This Week's Most Viewed Golf Stories

Golf enthusiasts, it’s been a thrilling week on the on the fairways and greens! From historic tournaments to rising stars current mega-status golfers, the world of golf has been buzzing with excitement. Here’s a round-up of some of the golf stories making the internet buzz, packed with insights and key moments that had fans glued to their screens.

1. Tour Championship 2024: Scottie Scheffler's Domination

Scottie Scheffler has been the talk of the town at East Lake Golf Club, leading the Tour Championship with a commanding performance. He started strong with a 6-under 65, placing him seven shots ahead, making him a favorite to take the FedExCup. Fans are eagerly watching to see if any dark horses, like Justin Thomas or Viktor Hovland, can close the gap or if Xander Schauffele will surge ahead. Read more​: Tour Championship news

2. AIG Women's Open 2024: Players to Watch

The AIG Women’s Open is underway at St. Andrews, and all eyes are on Jin Young Ko, Nelly Korda, and Lydia Ko. Each player is bringing their unique strengths to the course, making this tournament one of the most competitive in recent memory. Special attention is also on the legendary Karrie Webb as she makes a rare appearance. Read more​ Golfshake.com

3. Tiger Woods' 2024 Comeback: Will He Play in the Majors?

Tiger Woods remains a perennial favorite in golf discussions. Despite his injuries, fans are hopeful for his return to the major championships in 2024. Woods has hinted at playing once a month on the PGA Tour, sparking excitement about his potential appearances at major events. Read more​ National Club Golfer Tiger has returned again - here is one of his previous moments: Golf for Beginners: Ready or Not, Here Comes Tiger Woods...Again!

4. LIV Golf's Ongoing Ranking Struggle

LIV Golf continues to battle for Official World Golf Ranking points, with their latest application being rejected. The implications are huge for the players involved, as their rankings continue to slide. This ongoing saga remains a hot topic among fans and analysts alike. Read more​ in above link.

5. 2025 PGA Tour Schedule Revealed

While the 2024 season is still in full swing, the PGA Tour has already unveiled its schedule for 2025. With new Signature Events and playoffs, fans are looking forward to an even more thrilling season next year. Read more​ Sports Illustrated 2025 PGA Tour Schedule-Dates, Winners, Purses

Final Thoughts

This week in golf has shown us that the sport is as dynamic and unpredictable as ever. Whether you're a Tiger Woods fan or following the latest developments in the Tour Championship, there’s plenty to keep you engaged this Labor Day weekend!

Mental Clarity That Helped Tiger Woods and Frittelli Win Golf Tournaments

PGA Tour rookie winner Dylan Frittelli stated after his John Deere Golf Classic win that Tiger Woods' amateur career sports psychologist helped give him mental clarity to push through to victory.

How can clearing the cobwebs in your mental game make beginners and amateurs into better golfers?

After a bogey-free weekend, Frittelli discussed how, for the past several months, sports psychologist Jay Brunza has changed his game.

"The plan for this week was just to be creative and have fun," mentioned Frittelli during his post-tournament interview. “Mentality clarity was the difference this week,” Frittelli said.

Although the exact communications between Jay Brunza and Frittelli remain confidential, Brunza did state that positive encouragement was a focus of their messages.

Mental clarity is easier said than accomplished but think of the song lyrics by En Vogue, "Free your mind and the rest will follow" and you are on the right track.

According to an article in The Independent, Brunza, a retired U.S. Navy officer and caddie/sports psychologist to an amateur Tiger Woods, said this about the junior Woods,

"...the process that followed was to teach him to deal with critical situations by emotionally detaching himself from them, while at the same time being completely immersed mentally in the challenge of the moment. With the inhibition of the fear of the moment removed, Woods could respond to the best of his burgeoning physical ability."   [paraphrased, Paul Trow]

Jay Brunza is also credited by several other tour players (Charlie Howell, for example) for his unique mental game strategy.

"You don’t focus on win or else," mentioned Frittelli in his post-round interview. Winning is a process. An easy thought to remember would be Brunza's catchphrase, "Relax, Review, Refocus".

A few more mental golf tips from the superstar sports psychologist are to...

Focus on a “pre-shot routine” in the pursuit of “peak performance” and "letting everything go, all the distractions, before playing a shot.”


Also cited, Timeslive.co.za
Photo by Regine Tholen on Unsplash

3 Reasons Tiger Woods Won The Masters

A game plan was in place, as Tiger Woods reported after his long-awaited Masters win, and the follow-through was extraordinary as throngs of fans stood by to see the reawakening of their long-lost hero.

As Masters.com stated, it was Tiger Woods' "Return to Glory".

The 2019 Masters with Tiger Woods as a frontrunner reminded fans of days gone by, with steadfastness and purpose of action, shot-after-shot was placed almost effortlessly into scoring position.

As Woods gained strength and momentum during the Masters, golfer upon golfer laid a path to his eventual win. Even with a bogey on 18, Woods could not be caught, and the triumph was both sweet and spectacular to watch.

How did Tiger do it? He mentioned he had a game plan like all professionals do before they play in tournaments, but the average golfer rarely puts a plan into practice. In this blog, Golf for Beginners takes a look at the three reasons Tiger Woods won The Masters and what we, as amateurs, can do to improve our own golf games.

When interviewed after The Masters, TW said he, "kept control of my emotions, my shot placement...I still stayed present and focused on what I had to do today." How can these actions apply to us?

1. GAME FACE ON! Keep control over your emotions.

As you could see from Tiger Woods, as well as from every golfer at Augusta National, there were no outbursts, and you could not tell whether or not they hit decent shots from the looks on their faces - keep your game face on throughout the round in spite of difficulties.

