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.

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

Read more about Tiger Woods on Golf for Beginners

 

photo credit: MSNBC

 

 

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Can new Nike golf shoes help transform Tiger Woods game?

Tiger Woods has been sporting new Nike golf shoes since his return to professional golf, according to the press release issued below.

It certainly didn't help transform his golf game last week at the WGC-Bridgestone, as we saw Woods finish in a tie for 37th position. As a matter of fact, the Post reported that Tiger's former caddie, Steve Williams, earned about 2.5 times as much as Woods!


Still, Golfweek mentioned that, despite Tiger Woods' yardage issues, he is hitting the ball flush and is ready for his close-up at the PGA Championship.


Well, since money isn't everything, perhaps comfort will be!

********************

Tiger Woods Debuts Prototype Shoe on Comeback

Tiger Woods has been working with one of the Directors within NIKE’s Innovation Kitchen, Tobie Hatfield, and NIKE Golf on a FREE-inspired prototype shoe that Tiger will wear during this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Originally developed in 2004 by a group led by Hatfield, NIKE FREE is a ‘natural motion’ technology that is designed to mimic and conform to the natural motion of the foot, coupled with the protection and traction of a lightweight performance shoe.

The FREE-inspired elements in this prototype model allow greater movement for the front of the foot, increasing stability with mobility. “This will help give Tiger greater stability as he addresses the ball. The freedom of movement that natural motion technology delivers will also allow more power to be released through the swing rather than through the body – which can happen when your feet are too static.” said Hatfield.

“I love the feel of NIKE FREE for training, so I asked Tobie if it was possible to bring that technology to the golf course. It’s exciting to see a conversation like that come to life and I look forward to wearing them this week,” added Tiger.

The majority of the upper consists of a polyurethane coated stretch fabric, also seen within the construction of NIKE Basketball’s Hyperfuse 2011. Part of the heel is created from recycled NIKE Air Max units melted into thread and then woven together to create a strong, breathable textile material. The FREE-inspired outsole is directly taken from NIKE Sportswear’s Special Field Boot designed for first-responders.

This model also has a half heel counter in both shoes to give more stability on the lateral side, particularly in follow through. The shoe also incorporates NIKE Flywire (first introduced in Beijing in 2008) attached to each lace loop, which when pulled tight envelope the foot for maximum comfort and stability.


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

Read more about Tiger Woods on Golf for Beginners

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

 

Former Tiger Woods caddie Steve Williams more popular than Adam Scott?

The "unwritten rule" of not talking to golf media was broken yesterday by former Tiger Woods caddie Steve Williams after yesterday's exciting win by his new boss, Adam Scott, at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Steve Williams was approached by David Feherty after the final round of the golf tournament and could have said something joyful about Adam Scott's win but instead commented on his own emotional high with an almost laughable countenance condemning his own dismissal by Tiger Woods.

Williams declared, "I've caddied for thirty-three years and one hundred forty-five wins and that's the best win I've ever had."

Steve must have forgotten the seven previous wins at this event carrying the bag for Tiger Woods, or did he? Was Tiger Woods a good boss or is Williams just spewing sour grapes?

"It's the greatest week of my life caddying and I sincerely mean that," Steve Williams concluded.

The gaffe was not taken lightly by former Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger and other professional golfers. Zinger tweeted, "most (caddies) don't, a few do at times when appropriate." He added the hashtag #notapopularguy.

English golfer Chris Wood commented, "Steve Williams taken all the attention off Adam Scott's fantastic win! Played great and nobody is talking about him this morning!!!"

Tennis star Andy Roddick said, "Am I missing something? Was Steve the one actually playing?"

Williams speaks what is on his mind; he doesn't mince words. If the public didn't want to hear what he had to say, then Feherty should not have approached him. On the flip side, Steve probably should have politely turned his interview into praise for Adam Scott for giving him the opportunity.

Since Steve Williams received more shout-outs than Adam Scott heading onto the 18th green, shouldn't he at least been given the right to speak?

Adam Scott said it best, "He's a popular guy around here...It was fun to get support, whether it's for me or him, I don't care, it's the right team."

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

Read more about Tiger Woods on Golf for Beginners

photo credit: BusinessInsider.com

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Tiger Woods spurns pals, do fellow golfers want him back?

Although sports media is quick to report splits between Tiger Woods and caddie, former swing coaches, management and friends, PGA Tour and European Tour golfers have been standing together to welcome the former number-one golfer back onto the fairway.

PGA Champion, Martin Kaymer said it best, "We need him, we really need him. He's the best player who ever played that game."

Darren Clarke, winner of the 2011 Open Championship and paired with Tiger Woods for the first round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, commented, "Tiger Woods could be a hard man to beat because of his record around this golf course. He loves it so much and has played so well here before. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a really, really good week."

But Rory McIlroy, fresh off his latest twitter escapade involving golf writer Jay Townshend, appeared a bit ambiguous and on-the-fence about his true feelings regarding Tiger Woods taking center stage, "It’d be maybe a little intimidating if you knew for sure if [Woods] was going to play the way he did in 2000, 2001, but no one knows that."



With Tiger Woods' return to golf this week, internet sports have been abuzz with sorrowful tales of short-lasting unions between sports celebrities...sniff...

