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



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Life Lessons Your Kids Can Learn Through #Golf - Guest Blog

We are aware that golf is good for the health and the heart. It helps one to stay fit, improve muscle tone and endurance, and lose weight and body fat, but what make this game even more great are the priceless life lessons it instills in every player, including your little ones.

“Golf is played on an uneven terrain designed to surprise. Good and bad bounces are built into the essence of the game. The reason golf is so much like life is that the game — like life — is all about how you react to those good and bad bounces”. - Thomas Friedman

Teaching kids to play golf can be beneficial in imparting values and helpful lessons about life. The sport instills the value of honesty and integrity at an early age. The game builds on the honor system because the player keeps track of his own strokes and most of the time, the rest of the foursome will keep track of their own progress considering honesty as the best policy.

Water, bunkers and dense vegetation can make for a difficult day of tournament play. These hazards are very much part of the game and cannot be altered in any way. These course conundrums can be a favorable circumstance for ingenious problem solving and personal growth for your kids.

Like any other sport, success in playing golf doesn’t happen overnight. Constant practice teaches your kids discipline and the value of determination. They may have more misses than hits, but with practice and persistence, all efforts will eventually pay off. These values will help kids face tough challenges in life.

Listen to this great Golf for Beginners interview with Hank Haney - Tiger Woods former instructor - as he offers golf tips for beginners to tournament players.

These are just few of the many virtues kids can develop through healthy sport. It would be wise for parents to invest in an activity that their kids would both enjoy and learn good habits.

What makes golf more amazing is that golf can be a wonderful and fun activity for the whole family – dads, moms, kids, gen-y'ers, even senior citizens find it a great way to stay active! It’s a game you can play from the moment you’re able to hold the club until the time your arms could no longer swing. Introducing golf to your kids might be introducing them to the sport of a lifetime.

Kids as young as three (but more likely five to seven years), can already begin formal instruction – even if it’s just hitting balls at a practice range.

You can provide them age-appropriate clubs. A lot of sporting good stores offer cost-effective clubs designed for kids of specific age, height and skill level. You may even get your little girls some special golf clubs with a great range of colors like purple and pink or your little boys some fun and fancy junior golf headcovers. These could be great gifts or rewards for that awesome and perfect first swing.

To inspire kids pursue and excel in this sport, you may also want to take them to events like the U.S. Kids Golf Tournament or Junior World Golf Championships. Tickets to these events may be bought online through the organizers’ website or event ticket brokers with a reliable event ticket broker merchant account.

Spending time for special rounds of golf with family is a great way to devote quality time with them and an avenue to grow, learn, and have fun time together. On top of that, it’s a very amusing and engaging way to stay healthy as a family.

Blair Thomas is a successful entrepreneur who co-founded eMerchantBroker.com, the top high risk credit card processing firm voted by top credit card processors. He has managed several successful agent offices and registered ISO's.  When he isn’t working hard in the payment’s industry you can find him hiking the hills of Los Angeles.  Check him out on Google Plus.

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

Mohegan Sun Presents The First Annual 'Til Duty is Done' #Golf Classic

With all of the golf courses I have experienced as creator and content developer of Golf for Beginners, it is amazing that I can remember specific details about each one. With Mohegan Sun Country Club Golf Course, the memorable experience occurred both on, and off, the course.

A recent email from Ed Mack, golf course groundskeeper at MSCC, relayed to me the first annual 'Til Duty is Done' Golf Classic, occurring on Saturday, September 27, 2014 - golfing to support veterans, our nation's heroes! You can register online or call the Mohegan Sun Golf Club at 860.862.9235 for more information on the event.

The format is a four-man scramble, there will be prizes, giveaways and an appearance by PGA Tour winner and Connecticut native, J.J. Henry!

Below is a section of the brochure which describes the worthy charitable organization 'Til Duty is Done'. For those who gave so much to our country...can we ever repay them?

As always, voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on this blog!