Will Tiger Woods Play the Champions Tour?

Golf for Beginners Podcast number fifteen looks at both the serious and silly sides of golf.

Before we begin, please make sure that you tune in to our podcast next week as there is something happening to both Barry and I as well as Golf for Beginners that is going to change our future and we want our listeners to celebrate along with us!

Now, on to the podcast!

There is plenty of news this week beginning with the first LPGA event of the year, the SBS Open which took place in at the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii. This is the same resort which hosts the Big Break V:Hawaii and the thrills are equally as great.

Korean rookie Joo Mi Kim grabbed the first place check of $150,000 from opponents Lorena Ochoa and Soo Young Moon in an unlikely playoff. The good news is that Kim WON the event with a birdie in the second playoff hole as opposed to the other two handing her the trophy.

Morgan Pressel displayed her skills admirably in her first professional event. Morgan shared fifth place with Natalie Gulbis. Paula Creamer didn't fare as well, unable to stay in the top-ten but give her time. She wasn't handed her first official tour trophy until the Sybase Classic and then she just couldn't be stopped!

These ladies all have one thing in common, namely, big business is standing behind them, offering contracts for all kinds of sporting goods.

USA Today writes about the marketability of these young superstars. General manager of Nike Golf USA, Cindy Davis states, "We believe these players can create brand awareness. There has been an evolution of women in sports in general. Their acceptance has changed dramatically in the last 20 years."

Twenty years ago the ladies in the LPGA were hard-pressed to find sponsors. Today, the younger, attractive stars are naming their own ticket.

Morgan Pressel represents Callaway Golf and Paula Creamer has six contracts from big names such as Bridgestone and TaylorMade-Adidas.

Q-School medalist Ai Miyazato has really hit the big time in Japan. She is such a larger-than-life superstar that she can't go outside without being chased down the street for an autograph. She's bigger than Hideki Matsui, has eleven different sponsors and is a television star to boot! When she is exxpected to play in a JLPGA tournament, ticket sales triple!

Michelle Wie is a prominent example of the new breed of woman golfer. Her combined $10 million Sony/Nike deal exemplifies capitalism to a "tee". A large, golden tee, that is.

These days it's no longer just about a win on the LPGA Tour. If a girl is marketable, she'll be brought along and has a good chance of retiring with a golden parachute.

In Champions Tour news, Loren Roberts secured both his third trophy and a place in history this week at the ACE Classic. Roberts is the only senior tour player who has achieved this feat and he did so in exciting fashion.

And would someone please purchase an umbrella for Tiger Woods! With flu-like symptoms, Tiger had to withdraw on Saturday after being drenched after a rainstorm at the Nissan Open. This is the only tournament which Woods has played in more than three times that he has not won (at least once). His record remains unbroken.

However, even with the sniffles, Tiger can drive the ball farther than most professional golfers today. His average drive for two days at the Nissan Open was over 300 yards which put him in ninth place in driving distance. But how will Tiger fare playing golf with the seniors?

In our Blogger Weekly section we pit Vijay Singh against Phil Mickelson in a Celebrity Deathmatch. Vijay just doesn't know when to give up! He's now two-for-two in calling officials over to check Mickelson's equipment and he loses each battle.

Also, eatgolf.com is convinced that food and water are overpriced at the Riviera Country Club. We don't agree. Notoriously, sporting events charge exorbitant prices because they can get away with it.

We also talk about the importance of a good golf instructor. These professional instructors are invaluable if you are serious about your game.

Most importantly, Barry and I have BIG NEWS heading our way. We are thrilled and excited all at once. Keep listening for all of the details!

For questions and comments please feel free to write to us at golfforbeginners@aol.com. We'll discuss your email in our podcast.