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The USGA’s new limitations on grooves will go into effect next year. The pros golfers will have to adjust their game. It will be a little more difficult to spin the ball out of the rough. Now the pros will know how we feel when the ball runs off the green. What’s a guy to do? I just bought another “U-Groove “ wedge, just to be safe! E. Michael Johnson has an informative article in Golf World.

So the European PGA names Colin Montgomerie The Ryder Cup Captain in 2010 and Monty says he has adopted a new, more care free attitude on the course. Well, it hasn’t taken too long for Monty to lose his cool again. He berated a photographer for annoying him at the Volvo China Open. Monty needs to get himself under control. This is China, what’s going to happen when it is the Ryder Cup in Wales and there is real pressure? See the article in The Scotsman.

“Hooks and Slices” will bring you our view on whats happening in the golf world.

The Masters Hangover continues. There is still plenty being written about Sunday’s final round and little of it has to do with the winner, Angel Cabrera. Kenny Perry is getting simultaneously praised for his candidness and killed for his choking. Sergio Garcia is whining and apologizing like a spoiled prima donna. Augusta National and Billy Payne are still being congratulated over the course setup which allowed some “old school” scoring on Sunday. There is always a debate over the Masters choice of playoff format compared to the other majors. The Masters is the only major that still uses sudden death to determine the champion after a tie. Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram suggests a novel idea for a Masters finish. Start the playoff at Amen corner. That’s an interesting idea. There have been so many tournaments lost on those holes over the years, this would only add to the legendary history of those holes. I’d vote for that, as soon as they give me a free membership and my own green jacket.

Boo Weekly isn’t the only golfer looking to three-peat this week. Tom Watson is the two time defending champion at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Watson is a legend with eight major championships, 39 PGA tour wins and twelve Champion tour wins. Another win for Watson at the Outback and they should change the name to Watson’s Annual Check Cashing Party. (See our review of the TPC Tampa, a great layout.)

Brittany Lincicome is enjoying her celebrity after her first major win at the Kraft Nabisco. She was the “Fan of the Game” at the Orlando Magic’s game. The LPGA season has been a “now you see it now you don’t” affair this year. It will be good to see them in action next week in Mexico.

If it’s the week after the Masters, then it must be Hilton Head South Carolina and the Harbour Town Golf Links. The PGA Tour returns to one of the classic courses in America. The main attraction this week has to be two time defending champion Boo Weekly. His two PGA wins have come in this tournament. Boo is the tour’s resident good old country boy. He rather be fishing or hunting and he only plays golf to pay the bills. If he wasn’t a fan favorite before the Ryder Cup, he certainly was after he “Rode the Bull’ off the tee, thereby cementing his place in Ryder Cup history. Check out these videos and get to know Boo up close and personal. He’s an absolute classic.

by Jeff Skinner

The fine people at Golf Digest have come up with their “Greatest Courses” list in their May issue. At the top of the list is Augusta National. After watching the Masters this week I can understand how Augusta is ranked number one. It supplanted perennial number one, Pine Valley by a fraction. Pebble Beach is the only public course in the top ten. Since I’ll never have a chance to play any of the exclusive private courses, I stuck to the “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” list. I wondered what it would take to get me and a few of my buddies on some of those “public” layouts. I came to this conclusion. These “public” courses aren’t as public as you think and it will take a bunch of cash to play most of these high end courses. Here is a breakdown of the cost of the top ten “Greatest Public Courses in America.” Bethpage Black is the least expensive, but getting out on that baby isn’t an easy task. After I win the lottery I’ll put together a real dream golf trip and hit every one of these.

Pebble Beach Golf Links: Greens Fees are $495 and you have to stay on site at $595 per night, with a two night minimum (2 per room). That’s $1090 per round. One time before I die!

Pacific Dunes: A non-guest can get on for $275, plus $55 for caddie and tip. So that’s about $365 for those ocean-side links.

Whistling Straits, Straits Course: Its $340 to start and a caddie for $60 plus $35 tip, $435 total for a Wisconsin summer.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island: Have to stay on site with a package. Cheapest I could get on the website is $374 per person and $120 surcharge for the Ocean Course. That’s $494 and carts are on the paths, always!

Bethpage Black: This is the best bargain of the bunch. Non residents of New York State will spend $125 to play this year’s US Open course (New Yorkers=$65). You can’t beat that!

Pinehurst #2: I could only find Pinehurst Packages where you stay at the resort. Cheapest package is a two night minimum at $393 per person, per night and a $175 surcharge for good old #2. Total = $961, ouch.

Bandon Dunes: Same as Pacific Dunes: A non-guest can get on for $275, plus $55 for caddie and tip. So that’s about $365.

