Monday, April 21, 2014

Good Ol' Southern Boy Bubba Watson Hits The Masters Big Time - Why Me?

Golf for Beginners blog loves to hear the opinions of our readers and followers, so when this article by Spencer Blohm was submitted, we just had to print it! Thanks again for sending in your blog. If you want to submit an opinionated blog to Golf for Beginners, email Stacy at golfforbeginners@aol.com or DM on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

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For the second time in three years, Bubba Watson, the thirty-five year old from Florida, has won The Masters, making him the fastest golfer to win two green jackets. His score of three-under-par 69 put him on top of twenty-year-old phenom Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt, who tied for second after a close race for most of the tournament. Watson’s triumphant victory has earned him the praise of many celebrities and golf fans, as you can see in these Tweets compiled by ViralHeat.




            Despite his win, it wasn’t a perfect game for Bubba Watson, with many of his shots being called questionable. 

His first birdie putt missed the mark on the second hole, putting Spieth in the lead, but they were tied when Spieth also pissed his birdie putt on the eighth hole. By the 13th hole, Spieth was tied with Blixt for second, with Watson leading the group three-up with another four to play. However, on the 15th it looked like it might be over for Watson as his ball landed dangerously close to the water. But the 16th, 17th, and 18th all went off without a hitch and Watson emerged the victor. 

After his final putt, Watson’s 2-year-old son Caleb rushed onto the green for a Kodak moment you couldn’t plan if you wanted to.

            After his professional debut in 2003, Watson was a largely overlooked player during the late 00’s with his highest finish in that period being a 5th place slot at the 2007 U.S. Open, his first professional championship tournament. However, with the new decade came a renewed game and his first PGA Tour win at the 2010 Travelers Championship. That same year he came in second at the PGA Championship. He progressively improved in 2011 with second and third PGA Tour wins at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

It was 2012 that proved to be Watson’s year. The golfer, who boasts to have never taken a golf lesson, dramatically improved his game, jumping from 38th in the Masters in 2011 to the winner in 2012. In fact, his two Masters wins are the only two wins Watson has out of his twenty-five total entries in the big four golf championships. He himself cannot believe his own success telling the L.A. Times, “Why me? Why Bubba Watson from Bagdad, Florida? Why is he winning? So I just always ask the question, why, why me?"

            It’s a triumphant moment for a golfer who has played most of his career in the shadow of Tiger Woods. He’s a sort of anti-Woods in fact, when it comes to public persona. His down home, Southern family man personality is a stark contrast to Woods’ flashy lifestyle. Despite the enormous boost to his profile, and bank account, that these recent wins have brought him, he’s still stayed true to his roots through this sudden success. In fact, to celebrate his 2012 win, he bought the original General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard and restored it. It would appear that even after all this success, Bubba Watson is still just a good ‘ol Southern boy.


Thursday, April 17, 2014

A Mother's Day Giveaway for Your #Golf Mom!

Has your mom taken you to compete in countless junior golf events, in spite of the fact that she has never picked up a golf club and might not know the difference between a "sandie" and a "bump-and-run?"

Does Mom hold a Sweet Spot in your heart? We know you are going to say YES! Now that you believe that you have the World's Greatest Golf Mom, it's time to enter into the World's Best Mom Contest being held on Instagram and Twitter by my associates, Crown Awards!

Crown Awards, the leading supplier of Awards and Trophies for over thirty-five years, is running a #CrownAwardsMom Contest which is simple and fun to enter - just Snap, Tag, Follow and Vote and you will be in the running to win this exclusive crystal filled with fresh flowers to give to the mover and shaker of your family. It's a beautiful memento that Mom will treasure forever!

- Snap a photo of you and your mom.
- Tag that photo with the hashtag #CrownAwardsMom and another hashtag that describes just how #wonderful she is!
- Follow Crown Awards on Instagram
- Vote for one of the other moms (isn't that what we do in golf anyway...be gracious to the other entrants?)

One lucky winner will be selected from the votes - read the Crown Awards blog with the full details.

Good Luck!

Crown Awards Mothers Day Giveaway


Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on  our Golf for Beginners Blog.

Monday, April 14, 2014

And The Masters #Golf Hat Winners Are...

Bubba Watson MastersThe 2014 Masters is now in the record books with Bubba Watson as a two-time winner - and the victory was well-deserved!

With his win over a stellar golf field, Watson takes home a $1.6 million payout, the coveted green jacket, a lifetime invite (which he already had from 2012) and probably more TV time than any other winner on Tour this year. That's a mighty fine bounty.


As you know, Golf for Beginners (and @Golf4Beginners on Twitter) were given two Masters Golf Hats as Giveaways to help spur on an already exciting first major tournament of 2014 and have chosen our winners of one women's and one men's Masters hat.

And the winners are...?


AND...

CONGRATULATIONS! I will be direct messaging you both on Twitter and announcing via this blog which will also go out to my social networks. Thanks to MMOGolf.com for supplying The Masters Golf Hats!

