Links Between #Golf and Skin Cancer-Which Tour Players Had It?

After receiving a golf press release about "Melanoma May" I realized that the probability of skin cancer during this season merited another blog which will probably sound more like a public service announcement!


Here are the latest stats about skin cancer and the necessity of athletes, especially golfers, using a serious, water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen.

 ACCORDING TO RECENT STUDIES from SkinCancer.org:

·         65% of melanoma cases are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

·         Men over age 40 have the highest annual exposure to UV radiation.

·         The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50.

·         Melanoma is one of only three cancers with an increasing mortality rate for men.



WHY ARE GOLFERS AT A HIGHER RISK?

·         Getting four to six hours of sun exposure from a round of golf
·         Not wearing or reapplying sunscreen
·         Teeing off mid-morning when the sun’s rays are at their strongest
·         Having little or no shade if you stay on the fairways



GOLFERS WHO HAVE SURVIVED SKIN CANCER:

·         Fred Couples, a former golf world number one and US Masters winner, has had numerous cancerous lesions removed from his hands
·         Texan PGA player, Tom Kite
·         US Open winner, Andy North
·         English golfer, Brian Davis
Other famous people who have had a brush with skin cancer include Senator John McCain, former President Ronald Reagan, Ewan McGregor and Bob Marley.

To help prevent skin cancer, performance golf clothing is not enough! Doctors recommend applying a generous amount of water-resistant, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all exposed areas thirty minutes before heading outside to play any sport. Look for a sports sunscreen formula that is designed to stay put if you sweat and won’t run into the eyes and sting, like the SkinCeuticals. No, I have not tried this particular sunscreen so I cannot recommend it personally. If my readers have tried it, I would appreciate your comments below.

SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 50

Bottom line is to protect yourself. 

Have a safe, healthy and happy Memorial Day weekend.

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Mickelson Masters Golf Marketability over Tiger Woods

When it comes down to off-the-green marketability in the world of golf, who do you think has the "swinging power", Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods? This E-Poll market research study may surprise you!

 

 

If you thought that Tiger Woods was more commercially bankable than Phil Mickelson, you would be wrong! According to Nielsen and E-Poll’s N-Score, which measures endorsement potential, Lefty has almost double the strength in being "down-to-earth", in spite of the fact that people are more aware of Woods. Fans may be more knowledgeable of the Woods brand but only seventeen percent say they like Tiger. Looks like Woods needs to improve his public image...thought he was working on it?

 

Other likeable professional golfers as rated by N-Score include Tom Watson, Fred Couples and Ernie Els. Watson actually came in second, above Tiger, in the rankings and, in my opinion, it's easy to understand. Tom and Fred have a rich history playing Augusta with sixty-seven Masters Tournaments played between them and both have not had any real negative off-the-course media pronouncements...in orther words, fans want to cheer these two guys to a win. Still, Woods did make it to third place so likeability alone is not enough.

 

Although Tiger Woods seems to be recovering from his personal issues with his first win last week in years at Bay Hill and a record of four Masters wins entering Augusta this week, he has not yet bounced back in the public eye.

 

Will a Masters victory be the turning point for Tiger Woods? “It will be interesting to see if another green jacket at the Masters this year can win back the favor of the public and corporate America," Nielsen Sports VP Stephen Master stated. 

 

What do you think? We'd like to know.

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Here is how Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research "N-Score" came up with their findings:

Using combined research expertise, the N-Score is an in-depth look at a sports figure’s overall endorsement potential, factoring in the attributes and demographic measures that align brands with endorsers. Each individual N-Score National survey is administered to 1,100 people within that panel via the Internet. The sample is representative of the general population based on gender, income, age, and education. Awareness, as noted in the Wire post above, is determined by showing half of the survey participants a picture of the athlete and half the athlete’s name. Appeal is the percentage of participants aware of the athlete who say that they like an athlete or like an athlete a lot.

 

photo credit: linkslifegolf.com

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Greg Norman hopes Adam Scott gives Tiger Woods a Presidents Cup thrashing

A face-off between Tiger Woods and Adam Scott at the Presidents Cup tourney in Royal Melbourne GC would certainly make great "must see TV" but is Greg Norman using the Aussie to unload his own sour grapes?