Could it be that Tiger Woods really wasn't great friends with sports legends like Charles Barkley and Roger Federer, or even really tight with caddie Steve Williams? As outsiders, fans tend to receive snippets of information as if we were playing "Telephone", an old game where a sentence is whispered to many, one-by-one, and is spewed out differently than it started. The media also enjoys photo-ops and creating buzz around sports superstars, so hanging out at a club "gambling and partying" could easily have been misconstrued.

A true friend, Charles, does not change his cell phone number without sharing it with you...as Barkley continued, "I’ve been trying to get to him and can’t get to him,” he said. “It’s very frustrating.” ..hint, hint

Convenience has a way of playing a role in many people's lives. Roger Federer, for example, was number-one in the world of tennis, Woods was the top golfer in the world; so easy to create a relationship built on similarities. With both Woods and Federer slipping from their respective perches, their friendship might have ended along with the "back-patting." This would explain the ease and apparent readiness in which Woods separated himself from his former "pack".

With Tiger Woods clearing his head and life of distractions, it is only a matter of time before the former champion shows signs of greatness. Champions are made, not born.

As the great golfer Sam Snead once said, "The mark of a great player is in his ability to come back. The great champions have all come back from defeat."



Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend us on Facebook
Read more Golf for Beginners blogs here.

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

 

Is Yani Tseng the next Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam?

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is where Tiger Woods has decided to make his first comeback since opting out of the Players Championship after the first nine holes.

Woods has conjectured that he might also play golf in the Australian Open as well as the Presidents Cup. Just for attending the Australian Open, Woods is expected a huge payday thanks to their government.


Questions abound:

Is Woods feeling better, just tired of sitting on the sidelines or is he in it for the payday?

Why the Bridgestone? Confidence? Tiger has won the event seven times in fourteen years.

Are his injuries healed?

Who is...Why did...Tiger Woods choose childhood friend and head of his golf course design company, Bryon Bell, as his new caddie? Can he take the place of Steve Williams?


Another big golf story this week comes from the LPGA/LET and all of the ladies in the game. Meet Yani Tseng, number-one golfer on the LPGA Tour and considered by many to be the next Annika Sorenstam and/or the new Lorena Ochoa of the game.

Yani Tseng holding the British Open trophy Zimbio.com

Watch out when Tseng is in the field; she is proving herself to be a force during any (major) golf tournament. With her come-from-behind win this weekend at the Women's British Open (she won last year's Open too), Yani has won four of the last eight major tournaments and five overall.

And, Yani Tseng is only twenty-two-years old!

Comparisons to Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam abound.

As a matter of fact, according to an article on ESPN.com, "Sorenstam was thirty-two when she won her fifth major title, at the 2003 LPGA Championship. Tiger Woods was twenty-four when he won his fifth, at the 2000 PGA.

What can Yani Tseng learn from Tiger Woods?

According to her first American golf instructor, Glen Daugherty (and this great article in GolfDigest.com), "Her place in history is likely dependent not only on her health, but also her putting."


Daugherty continued, "The sky's the limit for her (Yani), but you have to putt well consistently. That's the tool that bails players out."




Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners

Friend us on Facebook


Tiger Woods photo: Wtam.com

Can baseball MVP Ken Griffey Jr. defeat LPGA great Annika Sorenstam in golf event?

A nine-hole celebrity skins challenge will decide whether an LPGA former number-one golfer, Annika Sorenstam, still has the sharp skills needed to defeat baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr., who is said to be a one-handicap golfer.

Sorenstam, the former number-one LPGA golfer in the world and now in charge of the ANNIKA brand of businesses, will host the ninth annual Charity Golf Classic at Forsgate Country Club in New Jersey this October. Annika has not played professionally since her retirement/baby announcement but that doesn't necessarily mean that her skills are rusty. I give the slight edge to Griffey, though, who plays golf regularly in celebrity outings.

Charity golf events at Forsgate Country Club have always attracted the finest PGA and LPGA Tour professionals including Palmer, Trevino, Lopez and even John Daly to the two challenging and distinct Palmer and Banks courses. The Banks Course is listed as a "Top-Fifty Course" in the Metropolitan area in The Met Golfer Magazine and the Country Club has received many accolades for service and value, most recently by GolfStyles Magazine.

From experiencing the Banks Course personally at this year's Writer Cup (and from prior Forsgate golf events), I can say that the very deep soft-sand bunkers, blind holes and the links design make the golf course deceptively difficult for most amateur players. For top golfers like Sorenstam and Griffey, struggles may come from the "heavily-sculptured contours on the putting surface", as stated by golf journalist Dave Donelson.

The first hole on the Banks Golf Course at Forsgate Country Club


After a terrific round of golf on the well-maintained Banks Course and a delightful dinner on the patio (oh those lobsters are delicious!), golf writers received a personal video message from Sorenstam asking us to tweet her with the winner of the day's event and invited us to join her at this year's Classic. Yes, I sent her a tweet but not seeking congratulations as the NJ/Philadephia team of writers took home the honors once again.

Hmmm...My favorite part of our yearly MGWA Golf Outing?


You too can join Sorenstam and Griffey at the 9th Annual Forsgate Golf Charity Classic which, in addition to the celebrity skins exhibition and challenge, also features its Golf Classic on the Banks Course with silent auction and reception to follow.


There are several ways in which to secure tickets to the Sorenstam/Griffey Golf Charity Challenge.

Visit Forsgatecc.com, call (732) 656-8911, log on to www.forsgatefoundation.org, and/or visit them on Facebook.


Voice your opinion on Twitter at Golf4Beginners ...who will win, Sorenstam or Griffey Jr.?

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous