Can Phil Mickelson Mentor a Young Ryder Cup Team to Victory? #golf

After Phil Mickelson's recent withdrawal from the BMW Championship, golf fans may be wondering whether or not Lefty still has the stuff of Champions needed to help lead Team USA on to victory against Europe.

Although Mickelson removed himself from the final FedEx Cup events and the remainder of the PGA Tour season (knowing he could not contend), he showed mental weakness as well. Was it a lack of passion, his age, physical issues, or a combination of maladies that forced Mickelson to withdraw? Will he be able to stand strong and carry his team in the face of adversity?

Because of his poor showing in the first two days of the BMW, The World Golf Hall of Famer chose not to buckle down, disappointing fans who came to see him play, a worldwide television audience and the tournament itself which relies on big names like Phil to help sell tickets.

At forty-four years of age and with twenty-plus years on tour, the jury is still out on Phil.

"My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup," Mickelson said in a statement released after his W/D from the BMW Championship. "Without a chance to contend at the Tour Championship, the most important thing for me now is to prepare for the Ryder Cup."

Team USA Captain Tom Watson wanted to add value to his team picks by adding “players who can putt and close and have heart.” Phil can still crush his drives but short game and passion is what Watson said is needed to carry Team USA to victory.

"You Gotta Believe", the slogan  of New York Mets baseball relief pitcher Tug McGraw in 1973, has been adapted as the term "Redemption" by Team USA with Mickelson leading the charge.

As for Watson's other requirement, the short game, Mickelson has that going for him too, so says his long term instructor and golf guru, Dave Pelz, "He's one of brightest players I have ever known and probably the best I've ever worked with and he certainly has the best short game I've ever seen."

With the use of learning aids such as the Putting Tutor developed by Pelz for use on indoor putting greens along with games designed specifically for the short game, Dave and Phil work together using both scientific and golf evaluation to try to "measure where he's losing most of his strokes and where he could improve."

"The games were developed to help my students," Dave Pelz said, so even if you're not a top tour pro like Mickelson, you can still take advantage of the same expert guidance right inside your home.

Does Team USA believe in Phil and does Lefty think that he should have been a Ryder Cup pick?

"I don't know if I played well enough this year to deserve a spot," Mickelson said. "You want players that are hot, that are playing well. And I need to step up and start doing that."

Keegan Bradley, who also withdrew from the BMW Championship on Saturday due to doubt over the legality over a drop, was in 28th place with a chance at winning the Tour Championship and made a great pairing with Mickelson at the 2012 Ryder Cup but would the same pairing be a good fit this year?

After their win at the 2012 Ryder Cup, Keegan Bradley said, "...being able to walk down the fairway with Phil and do this is a dream come true. It's another moment in my life that I can't believe I'm a part of. It could be the best day of my life."

"I just love playing with Keegan." Mickelson said. "He's just played so good all day and it's just kept me up the whole time. It's been awesome."

Watching Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson play golf during the PGA Championship, fans could also feel the camaraderie between these two players, so it seems likely that Mickelson is a good candidate for team cheerleader.

Will Team USA gain redemption with Mickelson at the helm? Should be an interesting Ryder Cup for both captains and mates!

Voice your Ryder Cup Opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners. In the market for backyard putting green kits? Ask SYNLawn for their opinion on Twitter @SYNLawn_golf.


Photo credit: SYNLawngolf.com, TaipeiTimes.com, Crunchtimenews.com



Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

@ATT Nokia Lumia 920 Opens Windows to the World of Golf #GiftMoneyCantBuy #SPON

A few weeks ago I wrote about an ATT promotion, "A Gift That Money Can't Buy", which is a website where teens can give something to their parents that they might want, and, in turn, hint at something cool for themselves...namely the new Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone running Windows 8 platform.

 

 

I am now the proud possessor of my very own Nokia Lumia 920 and have been using it for a couple of weeks. Here is why I like the new Lumia 920 and some of the cool things I can do with it...so far!

 

When ATT first introduced the Nokia Lumia 920 Smartphone, I must admit, I was one of the first people to run to the Windows store in the Westchester Mall in order to catch a glimpse of it. I'm a techie (the Bronx Science in me still remains) and the Lumia doesn't disappoint, from the slim fit in my pocket (just the right weight, yet not heavy) right down to the large 4.5 inch screen.