The Aussies (?...ha) are "sick and tired of losing," said Norman, whose International team hasn't won the Cup since 1998. Furthermore, Greg Norman was "dethroned" by Tiger Woods in the 1990's to become top-golfer in the world. This isn't just a case of "my yacht is bigger than your yacht," this is personal.

"Tiger and Greg don't speak," said a source who knows both men. "There's a lot of animosity between them."

Greg Norman has turned The Presidents Cup into a battle between Australia (not necessarily the "International Team") and the USA. Doing so, however, has had it's ramifications, with Couples now comparing Aussie golfers to Woods.

After Tiger Woods was slammed by Norman, Couples retorted with a comparative dig at Melbourne golfer Robert Allenby.

"Robert Allenby is his (captain's) pick, and Aaron Baddeley, and they're Australians and I think they're great picks,"claimed Couples. "But I think I can sit here and say Robert Allenby hasn't won a tournament in ten years.''

Other Aussies have jumped on the "trash-talking Tiger" bandwagon but members of Team Norman such as Geoff Ogilvy seem spurred on by Greg Norman's personal vengeance against the former world's number-one golfer.

Geoff Ogilvy, for example, does not agree with Team USA Captain Fred Couples' pick, "I'm not going to stand up and say Tiger is a horrible pick, but I'm going to say it's very disappointing that Keegan Bradley doesn't get to play."

Placing Adam Scott against Tiger Woods is also a personal slam against the former world's number one as Scott's caddie, Steve Williams, has said a few bitter words recently about his former boss.

That being said, an Adam Scott - Tiger Woods match would make for sensational end-of-season golf TV and both teams know it, as the Presidents Cup has never been as monumental as the Ryder Cup.

When Norman asked Scott if he had a problem going up against the former world's number one, Adam said, "Not at all. I'll play him and win a point for you."

Presidents Cup action begins Wednesday November 16th. Check your listings and voice your opinions about Tiger Woods on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on Facebook.

 

 

 

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Tiger Woods-Joe LaCava: Golf's new power couple?

Tiger Woods has officially united with Dustin Johnson's (and Fred Couples') former caddie, Joe La Cava and water coolers around the country as well as the Twitterverse have something to say about the new match made in heaven.

Words ranging from "replacement" for Steve Williams to how Woods "stole" LaCava have been circulating as quickly as the Twitter stream will load.  Tiger, on the other hand, maintains that he has known Joe for many years.

"Mark [Steinberg] and I were approached by a lot of people, including Joe, who expressed an interest in becoming my caddie," Tiger Woods maintained. "This was an important decision, and I wanted to think about it carefully. Also, out of deference for the FedExCup Playoffs, I decided to wait until they were concluding to have substantive talks. We then spoke to Joe and came to an agreement."

Back in the Twitter sphere, Yahoo! Sports claimed Tiger "hijacked DJ's caddie and Tim Rosaforte said, "After Barclays win, Joe LaCava would have been crazy to leave Dustin Johnson for Tiger Woods. 10 less weeks on road was determining factor."

According to Woods, LaCava contacted Tiger...no highjacking or arm-twisting needed.

Although @Kathleennewsie had an interesting take that she was "hoping to see Snooki on the bag", it was Butch Harmon (Johnson's swing coach) who officially broke the news on Sky Sports after speaking with Johnson, adding that he was "shocked" by the move.

"I'm a little disappointed with the way Tiger handled it. But I'm not surprised," added Harmon, believing Woods should have asked DJ before beginning negotiations with LaCava and possibly showing that he knows Woods' character better than most (Tiger gets what Tiger wants?)

Who reached out first? According to Lawrence Donegan of The Guardian UK, LaCava was "telling friends ...he (LaCava) had quickly become disillusioned with life in the fairways with Johnson." Could Couples have also had something to do with the pairing as he put together the current President's Cup team......?

With history possibly in the making, does it really matter at this point?

