The Public Golfer

You don't belong to a country club. You just like to play golf, lots of it. You like to explore differect courses, play with different people, work on different things, try new stuff. Me too. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-15056914-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

[thepublicgolfer]

FORE RIGHT, AFRICA!

[thepublicgolfer]

The were lots of ups and downs this year on the PGA.

Here are the downs.

[thepublicgolfer]

Zen Golf: My Ah-Hmm Moment

Golf is called the beautiful struggle, a good walk spoiled.

As golfers we try to get better, just like any other activity, to break that seemingly mythical barrier, whatever it might be for an individual golfer: breaking 90, breaking 80, breaking par, winning a match, lowering your handicap into single digits, whatever.

The majority of golfers are typically desperate people. They’re willing to try everything. They’ll try a new swing method, a new club, a new ball, a new training aid, whatever.

I know because I am one of those golfers, I’ve tried everything. You name it, when it comes to golf and something ridiculous, I’ve given it some sort of serious consideration. It’s not like I haven’t improved over time. I have, greatly.

The result of my obsession resulted in shooting regularly in the high 90’s to frequently shooting in the high 70’s, or more accurately and reflective of a more polished and educated game, a 6.7 handicap index.

But I’ve still been prone to the awful round, in fact its been as frequent of a good round. I could shoot a 78 on day and an 89 the next time out. I’d shank pitches, drop-kick drives, block way right and duck-hook left.

Then, recently, I came upon a Zen moment. I simply stopped trying.

Let me clarify. I still worked on my game relentllessly. I practiced and occassionally did drills to get certain feels in my head for how I want different aspect of swing to feel during the round. But when it came time to hit the ball, full swing, chip or putt, I set the club back and then just let go. My new swing thought: “set the club, turn.” Whatever happened after that just happened.

I remember reading Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons some time ago, and feeling confused and disheartened that while he spent lots of time in his lessons on setting up to the ball, the grip the back swing, the stance, when it was time to swing through the ball, he just didn’t have all that much to say. He would set the club at the top and just, go.

I think there’s something to be said in life to that, not to get all philosophical here. Sometimes you just have to get yourself set up and just go. Deal with all those consequences and results after you take your swing. Pay attention to the details of getting yourself prepared at the top and then just turn yourself through the ball and finish. The more you try to steer your club, or life, the more you may be doing damage to a good result.

[thepublicgolfer]

The very open US Open

A tad late I know. This is what happens when you write something on your iPad and then go offline for an eternity...

I had resisted commenting on the US Open at the Olympic Club this year. I wanted to see how it all played out before I went ahead and put my size 12’s into my own pie hole. I guess I just knew that I didn’t know or could ever know who’d have the best shot at winning. When I first drafted my short list of who I had the best shot of winning the thing, I really wanted to say Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods, even though I really didn’t believe any of those names were actually going to win. I was even willing to throw in a feel good story about Tom Watson or another old timer to make a storied run. But this is the US Open, stuff like that doesn’t happen, especially now. Do this for kicks, go to your neighbor, spouse or someone else that doesn’t really follow golf and ask them if they recognize any of these names: Lucas Glover, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Webb Simpson. They probably recognize Rory McIlroy and maybe even Simpson, if they follow current events but there’s no way they’ll recognize the other names unless they’ve really been paying attention. If they know the names ask them what else they’ve won outside the Open. The answer outside of McIlroy is not anything worth noting of. The real winner, if you believe in naming non-human victors, as always, was the golf course. As has been the trend, the USGA decided to humble golfers to no end and make birdie in most cases a pipe dream, with the exception of the short par four seventh hole, where the risk-reward tee shot goaded the pros into trying land their tee shot in between the greenside bunkers and hope it didn’t roll off the back. This is the Open after all, and the putting surfaces were made slicker than the kitchen floor. Webb Simpson was this year’s first time winner to survive the carnage. There was pressure down the stretch from some former champions with Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk and there was even an Ernie Els sighting, but all eventually got gobbled up by the Olympic Club whilst USGA course officials snickered an curled their mischievously long moustaches as PGA pros fell victim to their dastardly plans.   In many championships, you could point to a shot that appeared to win the championship. With Simpson, it appeared that he just managed to do the best at surviving. When Jim Furyk sank a 25 footer to save par and remain tied for the lead, you could see the highlight reel specialists saving the footage, keeping it ready to cue up during the closing of the tournament. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Tiger Woods came out firing early in rounds 1 and 2 and anybody with a sense of history knew not to bet against him. Golf writer Rick Reilly even said that, “there’s a feel in the air, you just know he’s primed to win this thing.” But lest we forget that while Tiger may not be sinking into the depths of mediocrity as quickly as some of us have predicted, he’s still just not the same guy he used to be. He had a miserable 3rd round and ended up in 21st. The fact of the matter is that the US Open may now personify what the PGA Tour is now, a tour full of parity where anyone can win the majors and no golfer emerges as truly dominant. That may be good for the golfers but as far as keeping fans involved, it’s bad news for golf. What do I mean? Think about golf in its periods of glory: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player rotating through the trophy room, Tiger Woods’ dominance, Tiger vs. Phil, and so on. Think about other sports too. When the leagues are truly at their most popular there are a few true stars that personify the sport. What helped bring baseball “back”? Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa juicing up to have a home run race for the ages. It got everyone talking and everybody watching. The same goes for Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Those were games you just couldn’t miss.

