From the Fringe

December 2009 - Posts

• 2009 Chipshot Awards

  It's the 2nd Annual Chipshot Awards!!  A panel distinguished judges (me) have thought long and hard about the following categories and is giving a tip of the hat to some people, places, and things in the golf world that I happen to think are pretty darn cool. Without further ado... Favorite Golf Web Site other than Tees2Greens which is of course my Favorite!! - www.masters.org It's a repeat winner from last year!  I was glued to it again this year - coverage of the par-3 tournament and streaming coverage on each day.  I'm remembering back to Masters Sunday - I'm sprawled out on the couch, TV on and my laptop on a chair right by my head so I can watch some of the other players as they followed Phil and Tiger around for awhile.  I had to watch Steve Stricker!!  Overall, great info on the site. Honorable mention to:  http://www.waggleroom.com/ and http://www.realwomengolf.com/  Best Golf Shopping Web Site - www.budgetgolf.net I picked Budget Golf because I like that they have some really great deals in their weekly email.  They have flat rate shipping and friendly customer service folks. Honorable mention to http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/  - they are sort of a close-out site, so you might not find the newest of everything, but you can't beat some of their awesome deals.  And I really like that they always have some sort of deal going on - either freebies, free shipping, or discounts on already discounted items. Best golf TV commercial - Eye of the Tiger He's back...the http://www.pgatour.com/ commercial with Tiger whistling the classic 80's song and finishing with just a few seconds of the actual song got me fired up for golf every time I saw it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxscSLvvGnY I found this on Shane Bacon's site - as a fan of the sports center commercials, I couldn't help but like this one, too!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLxKSvkpE1Y&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=DF76BF248A5FC8BF Best Club Brand - Nike If you don't check out the "What's in the Bag" (right here on Tees2Greens!), you're missing out on the peek inside all of the winner's golf bags on tour!   My criteria this year started out at looking who won the Majors...Cabrera at the Masters has Ping in his bag; Lucas Glover is a Nike man; Stewart Cink is also a Nike guy; and YE Yang had a great performance using Taylor Made.  Looking at the top 5 players on the money list - of course we know Tiger plays Nike, Steve Stricker carries Titleists (some with UST shafts!), Phil Mickelson is a Callaway guy, and Kenny Perry has his bag full of Taylor Made.  So based on the 2 Major wins...and the number 1 player in the world, Nike gets the award for the 2nd year in a row. Rookie of the Year - Marc Leishman I have to admit that I didn't follow the rookie class as much this year.  I know we picked Webb Simpson on our fantasy team a lot at the beginning of the season, but after looking at the stats, Leishman (from Australia) was the most successful on several fronts - he finished highest on the money list (47th), making about $500,000 more than the next closest rookie (Simpson).  Leishman also made 18 of 28 cuts and made all the way to the Tour Championship after a nice 2nd place finish at the BMW.  He looks like a guy to watch in 2010! Comeback Player of the Year - YE Yang There have been some discussions about Tiger Woods being considered (but him not being interested) for the comeback player award for 2009 after being out with his knee injury...it's tough for me to call someone a comeback player while being the #1 player in the world the entire time!  And to be honest, I'm not even sure what the PGA tour criteria is...I was all for Steve Stricker being lauded with an award, but even I was a little baffled by the comeback award 2 years in a row.  So with that said, my criteria is just based stats and what I was impressed with.  There were several guys who I thought had a much improved year over 2008...Retief Goosen, Jerry Kelly, Matt Kuchar and even Steve Stricker come to mind right away.  But when I looked at the Top 10 on the money list this year and then compared it to last year it was hard not to notice YE Yang - at the end of 2008 he had made just over $460K, was 157th on the money list, and 480th in the OWGR...fast forward to 2009 - a Major Champion, 10th on the money list with around $3.4 million in earnings, and currently 31st on the OWGR.  He had another win, too, and a total of 4 top 10's in his 19 of 23 cuts made.  But most importantly, Yang held strong and battled to victory against the fiercest competitor in the game. Best Attendance in 2009 - Brian Davis, 32 events He didn't beat Nicholas Tompson's 36 events from '08, but Brian Davis, from England, who turned pro in 1994, took the top spot with 32 events this past year.  He made the cut 19 times and earned almost $1.9 million on tour this season, ending up 43rd on the money list.  His best finish was second place at the Byron Nelson and a T5 at the Players.  Best Reaction of the Year -Kenny Perry - #16 at the Masters Or maybe I should say MY reaction to the shot on 16 - I was up and down from the couch several times during the last round of the Masters...I think the first time I got up to cheer was when Campbell made a putt on 12. (It should be noted that I had both Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry on my fantasy team that week and a 1-2 finish would have clinched it for me!!)  