More importantly, is this good or bad for the new team of Tiger Woods and Joey LaCava?


"It's a "win-win," tweeted Paul Azinger. "TW trying to pass Jack. Joe can be a part of history … no brainer for Joey! It's not like he won't still get paid."

"And he's Tiger Woods," added Zinger.

Enough said.
 
Watch for the new dynamic duo October 6-9th performing live at the Frys.com Open.


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Tiger Woods determined not to dethrone Couples as King of "Silly Season"

It has often been stated that Fred Couples, considered the "King of the Silly Season" and dominant skins player, became "Champion" of the off-season due to debilitating back problems.

In spite of being sidelined for much of 2007 and 2011, Couples still managed to make the cut at the '07 Masters and won the 2011 Senior Players Championship after treatment in Germany.  

That's determination folks.

Tiger Woods, in my opinion, is now waging war against his physical ailments, as did Couples, and is looking forward to the challange and to putting 'W's alongside his name once more.

Woods has said he's "anxious to compete."

Within the next few months, Tiger Woods will be testing the waters to see how his knee/achilles and golf game in general are progressing with an eye on helping the Americans win the Presidents Cup chalice.

Does Couples believe Woods can help lead President's Cup 'Team USA' to victory, knowing as he does of the incapacitating nature of Woods' injury?
Couples said. "If he goes there and doesn’t play well, I would be shocked."

Today, Tiger Woods plays golf at Turning Stone Resort, to benefit the Notah Begay III Foundation (which seeks to eradicate childhood obesity in the Native American Community) and possibly as the first in a series of "tests" to prepare for President's Cup "Team USA". I don't know about the rest of the fans in cyberspace, but this is one golfing girl who is happy to see Woods representing the home team!

After the non-competitive(?) Turning Stone appearance, Woods takes on California at the Frys.com Open. Some golf media consider the Frys.com to be a "second-tier PGA Tour event" but rest assured, with Tiger in attendance, the Frys.com Open just moved way up in the rankings!

The fact that Woods was eliminated from FedEx Cup participation and that he still needed a few events under his belt before Couples allowed him to play for Team USA is probable reason for Tiger even entertaining the idea of playing the Frys.com Open. Victory here, although adorned with less meaning than winning another FedEx Cup or a major, will help to validate Woods' return and bring added confidence for the 2012 season.

Tiger Woods golf blog mentioned another reason for his decision to play at the Frys Open, "One of my goals this year was to participate in a tournament I hadn't played before, and now, I will."

After the Frys, Tiger Woods travels 'round the world to Melbourne, in order to compete at the Australian Open in November, a week before his return to team play at the President Cup. A hearty welcome and a healthy stipend probably helped lure Woods to this event ...and Couples' strong warning certainly escalated the importance of this tune-up before representation as Freddie's pick.

Bottom line? Tiger Woods needs to start playing golf whether it be in charitable events and/or fall-series tournaments to see whether or not he can work through his injuries and regain status on the PGA Tour as a formidable contender. If not, move over Couples. You will be dethroned!

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 photo credit: Kancomergolf.com

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Can British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen's "trigger" help you improve your golf game?

David MacKenzie

Written by David MacKenzie

Louis Oosthuizen's victory in The Open and the discovery of the "Red Dot" concentration trigger that helped him win has golfers wanting to understand exactly how it works. Here's how. 



The concept comes from a behavioral technology called Neuro Linguistic Programming (or NLP), a fairly new branch of psychology that attempts to improve a person's mental and emotional behavior. The teaching assumes that specific goals or actions (neuro) can be better achieved by "anchoring" (programming) past experiences with reinforcement stimuli such as touch, word or sight (linguistic).

Louis Oosthuizen marked the now famous Red Dot above his thumb on his left glove after working with Sports Psychologist Dr. Karl Morris. During practice, when he was 100% focused and ready to execute a shot, he would look at the Red Dot and "anchor" this mental state with that sight. Then, during competition, looking at the Red Dot as part of his pre-shot routine would automatically recall that feeling and make his mind enter that exact same state.