2. SHOT PLACEMENT: Know where you are going to place each golf shot. Tiger Woods took a controlled, aggressive approach - he looked at each hole, acknowledged the trouble areas and was safe yet aggressive when hitting each shot.

Don't just hit the ball, think your way around the golf course and visualize each shot.

3. FOCUS: Remain focused on your intended goal. Where Tiger kept relentless focus, Molinari mentioned after his round that one reason for his loss is that he lost focus.

Tiger Woods won The Masters through focus, sheer will, and determination - if you follow his lessons, you may be able to lower your score around the course and stop any real blow-up holes.

Follow Golf for Beginners on Twitter and feel free to post golf comments to this blog.


Photos: NBC Sports after the round taken from my TV!

How Team USA can Take Back the Ryder Cup in 2020

Although Team USA golf fans grasped onto some small level of hope during the Ryder Cup singles matches, Europe held off their opponents and reclaimed the chalice.

You win some, you lose some...but a thrashing should never have taken place.

"Our studs," said an anonymous someone in the U.S. team room, "didn’t play like studs this week."

The final Ryder Cup count was Team Europe with 17.5 points and Team USA at 10.5 points. Tiger Woods failed to thrill (but brought a large audience by just being on the team) and Mickelson, who is on-again, off-again about this being his final Ryder Cup appearance, was benched on Saturday and had a lackluster overall performance.

It is understandable why these two great golfers continually play in the Ryder Cup although it doesn't help Team USA secure a win. Mickelson, for example, according to RyderCup.com, "has the most losses than any player in U.S. history, though Tiger Woods is now only one behind after three straight defeats in France."

So, how can Team USA take back the Ryder Cup in 2020?

The first fix is fairly obvious; don't choose Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as captains pick for Team USA. Of course, if the captain agrees, this means a large loss of overall viewership, from the USA to across the pond (although I believe that the two, working together, would make interesting Team Captain/Assistant Captain). If either of the golfers makes it onto the team due to their own merits, this option will not work.

The second fix involves rescheduling the FedEx Cup finale... the Tour Championship, as it is possible for those players to be very tired going into the following week and performing at their peak. Perhaps the Ryder Cup needs to be moved ahead on the schedule one extra week to allow the players flight time and a short rest period before this stressful event?

According to several online blogs, Tiger Woods, looked "tired" and "listless" during all of his Ryder Cup matches and that is being blamed on his tight Tour Championship schedule which bled into the following week's matches.

Finally, how do you think Jim Furyk did as the Team USA Ryder Cup captain?

In my opinion, he did not utilize Patrick Reed to his best advantage - Reed sat on the sidelines during foursomes matches...and this is where he shines, and where he has been unbeaten.

"For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me twice," Reed said when interviewed by the New York Times.

What do you think can be done so Team USA has a chance at the 2020 Ryder Cup? Comments are welcome in this golf blog and tag us with your ideas on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Tiger Woods' Tour Championship Game Plan Can Help You Win at Golf

There was always a mystique that surrounded Tiger Woods; whether he won or not in golf, throngs of fans have followed his progress (and decline) through a five-year winless streak on the PGA Tour. The influence Woods has had in over the past twenty years has changed the face of golf.

The outcome of the Tour Championship changed both our perception of the former number one player in the world as well as his own self-esteem as he smiled broadly during his round knowing he also had the slim possibility of a FedEx Cup victory.

Tiger Woods' Strategy for Tour Championship victory

Woods looked like the Tiger of old as he proceeded to implement his plan for victory and he could not hide his joy as he stepped out onto the 18th green, sunk a par putt, and accepted his reward for a job well done.

"The game plan was to shoot under par, and I birdied the first hole right out of the gate,'' Tiger Woods said after winning the Tour Championship. "I just had to suck it up and hit shots."

But there was more to Tiger Woods' plan than to shoot under par and "suck it up" on the course. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced amateur, creating a strategy before playing your round will benefit you by lowering your score.

Below are three golf tips which Tiger Woods implemented at the Tour Championship.

1. Leave your ball below the hole - an uphill putt is better than a downhill slide as you can give the ball a good, solid roll as opposed to tenderly judging your speed.

2. View putt from behind the hole. Tiger Woods looked at the green from several angles to determine the lie and angle of his putt.

3. Place your tee shot on the correct side of the fairway to give yourself the right approach onto the green. Take trouble out of play and visualize your next shot.

Tiger Woods went back to the basics to win after a five-year drought - if he can do it, so can you.

Although Justin Rose struggled to a FedEx Cup victory while Tiger Woods dominated at the Tour Championship, Golf for Beginners wishes hearty congratulations to both the current and former world number-one golfers in the world.

3 Reasons Tiger Woods is on 2018 Ryder Cup Team USA

The final PGA Tour golfers are being selected for the 2018 Ryder Cup team;  Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau have already made the cut. Do you agree with Jim Furyk's choices?

On this year's Ryder Cup Team U.S.A. are a few standouts who need no explanation as to why they were selected: Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson (both with three 2018 PGA Tour wins), Brooks Koepka (2 major wins), and young guns like Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth have proven themselves to be ready for the challenge.

LISTEN: Jim Furyk Interview about getting ready for Ryder Cup

So, why have Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods been added to the Ryder Cup roster?

Mickelson has had a pretty good year with a win at the WGC Mexico Championship and several top-10's; I think fans just require more from him in spite of his bouts with RA.

