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by Jeff Skinner

The excitement continued at The Sybase Classic on Friday as top seeded players were ousted, rookies moved on and some veterans were dominated.  Juli Inkster couldn’t find any magic as she was blitzed by Amy Yang 7 & 6 without winning a single hole.

The luck that left Inkster may have found a home with Morgan Pressel who managed to pull out her match despite going into the 17^th hole two down for the second day in a row.  Pressel was two down to Sophie Gustafson with two to play just as she was on Thursday and just like Thursday she won the last two holes to go to all-square and push the match to extra holes.  This time Pressel wasted no time and birdied the 19^th hole to take the match.  It looks as if the twenty one year old veteran plans on winning all her matches in overtime.

Sponsor’s exemption, Beatriz Recari defeated fellow LPGA rookie, Azahara Munoz, 3 & 1 to move on to the third round.  He reward: she gets to play the number one seed Jiyai Shin who beat Hee-Won Han. The top ranked American, Cristie Kerr was sent home by the 28^th seed, Sun-Young Yoo.  Kerr didn’t win a hole until the eleventh and then picked up another at the thirteenth but when Yoo birdied both the 15^th and 16^th it was all over.

Michelle Wie kept it going with a 5 & 4 win over Hee Young Park who looked to be using a little gamesmanship early on as she wasn’t conceding any of Wie’s short putts.  Wie seemed to pour it on early as she went 5 up through 11 holes.  Wie moves on to play the 57^th seed, Karine Icher in the third round.

We could be seeing the new face of American golf here at The Sybase.  Rookie Amanda Blumenherst continued her spectacular play with a 7 & 6 drubbing of Hall of Famer Karrie Webb.  Blumenherst is a birdie machine and she loves this match play format.  Blumenherst will face fellow American, Angela Stanford in the third round.

Two of the top seeds have moved on without much fanfare: Jiyai Shin, the number one seed will play rookie Recari and the fourth seed, Yani Tseng will play the thirteenth seed, Inbee Park.

See the third round pairings here.

by Jeff Skinner

It was an exciting day at The Sybase Match Play Championship with upsets and extra holes galore.  Michelle Wie advanced in a tight match with Stacy Prammanasudh but their match was dull compared to many of the other thrilling pairings.

It’s hard to call a win by a LPGA Hall of Famer an upset but when a 35 seed tops a 3 seed that’s an upset.  Juli Inkster beat one of best in the world, Suzann Pettersen, when she sunk a par putt on their 21^st hole.  It was a battle all day and Inkster came back from an early 2 down hole to jar a birdie on eighteen to put the match all square.  Inkster thrives on match play and moves on to play Amy Yang.

Tour rookies had a banner day as all three in the field moved on.  Beatriz Recari may get attention for the way she looks but it was her game that shown through yesterday as she beat long hitter Brittany Lincicome.  Azahara Munoz the former number one amateur in the world took down the resurgent Se Ri Pak.

The comeback of the day has to be feisty Morgan Pressel’s victory over Jimin Kang.  Pressel was two down on the 17^th tee and birdied her final two holes to send it to extra holes where she pulled it out on the second playoff hole.

While Inkster’s upset is the shock of the day, the scoring match of the day had to be Stacy Lewis versus Amanda Blumenherst.  These two former Curtis Cup teammates played spectacular golf with each player topping the others great shot again and again.  They were halving holes with birdies all day and draining long putts to keep themselves in the match.  When Lewis left her approach on 18 in a bunker Blumenherst hit “the best five iron of my life” onto the green for a try at eagle which she converted. It was an extraordinary display of golf from both young players.

