Anthony Kim

Cup debut means more to Kim than Tour titles

I have to say, I'm liking this kid's action more and more every day. I understand that he's got one of those 'like him or hate him' personalities, but these days with Tiger's dominance, I have to give props to anyone who comes out and shows that they are actually hungry to win, rather than just make a living. His comment in the BMW a couple of weeks ago only solidified him as a player in my book... "well, I'm not playing for second."

That attitude will serve him well, in my opinion.

And the guy he was chasing, Camilo Villegas, seems to be the same kind of player. Again, he's one of those 'like him or not' kind of guys, and he obviously thinks a lot of himself, but I think that's the attitude you have to have on the modern tour... if you're going to win that is.

I like both of these kids, and I hope to see more just like them in the future. Competition for Tiger can only be good for the game in the long run.

News Conferences

I suppose in a way the Ryder Cup starts today, albeit not officially. News conferences start today, for most of the afternoon both today and tomorrow, and although I have my DVR set to record them, I have a feeling I will be skimming through most of the coverage, as I will quickly realize that all I'm going to hear is the same five points over the roughly five hours of coverage. Those points being:

- Phil absolutely must play well, and hopefully his pairing with Anthony Kim will inject a little life into his game (but the fact that Phil doesn't play well is not because he doesn't want to be here, because he loves the Ryder Cup, even though everyone knows he doesn't).

- The Europeans need to find someone for Lee Westwood to get drunk with because Faldo was dumb enough not to take Darren Clarke as a Captain's pick.

- The US Team absolutely has to win this year, but there's no pressure on them at all and no one understands why they play "not to lose".

- Azinger set the course up for our long hitters, because even though we should win because we are more talented individually, we are the underdogs because we can't keep a drive on the golf course.

- J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley are just "good ole country boys" and everyone gets a kick out of them, especially Boo.

Day 1 Results

In reference to my earlier post about our Ryder Cup style match, Day 1 was yesterday, and I thought I would post results.

Yesterday was 9 holes scramble, and 9 holes better ball, 1 point available in each match. We were playing in windy conditions, so I thought some of the group might want to delay the match until another day. But everyone was game, stating that it was fair for one and all.

The front nine match was a barn-burner, with the lead passing back and forth between teams all morning. In the end, our team managed to win the eighth hole to go 1 up, and we were conceded the ninth for a 2 up win on the front.

At this point I was extremely happy, as my only goal for the entire matches was not to get swept.

On the back, we started out strong, with me winning the 10th hole and my partner winning the 11th. My partner had a 4 footer on the 12th to go three up, but it broke off the world and he missed. At that point, I totally left the game for about three holes. I couldn't get a drive to stay on the course. I put a lot of pressure on my teammate, and we subsequently found ourselves 1 down going into the 16th hole. At that point the wind started kicking up like crazy, and both teams were fighting for their lives for the last three holes. We managed to win the 17th to bring the match back to even, but they won the last for a 1 up victory and a point in match two.

So after Day 1, the matches stand tied at 1-1.

Wind Damage at Valhalla

Wind Damages Ryder Cup Site

Looks like there's been a little shake-up at Valhalla even before the beginning of the festivities this week. I have to say, I live in Kentucky, played golf yesterday, and it was brutal conditions. Anyone with half a brain would have stayed home, but I've never been accused of having that attribute. Most of Louisville is apparently without power today. I hope everyone is okay and hope that the Ryder Cup goes on without a hitch.

Cup

Okay, I will freely admit that I've not gotten a lot done at work today, because I have been working on a Ryder Cup style match for my regular weekly foursome.

I'm really excited to spring it on my playing partners Sunday, even though I know my team won't have a chance in Hades on winning. I have ordered trophies to be presented to the winners so that they may display it proudly for the next year as "bragging rights". I plan on this being a yearly event in which the trophies are traded back and forth between winners. I have pretty much conceded this inaugural event to our opponents, but with the knowledge that in the coming seasons, my partner, who is a beginner, will improve exponentially. He's already shown marked improvement this season, so I am already looking forward to next year.

I know no one who reads this probably cares, but I am very excited about this little match I have devised, and had to write about it. More as the competition develops...

Why Can't the US Win?

I saw an interesting special on the Golf Channel last night, a 30 minute examination of the past several Ryder Cups which should have been titled, "Why Doesn't the US Dominate Like They Are Supposed To?"

Probably my favorite part of the program were the interviews with the Captains, and with Paul Azinger in particular. He addressed the comments that the US doesn't seem to have fun and gel as a team. He essentially says it's not because they are individuals and don't know how to play as a team, it's simply because they have not been winning. It's the chicken and egg thing. A lot of people think we are not winning because we don't have fun, but Azinger says we don't seem to have fun because we're not winning. It's a valid argument and one that I happen to agree with.

The sad thing is, if Europe ends up winning, Azinger's methods and opinions will probably be thrown out with the trash, just like Hal Sutton's pairing of Tiger and Phil in his year as Captain. Tiger and Phil will likely never be paired again, simply because it didn't work the one time. I think I've posted here before that I think the pairing didn't work because both weren't playing well at the time, Phil in particular. It wasn't because they don't like each other. They might well hate each other, I don't know, but they are both professionals and I guarantee you both of them wanted to win just as much as their opponents.

I hope Jack Nicklaus finds his way back to Captain again in either the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup. He's the only one I can think of who would have the guts to pair the two together again. And he would be able to put them out there with the right attitude, that at the end of the day, it's just a competition and win or lose, it's not the end of the world.

The Evil of Golf

Why is it that you can be playing your best one minute, and the next you play as if you've never touched a club?

That's what happened to me yesterday, and what's been happening to me for the past couple of weeks actually. I had a round going, it wasn't a great one, but I managed to hold it together for 15 holes. My driving and putting was off all day. I had given up par to bogey on more holes than I could count, but I was holding it together. But I reached #16 tee and all of a sudden I couldn't put club to ball. It was disasterous. I felt like I was 14 again and had just picked up a golf club for the first time.

It all started on #3 actually. I played the first two holes pretty well, and found myself behind some trees on the right side of the fairway on the par 5. I had a shot over the trees, which would have allowed me a realistic chance to get on the green in regulation, or I could have chipped out safely and taken probably a couple more to get on the green safely. I would have had a decent shot at par, and probably an easy bogey. I had picked up a couple of shots on my competitors on the first two holes though, so I decided to take my shot over the trees. I took an eight on the hole, and from that point on my game was in shambles.

I can't say that hole stayed with me mentally the whole rest of the round. I didn't consciously think about it. But once the round was over and I had lost, thinking back at my day, I could trace the wheels coming off to that one moment when I decided to go over the trees instead of taking the safe chip-out.

Golf is an evil game, but the evil comes straight from our minds. It's not the game's fault. It's not our equipment's fault. It's not our playing partner's fault. At the end of the day, it's our fault and ours alone.

Back Into It

Obviously I've not posted in a long, long time. I don't really have much of an excuse, other than life has been getting in my way these past months. I am going to make an effort to post on a much more regular basis from now on, hopefully a couple of times a week or more. I can't promise anything, but that is my intention.

The Masters

I must admit, I've not been following the world of professional golf as much as usual so far this season.  I've had a lot of other stuff going on, and truthfully, I'm just lazy like that.  At any rate, with the Masters coming up next week, and with it being my most favoritest major championship, I can't let it slide by without throwing up a few observations.

Unfortunately this will be the first major tournament in a long time without Davis Love III in attendance.  I must admit, earlier in his career (and earlier in my maturity level) I didn't like Davis a lot.  I think it was because he was just one of those guys who unfortunately don't exhibit a lot of personality out there.  In my earlier days of growing up with folks like Greg Norman to admire, Davis rubbed me the wrong way.  I have since learned to like and admire Davis and wish that he would be in the field this week.

I don't know what's going on with Phil Mickelson this season.  Sure, he's playing well, but not well enough.  He's not playing like the superstar that he is, but just as a Regular Joe tour player who has a very good chance of winning in any given week.  This is one major difference between Tiger and players like Phil, Vijay and Ernie.  Everyone but Tiger seems to go through lulls in their season.  Tiger is a superstar 100% of the time.

I predict Tiger to win, but I also predict good weeks from Steve Stricker and Fred Couples.  Both have been playing well, and Freddie loves Augusta.  And with Stricker's good tee-to-green game and excellent putting, I don't see any way he can have a bad week.  He might not win, but I don't think he will shoot himself out of it either.

That's all I've got for now.  Hopefully more updates to come...

Tiger's Achilles?

I've been thinking about the Presidents Cup matches and have come to a startling conclusion, one that might shake the very foundations of golf. First I will submit my evidence:

• September, 2004 - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are romped in their only appearance as teammates in Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup competition.
• February, 2005 - Tiger is beaten by Nick O'Hern in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
• February, 2007 - Tiger again falls to O'Hern in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, this time in the third round. O'Hern is annointed a 'Tiger Killer'.
• September, 2007 - Even though the US Team gets the victory, Tiger is beaten by Canadian Mike Weir in the Sunday singles matches.