So honored to be a part of Team USA!
PHEELING PATRIOTIC
PHEELING PHIERCE! 🇺🇸🕺#RyderCup @RyderCupUSA pic.twitter.com/6NGa6ESXxU

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 4, 2018

Tiger Woods has also made a comeback that is worthy of a Ryder Cup pick. Again, golf aficionados remember the Woods of old and, should instead not make comparisons but review his current season before issuing negative comments.

1. Although Woods has no wins under his belt in 2018, he has several top-10's including placing second at the PGA Championship; this is still an accomplishment for any PGA Tour golfer but, because it is Tiger Woods we are discussing, our expectations are higher. In spite of many back surgeries, Woods is still in the 2018 tournament mix.

2. According to Jim Furyk, Tiger is a solid vice-captain who helps his teammates, which not only helps as far as strategy and boosts morale for the team.

3. The obvious reason, not stated by Furyk, is that both Woods and Mickelson will bring millions of viewers to the Ryder Cup. Woods has a huge impact on TV ratings. According to thebiglead.com, because Woods was playing:

"Quicken Loans National’s final round ratings was a 92 percent increase over last year and a 28 percent increase over 2016. Not only that, but the third round also saw a huge increase and was up 143 percent."

The 2018 Ryder Cup will surely prove to be an exciting team experience! The TV Schedule for the US is:

Do you agree with the 2018 Ryder Cup picks? Voice your opinion on Golf for Beginners blog and tag us on Twitter with your answer @Golf4Beginners.

Could Tiger Woods Have Done Anything Better to Win the Golf PGA Championship?

During the final round of the PGA Championship, golf fans could not help but watch Tiger Woods and conjecture that his old form has returned; his putting was terrific and his confidence was high...he was even smiling!

There were a few mistakes which Woods made, however, which we all could learn from to make Tiger, and the rest of us, better golfers.

Many of my golf blogs emphasize the overall importance of putting in scoring low - well, Tiger Woods had that part of his game under control, rolling one-putts on Sunday from both near and far.

What Tiger could have done better to edge out a win was to keep his ball in the short grass. Woods made his Sunday round much more difficult than it had to be - whether he pitched out from under trees, or navigated to every bunker with his ball, Tiger had the shot needed to get that ball out of trouble and back into play but he missed a few opportunities to get onto the green and close to the pin.

What the amateur golfer needs to remember is that we are NOT Tiger Woods - we cannot get our golf balls out of deep rough and onto the putting surface with the same strength and finesse as the former number one golfer in the world  - we are lucky if we can get our ball out from behind a tree and back into play! What can we do? We can play smarter golf, picking our targets using the right club for the job.

Although I am writing about his Sunday round, Tiger Woods could have putt better earlier in the tournament; he didn't convert his short putts on Saturday, which ultimately cost him the PGA Championship.

ESPN stated, "Woods had six putts of 20 feet or shorter for birdie on the back nine (Saturday) and made none. That includes a 4-foot miss after missing a 20-footer for eagle on No. 17. It was a massively squandered opportunity, one that could easily have seen him grouped with Koepka in the final pairing."

For Tiger Woods (and for the rest of us), the lesson learned is to make every shot count; a four-foot putt on Saturday is as important as an approach shot onto the green on Sunday.

One final thought which comes from the above golf tip comes from Brooks Koepka, winner of the 2018 PGA Championship. "To duel it out with him, I don't think I ever dreamed of that situation today." If Tiger would have made it into the final group with Koepka and played his game, would Koepka have maintained a mentally strong attitude and won? Tiger Woods' mental game seems to be as strong as in the past so these two golfers would make an interesting pairing, don't you agree?

Follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter and feel free to add your thoughts into the comments section of this golf blog.

Golf Takeaways for Amateurs from The Open Championship

During Jordan Spieth's final round at The Open Championship, there were wayward shots and missed putts - disappointing for the young PGA professional seeking a back-to-back win.

On the flip side, Francesco Molinari was sure and steady, plodding along with sixteen pars and two birdies to clinch his victory.

Congratulations go to Molinari, however, for not allowing the pressure of playing golf with Tiger Woods to dictate his swing or his confidence.

Golf for Beginners has compiled this short list of golf takeaways that amateurs should consider, based on the conditions at Carnoustie and the trials and tribulations overcome by players during the 147th British Open Championship.

Play It Safe:

Keep calm in the face of adversity - golf is a game of recovery, as Francesco Molinari showed the rest of The Open field on Sunday. Think about each hole and plan your strategy to keep the ball in play, going into the hole in the least number of strokes.

Play the Wind: 

Jordan Spieth complained stated about the windy conditions, "I felt like I had really good control of the ball. I didn't play the wind the right way on those two holes. I was trying to fight it instead of accepting that the wind is going to win out here."

What can an amateur golfer do to combat the wind?

Butch Harmon golf tip for playing the wind: "Keep the ball low to neutralize the conditions. Take a couple extra clubs, and swing at 75 percent. Fast swings create more backspin and send the ball higher, so resist the urge to smash it."

Putt to Win:

Putting far outweighed being in tough lies off of the tee - Molinari was listed as fourth in putting for the week at Carnoustie, a statistic which helped him win The Open Championship. Molinari has been working with a coach to improve his putting, once said to be a "weakness" in his game.

Coach Denis Pugh stated, "He isn’t giving away strokes gained elsewhere on the course, on the greens now." For amateurs, don't give away strokes. Practice your long putts too...at least to snug the golf ball up to the hole so it's an easy two-putt.

What golf lessons did you learn from watching The Open Championship? Comments welcome below and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Is Winning or Losing in Golf in the Putting?