 

In my last post I mentioned how smooth and quick the Nokia Lumia 920 flies through the tasks I assign it but now, I can add that it loads apps and opens them lickety-split.

 

Since I am a golf fanatic, the first thing I did was load up a few apps. I use Mobitee, for example, as my GPS Golf Rangefinder: it loaded effortlessly. Gaming features like the X-Box Live Hub work great (if you are an X-Box fan like I am). The Nokia City Lens is a very interesting concept as well, helping to find local establishments using the phone's camera display.

 

Nokia City Lens on Windows 8

 

The Nokia Lumia 920 also gives you a few free business downloads like Skydrive storage for documents and Microsoft Office, a must for smartphones nowadays!

 

All-in-all, I am very satisfied with the Nokia Lumia 920. I just sent my husband his top-secret golf tip from Keegan Bradley who mentions that his golf ball is the "coolest guy in town"  What did he mean by that? Go to the A Gift Money Cant Buy website and send Bradley's golf tip to your special someone today!

 

 

Disclosure statement: M80 has contacted Golf for Beginners to write a blog post on behalf of AT&T.  Golf for Beginners is receiving free products as compensation in exchange for participation and is being compensated per FTC guidelines. http://ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedend  #SPON

 

 

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.

 

 

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How @ATT (and your teen) Can Give You A #GiftMoneyCantBuy Golf Tip from Keegan Bradley!

To start the New Year off right, AT&T is running  the “A Gift That Money Can't Buy" website, a site that allows teens to give their parent a one-of-a-kind digital gift. The site also nudges the recipient in the right direction of what to get for their kids, which is …hint hint, the latest and greatest AT&T smartphone – specifically a Nokia Lumia 920.

 

So parents get a cool gift and so do their kids!

 

 Check out these great gifts available on the GiftMoneyCantBuy Website:

- A top secret golf tip from Keegan Bradley

- A holiday feast prepared by celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio

- A Very, Very, Very Personal Greeting from Luke Perry

- A Guitar Solo from Richie Sambora []

- A joke handed down from comedian Richard Lewis

- A cameo in this month's "The Onion"

 

I just received the Nokia Lumia 920 for AT&T's A Gift That Money Can't Buy campaign and can't wait to try it out!  The Nokia Lumia 920 is very user friendly right out of the box, with a big 4.5-inch HD Capacitive Multipoint-Touch screen (so no squinting necessary) and a Snapdragon™ S4 Processor which flies through tasks with it’s powerfully fast CPU…I think I’m going to love this phone!

 

Follow @ATT on Twitter - #giftmoneycantbuy

 

photo credit: conversations.nokia.com

Disclosure statement: M80 has contacted Golf for Beginners to write a blog post on behalf of AT&T.  Golf for Beginners is receiving free products as compensation in exchange for participation and is being compensated per FTC guidelines. http://ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedend  #SPON

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Golf Horoscope for 2013

Even though the foremost astrologers utilize the aspects of the planets and stars at a given moment, the future still remains unpredictable. Utilizing the past as a barometer, Golf for Beginners makes several predictions on the future of the game and some of its players in 2013.

1. Tiger Woods will win two golf tournaments this year and one major event. Based upon his past performance in the majors, the current number-two money leader in the world will win the PGA Championship...it's about time to collect another Wanamaker Trophy, isn't it? On his golf blog Woods said, "Looking ahead to next year, I'm just trying to win those big four tournaments."



2.The Rory McIlroy-Tiger Woods competition will continue to heat up and fans will see several final round close calls this season. McIlroy will easily win the Masters after remembering what he said after squandering a four-stroke lead at Augusta in 2012. "I'll get over it," said Rory, "it was a character-building day, put it that way. I'll come out stronger for it," and so he has with his major victory in 2012 at the PGA Championship.

3. The 2016 Anchoring Ban (belly putter) will force advocates such as Webb Simpson to change their putters and revise their putting strokes. Watch for new and unpredictable grips for belly-putter golfers and for new equipment on the golf course. Will we see Keegan Bradley trying out a new claw grip this season?