Shadow Creek, Las Vegas: This course is owned by MGM Mirage Properties, the Steve Wynn casinos. The only chance of getting on this is if you are a high roller staying at a MGM property. They don’t have any prices on the website either. If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.

TPC Sawgrass, Stadium Course: $375 gets you on “The Players Championship” course. Bring some cheap balls for seventeen.

Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia Michigan: $180 sounds like a steal after all the others on this list. Not as big a bargain as Bethpage but at least your don’t have to sleep in the parking lot.

I think I’ll start my own list,” The Best Courses For $50 Bucks.”  I’ll take the “The Early Bird Special” please.

by Jeff Skinner

We are all still basking in the glow of a great Masters this past week. Sunday’s final round was all a golf fan could ask for. We watched the two best players in the world charge toward the lead. Phil and Tiger’s match play was unbelievable. They kept us screaming for sixteen holes. In the other tournament going on at the same time Kenny Perry was playing the par game all the way home. On twelve and fifteen he finally birdied to get in red numbers for the day. On sixteen he hit a tee shot that finished less than a foot from the hole. It was his shot of the day: a sure bird to put him two up with two the play. He could be excused for thinking that this was his time, his day to be a Masters Champion, his turn to be the hero. It was not to be. He stumbled over the last two holes and Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell caught him and Cabrera eventually won the playoff.

Perry was crushed; you saw it on his face and heard it in his words. “I lost this tournament” he said. Without any hesitation he sincerely congratulated Cabrera and then tried to put his thoughts into words for the hundreds of press looking for their story. This was not an easy time for Perry. He had just lost a tournament he should have won, missed out on a golfer’s ultimate dream win and dealt with his family that was sobbing for him. It was then that Perry actually hit his best shot of the day, probably of his career.

Kenny Perry answered each question openly and thoughtfully. He gave insightful and emotional responses to the most difficult questions an athlete could ever have to answer. It was painful and difficult for him. He had just watched his career defining win disappear with a botched chip and a hooked iron. It never crossed his mind to not answer all the questions. It never occurred to him that he could cut it short and walk out like many athletes do when the questions are tough and the answers are tougher. He would say all he could to whoever asked and be honest and truthful and considerate.

Anyone who watched and listened to Perry had to be struck by the character and integrity of a man so hurt at this time but still so willing to talk about it. He was a stand up guy, a man of character, a man who is the personification of the morals and virtues that we all value.

He does not realize it but his words have hit home to golf fans across the world. I watched him answer those questions and marveled at the honesty and straight forwardness of a man so comfortable with his life he said,” If this is the worst thing that happens in my life, my life is pretty good. It really is.” I was not the only one fascinated by his words. Mark Reason in The Telegraph calls him “a great man.” Mike Lopresti of the Gannett News Service said “Perry’s poise in defeat is a lesson for other athletes.” Perry has been receiving accolades around the world. In the Sydney Morning Herald, Thomas Boswell calls this Perry’s finest hour. Writing for The Independent in London, James Lawton writes that Perry displayed humanity at a time when it would have crushed others.

In losing the Masters on Sunday, Kenny Perry displayed character, humility and dignity. These traits are seldom seen in the world of millionaire athletes. We need more men to act like Kenny Perry.

Tiger and Phil may have captured our imagination during the tournament and Angel Cabrera is the winner of the Masters but neither is the hero of the Masters. He did not win the green jacket or the million dollar paycheck, but Kenny Perry was the real hero of the Masters. He won the hearts and admiration of millions of people around the world. Kenny Perry: Masters Hero. He may have preferred “winner” but he’ll have to settle for hero. Kenny Perry: Masters Hero 2009. That fits him perfectly.

Great stuff from Augusta…

Phil going low early and bringing a “Nicklaus” like buzz to the crowd.

Tiger making a charge on the back nine.

Cabrera hits a tree on 18 and still pars to tie.

Kenny Perry shows how to handle a loss, with class, lots of class.

Chad Campbell follows 2 bogeys with 3 birds to tie for playoff.

Feherty, Lundquist and Baker-Finch telling us how crazy it was with Phil and Tiger.

Augusta National had just the right weather to let the guys make some runs.

