Golf International Magazine Online

FootJoy, the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf, has announced today that it intends to add a new green colour option to its FJ SPORT family to mark the occasion of the season’s first Major Championship.

This striking new addition, which will be available to golfers in the UK from the beginning of May, is already worn on tour by the hottest name in in world golf, Rory McIlroy and has been inspired by a combination of the colours of the lush green fairways of what is considered to be the most famous golf course on the planet.

“The first Major of the year is synonymous for being the tournament that traditionally kick-starts the golfing season in Europe and we felt this presents the ideal opportunity to introduce the new green colour option into our popular FJ SPORT range,” commented Russell Lawes, European Marketing Manager FootJoy. “This year’s tournament is set to be one of the most exciting yet, with a number of FJ brand ambassadors and FJ SPORT loyalists, including Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood all currently at the peak of their games.”

Launched in February this year, the new 2012 edition of the FJ SPORT has undergone a number of subtle design and styling tweaks to ensure it offers the very latest in modern styling and enhanced levels of sports performance, and is ideally suited for golfers seeking a technologically-advanced shoe coupled with bold, athletic styling.

The FJ SPORT integrates proven performance attributes and premium materials. Full grain leather uppers allow for extreme levels of breathability, support and comfort with tensile strength. ProofGuard™membrane technology provides unrivalled waterproof protection and breathability. In-shoe technology includes an athletic mesh lining that delivers comfort and additional breathability whilst a lightweight moulded EVA fit-bed increases underfoot cushioning, support and aesthetic appeal. Outsole technology incorporates a soft, lightweight, moulded EVA midsole that adds cushioning and a moulded TPU outsole with Forefoot FlexZone generates outstanding stability and flexibility.

The new green FJ SPORT will be available in the UK from May 1^stand will have a suggested retail price of £110. For more information on all products in the FJ range please visit www.footjoy.com

The list of former champions includes Vijay Singh (2005), Jim Furyk (2006), Tiger Woods (2007), McIlroy (2010) who is eager to be back at the course where he clinched his maiden PGA Tour victory.

"It's always nice to come back to somewhere where you've had success at," the mop-haired U.S. Open champion told reporters at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.

"I've got great memories of this course and of this tournament from 2010. I've played some great golf here and played not so great golf here last year, but I'm looking forward just to get back out on the course."

The Northern Irishman, already acknowledged as an extraordinary talent, stunned the golfing world with his victory at Quail Hollow where he closed with a course record 10-under-par 62 to blow away a top-quality field by four shots.

"It was nice to get that first win in the United States, the second win of my career," he recalled. "A lot of European players come over here and struggle to win, so to come over here and get a win early was nice.

"It gave me the confidence to know if I came over here a little bit more that I did have good chances of winning tournaments here."

McIlroy has since won his first major title with an eight-stroke triumph in last year's U.S. Open but he faces a tough field this week which also includes world number five Hunter Mahan, seventh-ranked Woods and 10th-ranked Phil Mickelson.

"This is one of our best regular Tour events that we have," said American left-hander Mickelson. "It's one of the best courses tee to green I think we play all year and it's really a fun tournament for us.

"When this tournament came into existence, it was done right, right from the beginning, and so it didn't really need to evolve too much. A lot of the members here are members at Augusta (National).

"They know how the greatest tournament in the world (the Masters) is run. They implemented a lot of those subtleties and nuances into this tournament right from day one, and it's every bit as good from day one as it is today."

Woods will certainly command much of the attention this week as he returns to the PGA Tour for the first time since tying for 40th at the Masters where he completed his worst performance as a professional.

The former world number one failed to break 72 in any of his four rounds but believes he has solved the ball-striking problems which plagued him at Augusta National.

"At the Masters, I was kind of struggling with my ball-striking a little bit," Woods said earlier this week.

"(Swing coach) Sean (Foley) and I fixed it. It had to do with my posture. My setup wasn't quite right, as well as my takeaway so we worked on that. I just needed to do hundreds of (repetitions).

"I'm getting dialed in."

Woods, a 14-times major champion, took a week off after the April 5-8 Masters and has since spent the past fortnight working on his game.

Having ended a two-and-a-half-year title drought on the PGA Tour by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, he likes his prospects of securing another victory this week.