Two of the most visible players on the LPGA Tour were sent home early as Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim both lost decisively.  These two girls bring plenty of focus and fans to the tour but Gulbis is still trying to find her game after returning from a back injury. Kim’s last win was in 2005 and she had zero top ten finishes in 2009.  They both have very busy careers off the course but their on course performances have deteriorated greatly.  It may be time to concentrate on the skill that brought then their fame and fortune and leave the off course business alone for awhile.

by Jeff Skinner

Chip Shots…

The LPGA starts one of their most interesting tournaments of the year today at The Sybase Match Play Championship.  Match play is a different animal and there are some exciting first round matches.  Si Ri Pak, last week’s winner takes on last week’s early round leader, rookie Azahara Munoz.  Suzann Pettersen brings her hot temper against a match play veteran in Juli Inkster.  One of last year’s better rookies takes on this year’s best as Stacy Lewis battles Amanda Blumenherst.  Top US player Cristie Kerr takes on local girl Meaghan Francella.  The biggest draw in women’s golf, Michelle Wie will be trying to advance over Stacy Prammanasudh.  The LPGA and the Sybase people have to be hoping for Wie to advance to the final.  Michelle Wie playing in the championship match would be a much needed tonic for the ills that face the LPGA Tour.  While the tour presents a great product to real golf fans the only way to get a pop in the ratings is to have The Big Wiesy on the screen.   A Wie versus “Anyone” would be a godsend for the LPGA.

Tom Watson was honored with the Byron Nelson Prize at The Byron Nelson Championship on Tuesday.  It is awarded to the person in golf who best exemplifies the ideals of giving back that Byron Nelson personified.  Watson was a close friend of Nelson and Nelson mentored Watson not just in the finer points golf, but also life.  Watson treasured his relationship with Nelson.  “Having the opportunity to become a friend, stay at his house and learn something about my golf swing from him but more importantly about how to be as a person, that’s what I’m very grateful for,” said Watson, “I got in the right profession, I guess, because I had a chance to meet up with one of the greats who was greater off the golf course than he was on.” It’s no wonder that Ryder Cup Captain, Corey Pavin is keeping Watson on his list of potential Ryder Cup candidates.

I am at a loss to describe the type of people that could break into an elderly man’s house, tie him and his wife up and proceed to rob them.  That is what happened to Chi Chi Rodriquez and his wife at their resort home in Puerto Rico.  Luckily they were not hurt but they were quite shaken up.  Chi Chi is a local treasure in Puerto Rico and these culprits are absolute trash.  Hopefully we’ll see Chi Chi back on the course soon.

by Jeff Skinner

There are still a few voices in the golf world that command an audience whenever they speak.  Jack Nicklaus is one of those voices.  Nicklaus was out in public at a benefit fund raiser for Palm Beach Atlantic University and he said he would have loved taking a shot at the major championship venues this year.

Nicklaus had said earlier this year that this could be a very big year for Tiger Woods to gain some ground on his major championship record of eighteen victories.  Three of the four events are being played on courses that Woods and Nicklaus both had great success on and 2010 presents Woods with good possibilities to win another major.  The US Open is at Pebble Beach and The Open Championship is being held at St. Andrews.  Woods and Nicklaus have won majors on both courses and Nicklaus had always claimed Pebble as his favorite course.

“I would like to have this year,” Nicklaus said “It’s a pretty good rotation this year. It’s good for me, but it’s good for Tiger, too.”  ”If he’s healthy, those two golf courses … he owns both of them,” Nicklaus said. “Basically, the same as I did.”

Tiger will need to gather himself both professionally and personally if he expects any major successes this year.  It’s difficult to tell which is in worse shape:  his game on the course or his life off the course.  One thing is for sure though, there won’t be any shortage of players trying to out duel woods for the majors.  “Not to take anything away from Tiger because he’s a helluva player,” Nicklaus said, “but there’s some guys who can play out there, and I think guys are thinking they can beat him now.”

Nicklaus put on a golf clinic at the fund raiser and couldn’t help but think about teeing it up on Pebble or St. Andrews.  At 70 he can still get it around the links fairly well. Earlier this year he shot a 68 at The Concession Course which he co-designed with Tony Jacklin.  Not bad considering that he was playing from the back tees which have the highest slope rating of any course in America at 155.  I bet Jack could still teach the boys of the PGA Tour a few things at Pebble Beach this year.

by Jeff Skinner

This past Sunday could have been billed as “Redemption Sunday” on the professional golf tours.  We saw two comebacks culminate in victory for two players that have struggled recently and watched another dramatic comeback, still in its infancy, continue to make huge progress.