Two golf tournaments ran simultaneously recently, the Quicken Loans National and the U.S. Senior Open - for both winners, it all boiled down to putting skills.

Both Francesco Molinari and David Toms were rolling phenomenal putts; Molinari's 50-footer for eagle at the 10th hole made putting look easy.

The AP article on PGA Tour website said about Toms, "On a course where the greens perplexed the entire field for four straight days, Toms rolled in a 15-footer for a go-ahead birdie on No. 16, then coaxed in a downhill, 20-foot slider to save par after driving into a fairway bunker on the 530-yard, par-4 17th." 

In a previous Golf for Beginners blog, we discussed Golf Shots You Need To Practice to Score Low; golf gurus such as Ben Hogan thought the tee shot was the most important while "PGAProfessional " thought that putting was of top priority. After both tournaments, I think we can concur that, without a solid putting game, most golfers can not score low.

Using Tiger Woods' performance at The National as an example, although a tie for 4th place is worthy of accolades, his inconsistent putting game is what stopped him from gaining momentum...you just can't miss four-footers! As Tiger concurred after his defeat, "Those are things I can't afford to do and expect to win a golf tournament."

David Toms is 5th in putting average on the Champions Tour with a 1.734 putting average while Molinari's putts per greens-in-regulation are at 1.8...similar statistics gaining similar results although, as GolfWorld states, "putting has kept him from raising a few trophies in America previously", further provides evidence that it is the flat stick which wins tournaments.

So, how can the average player putt to win against his or her mates? Golf for Beginners have a few putting tips:

In the blog, "Easy Golf Tips to Inspire Confidence on the Putting Green", the one golf tip which resonates is that "touch is one thing very good putters have in common. Touch is the core ingredient for long-term success."

And, as a simple reminder from Tom Watson's book "Getting Up and Down", "Aim the putter, then align your body. Just like a golfer sets up at the tee box, the same is true when standing over a putt. Proper set-up is the beginning of a solid putt."

We encourage you to add to golf putting tips in the comments section below and tag us with your tips on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Photo by tyler hendy from Pexels

How to Overcome Irritating Golf Partners and Keep Your Sanity

Have you ever been paired with golf partners who irritate you?

Is there a member of your regular foursome who consistently disturbs you in your backswing?

If you are a golfer who enjoys connecting with new players you are probably nodding your head right now, picturing the most recent disturbing golf course event.

Golf is a social game so going out as a solo is only an occasional occurrence for many players. In this blog, Golf for Beginners will offer ideas on how to ignore annoyances from members of your group and to identify if you may be part of the problem!

Scenario #1: You are standing tall to the ball, you feel confident that your drive is going to land safely on the fairway and, in your backswing, you hear a ringing sound - it's your playing partner's cell phone playing the macarena...again. You tense up and your golf ball heads for the woods instead of its intended target.

What could have been done to prevent this outcome?

Most likely, you have not learned how to stop your backswing in mid-flight, so learning this technique might help for future outbursts.

This is one occurrence where you just have to bite the bullet but it would be wise to let the golfer know that his or her cell phone should be on mute and, if you have a smartphone of your own, check it before your round so you don't disturb others on the course.

Irritating golfer #2:  The golfer who lacks golf course etiquette.

Whether that annoying partner steps on your putting line or stands directly in front of you as you are trying to take your shot, this lack of golf course etiquette can result in internalized anger, topped shots and an overall drop in score.

What can you do about it?

Focus on your own game! Yes, you should politely let the offending golfer know the proper etiquette, but golf is not a team event (in most cases) and your score is based upon how well you get out of trouble and how you handle pressure. Don't let someone else's ignorance or lack of golf etiquette spoil your round- strengthen your mental resolve and concentrate on making par.

“The real test of good manners is to be able to put up with bad manners pleasantly.”  

― Kahlil Gibran

Read: Should Golfers Have to Pass an Etiquette Test?

Irritating golfer # 3: Talks in your backswing, alerting you to the hazards you should avoid.

When another player is quick to point out that bunker or water hazard in direct view as you are ready to hit your tee shot, quickly focus (and say out loud) the direction you are going to send the ball, for example, "I am placing this ball in the middle of the fairway by the 150 marker." This takes the negative thought and replaces it immediately with the last thing you heard, namely, the positive outcome. Visualize your shot and hit away.

It is also a good idea to make mention that you prefer not to receive tips of any kind during a round but will be happy to discuss it afterward, perhaps on the 19th hole.

Pro golfers have had to learn how to deal with disturbances; for golfers who have played alongside Tiger Woods, it can be "exhausting" being in the same group. Imagine throngs of folks following you and the sights and sounds which accompany hundreds - or thousands - of fans!

Final note: Golf is a friendly sport - I don't believe that players are intentionally and willfully causing you grief...you are just dealing with a lot of personalities! If something bothers you, be firm yet polite and handle the situation early in the round so that it doesn't escalate and ruin your good time on the course.

How do you overcome annoying people on the golf course? Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners!

Photo by Fancycrave from Pexels

Reed Wins Masters and Golf Pack Giveaway Winner Announced!

Another Masters Tournament in the annals of history, with another exciting four rounds and finale!

Top stories included Tiger Woods's return to major tournament action, Sergio Garcia's 13 on the 15th hole during round one at Augusta National (I don't think I have ever witnessed an octuple bogey by a PGA Tour pro), young guns charging and older golfers struggling and falling back into the mix.

Standouts who led a charge included Jordan Spieth who came close to having a record round (his bogey on the 18th hole stopped him) and Rickie Fowler who stood out not only for his terrific approach shots but for his orange pants! At the end of four grueling rounds, however, the last man standing was local golfer, Patrick Reed.