4. The LPGA future will further take root in Asia. American LPGA golfers will be asked to learn Korean and Mandarin to keep up with the further globalization of the Tour. Instead of "foreign" Tour players being penalized for not speaking English, ladies such as Cristie Kerr on the LPGA will brush up on Korean to follow the sponsors, "follow the money".

Could it be that, down the road, American LPGA golfers will be penalized for not speaking Korean?



5. Two female members will be allowed to join Muirfield's "Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers" (so one can play golf with the other without disturbing the men) with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club following suit after much ballyhoo.

Stay tuned for mystical Tarot predictions by Stacy Solomon throughout the 2013 golf season!

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend us on Facebook.

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Why Tiger Woods Would Not Make a Good Ryder Cup Captain

Coming off of a disappointing loss for Team USA at the 2012 Ryder Cup, Tiger Woods commented that he would, some day, like to Captain the Team.  Although this move would make the Ryder Cup one of the most watched events in all of golf with television viewership reaching record numbers, would this be a good move for the Americans?

 

Here are a few reasons why Tiger Woods should probably leave the honor to someone else.

 

1.       LACK OF FOCUS: Tiger Woods has become vulnerable to distractions, whether it is from outside distractions or within his own game. Tiger would need to focus his attention on the entire team and how they work best together. For that, Woods needs to regain focus on his own game, from putting to the mental game, without losing his cool. Can he do it?

 

2.       LACK OF CARING: Woods asked all of the rookies to a personal apology session after the Ryder Cup to say “sorry” for not doing more to win. The decision to give up the final ½ point during his final match because he didn’t think it mattered spoke volumes to the Team and to his fans.

 

3.       LACK OF PRIDE: (See above) Tiger Woods was known never to give up; he always fought back, whether it was from a bad drive or to make the last putt on eighteen regardless of his position.

 

4.       NOT A TEAM PLAYER: Tiger Woods is best known as a singles player, but not much of a team player. His focus is predominantly on his own game, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but would he truly understand the intricacies of putting together teammates who work well together? For example, would Tiger have paired Keegan Bradley with Phil Mickelson?

 

5.       If Tiger Woods can’t figure out how to personally win at the Ryder Cup where a Cup and pride is at stake, how is he going to figure out how to lead a team to victory? Is Woods a better player only where money is the motivator?

 

Tiger Woods has a great understanding of the game of golf, of this there is no doubt, but his willingness to accept defeat is also becoming a lot easier. This might come from his own personal experiences but it certainly is not a good trait for a team captain.

 

Woods' intense determination to win, his ability to go out believing he was going to win every tournament before it started when he was a younger golfer has been tempered by doubts creeping into his self conscious. Accepting defeat has gotten a lot easier.

 

Maybe Tiger Woods should leave the Captaincy to someone else...Phil Mickelson perhaps?

 

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.

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Will the Belly Putter Go “Belly Up”? Examination of the Anchored Putting Style

By Scott McCormick, Contributing Writer

Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley have recently taken home major championship trophies on the PGA Tour utilizing a distinctive putting style – the long putter, or belly putter – in which they anchor the top of the putting shaft to their torso.

Their success has inaugurated a debate about the virtues of the belly putter and whether the technique runs contrary to the spirit of the game of golf.  Such luminaries as Tiger Woods have chimed in against the belly putter, and PGA tour officials are said to be considering the future legality of the practice.

With this putting technique getting increased attention and a debate among golf aficionados raging as to its legitimacy, let’s take a look at the finer points of the belly putter.  Who uses it and why?  Does it constitute an unfair advantage?

History

There is a common misconception that the belly putting style is a wholly new fad, and though the method has clearly risen in prominence in the last couple years, the origins of the style actually date back to at least the 1920s.  After struggling with his short game, a future Hall-of-Famer by the name of Leo Diegel began experimenting with new techniques, eventually settling on a strange method in which he placed both elbows out wide and tucked the shaft of the putter into his chest.