[thepublicgolfer]

Is Tiger Patient or Stubborn?

Tiger Woods said yesterday at a press conference that he was headed in the right direction. He said that even was at his most dominant, like in the early 2000's, he still felt that he had room for improvement. Had he felt that he peaked, he would have walked. 

Of course that's the mindset of most competitive athletes, no one ever really feels they are at their "peak" until the reflect on their career after the fact. But Tiger has just been all over the place and has never had this length of struggle in his career. 

So we beg the question: Is Tiger a patient Golf Zen Master or just too damned stubborn to admit when is game is not what he wants it to be?

I've never met a Zen Master, but I imagine if I did he or she wouldn't throw, slam and kick clubs or curse a blue streak on a prisitinely-manicured golf course on his was to enlightenment. If he's being patient then he is fooling a whole lot of people, perhaps including himself. 

But too damned stubborn? Tiger? Naaaaah. Too stubborn to concede that he might be just a tad lost? Too stubborn to admit that he's not the best player in the world right now? Too stubborn to tip well? Too stubborn to admit that he shouldn't have cheated on his wife with half of Vegas? Too stubborn that he needs to add a strong dose of humility to his persona?  That just seems too far fetched. 

Then again, his "patience" and what seems like a long term commitment to his swing changes (long term in Tiger-talk is about 3-5 years) have to all fit together again don't they? But again, they're only part of the problem. The guy needs to be that laser-precision putter and scorer that he used to be. Because THAT is what Tiger's Zen used to be all about.

Related articles

Tiger Woods may have come back to the pack for good (aol.sportingnews.com)

Tiger Woods remains patient through struggles (elonpendulum.com)

[thepublicgolfer]

Ranking the PGA Field- RIGHT NOW.

