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Poulter loses his shine

February 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

  “Always believe in your soul
You’ve got the power to know
You’re indestructable
Always believe in, because you are
Gold”

So sang Spandau Ballet in the 80s, but unfortunately these iconic lyrics fell on deaf ears At the Johnny Walker Classic.  Ian Poulter Stepped out in a Gold lame shirt in Gurgaon, India but what followed was carnage for the flamboyant Englishman. He slumped to three double-bogeys in four holes, before battling back to four-over 76 - 9 shots of the lead

To make matters worse for Poulter the overnight tournament leader is Indian journeyman, Shamim Khan, after producing a five-under-par 67 to share the first-round lead. Khan has a world ranking of 1377.

Poulter’s playing partner, Vijay Singh was moved to say that he should worry,” less about his clothes and more about his game.”…aint that the truth?  The big Fijian added that, “Maybe he should quieten down a little bit and then he will play some better golf.”

If I were Poulter I’d blend in for a while, and keep my head down and my mouth shut - and just play.

Tiger Wins WGC - Accenture Match Play

February 25, 2008 | 2 Comments

Tiger Woods won his third, WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship and in so doing accomplished yet another milestone by surpassing Arnold Palmer into fourth place on the all-time career wins.  Woods continued to play the best golf of his life when he blew away Stewart Cink,  with an 8 & 7 victory, at the Gallery Club, Dove Mountain.  Wood’s victory was the largest winning margin in the history of the event.

Cink looked on a forlorn spectator as his putting which had served so well in previous rounds, dried up. In contrast Woods birdied 19 of the 29 holes to take the $1.35 million prize money.  Clink’s passage to the final included creditable wins over Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington but he looked emotionally and physically tired as Woods turned up the heat, on the final day in the desert.

In the consolation match, last year’s champion, Henrik Stenson beat Justin Leonard to win 3 & 2.

Woods believes that he is playing his “best stretch”  and can even go on to eclipse the success of 2000 by competing and winning every event he enters in 2008. Even Cink agreed, “It’s really impressive”.

Accenture World Matchplay

February 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The golfing, dream showdown the world was eagerly anticipating failed to materialize at the World Golf Championships Match Play event.  The World’s number one and two players were due to meet in the draw, in a winner takes all match, and while Tiger kept his side of the deal, sadly Ian Poulter didn’t read the script and was knocked out by KJ Choi!

Once again golf fans were denied the dream match between the games top ranked players at the Accenture Match Play Championship which is being played at The Gallery Golf Club, Tucson Arizona. To add insult to injustice the event lost further appeal when the fans’ second choice, Phil Mickleson, was also eliminated, by Australia’s Stuart Appleby, 2 and 1.

In other matches, one of the world’s most underrated players, Boo Weekley, defeated European Ryder Cup star, Sergio Garcia, 3 and 1.  Colin Montgomerie continued a fine tradition of Match Play as he eased into the next round with a sizzling back nine to hold off American Charles Howell, having already seen off the challenge of Jim Furyk in the first round. With Master’s qualification on his mind, Montgomerie needs to make up 12 places in the rankings to reach top 50 and automatic entry.

Other surprising results and another high-profile exit, saw late entry Ernie Els succumb to an humiliating defeat against an unheralded American called Jonathan Byrd.

Tiger Woods now meets Aaron Baddeley, who earned a bye into the third round when former winner David Toms pulled out on Thursday because of a back injury, to stay on course for an eighth title in nine starts worldwide. Now that only two of the top eight seeds remain, who would bet against it?

Golf is the least Sexy Sport

February 19, 2008 | 2 Comments

According to a new survey Golf is the least sexy sport a man can play.  Professor Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University, England carried out a study of over 6000 adults and Golf came out bottom of the heap as the sport which makes you attractive to the opposite sex.

Participants were given a list of 15 sports/physical activities and asked if engaging in them would make a member of the opposite sex more attractive.  Golf’s lack of appeal was explained by Prof Wiseman as follows - 

1. Golfers don’t have to be fit.

2. They keep their clothes on while playing.

3. They frequently wear plaid and Pringle jumpers.

Apparently the shallow, fairer sex prefer their men with good looks and an attractive physique, which is more associated with extreme sports and rock climbing (tell me now, 20 years too late, why don’t you!).  But then again I suppose men are equally as superficial, preferring women who enjoyed pilates/yoga and aerobics.

For men who play golf and are partial to aerobics, and woman who are into body-building and rugby, then you may as well not leave the house! What happened to Golf as a symbol of power and money? I’m off to find out if the aspiring-rock-climber domain is still free.