Conclusion: Tiger doesn't gel with lefties when walking the same fairways in match play competition, whether as part of their team or against them. So take note of this, European and International Teams. The next time you have a competition coming up, burn one of your Captain's Picks on some left-handed dude who just won a club championship of you have to. Tiger can't beat them.

The Cup

With the Presidents Cup starting this week, as a US Team fan I have to wonder which team will show up this time. The US has a fairly good record in this particular exhibition, as opposed to their recent Ryder Cup meltdowns, but the fact remains that one just doesn't know which version of what is essentially a Jekyll/Hyde US Team will show up. And with the rise in confidence of International talent like Rory Sabbatini, Geoff Ogilvy and K.J. Choi over the past two years, and as well as they are playing right now, I can't help but feel we're in for a dogfight this time around. One thing's for sure, I want to see Sabbatini and Tiger square off in at least one match this week. Whether it be individually or as a team, I want them to play the same holes at the same time.

We Have a Winner

Looks like Tiger pretty much ran away with the inaugural FedEx Cup trophy. I mean seriously, was the really ever any doubt? I bet Tim Finchem and the Tour have been drunk for the past 2 days. I mean, what better way to "validate" your new baby than having the #1 Player in the world win it the first time out. I mean, it's great isn't it? Tiger wins, some other big names were in the hunt, they got a showdown of sorts between Tiger and Phil, new stars were born, and oh yeah, Tiger won. Seriously, with all the criticism the format has taken this past year, I can't think of a better outcome for the Tour and its fans. I really believe this thing can only get better from here. If they can figure out a way to tweak this thing just right so that the big names aren't basically making political, back-door deals to blackmail each other into playing in this thing, and actually get them interested in competing in it, it will be huge. I enjoyed watching the entire playoff series a huge amount more than I thought I would.

Next stop, Presidents Cup.

Does Solheim Beat Ryder?

As I sit here writing this post, Solheim Cup, Day 2 is in progress in Sweden. Well, maybe not. I don't know about the time difference and all. Annika might be kicked back eating dinner right now and what I'm seeing is on tape delay. But here's my point: I am watching the Solheim Cup, and I might be enjoying it a lot more than I will be enjoying the Presidents Cup in a couple of weeks. Why? I don't know for sure, but my sense is that I am impressed with how much these girls want it. The US Team, over the last two Cups, have given me the impression that I get from the European Team in the Ryder Cup matches. They appear to truly enjoy being there and really want to win for their country and for their own pride's sake. That's what the Men's US Team needs. I don't care who plays in the events. I don't care if Tiger and Phil stay home and play with their kids. I want 12 guys on our team who want to be there and want to win. If nothing else, I will get three days of seeing emotion, instead of the same stone faces that have become prevalent in the past several Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup matches.

Trying To Get Back Into It

So not a lot has been happening in my life since my last post way yonder back in June. I'm going to try to make a huge effort to start updating all of my blogs on a regular basis again. I can't guarantee anything, because I am a lazy slob by nature, but I am going to try to hold myself to at least 2 updates per week for each site. I don't have any type of schedule worked out or anything, as in "update Tech.rub on Monday/Wednesday and Rub Of The Green on Tuesday/Thursday", but maybe I should, and maybe I will. For now though, I'm just working on "twice a week, whenever the urge hits me and there's something significant to talk about". We'll see how that works for now.

FedEx Cup Opinion

I know a lot has been said about the FedEx Cup, its limitations and its flaws, but I have to admit, these last four tournaments have had me, for lack of a better term, "glued to my seat". I don't really have any excuse other than I just have this feeling as I'm watching that these tournaments somehow mean "more" than normal season-ending events. Heck, I hadn't even been watching the Tour Championship for the past couple of years, but somehow this season it seems like it's more prestigious than before. Have I fallen for what Finchem and Co. have put down; am I drinking the Kool-Aid on this?

Perhaps, but at the same time, who cares? If this little move accomplishes getting me more interested in post-major TV golf, and I enjoy what I'm seeing, what does it matter if I'm getting taken in by all the hype? It's like someone giving you a fake diet pill. If it's fake, but it does the job you want it to do even though it's all in your mind, who cares?

I know if they manage to stay with this thing, it will get better and better as the seasons go by. I don't know right now, if it weren't to be tweaked a little, if it would accomplish making the big guns play together more throughout the season and in the playoffs, but I think at the very least, based on what I'm seeing now, it has potential. And that's really all you can ask for something like this in its first season.

So How Did I Do?

Not too well, it seems.  Let's check.

• Mickelson misses the cut - I got this one, but only because of a birdie on the last hole by the eventual winner.
• Tiger doesn't finish in the top 20 - Wrong on this one.  Although you would think he would have finished out of the top 20, since he obviously must have had his daughter's impending birth on his mind.
• Johnny Miller pisses somebody else off on camera - Not sure if I got this one or not.  I'm going to give myself a point on this one, because I'm sure he ticked someone off.
• Someone shoots 88 and doesn't withdraw before finishing their round - I haven't checked this one either, but I bet I was close.
• Mark Rolfing makes me sick at least once a day because of his unquestioning devotion to Tiger Woods - I was wrong on this one.  I don't remember him doing too bad this time.
• Jim Furyk finishes in the top five and Sergio Garcia misses the cut - Right with both of these.
• Padraig Harrington is the top European finisher - Wrong here.
• Adam Scott wins - Majorly wrong on this one.  Scott didn't even make the cut.

So I was roughly 4/9, if you count the Furyk and Sergio predictions as one each.  And I might be 5/9 if the "88" prediction is true.

U.S. Open Predictions

Just a few predictions before the Open starts tomorrow:

1. Mickelson misses the cut. For anyone who reads this site, you know this one hurts me. I'm a big Mickelson fan, but I just worry about his wrist. And not so much that I think it's really that bad, but I know from recent experience how concern of an injury can haunt your mind and mess with your game. I say Phil gets in the rough one too many times and the fear of hurting his wrist more gets into his head and causes him to waste more strokes than usual. They say the rough is a 1/2 shot penalty. For Phil this week, I think it will be almost a full shot.
2. Tiger doesn't finish in the top 20. It all depends on his putter. If he's got it going, it takes a lot of stress off his tee-to-green game and it's lights out. But based on his putting in his past couple of events, and the difficulty of the Oakmont greens, I put him outside of the top 20.
3. Johnny Miller pisses somebody else off on camera. This is pretty much a no-brainer. I watched his "Open & Honest" interview on the Golf Channel last night. I like the guy and agree with a huge amount of what he says. I think the guys just don't like to hear the brutal truth sometimes. But I also think he says things sometimes just for effect.
4. Someone gets on the verge of shooting 88 or worse and doesn't withdraw before finishing their round. That's all I've got to say about that.
5. Mark Rolfing makes me sick at least once a day because of his unquestioning devotion to Tiger Woods. Seriously, is it just me, or is this guy the biggest Tiger fan in the business? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
6. Jim Furyk finishes in the top five and Sergio Garcia misses the cut. My Furyk prediction comes down to consistency. Sergio's prediction comes down to putting.
7. Padraig Harrington is the top European finisher.
8. Adam Scott wins. This is a difficult one as well for me. I predicted Scott to win the Open about 3 weeks ago, and I'm going to stick with my pick, simply because I'm stubborn. I'm not happy at all with his finishes the past couple of weeks, especially with his putting, so it's nuts to pick him based on my analysis above of Tiger's chances this week (because of putting), but I'm going to stick with my gut feeling from a few weeks back. I think Scott is "right there" as they say. If he can hold it together for 72 holes, he's got just as good a chance as anyone, in my opinion.

Sport or Not?

It's one of THE age-old questions in the game of golf, especially nowadays, with fitness getting more and more of a reputation in the elite levels: is golf a sport or not?

Truthfully, I'm a bit on the fence. I think golf is basically a sport, and that any game that requires at least some aspects of athelticism or coordination should be considered such. Is knitting a sport? No. Is table tennis? Yes. The obvious hand-eye coordination required,
combined with the mental aspects of the game, put golf squarely in the "it's a sport" realm in my eyes. But at the same time, I see the point of some folks, that if it doesn't require constant running and jumping, how can it really be a sport? Sure, being fit is better, but if
obviously fat, out of shape individuals can play at the elite levels, how can you call it a sport?

Riddle me this: I have seen some pretty overweight linebackers in my time who play quite well in the professional ranks of the NFL. Does that mean that football isn't a sport? Or if it is a sport, does it mean there are SOME athletes on the football field, but the fat guys
just don't fit into that camp?

Now, if golf is a sport, is it one of the most demanding? Not physically for sure, but I would argue that at the highest levels, it is probably one of the most demanding mentally. And of course as we all know, the great thing about golf is that it can be just as demanding (relatively) at the club level. I might not be Zach Johnson on the final day of the Masters, but I bet he and I have similar thoughts when I'm coming down the stretch of my local Club Championship.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with one being "no way it's a sport" and 10 being "it's just like rugby", I would have to put golf in the 6-7 range. Not the most demanding sport in the world, but a sport nonetheless.

Philly Mick: Is He Finally Waking Up?

That's a question I have been asking myself for a few weeks now, and am asking myself even more since Mickelson's win at the Players. Is he back and will he continue to play good golf from now on, or is this
simply the latest peak in the sine wave of his golfing career?

