Category: Golf Pros (Page 4 of 10)

Putting key to Phil Mickelson victory at British Open

July 22, 2013 / Staff

The importance of putting was driven home again at the 2013 British Open, as Phil Mickelson was on fire and Tiger Woods continued to struggle with his putter. For Mickelson, this victory gave him his first British Open championship and his fifth major. Mickelson may not be the most consistent golfer of his generation, but he’s certainly dominant at times when his game comes together. He birdied four of the last six holes for his come-from-behind victory as Lee Westwood faded as some predicted.

Meanwhile, Woods is naturally being scrutinized from every possible angle. Many writers are focusing on the fact that Woods has never come from behind on Sunday to win a major championship, but that hardly seems like the most important factor. No, his putter has been letting him down, and that’s keeping him from winning the big ones. When Woods was piling up wins, he was one of the best putters in history. And while he’s facing inuries and some of the same struggles golfers face as they get older, his biggest problem seems to be with his putter. He’s still good, but good is a long way from great.

This only highlights the mental aspect of the game, and we all know that Tiger has had more than his share of distractions. One that comes to mind is the drama with his old caddy Steve Williams. The two shook hands after the conclusion of the Open Championship on Sunday at Muirfield after Tiger was paired up with Adam Scott, and it looked like the beginning of the end of a silly feud, but you have to wonder if the unflappable Woods was flapped around a bit having to play with them on Sunday. We’ll never know of course, but we’re well beyond the point where a Woods victory was assumed by the handicappers setting the golf odds for majors.

Tiger has to deal with an adversary in Mickelson who refuses to fade away. Phil still can’t get over the hump at the US Open, but it’s tough to count him out these days, and he’s pushing himself into the conversation regarding golf’s all-time greats. There’s also a slew of younger golfers in the game who aren’t the least bit intimidated by Woods, who hasn’t won a major in five years!

So it’s great for golf that Tiger is in the mix, but the landscape has certainly changed.

Golf Pros, Tips, Videos

british open Lee Westwood Phil Mickelson Tiger Woods

Merion Golf Club hosts US Open

June 12, 2013 / Staff

Taken a tour of Merion Golf Club in the video above, and you can get a hole-by-hole look at the golf course here.

Courses, Golf Pros, Resorts, Travel

exclusive country club exclusive golf clubs golf clubs Merion Golf Club US Open US Open courses USGA

Decision coming soon for anchored putter ban

May 20, 2013 / Staff

With Adam Scott’s win at The Masters, players using anchored putters have won four of the last six majors. That streak may be coming to an end as the much discussed ban may be coming soon.

The U.S. Golf Association said Friday it will make public on Tuesday its final decision in the anchored-putting controversy. Nothing is official yet, but all indications are that the USGA and its international rules-making counterpart, the R&A, will push forward with the rule they proposed last November, to ban anchored putting once and for all time.

As I’ve mentioned before, the global ancient game of golf will be better off with a ban. For years, anchored putting has been a disruptive issue. For all those who embraced the stroke, many more felt it wasn’t a proper way to play the game. With hope, that debate now will be behind us.

A more important reason to support the ban, should it be enacted, is that it plants a flag in the ground that says: “This is golf, and this isn’t.” I don’t want to come across as a blowhard, an oldest-member type pulling up the drawbridge to protect the creaky rituals of another age. Many defenders of anchoring see themselves as part of a movement to rescue golf by making the game easier, less frustrating and more accommodating. I think they’re misguided on this issue, but I get where they’re coming from.

I don’t have a strong opinion on this, but people on both sides tend to be passionate about the issue. If the ban goes through, does it put a blemish on wins like Scott’s at The Masters? It will definitely shake things up for some pros like Scott. Anyone looking for an edge in picking winners will have to monitor guys like him closely before placing their bets on sites like bwin.com/en/golf. When you consider how unpredictable putting can be, that seems like a daunting task. And with such a great player like Scott who is still a young player, the effect this could have on his career could take years to play out.

Every sport goes through rule changes, so anyone fixated on golf’s traditions needs to keep this in mind. Technology and innovation affects every sport, and then frankly we all need to come to a consensus and collectively adjust. So hopefully the rules makers will finally come up with a decision so everyone can move on.

Clubs & Irons, Golf Pros

Adam Scott anchored putters The Masters

Tiger’s penalty fiasco at The Masters

April 14, 2013 / Staff

Should Tiger Woods have been disqualified from The Masters? Does golf etiquette require him to withdraw voluntarily? What would have been the best PR move for Tiger?

These questions will be debated endlessly this weekend and probably for years to come. Here’s a good primer on the issue.

Golf Pros

golf etiquette golf PR issues golf rules The Masters Tiger Woods Tiger Woods disqualification Tiger Woods penalty Tiger Woods PR issues Tiger Woods PR nightmare

Does golf still need Tiger Woods?

April 6, 2013 / Staff

It seems like s silly question. Yes, the pro golf game is doing fine with young guns like Bubba Watson. But Tiger Woods is still the biggest star around.