All in all, The Masters did not disappoint the fans.

Onto the winners' announcement of The Masters MMO Golf Pack Giveaway. As with every year, this is both a Twitter and Facebook giveaway and, this year, Golf for Beginners has chosen...

Vikki Stout-Cowell, for her Facebook comment about her son's love of golf:

Congratulations to Vikki and her son, who will soon receive a Masters gift package. Thanks to all who entered! We look forward to our next giveaway!

Follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter! Comment on our Golf for Beginners blog below.

Strong Mind of Tiger Woods Will Win The Masters says Daly

A golfer with a strong mental focus on the golf course definitely has an advantage over his or her opponents - but, is this strength of mind enough needed to win The Masters? And, is the golfer on the PGA Tour with the strongest mind still Tiger Woods?

John Daly seems to think so; in a recent interview, The Lion mentioned about Tiger Woods, "I honestly think he has a great shot at winning the Masters this year. He’s got the strongest mind out there, his mental capacity’s like (Jack) Nicklaus  — he can overcome an Arnold Palmer’s army."

Watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational viewers could see Woods' resolve but, he did make one mental error during the final round which, in my opinion, cost him the tournament - pulling out his driver when a 3-wood better suited his situation; A similar mishap occurred during the latter part of the Valspar Championship.

That being said, Woods' resolve to make a comeback is strong and that might be enough to take home his fifth Green Jacket.

It isn't easy to win any major but The Masters' tournament, being the first major of the year and always held at the same venue, holds a mystique, unlike all others. According to a Golf State of Mind blog, in addition to a clear strategy at Augusta, pro golfers also need imagination and creativity, "an incredible work ethic and determination" and the ability "to think clearly in the pressure moments."

Woods is planning his attack on Augusta, from the clubs he will place in his bag to reviewing the greens and his old course notes - if any golfer is ready to take on Augusta during The Masters, it's Tiger Woods.

Bettors and sportsbooks are taking notice; Tiger Woods is one of the top five Masters favorites after consecutive top-five finishes with Woods currently at 12/1 odds, just behind Justin Thomas. Rory McIlroy is the current favorite to win at Augusta National.

Tiger Woods recently said, “when I fully put it together again, when I know my limits, then I think I’ll start winning golf tournaments again.” Think now is his time to win?

The Masters takes place April 5–8, 2018 at Augusta National with a purse of $11,000,000. 
Watch on: CBS, ESPN.

State your case for or against Tiger Woods in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Can Luck Be the Answer to a Winning #Golf Mindset?

Skill vs. luck - which one ultimately wins a tournament? Jordan Spieth believes there is an element of luck to his game.

"If you believe that you put yourself in the right positions—like, obviously, making a 50-footer for eagle, for that to go in, there’s certainly luck involved."

Spieth continues, "I put myself in position by executing to get it close, but if you have that extra element of belief that it’s going to go in, then you’re not surprised and you believe that it was you. Then you create a trend of your mental approach with it. And, obviously, it can go the other way really quickly. You can believe you are not going to get a break. And then you probably won’t. It’s amazing how it works."

Tiger Woods once said, "There's no sense in going to a tournament if you don't believe that you can win it. And that is the belief I have always had. And that is not going to change." To believe is a good thing but, what happens when you don't win?

After the third round of the Hero World Challenge, Woods seemed to change his tune and was just happy to be back in the game; he was enjoying the competition of the tournament, not considering the final outcome. "It’s nice to be part of the fight again,” Woods said. “Get out there and fighting against the golf course; fighting against the guys. That’s fun."

Can having fun and not worrying about the outcome increase your luck on the golf course?

Research has determined that "the idea that exceptional performers are the most skilled is flawed."
Winning is overrated and exceptional performance often occurs in exceptional circumstances. Luck also has a lot to do with winning.

Scientists have looked into the science of luck and believe that there is a measurable aspect to luck which "has more to do with psychology than probability." A positive mental attitude combined with not compensating when facing fear can better your chances of winning.

So, can you be "lucky" at golf and improve your chances? Is there a scientific aspect to luck and, if so, how can you apply it to your next round of golf?

Read: Improve your short game in 2 easy steps

An article in Popular Science magazine says that it is possible to trick your mind into believing you are lucky...with "lucky charms". In fact, research has shown that superstitions of any kind can help you perform better on the golf course. "Researchers hypothesized that the people with their lucky charms by their side persisted at problems longer because they felt more effective like they had the assistance of some other power." So now you know it's okay to pull out that rabbit's foot, throw grass over your shoulder and mark your ball that certain way...

Gary Player contradicts research by saying, "The harder you work, the luckier you get."

Of which mindset are you...and what lucky charms do you carry in your golf bag? Let us know in the comments section of our Golf for Beginners golf blog and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

The Masters 2017 Official #Golf Gear GIVEAWAY!

Golf for Beginners is happy to announce that, for our fourth consecutive year, we are giving away official gear from The Masters Tournament! Ready to win? Follow the easy directions below.

The first of golf's majors takes center stage this week - scheduled for April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia - and the odds say that the favorites to win are Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

Will you be rooting for either of these three great participants or, like me, are you waiting for Phil Mickelson to come to life on the back nine and steal the show? It is sad that Tiger Woods will miss his first Masters Tournament but the details are that Woods is not "tournament-ready". Tiger appeared stiff in practice sessions and, according to Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, "He just didn't feel he was ready."

We wish Tiger Woods a speedy recovery and hope that he will be ready to play in the U.S. Open.

