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HSBC Champions - Fasth & Stadler take early lead

November 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Kevin Stadler of the United States and Sweden’s Niclas Fasth each shot 8-under 64s on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the HSBC Champions tournament.  The 64s matched the course record, held by Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Michael Campbell.

 The 27 year old, American, Kevin Stadler, son of former U.S. Masters champion Craig Stadler, put in a round his father would have been proud of.  Stadler only secured his PGA Tour card last weekend.

The pair were three shots ahead of Vijay Singh at Sheshan Golf Club, and four clear of a large group of players clumped together on 68, which included American Phil Mickelson, British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland and Englishman Paul Casey.

The HSBC tournament has drawn 10 of the world’s top 20 players. Though it’s still 2007, the HSBC event is also the first of the 2008 PGA European Tour season, which has become a 12-month season without a break.  Asia’s richest tournament is co-sanctioned by the Asian, European, Australasian and Sunshine Tours as well as the China Golf Association.

Generate Power at Setup

November 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

It’s a fact! All Golfers want more power and distance. Whether you hit the ball 200 or 300 yards adding an extra 10-15 yards to your driver gives any player confidence, and a distinct advantage over the competition.

The following tip is suggested to players who want an easy to implement way to generate extra distance off the tee. I don’t recommend this set-up from the fairway or around the green, but should give you and extra 10-15 yards off the tee.

Here is a simple breakdown including different ways that power and distance is generated in our golf swing (I want you to understand what generates power):

1. Solid Ball Contact: Not on heel or toe.
2. Hand Rotation through the impact zone.
3. Weight shift through the ball.
4. Follow-Through position: This is more of a check point. Club face up a follow-through = less power. Club face down at follow-through = more power.

The Problem

Lack of distance off the tee.

The Solution

I am going to teach you a modified set-up that will allow for maximum power generation. Typically players that have a slight draw generate more distance than players that hit a fade, so this set-up will put you in a position to hit a draw. This is also true for players on the tour (other than Tiger who can hit a 320 yard high fade). The following are steps to modify your set-up in order to allow for maximum distance:

Go through your normal set-up routine. Always remember to bend at the hips and not the stomach or waist.

Close your stance: Move your trailing foot back so that the toes are parallel to the middle of your leading foot.

Put a little more weight on your front foot: Instead of 50/50 you’ll have 60% on your leading leg and 40% of your weight on your trailing leg. Essentially you’ll almost be leaning a little forward at set-up.

Knee bend stays the same and then simply take your normal swing, focusing on really shifting your weight and rotating your hands through the impact zone. (We do advise you to shift your weight forward through the ball, but we DO NOT advise a weight shift back and away from the ball in your backswing.)

These modifications place your body in a very powerful position at set-up.

Again please only implement this set-up off the tee. You can try it with your irons on the practice range, and if you see amazing results then play around with it on the course, but please don’t change your entire set-up for the irons.

David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of “The Simple Golf Swing” which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to http://www.golfswingguru.com

Natalie Gulbis

November 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

After some recent creditable wins (first LPGA Tour Title) Natalie Gulbis is to have her image restyled by her new branding agency, Circle S Studios of Richmond.  The emphasis is going to be on the Golfer rather than the looks, “conveying an all-American girl who eats well, exercises and works hard……instead of the sex symbol, which is how it started out,”

To me this sounds like a smart move but it seems some people  (from the ‘Benny Hill’ school of Golf) are having a hard time accepting this, so simply move on to the next female golfer who has pimped themselves and is prepared to bare all.

Woman it seems have a difficult time gaining acceptance in the game and sometimes find it necessary to raise their profile, off the course.  Lets face it, I couldn’t imagine Rory McIlroy or Martin Kaymer, slicking back their hair, getting oiled up and posing in their Speedos.  In the case of McIlroy, this would be a particularly scary thought!

I like a bit of ‘eye candy’ just like the next person, but I don’t see why young, aspiring, woman golfers should have to promote themselves in this way, and then come under criticism when they don’t ‘conform’.  Reminds me of the spoof reporter Dennis Pennis who once asked Demi Moore, outside a movie premier, “If it wasn’t gratuitous in any way and it was tastefully done, would you consider keeping your clothes on in a movie?”

“Putt” your Chips

November 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment

One way to improve your chipping is to “putt” chips. This approach is especially effective on short shots around the green. Putting your chips not only takes the nerves out of short shots—the kind that can add two or three strokes to your score if mist-hit—but also provides better feel and control of the club during the shot. The approach also provides more reliable contact.

Putting your chip is simple. Use your putting grip, which keeps the back of the top-hand stable, and play the ball just inside your left heel, if you’re right-handed, or just inside your right heel, if you’re left-handed. Then set the club on its toe, so the shaft is vertical, like a putter’s, and stroke the ball as if you were putting it instead of chipping it.

The key to putting chips well is setting the club on its toe. Doing so:

• Helps replicate your putting stance, so the ball is directly under your eyes, and your motion is simpler.
• Encourages the clubhead to slide through the grass, guarding against mis-hits
• Gives the shot a “softer feel,” allowing for a more aggressive swing.