But being a big KP fan, I wanted this win for him in the worst way!  What an amazing shot...less than a foot away!  And the did "the walk", too - he knew he hit it good - the crowd was going nuts and he starts marching towards the green...what a great memory! The Turn Back Time Award - Tom Watson at the British Open Last year I was writing about Greg Norman's chase at the British Open, and even though I'm a huge Shark Fan, I think Watson one-upped him with his heroic run at Turnberry.  I can't imagine that there were many people that weren't rooting for Watson as he played some inspired golf at the age of 59...it was a thrill to watch...until the dreaded par putt on 18...we've all been there.  I have always been a Stewart Cink fan, but that day I was one of the masses hoping Watson would make this "one for the ages"...and even though he fell short in the playoff, Watson brought us all back in time for a few days. Best Dressed Award - Tiger Woods I'm a fan of the classic and I'm a fan of a really nice dress pant on the course...and really, who does it better than Tiger Woods?  He sort of rides the middle between athletic and classic, and it's just the right balance for me - I really like the new striped shirts he had this year and I liked when he mixed it up with his Sunday red.  I know there are people who enjoy the "uniqueness" of John Daly, Ian Poulter, Ryo, or Brian Gay, but just as my last year's winner, Davis Love, was, TW comes out every week looking like the classic golfer.  My kind of look!  Honorable mention to - Steve Stricker (at the Masters especially), and Kenny Perry. The Peaking Too Early Award - Anthony Kim AK looked GREAT at the Mercedes and then sort of fell off the map until July.  There was quite a bit of hype surrounding Kim coming off of last year and things didn't quite happen for him in '09.  But don't worry, he's going to be big in 2010 - Sam Johnson thinks so, so it must be true! Most Disappointing Fantasy Player Award - Nick Watney My brother and I made huge strides this year!  We did have a little different format from the year before (using Yahoo Golf) so we didn't have to limit ourselves to just 12 players like we had to before.  With the pools of players, there were quite a few options from week to week, and often times it was really more about going with our gut.  Our tendency was that we picked a guy a week too early!  My brother is the king of stats, so he based his choices a lot on tournament history - I was more about streakiness and current stats.  If we had picked Nick in the right weeks, we would have been great, but it seemed each time we put him on the roster he didn't come through. Favorite Tournament to Watch - The PGA - Live and in Person! Getting to watch the best players in the world is a treat like no other.  I loved sitting on #16 at Hazeltine and watching players come through for almost 4 hours - and the grandstands on 18 were great, too.  We were only there for the first 2 rounds, but I could feel the pressure and drama on every shot as guys were fighting to make the cut.  It was also amazing to watch the throngs of fans following Tiger and Phil.  Ryder Cup 2016!!!  Of course the best TV tournament of the year was The Masters!!! The Heart on His Sleeve Award - Phil Mickelson This year reminded me more than ever that there is something special about being able to feel a connection with a player.  I know he gets trashed by some, but I just can't deny his charisma and willingness to engage the fans on the course each week.  This year, when his family faced cancer scares, he shared his concerns, changed up some priorities, and then showed his fans appreciation by giving them some inspired golf.  The Golf Passion Award - Christina Kim If you watched the Solheim Cup at all, you probably saw Christina Kim rallying the crowds, high-fiving fans and rooting on her teammates throughout the week.  I love Christina's passion for the game and she wears it on her sleeve most of the time.  Some might consider it obnoxious, but I happen to think it's great!!  She gets people excited about golf and in golf there's just never enough of that. Chipshot Player of The Year:  Steve Stricker  If you know me at all, you saw this one coming a mile away, but what can I say - Steve Stricker showed us that not only does he have passion for the game, and a putting stroke that is golden, but he can win under pressure and still be one of the nicest guys on tour.  A three win season was capped of by some stellar play at the Presidents Cup in San Francisco.  He and Tiger made a great pairing and it was actually really fun to watch Tiger sort of go along for the ride a bit.  Ending up 2nd on the money list and being ranked #3 in the world is testament to how much Steve has dedicated himself to playing some great golf.  I love that he gets emotional and is always thankful the opportunity he has.  And all I'm looking forward to now is seeing him get is first Major...  Steve Stricker is what golf is all about to me.  Posted Dec 29 2009, 07:21 AM by Cathy Erickson with no comments Filed under: Masters, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Steve Stricker, PGA Championship, TIger Woods, Anthony Kim, YE Yang, chipshot, tees2greens, Nike, Marc Leishman, Christina Kim, Tom Watson

• Golf Truisms and Christmas Shopping...

