by  Jeff Skinner

Even though the LPGA will not play its first tournament on American soil until the end of this month there are still many American players doing whatever it takes to play golf and cash a check.  The LPGA season opened in Thailand and Singapore so the ladies had to head to the other side of the world to get some chances to win a few bucks.  Since Ai Miyazato has done her best to turn the tour into her own little playground with two wins in two events it’s time the rest of the girls took home a trophy.

Many of the Americans have decided to get the most bang for their “Asian Swing” buck and have opted to play in the Ladies European Tour’s ANZ Ladies Masters in Queensland Australia.  Nine American players are in the field and some are near the top of the leader board.  Christina Kim and Brittany Lincicome are the biggest American names in the field but Rookie Amanda Blumenherst is making her mark early this season as she shot an opening round 66 and is tied for the lead after two rounds at the Royal Pines Resort.

Sophomores LPGA players Stacy Lewis is four strokes back of the lead and Vicky Hurst is only five off the pace and both are in serious contention for a victory.  Lewis and Hurst are very good, young players that could possibly be two of the faces that carry the American Tour for years to come.  The LPGA had a great group of rookies last season and Hurst, Lewis, and Michelle Wie are three popular and talented women that could help in the resurgence of American women on the LPGA Tour.

With the LPGA going through a transitional period the American players need to get used to playing many tournaments on foreign soil.  The power of golf in Asia is exploding and the LPGA is embracing any and all comers when it comes to sponsorship and the majority of the new sponsorship money is based in the Far East.

Maybe the tour could start to issue a new award: The Gary Player Award.  Player claims to have travelled over 15 million miles, and counting, in his professional career. These players have a long way to go to match Player but with the face of the LPGA changing like it is a typical season will mean two swings to Asia and at least one trip to Europe.  The women of the LPGA will turn into true globetrotting golfers as they follow the LPGA tour all over the world.

by Jeff Skinner

So Hunter Mahan goes low on Sunday to steal the win at The Phoenix Open and finally get his 2010 season headed in the right direction.  YE Yang blew it when he drowned his ball on the 17^th and Rickie Fowler decided to use one of his best weapons and lay up on 15.  His wedge came up too short for him to convert it for a birdie and overtake Mahan.  We should get use to seeing Fowler’s name on the top of the leader board, he’s got some game.  It’s Mahan’s first win since the 2007 Traveler’s and maybe this is the year he fulfills all the expectations that surround him.

Ai Miyazato pulls back to back wins to open the LPGA season.  She wins the HSBC Women’s Championship to go with her season opening win at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand.  Miyazato shook off two straight bogeys to come back to shoot a respectable 69 but Cristie Kerr has to be kicking herself for the way she finished her day.  She had the lead during her back nine but two poor drives caused her to bogey both 17 and 18.  Recently she has earned the reputation of the best American closer but on Sunday she threw up on herself with those bogeys and it cost her the tournament.

The real excitement on Sunday happened right where the PGA Tour hoped it would: at the par three 16^th hole at the TPC Scottsdale.  Each year the tour promotes the 16^th as the loudest and craziest hole in golf. A few years ago they even surrounded the entire hole with bleachers and skyboxes to give it that “stadium feel.”  The fans there are the loudest and most obnoxious in golf.  They certainly aren’t ruled by the normal rules of etiquette that apply to fans at every other golf tournament.

The Tour and television encourage the fans to be loud and rowdy in an effort to make this tournament a little different and get more eyes watching it.  The fans cheer a good shot and unlike anywhere else in golf, they boo a poor shot and find other ways to show their displeasure.

For years the Phoenix Fanatics have given it to the players that miss a birdie, fail to hit the green or three putt.  They are not a merciful group and no one is spared from their venom.

Almost all the players say they like the hole and think it is good for golf to have such excitement at a single hole but I think most of them are just trying to be politically correct and avoid being the focal point of the wrath of the thousands of drunks that surround the hole.  If a player came out and said that the hole is a joke and a disgrace, he wouldn’t make it out of the 16^th alive.  The hooligans fans would absolutely kill him, at least figuratively.