In the decades since, other golfers who have experimented with alternative putting styles have done so for the same reason as Diegel: they were lousy putters and they were looking to improve.  Bernhard Langer -- a fantastic golfer who had the misfortune of acquiring a bad case of the putting “yips” during his heyday in the 1980s – experimented with an anchor putt similar to the one currently used by Adam Scott.


Adam Scott showing off his unique anchored putting style

Other putters past and present who have utilized an anchored shaft putting method include: Rocco Mediate, Johnny Miller, Billy Casper, Orville Moody and Jason Day.

Since the impetus for a pro golfer to adjust his stance to the belly putt has traditionally been a failure to putt well with a “normal” stance, for many years the belly putt had a less-than-sterling reputation.  The belly-putter was an oddity, seen as a desperate move to improve the short game that many golfers who might have benefited from it no-doubt eschewed due to the embarrassment.

That’s changed a lot over the past ten years.  Not only have many tour pros adopted the belly putt, but Dale Pelz –arguably the foremost putting instructor alive today – has for years recommended the anchored putt as way to improve your short game.

Banishment calls

But with increased popularity has come a rise in scrutiny and calls for the PGA and/or the USGA to outlaw the practice either through regulations that limit the length of the putter, or more likely a ban on anchoring the club against any part of one’s upper body.

Opponents of the belly-putt say that anchored putting goes against the spirit of the game, that failure to perform a full swing with a pendulum motion is in contrast with the very nature of the game.

Others say that anchored putting has been around for too long to ban it now, particularly when many younger golfers have been utilizing the style for their entire careers, and sales of long putters on the amateur market have skyrocketed in recent years.

The counterargument to that line of reasoning is that the golfing establishment has made many other rule changes to improve the game over the years, and those who were affected either adapted or were left behind.  As far back as 1895, the billiard cue style of putting was formally outlawed (really!) and the croquet style putting that Sam Snead experimented with in the 1960s was also regulated out of existence.

Weighing the pros and cons

In order for there to be sufficient justification to outlaw something, one must first wonder if it really is giving golfers an advantage.  What is the benefit of the anchored putter?  And are there disadvantages that balance out these gains?  After all, if it is such a tremendous advantage, why isn’t everyone using it?

According to many, the main edge that belly putting adherents gain is purely psychological.  Particularly for those that have suffered from extreme cases of the putting yips in the past, having the top of the club shaft anchored to something gives the golfer the sense that their stroke is more stabilized and less susceptible to anxiety attacks.  Whether this is simply a placebo or something tangible probably depends on the individual, but there are some that argue that the benefits are far more than merely mental, and that posture, pace and rhythm are all significantly improved with an anchored stance.

Yet, there are those that feel that belly putting can be a detrimental in certain instances.  Commentator Johnny Miller, who as a top tour pro piddled around with the belly putter himself, has said on occasion that belly putting removes some of the “feel” from putting, making it more difficult for a golfer to “get in the zone” on their short game.  Others have noted that while the method can help improve consistency on putts within ten feet, longer putts are actually more difficult when using the anchored approach.

My two cents

In my opinion, calls to have the belly putter banned are misguided.  Compared to other golf equipment revolutions in recent years – drivers and balls that enable pros to drive 400 yards, wedges that literally cut through rough – it’s hard to see long putters as an over-the-top advantage, despite what someone like Tiger says.  With the stigma of using the belly putt slowly eroding, we can expect to see more tour pros experiment with the method, but many more will stick to the traditional approach.

And making an adverse ruling against long putters at this junction would be tremendously unfair to those that have come to rely on the method.  There are parallels in other sports for handling these kinds of rule changes; years ago when baseball outlawed the spitball, they “grandfathered in” those that had used the wet pitch for the duration of their career.  But applying that scheme to golf in this day and age would be cumbersome and impractical, a textbook definition of a solution in search of a problem.

But since the debate has heated up and speculation as to what the golfing establishment will do has run rampant in the last year, it would behoove PGA officials to announce their intentions one way or the other.  If they have no plans to ban the anchored putt in the near or long-term future, they should make a proclamation to that effect; otherwise up-and-coming golfers will be in limbo when trying to determine which style to adopt.