Matt Kuchar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After Matt Kuchar’s impressive victory at The Player’s Championship this past weekend, there has been debate over where he actually ranks on tour right now. World Golf Rankings have him ranked at fifth, but are there really four golfers that have been playing more consistently than he has in the past year? One thing that everyone in golf can’t ignore when ranking the best is wins. Now that Kuchar has grabbed “Golf’s 5th Major”, he’s got the hardware to finally justify his elite player status. Here, we will rank the top 5 golfers in the world RIGHT NOW. You won’t see Mr. Woods here, and after his past two tournament performances, I don’t think anyone can argue. 1. Rory McIlroy Little debate here. Even though he has had a bit of an up and down season so far, with poor performances at the two “majors” so far this year, finishing 40th at The Masters and missing the cut at The Players. However he finished in the top 3 in his other three Tour appearances, winning the Honda Classic. His showing on the big stage has been shaky in 2012, but everyone knows what the kid’s capable of. He’s leading the tour in scoring average and birdies per round. He should be considered the favorite at both Open Championships. 2. Bubba Watson Bubba’s win at the The Masters is clearly the highlight of the 2012 season so far, not to mention that his hook with a 52 degree wedge was other-worldly stuff that used to be reserved for one Tiger Woods. With his big booming drives and ability to make the golf ball to science fiction-type stuff and his odd, emotional personality, he’s become the darling of the PGA. He’s also shown that he is one of the best on tour this year, having not missed a cut or finishing outside of the top 20 in any tournament this year. 3. Matt Kuchar His game is consistent as his swing. He’s got five top 10’s in ten starts, which leads the tour, and hasn’t missed a cut.  Kuchar also posts the second best adjusted scoring average on tour. His constant smiling and sometimes forced positive attitude reminds us of another guy who forced a smile when things seemed to get hairy: Phil Mickelson. Adding to his Players title, he also posted an impressive third at The Masters. Things are finally looking rather than just steady for Kuchar. 4. Hunter Mahan Mahan has played in 10 events, made 9 cuts and won twice. He’s been all over the leaderboard but has shown this year that he has the stuff it takes to win. He took the Shell Houston Open and the Accenture Match Play events, but he’s been outside the top 10 in almost every other event. His swing is solid and his putting just keeps getting better. 5. Rickie Fowler Fowler is the latest entry into the top 5, having finished 10th, 1st and 2nd in his last three tournaments. And if we’re talking about the best players right now, he could be pushed up to the top three. But the hip, youngster in orange still has something to prove, having not finished better than 7th in any other tournament this year (at the Honda Classic) and put up some real stinkers in 2012, notably missing the cut in two less than stellar fields and posting two finishes in the 60’s. His game and pace are exciting and he may start fulfilling some of the potential that golf fans want to see go up against Rory. What about Phil Mickelson or Luke Donald?  Donald is a solid player but there’s just something about his game that doesn’t sit well. He’s got a win this year and some solid top 10 finishes, but a player of his ilk, his talent should be consistently near the top of the leaderboard. He seems to have all the tools to be a dominant player, but we’re getting a little bored waiting for him to put it all together. Mickelson, the recently inducted Hall of Famer, has been the antithesis of the other dominant player of our time, finishing pretty consistently in the top 25 in each event. He put up a solid win at Pebble Beach and 3rd at The Masters, but Lefty has lofty expectations (that was intentional) due to his history for greatness. Phil just keeps hanging around, just when you think he’s starting to fall apart, he posts an incredible round and climbs back into contention. Lefty’s a true professional and always a favorite. Another big win this season and he shoots back into the top three. Mr. Woods, paging Mr. Woods... Tiger still states that he feels he is the best player in the world, but has added “when my swing is right.” With his last two poor tournaments added to his sorry 40th place finish at Augusta, it’s starting to sound just plain delusional. He’s become so obsessed with his swing, which still is good enough to win, he looks like he’s lost all emphasis on scoring. Right now, Tiger doesn’t belong in the top 10, even though he’s won once at the Arnold Palmer and almost won the Honda Classic. But for right now, he’s a top 20 golfer at best. Everyone is waiting for old Tiger to come back, but that guy is long gone. It’s the young guys that everyone needs to be paying attention to. Let Tiger surprise us.

Related articles

2012 World Golf Rankings: Matt Kuchar Up To No. 5 After Win At The Players Championship (atlanta.sbnation.com)

Million-dollar smile: Matt Kuchar wins The Players Championship (jacksonville.com)

[thepublicgolfer]

Qualifiying for the US Open

"I mean, it's the Open. Anyone's got a shot at it. You just gotta get past a local and sectional qualifier, and unlike Doral or Colonial or the AT&T they can't keep you out. They can't ask you inf you're a garbage man or bean-picker or a driving range pro whose check is signed by a stripper. You qualify, you're in." - Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy

If you haven't seen that movie, Tin Cup, and you play golf, then shame on you. 

