Tees2Greens

A very different Ryder Cup for Tiger Woods

Golf International — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:30:00 GMT

Tiger Woods experienced a Ryder Cup tradition for the first time Tuesday.

Corey Pavin sat at the head table on the seventh floor of the New York Stock Exchange and announced his four captain’s picks to reporters and PGA of America dignitaries. The players, so thrilled to be chosen you could almost see them beaming as they listened via a conference call, were introduced one by one and asked to say “hello” to their captain.

This was new for Woods. He has led the Ryder Cup standings every time since turning pro.

“Tiger Woods, are you with us today?” PGA spokesman Julius Mason said from the podium. “Say ‘good morning’ to your captain and everybody else in attendance today.”

An awkward silence followed.

Mason turned slightly nervous when he called out his name again, and for the briefest moment, some in the room wondered if Woods didn’t bother calling in or had hung up. Mason looked relieved to finally hear Woods’ voice.

The only time Woods is ever on a conference call is to accept PGA Tour player of the year or to speak to local media at a tournament where he is the defending champion. On Tuesday, he was no different than Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink and Rickie Fowler—even though he is very different.

Woods has won twice as many majors as the rest of the U.S. team combined, and nearly as many PGA Tour titles. He has been No. 1 in the world longer than seven of his teammates have been on tour.

But he still needed to be a captain’s pick to play. And there’s a reason for that.

True, Woods got a late start on the year when he tried to salvage a marriage that was shattered by his infidelity. He didn’t play until the Masters and has competed only 11 times this year. That still should have been enough for him to qualify for the team, except that Woods had trouble finishing in the top 10.

He no longer looks invincible on the golf course.

The American team no longer can be perceived as Tiger Woods and 11 other guys wearing the same uniform. At the moment, he’s not playing any better than them.

It could be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Woods is not the loner on tour that some make him out to be. At one tournament this year, he bet one of his playing partners who would shoot the lowest score over 36 holes, and the loser had to buy tickets to the movies that afternoon.

And while he privately rolls his eyes at black-tie dinners and opening ceremonies at the Ryder Cup that can feel more like a presidential inauguration, the best times of the year are spent in the team room with his fellow Americans.

“What nobody understands—it doesn’t matter if it’s you or my son or a fan on TV or Tiger’s mom—you don’t get it unless you’re in the team room,” said Davis Love III, an assistant captain this year. “Tiger is great in the team room. He’s a smart guy. He’s a talented player. He wants to do everything he can to win. He’s learned how to be a quiet leader and a vocal leader. He’s learned to say the right things. It’s just hard to describe.”

Woods makes it sound as if this Ryder Cup is no different from the others.

“I’m part of the team, and honored to be part of the team,” Woods said. “Whether I was a person who was picked or a person who earned their way on the squad, it doesn’t change the overall goal. It’s still the same. And that’s to go over there and win.”

But it is different.

Woods still gets the bulk of attention because of who he is and what he has done. He will get most of the questions, and while queries into his divorce have tapered off, they are sure to come up again in the British tabloids.

Even so, he is closer than ever to being one of 12.

His relationship with Pavin is surprisingly strong. A month ago, without prompting, Woods referred to Pavin as one of the greatest players ever in golf considering his limited length in an era of power.

The day before the PGA Championship, TV reporter Jim Gray pointed his finger toward Pavin’s face and chest during a dispute over an interview. Woods found out about it the next morning during a fog delay at Whistling Straits. After finishing his first round, when Gray asked a question, Woods offered a terse answer and turned his head to find the next question.

It was a not-so-subtle message that Woods had the captain’s back.

Woods spent the last two days at the Deutsche Bank Championship going over the captain’s picks as if he were going to be in room with Pavin and his assistants trying to decide who to take.

The only time he bristled Tuesday is when a British reporter suggested he had been indifferent about the Ryder Cup.

“I don’t know where the perception of indifference is, because I’ve always loved it,” Woods said. “The team bonding that occurs, getting to know the guys and everyone there that’s associated with our team, are experiences that you’ll never forget. And I’ve created some great friendships because of it.”

This will be the seventh Ryder Cup team for Love, his first as an assistant, so he knows what to expect when 12 individuals get together, no matter how good they are, no matter how much they’ve been through.