He's played this well before people. He played this well at the 2004 Masters, slowly reverted back to his old self for a while, got it together again for the 2005 PGA, and managed to keep it going until shortly after the 2006 Masters. Everyone likes to talk about Winged Foot, but for anyone who was following Phil at the time, we knew he was lucky to be where he was on the final day of the 2006 U.S. Open. He was playing that tournament as a schizophrenic, caught between playing "smart golf" and "Mickelson golf". His raw talent got him to the position he was in on the final hole, but he didn't deserve to win that week.

His new fitness regime has gotten me inspired that maybe he's really trying to turn it around for the long-term this time. Before he seems to have just been trying to put on a band-aid at the beginning of each season, doing the things he thought he needed to do to compete in the majors, but not really buying into the philosophy for the long term. Now he's hired a fitness guy and switched swing coaches. Does that indicate he's ready to make that long-term change everyone has been waiting for?

If that is an indication, and he does make the change, then Winged Foot was good for him in the long run. Maybe it taught him a lesson that you can't just slap on a girdle and expect it to get you through to August
and then take it off and let out your gut until next year.

I am a big fan of Phil's. I have followed his career from almost the beginning, and for that reason, unfortunately, I have to say I'll believe it when I see it.

Double T to the G

Tommy and Ashley made it to the final nine holes last night in the Big Break: Reunion. I felt bad for Big Mike, but he simply didn't play well enough to advance. He was actually lucky to get it back to a sudden death situation. Ashley let him back in it with her poorish play in the final two or three holes. In the end though, I think the right two players have advanced.

As indicated by the title of this post, I am still ultimately rooting for Tommy to take it all. I wondered a couple of weeks ago when he played in Wachovia if that indicated a level of confidence that he had gained from winning the Big Break. I suppose we will all know next week at this time. I am worried a little bit about the Tomster though. His tee-to-green game seems to be "on", but we all know most of the time match play comes down to putting. Of the two, Ashley is clearly putting better.

Will her putting allow her to take the match, or will it simply allow her to stay in the match? Will Tommy catch fire on the greens and make the last question moot? Will Barefoot Dave ever shut up? Will Bri and Tommy have a little celebration after the match, whether he wins or loses? Is the sky blue? Is Bri rooting for Tommy or Ashley at this point? Will Gary ever be as good as he thinks he is? Am I just making up stupid questions at this point because my game sucks and I enjoy living vicariously through these people?

These are the hard-hitting questions people. And the answers might someday save our lives. Or perhaps more accurately, 20 minutes after the show is over, none of us will care.

Big Break Reunion: Donny's Exit

Wow. What an excellent example of why some guys can make it on the tour and some can't. I can't believe the bonehead decisions made by Donatello in this episode, starting with the decision to actually compete in the elimination in the first place. He had a free ride, worked hard to get it, and when the time came to use it, he didn't. It didn't make any kind of sense. It's one of those episodes where you wonder if it was scripted.

And then they get to the elimination, and he did what? He chips out of a waste area? He putts from 30 feet off the green? As Tommy said, it was definitely an indication of his nervousness. And if he couldn't control his nerves, he shouldn't have even been in the elimination.

Did he get to keep the money? He got the car, but did he have to not get eliminated to win the money too? I thought I saw a graphic that said that, but at the end he said he won a car and some money. I was confused.

At this point, I'd like to see pretty much any of the remaining four in the final match. I'm rooting for Two-Gloves to make it, and then anyone besides him. I wouldn't even care to see Barefoot Dave make it, just to
see him get beat. I was actually ready for Tommy and Don to make it to the end. I think that would have been a heck of a match to see.

Tommy and Bri, Sittin' in a Tree...

I'm fresh off the latest episode of Big Break: Reunion, and I have to say, Tommy Two-Gloves needs to get his head back in the game. He's a lovesick fool right now, and right now is not the time to be lovesick foolin' all over the golf course. Don't get me wrong, that Bri is one hot chick. I've got it bad for her too, Tommy. In fact, to paraphrase one of the great quotes of all time, 'I've got a fever for Bri, and the only prescription is more cowbell'. You know what I'm sayin', ROTG'ers. She's one hot mama, and to take it to an HNL ('Hole 'Nother Level for the uninitiated), the chick can play golf too!

But I digress. This post is supposed to be about TTG and his quest for the cup. Tommy made his way through the elimination intact last night, and it was impressive how he managed to pull it together when he needed it, but this nonsense about feeling queasy and all that jazz, it's got
to go. You can't make it all the way to the end like that, Tommy. You've got Double D breathing down your back and make no mistake, he will take you down. Donny's an emotional man, but he knows how to deal with it come the end of the day. Maybe you do to. I hope so. I'm pulling for you Tommy. I'm pulling for you to win this thing, and I'm pulling for you and Bri.

I hope you two crazy kids make it, but let's hold off on the romance until you're holding the golden rock trophy of Big Break: Reunion Champion in your Two-Glove'd hands.

And Then Butch Said To Phil...

So we've all been suspecting this for a few months now, ever since we heard of Butch checking Phil's swing out at a couple of tournamentsearly on in the season. Apparently Philly Mick has left long-time teacher Rick Smith for legendary teacher Butch Harmon. Philly, Butch and Ricky all say it's a friendly separation, and that Phil only wanted to work with Butchy to get some help with his driving (his driving being what lost the U.S. Open for him last year). Isn't that the same as saying Rick can't do it, that he's not a good enough coach to get out of Phil what he needs? Is Phil looking to retool his swing, ala Tiger, or is he just looking for a few pointers, or another point of view?

My sense is that it's the latter, that all parties are essentially telling the truth when it comes to the "friendy separation" angle. I think Phil is too far along in his career to try tinkering too much with his swing. Some kind of major swing change could set him back a couple of years, and Phil hasn't got that much time left in him. He's said himself that he wants to keep going hard until 40 and then he doesn't know what he might do. Phil has always struck me as the kind of guy who
could take golf or leave it, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him all but quit competitive golf once he hits his 40's.

Return of the King

Let me start this post off by apologizing for not posting a lot lately. I have no excuses. Get over it.

Now let's get down to the meat of this post. Here's the meat, folks... IT'S SPRINGTIME. And with springtime comes the inevitable golfing weather. I've been fortunate enough to play about 3 times so far this year and I must say, the rust hasn't quite worn off just yet. I managed to put together a pretty good ball striking round last Sunday, but that was mostly because I was playing scramble format with my Dad and had him to lean on as a crutch.

I started off a little shaky, but as mentioned before, I had the luxury of a partner to help hold things together while I got things figured out. I had gone to the range the day before to try to work out what was wrong in my swing and came away feeling pretty good. But as we all know, sometimes the range and the course don't see eye-to-eye. At any rate, I was able to work things out and was hitting the ball pretty well by the time the back nine came around. Which was a good thing, because my Dad started getting tired and I had to take over, as it were.

At the end of the day, we all had a good time and most importantly, we won. Now I just have to make my good play with a crutch translate into good play on my own.

Masters Prediction

Yes, I am still alive.

Luke Donald or Jim Furyk will win.

That is all.

Times They are A'Changin'

It's really interesting to me how the fortunes of golf equipment companies seemingly come and go with the tides. About 3-4 years ago, Titleist was on top of the world, with the "#1 Ball in Golf", probably the top driver in the world, and some of the biggest names in the game pushing their products. Now, it seems fortunes have reversed, as Callaway Golf, then the company who seemed to be turning into the "Weekend Golfer Brand", is now taking away all the top names from Titleist. First they had Annika, then they took Phil away from Titleist (who had previously made fun of Monty for playing Callaway clubs), and just this week they got the Big Easy, Ernie Els.

I have no idea who is the best, and probably in truth, there isn't one. Technology is such that there's really no one solution for everyone out there. I have been playing a variety of clubs over the past several years, from Titleist, to Callaway, to Taylor Made, and can't really say any one is better than the other in terms of quality. It all comes down to how the club looks to you and how it fits your game. And with the popularity of club fitting nowadays, it probably doesn't even matter what name is on the club, because you can get them custom fit to behave any way you want them to, regardless of manufacturer.

We all know that most of the time these endorsement deals come down to who can give you the best contract. Although with players like Ernie Els, one would think that he had to have had another reason other than money to switch to Callaway. Possibly he had a disagreement with some Titleist higher-ups, maybe doesn't like the direction of the company, or maybe he fiddled around with Michael Campbell's driver at some European event and was intrigued with what he saw.

At any rate, Ernie is a Callaway man now, there are a boatload of players on tour that are endorsing Taylor Made brand, and it seems I see fewer and fewer Titleist logos on hats from week to week. Titleist will be back, of that I have no doubt, and Taylor Made and Callaway will have their down years. It's just interesting to watch the ebb and flow of endorsement dollars and ultimately how they effect the weekend golfer and the clubs we "have to have".

Black Macbook Fund

Those of you out there with an observant nature have probably noticed the equivalent of an old hat on the sidewalk has been added to the left column disguised as "Macbook Fund". It's quite simple really; I've noticed a lot of other blogs and websites out there have been begging for donations, so I figured why not me? I provide a service too, right? Okay, maybe not, but you have to admit I am pretty cool... no? Well, maybe you feel sorry for me then. At any rate, I think the button speaks for itself. I'm looking for donations to get myself a Black Macbook. That is all. Unboxing pictures (along with "thank you's" to all who donated) will be provided in the miraculous case I actually make my goal and get a 'book.