This week was the application deadline to try and qualify for America's golf championship, the U.S. Open. A tournament that truly is open to all. If you can swing a golf club, then you too can qualify for the U.S. Open. 

Well, it may not be quite that simple, but it's not much more complicated than that. Entrants are required to be very nearly scratch golfers with a handicap index of 1.4. Now that can take some time to achieve, but it's far from impossible. Hell, the Dallas Cowboys' QB Tony Romo managed to do it during the time he wasn't playing pro football and thousands of golfers who play as a hobby manage to pull it off. 

So let's say you reach the 1.4 handicap requirment and get your application in on time along with the other thousands of golfers from here and around the world (9006 this year) with your $150 tournament fee, then what? Then you play in an 18-hole local qualifying tournament. If you finish near the top of the leaderboard, you move on to the sectional tournament, which is 36 holes. If you finish above the cut line there, you're playing in the U.S. Open. 

Each local qualifier has about 4-8 qualifiers and 2 alternates. Those who move on to one of the 13 sectionals (with 2 sites being in Japan and England) then try to qualify for a set number of spots, which can vary from 3 spots to 16 spots, depending on the size of the field. Remember, ANYONE can qualify, so those who are not exempt from qualifying on the PGA Tour (about 53 pro golfers) will be at the qualifiers as well. Professionals and amateurs will be battling for the same spots. 

For example, we'll take a look at what it would be like to qualify in New York. First, one would play in the local qualifier which was held in 2011 at Glen Head Country Club. There if you shot a 71 and finished in the top 8, you'd move on to the Sectional Qualifier. You're pulse would start pounding as you teed it up at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, New Jersey with the likes of PGA Pros Daniel Chopra and Andrew Svoboda. If over 36 holes you managed to shoot 5-under, grabbing one of the top four spots out of a field of 83, you then would have booked a ticket to Congressional for the 2011 Open. 

So maybe it's not quite that simple. Just ask all the golfers that are much, much better than you how close they got to getting in. Still, though chances are slim, they are not an impossibility. 

"One in a million?.... So, you're saying there's a chance!" -Lloyd Christmas, Dumb and Dumber

Related articles

Tony Romo won't make U.S. Open run (espn.go.com)

[thepublicgolfer]

BIG BUBBA

A couple years ago, I was sitting at home on a lazy Sunday afternoon watching some sort of NFL celebrity golf skills challenge. There were a bunch of younger PGA professionals paired up with NFL legends playing challenges like long drive, short game shot making, accuracy challenges and so on. Bubba Watson was paired up with Miami Dolphins legendary quarterback Dan Marino. They played closest to the hole on a par 3 over some water. Marino had a look of disgust on his face as rather than try to win the challenge by shooting for the pin, Watson chose to put on exhibition on how he could defy physics and draw a pitching wedge 30 yards in to the green. He didn't care about winning a little challenge to make celebrity sports star happy, he just wanted to show everyone what he could do to a golf ball. 

That's Bubba. 

That's the guy that bought the General Lee, the car from the TV show the Dukes of Hazzard, because he could.

That's the guy that has a bright pink driver, that he can absolutely bomb 340 yards with a  left swing so long that he'd need cement to keep is feet in place. 

That's the guy who, along with fellow golfers Ben Crane and Ricky Fowler, put a mock boy-band video on You Tube, where he was featured dancing around in his overalls. 

That's the guy who after smashing a drive on the 10th hole in the second playoff hole at the Masters into the trees, used that aforementioned shotmaking to hook an gap wedge almost 90 degrees off the pine needles to find the green to set himself up for two puts to win a green jacket.

He was a swing that is not for the feint of heart and will never be featured by any PGA teaching pro as a good, fundamental model of a golf swing for an amateur to copy. He created the swing himself and never had a lesson. Some of his putts at times look like he forgot that he didn't have his driver in his hands. His swing is so vertical that his divots look like he's digging a grave for a ginea pig. He doesn't fit the mold of the calm ballstrikers that know when to play conservative at Augusta National. He's a swashbuckler, a bomber, a wild card. 