Adam Scott had been billed as the next Greg Norman when he first came on to the PGA Tour.  Like his fellow Aussie he had a big game and his movie star good looks made him a crowd favorite.  It didn’t hurt that Norman had taken him under his wing and served as a mentor for Scott.  Prior to 2009 Scott had six PGA Tour wins including the 2004 Players Championship.  Then in 2009 he made headlines for his breakup with his long time girlfriend and all the famous, young women he was dating.  His golf game suffered as he only made nine of nineteen cuts on the tour and he finished 108^th on the PGA Tour Money List.

A bold move by his mentor, Norman, changed his career.  Scott was selected by Norman to play for his President’s Cup Team.  It was that move that helped Scott’s confidence but it was his meeting with putting guru, Dave Stockton that really changed his game.  Scott spent thirty minutes with Stockton who had him move his hands forward at address to get the forward lean that Stockton thinks is critical for a good, consistent roll.  Scott finally had the confidence back in his game and it worked as he played wonderful golf and putted better than he had in years.  Scott collected his seventh PGA Tour win and a whole lot of confidence with the victory.

Se Ri Pak had started a revolution in South Korea when she turned on an entire country to women’s golf.  In her rookie year in 1998 she won four times on The LPGA including two majors, The US Open and The LPGA Championship.  She followed that with another four win season in 1999 had had back to back five win seasons in 2001 and 2002.  She was responsible for the explosion of golf in her home country and subjected to the pressures of being a national hero.  By 2007 she had amassed 24 wins, 5 major championships and admission to the World Golf Hall of Fame.  She was twenty four and the youngest player ever elected into The Hall of Fame.

2007 was the last season that Pak had a win on the LPGA Tour.  She has been going through some personal issues as well as searching for her game. After two years of searching she finally found it with her win at The Bell Micro Classic.  She was emotional after the win, “I’ve been here so many times, but I think I’ve been having a hard time the last couple of years,” Pak said. “I’m trying to get myself to better momentum. I work really hard every single day, every single moment, every single tournament. I knew this day was going to come. All I could do is be patient and work hard.” She shed a few tears and I’m sure a few were shed for her.  It’s a wonderful story: former great makes it back to the top.  Pak has never displayed anything other than class on the tour.  It has to be a very rewarding moment for her.

The real winner at The Champions Tour wasn’t Dan Forsman even though he did get the trophy and a nice check.  Ken Green continued his comeback to golf from his horrific RV accident.  This was his first individual event since he started playing again and each week has to be an emotional and physical strain.  Green had said his goal was to stay out of last place and he accomplished that by finishing T73 and besting three other players.

Green said the hilly course was difficult for him as he really hasn’t perfected his swing from an uneven lie.  He is the first golfer to play on tour with a prosthetic leg but for him he is just trying to get his old life back.  It’s less than a year since the accident and his competing is nothing less than miraculous.

“I’m pretty happy with the week. This is a tough course with the different lies you can get here. This is my first individual tournament in awhile where every shot counts. The one thing I have to keep remembering is it seems like it’s been an eternity, but it’s only been 11 months. I’ve done very little in terms of golf. It’s definitely a home run for me. I got through the week. I hit a lot of good shots and some bad ones. I’m happy with it. It’s encouraging that there is some hope that I can go out there and play some good golf. The support has been unbelievable. I can tell you how much it means to me when people come up to me and tell me that I’m an inspiration to them and that my story is wonderful. That gives me so much joy and happiness. It’s been a pretty tough time. When people come up and give me a boost of energy and love, it makes me feel good. The players have been wonderful. I was a little worried. I thought they would wonder why I’m playing, that I really shouldn’t be out here because I’m not playing good enough. They’ve been just the opposite. I misread the reception of the players and I’m glad I did. They’ve all said it’s wonderful for me to be out here, go ahead and play, it doesn’t matter what you shoot, you’re playing golf again.”