This one felt like three different tournaments: Phil and Tiger, Kenny and the boys and then the playoff. I’m hoping that Kenny can keep it up for Bethpage and the Open. Maybe we can count on a great year at the majors!

by Jeff Skinner

The 73^rd Masters was about as entertaining as a golf tournament can be. There was great, compelling golf on many fronts. Kenny Perry played bogey free golf until the seventeenth, and then allowed Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera to tie him for a playoff. Even though it was less than perfect golf at the end, it still was interesting. Cabrera was able to steal a green jacket from Kenny Perry as Kenny faltered in the playoff. The winner was almost upstaged by the match play like conditions that Tiger and Phil were involved in. Phil was on fire on the front, for a record tying 30 and Tiger came to life on the back to pull within a stroke of the lead. For the longest time it looked like Phil and Tiger were going to take the green jacket themselves. After a few wayward drives and missed putts we knew they were out of it but they had given us a day to remember. Fans have been waiting for a match like this for years. The fact that they started seven strokes back was unimportant. It was Tiger and Phil and it was a major, and a great one it was.

Afterward, you had to be impressed with Kenny Perry. In his interviews he gave credit to Angel Cabrera and admitted that he has an issue with his hands when he gets nervous. He said he was disappointed and that he had indeed lost the tournament. He was open and honest and very genuine. He was just what he had appeared to be all week.

Phil Mickelson in his interview said that it was fun playing with Tiger. He said he thought he should have gone lower and that the ball in the water at twelve really stopped his momentum. He also stated that he was confused with the line of his putt on fifteen after watching Tiger’s putt. He was open and honest and very genuine and he had the “smile” that he always wears.

There were reports that Tiger only spoke briefly to CBS Sports and did not interview with any other news media. I was unable to find any video of Tiger other then the short CBS spot with Bill McAtee. If that is the case then something is wrong here. I can understand Woods being upset with his play at the end. He was bouncing it off the trees like a twenty handicapper, but was there anyone with more reason to be upset then Kenny Perry. Tiger needs to look at the big picture here and take a minute after a tough round to answer some questions like every other golfer out there does.

I am a big Tiger Woods fan, but I am a bigger golf fan. I used to think that Phil’s constant smile was an act. Well, if it is, then it’s a good one. He has won me over. I have been wishing for a real Tiger & Phil rivalry for years. Phil never seemed to hold up his end. Today he did more than that. He more then held his own and showed what a class guy he is afterward. Tiger should take a lesson. These two have been compared to Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Phil is definitely cast in the same mold as Arnold. He gambles with his shots on the golf course, he interacts with fans all the time, he is open and forthcoming with the press and he signs more autographs than any other golfer. Arnold Palmer appears to be Phil’s role model.

Tiger has been compared to Jack Nicklaus, and rightly so. He is the most dominant golfer of his day and is on his way to breaking Jack’s all time major record. On the course he is as focused and determined as Nicklaus. However, after the round is over the similarity ends. Nicklaus was always considerate of the press afterward. He was a gracious loser to his opponents and always recognized their fine play. Tiger is never disrespectful to another player but has been known to avoid the press on more than one occasion. Tiger usually answers a few questions only when he wants and he always edits his responses. After listening to Perry and Mickelson admit their faults, I wondered if Woods would ever be as open and honest as those two. Every response to a question from the press is edited by Tiger. He has been trained by his agents or handlers to control his responses and rarely gives a candid response. He needs to lighten up a little bit. Maybe it will come in time as he grows older and mellows. Kenny and Phil both realize that when they are playing they can be as focused and determined as the situation warrants. After their work is done, they have the ability let it go. It is not life or death. They can be human after the round. They can enjoy life.

Tiger should try that. I know it may be difficult at first but I’m sure he could do it. Play your hardest and afterward let it go. Realize that you are in a good place and that life is more important and that your performance that day is not a life or death issue. Try being as open and candid as the rest of the tour players. No sportsman is more respected then Jack Nicklaus. It worked for Jack. If Tiger wants to truly copy Jack, he needs to open up and let all of us hear what he really has to say.

There were plenty of great rounds of golf at Augusta on Saturday. Angel Cabrera is the only golfer with three rounds in the sixties. He and Kenny Perry are tied for the lead at -11. Tiger and Phil are seven strokes back and it would take a real miracle for them to have a chance.  (Check out Gary Player’s Masters Miracle.) The winner is coming from the top eight guys on the leader board. Take your pick, Cabrera, Perry, Campbell, Furyk, Stricker, Katayama, Sabbatini and Hamilton. It is cool to see the homemade, unorthodox swings of Cabrera, Perry and Furyk contend for the Masters title. I’m hoping Kenny Perry can keep it up and win his first major, at 48 he would be the oldest major winner ever.

Many families will be watching the final round and celebrating Easter Sunday at the same time. Before you settle in for a big dinner and some great golf take a minute to check out a little tribute to the great Seve Ballesteros. He was the youngest to win the Masters back in 1980 and followed it up with a second Masters title in 1983 and three Open Championships. We all love Seve’s fire and his creativity with a golf ball. He was famous for playing from parking lots and from anywhere on the course. If Seve was playing, you knew it was going to be exciting. Think of Seve and his family and wish them the best.