Bubba almost skipped his practice rounds for this Masters so that he could stay home longer with his newly adopted one month old son. His wife knew better and made him go through his usual preparation routine. He hustled home after the tournament to make the transition from Masters champ to new poppa. 

He's one of the guys on the tour. There was group of fellow players waiting to grab the big lanky former Georgia Bulldog for a hug after he won. Even Tiger Woods likes the guy. 

Bubba Watson turned a lot of heads on Sunday, in multiple directions. And when he sank the final put to seal the championship on the 74th hole, he didn't pump a fist or yell or jump and down. He just wept like his new baby. 

That's Bubba. 

Related articles

Bubba's Masters Moment (contrarianfanatics.com)

2012 Masters: Bubba Watson Might Never Need To Find A New Job (sbnation.com)

[thepublicgolfer]

MASTERS PICKS

And here... we... go.

The Masters starts tomorrow with some nice storylines and a whole lotta speculation on who will be putting on the green jacket come Sunday. I will go ahead and take a stab at who I think will be in contention to actually win.

Now, keep in mind that we are no longer in the days of Jack and Arnie or in the days of witnessing Tiger's dominance and I don't think that Phil is currently at his peak, so the real favorite is the dark horse from the field  that anyone that does not follow golf very, very closely would ever know. Players like Charl Schwarzel (last year's winner), Angel Cabrera or Trevor Immelman. These no-names are really the favorite.  The players to watch are the big hitters, especially since there is rain, a lot of rain, in the forcast. Yes, the greens will be a touch slower, but the drainage is so sophistacated now that they will dry out and return to maddening form rather quikly. But if the roll in the fairway is taken away than the long hitters that can still bomb it and still have wedge to the green are going to climb to the top. The exception will be the players that have great long iron play, but I still like the guys holding the wedge in their hands on their approach shot. 

Tiger Woods. The guy can't crush it like he used to, but his driving was probably the best it has been in a long time at Bay Hill. He's hitting the ball long and straight enough and if he's not, he's always been a great long iron player. He's leads the PGA in total driving and in scoring average. He should be the favorite. If his putting is good enough, the fourth green jacket is his.

Dustin Johnson. Scratch that. He tried to lift a jetski and hurt his back. Lift from the knees buddy, this one could've been yours.

Bubba Watson. He gets too cute trying to shape his shots and his putting is decent at best. But he has a monster in that pink driver. That keeps him in contention. 

Luke Donald. Great iron play and he's due. He's been up near the top of the World Rankings where he is currently #1, for a while now with no majors to show for it. If the weather stays decent on the weekend, he's in contention. 

Rory McIlroy. Rory owned Augusta National for 54 holes last year. He has a complete game and is still putting experience together with that gorgeous swing. I don't like his chances as much when conditions get hairy, but he's shown he can play as welll as anyone, and I do mean anyone at the Masters. 

Lee Westwood. He owns that current title of best golfer in the world without a major. He's also second in the rankings in green in regulation. Those guys are always around on the weekend. He's also second on the PGA in Total Driving. 

Gary Woodland and Robert Garrigus. The PGA's resident big hitter outside of Bubba and Tiger. They both have strong athletic swings with the monster drives to match. If they go long and somewhat straight they'll be in contention if there is a ton of rain like the forecast says. If it dries up and that advantage is taken away even slightly, they move to the middle of the pack. 

Keegan Bradley. Another long hitter, but with some heft. He won the PGA Championship to become an unlikely major winner, but he's still hanging around. I have an issue with his over-analyzing pace of play, but he's long and has shown he can put together to win tournaments. 

Phil Mickelson. Don't forget about Lefty. He has built his game around Augusta for years now. Remember when he carried two drivers or added a 64 degree wedge? The guy will do anything to win here, which he has, three times. He should always be considered a very serious contender. I wonder how he'll play now that the focus is back on Tiger? In the past, that alone helped him surge. 