  I know the holidays are a time for joy and laughter, but if you're like me and still making that mad scramble (pun intended) to finish your Christmas shopping, the "good cheer" thing is a little harder to come by.  But when you put it golf perspective, at least I can smile a little more. Keep up with the pace of play. Where was a ranger when I needed him???  Before I had even hit my first store after work yesterday my frustration level had hit its peak.  If we had been on the golf course, the guy in the maroon Subaru Forrester would have probably been hit into.  He was one of those guys who felt the need to drive 20 in a 30mph and took FOREVER to get going when the car in front of him started moving.  When we missed the first stoplight I yelled and threw my hands in the air (you know this move, don't you?).  Uh oh, this is not starting out well. I love seeing new golfers on the course...just not in front of me. Please, people.  If you are not in panic mode like the rest of us and just out "window shopping" or checking out the sales, stay home.  I'm begging you...we're stressed out enough as it is, and if you're not in speed mode it messes it up for the rest of us! Let faster players go through. Ever had the experience where the course is hardly full and you and a friend are zipping around and you run into a 4-some of guys who think they own the course?  You get to the next tee while they are still teeing off and they give you "the look" and drive off.  You know "the look"...it's the "I paid to be out here, too, so you're going to have to wait" look...it doesn't matter that we're the only 6 people on the golf course.  I've got a couple gift cards in my hand and the lady in front of me has a cart full of whatever.  She looks at me, then my hand, and unloads her cart without looking at me again. You always seem to find everyone else's ball but yours. All I wanted was a little kitchen toy set for my nieces.  8,000 little work benches but no kitchen sets.  Grrr. I need a ruling. Where are the rules officials when you need ask a question?  I must have spent 10 minutes in the first store just looking for someone to help me...and of course when I finally found someone they had to go find someone else.  Sigh. You only get 5 minutes to look for a lost ball. I incorporated this rule after store one.  If I couldn't find what I was looking for and couldn't find someone to help me in 5 minutes I moved on to the next store.  (this is why I ended up with several gift cards) Follow the cart signs. I finally get to second in line in the left turn lane and I'm seeing my freedom.  We get the green arrow and the car in front of me is not moving.  I wait.  Nothing.  I inch up.  She doesn't move.  And then I did something I never do...I honked at her...I thought maybe, just maybe, she was on a cell phone or singing Christmas music and wasn't paying attention to the light.  Still nothing.  The arrow goes away and the mass of cars from the opposite direction start moving and then she pulls out straight ahead...she was in the wrong lane.  And I missed the light. You are not going to squeeze your ball through that opening in the trees. But of course some guy had to squeeze into a spot right next to me with his Suburban so that I couldn't get my door open!!  Always tip the beverage cart girl. The "bagging groceries for tips" is neat fundraiser... and any time saved is worth a few dollars! Be sure to put your clubs back in the same spot in your bag. My credit card got quite the workout, and when I'm in panic mode I usually try to put it in my front pocket so I can make my transaction as speedy as possible.  But at store 3 I threw it in my purse with the receipt.  Fast forward to store 4 and I can't find the credit card.  My mind flashes back to the last store (sort of like going back and counting your strokes on the green) and thankfully I remember that I put it in the front pocket.  Lost the time I had made up at the grocery store! Fix your divots. It only takes a few seconds to bring your shopping cart to the designated spot, so please, don't leave it in the empty spot next to you so no one can park there.  There is nothing worse than thinking you have found a parking gold mine...only to have to pull back out because of that darn cart!  And any good golfer would take care of another divot, too, so I went and moved the cart even though I had to park somewhere else. Every once in awhile you get a members bounce. Just when I had about given up on finding a gift, I went down the wrong aisle by accident and found exactly what I was looking for!  YAY!  THANK YOU to whoever it was that put it in the wrong spot. It was a tough round yesterday, but I made it!  And the best thing about golfers who love the game is that no matter how bad a round might be you're already looking forward to the next time you get to play. I wish I could say that I was all set now, but I'm in panic mode for one more day.  I've got the shopping lists ready, and I've got a few back up plans just in case...hopefully I won't have to lay up! I wish Christmas shopping really WAS like golfing! I hope you all have a happy and joyous holiday...Merry Christmas!! Posted Dec 23 2009, 08:08 AM by Cathy Erickson with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Golf, Cathy Erickson, Christmas, shopping

• Did I really say that?