Other than your pity, I really can't offer you anything else. If you're a website and want to be mentioned here, I will readily admit that I'm for sale. Donate, and you'll get a shout-out. Heck, if I like your site, I might even say nice things about you while I'm at it.

[EXPERIMENT ON]

It's Not a Streak

Sorry, but it's just not. Byron Nelson won 11 starts in a row, and that just isn't comparable with Tiger's current 7 "PGA Tour" wins in a row. Tiger has lost in the midst of his streak, albeit not in an official PGA event. As impressive as it is, it's not a streak. His last streak ended at 5 as far as I'm concerned and his current streak sits at what... two?

Here's my take on it: Tiger is great enough without the media or anyone else trying to make up his breakage of records. What if this year or in a couple of years he actually DOES break Mr. Nelson's record (which is entirely possible)? Will it not be that big of a deal because he's already done it in some eyes? Give the man time and don't rush it by trying to grasp at straws. It just cheapens his eventual legacy.

Where'd Phil Go?

Philly Mick showed up at the Hope yesterday appearing much more physically fit than in recent years. Nothing to get excited about, as this tends to be his MO. He tends to drop a few pounds in the winter and gains it all back as the year progresses. But one will have to admit, he does seem to be much more fit than in recent years. He may well have dropped 30 or more pounds and, according to him anyways, he's been pumping a little iron as well. One would hope he has latched onto a plan that will allow him to keep it up through the home stretch, but time will tell.

Unfortunately for him, the new fitness didn't seem to translate to lower scores. But it is only his first tournament of the year, and again, time will tell.

Fujikawa Makes the Cut

Tadd Fujikawa stunned the golf world yesterday by becoming the youngest player in 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut. Looks like this kid isn't a one-hit-wonder after all. Fujikawa, who we first got to know last year when he qualified for the US Open at 15, beat out Michelle Wie and a boatload of others to finish the second round of the Sony Open tied for 25th.

I guess for now you would have to say Tadd has bragging rights against Michelle if he ever sees her: Tadd qualified for the US Open, Michelle didn't. Tadd made the cut at the Sony Open, Michelle didn't.

A Wie Bit More

Today Michelle Wie continues her quest to actually make a PGA Tour cut with her fourth attempt at the Sony Open in her home state of Hawaii. Nobody knows what will happen, and I believe she does have the talent to make a cut in a men's event. But that is all. I'm sorry, but I just don't think her game is there to actually WIN a men's event, and isn't that what it's all about? Can anyone imagine Tiger entering an event with the intention of just making the cut? Never going to happen. Michelle is a talent, and I wish her all the best... and by "wish the best" I mean, let's win an event or two Michelle, and then come back in a few years when you're a little more confident and an little more seasoned and give the PGA Tour another shot.

Podcasts, Podcasts, Podcasts

Just a quick post to share some of my favorite golf-related podcasts.

• USA Pro Tour
• Golf Gear News
• Golf Smarter
• Golf for Beginners

Unfortunately for now there aren't a lot of golf-related podcasts out there. Hopefully that trend will not continue and 2007 will be the year of the golf podcast. I would think podcasts would be a great vehicle for golf, with instruction materials, updates on tournaments, fitness and equipment promotion as some subjects that could be covered. I would love to see The Golf Channel get into the podcast game with possibly some live interviews from tournament venues turned into audio and posted as a podcast. Obviously they don't have the time to talk to everyone and put them on screen, so it would be great to see some on-demand type service offered on their website to take up the slack.

For the past couple of years I have been working on this blog in an attempt to combine my love of technology with my love for the game of golf. While I think I've done a pretty decent job, I have always felt it was a little off, that tech and golf wasn't a good combination. Sure, golf technology is at an all-time high, what with new drivers, computer programs, GPS and all that. But my combining of the two into one blog has been more primitive... in other words, if I wanted to talk about my new Mac Mini in one post and have the entire diatribe relate in no way to golf, I did it. And vice versa. I might talk extensively about how I needed to clear my hips on the downswing, and it would have nothing to do with the newest MP3 player to hit the market.

So it didn't make sense to me, and as a result I have decided to create this latest blog and finally separate the two. So now we have Tech.rub and Rub of the Green. Tech.rub will focus on technology, and Rub of the Green will focus on golf and my hopeless pursuit of becoming a scratch golfer.

All of my previous tech-related posts will remain at Rub of the Green, as I have no desire to move them all, and being tech, they're all probably outdated anyway. But going forward, tech is there, golf is here.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Hack-A-Zune?

Say what you will about the new iPod Zune, I mean, Microsoft Zune... it may be the worst device in the history of portable music players out of the box, but there's one thing I have come to realize in the past week: one day, it might become an underground hit.

How, you might ask?

Well, it appears, with the early hacks that have surfaced, the Zune might end up being one of the most hackable and therefore customizable players out there. If folks continue their desire to hack this little baby, it might reach Tivo-like proportions in the "customizing" community and therefore end up the underground hit of 2007.

Or I could be wrong and it will end up in the bargain bin with all the other "iPod Killers".

Azinger Next US Ryder Cup Captain?

According to this story, it's true. Paul Azinger will be squaring off against long-time rival Nick Faldo in the 2008 version of the Ryder Cup. I think this will make for an interesting match. Azinger is not short of US pride, and Faldo just likes to win. If Azinger can light a fire under some of the US players' butts, I'm all for it. At this point though, I would have to take a second to think about accepting the job. I can't imagine the pressure to win the next US Captain would be facing.

Netcast or Podcast?

Which is better, or is there another name that is even better? Personally, between the two, I like Podcast better. Maybe it's because I'm used to it, but to me, Netcast doesn't solve any problems. The big move to change the name is based partially on the fact that some less tech-savvy people hear the name Podcast and assume that you have to have an iPod to listen to it, when in fact any audio player, even your own computer, is capable of playing a Podcast.

My whole thing is this: how is Netcast any better? Again, for the less tech-savvy out there, they will hear the new name and assume first that it's something totally different than a Podcast, because Podcast is already 'out there', and second, they will hear Netcast and just assume that it's something that you have to listen to or watch streaming over the net. Which to me is worse, because it might turn off people with iPods. Now all of a sudden you're not only turning away the people without iPods, you're turning away the iPodders too!

Sure, with enough education, people could be taught that this isn't the case, but with enough education, folks could be taught the same thing about a Podcast. There might be a better term out there than Podcast, but in my opinion, Netcast is not it.

Golf Great Byron Nelson Dies At 94

This is truly a sad day for all who love the game. Byron Nelson, who had the greatest year in the history of professional golf when he won 18 tournaments in 1945, including a record 11 in a row, died Tuesday. He was 94.

If You're Not First, You're Last

I really don't know what to say. The US has been beaten for the third straight year, and beaten 18 1/2 to 9 1/2 for the second straight year. It is embarassing to say the least. What will it take for the US to get back their Ryder Cup mojo? Who knows at this point? It's been talked about over and over, with the so-called 'experts' coming up with everything from "we have to play more loose" to "we have to find Tiger a partner". Nothing has worked and at this point, I don't see anything that will work. The Euros have the momentum going into each Ryder Cup and they are able to build on that momentum as they continually dominate us in the team portion of the competition.

But the idea that "they've always been better than us in the team format" is no excuse. There's no reason for that that I can see. Why can't we be just as good as a 2-man team as the Euros? Do all of our players hate each other or something? I don't know, but I don't think so.

It's a strange, strange thing that no one has managed to figure out and that no one is likely to figure out in the near future, or so it seems. Perhaps we need to name a Captain that demands more respect from his team, someone they can use as a rallying point, someone they will listen to and not have it go in one ear and out the other. That's no disrespect to Tom Lehman. I think he did a fine job this week. But in terms of legendary status, he's not up there with the likes of Jack, Arnie or Tom. I say ask one of them to lead our next team, or heck, ask them all to be Co-Captains. We need all the help we can get at this point.

Lefty and the Cat

Much has been made about then Ryder Cup Captain Hal Sutton pairing together Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and them getting their butts handed to them by Monty and Padraig Harrington. It was said to be a mistake, as reportedly Phil and Tiger don't really like each other and therefore didn't mesh well as a team.

While that may be true, it's also true that at the time, neither was playing their best golf. Phil had just made an ill-advised equipment change (ill-advised for the timing of the change, not for the equipment itself), and Tiger was in the middle of his now famous swing changes. To me, that was the biggest catalyst for the fact that they didn't play well as a team, not the fact that they do or don't like each other.

The fact is, they are professionals. Each was playing their own ball and their feelings for each other, in my opinion, was not that big of a deal at the end of the day. Also, let's give Monty and Padraig a little credit here. They're not too shabby when it comes to the game of golf.

While it probably will never happen again, I think it's a possibility that should be explored again, if for no other reason so that Phil and Tiger can prove that they can win as a team.