It's too hard to pick an official dark horse. Gary Woodland and Robert Garrigus aren't dark enough for you? I definately think we see a long hitter that keep the ball in the fairway be right in the the mix come Sunday. That opens the door for the likes of Kyle Stanley and Jason Day as well.  Either way it's going to be fun to watch... unless the weather unloads on Augusta. 

Happy Masters Week!

[thepublicgolfer]

Masters Redemption Songs

Masters 2011 (Photo credit: Shannon Hurst Lane)

Masters week is upon us. 

The week that the country, north of the Mason-Dixon line anyway, gets all amped up for some spring golf, because golf season, the REAL season, has begun. 

Augusta National, bursting with it's greener than green fairways and greens and it's gorgeous trees and flowers all over the course, tells us that it's OK to go outside with your sticks again. It's time to return to the course, to the club, to the PGA. 

This year's Masters adds some extra intrigue, because you have two players that have become the talk of the golf world once again, for two very different reasons. 

On one hand, you have the world's most popular golfer and most recognized athlete, Tiger Woods. He comes to Augusta after breaking his long, well-documented drought by winning at the Bay Hill Invitational two weeks ago. Tiger hasn't been the same since the appearance of his marital bliss was blown to bits along with his knee and pristine reputation, both as the world's best golfer and as a person. He hasn't won at the Masters since 2005, but during that stretch, despite his severe career downturn, hasn't finished worse than T6. Tiger just won and is feeling confident about his game just in time for his favorite tournament on one of his favorite courses to play. 

On the other hand, you have the young and up and coming golfer of now: Rory McIlroy. He was dubbed as the potential heir-apparent to Tiger, with his near perfect swing and his clutch, aw-shucks demeanor. He came to Augusta last year ready to dominate, having only really showcased his best golf in Europe and Abu Dhabi. He led a charge of young golfers ripping up Augusta and was four shots clear of the field after Saturday. After going 1 over par on the front nine on Sunday, clinging to the lead, he duck hooked a shot off the course and unraveled from there. He shot an 80 to sink back to 15th. 

Most golfers would not be seen again atop a leaderboard for a very long time after such a collapse, but McIlroy went to Congressional and dominated the U.S. Open, winning his first major at 22 and setting a new Open record for lowest score. 

Now, he achieved his first world number one ranking earlier this year and just happens to be dating the world's number one ranked player in women's tennis, Caroline Wozniacki. 

(What is it with golf and tennis by the way? You've got McIlroy and Wozniacki, Sergio Garcia and another former world number one, Martina Hingis and even Tiger and his man-crush with Roger Federer. Let us also not forget Greg Norman's near-comeback with Chris Evert at his side.)

McIlroy is looking to comeback and prove that he can finish the job at The Masters. Tiger seems like he's ready to come back and win again at Augusta and especially wants to keep Phil Mickelson from getting his fourth green jacket, something only Tiger, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have achieved. 

Related articles

Masters Predictions 2012: Tiger Woods and Golfers with Most Pressure at Augusta (bleacherreport.com)

Masters 2012: Tiger Woods and Other Top Contenders to Watch (bleacherreport.com)

National Sport: Player tips McIlroy for Masters glory (coventrytelegraph.net)

[thepublicgolfer]

SIMPLY ONE OF THE BEST SLICE CURES... EVER.

It's no secret I am a big Jeff Ritter fan. His approach is simple and effective. Hell, this video is only a minute and a half long but it single-handedly defeated my big block to the right. It's pretty simple: with your right hand, visialize you are holding a deck of cards over a blackjack or poker table, take your backswing and point the bottom card to the sky, then on your downswing spread the cards across the table, Vegas-style. Simple. It does two things- it gets you moving your hands in an arc and it gives an early release to your hands. 

Combine this feel with that you're skipping a ball or stone along the ground and you get a nice feel for proper weight transfer as well. 

If you start hooking turn your shoulders a slightly faster and focus a little more on moving your weight toward the target. Do this little drill a couple times in between swings at the range and watch your ball flight change. 

This is for my boy in Carolina losing them to the right... Public Golfer OUT!

[thepublicgolfer]

The Will of the Tiger... Just in time.