“Hooks and Slices” will bring you our view on whats happening in the golf world.

There was plenty of great stuff going on at Augusta on Friday. The great play continued, some players moved up the leader board, some packed their bags and left, we said goodbye to Fuzzy and watched Gary Player say one last prayer of thanks on the eighteenth green. It rarely gets better than this in golf. The Masters is a special tournament and each day brings us something wonderful.

Gary Player’s walk up eighteen was the day’s highlight. Player knelt as he stepped on the green as if to say thanks to Augusta, to the fans and to golf. It is Player that deserves our thanks. Thank you Mr. Player for spreading golf all over the world, for always playing like a champion, for your spirit and for living your life with integrity, morality and sportsmanship. Gary Player is one of a kind.

Chad Campbell played well but Kenny Perry caught him with a 67. Last year Perry set a goal of making the Ryder Cup and we all know what happened. This year his goal is to win a major. I wonder if he is thinking, “I should have started this goal setting thing sooner.”

Anthony Kim shoots 65 with 11 birdies. Wow, now that’s something special. Kim broke Nick Price’s record of 10 birds and jumped into contention. Could he be the first since Fuzzy to win at Augusta in his first try?

Goodbye to a bunch of great players as they couldn’t find their games: Ernie, Freddy, Zach, Goose, Norman, O’Meara, Adam, and Cink.

Augusta National isn’t immune to controversy. Rory McIlroy kicked the sand as he flubbed a bunker shot and left it in the bunker. It took officials until late last night to determine if he would be penalized. He was not. Paddy Harrington was not so lucky. Harrington was penalized a stroke after he grounded his putter behind the ball and backed off after a gust of wind distracted him. Then his ball moved due to the wind while he was backed off the ball. There is no way he caused the ball but to move, but the rule dictates a penalty if he had addressed the ball. That rule needs to be changed.

Phil Mickelson came to life on the back nine to jump into contention. He played 12 thru 15 in four under to shoot 68. Tiger played an uninspiring round and finished with a 72. His putter is cold and if you can’t drop some putts at Augusta you are in big trouble.

by Jeff Skinner

Not every golfer gets an invite to the Masters. There are plenty of golfers at home this week watching the action like the rest of us. Paul Goydos is one of those golfers. He’s not playing this week but I’m sure he is taking care of business. Paul thinks he is just a regular guy doing what regular guys do. He’s much more than that. Take a break from our Masters Mania and read John Feinstein’s article in Golf Digest. There isn’t a more insightful writer than Feinstein anywhere in golf.

It was great watching those three teenagers play Augusta yesterday. The “Green Jackets” could have set a Masters record for the youngest grouping ever at Augusta. The “teenage” grouping of Ryo Ishikawa, Danny Lee and Rory McIlroy combined ages would have been 54 years. They combined for a total of three over par. Maybe we can call them “The Young Three”. That would have to be the youngest grouping ever at Augusta. Arnold, Gary and Jack, “The Big Three”, combined for a total of 160 years in the Par Three Tournament. The youngsters have a long way to go.

After a perfect day at Augusta there were some great scores shot out there. That’s the “Old Augusta”, birdies and eagles all over. It left us with a very interesting leader board after day one.

Chad Campbell killed it with strings of 5 and 4 birdies. He could have gone much lower.

Young stud Hunter Mahan continued his hot play with nine birds to finish at -6.

Jim Furyk, nothing but pars and birds on his card. Eighteen GIR’S, are you kidding me! He keeps that up and he’ll be there on Sunday.

Surprise of the day: Larry Mize, Wow! At 50 years old he’s T4. Let’s hope he and Norman are paired for the third round.

Surprise: Todd Hamilton T6? Where did that come from?

John Merrick T6, we shouldn’t be shocked. He’s been good all year. Two top tens and a second so far.

Tim Clark flies under the radar and laid up on all the par fives. Don’t be shocked if he contends all week.

If it wasn’t for Mize, Kenny Perry would be the “old guy” on the leader board. He’s T6 and all he does is hang around the top in every tournament.

Phil Mickelson has got to turn it on in round two. He has a late start in round two and they are calling for poor weather. He had trouble hitting fairways again (43%)and needs to tighten it up.

That Woods guy shoots 70 and could have had a 67-68. He is right where he wants to be.

Tomorrow when Gary Player walks up eighteen it’s going to be one of those great moments that can only happen in golf. Player’s 52 Masters appearances will never be broken. There will never be another golfer like Gary Player. Player’s an emotional guy and I expect a little bit of vintage Player. How about a birdie to finish and a few tears of joy. That’s Gary Player.