  I thought it might be a good time to check out how I did on my predictions for the 2009 PGA Tour season.  Back on January 6, 2009 I made the following guesses in italics (see the 2009 Predictions Thread in the forums): I think I can only improve from my predictions from last year - they were not good - This is a true story.  I'm awful at making predictions, but there is something fun in getting the chance to guess right every once in awhile! although Matt Kuchar came close for me! So I'm not giving up on him yet - he will win a tournament in 2009.  AHA!!!  I got this one right!  Matt wins the Turning Stone Championship this year!!  I've been a fan of Matt ever since I saw him play at the Masters in 1998 as an amateur (he was a sophomore at Georgia Tech at the time).  What I liked most about him was that he chose to finish his college degree instead of turning pro right away.  He has struggled over the past 10 or so years, but 2009 was a great season for him - besides a win, he had 5 top 10 finishes, finished 24th on the money list (just shy of $2.5 million), made 18 of 24 cuts and is currently sitting 62nd in the world golf ranking.  Matt also plays Bridgestone clubs.  He will definitely be in my 2010 predictions!  THANK YOU MATT!! Justin Leonard is going to have a breakout year and win a Major.  Okay.  I was off on this one.  Justin's year wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either...he finished 30th on the money list (just over $2.2 million), made 21 cuts in 26 events, but had no wins (although a T2 finish at the Disney should boost his confidence for 2010)...he did have 6 top 10's, including a T8 finish at the British Open, which was my only real chance to make this prediction come true.  He's dropped in the OWGR since 2008 (from 23rd to 38th ) but his play at the President's Cup and at the recent Shark Shootout makes me think he's ready to make some moves in 2010! Greg Norman will make the cut at the Masters and contend on Sunday...but Tiger or Justin Leonard will win.  Whoops.  Okay, so I bought into the hype...after his great run at the '08 British Open, which gave him an invitation to the 2009 Masters, I really believed he was going to recreate some magic.  He tried to downplay the expectations, but you could tell he wanted a great finish here.  A solid day one got a lot of people excited, but he followed it up with a 77 and a missed cut.  Tiger gave it a great run on Sunday, but a bogey-bogey finish sealed his fate and a T6 finish.  Leonard didn't make the cut (whoops again!).  Overall, this was one of my favorite tournaments to watch - lots of drama, and Kenny Perry almost winning!!  I was glued to my TV and computer all week.  I'm already looking forward to Masters week 2010! Phil also comes back this year after a ho-hum 2008 - he wins on the west coast swing and again in Texas.  He will also regain his #2 spot on the OWGR. I'm giving myself the WIN on this one!  He does win on the West Coast swing (Riviera) and he's currently sitting #2 in the OWGR - my Texas win was off, but he did win in Florida, so that's close enough!  Looking at Phil's 2009 stats, he was sort of a feast or famine player this year - he made 15 of 18 cuts, but it was either a win (or 2nd), or finishing T50 or worse...but his play at the Masters was inspiring, and winning the Tour Championship was icing on his $5.3 million dollar season.  Changes to his putting stroke seemed to be the key to turning things around this year.  Knowing what we know, Phil is going to need a standout 2010 to keep the folks interested in the PGA tour in 2010. Anthony Kim will win the PGA which is at Hazeltine in Minnesota!  I blame this all on Sam Johnson - he writes a few posts about Kim and I think he's the greatest thing since macaroni & cheese...after 2009, though, he's got some work to do to get to Mac & Cheese status!  