“He’s a welcome addition,” Love said, “because we want to wrap our arms around him and bring him back to us.”

TourStage 2011 X-FW & X-UT Woods Revealed!

Golf to Impress — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:40:54 GMT

New TourStage products are rolling out quickly this week. In this post were going over the new 2011 X-Fairway Wood & X-Utility Wood. (X-FW & X-UT). TourStage 2011 X-FW The All new X-FW has a face made of 455 hyper strength steel and a body produced with SUS630 stainless steel. This combo creates ultimate feel and [...]...(read more)

TourStage X-Blade 705 Type M & Type S Irons

Golf to Impress — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:47:09 GMT

TourStage 705 Iron Type M & Type S Irons The New TourStage 705 Irons are the replacement iron to the previous 703 model. The 705 Type M is designed for the better player seeking a thinner top line and more workable ball flight while the 705 Type S fits the golfer who needs more distance and [...]...(read more)

New TourStage X-Wedge 2011 Coming Nov. 5th!

Golf to Impress — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:06:21 GMT

New TourStage X-Wedge 2011 TourStage has just announced it's all new 2011 X-Wedge scheduled to hit the TourSpecGolf ProShop in late October for Early November shipping! The new 2011 X-Wedge features an enhanced teardrop shape which set's the optimal image in your mind's eye for a sucessful and accurate shot. It's designed to be easily opened using [...]...(read more)

Celtic Manor Welcomes US Ryder Cup Team Selection that includes World Golf #1 Tiger Woods

GolfbloggerUK — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:48:00 GMT

Tuesday, 7 September 2010

Sir Terry Matthews, the owner of host venue The Celtic Manor Resort, has welcomed the inclusion of Tiger Woods in the United States team for The Ryder Cup.

Sir Terry attended the press conference in New York on Tuesday when US Captain Corey Pavin finalised his team by adding four wildcard picks to the eight automatic qualifiers decided upon completion of the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Pavin selected Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler to join qualifiers Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kuchar for the match against Europe from October 1-3.

Sir Terry said: “I congratulate every member of the United States team on winning their place in the team. It is a considerable achievement both for those who qualified automatically and for those who were awarded wildcard selections by Corey Pavin.

“Personally, I am delighted that Tiger Woods, the world’s No 1 golfer, has been selected to play. It was always our hope that the world’s very best golfers would come to Celtic Manor and there is no doubt that Tiger Woods has been the world’s standout player for the 10 years we have been planning for this Ryder Cup.”

The inclusion of Woods means 13 of the world’s current top 15 players will tee it up as members of either side at The Celtic Manor Resort. The American team also includes the present world No 2 Phil Mickelson and world No 4 Steve Stricker, both of whom could dislodge Woods at the top of the rankings in the two tournament weeks remaining before The Ryder Cup.

Colin Montgomerie finalised his European team last week when he added wildcard picks Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari to automatic qualifiers Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Peter Hanson.

“I think both sides look very strong,” said Celtic Manor Director of Golf Courses Jim McKenzie. “There has been a lot of talk about Europe being strong favourites for this Ryder Cup but I think, now that both teams have been confirmed, it has the makings of a very close match-up.

“We can’t wait to welcome both teams to The Celtic Manor Resort in three weeks’ time. The golf course is in great shape and I think we can look forward to some fantastic golf.”

TourStage X01 SOLID Announced!

Golf to Impress — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:29:41 GMT

Coming October 8 2010, A new TourStage professional use ball. The X01 Solid and X01 Mild. If you haven't tried high end Japanese Tour level golf balls they are the best money can buy. They are expensive but the performance is beyond what is sold in the U.S. The technology usually trickles down and arrives [...]...(read more)

Charley Hoffman snatches win with closing 62

Golf International — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:26:00 GMT

Charley Hoffman couldn’t count all the perks that came with winning the Deutsche Bank Championship, just like he lost track of the 11 birdies he made in a Labor Day masterpiece.

He moved up 57 spots to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup standings, giving him a shot at the $10 million bonus.

He gets to play all four majors, after not getting into any of them this year. That includes a trip down Magnolia Lane at Augusta National to compete in his first Masters.

And that might not be all.

