Tiger Woods back on endorsement track after Australia visit

Australia was very good to Tiger Woods this year. From a third place finish in the Australian Open to helping Team USA with his decisive win at the Presidents Cup, Woods' game has begun to get back on track. Woods may have started off with a whimper during the first and second rounds of the Presidents Cup but he ended off putting with laser accuracy.

Woods admitted that his recovery is part of a process, "It's just a matter of putting it together over a longer period of time."

With the wins also go the spoils of war. Woods, playing and acting more like the Tiger of old, is snaring new endorsement deals. Both Rolex and Fuse Science Inc. have signed agreements with Woods. It has even been acknowledged by Tiger that he owns a stake in the nutrition company. You may remember that Tiger Woods lost many of his sponsorship deals from Tag Heuer to General Motors (Buick) but Nike Golf and EA Sports (among a few) have held on, execs keeping their fingers crossed that Woods will rebound and soar towards breaking Nicklaus' golf record of wins.

Tiger Woods current Official Sponsors.

Although Woods still has a long fairway to walk in order to return to the top-fifty, he is finally starting to see his live in a more positive way. Now openly talking about his injuries and the internal (emotional) setbacks that have sidelined him for more than two years, Tiger seems ready to move forward into the next stage of his life and career.

The next stage in Tiger Woods' career starts with the 2012 golf season. It was announced that, after six wins at Torrey Pines, Woods will open the season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Too bad the tournament director had to learn of Tiger's decision via television. And the question still remains, should the PGA Tour offer appearance fees?

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Tiger Woods splits with Stricker after humiliating defeat to Adam Scott

Team USA lost it's only match in first round Presidents Cup action as the Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker pairing were decimated at the hands of Adam Scott and Steve Williams (sorry, I meant to say KJ Choi).


Twelve holes after an obligatory handshake at the first tee Woods commented, "They got off to a quick start, and we just couldn’t keep up."


The tally for Scott/Choi was four birdies, three holes won with par closing out the match when Choi rolled in a 7-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole (7 and 6).

Although in past Presidents Cup action considered a dynamic duo, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker will split up and form new teams. Woods will be paired with heavy hitter Dustin Johnson and Stricker will connect with Matt Kuchar in order to bring about some magic in second round fourball action of the Presidents Cup.

Even though Adam Scott and KJ Choi made a great A-Team, they too will be split and paired with other International Team members. Adam Scott will be paired with KT Kim while Choi is partnering with Geoff Ogilvy, possibly to give hope to other International players.

Too much pressure for Tiger Woods after shaking the hand of Steve Williams and looking into the eyes of Scott, once predicted to be the NEW Tiger Woods?  Or could it be Stricker was just rusty after shoulder injuries? Alternate shot puts the onus on both players so a different format will bring out the best (or worst) to come.

As a side note: The team of Phil Mickelson/Jim Furyk won but you knew that as Tiger Woods' team was the only one defeated at the hands of the Internationals.

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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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Could the Presidents Cup benefit from a golf tailgate party?

With the kick-off of football season and the golf year winding down, attention is turning to fans hanging out in arena parking lots, barbecuing and reveling in team spirit.

With regards to golf, except maybe for the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, a.k.a. the "loudest hole in golf", the sport has always been more "refined" than football... except when Tiger Woods and Team USA get ready to challenge the rest of the world!

The Presidents Cup in November could be the perfect opportunity to give the sport a boost of adrenaline, actively involve current fans and add new supporters to golf with an all purpose "tailgate party" atmosphere!

Andrea Woroch, a nationally recognized consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli, Inc. recently sent me her "Thrifty Tailgating Tips to Kick-Off Football Season on a Budget". I would like to share a basic "recipe" for success while, at the same time, attempt to make these tips work for a golf tailgate party, whether watching from New York or celebrating down-under in Melbourne, Australia!

For those lucky individuals who will be driving to see the Presidents Cup, Andrea says the atmosphere at a major tailgate party is all about community. Team-up with your friends; assign a couple of people to drinks, several to snacks, and you take care of the grill and meat. Potluck works wonders and cuts costs for everyone. Beer and burgers may be okay for football but in golf where the crowd may be less rowdy(?), how about adding pates, paired wines and cheeses? Andrea also suggested Tailgating.com which has dozens of free, fan-submitted recipes.

Don't forget the supplies. Tailgating requires a lot of supplies and preparation before the big day, from carrying oversized coolers and pop-up canopies to folding tables and chairs. Before heading to the store to buy whatever gear you're lacking, find out if you can borrow from friends, neighbors or coworkers.

