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.