Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Can Michelle Wie save the LPGA? Also, one way to conquer a troublesome course and can Stacy bring team spirit to stroke play?

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Michelle Wie didn't make the cut and received no exemptions for the Ricoh Women's British Open this week so what does she do? She shrugs it off and goes Tour-hopping, increasing the box-office revenue at the Reno-Tahoe Open instead!

With a star-studded list of PGA Tour professionals attending the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, tournament directors at the B-List event realized that offering a precious exemption to a relative unknown was tantamount to television suicide, so why not offer the golden ticket to the princess of DQ's and MC's?

Add to that the last minute entry of David Duval and you have a recipe for the highest ratings ever on a Sunday. Could you imagine a final round pairing of Duval and Wie? That's like Frankenstein going head-to-head with Godzilla in a celebrity death match!





With the LPGA struggling to keep several of its its events alive for 2009, it would be a wise idea for Carolyn Bivens to consider giving Michelle Wie a full-blown exemption for the new season. The Ginn Company, primarily a real-estate business, pulls the strings to the tune of $25 million over four yearly events on the circuit. A restructuring due to a downturn in the economy means that the Ginn Tribute will be out of the loop next year. The Safeway, the Fields Open and the SemGroup Championship have also backed out their support of the Tour.

A lack of television exposure doesn't help either, making the climate ripe for Michelle Wie to earn her weight in gold!

This week Golf for Beginners addresses television dynamo Michelle Wie, and whether or not it was a good idea for her to jump ship, leaving the LPGA for greener pastures.

Last week we discussed the three steps to go from beginner to winner. Taking Barry's advice, I wound up winning a team best-ball event, posting a terrific score at Branton Woods in the process. Find out how I did it!

Finally, I offer Barry an easy way to defeat Hudson Hills golf course, where blow-up holes abound.

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

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

This podcast is supported by Grand Bahama Vacations 1-800-422-7466

Monday, July 21, 2008

How Harrington used course management to top Norman at the British Open, Michelle Wie DQ, take the first step to winning and choosing a first driver

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Padraig Harrington came out the victor this week at the British Open, the third major winner of the year with an injury to do so, hiding under the radar of many who thought he could not win back-to-back major tournaments. Harrington concentrated his efforts on course management and the short game to overtake an unlikely favorite of the over-fifty set, namely Greg Norman, whose "foot-on-the-pedal" mentality cost him yet another win.

It's a shame, though, that in 2007, Harrington thought so little of the Claret Jug he fought so hard to win he used it instead as a fill for swill! We hope that Harrington didn't do this again this year!



This week Golf for Beginners internet broadcast discusses the mental clarity and forethought it takes to make it to the final round and persevere under treacherous conditions. Chris Wood found little pressure in his "surreal" situation and easily made his way to the 18th hole with a forward focus. Others like Phil Mickelson, always the optimist, may have stated that he hit the ball well but it was evident he was clearly disappointed as he had spent the prior week at the Scottish Open finding similar results. Perhaps the pressure of having to take Tiger Woods' place on the leaderboard made him falter?

*****


Choosing your first driver without ever having hit one can be harrowing. We tell you what to look for in a driver and how to make the process easier!

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I had my first competitive round with the ladies of the EWGA at Doral Arrowwood this past week and my play was far from pretty! Find out how I intend to take the three steps from playing to competing and finally to winning!

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Finally, how many DQ's, withdrawals and mistakes will be had before Michelle Wie reads the Rules of Golf?

Wie stepped outside of the scoring area after round two and a volunteer had to call her back into the tent for the infraction of one of the basic rules of golf...that is, she didn't sign her scorecard! Michelle knew that she forgot but felt that this was yet another time she could get off the hook with a shrug and a "sorry" claiming, "I thought it would be okay. It was an honest mistake."




Her third round, which placed her squarely in contention for a Sunday showdown did not count. Perhaps Wie should have listened to our previous podcast where we discuss some of the most basic and overlooked regulations of the sport.

Wie was disqualified. Unfortunately, it cost the LPGA a Sunday of high ratings and Michelle Wie her possible first win on the Tour.

Michelle choked back tears looking for pity and said, "I don't know what happened to me."

Should this rule have been overturned just this once for the benefit of the sport?

Of course, once one of the Rules of Golf is slackened, it is only a matter of time before others follow suit. In our opinion, the Rules should be followed to the letter until a rule is changed for everyone. It isn't the first time something like this has occured and it surely won't be the last time.

It is unfortunate incident for Wie but I'll bet she will never make this mistake again. Penalties will surely occur from a lack of concentration...


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.

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This podcast is supported by GolfCanadasWest.com 877-323-3633.

Photo Credit: © SI.com/AP, InGolfWeTrust.com.