Whoever wins The Masters Tournament the event itself, as always, be a memorable one and will carry forth all of the traditional elements golf fans have come to know and love, filled with southern charm.

The Masters 2017 GIVEAWAY

That being said, there is nothing more exciting than a GIVEAWAY and, at GFB, we have our own Masters tradition, which is to provide a bit of swag for readers of our golf blog courtesy of the fine folks at MMOGolf.com,

One lucky golf fan will win this Official 2017 Masters Caddy Slouch Hat. 

Read below for entry information.

The photo shows the hat but the date will be 2017.

In my opinion, this is one of the most-sought-after items at The Masters! Your foursome will envy you thinking that you learned the secret to getting swag from The Masters (how else could you have gotten this hat...through an invite?)

What do you have to do in order to try and win this Officially Incredibly Cool Masters Merchandise?

Here are the Official Masters Hat Giveaway Rules:

This is a Twitter-based giveaway but we will also watch for the hashtag on Facebook and Google Plus:

1. Follow @Golf4Beginners on Twitter (if you haven't yet done so) and send us a tweet with the hashtag #MastersCaddyHat telling us why you want to win this prized possession.

2. Postings must include entrants' @username mention to @Golf4Beginners in addition to #MastersCaddyHat to be considered an entry.

One Masters slouch hat will be given away by Golf for Beginners blog.

Prize contributed by MMOGolf.com (see below).

3. One Winner of Men's Caddy Hat  - Winner will be selected by me, Stacy Solomon, so please try to make nice yet opinionated Masters mentions as I will be reading and responding to all comments!

4. Only one entry per person and feel free to RETWEET this Great Giveaway and tell your friends.

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

What else can you do to increase your chances or to show you care? 

Follow MMOGolf on Twitter and add their handle to your tweets.

Like MMO Golf on Facebook, suppliers of great Masters Merchandise and the site responsible for this giveaway.

GOOD LUCK!

As always, please follow Golf for Beginners on Twitter and subscribe to this golf blog.

VIDEO: Tiger Woods Golf - Venturing Into the Unknown

Tiger Woods returned to Torrey Pines after a seventeen-month hiatus. Woods has won on this golf course an astounding eight times, so this seemed to be as good a course as any to kick off his return.

"We all know I haven't played s full schedule in a long time, so this is an unknown," mentioned Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Tiger also stated that he needed to get into the playing rhythm once again.

Fortifying the former number one golfer in the world's comfort level was being paired with friends Jason Day and Dustin Johnson.

Was his comeback a success or is Tiger Woods a little rusty?

The rough got the better of him but, overall, the most important thing is to put one foot in front of the other, which is what Tiger Woods did at Torrey Pines.

According to a quote found in the New York Times, "Woods acknowledged that he needed to cut down on the 'dumb mistakes', saying, 'Playing tournament golf is a little bit different than playing with your buddies at home in a cart. I need to get more rounds under my belt, more playing time and that’s what I’m trying to do.'

Think Tiger Woods will win a PGA Tour tournament in 2017? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Video: Golfing World

Social Media Golf Celebrities and their Impact on Golf

Do you follow Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson...Paige Spiranac... on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook? If so you are not alone as followers are in the millions for these golfers. Is it because of how they play or what they say?

From professional golfers becoming popular via contentious tweets to phenom beauties making a name for themselves on Instagram, the impact golfers have on social media has been an enormous game changer.

Advertisers are jumping on board the social media express, tying into the celebrity to get their product noticed; the monetization value of a single tweet from Tiger Woods was calculated at $33,911 while a single McIlroy tweet was $16,161 with Ian Poulter valued at $11,982. So, the next time you are reading posts from your favorite golfer, think about the subliminal impact it is having on you.

Golf, the once exclusive pastime for the rich and famous, has gone mainstream but has it abandoned its core values to gain visibility and does it now have to right the ship?

Listed below are a few Social Golf moments to consider: do you think, overall, that social media has helped or hurt the game using these examples? 

1. There are different levels of enjoyment within the game of golf for the fan, from watching great tournament shots to learning about the new equipment from Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist and looking for the upcoming great stars who can be "the next Tiger Woods". Instagram has helped launch the career of Paige Spiranac much like the way Justin Bieber was found on Youtube.com. A million social media fans have catapulted this good golfer into the Dubai Ladies Masters despite not officially qualifying for LPGA or LET status.

One of the top female golfers and 4th in the Rolex Rankings, Shanshan Feng has only 933 Instagram followers (2,556 Twitter followers) compared with the 1 + million (884,000 Instagram) Spiranac followers. Although Feng lets her sticks do the talking on the golf course, she needs to gain similar influence or she may be watching from the sidelines over time as others line their pockets via the power of well-placed photos and tweets. Global publicity for the LET and LPGA increases purses and the internet has been chosen as the delivery vehicle.

Happy holidays! Ready for gifts🎅🏻🎄🎁 #merryxmas pic.twitter.com/HnQJSDqTf1

— Shanshan Feng (@shanshanfengCHN) December 24, 2016

2. Did we really need to know that? Is it interesting to you to know what a golfer had for breakfast and/or do we really need to see guys like Jordan Spieth or Rickie Fowler hamming it up, shirtless on vacation?