Star of the Week

I wonder who will rise up as the star of this year's matches? Right now I'm focusing mainly on the US side. Of course Tiger will get his usual press and praise, as will probably the numbers 2 and 3 in the world, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson. Chris DiMarco has proven himself over the last few years in these types of team events, so he is a good candidate. But it's also possible that one of the rookies will arise as a force. If Cap'n Lehman can manage to match up the rook's with the right partners, it can build the confidence in them that they will need to go into the Sunday singles.

My personal opinion? I think if the US manages a win, the star of the week will be none other than Captain Lehman himself. I was a little hesitant when I heard that he had been named Captain a couple of years back. I didn't think it was time yet for him. After all, he's still got enough game to have made the team himself, and he probably would have if it hadn't been for the Captain's duties that he's had to deal with over the past two years. But he has changed my mind. He wants this. Sure, it's a friendly competition, an exhibition, but make no mistake about it... he wants this win.

New Nano in the Hizzouse!!

I've always wanted to talk like that. While the title is not exactly true (I'm still waiting for the FedEx delivery... I think FedEx has been bought out by someone's grandma, or perhaps some Amish folks who are delivering packages on a horse and carriage), I have ordered one of the new black 8gb iPod Nanos (black is the new black, folks, in case you didn't get the memo).

I can't wait to receive my new toy, but it does leave me in a bit of a pickle. Counting my new purchase, I will have a total of 4 iPods... a white 30gb 5G iPod, a 2gb black Nano and a 512mb Shuffle. My plan is to sell off everything but the Shuffle, so if anyone is interested, shoot me an email (my address is at the bottom of the left-hand column). I can say that both the 30gb and the 2gb are in excellent shape. I added Power Support Crystal Skins to both soon after purchasing them, and they have each been in cases as well. Also, I have the original boxes for both. Pictures available upon request.

Ryder Cup Diary

I think I've mentioned before that the Ryder Cup might be my favorite week of golf, in close competition with the Masters for tops on my list. I'm sure the folks at Augusta and the PGA are in a bitter fight for my attention. Anyway, thanks to a kind email from a friend, I have stumbled upon a nice little site called Ryder Cup Diary, which offers up some nice tidbits for those curious about the history of one of the best weeks in golf.

Ben Curtis: The Closer

Okay, so I'm not saying Ben Curtis is Tiger Woods-like in his ability to close out a tournament when he's in the lead... what I'm saying is that, of late, it seems that the Benster has a talent for winning tournaments that are not coming back next year. From Yahoo! Golf:

"For the second time in three months, Curtis won a tournament that's not scheduled to return next year, stringing a series of big putts down the stretch to claim the 84 Lumber Classic title by two shots Sunday over Charles Howell III."

It's a pretty good way to get a win if you think about it. You get the notariety of winning and the winning check, and you don't have to commit to playing in the same event next year.

Tiger Throws Match Play

This just in: Tiger has thrown the World Match Play in the first round in order to rest up for the Ryder Cup next week. I reported a few weeks ago that Tiger was taking more of a leadership roll on this year's team. This proves his commitment. Jim Furyk followed suit, deciding he only wanted to play 32 holes before moving on to the K club next week. If this kind of commitment is what we have to look forward to from our veterans, the Europeans don't have a chance next week.

One More Thing...

Apple had its big "It's Showtime" event earlier today, announcing several new products including:

• iPod goes from 60gb to 80gb with better screen resolution and battery life, but still no widescreen format.
• iPod Nanos get new colors and form factor, get bumped to 8gb at the high end and the 1gb Nano is retired.
• iTunes 7 released with an updated layout and gapless playback (translates to iPod too).
  
• Movies now available for download from iTMS.
  
• A new set top box dubbed iTV that will help marry iTunes on the computer to the living room (available Q1 2007).
  

Nothing that surprising, considering the name of the event. I think all those "in the know" predicted the movie store at least, and the rest is just a natural extension of that. For me personally, the thing I'm most interested in is the new Nanos. I could care less about watching movies on an iPod and the prices seem a little steep to me ($9.99 to $14.99). I would have hoped they would be significantly cheaper than buying the DVD, maybe $9.99 as a top-line price.

But the new Nano is interesting to me for the fact that they have now been increased to 8gb, and also because they have gone "old school" a little bit and brought back the design element of the former iPod Mini. I think this is a good move, as it gives the Nano its own personality, so to speak. I just hope the new Nano is as durable as the Minis were.

They also revealed a new iPod Shuffle, which looks like an aluminum version of the iPod remote. It's cute and all, but it doesn't really interest me personally.

Kerr Takes Down Annika

Props to Christie Kerr for staring down World #1 Annika Sorenstam this weekend and coming out on top. It's nice to see an Amercian player able to bring out her 'A' game when it counts.

Tiger Lets Furyk Win

In a show of ultimate selflessness, Tiger Woods decided to take in the U.S. Open this weekend and let someone else win a golf tournament for a change. Not only that, according to his instructor Hank Haney, he talked to Tiger Sunday morning and Tiger predicted that Jim Furyk would win. I think this demonstration of generosity and psychic ability proves my earlier theory that Tiger has in fact risen to More Than a Man, Less Than a God status.

Dvorak Was Right

Once again, it looks like famous curmudgeon and whipping boy of most of the western tech world, John C. Dvorak was right. Digg is being gamed and it's not even big time gaming. It's gaming that doesn't even matter. It's just so some dude in East Philly can go to bed at night knowing he's one of the coveted 'Top 100' on the site. What happens when, as Dvorak mentions, someone with an agenda tries to game the system to get one of their stories promoted to the all important front page? It can be done. The Digg Powers That Be (DPTB) have admitted that they are contstantly having to tweak the secret algorithm that says whether a story is promoted or not.

Kudos to them for doing what they can to keep Digg as democratic as they can, but the fact remains that as long as there is someone out there who wants to use a site or an idea like Digg to their advantage, they will eventually figure out a way to do it. Right now it doesn't really matter. The gaming taking place is apparently all about ego at this point. But some day, it will be about more than that, and that's when the Digg crew will have a real problem on their hands.

What the Heck is a Stimp Meter?

Anyone who has been playing or watching golf for any amount of time probably has heard of the Stimp Meter. You may have heard the term, but do you really know how it works? Here's a good description of what exactly a Stimp Meter is:

"A stimp meter is the device used to measure the speed of the greens. To get the stimp rating, a ball is rolled down a little ramp (the stimp meter) in eight different directions. The stimp rating is the average distance the ball rolls once it touches the greens. For instance, a course with a stimp rating of 12 is a course in which the ball rolled an average of 12 feet once it hit the greens. Most Professional Golfers Association courses run at a 10 to 12 stimp rating. The higher the number, the faster the course. Most municipal golf courses have an average stimp reading range from 7 to 10."

Click to read more.

More Than a Man, Less Than a God

From my understanding, it was confirmed late Monday afternoon that Tiger Woods has been promoted to 'God-like' status, indicating that he is indeed more than a man, but less than a God. Over his past five tournaments, Tiger has not lost. It's certainly not something that hasn't been done before, but it's damn impressive nonetheless. What blows my minds is that from what I have observed, I don't personally think he's playing as well as he can. If he ever puts together his 'A' game, he might achieve full-blown 'God' status.

Chances Are...

What I love about the game of golf is that it is so complicated, yet so simple. If you have sufficent talent and practice enough, you can physically execute the shots that are needed in pretty much any given situation. But as any golfer knows, executing the shots and actually pulling off the shots at the right times are two very different things.

You can practice for as long as you want, for as many days in a row as you want, play practice rounds to your heart's content and work on your game until the cows come home, but if you can't pull it off when it counts, golf can destroy you. Golf is the master and we are the students and that will never change.

Practice makes perfect. We all know that. I firmly believe in the theory that if you can practice, practice, practice, develop a routine and stick to it on every shot, that in pressure situations you will pretty much go into automatic mode and the routine will act as a calming mechanism to help you execute the shot. I know this because I've done it. I have been able to execute shots in what for me are pressure situations and I can look back and know without a doubt that the mindset that the routine put me in is what helped me through it.

But before the shot, before the routine comes the decision making process. For me, decision making is beginning to come with age and experience. I can stand over a shot now and run the scenarios over in my head and most of the time I can come up with a decision that I am confident in. Harvey Penick called it 'controlled agression'. If you want to take chances, you can, but you want to be sure to put yourself in a position where the percentages are in your favor when you take that chance.

If I'm a professional gambler and I don't play the percentages, I won't be a professional gambler for very long. It's the same on the golf course. You and you alone are in control of when it's best to take the chance and when it's best to lay up. If you always take the chance no matter the situation, you're not a 'Riverboat Gambler', you're just a high handicapper with delusions of grandeur.

Natalie Gublis 'Girls of FHM' Interview

I'll be honest, I don't think Natalie Gulbis is necessarily better looking or sexier than a lot of the girls on the LPGA, but for some reason she has become the Anna Kournikova of golf. I guess at the end of the day it's all marketing hype. Anyway, she does seem to be a nice girl, and I do wish she would get her first win out of the way. Anyone who watches the LPGA at all knows she's got the talent, so in theory it's only a matter of time.

