I'm There

As of this morning, I have reached my 200 lb. pre-tournament weight loss goal. I still have some weight to lose, but it feels good to have reached another goal.

Next up: Get down to 195 by my birthday. I've got about 2 1/2 weeks to get there.

Stay tuned…

Too Close For Comfort

This is nuts. I'm 3 days away from the tournament I've been talking about for the past 2 weeks and, to quote Roy McAvoy, "my swing feels like an unfolding lawn chair".

Is it all in my head? Probably so. Is there anything I can do about it? Probably not.

The only thing I've got going for me is memories of playing well in other scramble-format competitions through the years. Sure, it's all because I don't have as much pressure on me, and maybe that means I'm a choker, but at this point I don't feel the need to delve into that territory. I just want to make sure I get through Saturday without making a fool of myself.

One thing is good. I feel like I'm putting as well as I have in a while. My big problem with putting has always been speed, especially on longer putts. For some reason, the speed of our local greens seem to be to my liking right now. As anyone who has played scrambles knows, a decent putter can contribute a lot in that format. You can hit the ball like a drunk all day long, and if you can putt, you can finish the day as the hero.

My big problem right now is off the tee. I was hitting the ball well a couple of weeks ago and suddenly this week a pull hook has found it's way into my bag. And with my team, I could be called upon to be the "horse" off the tee. One of our teammates, my cousin, actually hits the ball a long way, but my Dad told me he's not been playing that well lately. I know how that feels. Our other teammate can hit the ball pretty well and with decent distance, but he's not had any confidence in anything bigger than a 5 wood for a few years now.

We can probably count on Dad to keep us in play most of the day, which should give the rest of us a chance to try to wail on it. But if we can't keep it in the fairways, we may be working pretty hard for birdies. Which is not what I want. I want to have at least a chance for birdie on every hole.

Looks like it's time to pull out the Harvey Penick books again.

Big Break III

I hope whoever might be reading this has seen the Big Break III finale, because I'm going to ruin it for you if you haven't. If you're like me, it's not that big of a deal anyway. I actually forgot it was on and had to Tivo the later showing and watched it this morning. The whole season, while mildly entertaining, was not on the level of seasons 1 and 2. That's not a knock on the ladies or anything. Maybe it's just too much of a good thing. I don't think there was enough time between season 2 and 3 to make for a good build up.

Anyway, as far as last night's finale goes, going into it I would have to say I was pulling for Pam over Danielle. I tried to give Danielle the benefit of the doubt, and was actually pulling for her a little throughout the series, but she got to where she kind of grated on my nerves. At the same time, Pam showed a little questionable games(wo)manship in the final match. Even so, I was still pulling for her at the end. Danielle seems to have such an ego on her, I think it would have been cool to see her get beaten by the most inexperienced of the group.

Win or not, Pam's got game. She was spraying it all over the course in that final match, yet she was still able to keep things going until the 17th hole. To have been only playing 3 years and be at that level, is amazing. I've been playing the game for close to 20 years, and I'm still in hacker territory. As for Danielle, she's got game too. She could whoop my butt any day of the week. But I think she doesn't have as much game as she thinks she does.

Check-Go

Just for the heck of it, I bought one of those Check-Go sweet spot finders last week. It's probably just a gimmick, but at this point I'm willing to try just about anything (cheap) that will possibly give me some advantage. I've tested it, not with actual putts or anything, but just by trying to mark the equator on a ball then putting the same ball back in the thing and marking it again. It does seem to find the same equator, or pretty close to the same equator every time. That's encouraging just in the fact that whatever it's doing at least it seems to be doing it consistently. Whether marking that equator and using it as a putting line will actually produce results is another story. I guess it can't hurt to try it though.

Random Thoughts

My scramble partners for the previously mentioned scramble have been set. With less than 2 weeks to go, I've got for pounds left to reach my goal. I was proud to get through my conference with with no major weight gain.

I just bought a (new-to-me) used set of clubs off eBay a few weeks back. They were the Taylor Made RAC Oversize. I've always really liked the looks of them, but being left handed, it's hard for me to find some to demo. I thought I'd go ahead and give it a shot and started looking for a set about a month ago and ended up getting a pretty decent deal on eBay. Here's the kicker though... they have graphite shafts. I've never played with graphite in my irons, and am still having a little mental trouble with making myself trust that they're not going to snap on me. I can actually hit them pretty similar to my King Cobra irons, and they really feel pretty good in my hands. I was planning on debuting them in the scramble in a few weeks, but the bermuda in our fairways hasn't really woken up yet, and I've not gotten a good chance to get used to them. Even though they're used, they're in pretty good shape and I don't want to scratch them up too bad on the basically dirt fairways that we have now.