“The best perk, hopefully, will be a Ryder Cup berth,” Hoffman said after closing with a 9-under 62, the best finish by a winner at the TPC Boston since the tournament began in 2003. “Obviously, I wasn’t in contention, but I hope I am now. It would be an honor to play, and I think I can play well.”

Tiger Woods shot a 69 and keeps his No. 1 ranking for the 274th week in a row, with an assist from Phil Mickelson, who imploded on the back nine with a triple bogey and double bogey to shoot 76.

Woods is expected to be a Ryder Cup pick, along with Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink. No one stands out for the fourth selection.

Hoffman wasn’t on U.S. captain Corey Pavin’s list of players to call Monday night, and that might not change. Even if his name is not called when Pavin announces his four selections Tuesday morning in New York, the Hoff isn’t about to lose any sleep.

“You’re not going to take this one away from me,” he said.

Hoffman stole it from everyone else.

Starting the final round four shots behind Jason Day, he erased the deficit with four straight birdies early in his round. Then came a mixture of good breaks and great shots, and a midas touch with the putter for the California kid with blond locks flowing under his cap.

He thought his 4-iron was short and headed for the bunker on No. 11 when it barely cleared, tumbled through the rough and settled 3 feet away. From the front bunker on the 13th, trying to get it close on the firm greens, he holed it for an unlikely birdie.

Once he realized he was in the lead, he poured it on with three more birdies over the final four holes for a five-shot victory over Day (71), Geoff Ogilvy (66) and Luke Donald (69).

Not bad for a guy who was just hoping to stay in the top 70 and advance to the third round of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“The playoffs, that’s what you try to do,” Hoffman said. “I wasn’t even close to anything for the most part starting the playoffs. Played decent last week, and just got it going this week.”

Did he ever. Hoffman finished at 22-under 262 to tie the tournament record first set by Vijay Singh in 2008.

“I had the best seat in the house to watch that,” Ogilvy said. “He hit great shots all day. He putted really well and as soon as he got himself in trouble he’d go and hole a bunker shot or something like that. So it was a pretty class act and he never looked like doing anything but winning after about three holes.”

It was the second victory of Hoffman’s career, and will put him just outside the top 50 in the world.

Day was wild off the tee early, then struggled with his putter coming in. Donald, who also had a share of the lead early, remained winless on the PGA Tour since 2006.

The disappointment was Mickelson, with his best chance at replacing Woods atop the world ranking. He started five shots out of the lead, needing only a fourth-place finish to be No. 1. Mickelson was in range until twice hitting into the hazard on the 10th hole for a triple bogey, sending him to a 41 on the back nine.

A month ago, Mickelson was four shots out of the lead at Firestone and closed with a 78.

“It was a frustrating back nine for me,” Mickelson said. “I got off to a poor start. I enjoyed the tournament, I enjoyed the chance I had heading into today, and it was fun to go out there.”

It wasn’t much fun for a few players who failed to finish among the top 70 to advance to the BMW Championship, which starts Wedneseday at Cog Hill. Steve Marino shot a 76 and John Rollins had a 79 to fall out of the top 70.

The heartbreak beloned to Kris Blanks, who closed with a 70 and appeared to narrowly make the field in Chicago until Charlie Wi birdied the last hole to bump him down to No. 71. The final spot went to Scott Verplank, who withdrew Saturday with a wrist injury.

Upon learning he was No. 70, Verplank planned a cortisone shot Monday night with hopes of playing.

Andres Romero, who started these playoffs at No. 115 and only got to the TPC Boston with a 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole last week, shot a 72 and narrowly made it at No. 68. The surprise was Tom Gillis, who was at No. 92 until a 65-65 weekend gave him a tie for fifth and moved him to No. 48.

Hoffman not only is headed to Chicago, he’s starting to set some pretty big goals—about 10 million of them.

“That wasn’t anything I was thinking about until this afternoon,” Hoffman said of the big bonus for winning the FedEx Cup. “I wasn’t really in the race. I guess that’s why this format is pretty unique. You can come out of nowhere.”

That’s exactly what Hoffman did Monday.