Click on the link below to read her interview in FHM and see a few nice photos.

read more | digg story

Woods Takes Ryder Cup Leadership Role

Once the U.S. team was set for the Ryder Cup, the running joke was that Brett Wetterich had never met Tiger Woods. By the end of last week, Woods got to know all four rookies quite well. In another sign that Woods is taking on more of a leadership role, he took the quartet of Ryder Cup rookies to dinner Friday night at the Diamond Grill restaurant.

All I can say is, it's about time!

read more | digg story

Flash Golf Anyone?

I just got an email from my sister with a link to an online flash-based miniature golf game, which took me on a quest for some more of the same. I'll probably be adding more as I find them, but here is what I've found so far:

• Mini Golf (mini golf)
  
• Flash Golf ('real' golf)
  
• Flash Golf v1.3 (mini golf)
  
• Flash Golf 2001 ('real' golf)

I'm beginning to get the impression that the names of these online flash games are not particularly original.

Hmm, I Wonder?

Happy Gilmore was released in 1996. This Nike commercial aired circa 1993, featuring Andre Agassi and a friend playing golf. I wonder if Adam Sandler got the idea for Happy's unique swing from watching this commercial?

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US Ryder Cup Team Arrives at K Club for Practice

All 12 members of the U.S. squad flew into Dublin early on Monday for a two-day team-building exercise and played 18 holes in wet and windy conditions at next month's Ryder Cup venue. The Ryder Cup is Sept. 22-24 at the K Club.

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Off The Cart Path, Over The Clubhouse...

So I guess Tiger hit his approach into the 9th hole (his 18th) yesterday over the green, it bounced off the cart path behind the green, and then over the clubhouse and into a cart of crunchy cream pies being unloaded by a kitchen employee, one Josh Stuber. I guess Tiger also didn't get assessed any penalty strokes for this shot, and instead got a free drop after a laser was used to measure the distance from the flag. This brings up a question I have wondered about for a long time:

Are there ANY out of bounds areas on a golf course used in a professional tournament?

Sure, I have seen OB's in a very few instances, mostly in Europe, but you would think the way these guys seem to be spraying it all over God's Green Earth these days, they would run into OB's a lot more often than they do. I'm wondering now if the local rules of these courses aren't softened up a bit during a pro tourney week. You know, because TV types figure that we don't want to see our favorite players having to take stroke and distance like we have to every Sunday afternoon at the club.

Does Jim Furyk get to punch a 9-iron off the dinner plate of an old lady who lives just off the 8th fairway, but if I do the same thing next week I have to drop another ball and add a stroke?

Everyone has been talking about how to make these courses long enough and fair enough to deal with the extra distance gained by new technology. Here's my idea:

I say we start making "the ropes" OB in every pro tournament that's played. That way, when Phil sprays a ball into the gallery while trying to drive a short par 4, guess what? He's got to drop another ball and add a stroke just like me.

Woods on PGA Drug Testing: "Bring It On!"

Tiger Woods said he would like to see testing on the PGA Tour for performance-enhancing drugs as soon as possible to make sure golf remains clean. "I don't know when we could get that implemented," Woods said. "Tomorrow would be fine with me."

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Nicklaus wants to spice up Valhalla for '08 Ryder Cup

The golfing great spent several hours at Valhalla on Wednesday, home of the 2008 Ryder Cup, trying to find a way to counter the modifications in equipment that have allowed today's pros to turn some of golf's most revered courses into glorified pitch and putts.

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5 Best Uses for Hybrid Utility Clubs

Hybrid utility clubs are showing up all over the place, rescuing golfers from all kinds of situations. The reason for this is simple; they open up opportunities for a number of great new shots. Here are but a few...

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Ratings for PGA Jump With Woods' Win

Tiger Woods' victory at the PGA Championship helped the TV ratings increase 22 percent from last year. CBS' final-round coverage Sunday drew an average overnight household rating of 7.2 with a 16 share. That's up from last year's 5.9 rating with a 13 share for Phil Mickelson's victory.

I honestly don't understand these figures, as I stopped watching once I realized that no one was gonna catch Tiger. And that's not just because it's Tiger in the lead. I have the same reaction to any golf tournament I'm watching where the competition is no longer in question. I guess that's why I have slowly been finding myself watching more LPGA golf lately. It seems no matter who is playing and how small or big time the tournament is, it's always close.

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Ogilvy Earns His Spot

Looks like Geoff Olgivy is slowly proving to himself and others that he really does belong in the upper ranks of professional golfers. Through a two day stretch of a circus he surely is not accustomed to, Ogilvy not only held his own with his playing companions, he has put himself squarley in the hunt for the championship.

It's great to see Ogilvy doing well and holding his own in the spotlight. He reminds me a little of Retief Goosen, in that he just quietly goes about his business and let's those who want the spotlight, have the spotlight.

Final Major, Final Chance

With the PGA Championship this week, it will be the final chance for a lot of big names, and small names, to make their mark on this season and history. Everyone knows names like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, but I'm talking about players like Vijay and Ernie and Retief, players who go into a season thinking primarily about the majors and who have not gotten it done this season. A major victory for Ernie this week could turn a bad year into a pretty good one. A major victory could turn a so-so year from Vijay into a successful season. That's what happened to Phil in last year's PGA. He was having a so-so season, and all of a sudden he was the guy who had won two majors in as many years.

But I'm also talking about players like Mike Weir and Kenny Perry, two players who I think would have a good chance at Medinah, but neither has done a lot in the past few years. Perry is coming off knee surgery, and Weir is coming back from being off the grid since, arguably, the 2003 Masters.

Can it be that any of these guys will win, or perhaps it will be the new Best Yet To Win, Sergio. Maybe good memories from '99 will carry him through to victory. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess. One more day. One more day.

What If Tiger Woods Played Another Sport?

Here's an interesting story that tries to put in perspective Tiger Woods' 50th win at 30 years old by asking the question, "What if Tiger were a pitcher?", "What if Tiger played football?", et cetera.

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Golf Can Draw Out Multiple Intelligences

Very interesting article here...

Your multiple intelligences, hold surprising approaches to the green, if you're willing to accept that one way rarely fits all golfers. Conversely, golf helps you to develop and draw from hidden or unused new intelligences that you'll find useful this week at work. How so? Read on...


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Amazing Air Jordan Dunk Video

Going off the golf and tech theme momentarily. Jordan was the greatest, and I have to give props to any link I can find that acknowledges that fact in some small way. Whether you're from Chicago or not this compilation of Jordan's top 10 dunks is great. Ahh the memories.

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Can't Have It Both Ways

Now, I'm not saying Michelle Wie isn't a great player. I think she is "the real deal" and will probably one day be the best player in Women's Golf and the first woman in 'X' amount of years to make a PGA cut. But you also can't have it both ways. This post talks about Michelle not winning the Evian Masters this past week, but says it's okay because she's only 16. But I don't think you can't have it both ways. She can't be ranked #2 in the world, yet it's still okay that she hasn't won, 16 or not.

Why Does My Golf Ball Do That?

Most golfers rarely hit the ball dead straight. This troubleshooting guide will tell you why the ball is moving in a certain flight path and golf coach, Nick Bradley, will tell you how to correct it.
Click through the links on the right hand side of the article.


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Random Thought

There has been some uproar on the 'nets the past couple of days and I just wanted to post a random thought about it. I won't mention any names because I don't anyone to get any undue publicity from my little hole in the wall site that only I visit. For those who follow the same types of things I follow and visit the same websites I do, you'll know what I'm talking about. Here goes...

If I had a social news site who's main mantra was no editorial control, that was a completely user driven experience, and all of a sudden it was suggested to me that I should pay the top 10 or 20 users of my site because they're what keeps the site going... if I did that, what would stop me from coming back to those same users who are now on my payroll and telling them, "I'm your boss, I want to make sure 'Story X' is promoted to the front page"?

Not saying that would happen, but it's sure something that would be a possibility. Then all of a sudden we don't have a completely user driven site. We have a user driven site, driven by users who are paid by the site owners. Heck, we could almost go so far as to call these paid users "editors", in that they are paid and, in theory at least, have some control over what stories are submitted. This of course goes against said site's main mantra.

Some people just don't get it, and some just want to buy it I guess.

Is Tiger the Best Ever Yet?

With his Open Championship win and his 11th major victory this past weekend, can we finally say Tiger is the best ever to play the game? In my eyes, no… not yet. He is clearly the best of our time, and I firmly believe one day we will call him the best ever, but I just can't make myself give him the title of "Best Ever" until he has the stats to prove it. Matching his stats to Jack's at this point in their careers, is he better? According to this chart, at 29, Tiger was 16 Tour wins and 3 Majors better than Jack at 29. That's pretty impressive and shows that Tiger is on a pretty good path to better Jack probably before he hits 40, if he manages to keep up his current pace.

But the problem is that we just don't know what the future will hold for Tiger or for the game of golf. Anything can happen in the next 10 years that could put a serious hurt on Tiger's quest. There might be some 14 year old out there right now whose quest is to be the next Tiger and he might have the talent to do it. Just imagine, if Tiger gets to 14 wins in the next 3 years and then all of a sudden the next Tiger, or maybe two more Tigers come to the tour and start dominating the game like Tiger does now. Add some maturity to the games of current players like Sean O'Hair and Luke Donald and now all of a sudden Tiger has 4 or 5 real opponents at every single major he plays.