So yesterday the fans got a little taste of their own medicine.  It started with a good shot by the always gregarious Ian Poulter.  He put his ball in birdie range and was loudly cheered by the fans.  But when he missed his birdie putt the cheers turned to boos and jeers.  Poulter putted out to more boos and chants of USA, USA and who knows what else was being screamed at him.  After he gave a thumbs up and a clap or two he gave the one finger salute back to the morons that populate the 16^th.  That’s right; the bird, flipped them off, gave them the finger.  So maybe it isn’t a polite response but it is certainly the most appropriate.  Those drunken idiots deserved it.  While Ian’s at it he should also shoot that middle digit at the PGA Tour and Tim Finchem for perpetuating the Coliseum mentality at the 16^th.

I’m all for the fans enjoying themselves and I don’t mind them having a few beers but the situation at the 16^th crosses the line.  After a day of drinking and partying at the 16^th those fans are generally out of control.  It’s about time the PGA Tour did something and I don’t mean about Poulter.  He’ll probably get fined but what he did was no worse than what thousands of those fans do all day and they are all encouraged to be loud and obnoxious by the PGA Tour.

Maybe I’m in the minority but I tune in to watch golf and I really don’t care to see a bunch of liquored up, knuckleheads carry on.  If I wanted to see that I’d turn on C-Span and watch Congress.

Picture from Ryan Ballangee at Waggle Room

by Jeff Skinner

So much golf, so little time.  There was a ton of great golf over the weekend that featured exciting endings and a big breakthrough. Who needs Tiger Woods?

Ian Poulter and Paul Casey represented England well as Poulter finally broke through for his first win in America and moved to fifth in the world.  English golf is alive and well.  With all the success of the Europeans in the Match Play, Monty must be licking his considerable chops.

It looked like a runaway at the LPGA in Thailand.  Suzann Pettersen had a five stroke lead to start the last round but an amazing nine under par 63 gave Ai Miyazato the win in the LPGA’s opening event.

Cameron Beckman shoots a final round 67 to jump up and take the Mayakoba Classic.  Big John Daly had started so well with three rounds in the 60’s but he blew up and carded a disappointing 81.

In the most exciting finish of the day, not including the USA hockey win over Canada, Bernhard Langer holed out from a bunker for an eagle on his first playoff hole to beat a stunned john Cook.  Are you kidding me?

All this golf makes all of us that are still snowed in yearn for a little green grass and a few swings.  Here’s where I spent some time this week.  At a heating driving range where they clear off a few practice greens and even heat the balls.  Heated balls…you have to love that!

by Jeff Skinner

Well, it appears that Tiger and his team may have kicked a hornets’ nest.  There seems to be an outcry from many in the press and the players about Tiger’s planned “media event” on Friday.  It’s not too often that you find any mainstream media that criticizes Tiger and it’s even rarer to find a player, unless your name is Jesper Parnevik.  Rex Hoggard says, “this one already has a circus feel.”  He also questions the timing of the event and wonders why this couldn’t have waited until Monday, after the Accenture Match Play Championship.

He finds a breath of youthful fresh air in Rory McIlroy.  McIroy voices what everyone else is thinking,” He’s got to come out at some point,” McIlroy said. “I suppose he’d want to get something back at a sponsor that dropped him.” Way to go Rory!  Tiger’s agent, Mark Steinberg says the timing wasn’t intended to slight Accenture. Sure, Mark, it just happens to be a lucky coincidence.

Hoggard calls Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour on the carpet for allowing Woods to use the PGA owned TPC Sawgrass for the event, “And what of the Tour’s culpability in this? According to commissioner Tim Finchem the Woods camp never asked for the Tour’s input, yet to hold the event at TPC Sawgrass, a mere 3-wood from Tour headquarters, is to offer at least tacit approval of the timing.”

Dave Shedloski of Golf Digest says everyone at the Match Play is questioning the timing of Tiger and his crew.  “And there was curiosity about the timing of the media event, coming in the midst of one of the biggest non-major tournaments of the season, a World Golf Championship event, not to mention a tournament sponsored by Accenture, which was among the companies that dropped Woods as a spokesman after his post-Thanksgiving auto accident ignited a tabloid firestorm about his questionable off-course behavior.”

He goes on to quote players, off the record off course, “That was the first thing we all thought of, like he is sticking it to Accenture — and that the PGA Tour is part of it all,” one player said in the locker room, shaking his head. “It’s like Tim (Finchem, the tour commissioner) has lost his head. He wants Tiger back in the worst way, and so he lets this go on. I mean, we all want to see Tiger back, but this doesn’t look good.”