Scott McCormick comes from a long line of mediocre – yet devoted – golfers.  He lives in Arizona with his wife Alexis and their two dogs.  When not trying to improve his short game on an office putting machine or following his favorite PGA tour pros on Twitter, he works as a freelance writer for GolfNow, specializing in Kansas Kansas City Golf and Orange County Golf Courses.

photo credit: http://www.linksforlife.com

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Should Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson be automatic Ryder Cup picks?

With three tournament wins this season for Tiger Woods and top ranking in the FedEx Cup rankings, exclusion from the Ryder Cup would be out of the question. For Phil Mickelson, however, an automatic qualification should not have necessarily been clear-cut.

The eight official automatic 2012 Ryder Cup picks not made by Team USA Captain Davis Love III are (not necessarily in order of popularity):

1. Tiger Woods:  Three wins in 2012 but struggled most recently at the PGA Championship and in the majors in general. Of course Tiger's "C" game is akin to most tour players' "A" game.

2. Phil Mickelson: One win at the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am, M/C three times and slid in to 14th place on the money list with a lackluster season. Perhaps it's time for Mickelson to turn in the spikes for cleats?

3. Bubba Watson: A Masters win this season and being top-8 in the Official World Golf Rankings makes the second lefty on the list more of a shoe-in than likeable Phil but cuts at both the Memorial and the U.S. Open (when the pressure was on) makes Bubba questionable as well.

4. Jason Dufner: This was definitely Dufner's year with wins at the Zurich Classic and at the HP Byron Nelson. Second place at the Crowne Plaza Invitational with a follow-up 4th place at the U.S. Open makes Dufner a rising star on the PGA Tour.

5. Keegan Bradley: Aside from being a very likeable fellow, Keegan is also a solid golfer and good clutch player. He also recently won the WGC-Bridgestone and just tied for third place at the PGA Championship. Right now, he's hot.

6. Webb Simpson: Winner of the 2012 U.S. Open....enough said.

7. Zach Johnson: Two wins this season and 4th on the PGA Tour money list. Johnson's stats include ranking 11th in putting and second place in strokes gained in putting.

8.  Matt Kuchar: Cut from the PGA Championship but first in top-10 finishes this year and 9th in scrambling from the rough on the PGA Tour.

These players are Team USA's representation at the Ryder Cup and I will be cheering them on to victory and to getting the Cup back onto US soil. Team Europe won the 2010 Ryder Cup matches by a score of 14.5 t0 13.5. Team Europe will most likely include Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald but the final decisions are to be made after the Johnnie Walker Championship.

Tiger Woods may not have won a major and may have struggled this season to regain his form but he still shows signs of progress and remains a strong contender for Team USA. Mickelson will once again have to prove to himself, more than to his loyal fans, that he still has what it takes to compete against the up and coming golfers on the PGA Tour.

The four final spots for Team USA 2012 Ryder Cup will be chosen on September 4th with Captain of the Love boat considering Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker (one of my personal favorites and the golfer who almost bumped Mickelson off the Ryder Cup team) and Jim Furyk who Love said were "high on the list." The Wyndham Championship this week may be a deciding factor for Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas. Love said, "we want to see how they play. Obviously, we don't have to go tell them that they are under the gun."

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photo credit: ClubCorp.com

Bradley, Poulter, Mahan to Attempt $300K Hole-In-One at WGC-HSBC Champions

During the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai this week, Keegan Bradley, Ian Poulter, and Hunter Mahan will be given the opportunity to ace the 17^th golf hole at Sheshan Int'l golf course. If they succeed, performance tech innovator Power Balance will donate $300K to a charity of their choice and one lucky fan will be awarded $30K! 

All three golfers have been at the top of their game recently. Ian Poulter took home the trophy at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain in May, Hunter Mahan finished second at the Fedex Cup in September and Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship in August more recently capturing the PGA Grand Slam of Golf on October 20.

 

“This is a fun, interactive way to give back to our golfing communities,” said Josh Rodarmel, co-founder of Power Balance. “Golfers have consistently given us great feedback about our products and continue to comprise an important segment of our business.”