Monty refuses to bare all

February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Colin Montgomerie has done everyone a big favour by going on record and stating that he we wont be found doing an Ian Poulter, posing naked on the front page of  a Golf magazine….phew, glad we got that one cleared up!  Monty does go on to make a serious point about Poulter’s confidence which he says will see Poults through to making the Ryder Cup Team.  These comments come at a time when Monty’s own qualification for the European team is in some doubt as he struggles for form.

Someone else who’s having a hard time of it right now is Phil Mickelson.  Last Saturday at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he shot an 11 on the 14th hole, a career worst on a single hole. Wow, even I might have beaten him on that particular hole!…there’s hope for all of us. Although, to be fair, it was  only 2 shots more than Ernie Els managed at the 18th, at last week’s Indian Masters, where he went into the bushes twice and took penalty drops on both occasions.

Speaking of competitive play; I’m due my first game of Golf this year when I take part in the first round of a local knock-out tournament.  I’m drawn against the only woman in the competition.  We’ve played together before, and if we both play anything like we did then - she’s going to whoop my ass!  Don’t take this as a negative mindset, rather an acknowledgement that my game will need to improve if I’m to stand any chance of progressing in the tournament.  I’ll let you know the outcome.

Nice to draft a whole post without mentioning TW! But who cares, he’s just really damn lucky anyway

24 Hour Golf

February 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I received a message from Reagan at Mulligan+ who is organizing a 24 Hour Golf Charity Event, in conjunction with Sport 4 Life , a charity whose vision is to change peoples’ lives through sport in the community.

This is what Reagan has to say -  24Golf+ is a 24 Hour Charity Golf Event being held on the 21st and 22nd June 2008. Its being organised by us in partnership with Sport 4 Life, a UK based sports Charity. The challenge is simple. Each golfer or each team must complete 24 Hours of golf during this weekend. We are currently looking at clubs throughout the UK who are happy for players to take part in the event at their club.

So if you’re a UK based, Golfer with a slightly reckless nature, but likes to support good causes, why not get involved?  Better still, present it to your club captain/secretary, and get the whole club involved!

Golf and Viagra

February 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

At a recent European Player’s meeting there seemed to be some confusion over the differences between the lists of permitted drugs on the US and European tours, with the number of Viagra type drugs causing the greatest concern.

A number of players including Paul Casey and Ian Poulter wanted to know why the Americans had three allowable drugs for treating erectile dysfunction, when they only had one.  The players were keen to point out that they had no need for such medication but mentioned it as a point of principle (methinks they do protest too much).  I can just imagine Poulter and Casey having a good snigger and making jokes at the expense of their American counterparts.

The European Tour’s anti-doping advisor responded that if they had checked more carefully they would have seen that the number of Viagra type drugs available was in fact the same for both Europeans and Americans.

My only observation is that I would have thought that playing golf was not compatible with taking Viagra and would be an  altogether uncomfortable experience.

Woods Storms to Desert Victory

February 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Tiger Woods produced a brilliant series of five birdies in his last seven holes to win the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot, after beginning the final round tied for fifth place, four strokes behind Ernie Els.

Overnight leader Els produced an inconsistent last round and needed a birdie on the last to force a play-off.  He effectively handed the title to the world’s number one when he found water with his second shot at the 18th. It was the second time in three years that Els hit into the water on the 18th at Dubai and lost to Woods

Woods finished with a 66 for a total of 14 under, one shot ahead of Germany’s Martin Kaymer - winner two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi.

Even by Woods standards, his second Dubai  Desert Classic win and 72nd career victory, represents a terrific start to the year and he now has won his last four official tournaments, and six of his last seven dating back to the Bridgestone Invitational in early August.  “It’s an ideal start,” said Woods. “To go two for two, it’s pretty good.”

Dubai Desert Classic
Final leaderboard

-14 T Woods (US)
-13 M Kaymer (Ger)
-12 L Oosthuizen (SA)
-12 E Els (SA)
-10 G McDowell (GB)

The Spin On Center of Gravity

February 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment

You’ve probably come across the term center of gravity (COG). More than likely, you’ve seen the term in conjunction with ads for or an article about golf clubs. That’s because it’s one of the hottest concepts in golf club manufacturing technology, along with moment of inertia (MOI). And like many recreational golfers, you probably wondering what COG is and how it affects your game.

Actually, the concept isn’t new. It’s been around for years. What’s new is its execution. Thanks to advances in golf club manufacturing technology and golf club research and design, center of gravity is a concept whose time has come. And while it’s not a term you’ll hear a lot about during a golf lesson, it’s a term you should know because it can have a decided impact on your golf handicap.

COG Defined

One golf Web site defined center of gravity as “the point within the head of a golf club at which it would be perfectly balanced.” That’s as good a definition of COG as any I’ve read. Technically, COG is determined by balancing the clubhead on its face, sole, or any place on the head - the intersection inside of the head of all these different balance points is the center of gravity of the clubhead.