Am I saying the game is going to pass Tiger by? Not bloody likely. I'm just saying that I think Tiger's first 10 majors were a lot easier for him than his next 10 will be. We're used to him winning at least one per year, and he might just continue that streak. But it's also possible that just like Jack's legend to a large extent created Tiger, Tiger's legend might (and probably will) help create the next Tiger, or the next 10 Tigers. And unlike Jack, Tiger might not have the luxury of waiting until his career is in it's twilight to see the results of his greatness.

Components of a Golf Exercise Program

A golf exercise program should help any golfer improve their game dramatically and feel much more confident every time they set foot on the course.

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Golf is the Devil

Why, oh, why must golf be such a hard game? How is it that we can be "in the slot" for weeks on end and then all of a sudden we lose it? I have been playing much better for most of this season, and all of a sudden the last two weeks have been a nightmare. There are several possibilities that I have come up with:

• I know I have been playing well, but by trying to "lock it in" I have taken away the one thing that was making me play so well: I am now trying to hit the ball rather than just make a confident swing.
• I have shaved about five strokes off my game this season, and now I want more. So now I am trying to shoot a score rather than just playing each shot as it comes and accepting whatever score results.
• I am now focusing more on swing than on target.

The problem is that I'm not a range rat. I usually can't just go to the range and work out my problems. As a matter of fact, it generally hurts my game to go to the range. As I understand it, the range is more for focusing on technique and I tend to swing better if I just play. This brings me to another problem though, and that is if I go play alone for the purpose of practice, I play too fast because I'm alone and get out of my routine. This causes me to play badly, lose confidence and it spills over to the next time I am in real competition.

One thing good has come out of all this and that is that I have been trying really hard to learn to play the percentages more, missing on the correct side of the green and all that, and that mentality has allowed me to save par a lot more now that I'm not striking the ball as well. It's all a learning experience I suppose and a game in which very few of us obtain a Masters Degree.

Inside the Mind Of Phil Mickelson

This is a humorous article written on the collapse of Phil Mickelson during the 2006 U.S. Open. This satire piece discusses all of the things that could have been going through Mickelson's head to cause him to make awful decisions on the 18th hole at Winged Foot. Definitely a good read for those who love golf.

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Tiger's 4,000 Frame Per Second Golf Swing

Nice video from Nike's site showing Tiger's swing shot with a 4,000 frame per second camera. Pretty neat. Of course this is used for advertisement purposes, but I bet someone who knows a lot more about the golf swing than I would be able to use this technology for some serious breakdown of swing flaws.

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What do you do with 3,000 golf balls?

Hilarious prank where a guy's car gets filled with tons of golf balls. Semi golf-related I guess.

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Faldo Joining The Golf Channel

So this is pretty cool news. Like him or not, it looks like Nick Faldo will be joining The Golf Channel when it's PGA Tour coverage takes off in 2007. I have to admit, back in the day when Nicky was playing and appeared a bit robotic and personality-less (and was waxing my hero Greg Norman at every major it seemed), I was not a big Faldo fan. Since he has become a TV personality, however, and according to some reports mellowed out a little bit, I find myself enjoying his commentary... although admittedly he can go off on some wild tangents now and again. Anyway, I think this will be a good move for The Golf Channel, for Faldo, and for the Fans.

Meet Phil Mickelson, AKA 'The Hindenburg'

What a disgusting display. Even though I am a Phil Mickelson fan, I found myself pulling for him not to win yesterday's U.S. Open Championship. He didn't deserve it. There was absolutely no reason for him to be hitting drivers all over the course yesterday, and especially not on the last hole. He could have pulled a Tin Cup and played the final hole with a 7 iron and would have at least gotten into a playoff. It was stupid, stupid golf. Bones should have broken the driver over his knee around about the 14th hole and walked off the course.

Mike Weir is my new hero. I have officially disowned Phil Mickelson.

Tiger Apologizes for 'Spaz' Comment

Okay, I'm sorry, but this is just ridiculous. I remember seeing this comment live. I thought it was funny. Of course, most of the time I don't consider myself a spaz. I guess if I was a spaz, I might have taken offense to the comment. But then again, if I was a spaz and Tiger admitted to being a spaz as well, I think I might take that as a badge of honor rather than an insult. Does that make any sense?

Apple Truck

I just purchased a new truck a few weeks back. Well, not a new truck, but new to me. Anyway, it's a pretty common style and color for around these parts, so I was thinking that I might have to do a little something to set it apart from the others. The obvious choice is a novelty license plate for the front, but I don't want the normal "I'd rather be golfing" or "I'd rather be driving a Titleist". I want something a little different. Everyone around here knows I'm a computer geek, so what I was thinking is that I wanted to get one with an Apple computer logo. Problem is, I can't find one anywhere. What I was looking for is basically the top of a Macbook Pro or Powerbook, a simple brushed metal design with the Apple logo. I've looked all over the net and can find nothing. Anyone got any ideas?

My Thoughts on Phil's Two Drivers

Much has been made of Phil Mickelson's use of two drivers in the Masters last week. Some have said it was genius, some have bordered on calling it blasphemy. No matter what your opinion, the fact is that it worked. I don't know when I can remember seeing Mickelson have a better driving week, especially during a major.

I have to admit that when I first heard about it, I wasn't that thrilled. There's something about the 'he copped out' idea, when you consider that he was basically using technology, not talent, to his advantage. As someone said, he was able to step up to the tee and make the same swing, but get different results because of the way the club was built. But then I got to wondering, what's the difference between having two drivers and having three or four wedges? Certainly a pro is talented enough to make a 56 degree wedge do whatever he wants, especially when you consider that it would be milled to his exact specifications, so why would he need to have a 60 degree wedge also?

I guess my point is that at the end of the day, you are allowed 14 clubs in your bag. If you want two drivers, five 7-irons, four wedges and three putters, and it's legal to carry that configuration, who's to say whether it's right or wrong to do so?

Philly Slam

Props to Phil Mickelson for winning the Masters yesterday. If he can manage to win the next two this year, he will have his own little Philly Slam. While the folks on the Golf Channel last night seemed to think he went out and got this one, my thoughts as I was watching the final round yesterday were that he wasn't so much winning as everyone else was falling back. Sure, Phil played the best golf yesterday, and that's what ultimately won it for him, but it's also true that every time anyone started to put a little run together (Tiger, Vijay, Olazabal), they would bogey the next hole. Consistency is what won this title for Mickelson, not a back nine charge like we saw in 2004. Funny, I never thought I would be writing that last sentence when talking about Phil Mickelson.

Apple Boot Camp Public Beta Announced

A few weeks ago John C. Dvorak received a bunch of flak because of his idea that one day Apple might ditch OS X for Windows. Actually it wasn't his idea. It came from some dude named Yakov Epstein. But Dvorak has more readers than Epstein, so he ended up taking most of the heat for the idea. Anyway, with Apple's announcement today of Boot Camp, which is their own attempt at supporting Windows on an Apple, I get the feeling that someone might owe Dvorak an apology on some level. While I'm not too sure that I agree that Apple will end up dumping their OS altogether, if they can accomplish seamless integration with Windows at some point in the future, one can't deny that Dvorak and Epstein are right in their predictions, at least in some weird, twisted way.

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Masters Week

It is upon us. The week of weeks. It is easily my favorite week all season in terms of pro events. I love the Masters. I love the tradition, the spectacle, the back nine on Sunday, the drama of Amen Corner, Pimento Cheese sandwiches (I don't even like Pimento Cheese), all of it. In case anyone couldn't tell, I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl. No matter who wins or who loses, it's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned.

RIAA and MPAA merge to form MAFIAA

Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) chairman Dan Glickman and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) president Cary Sherman today announced the historic merger of the two organizations. The newly-created entity is being called the Music And Film Industry Association of America, Inc.

April Fools joke, but pretty funny.

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Tourney Time

So here we go again. The annual tournament that I play with my Dad and a couple of other friends will be coming up in about three weeks. It's not a big tournament by any means, but it's just about the only one I play all year, and I always look forward to it. This year I have two problems, though. Number one, I weigh about 40 pounds more than I did at last year's tournament, and two, I haven't touched a club since last fall. Neither is that big of a deal I guess. Since it's a scramble format, I can just ride the coat tails of my partners, but I'd still like to not embarass myself.

Anything is Possible

So I guess it's true after all, anything is possible. I refer of course to the comments that Stephen Ames made prior to his World Match Play match earlier this year against Tiger Woods, a match in which he was most definitely trounced. Ames won the Players Championship today and one would have to admit that this indicates he was able to bounce back from the "lesson" that the much younger Woods was able to teach him.

Honestly, I thought that whole thing was silly when it happened and, as they are known to do (especially when Tiger is involved), the media managed to make a bit of a mountain out of a mole hill. While he probably didn't put things as eloquently as some of the more seasoned members of the media tent, the fact is Ames was right. Anything can happen, especially in the game of golf, and even more especially in match play. Sure, Ames' comments lit a fire under Tiger the likes of which probably haven't been seen before or since, but it's also a fact that Tiger got knocked out of the Match Play a couple of days later. Anything is possible. UConn got beat by George Mason. Anything is possible. In sports and in life, anything is possible.