Maruman Majesty Prestigio Gold Premium Irons Review

Golf to Impress — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:43:01 GMT

When it comes to choosing golf clubs, every player has a different level, swing and in many cases, budget. For those living outside of Japan, mainstream Japanese golf clubs from brands like, Tourstage, XXIO, PRGR, TM Japan, Callaway Japan etc. are already considered very expensive. However there is a whole other level that thrives in [...]...(read more)

Not a Bad Golf Bag Invention

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

An interesting golf bag invention was patented this week, but does anyone still use single strap carry bags? The patent issued as USPN 7789279 titled “Golf Bag Supplementary Arrangement,” which describes the invention as: A golf bag supplementary arrangement includes a base frame affixed to the periphery of a golf bag and having two horizontal lugs arranged in parallel, and a retaining bar pivotally connected between the two horizontal lugs of the base frame and adapted for attaching to a part of...(read more)

Srixon introduces new Z-TX Tour Driver with Miyazaki Shaft

Golf to Impress — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:58:13 GMT

Srixon has revamped the Z-TX driver to make it more oriented towards the better player. Under the Sri-Sports umbrella, Srixon has always been geared towards the athlete golfer while it's sibling XXIO focused on the average golfer. Last year's Z-TX driver was perhaps a touch too large and shallow for the pro player so they [...]...(read more)

Diamana ‘ahina Shaft: Image of the Day!

Golf to Impress — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:21:52 GMT

...(read more)

Taylormade Japan R9 SuperMax Preview and Videos

Golf to Impress — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:01:51 GMT

Taylormade Japan has begun promoting their new R9 SuperMax line which launches in mid September and early October. They've chosen TM Japan ladies pro Makoto Takemura as the face and image of the SuperMax line. Makoto is only 20 years old and is in the midst of her first full pro season on the JLPGA [...]...(read more)

Saqra Golf INB-2018 Forged Irons

Golf to Impress — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:20:57 GMT

Earlier this week we posted a Blog & Forum topic on the Saqra INB-1150 Forged Muscle Backs by Doc Niimi, Today we reveal the INB-2018 Forged Cavity Backs by Saqra. It's a Mid Sized CB shape produced of S25C precision one piece forged carbon steel + CNC milling. V Groove 2010 R&A Conforming and available 4-PW [...]...(read more)

GSS German SUS303 vs J.I.S SUS303

Golf to Impress — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:08:44 GMT

As many already know Gold's Factory does many Scotty Cameron putter tune up's in Japan. People actually send in their circle T's for major modification. Some Cameron fan's fully trick out their GSS (German Stainless Steel) putters as well. We already know that GSS is a version of 303 steel similar to what other putter makers [...]...(read more)

Ryder Cup still PGA vs European Tour

Golf International — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:14:00 GMT

If it seems outrageous that the No. 9 player in the world would not be part of the Ryder Cup, then consider the European team that first crushed the United States in this popular exhibition.

The highest-ranked player Europe had in 2004 was No. 9 in the world.

That was Padraig Harrington, who six years and three major championships later became a debated captain’s pick Sunday.

Colin Montgomerie called it an “embarrassment of riches” that his three picks did not include Justin Rose and Paul Casey, who was at No. 9 when the choices were made. And that the likes of Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson and Sergio Garcia didn’t even qualify.

The real embarrassment will be if Europe doesn’t take home the cup, last seen on Twitter being meticulously polished by former U.S. captain Paul Azinger as a way to needle Ian Poulter.

Europe is a lot like the United States used to be.

It has the highest-ranked players, with all 12 members inside the top 40 based on Monday’s ranking. Europe won more majors this year, with Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer trumping Phil Mickelson. And it is favored to win the Ryder Cup, once the domain of the USA.

One thing hasn’t changed.

Winning the Ryder Cup is more meaningful to Europe than the United States, which is not to suggest the Americans don’t care about winning or won’t cover their ears if they have to listen to the singsong cheering of “Ole, Ole, Ole.”

This is not a competition between the best players from Europe and the U.S.

It’s a competition between tours.

What motivated Europe for so many years—and led to so many victories—was the perception of being a second-class golf tour. Even though it is the second-best tour in the world (with deep apologies to the Nationwide Tour), no one likes to hear it.

And that’s why any suggestion to revamp Europe’s qualifying criteria would be a mistake.

The top four players are decided by the world ranking points they accumulate over the last 12 months. The next five come from money earned during the same time from European Tour events. The other three players are up to the captain.