Anthony came out of the gate hot with a T2 finish at the limited field Mercedes, but then didn't post a Top 10 finish until July with a 3rd place finish at the AT&T National.  He made the cut at the PGA (whish was better than my Masters prediction), but finished T51.  Besides another T3 finish at the Canadian Open, and some good play at the President's Cup, he never really seemed in contention.  I want to see Kim do well - I think he can add some spice to the Tour - now he just needs to get that spice into his game. I'm also not giving up on Kenny Perry - he will win again this season. (maybe in Hawaii!) Kenny wins!!  Twice actually - I loved that Kenny was my first prediction to come true in 2009 - Perry won the FBR Open in Scottsdale and that was just the beginning to another career year where he ended up 5th on the money list (just over $4.4 million) and made 24 of 24 cuts...I LOVE this stat!!  His Masters performance kept me glued to my couch and I loved seeing him at the President's Cup.  He's indicated that he may consider scaling back a bit in 2010 and he has the opportunity to try out the Champions tour in 2010 as well...I'm feeling another PGA tour victory in 2010!! Retief Goosen is also coming back this year and will contend in at least 2 majors. I'm calling this one good, too!!  Goosen finished 11th on the money list (compared to 72nd in 2008) and made 18 of 20 cuts which included a WIN at the Transitions Championship.  He's 19th on the OWGR now, too!  Goosen finished T16 at the US Open shooting a final round 74, so he was a factor, and a T5 finish at the British let's me call him a contender in 2 majors!  Yes! Steve Stricker will also have a dedicated fan this year, but has decided not to put any pressure on him by saying he's going to win (but I think he will!) A 3 win season for my favorite player!!  Actually, let's make that 4 with a win at the Shark Shootout last weekend.  Another stellar season for Stricker - in contention for the Fed Ex Prize and awesome play at the President's Cup.  I was bummed he missed the cut at the PGA, but he came in under the radar for a great T6 finish at the Masters.  Will 2010 be the season that brings him his first Major?...someone might be predicting that!  Stricks is currently 3rd on the OWGR and he finished 2nd on the money list, making just over $6.3 million.  He was also ranked first in Putting for the 2009 season.  I can't wait to see what he has in store for next season.  Way to go Steve! Tiger wins 4 times this year - including 1 Major...and maybe the match play again this year!  (if not, it will be Ernie Els) Well, it's not often there's a player you can underestimate, but Tiger posted 6 wins in 17 starts (amazing!), but he bowed out early in the Match Play, losing to Tim Clark in 2nd round.  Tiger had his chances in all the majors but the British, but he came away with a 2nd place and 2 T6's.  Once again he proved that on the golf course there is no one better. HEY - I did WAY better than I thought I had!!  Okay - a few hiccups...and underestimating Tiger, but for the most part, I was good.  I realize a few were no brainers, but this review has made me think that my future may be in fortune telling!  I'm going to take the rest of December to review the 2009 season and then get ready to make my 2010 predictions...although if I were smart, I'd quit right here!  Thanks, PGA Tour, for another great golf season! Posted Dec 15 2009, 08:39 AM by Cathy Erickson with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Masters, Greg Norman, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Sam Johnson, US Open, Steve Stricker, British Open, putting, PGA Championship, TIger Woods, Anthony Kim, Matt Kuchar, OWGR, 2009 Predictions, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Cathy Erickson

• Golf "news"?