One of the signs of a high-quality football tailgate party is "a team flag flying high and jerseys as far as the eye can see." The Presidents Cup is the perfect opportunity to profess your national unity. Golf is a global game, so let's all be proud to see every nation's colors fly!

Woroch also suggests that fans "get their game on!"

Whether you find yourself grilling in a parking lot and/or gathering in front of your 60" big screen TV and Weber man-sized grill, include a few games in your plans. Sure it's easy and a great idea to bring along a football to toss around but how about incorporating games like Cornhole and Ladder Chipping golf games? Pull out a few putters and a prefab putting mat too.

For those fans like me who will be watching the Presidents Cup from home, you get the best seat in the house, a better barbecue grill, refrigeration and multiple hi-def replay angles from your large LCD display. You won't have to choose which golfer to follow, the golf tailgate party won't involve cars and parking lots and you won't be fighting traffic either!

 

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Mike Weir proves Tiger Woods is human and how to save your own round from going downhill

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Tiger Woods scrambled to keep pace in his Presidents Cup singles match against Mike Weir, that is a given. Not many can make a comeback as Woods did on Sunday, rebounding from a 3-hole deficit halfway through the match but Tiger confirmed one thing and that is, it can be done.

Although Woods conceded the final hole handing the win to Weir, he got his round back on track. As Weir acknowledged, "He didn't have his best day and I had my best day. That's the way you're going to beat the best player."

Granted we are not in the same league as either Tiger or Mike Weir so what can the amateur golfer do when floundering during a round? Golf for Beginners gives advice on how to avoid a meltdown in this week's podcast.

As for the "guffaws" made earlier in the week by the International Team about Phil Mickelson, they were silenced as Lefty easily proved his mettle in his singles match against Vijay Singh. Phil was looking to return the joke by wearing longer metal spikes. "I honestly couldn't find any in the locker room," Mickelson claimed. "I thought it would be funny."

This week's episode also offers ideas on how to play your best golf even when there is no time to practice before your round. A David Leadbetter recommendation for controlling distance is also featured.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Myrtle Beach Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

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Woods and Mickelson unite, is your golf game stagnant and stop competitors from getting into your head

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Now that Presidents Cup fever has replaced FedEx Cup mayhem, it will be interesting to see how Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson perform as comrades uniting for a common goal.

Although Team U.S.A. has only five golfers ranked in the top-twenty of the PGA Tour's Official Golf Rankings, the combination of Woods, Mickelson, Stricker and Furyk will most certainly dominate at this year's event. With the addition of Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink, who always appear to keep cool under pressure, the "Internationals" will have a tough time holding on, in my opinion, even with Ernie Els leading the pack. Rory Sabbatini can't close a deal and gets flustered around Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh has missed his last two cuts and Mike Weir just hasn't shown much spunk this season. Hoping for Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy to hold off the Americans is like wishing for Colin Montgomerie to win an event on the PGA Tour here in the States...it just won't happen.

Phil Mickelson was featured in first few minutes of the latest Family Guy episode ("Blue Harvest") on the Fox Network (not available yet as a download). Actually, his wife Amy was the topic of discussion with Phil appearing as a cartoonish prop. The demeaning and vulgar commentary about Amy was too long, unnecessary and not really all that funny. Why did writer Alec Sulkin single out Mickelson? Could it be a weird twist on Mickelson's "family guy" image?

Or could it be because Elin Woods, a former bikini model, was just too easy a target and no one wishes to upset Woods, lest, in a fit of rage, Tiger decided to purchase the Fox Network and cancel the show!

Without watching the Turning Stone Resort Championship, it was totally up to the internet to provide us with Steve Flesch's terrific win. Congrats to Flesch although would he have had such an easy time if the top players in the world were competing at Atunyote? Or is this fall series, with the interest falling on keeping a PGA Tour card, more stressful than accruing FedEx Cup points?


Golf for Beginners podcast also discusses Mike Pedersen's new golf blog which takes us through the top reasons golfers just don't improve. In addition to these golf tips, we admit a flaw in last week's blog about the Solheim Cup and answer an email from a listener who asks, "how do you deal with playing partners who insist on keeping you up to date with your score when you'd rather not know your running score?"

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Florida Golf Travel.

This podcast is supported by New Roc Harley Davidson, your worldwide parts and accessories distributor. Great rides start here!.