It doesn’t hurt that seven of Europe’s players were not U.S. tour members at the start of the year.

Luke Donald suggested last week that if the No. 10 player—that would be him—were left off the Ryder Cup, something would be seriously flawed with the system. It was not clear if he was talking about the Ryder Cup criteria or how he got to No. 10 in the world.

“The European team has to look harder at the qualification system and whether it’s the correct way to do it, or whether there’s a better way,” Donald said after learning he was a pick. “I think golf really is becoming a world game, and I understand they won’t protect the European Tour. But at the same time, the top guys are going to want to play against the best players in the world, no matter what.

“And they shouldn’t be penalized for that.”

No question golf has become a global game, which is why the major tours lean so much on the world ranking. But to exclusively use the world ranking to determine the team would make the Ryder Cup feel more like the Presidents Cup. The passion of the Ryder Cup is as much about tours as continents and flags.

Sure, there are a few tweaks that can be made.

Europe should consider taking four players from a ranking list, four players from a money list and giving the captain four picks. That’s the same number of picks the Americans get.

Even more peculiar is why Montgomerie had to make his captain’s picks— Harrington, Donald and Edoardo Molinari—on Sunday night. Players don’t begin to arrive in Wales until Sept. 27, which is a month away. Are they really in that much of a rush to stitch names into the back of caps and fit players for tuxedos?

European officials tried to force players’ hands by making them choose between the final European Tour qualifying event (Johnnie Walker Championship) and the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs (The Barclays).

Harrington, Donald, Casey and Rose chose to play The Barclays, even though the ranking points did not count toward Ryder Cup standings because of the five-hour time difference. Make the picks on Monday, and those four could have tried to play their way onto the team. There’s no drama in Europe watching on TV at 11 p.m.

Then again, isn’t the drama supposed to unfold Oct. 1 at Celtic Manor?

Would it have mattered? Not this year. It would have been an embarrassment for Montgomerie to leave off Molinari, who won two big tournaments in Scotland over the last two months to rightly deserve a spot on the team.

Someone was going to be left out. Someone was going to be upset. Someone was going to question the system.

Montgomerie won’t say this, but it did not hurt Donald’s chances when he was among the few who played the Wales Open this summer for a preview of the Celtic Manor course.

Harrington said if he did not make the team, he would have blamed only himself for not setting his schedule property.

No one was more devastated than Casey, who realized he wasn’t on the team when he saw Harrington’s wife give a thumbs-up to his caddie without saying anything to Casey.

Even so, he found perspective in his despair.

“I’m not going to stand here and plead a case for why I should be on the team,” Casey said. “It’s done and dusted. I tried my hardest, and I didn’t make it.”

Is it time for a complete overhaul of the European Ryder Cup selection process and when the team is announced?

GolfbloggerUK — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:09:00 GMT

Is it time for a complete overhaul of the European Ryder Cup selection process and when the team is announced?

Selection of the European Ryder Cup Team

Dealing first with the slection of the team, this was an extremely difficult decision for captain Colin Montgomerie and his vice-captains, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn.

Montgomerie, has stated that the main priority was to select a team that could deliver 14 1/2 points, therefore pairings and the right balance was essential.

I believe it was unforeseen that Edoardo Molinari would finish the way he did, with three birdies on the spin, to move up to 15th in the official world golf rankings and secure his place in the team.

There is a case to be argued for all of the players who have been selected. The likes of Peter Hanson and Miguel angel Jimenez also delivered when the question was asked of them.

In terms of the automatic picks, there can be no argument as that is the selection criteria, which everyone is aware of before they hit a golf ball.

One thing that just does not sit well with me, in terms of the official world golf rankings, which is a gauge for how a player has played week in week out, is that the likes of Francesco Molinaro, who is ranked 35th and Peter Hanson, rabked 40th in the world golf rankings should be selected ahead of Paul Casey, who is ranked world number 8. In my humble opinion, this makes a complete mockery of the OWGR and the European Ryder Cup selection process.

On the day of picking the team, there was only three European players ahead of Paul Casey in the world golf rankings - these players were - Lee Westwood (3rd), Martin Kaymer (5th), Rory McIlroy (7th) but yet NINE other players found their way in ahead of Casey when the team was selected, which I feel does not stand up to close scrutiny. I note, this is a view shared by Luke Donald, who was selected for the Ryder Cup team, who advocates change.