Green was known as a free spirit in his younger days on tour.  Today he is inspirational.  If he never wins again it won’t matter.  He is playing golf again and is trying to put his shattered life back together again. Green is attempting to rescue himself from the darkest time in his life. Regardless of his score, each week he tees it up he is a winner.

by Jeff Skinner

The Golf Channel aired the full Jim Gray interview with Hank Haney last night and as usual Gray did a superb job.  He asked all the right questions and if Tiger Woods wasn’t going to be sitting down with Gray then Hank Haney is the next best choice.  Haney spent over 100 days per year over the last six years with Woods tweaking his swing and picking his brain.  He gave Gray some surprisingly honest and insightful answers to questions that Woods would never answer.  The fact that one of Tiger’s inner circle is speaking out is shocking.

Tiger has always insisted that his associates keep quiet about all things Tiger.  He has jettisoned an agent, caddy and swing coach for remarks made to the public or the fact that they were a little too forthcoming with information about Tiger.  With Haney, Woods had found the ultimate company man.  Prior to this he only spoke of Woods in positive terms and always skirted any sniff of controversy.  Haney knew enough to not “bite the hand that fed him.” With Haney’s resignation he was free to speak openly.  Gray asked him about being in Tiger’s inner circle and Haney said no one ever told him how to behave with the press but he did admit that Tiger liked to keep things private and it’s not easy being Tiger nor is it easy being in the inner circle.  In this interview we see an insider speak more openly about Woods than we have ever seen before.

One of the questions that Woods refused to answer many times was “What are you in therapy for?” His response was always a terse “It’s personal” followed by a glare and a “Next question.”  Haney actually says the previously forbidden words, sex addiction.  When Gray asked what Woods was in therapy for Haney seemed a little uncomfortable but said in an almost whisper of a voice, “The only thing I knew about was his issue with sex addiction.”  Woods can’t be happy with that.

Asked how much the scandal was effecting Woods he said “100%… it is effecting him, how could it not, he is a human being.”  He denies knowing anything about Tiger’s extracurricular activities but said he was there for a friend that needs help.  He thinks that if there was no scandal, Woods would be playing better and he would probably still be coaching Tiger.

Haney defended Tiger’s driving and even compared him to all of us that hit it well on the range but can’t bring it to the course.  Imagine that, Tiger has the same problems as we do.  I think not.

Gray got Haney to discuss Tiger’s reluctance to be open with the media and Haney said “I think Tiger would be better off if he was more open” but he also said he never wants to make any excuses for how he plays and that is part of the reason he doesn’t discuss his injuries more openly.

As far as the rumors about performance enhancing drugs he was adamant that Woods has not taken any and those rumors are “100% false.”  He did say there is a lot of jealousy on the tour but says he witnessed the blood spinning procedures and there was never any foreign substance put in Tiger’s body.

Haney was always a loyal Tiger supporter and did nothing but speak in encouraging and positive tones.  But he was disappointed with Tiger’s lack of support for him over the last few weeks. “I feel like I was treated well for the most part. Obviously, I took a lot of criticism and he could have stepped up, maybe a little more and been a little more supportive.”  It did bother him that Woods didn’t come to his defense when he was taking so much heat recently.

Haney insists it was his decision to resign and that he is still Tiger’s friend and will support him and help him anyway he can as a friend but his days as a coach for Tiger are done.

While Haney still insists that it was his decision to leave Woods you can’t help but think that the writing was on the wall and this was a mutual decision made by Hank and Tiger with Haney given the option of resigning before he was let go.  Haney says if Tiger were to call him he would help him, as a friend, with anything he asked.  If Tiger is still Tiger, and it looks like he is, I don’t think Hank has to worry about getting that call.  Tiger’s camp can’t be thrilled with the content of Haney’s remarks and Hank may have hurt any chance of remaining “Tiger’s friend” but at least we got an insider’s perspective from one of Tiger’s inner circle.