  I was all set to share my thoughts about the number one golf story on the planet today...you know, the upcoming final stage of the PGA Tour Q-school.  Wait.  What?  Why are you looking at your computer screen with that funny look on your face? That's not it?    Were you expecting something else?  Oh, yes.  Are you thinking of that Woods guy getting in a little fender bender with a tree and fire hydrant (which has now evolved into the E! True PGA Tour story about Tiger's personal exploits)?  Okay, maybe you're right...and if I were Q-school, I'd be pretty mad at Tiger for being such a headline stealer! When I heard my local news station announcers say the name Tiger Woods last night, I knew this "unfortunate incident" had gone far and beyond any rational reporting standard.   The local news in small-town Minnesota is reporting about a car accident in Florida?  What kind of "news" is this?  Wait, that's right, this isn't "news"...and the car accident isn't even the story anymore.  Nothing like a good character assassination to keep viewers tuned in, huh. Okay, I'll admit it...I was curious.  The first report I read said he was in "serious condition".  That didn't sound very good at all so I went to one of my favorite sources for golf info, http://www.waggleroom.com/, and soon I was reading a whole different story on the story.  Then came the debate as to whether we have the "right" to know anything about this...and the critique of the media that seemed to be "creating" the story as the went along, mostly because the actual sources for information were not talking. Which begged the next big question...why wasn't Tiger talking?  If I had a dollar for every message board or blog post that said, "this would be so much better for Tiger if he would just tell us what happened", I think I could go on a really nice golf vacation!   But Tiger is not talking, and without that, we're left with drawing our own conclusions based on what we know (or what we think we know)...and you know what they say when people start to assume... Now, a few days later, all we seem to be talking about is the alleged sex life of Tiger Woods...and how the legal system works in Florida.  Everyone has "lawyered up"  and Tiger won't be at the event that will benefit his foundation.  (sarcasm alert!) Thank goodness the Florida Highway Patrol charged him with careless driving so we can at least keep some focus on the accident! (end of sarcasm alert) I've read the speculations, and if anyone cares about my gut feeling, I think some of them are probably not that far from the truth.  Do I want to know why Tiger was leaving his house at 2:30 in the morning and ended up hitting a tree and fire hydrant?  I wish I could say no, but my curiosity makes me look it up every day on the internet.  Yes, I wish he'd just tell us. But the question is, will knowing what happened really make a difference to me?  From a golf perspective, I've decided it won't.  I have never, and will never, define golf by Tiger Woods....it means SO much more to me than that.  And I'd like to believe that most other golfers feel the same way. In other "real" golf news...  Don't forget to follow all of the Q-school action coming up this week - the final stage is set in Florida and field will have to grind through 6 rounds to make it into the top 25 (and ties).  For some, it's what golf dreams are made of...for others, it's trying to hang on for dear life to keep what they have.  There is a lot on the line and some great stories waiting to be told.  I was waiting for Tees2Greens to send me "on assignment", but they probably knew I was busy at work right now.  Right, guys??  Here is a great post by Shane Bacon giving some insight on the field of 170 players... http://www.dogschasingcars.com/2009/12/getting-to-know-your-2009-q-school.html You can follow the scoring online and I think the Golf Channel will have some coverage, too.  You might be surprised by some of the familiar names in the field this week.  Check it out! The LPGA Q-school is going on, too!  Here is a short article on the event that started today http://www.lpga.com/content_1.aspx?pid=22673&mid=1  and you can follow live scoring here: http://www.real-timescoring.com/LPGA/Leaderboard.asp  The LPGA could use some more fans, so pick some players and root them on! But the best golf news of the week for me is that I hit golf balls outside on December 1!!  When I glanced at the thermometer in my car on my way home yesterday it said the outside temp was 41 degrees...I decided that if the temp was still at least 40 when I got home it was a sign that I should go hit a few golf balls - 25 miles later and it's still 41!  With clubs still in the car, it was a quick change into some warm clothes and off to the golf course.  I had about 30 minutes of daylight left and I made the most of it.  It's funny how just a few solid swings with the driver is all it took to make me giddy beyond belief.  I needed this day to remind me that golf, in its truest form, is about player and the golf course...and that's all.  Tiger Woods may be golf, but golf isn't just Tiger Woods.  There are over 200 men and women battling to make golf on the highest professional level their job for the next year...now there's a golf "news" story!  Enjoy Q-school! Posted Dec 02 2009, 08:33 AM by Cathy Erickson with 2 comment(s) Filed under: TIger Woods, news, December, Q-school, accident