I also bought, last week, a new Sunday Golf Bag. I'm planning on getting back into walking this season. My 200 pound tournament goal is not the end of my weight loss aspirations. I've been working for a few years now to get back down to 180, and I'm getting there this year. It's driving me crazy. I've been so close it's not even funny, then I'll end up falling off the wagon and gaining 20 or 30 pounds. It's the unattainable goal that I just want to see on my scale one time. Of course, I'd like to stay around there once I get there. But as long as I get there, I wouldn't be too disappointed to go back up as high as 190 every now and then.

 

Weigh-In

As of this morning, I've got 6 1/2 pounds to go to reach my goal, with 3 weeks left to get there.

 

Tournament Time

Got myself a little tournament coming up the 7th of May. Actually, it's not that big of a deal, just a little 4-man scramble for charity. It's something I started playing in about 3 or 4 years ago when my boss offered to sponsor me (foot the bill) if I could get a team together. I didn't think much of it. I'm not much of a tournament golfer, but figured since he was offering me a free day of golf, I shouldn't pass it up. So I got a team together and we ended up shooting 7 under. Not great, but considering our high handicaps and the fact that the winners (much lower handicaps) shot 14 under, we were pretty pleased.

 

All in all it was a fun day and has been one of the highlights of the season for me ever since. I didn't get to play last year because I had to be in a friend's wedding, so I'm really geared up for it this time. My current goal is to get myself back down to 200 pounds by the day of the tournament. As of this morning, I've got 9 1/2 pounds to go. With just 3 1/2 weeks remaining, it's going to be difficult, but not impossible. My biggest obstacle coming up is that I will be attending a conference for 2 days next week, which will most likely throw me off my diet at least a little bit.

 

I plan on posting updates to this blog as I make progress toward my goal in the next few weeks, as a little bit of a motivating factor.

 

Major Recap

Well, that's another major in the books, and another win for Tiger Woods. It was a good final round I thought, as Sunday at the Masters usually. Matter of fact, it was one of the best in recent memory I thought, right up there with Phil's win last year.

 

I was most impressed with Chris DiMarco and his relentless pursuit of Tiger. Some would have said going into the final round (me being one of them) that DiMarco didn't have much of a chance to catch Tiger, with Tiger playing as well as he was and DiMarco seemingly choking on the final 9 of the third round. But DiMarco showed a lot of guts and, to me anyway, Tiger showed that he's still not quite the force he was in 2000.

 

I think it's a combination of things. First off, Tiger's swing, while looking better all the time, is still not as repeatable under pressure as I'm sure he'd like it to be. And second, I think most of the guys on tour aren't looking at him anymore as the unstoppable force. Let him throw together a few more wins this year and that may change, but for now I think everyone sees him as a little more human that he used to be.

 

The Masters

With the first major of 2005 looming, I have to admit I'm beginning to feel all tingely inside... is that how you spell tingely? Oh, well, anyway...

 

With the Big 4(+1.. props to Retief) playing out of their minds so far this season (#4 won just yesterday), I'm really hoping for a shootout on the back nine on Sunday. Heck, I'm hoping for a shootout all four days to be honest. How great would it be to have all 4(+1) with a realistic chance to win come Sunday afternoon? I mean, the shootout at Doral was great, with Tiger and Phil both grinding it out until the final shot, but I for one would like to see a shootout with everybody in the mix.

 

Here's my fear though. Going into the event, with the exeption of Phil's win yesterday, all of the guys just seemed to me to be a little loose... with their swings I mean. Given, they have all had an extra week to work things out, but the possibility is totally there that none of the so-called favorites will be there come Sunday afternoon. Now, don't get me wrong, I think it would be great for someone else to have a shot at the coveted title of Masters Champion. But with all the hype on the Big 4(+1) this year, and with the seasons they've had thus far, it would be a bit of a letdown in my book.

 

I'm going to go ahead and predict Ernie Els to win. But I'm still going to be rooting for Phil to successfully defend.

 

Mr. 59

Guess those Callaway clubs work ok after all...

 

Final Thoughts On 2004

I know I've not been posting much of late. As some of you know by reading my earlier posts, the Ryder Cup is one of my most favorite events, second only to the Masters. You also may know that Phil Mickelson is my favorite golfer. After the devastating loss handed to us this year by the Europeans, coupled with the return of "Lunatic Phil", I haven't been into the game very much lately.