The other European players who made the team were ranked as follows:-

Luke Donald (11th), Ian Poulter (12th), Graeme McDowell (14th), Edoardo Molinari (15th), Padraig Harrington (19th), Ross Fisher (26th), Francesco Molinari (35th), Miguel A Jimenez (38th) and Peter Hanson (40th).

Timing of the announcement of the European Ryder Cup Team selection

In my view, the timing of the announcement of the team, was a complete circus, which was impacted I feel by Edoardo Molinar's strong finish and The Barclays event being underway in the USA, with Luke Donald having reached the turn in only 28 strokes.

The Barclays event delivered a result whereby Luke Donald slipped from 10th to 11th in the official world golf rankings and Paul Casey moved up from 9th to 8th position.

It appeared that the focus was on giving as much publicity to Gleneagles the venue for the next European hosted Ryder Cup match after Celtic Manor and to the Johnnie Walker Chanpionship itself.

It is my view, the team should not have been selected until Harrington, Donald and Casey had finished playing in The Barclays event on the other side of the pond. I strongly believe that announcing the team when anything could have happened, with these players in contention, was a farcical situation and should be rectified.

What do you think?

The Ed., GolfbloggerUK

September means great golf!

Cathy Erickson — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:35:00 GMT

Holy cow, it's September 1. How did this happen? I am not ready to head into the downward slide of the golf season yet! It's funny, last night as we were playing in our weekly "Scramble Tuesday" event, it was like Mother Nature decided to let us know September was on the door step. It was hot and muggy as I left my office yesterday afternoon and my house felt like someone had left a heat lamp on all day when I walked in.

We don't golf until 5:30pm, but even then it had to still be in the 80's (nowhere near 100+ like it was in Texas recently, but we're not used to the heat up here!). But then about half way through the round the wind just died - it was still and beautiful and the sky was turning purple and pink as the sun was setting in the west. We all commented in our group how this is what perfect golf weather is like.

After watching the Minnesota Twins win in the clubhouse it was time to head home. It was then that I felt it...the heat broke and there was cool breeze...I even got a few goose bumps as I headed to my car. Then this morning I heard the weather guy say that today's morning temperature is 22 degrees lower than it was yesterday. And that's when I knew it...Fall is here.

It's always a conflicting time for me...I LOVE September golf!! The leaves changing, the crispness of the air, the smells, and a little more roll on dry days...but in the back of my mind I can't help but think that my golf days are numbered. Oh, right now I could still have two good months of playing time, but by October it's definitely time to pull out the all-weather gloves (which reminds me, I need to find those!).

Fall is also a great time if you are a golf fan. Despite Sam Johnson's dismissal of the FedEx Cup playoffs (which really irritated me!), I think it's finally starting to take hold. There isn't a runaway winner and some players, like Tiger Woods, actually need to work hard if they're going to get to East Lake and the Tour Championship (Tiger is currently sitting at #65 on the points list). I'm not sure the Tour players are all convinced that the point system is the best, but the reset before the final event, with only the Top 30 players advancing, does make it interesting since any one of the top 5 players will win if they win the Championship.

And how about Matt Kuchar's win on Sunday?! He's been playing great all year but a win had eluded him...until that awesome 7-iron on the first playoff hole at the Barclays. I gave him a standing ovation in my living room. Kuch will be on his way to the Tour Championship, but a lot can still happen in these next 2 tournaments.

With the points 5 times higher than in the regular tour season, a strong finish can jump players easily into the top 20, or even the top 5! Kevin Streelman was ranked 102 going into the Barclays and now he's 18^th. Martin Laird was 95 and now is cruising to East Lake currently in 3^rd.

But there are 30 guys who will get cut this week so the battle for the top 70 could be interesting. And yes, most of the guys around the cut line are probably not the ones you're following every week, but every player has a story and it might just be worth a few minutes to check out the FedEx Cup standings to see who has their playing future for the playoff segment on the line. And at the BMW another 40 guys get cut, so I can guarantee you there will be some interesting scenarios as we get to the final round there.

Once the FedEx Cup is over the Fall Series begins...these are the guys battling for the top 125 on the money list so they can keep their Tour cards and avoid Q-school. There are more great stories behind some unfamiliar names, so if you like golf, don't give up on the Fall Series!