Link to full Golf Channel Interview

by Jeff Skinner

Three big names top the leaderboard at The Bell Micro Classic in Alabama.  Former major winners Suzann Pettersen, Brittany Lincicome and Se Ri Pak are all tied at thirteen under par.  Pettersen scorched the course with a seven under par 65 as Lincicome scored a 67 and Pak carded a 68.  Pettersen is working through a torn hip muscle that is causing her a lot of pain.  She has had a great year but has not been able to close out a win yet.  Take a look at her performance so far this season.

by Jeff Skinner

The good news is that there is no new Tiger News.  The bad news is that the second round of the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open was washed out by rain but there was still plenty of golf played yesterday.  Se Ri Pak blistered the course at The Bell Micro LPGA Classic with a six under par 66 to take the lead by one stroke.  The five time major winner is looking to capture her first LPGA win since 2007.  At The Champions Tour’s  Regions Charity Classic in Alabama four players share the lead at seven under, Joey Sindelar, Russ Cochran, Bobby Clampett and Peter senior.  The story of the day is once again Ken Green.  Green is making his individual debut of the 2010 season as he continues his comeback from the accident that claimed his girlfriend, his brother, his dog and his right leg.  It wasn’t easy for Green, as he walked a 7,400 yard course.  He persevered and managed a two over 74 that included four birdies.  He was encouraged by his play and looks forward to improving with each round.

by Jeff Skinner

Last year during the third round of The Deutsche Championship I followed Tiger Woods and Lucas Glover for their entire round.  On one hole the tee was very isolated and roped off from the entire gallery.  The only one inside the ropes and a hundred yards away from anyone were Woods, Glover, their caddies, myself and one lone policeman on security duty.  It was the only time during the entire round that Tiger wasn’t surrounded by thousands of eyes.  We were so alone that Tiger did what many of us do while we are out on the course: he found a tree and relieved himself.  After the players pounded their drives down the fairway the cop and I walked behind them and chatted a bit.  We both decided that we wouldn’t mind having Tiger’s bank account but neither of us wanted any piece of his life.  His total lack of a normal life turned us both off.   Those were the good old days for Woods, before his dark, scandalous secret life was brought to light.

These days Woods is faced with more issues and problems than he can count and any “comeback” has been derailed by one dilemma after another.  It could be a long time before we see the “old Tiger” on the course.  Which difficulty will give Tiger the most trouble?  Take your pick.  There are no wrong answers here.

Tiger was used to having women whenever and wherever he liked.  It didn’t matter if it was an expensive hotel or the back of his car, if Tiger wanted a little action he got it, no matter what.  So now with his every move being followed by the tabloids and photographers he can’t expect the same “freedom” if you will.  If Team Tiger wasn’t involved with arranging his hook ups before (cough, cough) they must be now.  It probably takes as much planning as the D-Day Invasion at Normandy to get Tiger and one of his female friends together now.  Tiger’s sex life has probably changed a little bit from what it was before Thanksgiving.

Right now Tiger’s marriage is like one of his wayward drives: long gone and in deep trouble. According to all accounts, Tiger and Elin’s marriage looks to be over.  The delay in a divorce filing is said to be due to negotiations of the settlement.  A custody and financial arrangement needs to be agreed upon and it can be an exhausting and excruciating process.  Elin is said to be ready to take the children to her native Sweden where she wants to raise them away from the glare of the press.  Tiger supposedly isn’t willing to give up the kids and wants an agreement that allows him some type of custody.  Tack on the financial settlement, which probably will include a check with a whole bunch of zeros, and you get a distraction of the monumental kind.  As usual, there is nothing normal in Tiger’s life.

While many, including Tiger, may be focused on the Divorce/Custody settlement it’s the life after the divorce that could bring more stress into Tiger’s life.  Raising kids is tough enough under normal circumstances.  If Tiger wants to be a good father, in my book he has blown it so far, he’ll have many issues to deal with. Factor in his divorce, single parenting, the media spotlight, rebuilding a shattered career and a five thousand mile commute to pick up the kids and Tiger doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him as far as raising his kids.