If you believe that a hole-in-one will be an easy ace, even for great golfers like Mahan, Bradley and Poulter, think again. According to HSBCGolf.com, "Two holes, 16 and 17, play around and over the (rock) quarry, giving the golfer both an awe inspiring view while requiring great golf shots. These two holes will not only be the signature holes of Shanghai Sheshan Golf Club, but also of the whole
Shanghai region."

 

17th hole at Sheshan Golf Club

 

**********

 

Power Balance technology products are worn by a community of millions of everyday people and hundreds of professional athletes – from Drew Brees to Derrick Rose, Matt Kemp to all three golfers participating in this challenge.

 

The online sweepstakes began last week with promotional giveaways and more on the Power Balance website, Facebook and Twitter. 

 

Fans can enter the sweepstakes at http://www.powerbalance.com/holeinonechallenge. The winner will be chosen from online entries into the sweepstakes; no purchase is required to enter the contest. Florida and New York are not eligible for this sweepstakes. 

 

Join the conversation on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend us on Facebook!

 

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Is Keegan Bradley flying to China on the wings of Phil Mickelson?

Keegan Bradley, the sensational rookie winner of the PGA Championship, says he can’t wait to take his place at Asia’s only World Golf Championship, the WGC-HSBC Champions, in Shanghai in November. Tim Maitland reports.

The 25-year-old nephew of LPGA legend Pat Bradley had already booked his ticket to China when he sealed his maiden PGA Tour win at the Byron Nelson Championship in May. He guaranteed he’d be one of the stars of the show in Shanghai when he joined the flood of recent first-time Major winners and put his name next to those of Francis Oiumet (1913) and Ben Curtis (2003) as only the third player in the history of golf to win such a prestigious title at his first attempt. Further icing on the cake came last week when he won the four-player (2011) Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.

“I’ve watched that tournament on TV for as long as it’s been there. I can remember a lot of the holes. It’s exciting to think I’ve qualified to play in that tournament. I always think of that 18^th hole and the water on the right with the huge red HSBC pyramid floating in the water. That’s what comes to my mind,” Bradley says.

“I remember when Phil slid his wedge right under and then chipped it and made par (in 2009). I remember that. It’s a great tournament. It’s going to be an honour to go there. It’s an exciting thing. For a rookie like me it’s a no-brainer; that’s one of the highlights of the schedule.”

Born and raised in New England, Bradley graduated from St John’s University in New York City and worked his way through the Hooters and Nationwide Tours before earning his PGA Tour card for the 2011 season. His only previous experience of playing in Asia was in 2009 at the Korean Golf Tour’s SK Telecom Open at the Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon. He finished 14^th place in an event won by Park Sang-Hyun.

“That was fun. I had a buddy who worked over there and he got me a sponsor’s invite and I got to go over: people were so nice and it was really, really fun so I’m really looking forward to getting back over there. My buddy Brendan Steele played over in Europe earlier this year and he loved it. It’s a fun thing to be able to go and play over there and to be in such a great tournament. I think the tournaments over there are first class and it’s part of the game now to play worldwide and to get some exposure over there is an exciting thought. Everybody’s so nice. It seems like golf is a worldwide game so people really can relate and understand what you’re going through. It’s exciting.”

Bradley’s eagerness to get to China can be traced back to a more humble upbringing that the name of his illustrious aunt might suggest. His father Mark was originally a night waterman at the Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club in Jackson, Wyoming before returning east to become a golf professional just before Keegan was born.

“Everything for me is a bonus out here. I didn’t grow up with a lot so anything that happens out here is a huge bonus. I try to look at it that way. I got nothing to lose, pretty much. Dad was a club pro and I’d just travel around with him. I’d get up early and go to work with him and hang out at the course all day. Golf was what I always loved and I still love it. I’m lucky to be out here!” Bradley explains.

Bradley’s also lucky that one of the players to take him under his wing this season has been four-time Major champion Phil Mickelson, who is also a two-time winner of the HSBC Champions. The stories he heard from Mickelson and his other friends on tour just made Keegan even keener to go to China.