Thousands upon thousands of fans follow the top guys in golf (Spieth has 1.71 million followers) which is also great for his sponsors who help strategically place their equipment in threads and posts; Titleist ProV1x and Under Armour. The tweet below for the Titleist ProV1 golf ball received 294 retweets and over 2,000 likes:

First week with the new 2017 @Titleist ProV1x was a success. No surprise it's the #1ballingolf pic.twitter.com/ZSN6tEVzyV

— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) November 30, 2016

Have you tried these any of these golf brands because of a post tweeted from a famous golfer? If so, you are not alone. Advertisers, who once saw results in a TV commercial during a round of golf, are finding that well-placed posts and online videos are equally effective, using brand ambassadors to relate to consumers. It's easy and cost effective to get the message out using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, and, you get a lot more bank for your buck.

What may be a boon to advertisers may also hurt them as we can also "read" the thoughts of golfers when they are at odds with the game. One very candid, prominent social golfer, Ian Poulter, lets fans know when they (or the system) are out of bounds but this type of power can also be dangerous.

For example, after calling Ian Poulter an unfavorable "name" on Facebook, an average-joe deliveryman was the recipient of one of Poulter's effective posts causing the man's place of business to apologize to Poulter and to re-rout the driver to a different office. Ian Poulter nearly cost a man his job; it's easy to get attention when you have over two-million followers and the power of social media in your corner. He is heard, seen and can get someone fired with words as he has previously done.

Although the man was clearly wrong costing Poulter his shot to land in the drink, Poulter, who makes millions each year, could have cost this worker his livelihood...one-upmanship in the social sphere? 

Lesson learned...watch what you say and to whom you say it on social media.

3. Good can come of it! Golf social media celebs can also make a positive impact on the game. Many players post about their favorite causes, foundations and those of the PGA Tour, bringing great visibility and more donations to help others in need.

My pop would be proud of how the #heroworldchallenge has grown. We’ve raised more than $26M for youth programs. –TW pic.twitter.com/aAETXVMEyf

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) December 1, 2016

Do you think professional players' social media impact on golf has been positive? State your case in our golf blog comments section below and tag/follow us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Golf for Beginners wishes all of our friends and followers a very Happy New Year.
Thanks for reading our blogs; we look forward to your thoughts, shares and retweets for 2017.

How Bad is YOUR Bad on the #Golf Course?

Tiger Woods, at his own Hero World Challenge Tournament last week, mentioned a concept that resonates with many amateurs on the golf course: Just "how bad is your bad?"

Do you double bogey after sinking a thirty-foot putt for birdie? Do you choke after looking at your scorecard? Does your round take a downhill spiral and not bounce back or do you recover and shake off the bad golf shots?

Highs and lows have no place on the golf course - a sound and even mental attitude is how to keep the "bad" from seeping into your round.

Here are a few golf tips to get your mind fit for the round and help you to stay focused on par:

1. Stay Positive! Possibly one of the hardest things to do during a round is to keep smiling (like Phil Mickelson does) after flubbing an chip shot when you just struck a miraculous two-hundred-fifty yard drive. Don't beat yourself up - golf is a game of mis-hits and, according to Bob Rotella, it is also a game of confidence and competence. Today, you may not have the most perfectly aligned swing, but your putter might be lightning hot - eighteen holes is a long journey.

Read these Tips for Getting Rid of the Shanks

2. Gimme NOTHING! In order to understand golf tournament pressure, don't accept gimme's during your rounds - MAKE EVERY PUTT. Dr. Joseph Parent say's, "Act like the shot matters, and you'll be more ready to hit it when it really does."

3. What Scorecard? I let my husband score each round and, when I am playing golf in a tournament, I let someone else handle putting my score down on paper...know why? It's too much pressure seeing how many birdies and bogeys I made and calculating what it would take for me to score in the 80's for the round. Focus on the shot right in front of you and let the score take care of itself!

What golf tips can you share that makes your bad on the golf course...better? Comment below in this golf blog and share with us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

New #Golf Clubs, New Swing...New Tiger Woods?

Armed with new Taylor Made golf clubs (driver and woods) and a reworked swing, Tiger Woods makes his way to the first tee of his Hero World Golf Challenge feeling good about his game. Heck, the former number one golfer in the world parlayed two eagles on the front nine in the Wednesday Pro-Am but is that enough or is Tiger Woods over-the-hill?

At almost forty-one years of age, Tiger Woods is hardly over the hill as golfers like Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus would attest to yet you could almost hear Woods' thoughts out loud while contemplating this as an issue. Let's see, Tiger stroking his graying goatee while thinking of Jim Furyk's miracle fifty-eight at the Travelers Championship, "it’s possible. I’m just going to have to find different ways of doing it."

Will Tiger's new set of golf clubs help, or hurt, his game? First the details:

• TaylorMade M2 driver, 3-wood, 5-wood.
• Nike irons and wedges.
• Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter.
• Bridgestone B330S golf ball.

According to SBNation, now that Nike is out of the golf club business, Tiger Woods has his choice of clubs which opens him up to being able to mix-n-match irons, woods, driver that could be more beneficial to his overall reworked old, new, old again swing.  "I hit everything," said Woods. "And I had control of everything. I can hit all the shots now, on call." 

As for his golf swing, top fifty instructor, Brian Manzella, says Tiger looks "golf strong" with "a much more pronounced in-to-out swing path than before--which tends to produce a draw--and a finish that moves much more upright much more quickly after impact."

Tiger Woods hit the range on Wednesday.

And it was great to see. https://t.co/RJoazYkSuC

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 30, 2016

New Golf clubs...check.

Reworked golf swing...check.

New and Improved Tiger Woods? ... We will have to wait and see but it would be great to have the old Tiger Woods back on the golf course, wouldn't it?