Geoff Ogilvy echoes the sentiments of many golf fans, “The only thing I will say about it is that I would like to see him answer some questions,” Ogilvy said. “If he answers some questions, then that would make it real because he wouldn’t be working off a script. But it’s a start. And he’s got to start somewhere.”

The most entertaining bit of frustration comes from Alex Miceli on The Golf Channel.  He rants about Tiger and Tim Finchem and says the players are fed up with Tiger and his endless need for total control of everything.  He calls him selfish and gutless and claims Finchem is complicit in this slight of Accenture and this embarrassing situation. Take a minute to watch the video.  It’s a good thing Alex wasn’t wearing his bow tie.  The veins in his neck would have popped it right off.  I don’t think Alex will be one of the selected few at Tiger’s event, at least not this time.

Again, McIlroy says what we all are thinking,” “I’m just sick of hearing about it.”

Hoggard’s Story Link

Shedloski’s Story Link

Miceli’s Video Link

By Jeff Skinner

Dustin Johnson’s day didn’t start off too well as he opened with a bogey but it ended up fine with Dirty Harry making his day as Clint Eastwood handed him the crystal trophy for his second consecutive AT&T Pro-Am victory.  Johnson shot an unremarkable 74 but made a clutch birdie when he needed to.  Tied with David Duval and J.B. Holmes who were already in the clubhouse, Johnson played his most important shot of the day from the 18^th bunker. Sitting in the bunker in front of the 18th in two shots he needed to get it up and down from the sand.  Johnson steadied himself and put the ball to three and a half feet.  His birdie putt sent Holmes and Duval home in second place and gave Johnson his third PGA victory of his career.

Johnson joins Sean O’Hair as the only American player under thirty with three PGA Tour wins.  He thinks he can keep getting better and continue winning,” As long as I keep playing the way I’m playing, I don’t think there’s anything that I can’t do. It’s all up to me. You know, I’ve got to keep working hard and keep practicing hard, and, you know, good things will come.”

It’s the tale of two styles at Pebble Beach today.  Dustin Johnson who talks softly and carries a big stick and Paul Goydos who walks slouchily (yes, it is a word) but carries a quick wit will face off in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Both shot sizzling 64’s in the third round to finish tied at -18 and a four shot lead over their closest contenders.  Early action is on The Golf Channel at 1:00pm EST and CBS picks it up at 3:00pm EST.

Chip Shots…

Michael Whan is making fast progress re-establishing the LPGA to the tour it was before Carolyn Bivens tried to single handedly kill it.  There isn’t a resource that Whan hasn’t tapped and Ron Sirak covers Whan for a Golf Digest article.

Michelle Wie has come into a few more bucks.  Kia Motors has announced that Wie will serve as their spokeswoman. Wie is primed to be one of the most marketable properties in golf.  Her fine play at season’s end and her worldwide popularity make Wie a marketers dream.

Annika Sorenstam has adjusted to her new life away from the LPGA Tour just fine.  She’s so busy with her baby, academy and assorted business deals she’s not even playing golf.  Global Golf Post has an extensive interview with Annika.

Jeff Rude says that Mark O’Meara hasn’t talked to Tiger Woods since the crash.  At one time O’Meara was his closest friend on tour.  Times have changed.

Pebble Beach is one of the most revered locations in golf, both amateur and professional.  With the U.S. Open at Pebble this year there are some changes to the course.  The USGA always likes to tinker with the layout of its courses.  Larry Dorman in the New York Times gets some player reactions to the changes.

The AT&T Pro-Am goes back to its roots this year as it adds the Monterey Peninsula Country Club to the three club rotation.  In 1947, the first time the “Crosby Clambake” was held on the coast, Monterey Peninsula was one of the original courses.  Devil Ball Golf has Jerry Pate’s perspective on the new, old course. Nice job by Pate and Devil Ball.

by Jeff Skinner

Get ready to see a little bit of the 1980’s on the golf course this season.  No, it’s not plaid, polyester Sans-a-Belt slacks.  It’s colored golf balls.  In a move that says “everything old is new again” Srixon is bringing back the colored ball.