 

I have been watching though. And I, along with everyone else who follows the PGA, could not have missed the total domination by Vijay Singh in the past 2 months. The man has been on a tear the likes of which I haven't seen in a long time... I would say sometime around the year 2000.

 

Speaking of Phil... I am still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The equipment change can't have that much of an effect on him in the long run. Or can it? If Callaway ruins Mickelson's career, ultimately no one can be blamed but Mickelson. But Callaway won't come out of it looking too good, either.

 

I sure hope David Duval can come back in full force in 2005 and record at least one win.

 

From what I've seen thus far, I expect either Bart Lower or Don Donatello (maybe both) to make it to the final match in the Big Break II. Of the remaining competitors, they seem to have the best all-around games. I'd like to see Mike make it, but I've got a feeling his time is close to being up. He's got great talent, but the putter is eventually going to take him out of the running.

 

Something needs to be done about the World Golf Rankings. These Europeans obviously don't get the credit they deserve. I think at the very least the European Tour needs to be given a little more weight when it comes to the rankings.

 

Look for Zach Johnson to make some noise in 2005. The kid's got game, and I don't think he's scared of winning either.

 

So Lehman's the next Ryder Cup Captain? Seems a little early for him to be taking his turn. I would have expected O'Meara before Lehman. But I like the guy. It's ok with me.

 

Gmail Invites

For those interested, I have 3 gmail invites to give away.

 

I will give them to the first 3 people who email me.

 

My email address is linked on the right-hand column.

 

Who's Next?

Needless to say, I'm highly disappointed with the outcome of the matches this past weekend. But alas, we must move on.

This article speculates who will be named the captains of the 2006 Ryder Cup teams. Of the choices listed, for the U.S. side, the name that immediately stood out to me was Hale Irwin. He's a great champion, even to this day, and I think he deserves a spot in the rotation. But another name that made an impression to me was Mark O'Meara. Tiger seemed a little more fired up than usual to me at this year's matches, and hopefully with his buddy Mark'O at the helm, that trend would continue.

On the European side, with the domination of the 2004 team, it would be hard not to recommend Bernhard Langar for a repeat performance. My personal choice would be Nick Faldo, although I hear that he's not as popular across the pond as one would assume.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Congrats to the European team, by the way. They played a great match.

On The Bandwagon?

 So apparently Michael Jordan joined Team USA for dinner on Monday night. Say what you want about MJ, but you can't say he's not a winner. And you also can't say he's not a fan of golf and a supporter of the Ryder Cup.

I remember when I first became a fan of Jordan's, and the Bulls. It was the early 90's, when they were just beginning to tear through the NBA with reckless abandon. Like a lot of people who didn't really follow the NBA (and like many who did, I suppose), I wasn't immediately a fan of Jordan's. I resented the media hype that surrounded him. I was on the search for a team to call my own and thought I had settled on the New York Knicks. But after watching the Bulls play a few games, I couldn't help but get caught up in the way they played the game, most notably Jordan. I remember watching a game between the Knicks and the Bulls and found myself rooting for the Bulls before the game was over.

So there I was. I was firmly on the "bandwagon" and couldn't get off. But then again, don't we all become fans of certain teams when they're playing well? I mean, unless you live in a certain area or have been raised as a fan of a certain team, you don't just go out and pick a team out of a hat and say "I think I'll be a fan of <insert team name>". It doesn't work that way. And you don't normally become a fan of a team who isn't playing well, because they just don't grab your attention.

So yes, I became a Bulls fan in the early 90's. But I think the difference between me and what I call a "bandwagon fan" is that I remain a Bulls fan to this day. And I will remain a Bulls fan, no matter if they win 10 more titles or no more titles. I thank Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, Phil Jackson and the rest of the Bulls for that. They gave me a team to root for, and a lot of good memories to boot.

 

Well, It's Official

David Duval is back! Heh, thought I was talking about Vijay, didn't you? Nope, I'm more excited about Duval's success than Vijay's. A 14 month absence from making the cut, and basically an even longer absence from the game of golf has finally come to an end as David Duval made his own kind of "Hello, World" statement at the Deutsche Bank Championship this Labor Day.

 

Duval stated in an interview after making the cut on Saturday that one of his goals was to win once this year. He has never been one to lack confidence, but man, that's a big one! I'm not saying he doesn't have the talent to make it happen, it's just going to be hard to break through all of the other talented players out there who have been living on the tour all the time he has been away. Perhaps a better goal would have been "I want to win again" or "I want to get back to the Ryder Cup" or even "I want to get back to where Vijay is, fighting for World #1".