Is it a surprise that Tiger Woods closed out his first official win in over 900 days at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitational this past Sunday?

Not really. 

It is no secret that Arnie's course is one of Tiger's favorite on tour and there are fewer places that he feels comfortable. That being said, Tiger was able to showcase that lost skill that had been dogging him for at least three years now: clutch putting. Tiger's swing, the ever-evolving project which will likely forever be "unfinished" looked fine. Did he get too steep a few times and hit some shots that makes you scratch your head? You bet. For example, he chopped a 3 wood off the course on Saturday that ended up in somebody's backyard and the sound of him dropping his club at the end of his follow through sounded louder than when he actually hit the ball. Then, after a second tee shot that left him slightly blocked out from the green and lying four, he hit draw from the rough that left him with a 12-foot chance to save a bogey. He didn't and ended up with a double, but he left himself with the chance. That was the difference in Tiger this past weekend, he left himself with chances.  On the par 5's he often gave himself a shot at eagle and there were a bevy of chances for birdies on the par 3's and 4's. With that many chances, he didn't need to put like old Super Tiger, he just needed to put well enough, which he did, and walked away with his first official PGA victory in a long time. 

Whether or not "Tiger is back" as most media outlets starved for the golf superstar to regain his old form in time for the Masters remains to be seen. He still has some blocks in his swing that Augusta will eat up, but he's managed to play well with those same tendencies before, and the bigger question will be Tiger's head. Augusta is another one of his favorite places to tee it up and he'll be fired up at a chance to win. We haven't seen a Tiger that was able to translate that to his near-flawless play that used to dominate in a long time, especially on a consistent basis. He'll be a favorite, especially now, along with Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and the unknown player that hasn't anything of note on the PGA Tour (Charl Schwartzel, Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman). 

Here's your interesting little factoid for the lead-up to the Masters: Since 1960 the only players to win at Augusta by more than five strokes we're Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd and Tiger Woods.

Related articles

Back on Par- Tiger Woods wins Arnold Palmer Invitational (longnightsshortdays.com)

Tiger Woods Wins The 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill (wamgolf.com)

[thepublicgolfer]

Sean O'hair explains his golf swing. 

Now, I'm sure he simplified the crap out of it for the clinic, but I love the fact that there doesn't seem to be a lot going on in his head. Turn and go, finish. The less complex movement the better. A great swing by a great player. 

His swing coach is none other than the infamous Sean Foley, Tiger's current coach, who's teaching is somewhere in between a one plane swing and the Stack and Tilt. He bases his philosophy on biomechanic efficiency, producing athletic swings. Which I'm all in favor of, but there are some detractors and thus good ol' fashioned controversy. 

[thepublicgolfer]

Tourney Time

No not that tournament, you know,March Madness, which I love and affectionately call the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year... for sports. (NCAA Tournament, Opening Day for baseball, The Masters, paradise!) I'm talking about real, authentic, competitive golf tournaments.

A few years back. I had decided that I had become good enough to golf not just for fun with or without my buddies on the weekends, but competitively. Frankly, I don't know why it seemed like such an odd transition. If I play a lot of basketball, baseball, softball or whatever, I think I'd find myself in a league of some sorts with some sort of competitive stakes at some point, yes? So why do so many public course golfers that take the game so seriously scoff at the idea of playing tournaments? Are we scared? Should competitive golf be reserved for scholastic golfers and the wealthy country club golfers? Hell, no! We are the golfing 99%! (Maybe more like 80%)

So, back to my courageous decision, to play competitively in a few tournaments during the golf season. I'd set goals, practice different shots and situations. Then I'd go play in these tourneys and make cuts and feel great about myself. I was a 7 handicap, which got me into more tournaments then I thought I would qualify for. I was ready to rock.