Of course the Ryder Cup is probably the most anticipated golf event remaining in 2010. We still await the final 4 to make the Team USA squad, but regardless of who they are, buzz on the net is that Europe is the odds on favorite. I'm crazy about team play and I can't wait to see some of my favorite players representing the US in just short of a month. I'm holding out hope to see a Stricker-Kuchar pairing!!

But don't forget about Q-school! Local qualifiers will be just around the corner, and once again PGA Tour hopefuls will begin the journey that could make dreams come true.

So while Sam Johnson may be in a golf coma until the Ryder Cup, I've got to get started on my Matt Kuchar for Player of the Year campaign!!

September is a GREAT month for golf!! Enjoy the rest of the playoffs and better yet, get out and play!! I know I will!

The Next Step in Aerodynamic Golf Clubs?

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Probably not, but interesting nonetheless. This aerodynamic configuration is found in USPN 6027414 titled “Golf Club with Aerodynamic Shaft and Head,” which describes the invention as: A golf club shaft connects a grip of a golf club to a head of the golf club and has a longitudinal axis that extends from the grip of the golf club to the head of the golf club. At least a portion of the shaft has an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape defining an aerodynamic portion of the shaft. The aerodynamic portion...(read more)

Saqra INB-1150 Forged Muscle Backs

Golf to Impress — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:41:24 GMT

Last week we teased our readers with a lone image of the new Saqra precision one piece forged INB-1150 Muscle Back Irons. As promised here is the skinny on these new sweet sticks. Produced by Niimi Kiyonari who I have known for many years as the international agent of Epon Golf, Niimi-san has created his own [...]...(read more)

The Perfect Driver for Golf Purists

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Oh how the USGA would love the driver disclosed in this week’s “ patent of the week ,” namely USPN 7780535 titled “Method and Apparatus for Active Control of Golf Club Impact.” The patent describes the invention as: A method and apparatus for actively controlling the impact between a club head and a golf ball. A golf club head has a face with an actuator material or device mechanically coupled to influence face motion. The face actuation controls impact parameters, impact properties, or resulting...(read more)

New Ozik Program 130 Iron Shafts

Golf to Impress — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:37:06 GMT

Ozik Program 130 Graphite Iron Shafts The Ozik Program 130 Graphite Shafts are not designed as an alternative to steel shafts but rather to replace it! That's a pretty bold thing to say but from the perspective of someone who has extensive experience with both steel and high end graphite shafts I do buy into [...]...(read more)

Mizuno New Cross Eight 501 5 Piece Golf Ball!

Golf to Impress — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:42:10 GMT

Mizuno is releasing their all new high performance next generation Cross Eight ball on September 10th. Like Taylormade and it's FIVE ball, the new Cross Eight 501 will feature a premium 5 piece construction. The new 501 ball is made for soft feel and big carry off the tee. The distance comes from the compression [...]...(read more)

My Game is Not Ready for This Golf Glove

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Interesting golf glove inventions do not come along everyday. In fact, the last interesting golf glove invention that I can remember was the Acushnet acupuncture based golf glove . Well, last week an interesting golf glove patent issued that may be a little too advanced for most golfers. After all, I have so many swing thoughts racing through my head that I can’t worry about what my golf glove is telling me. Are you ready for a glove like this? The patent is USPN 7780541 titled “Golf Training Glove...(read more)

Diamana ‘ahina Shaft!

Golf to Impress — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:36:44 GMT

New Diamana 'ahina Shaft Mitsubishi Rayon is set to release their all new Diamana 'ahina shaft in Japan on October 16th. The Diamana 'ahina features a similar bend profile to the original white board and utilizes the same Multi-Dimensional Interlay technology (M.D.I) as the more recent Kai'li model. The combo produces a very stable low launch [...]...(read more)

New Tourstage GR Line Clubs in the house!

Golf to Impress — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:07:52 GMT

Today was our annual Kiminomori summer matsuri (festival), so I was rather busy gathering at Mugiwara park with all the other neighbors in 5 Chome and 3 Chome who share this day for family fun. It was a scorching 35C all afternoon and when I got back late in the day I was happy to [...]...(read more)