 

It's great to see David return to good form. But as we as golfers all know, it can leave you as quickly as you find it. If anyone can do it, I believe Duval can. Good luck, David.

 

Say It Isn't So!

Looks like The Mick and Titleist have parted ways over a contract dispute. Mickelson wanted to renegotiate after winning the Masters and Titleist didn't want any part of it. There are 2 ways of looking at this thing. Number 1 is that Phil was being a little selfish by wanting more of what he already has: money. The other is that Titleist was being selfish by not renegotiating a contract with one of their strongest supporters for the past 4 years.

 

The bottom line is that Phil is looking for a new company and will likely come out of the deal with a new set of clubs, a new ball and probably some new shoes. Looks like 2005 will be another down year as Philly tries to figure out the new equipment. My vote: Taylor Made. It will give Phil the hottest driver-maker today, and also allow him to keep playing the Titleist ball if he chooses, since I don't think Taylor Made has a golf ball line that they would push him to use.

 

Pavin The Way

Corey Pavin is on his way back. He probably will never equal the success of his mid-90's run, especially with courses getting longer and longer each year, but he is also no longer a player who is totally off the radar. Pavin's name has been mentioned several times the season... at Shinnecock, in Reno, at Buick IV.

 

It would be great to see Pavin return to the winner's circle, and it's great to see him playing well again. One of my most memorable Ryder Cup moments is his chip-in on Saturday at Oak Hill in 1995. I hope that Pavin will continue to gain consistency and will be able to finish his regular tour career strong.

 

Hasn't Pavin been working with Butch Harmon?

 

A Small Distinction

I got to thinking about something on the back 9 today. For probably 10 years now, I've been stuck in the ever popular "trying to break 90" category. Oh, I've broken 90 on several occasions, but I'm talking about doing it on a regular basis. I got to thinking today, though, that maybe I'm playing as well as I will allow myself to play.

 

What I mean is that, for years, I have tried to play "bogey golf". I use bogey as my par and if I can play a round of golf by averaging a bogey on every hole, I basically go home happy. But the bottom line is that I can do that fairly consistently now, and so to play bogey golf shouldn't be good enough for me anymore. I need to train my mind to think par instead of bogey.

 

I realized this after making birdie on the 12th hole to get myself to "one under bogey" for the day. I left the hole thinking "if I can finish off the next 6 holes well, I'll shoot 89". I was, without realizing it, talking myself into making bogey on the next 6 holes instead of trying to push myself to par the next 6... or at least go into each hole trying to make par. Instead of thinking 89, I should have been thinking "I'm 11 over through 12. I'm on pace to shoot 83".

 

It's a small distinction, but one that I think I need to make in order to take my game to the next level.

 

My Brain Was Getting In The Way!

I've been working pretty hard lately on the mental side of my golf game. Although my scores haven't improved hardly at all in the past 3 or 4 years, I do see improvement in the parts of my game that were weaker years ago. As a result, I have decided that my brain is the reason why I haven't seen some more improvement in my scores. I have historically had a decent short game, but with the improvement of the full-swing part of my game, the short game seems to have left me. I'm somewhat of a feel player, and I think that if I can just concentrate more on the course, I should be able to get consistently in the low 80's.

 

Although my scores haven't shown it by being lower, thinking better on the course has helped me to avoid (so far) the occasional mid 90's scores that I would achieve when I had a bad hole or two and let it ruin what would normally be an average or above average round.

 

Perfect example: Yesterday I was 2 over through 5 holes (pretty good start for me) when I pushed a 5 wood out of bounds on a par 5 that does not set up well for me. I realized pretty quickly that I was not totally commited to the shot and should have backed away. Frustration did set in for that hole and the next, but I was able to come back with a par on the 8th, and finish with a decent 44. A month ago, I would have let the "bad luck" of hitting O.B. stay with me and would have probably finished with something like 47 or 48. But yesterday I was able to re-commit myself to the mental side of my game and finish up fairly well.

 

It's difficult for me right now. It's a long process and I'm nowhere near where I want to be yet. But if I want to improve as a golfer, I think this is ultimately the path I'm going to have to take to get there.

 

Good Job

This morning European Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer made his two wildcard picks, choosing Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald to round out the European squad. With Montgomerie, Langer gets some valuable veteran leadership and, I think, a man that the rest of the team will look up to. And with Donald, he gets a young gun who is playing extremely well at present. As a matter of fact, I look for Donald to make some very valuable contributions to the European cause. Let's just hope they aren't too valuable.

 

By the way, for anyone interested, here's a great history of the Ryder Cup Matches.