn.
Romero, who played the back nine first, had a quadruple bogey at the par-four 16th, where he put two balls into the pond guarding the green, and he also double-bogeyed the par-four 18th.
"After that I got mad and played not very concentrated the rest of the round," he admitted. "I couldn't come back after that eight, because I was mad. I was fighting for the lead and suddenly I was trying to make the cut, so I was going mad the rest of the round."
Romero, 27, is an exciting young player. He was in the hunt at last year's British Open, until his second shot at the 71st hole took a wicked bounce and ricocheted out-of-bounds. He posted his maiden US PGA Tour victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in March.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Players are 'slaves' at Ryder Cup
One of America's most promising young players may have talked himself out of a Ryder Cup place after saying players are "slaves" for the tournament week.
Hunter Mahan, 26, is 12th in the US points table with just two weeks left in their qualifying race, with the top eight earning automatic team spots.
"You've got dinners every night - not little dinners, massive ones," he said.
"As players, that's the last thing we want. We want to prepare ourselves. You're just a slave that week."
With Tiger Woods ruled out of contention because of injury, the ninth-ranked player will be included, and captain Paul Azinger has four wild cards at his disposal.
Azinger has spoken of his desire to have a team of players who actually want to be there when the tournament takes place at Lexington in September.
But Mahan said he got the impression it was just an enjoyment-free imposition on players, and he could foresee the day when players decided to boycott the event.
"From what I've heard the whole week is extremely long," he told Golf magazine.
"From what I've heard the Ryder Cup isn't fun. The fun is sucked right out of it. That's the word I hear a lot."
"At some point the players might say, 'You know what - we're not doing this anymore, because this is ridiculous'.
"Don't be surprised if it (a refusal to play) happens. It's just not a fun week like it should be. Is it an honour to play? Yes, it is. But (the players') time is valuable. This is a business.
"I just feel like the players don't have much control over it and I don't think they like that. I wouldn't like that.
"I think Europe really, really takes it seriously. I think the US does too, but not like Europe.
"For one, every place they hold a Ryder Cup in Europe is a place on the European Tour schedule. That's really smart because right away they have an advantage.
"The PGA of America could care less about winning it, honestly.
"They pick a site where they're going to have the Senior PGA, the PGA and the Ryder Cup, which means less money they have to pay out to get more money."
Hunter Mahan, 26, is 12th in the US points table with just two weeks left in their qualifying race, with the top eight earning automatic team spots.
"You've got dinners every night - not little dinners, massive ones," he said.
"As players, that's the last thing we want. We want to prepare ourselves. You're just a slave that week."
With Tiger Woods ruled out of contention because of injury, the ninth-ranked player will be included, and captain Paul Azinger has four wild cards at his disposal.
Azinger has spoken of his desire to have a team of players who actually want to be there when the tournament takes place at Lexington in September.
But Mahan said he got the impression it was just an enjoyment-free imposition on players, and he could foresee the day when players decided to boycott the event.
"From what I've heard the whole week is extremely long," he told Golf magazine.
"From what I've heard the Ryder Cup isn't fun. The fun is sucked right out of it. That's the word I hear a lot."
"At some point the players might say, 'You know what - we're not doing this anymore, because this is ridiculous'.
"Don't be surprised if it (a refusal to play) happens. It's just not a fun week like it should be. Is it an honour to play? Yes, it is. But (the players') time is valuable. This is a business.
"I just feel like the players don't have much control over it and I don't think they like that. I wouldn't like that.
"I think Europe really, really takes it seriously. I think the US does too, but not like Europe.
"For one, every place they hold a Ryder Cup in Europe is a place on the European Tour schedule. That's really smart because right away they have an advantage.
"The PGA of America could care less about winning it, honestly.
"They pick a site where they're going to have the Senior PGA, the PGA and the Ryder Cup, which means less money they have to pay out to get more money."
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Woods: No swings ‘until next year’
Tiger Woods watched enough of the PGA Championship to see Padraig Harrington join him as the only players this decade to win two majors in the same season, and he congratulated the Irishman in a newsletter Tuesday.