The goal of NLP is to bring together the conscious and unconscious minds.

In this case, Oosthuizen would first make conscious analytical decisions on how to best play the shot. Then by looking at the Red Dot, a reaction would be triggered by his unconscious mind to adopt the emotional state associated with that visual anchor.

The unconscious mind does not reason, is not logical and makes no judgments. Its primary job is physiological, in regulating body temperature and breathing. But it is also a repository of feelings (hence your dreams) which (if triggered correctly) can be recalled by the conscious mind. In a game where performance can be massively impaired by conscious thinking, bringing the non-judgmental unconscious mind into the shot process can only help our scores.

Confidence plays such a huge role in performing well in golf, so it is important to be able to recall (on demand) those times you felt success. The pre-shot (and post-shot) routine is one of the most important factors in achieving this. Getting yourself into a confident, positive mind-set will massively improve your chances of success. And this is exactly what the "trigger" does.

Golf is an unusual game in that it lasts 4-5 hours. For this reason it is imperative to be able to switch on and off - relaxing as much as possible when you can and conserving energy to give EVERY shot your best concentration. During the intense pressure of The Open, Oosthuizen was able to relax in between shots, safe in the knowledge that his Red Dot would take him into the necessary state of mind to give every shot his absolute concentration and focus. It reinforced his practice and gave him the self-confidence to execute.

The next time you are on the range, practice going through your routine and get as focused as you can be on the shot you are about to play. Give it everything you have. Then look, say or feel your "trigger" - this can be visual, verbal or touch (Ernie Els uses the Velcro on his glove and Fred Couples uses a tug on his shirt.)

That anchor will automatically start to produce the desired action, which is to recall that same focused state of mind. When you hit a good shot, anchor that too in the same way. Then try it on the course and make your new "trigger" part of your routine. This will tell your unconscious mind to adopt that optimal state of mind and you will be ready to play the shot as best you can.

The Golf State of Mind Audio Teaching has been designed as a tool to optimize your mind to ensure that you get closer to your potential EVERY time you practice and play. By using techniques to increase your powers of imagination, visualization and feel, you will discover a whole new, and more powerful, approach to golf game improvement. Listen to it on the way to the golf course or practice range and you will start to play fearlessly, remove negative interferences and become transformed into a better and happier golfer. Through learning how to synchronize your body and mind with visual and feel based exercises and learning a consistent approach to each shot, good golf will become a simple subconscious process. Don't continue to waste any more time practicing in the wrong way!!!
To sign up for your FREE eBook and course of eLessons please click above link.

Bizarre Headlines from Tiger Woods to John Daly Cheapen Masters Ambience

Each year during Masters week, the game of golf has been reflected upon in its purest form. Golfers of days gone by were revered, statistics and quotes of incredible shots were remembered and everyone was deciding on the "right" way to make a pimento cheese sandwich.

Do a Google search this week for "Masters" and a more bizarre and less "Southern" feeling emerges.

John Daly has set up his RV directly across the street from the Augusta National parking lot conducting his own business by selling and signing memorabilia to fans. Daly was not invited to Augusta National as a guest but decided to show up anyway, hoping to make more money in sales than from an appearance fee.

There is more Tiger Woods chat than you can shake a stick at since he is the big draw this week and the reason for an 82-person security detail. Partnering with Woods will be K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar. The big scoop, however, is that former(?) mistress Joslyn James will be headlining her own act in nearby Atlanta.

James is making a special appearance at the Pink Pony strip club during Masters week. The Pink Pony is playing up the Tiger Woods/Joslyn James scenario by offering directions from Augusta National to (another good ole boys) Club and the tag line, "The former porn star will be dancing on the bars while Tiger is hitting pars!"

Two greats of the game are also making their appearance in the news, Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd. Couples thinks he still has a chance to win and Floyd realizes that it's the end of the line and is calling it quits after 45 Masters Tournaments. Couples should consider sticking with the Champions Tour because even though he has won three times this year and placed second, no fifty-year old golfer has ever won The Masters.

This year at Augusta National will certainly NOT be your father's Masters!