Two other bits of advice: If the ball is sitting down, tilt your body a bit, which will encourage a slight angle of descent through impact. And keep your body still, just like you were putting the ball, so as not to throw the shot off. Lastly, use a pendulum like motion, swing the clubhead up with your arms going back, and let it swing down into the ball.

Try the putt your chips approach on the practice green first. Engrain the technique before using it during a round. That way you can focus on your target and not worry about your mechanics while swinging.

Article used with permission from Jack Moorehouse, who has developed a unique and proven handicap slashing system. If you want to get your handicap down to a respectable level then he can help. Golf doesn’t have to be so difficult and his goal is to help you put the “fun” back in your game.

You can check it out at http://www.break80today.com

Martyn Kaymer wins Rookie of the Year

November 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Martin Kaymer was named the European Tour’s rookie of the year yesterday, the first German to win the award.

The 22-year-old from Duesseldorf finished 41st on the money list after earning €754,691 (US$1.1 million). Kaymer graduated to the European Tour from the Challenge Tour at the end of 2006 after twice failing to come through qualifying school.

A selection panel comprising the European Tour, the Royal & Ancient and the association of golf writers chose Kaymer for the Sir Henry Cotton rookie of the year award, which dates back to 1960.

“To be the first winner from my country is a very special honor,” Kaymer said. “When I look at the list of previous winners — people like Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie — that makes it even more spectacular.”

HSBC Champions Tournament

November 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Thursday sees the start of the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai.  The region’s richest Golf event ($5m) has attracted 10 of the world’s top 20 ranked players for what is believed to be the best field that has ever assembled in Asia.

World Match Play champion Ernie Els is looking to put the disappointment of missing the cut at last week’s Singapore Open behind him and is joined by Open champion Angel Cabrera - winner in Singapore - world number two Phil Mickelson, Open champion Padraig Harrington, compatriot Retief Goosen and three-time major winner Vijay Singh.

The defending champion is Yang Yong-eun from South Korea, when he held off Woods, who is skipping the event for the first time, to win by two strokes last year.

After a dramatic week, both on and off the course, it will be good to see normal order restored, with the Golf doing the ‘talking’.

Justin Rose is Europe’s Top Golfer

November 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Justin Rose won his first European Order of Merit by reaching the Volvo Masters sudden death playoff at Valderrama. At the second extra hole he rolled in a 12-foot putt to  win the season-ending €4 million (US$6.08 million) tournament over Simon Dyson (70) and Soren Kjeldsen (67).

Rose’s second victory of the year saw him move up five places to No. 7 in the world rankings and top of the Ryder Cup points list for Europe.  After the biggest victory of his career Rose immediately set his sights higher, stating that next year he hopes to go even better by winning a major.  Rose has produced four excellent performances in this year’s majors by finishing equal fifth at the U.S. Masters, joint 10th at the U.S. Open and tied for 12th position in the British Open and U.S. PGA Championship.  If you discount Tiger then Rose was the most consistent performer in the Majors.

Now that Rose is the new European number one he believes that achieving the World’s number two, is a legitimate goal.  He says that he can become as good as anyone in Golf, apart from it seems, Tiger Woods.

Padraig Harrington’s hopes of defending his European Order of Merit title were ended after he could only finish equal fourth.

Here is the final standing for the 2007 European Order of Merit

1. Justin Rose, England
2. Ernie Els, South Africa
3. Padraig Harrington, Ireland
4. Henrik Stenson, Sweden
5. Niclas Fasth, Sweden

Over in Singapore, U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera birdied the last hole on Sunday, to win the Singapore Open by one stroke and fend off a challenge from Vijay Singh. Two-time defending champion Adam Scott shot a 71 to finish third, four strokes behind Singh.

Volvo Masters & Barclays Singapore Open

November 2, 2007 | 1 Comment

Ernie Els has dismissed Colin Montgomerie’s criticism of his decision to skip the season-ending Volvo Masters. ”Well, you know where it’s coming from, so it’s no surprise,” said the world number four. “He obviously wants to make some noise and some news for himself, so I take it with a grain of salt coming from him.”

With this said, both Ernie Els and Lee Westwood called for an end to the war of words in a European Tour scheduling row, hoping that lessons had been learned and that the same thing does not happen again.  The last word went to Angel Cabrera saying that each player was capable of making their own decision on where to play and that, “Every player has the right to play wherever they want.”  Clearly Cabrera made the right choice of venue as he stormed into the lead at the Barclays, Singapore Open, firing a scintillating eight-under-par 63.

Ernie Els was not so happy as he missed the cut after hitting eight bogeys in the weather-interrupted second round. The South African shot a 76 to finish six over par with the cut set at five over.

Meanwhile over at Valderrama Irish duo Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley top the leaderboard heading into the second round of the Volvo Masters. Graeme McDowell was in pole position for his first European Tour victory since 2004 after recording a three-under-par 68 in the first round and Paul McGinley, who won the event two years ago, trailed McDowell by one. Padraig Harington’s bid to defend the Order of Merit title began with a solid level-par 71.

The highlight of the first round was Justin Rose, who despite complaining of a stomach bug, nailed an ace with a six-iron at the third hole. The Englishman also had three birdies and four bogeys at the Valderrama course.

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adjective:aspiring u'spIring - desiring or striving for recognition or advancement