Mac Update

I absolutely love my new Mac Mini so far. It does take a little getting used to. The mouse movements are, for lack of a better word, a little "muddy". Thankfully, I found a nice little program called Steermouse via a post on Plastic Bugs. Other than that little hiccup, I would have to say that working on a Mac (compared to Windows) is an exercise in elegance. Everything about it OSX seems to have been put together with 'user experience' in mind. This is no surprise to me, being an iPod user. The iPod user experience is second to none in my opinion.

Next to OSX, Windows feels more of a tool. OSX is an experience. Admittedly, this is from someone who's Windows experience is now old news, but I think I would be safe in saying that someone who switched from OSX to Windows would not come to the reverse conclusion.

I will say that my experience with Front Row has not been all that I expected. I'm still having some troubles getting it to talk to my Windows machine, as my plan was to be able to stream content from my main box with more drive space (Windows) to my Mac Mini. I'm sure this is just some setting that I'm not seeing, and truthfully, I've not taken the time to try to figure it out. I purchased the Mini as a computer first and media center second, so right now Front Row is not a big priority.

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase. If it wasn't for the fact that I have a few things I still have to do that are Windows specific, I'd probably get rid of my Windows box altogether and make the Mini my full time PC.

Taking the Plunge

Well, I've finally gone and done it. I've been waiting and waiting, and with today's announcement of new Intel-based Mac Minis, I have taken the plunge and placed my order. I look forward to my first real foray into the world of Apple and, more specifically, Macs. I have to admit that I've been an Apple fanboy for a while now, which might seem odd to some, seeing as how I just admitted that this new purchase will be my first Mac. But with all I have read and heard over the last couple of years, and with my love of all things iPod, I just like the company and have wanted to experience Macs for a while, in all their glory.

I kicked around the idea of a MacBook Pro for a while, but finally decided that with my plan to use it as a part-time computer, coupled with my bank account cringing at the thought of shelling out $2,000+ for a laptop, I decided the Mini would be the best choice for me... at least for now. So anyway, hopefully I will be posting my review of my new toy sometime in the next couple of weeks.

X-Outs

There's an interesting FAQ over at About.com Golf on X-Out golf balls. I have used X-Outs on many occasions, mostly as a practice ball, but sometimes in a friendly competition with my friends. Most of the time X-Outs only have cosmetic defects which truthfully, I usually can't find anyway. I think they are a great way to get the performance of a higher priced ball at a discount price.

Holmes Wins FBR

As a Kentuckian, it was great to see J.B. Holmes win the FBR Open this week. I have to admit that I haven't been following his career as much as I should. My boss and I almost went to the Southern Farm Bureau last year just to see J.B. play, but it's a pretty long trip and we ended up not being able to make it. At the time, I barely knew who he was, if at all. I just hope that he will be able to deal with his new success and recognition and take it all in stride. I wouldn't be surprised if his phone is ringing off the hook today with supposed swing gurus calling to tell him they can "fix" his swing. Just because he can stripe it down the middle 350 yards doesn't mean anything, because you know, his swing doesn't look like Adam Scott's.

Vijay, My Idol

The more I learn about and observe Vijay Singh, the more I like the guy. As a matter of fact, I think he's the person I'm going to try to pattern my golf after this season. A lot has been made of his incredible work ethic, but I have really been noticing it the past couple of weeks. I mean, he's in his 40's and looks and swings like he's in his 30's. He's not the prototype for the "popular" player on tour, but I think he should be the prototype for anyone out there who wants to improve their game. I just wish he could putt.

The Chinese Invented Golf- in 945 A.D.

So this is kind of cool and off the wall. Apparently the Chinese are claiming that they, in fact, are the birthplace of golf and that it was exported to Europe via Mongolian travellers during the late Middle Ages.

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Why iPod?

I was just reading an interesting post on digg on why all of the supposed iPod killers out there haven't been able to actually kill the iPod. A lot of people have a lot of opinions on the subject, so I figured I might as well give mine too.

While it's arguable that the iPod is still the best player on the market, the fact is that the iPod is a freight train that was started several years back when the iPod first debuted. Back then, I'd say it was definitely the best player out and a breath of fresh air in a market that was just getting off the ground. It was a player that could be used on a Mac and was made by a company that had an underground cult following, and oh by the way, it was a great little device with a great interface and was easy to use.

Fast forward a couple of years and here I am looking for another mp3 player. I had owned several by now, including one of the first CD-based players, and I was looking for something with a little bit more storage than my current Smartmedia-based Rio would allow. I did the research and the iPod topped the list of what I wanted and had the biggest choice of accessories (by now the freight train was rolling down the track), so that's what I got. And I couldn't have been happier. By that time, I had owned and sold probably 5 different types of mp3 players and the iPod was the best one I had ever used, bar none.

Fast forward another couple of years, I'm ready to upgrade, and the iPod with video hits the market. At this point, I don't even do any research. I already know that I love the iPod and so I buy the iPod with video without a second thought. I don't take time to look at the iRivers or the Creatives of the world. I'm faithful to a player that I know will give me the functionality that I want and I stick with it. It's got nothing to do with fashion or being hip. It's loyalty, simple as that.

While the iPod may or may not still be the best player out there with the most features out of the box, I think there are a lot more people out there like me who fell in love with the iPod several years back when it definitely was the best, and now it's just a matter of brand loyalty when we're ready to upgrade. Sure, there are no doubt a lot of people out there who buy the iPod because "everyone who's anyone has an iPod", but I don't have the kind of money to throw away on something just because it's popular. I buy it because it works, and that's what the iPod does... it just works.

Just My Luck

Question: What could be worse than getting a new driver delivered to you on a day when it's raining?

Answer: Waking up the next morning to find about an inch of snow on the ground!!

Creative's Version Of "Podcast"

I saw this a few days ago on Digg, and now it's showing up on The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Apparently everyone is snickering about Creative's attempt at rewriting history by saying that the term "podcast" stands for "Personal On Demand Broadcast". While I agree that this is somewhat lame in it's execution, I actually like the new "definition".

I like the term podcast, I don't think it's going anywhere, but I'm sure a lot of people don't realize that most podcasts can be played on any old mp3 player. And while the term may have been coined with the iPod in mind, the fact is that Apple doesn't own the word, nor do they own podcasts... so why not come up with a definition that is a little bit more all-inclusive?

MacWorld Tomorrow

So everyone is all a buzz over what the big announcements will be tomorrow at the big keynote when MacWorld kicks off tomorrow. I have to say, I have never owned a Mac of any kind. The closest I have come to Apple products is current ownage of 4 iPods (yeah, I know, I have to get off my lazy butt and sell a couple). But even I am excited about what's next for the little company that could.

I have been kicking around the idea of getting a Mac Mini for a while now, but when I heard that they were going to be switching to Intel a few months back, I decided to wait. Rumors have been floating for a while that the first MacIntels might be introduced this week, roughly 6 months ahead of the schedule that Steve Jobs laid out originally. I think it's possible, and it's at least probable that there will be a working prototype at the event this week, with a promise of it's release in the spring.

Other rumors suggest an update of something in the iPod family, with (in my opinion) an update in the Shuffle line the most likely. The Nano is barely 6 months old and the big daddy, the iPod with Video is even younger. The Shuffle is easily the oldest in the group, and the one most in need of an overhaul. If they want to keep the "no screen, life is random" concept with the Shuffle, I'm not sure what they can do with it that will be that big of a deal, though. Maybe smaller, maybe thinner, maybe cheaper... who knows? I don't think they will go with a 2GB Shuffle and have it be at the same capacity as the smallest Nano, unless they drop the 2GB Nano and go with a 4GB and 8GB version. That's possible I guess. But in my opinion, 2GB is a little too much storage for a device with no screen.

I guess we'll all find out tomorrow. If they do introduce Intel-based laptops... my credit card is probably going to take a little beating in the near future.

Resolutions

So like 90% of the rest of the free world today, I have resolutions. Sometimes I do pretty well with my resolutions, but most of the time, like probably 90% of the resolution makers, I fail. I decided this year I would try something a little different by actually writing down my resolutions, and just now I decided to make it even more real by posting it on this blog. Now, I don't know if anyone besides me actually reads this thing, but it's still a bit more significant to me to do it this way than burying my resolutions in some text file in My Documents.

1. Finally lose the weight. Been trying for years and it always comes back. I want to be able to finally finish the "weight loss" chapter of my life and move on to something else.
2. Spend more time playing golf and trying to improve my handicap. I've been stuck at the 18-20 mark for over 10 years. It's time to move on. My goal for this year: get to the 12-15 range.
3. Also in relation to golf, take time to find some new competition, maybe by entering a few tourmaments even though I know I don't have a chance to win, or maybe playing in a few of the weekly scrambles. Nothing can improve your game like some good competition.
4. Manage my money better. Stop adding stuff to my credit cards and start paying them down a little. Stop being lazy and sell some of my old junk on eBay and use the money to pay off a bill or two.
5. Stop being a Kotex. It's time to take my life back.