In the early eighties Wilson’s ProStaff balls took off after Jerry Pate and Wayne Levi won on The PGA Tour using orange colored balls.  You remember Pate winning The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and throwing Commissioner Dean Beman and Pete Dye in the lake and then diving in after them. Pate used an orange Wilson ProStaff to win and sales of them peaked in the following years.  Their popularity died off soon after but Srixon thinks the time is right for their return.

The older colored balls lost their appeal over the years and were thought of as less then top flight equipment.  That’s not the case with these Srixons.  These are the top of the line ball produced by Srixon: The Z-Star and Z-Star X.  Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh play the original white ball.

Srixon claims that greenish yellow balls are more visible and promote calm.  ”Science has proven that yellow is the most visible color in the visual spectrum and psychology has correlated green with calming and stress relief; therefore Srixon® has combined the two colors based on these findings to tap into the player’s mind and expand the benefits of playing a better ball. A ball that relieves stress, I’ll take a lifetime supply please.

by Jeff Skinner

The European Tour is off to a great start this year.  The tournaments have been exciting and have showcased some of its best players.  One of the most unique characters on The European Tour took home one of the most unique trophies this week.  At The Dubai Desert Classic, Miguel Angel Jimenez out lasted European Tour number one, Lee Westwood in a three hole playoff to show that some things get better with age.  “Like a good wine, with age, I get better and better” he said after his win.

Jimenez is forty six years old and shows no signs of fading away.  This win is his first since he won twice in 2008 and continues to prove that an older player with years of experience can use guile and craftiness to still compete with the young guns on tour.  Miguel first appeared on tour in 1988 and his contemporaries included Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer, who are long gone from the tour.  To illustrate Miguel’s staying power you need not look past his first round pairing.  He played the first two rounds with twenty year old Rory McIlroy and twenty three year old Pablo Martin. “Guys like Rory McIlroy and Alvaro Quiros hit the ball so long; it’s difficult for guys like me. But here I am.” McIlroy finished in sixth place and Martin tied for forty fourth.  Miguel needs to find space for his sixteenth European Tour Trophy.

Jimenez has always appreciated the finer things in life and is known to enjoy wine more than most fellows on tour.  He has also is smart enough to realize that he needs to keep himself in good physical condition to stay on tour.  Don’t let that gut fool you; Jimenez spends enough time in the gym to keep himself in shape as he proves with him still being a factor on tour.  He has rededicated himself to a new fitness program and it looks to have paid off early this year.

Jimenez’s attitude on tour may be as big a factor in his success as his skills and experience.  He is as determined a competitor as there is out there, but rarely lets a poor shot or a bad round stick with him or affect his play.  That’s not to say he doesn’t show emotion.  He’ll smash the turf or flip the putter with the best of them but he loses the frustration long before his next shot.

With Tom Watson’s near miss at The Open Championship last year proving that “the old dudes” can still get it done, wouldn’t it be sweet if Watson and Miguel could be paired together at The Masters.  That’s a pairing with plenty of class and experience and the two of them could show what a little experience can do.  Jimenez has three top tens at Augusta and he’ll be forty six.  Maybe lighting could strike twice for another forty six year old as it did for Jack Nicklaus back in 1986.

by Jeff Skinner

It was perfect timing for the PGA Tour and a great day for Steve Stricker yesterday.  The Northern Trust Open finished up a little yearly, just in time for all of us to switch to The Super Bowl and Steve Stricker finished what he had come so close to doing last year: winning at Riviera Country Club.  Stricker fell one shot short of tying Phil Mickelson last year but there was no doubt this year.  Luke Donald made a valiant effort shooting five under and finished two back of Stricker.  Stricker started the final round with a six shot lead and while his one under par 70 wasn’t spectacular it was enough to give him the win.

Stricker earns his money with straight drives and as the saying goes he”…putts for dough.”   He led the field in putts per round and was third in putts per greens in regulation.  His driver isn’t long but it is accurate, he was tied for tenth in driving accuracy.  A good big stick and a hot flat stick: it is the perfect combination.

Steve Stricker is one of the truly nice, sincere and unassuming gentlemen on The PGA Tour.  He also is now number two in the World Golf Rankings.  Nice guys don’t finish last.