“Everyone’s got nothing but great things to say. I would be honoured to play. Every single person I’ve talked to says it’s a great experience. They just said China’s a really cool place and that the tournament treats you great and cater to whatever the player needs, which is really, really cool. I’ve played on a lot of mini Tours and they do just about the opposite of that. When you get out here and get to be treated like this is a pleasure,” Bradley says.

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photo credit

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Golf Tips from Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, at the 2011 Grand Slam of Golf

Rory McIlroy, in a six-minute PGA golf video interview during the Grand Slam of Golf this week, slipped fans a few tips about how he managed to win the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, "you need a consistent shot-shift; you need to know what to do with the ball."


Rory's shot-shaping draws were only one way in which this year's current "number three" golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings stayed in the mix. Balance and stability throughout the golf swing; standing wider on drives and in a more athletic position, is a key swing thought which Rory McIlroy uses along with the swing key of keeping his extension "nice and wide" through the swing. (Check out Rory's "puppy golf club cover" too!)

McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel and Keegan Bradley, the four major winners of the 2011 golf season, were on hand for a demonstration during this year's Grand Slam of Golf. Here are a few of the golf tips the three other winners had to offer.

Golf swing thoughts from The Open Championship winner, Darren Clarke, included the importance of controlling trajectory in windy conditions and a long-iron golf tip for amateurs: hit down on the ball with good body turn; no scooping!

Chipping has to do with rhythm, said Charl Schwartzel, so slow down during your shot and think about tempo and weight distribution.

2011 PGA Champion Keegan Bradley relied on putting to win and says that he places the top of the grip squarely in his navel and locks it in so it's in the same place every time, then forgets about swing mechanics and makes the putt!

The final round of the Grand Slam of Golf from Southhampton, Bermuda, is being televised on TNT and concludes on Wednesday October 19th. Check your local listings.

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photo credit: AP

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Did the Tiger Woods golf era end on PGA Championship Sunday?

After receiving an encouraging tweet in the aftermath of the 93rd PGA Championship where Keegan Bradley charged from behind to take glory's last stand from Jason Dufner, I wondered if Tiger Woods is needed anymore to stir interest in professional golf. My answer, "Golf will survive and thrive without Tiger in the game!"

 

 

A short conversation between @GolfSchott on Twitter and myself (@Golf4Beginners) after a sudden-death playoff on Sunday transpired as follows:

@GolfSchott: I would say this one would be considered memorable now as well. What a tourney!!

@Golf4Beginners: Playoff always good but memorable?

@GolfSchott: Absolutely, this is no ordinary playoff, this is a playoff in a Major!

Excitement and patriotic relief were measured hand-in-hand as Americans came in first and second and that a red-shirted, fresh-faced Keegan Bradley hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy; "relief" that there is finally someone on this side of the pond to challenge the ever gregarious and competitive golfers standing up to be counted in the world arena.

I watched intently as the playoff commenced with two relative unknowns taking center stage. There were center-cut drives, long, twisting putts dropping into the cup and fists a'pump with unabashed joy as the golfers walked as purposely as the once-great Tiger Woods did on major Sunday with fans cheering immeasurably as a hero was finally crowned.

This was not just one hero that the fans were cheering in my opinion, it was the game of golf that received the applause!

According to this opinion piece, Tiger Woods as we knew him is "dead". "He might still win, but the dominant force we loved to watch is gone." Woods can never be the person or champion that he once was; his true identity has been discovered, found out, ousted and doubt in his own ability has caused "rigor mortis" in his golf swing.

The fear which Tiger instilled in professional golfers when he was in the hunt has diminished and, at thirty-five, the mystique of how he was regularly in contention is being replaced with missed cuts and pack-like, mediocre play. Although the odds are good that Woods will win again, he will never again be known as a hero in the world of golf.

Thank goodness that the fans are finally willing to move on, for the game has been suffering along with Woods for the past several years, unable to pick up and move on. As of this PGA Championship where Tiger M/C'd with one of his worst major rounds, golf media and fans are finally welcoming change.

Yes, a new era is at hand. Whether Keegan Bradley or Jason Dufner will become "memorable" or win more events cannot be predicted but it is safe to say that the PGA Championship Sunday sudden-death playoff gave the game of golf a push in the right direction.

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photo credit: MSNBC

 

 

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