The question is whether Woods will be able to stop Harrington from trying to win three straight majors at the Masters. Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee and has no timetable for his return.
Repeating comments he made last week in a radio interview, Woods said he is able to move around without crutches, rides a stationary bike as part of his rehab but won't start swing a club "until next year."
"I just don't have a choice," Woods said. "We simply don't know what type of swelling there would be or if there would be any residual effects the next day once you start wheeling and dealing on the knee. Everyone's body reacts differently.
"I don't know what the doctors are going to tell me about playing golf down the road," he said. "I'm taking it day-to-day, week-to-week. All I'm doing every day is looking forward to my next day."
Woods said he watched only parts of the British Open, PGA Championship and Senior British Open, where friend John Cook was in contention. But he sounded eager about watching the first Ryder Cup without him since 1995.
"I will definitely watch some of the Ryder Cup matches and will be pulling hard for the American team," he said. "I wish I could do more than root!"
The question is whether Woods will be able to stop Harrington from trying to win three straight majors at the Masters. Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee and has no timetable for his return.
Repeating comments he made last week in a radio interview, Woods said he is able to move around without crutches, rides a stationary bike as part of his rehab but won't start swing a club "until next year."
"I just don't have a choice," Woods said. "We simply don't know what type of swelling there would be or if there would be any residual effects the next day once you start wheeling and dealing on the knee. Everyone's body reacts differently.
"I don't know what the doctors are going to tell me about playing golf down the road," he said. "I'm taking it day-to-day, week-to-week. All I'm doing every day is looking forward to my next day."
Woods said he watched only parts of the British Open, PGA Championship and Senior British Open, where friend John Cook was in contention. But he sounded eager about watching the first Ryder Cup without him since 1995.
"I will definitely watch some of the Ryder Cup matches and will be pulling hard for the American team," he said. "I wish I could do more than root!"
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Des Smyth’s son hits it big in Irish lotto
The son of Irish golfer Des Smyth hit the jackpot on the Emerald Isle.
Greg Smyth, 24, won nearly $14 million in the Irish National Lottery, the Champions Tour announced Aug. 14.
Smyth, of Baltray, County Louth, is studying for a degree in horticulture.
His father, who is playing in this week's Jeld-Wen Tradition in Sunriver, Ore., called the news "surreal."
"Being so far away from things, it's hard to grasp," said Smyth, who shot 1-under 71 and is four strokes off the lead. "We got a call in the hotel at 6:20 a.m. this morning. Usually when you get a call that early, it's not good, but he assured us right at the start that it was good news he was about to tell us. I played today but honestly can't remember a single shot I hit. I was thinking about him all day. He'll be well advised for sure. I just hope he takes it."
The elder Smyth, 55, is a two-time winner in six seasons on the Champions Tour. This year, he is 74th on the money list with $123,132.
Greg Smyth bought the 4-euro quick-pick ticket Aug. 13 in Drogheda, where the family resides. He discovered that he had won while eating breakfast.
The winning ticket was worth 9,426,636 euros, or $13,962,612 at today's exchange rate.
Greg Smyth, 24, won nearly $14 million in the Irish National Lottery, the Champions Tour announced Aug. 14.
Smyth, of Baltray, County Louth, is studying for a degree in horticulture.
His father, who is playing in this week's Jeld-Wen Tradition in Sunriver, Ore., called the news "surreal."
"Being so far away from things, it's hard to grasp," said Smyth, who shot 1-under 71 and is four strokes off the lead. "We got a call in the hotel at 6:20 a.m. this morning. Usually when you get a call that early, it's not good, but he assured us right at the start that it was good news he was about to tell us. I played today but honestly can't remember a single shot I hit. I was thinking about him all day. He'll be well advised for sure. I just hope he takes it."
The elder Smyth, 55, is a two-time winner in six seasons on the Champions Tour. This year, he is 74th on the money list with $123,132.
Greg Smyth bought the 4-euro quick-pick ticket Aug. 13 in Drogheda, where the family resides. He discovered that he had won while eating breakfast.
The winning ticket was worth 9,426,636 euros, or $13,962,612 at today's exchange rate.
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