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on the Golf for Beginners blog.


Monday, April 07, 2014

Official 2014 Masters #Golf Merchandise GIVEAWAY!

The Masters Week is Here and Golf for Beginners wants you to win incredible Official 2014 Masters Golf Merchandise

Swag from The Masters? You bet! Just read below for your chance to enter and WIN!

So many golf fans believe that it isn't spring until The Masters and, although Tiger Woods is not in the mix this year, the combination of azaleas in bloom at Augusta, memories of past wins, the giving of the legendary Green Jacket and all the tradition that goes along with the most exciting first major of the year, makes this golf blogger want to give away Masters Merchandise. Most golf fans will not be attending but that doesn't mean you can't walk away without a souvenir!

Golf for Beginners knows both guys and ladies are going to watch The Masters this week so we have arranged this special giveaway to two lucky readers of our golf blog. 

One lucky male golf fan will win this Official 2014 Masters Caddy Slouch Hat.

One lucky female golf fan will win this sweet, Pink Ladies UNDATED Caddy Slouch hat with The Masters logo.



What do you have to do in order to try and win one of these Officially cool Masters Hats?

Here it comes... it's the Official Giveaway Rules!

This is a Twitter-based giveaway so...

Well, definitely Follow @Golf4Beginners on Twitter and send us a tweet with the hashtag #MastersLadyHat or #MastersMensHat telling us why you want to win it!

Entrants must follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter and updates must include their @username mention to @Golf4Beginners in addition to either #MastersLadyHat or #MastersMensHat to be considered an entry.

One Ladies and one Male Masters Hat will be given away by Golf for Beginners blog. 
Prizes contributed by MMOGolf.com (see below).



One winner of men's hat and one winner of ladies hat - winners will be selected by me, Stacy Solomon, so do try and make nice yet opinionated Masters mentions as I will be reading and responding to all tweets.


Only one entry per person please but feel free to Retweet this great giveaway and tell your friends.

Winners will be announced Monday after The Masters - no, Hootie and the Blowfish will not be playing at the announcement!


Not necessary but the right thing to do - You should also follow MMOGolf on Twitter,  the suppliers of great Masters Merchandise and the site responsible for this giveaway.

Like MMO Golf on Facebook too and check out their other extreme Masters Giveaways- like the FREE Adam Scott Autographed Garden Flag!


Friday, April 04, 2014

#Golf Beating Down Top Players as Masters Limps Closer

Although this probably will not be considered a second-string Masters Tournament, with top golfers dropping like flies due to injuries, the first major of the season at Augusta National might surely be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Masters 2014

Between Tiger Woods' back injury forcing surgery this past week, Hunter Mahan with injured hip, Phil Mickelson pulling his oblique muscle just under two weeks ago and Jason Day not having played a full round of golf since the WGC, The Masters Tournament is beginning to look like a prizefighter who is down but not yet counted out…ambulatory at best?

Mickelson in pain

Mickelson says he is ready for his return to the Shell Houston Open this week (looking good so far) but he also suffers from psoriatric arthritis, a debilitating illness which could act up offering fans only an early glimpse at Lefty. Not sure that Phil will win this year’s opening major but would love to see it happen.

Jason Day, just one day ago brushed off the fact that he is indeed among the walking wounded, declaring to all that his thumb injury is healed.

The pros want to play golf at The Masters but are they physically able to compete...and win?

Fans, however, will not be keeping count of the injuries list but will most certainly be watching the sport at its finest and gazing at Augusta revealing it’s majesty of azaleas and spring in bloom.

So it’s now up to Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jimmy Walker to carry the ball – strength of mind is what is needed at Augusta, not power, as these three are soon to find out.

*This Just In - DUSTIN JOHNSON W/D from Shell Houston Open after carding an 80! No reason was given but the chances are slim that he will recover from this "ailment" before The Masters...enough said.

McIlroy has Las Vegas on his side, with Adam Scott and DJ close behind now that Woods has officially pulled out of The Masters but is that enough?:  Tough talk from Rory, "someone's got to step up, so I'm trying to be that person", will not get the job done and the internet is buzzing with a possible consecutive Masters win by Scott but only Nicklaus, Woods and Faldo have ever completed this feat.

What about JimmyWalker? Well, Butch Harmon says he's "ready for The Masters," and is holding aside a $1200 bottle of his finest champagne for the after-party but past meltdowns make this writer wonder about anything more than a top-ten finish for this dramatic player.

Could The Masters win go to 2013 PGA Championship Jason Dufner?

dufner pga championship

“I’ve had a pretty good run the last two years in majors,” Dufner said. “I haven’t missed a cut. Had some good finishes. Had probably three or four legitimate chances to win the events going into Sunday. So I’m excited about what’s around the corner for me at the Masters.”


Do you agree that the Masters Tournament belongs to one of the above golfers? Voice your opinion on our Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photo credits: foxsports.com, pga