Since the center of gravity is a single point inside the clubhead, its location has to be defined in 3-dimensions. There’s a vertical COG location (how high up in the head the COG is from the sole), a horizontal COG location (how far over it is from the center of the shaft in the hosel of the head), and a depth COG location (how far back from the face it is located). If you alter the position of any of these points, you alter both the COG and the club’s performance.

Position of COG

The position of the center of gravity within a clubhead alters both the trajectory and the accuracy of shots. A COG position that’s low and toward the back of a clubhead encourages a higher trajectory for any given loft angel on the club. On the other hand, the closer the COG is to the shaft, the less a golfer tends to hit a ball offline. The farther the center of gravity is from the shaft, the more a golfer tends to hit the ball offline.

In theory you would always want the COG in line with the center of the clubhead’s face. But moving the COG helps “mitigate” some swing flaws. That’s great for those of us who don’t hit the ball in the face’s center, which judging from my golf lessons and my experience in general, is the category where most recreational golfers fall. The more the designer incorporates perimeter weighting in the clubhead’s design, then, the better off a recreational golfer is with the club.

COG also alters ball flight, which is good for players with some ability. Moving the COG toward the heel helps you hit a hook. When contact occurs away from the center of gravity, the ball’s axis of rotation tilts toward the heel. That imparts sidespin, causing the ball to move. However, as moment of inertia (MOI)-the relative stability of off-center hits-increases, the more you have to move the COG to produce the sidespin you need to hook the shot.

Impact of COG

What does all this mean for a golfer and his/her golf handicap? When you’re buying golf clubs, research the COG of the clubs your considering. Since you’re not a professional, look for a club offering the best center of gravity for your caliber of play. Cavity-back irons, for example, where the COG has been moved more toward the club’s outer edges are great for beginners because they’re more forgiving of off-center hits, which means the new golfer find the fairway a lot more than with clubs lacking perimeter weight design.

However, be careful when considering clubhead design. Manufacturers often add or subtract design features in an attempt to make their clubs perform better and differentiate them from other clubs. Some “improvements” impact COG, which means they will affect the clubs performance, too. What you need to do is find the clubhead that works for you, test the club if you can. Testing is the best way of determining if a club is right for you.

Now that you know what center of gravity is, take advantage of it the next time you’re in the market for new clubs. COG will impact a club’s performance, including trajectory and accuracy. That in turn impacts your golf handicap. For best results, look for a club with a center of gravity that fits your game.

Article reprinted with kind 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

February 2008, Golfing Calendar

February 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

February 2008
7th - 10th Ladies European Tour: ANZ Ladies Masters, Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
7th - 10th European Tour: Emaar-MGF Indian Masters , Delhi GC, Delhi, India.
7th - 10th USPGA FedEx: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am , **Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, Poppy Hills, Pebble Beach, CA , USA.
8th - 10th USPGA Champions Tour: Allianz Championship, The Old Course at Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, FL.
14th - 17th USPGA FedEx: Northern Trust Open, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA.
14th - 17th USPGA Nationwide Tour: HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship, Clearwater CC, Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand.
14th - 17th European/Asian Tour: Astro Indonesian Open, Cengkareng Golf Club, Jakarta,.
14th - 17th Sunshine Tour: Vodacom Championship, Pretoria CC, South Africa.
14th - 16th LPGA Tour: SBS OPEN at Turtle Bay, Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku, Hawaii.
15th - 17th USPGA Champions Tour: The ACE Group Classic, Quail West Golf Club, Naples, FL.
20th - 22nd Ladies Asian Golf Tour: Thailand Ladies Open , Vintage Club, Samutprakarn, Thailand.
20th - 24th WGC - Accenture Match Play, The Gallery GC at Dove Mountain, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
21st - 24th Sunshine Tour: Telkom PGA Championship, The Country Club Johannesburg, South Africa.
21st - 24th USPGA FedEx: Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya, El Camaleon Golf Club at Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, MX, USA.
21st - 23rd LPGA Tour: Fields Open in Hawaii, Ko Olina Resort, Honolulu, Hawaii.
21st - 24th USPGA Nationwide Tour: Moonah Classic, Moonah Links, Fingal, Victoria, Australia.
21st - 24th USPGA FedEx: World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, The Gallery at Dove Mountain, Tucson, AZ, USA.
23rd - 24th USPGA Champions Tour: Wendy’s Champions Skins Game, Royal Kaanapali Golf Course, Lahaina, HI.
27th - 2nd March USPGA FedEx: The Honda Classic, PGA National (Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA.
28th - 2nd March European Tour: Johnnie Walker Classic, DLF Golf and Country Club, New Delhi, India.
28th - 2nd March LPGA Tour: HSBC Women’s Championships, Tanah Merah Country Club, Singapore.

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