Will you be watching the Hero World Golf Challenge? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section of this Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Tiger Woods Sorry - Playing It Safe After #Golf Tournament Withdrawal

The original title to this golf blog was intended to be something like "Two Huge Draws to Boost Napa Safeway Golf Tournament...Tiger Woods and...?" Unfortunately, days after Tiger Woods had committed to playing golf at the Safeway Tournament in Napa this week, he withdrew.

According to Woods,

"After a lot of soul searching and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA TOUR or compete in Turkey. My health is good, and I feel strong, but my game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be."

A practice session proved to Tiger that he was not yet ready for the big league but why wait until only three days before the tournament? Woods said he "wasn't ready to compete against the best golfers in the world." He also apologized and said that his game was close but obviously not good enough.

Ticket sales were said to have been boosted by a minimum of thirty to forty percent and visibility on TV, radio and social networks would have been increased by more than any event in recent memory, not to mention advertisers who booked time (probably attached to a healthy sum) based upon Woods' okay.

Wonder what all of those folks are thinking who specifically bought tickets to see the return of the former number-one golfer in the world play alongside of Phil Mickelson? I guess they will have to watch the golf game for the pure enjoyment of the sport.

According to Golf Digest, The PGA Tour was so excited at the prospect of a Woods-Mickelson pairing that it released the information as soon as confirmed; usually, this information is not available until the Tuesday before the Tournament! The Safeway Open website was said to have a banner which read, "See Tiger, Daily Tickets Only $30. 'Now the banner says, See Phil, Daily Tickets only $30." There were reports of fans requesting refunds.

Think about it... what could be more exciting than a return to the greens by one of the greatest golfers of all time, being paired with a current top-ranked player whose back-and-forth duels have been likened to some of the best sports moments in history?

Mentioned on ESPN.com, "in 1,139 rounds in his PGA Tour career as a pro, Woods has been paired with Mickelson just thirty-two times -- or less than three percent of their rounds."

I am sure that many golf fans can remember a few of the more exciting Mickelson-Woods moments; my favorite is the 2005 "Duel at Doral" where Phil played his best but where Tiger Woods rallied at sunset to regain the world number one ranking. Sorry folks, not this time.

Mickelson is raring to go with Woods; Phil and Tiger spent quite a bit of time together during the Ryder Cup and mentioned in an interview last month, "that would be really fun. I would love it."

I guess Tiger Woods fans will have to wait until his foundation's "Hero World Challenge" to get a peek at the game gone south of our former hero.

What do the fans think of Tiger's comeback flip-flop right before the Safeway Tournament?

Tweet using our handle @Golf4Beginners and feel free to post below in the comments section of this golf blog.

photo: SafewayOpen.com.

Five Tips to Increase Your Lead When Playing With Your #Golf Buddies

Have you ever been in the lead of a golf tournament only to have it slowly slip away before your eyes with you scratching your head and wondering what happened? What about the times where golfers backed up to meet you and give YOU the chance at a win?

The leaders at the Valero Texas Open on Sunday were missing opportunities and backed up to meet Charley Hoffman but, is that just the game of golf (taking good shots with the bad) or are there mental errors stopping the win?

Patrick Reed had this to say after going up against Hoffman, "I put the pressure as much as I could on Charley. It shows he was ready to win a golf tournament, and I had way too many mistakes to close one out." Did concentrating on Charley's game and knowingly increasing pressure cause Reed's failure?

When you are in the lead do you change your game plan and become defensive to maintain your lead or do you keep playing same game that got you into the lead? Which do you think works better?

A frustrated Rory McIlroy had two leads slip away in back-to-back tournaments, at Riviera and at the WGC Cadillac Championship, going into Sunday at the later event with a three-stroke lead.

"I was leading the golf tournament with sixteen holes to play in Riviera. To not get the job done in either two of those instances is very frustrating."

Golf tournaments, at any level, are pressure cooker situations and, when you are in the lead, the pressure always increases. Many golfers may start to play safer and more defensively when they glance up at the leaderboard which, IMO, often gets them into trouble and ultimately loses the match.

Remember the former number one golfer in the world during his prime? Tiger Woods mostly maintained the same game that got him in the lead in the first place - he kept attacking the course. I believe that physical ailments and mental changes in his original plan has stopped him from greatness; the physical problems have caused Woods to swing the club differently and the mental issues, well, we know where that got him...

Golf Tips to Help Keep Your Lead When the Pressure Increases:

1. Stay in the present moment. What is being in the moment? Wade Pearse contends, "The only thing you EVER have is RIGHT NOW. There is no such thing as the past or the future."

2. Tune out distractions and don't fall prey to mental tricks or excuses. At the WGC Cadillac Championship, Justin Rose used excuses to describe why he bogeyed the eighteenth hole...the roar of the crowd for Luke Donald, it felt "tricky coming in", etc.

3. Look, Don't Look, at the Leaderboard...? Golf is a game played alone - it's just you against the golf course. Please see number 2!

4. Don't second guess your shots ... Confidence Rules, from stepping up to the tee knowing you are going to hit a good shot to picking the right golf driver to hit that great shot.

Speaking of that next great shot, if you are holding the lead, consider playing the next shot safe instead of sorry if there are possible pitfalls.

5. Engage in positive self talk. Charley Hoffman finally said to himself at the 18th hole, "Let's finish this here. Let's not play anymore."

"Everyone knows that it is not technical ability which separates the winners from the losers in tournament golf.  It is your mind which makes the difference," states avid golfer and specialist in golf hypnosis, Roseanna Leaton.

Are you ready to win?

Join the conversation on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and feel free to comment on our Golf for Beginners blog.


photo credit: Texas Enterprise