I ended up playing in two tournaments, qualifying rounds for the Public Links and a local Mid-Amateur Tournament. My practice rounds were great and I was ready to play. It was a disaster.  In both tournaments, at around the fifth hole, I had subconsciously decided to forget how to play golf. There were shots being created from the faces of my golf clubs that I didn't ever think was possible. I couldn't recreate some of the beauties that I shanked if I tried. Massive amounts of humiliation brought my golfing ego plummeting back to earth. I had decided that I was, in fact NOT ready for tournament golf. But, wait, I had played in tournaments before. Member-Guests, caddie tournaments, charity shotguns, a whole bunch of times. For some reason I had decide to jump in feet first into a tournament meant for scratch golfers. What other options did I realistically have?

There ARE tournaments that are available to golfers of the general public. The Golf Channel hosts an amateur handicap-based "tour" (a league based in different locales, really) which was previously run by Golf Galaxy. Golfweek also sponsors a tour. One could also buddy-up and play in many four ball tournaments. Many state golf association have "Play Days" that are open to anybody with a membership to play in low-pressure, handicap-flighted tournaments.  All of this can alleviate some competitive anxiety and get be a little closer to a "tournament" mindset.

So don't chicken out in taking your game to the next level. You'll learn how good, or how bad your game really is. I'm going to take another stab at it. You should too.

The 9th hole on the par-3 course at the Augusta National Golf Club during the par-3 contest prior to the 2006 Masters Tournament. Jack Nicklaus' ball is to the left of the pin, and he had his grandson putt it (and he made it). The sequence can be seen on a video posted to youtube, Jack Nicklaus - Augusta 2006. Andy North's ball is to the right. Nicklaus, North, and Tom Watson were playing as non-competitors in the par-3 contest. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

[thepublicgolfer]

OK, I don't want to keep jumping on the "Tiger's a jerk" bandwagon, but I found this interesting reading this past weekend in the New York Times. I don't intend to read Haney's book...yet. Frankly, I guess I have to agree with Tiger's assessment of the whole situation as "unprofessional", because Haney was a coach and was allowed into Tiger's very protected and somewhat chilly provate life. A tell-all book just comes off as petty. However, I do find it interesting for someone with an ax to grind against big, bad Tiger spilling his guts. It seems that Tiger Woods treated a whole mess of people regardless of how old or young, powerful or humble, close or casually acquainted... like total crap. He's pissed on a lot of people to get to the top. And it probably won't stop, he still can't admit that anyone else in the world is a better golfer in the world right now. He tells ESPN's Tom Rinaldi that, he still believes in only himself. At this point, it's not a total surprise anymore. His past transgressions have been well documented and his character is now on full display. Sure, that killer instinct is key to what got him to be what used to be the most dominant athlete in all the world of sports, but it doesn't look like it'll get him back there. And if it does, as fans, we don't have to like it.

[thepublicgolfer]

This is one of the best putting videos I've ever seen. It's a very simple drill as demonstrated by Mike Labauve. I've used it in practice along with right hand only putts and my putting consistently improved, which is saying something.

I know there will a lot of people saying that this goes against the theory of the inside to inside putting stroke, but they're wrong. If you're head and eyes stay at a focal point, then the arc will occur naturally. It's when golfers try to over-manipulate the arc that putts start spraying. 

You can't go wrong with a square putter face at impact. Get the ball rolling straight at your target and let the green move your ball to hole. Just remember to play for the break. 

Speaking of playing for the break. I recently read a study about amateur golfers reading greens. In short, your first impression is typically the correct read about 90% of the time. So line it up and fire away. 

[thepublicgolfer]

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Unless of course you are a long drive champion... and you can hit the ball 418 yards. 

That's 418 yards. Swing speed: 150 mph. Freaky. 

This is Jamie Sadlowski. The super-flexible, ball-crushing, shaft-whipping Re/Max Long Drive Champ. I don't know what strikes me more, his ridiculously long backswing, or the fact that his head appears to go nowhere. His swing destroys the conventional wisdom that you have to have a big move forward to kill the ball. His head stays nice and centered and his lower body does a lot of the work. It looks like he's hanging back, but realize that he's got a pretty long shaft, so he needs to tee the ball where he does. 

If your swing looks this wild and you are NOT Sadlowski, I suggest you shorten it up a tad...