Tiger’s neck injury is the most recent pothole on his road to playing good golf once again.  He is hoping to return to play at The Memorial but if his game hasn’t improved what’s the point.  Could his body be breaking down?  After years of brutal workouts and a million or two balls pounded it may be that his body has had enough.  The problem with speculating about Tiger’s health is that it is just that: speculating.  We are not sure of his physical status because he isn’t really being truthful about his condition.  He likes to say that he won’t comeback before he is physically ready to win, not just compete, but we have seen that not to be the case.  He returned to The Masters and claimed he was healthy.  After the second round of The Players he said he was fine, had no issues and was one hundred percent.  Then he withdraws during the third round and says his neck has been bothering him since before The Masters.  Can we believe anything that comes out of his mouth?

Tiger’s swing, his good swing, whether it’s The Harmon swing or The Haney swing, the swing he uses to make a ball do things only he can is nowhere to be found.  Sure, it looks like Hank Haney took one for the team here in resigning before Tiger lowered the boom himself, but Hank doesn’t swing the club.  Woods won six majors with Haney and that swing and Hank’s departure is more a sign that Tiger has lost confidence in his own swing than a reflection on Haney.  Maybe he needs a new coach or maybe he doesn’t and can go solo for awhile.  However, he has as much work to do on his swing as he has to do on rebuilding his personal life.  Either task is enough to consume one man, both together is a colossal chore.

In addition to Tiger’s ability to make a golf ball behave on command it was his mental toughness that further separated him from the rest of his contemporaries.  No golfer since Jack Nicklaus had the reputation of being a closer, a finisher like Tiger Woods has.  His reputation was good for a few strokes a side when he was in the final pairing on Sunday as he intimidated all comers, veterans and rookies alike.  If he needed a clutch putt for par or a creative shot to rescue him from trouble he rarely failed to execute it.  Everyone knows that if Tiger needed to sink a putt on Sunday at the eighteenth it was money in the bank.  His ability to focus, to almost will the ball in the hole is legendary.  Regaining his mental edge could be Tiger’s biggest challenge.

Stating that Tiger has a few distractions in his life may be the understatement of the year.  Any one of the issues that confront him is enough to overwhelm any man.  He has physical, personal, professional and mental issues all pulling at him.  A normal person would be hard pressed to recover from all this but as we know Tiger is anything but normal.  He is certainly flawed, with an insatiable appetite for certain off the course activities but no one can argue that he hasn’t had the mental strength to overcome challenges before.  The question here is: does he have enough left in his tank to climb out of this deep, deep hole?

Time will take care of some of his troubles.  People live with divorce and custody arrangements all the time.  He’ll be able to take care of his personal needs soon enough.  If he can get his body healthy again he’ll find his swing or create a new one to win a few more majors.  If his injuries persist he may not catch Jack’s eighteen majors a quickly as he likes.  But he’s only thirty four and he’ll have another ten solid years to get to nineteen majors.  It might be his mental edge that will be his biggest challenge.  How much stress and pressure can one person take?  For once in Tiger’s life he is not in control.  It is not a familiar position for Woods.  Tiger is an admitted control freak and right now he isn’t in control of much in his life.  This will be the toughest mental challenge of his life.  He would do well to take things slowly and get his personal life settled. He shouldn’t rush back to the gym or the course or the bars or anywhere.  All things must pass.  He could use a little patience for once, something that he rarely has a use for.  For Tiger things seem to take too long sometimes.  He is not good at taking it easy, he is never one to let things come to him.  He is a “type A personality” to the tenth power and he usually goes after want he wants and goes hard.  For him to deal with all these issues he’ll need a different tact.  Patience is a virtue and we have seen everything but virtuous behavior from Woods of late.  If a man ever needed a little virtue and a bit of patience it’s Tiger Woods.