"If I can do the things that we've been working on, and get my posture and my takeaway dialed in, then yes, I have a good chance," said Woods.

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover will launch his title defense at Quail Hollow in Thursday's opening round.

Glover, who beat Jonathan Byrd in a playoff for last year's Wells Fargo Championship, has been grouped with fellow American Kyle Stanley and Britain's Westwood

Dawson said a fund was created to bring the nine courses used for the Open ''into the modern era.''

He said an average of about £500,000 had been spent on each course, ''but I would say it's money well spent.''

And while Dawson earlier detailed changes to this year's host venue at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, he said Tuesday that changes have already been put in place for the 2013 Open venue at Muirfield.

''Everything has been done at Muirfield and it has been done for a few years now,'' he said. ''There are quite a few changes, but they are very subtle.''

Dawson said one of the biggest changes at Muirfield was a new back tee at the ninth hole, where 60 to 70 yards had been added to the hole. The 10th fairway has been moved about one-third of its width to provide more room at the practice ground.

''Almost all the changes at Muirfield, apart from the ninth tee, you would not notice them,'' Dawson said, adding that the course will play some 200 yards longer than when the British Open was last held at Muirfield in 2002.

Dawson also said that while he was impressed with the new Donald Trump course at Aberdeen, he said it would need to be commercially viable to the R&A to take golf's oldest major to the Martin Hawtree-designed course at Balmedie.

''It is a spectacular golf course and it was me who recommended Martin Hawtree to Donald,'' Dawson. ''As for an Open Championship being played there we will have to wait and see. There is every indication the golf course is very strong, but let's see how it matures and I would say it has a long way to go yet.''

The British Open starts July 19.

He hasn't seen it since.

Life has been moving at a faster pace than Watson imagined since he hooked that sand wedge off the pine straw, around the trees and onto the 10th green at Augusta National to win a sudden-death playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and capture his first major.

He and his wife, Angie, adopted a month-old boy named Caleb just two weeks before the Masters. His first act as Masters champion was to cradle the boy the next morning and feed him from the bottle, before leaving the next day for his media tour.

As for changing diapers? That's coming along at a slightly slower pace.

''Not that I have a count, but it's only five I've changed,'' Watson said. ''And they've been easy to change.''

So much has changed in one month. A new father. A major champion. And two weeks after trying to let it all soak in, it's time for Watson to get back to work. He is defending his title this week in New Orleans at the Zurich Classic.

If not for the responsibility he feels to defend, Watson would much rather be home.

''We figured out we've had him for a month, and I've been home, I think at the most, nine days, maybe eight days,'' Watson said. ''So it's not enough, not a lot. So it's hard leaving him. It was hard leaving today, but that's the change. That's the excitement of waking up every morning, no matter how tired you are, no matter how red your eyes are, just seeing him pretty much do nothing - just lay there.''

The win at Augusta isn't a distant memory by any stretch.

His clothing company made up a tiny green jacket for his son, which hangs in the closet next to the real one. There have been diagrams that Watson's caddie posted on Twitter illustrating the 40-yard hook of a shot from trees right of the 10th fairway on the second extra hole, which somehow not only landed on the green, but checked up and settled 15 feet away for a par.

It will live in Masters' lore, just like so many other shots before it - the 6-iron that Phil Mickelson hit between a pair of Georgia pines on the 13th hole in 2010, Tiger Woods' chip-in that made a U-turn on the 16th green and paused at the lip of the cup before falling for birdie in 2005.

Watson might have been the last guy to realize how close his shot was to the flag.

''I was expecting front of the green, maybe center of the green at best, because you never expect it to be that close,'' he said. ''But it came off and I couldn't see it. I ran to the fairway and I heard them roar, and I said, 'Where is it?' ... So I saw it, and I go, 'Whew, I'm pretty good.' That's how it all went down.

''Those shots ... I try to pull off the amazing shot, just like we've seen Mickelson pull off shots, Tiger pull off shots, everybody that's won you've seen pull off shots like that,'' he said. ''It's something you want to try to pull off, and somehow I did.''

His win was popular for several reasons, not the least of which was a guy named Bubba whose approach to golf is similar to so many regular folk. His late father taught him how to grip a golf club and the fundamentals of the swing, and Watson took it from there. He has never had a teacher, preferring to figure it out by himself. He was groomed on public courses and would much rather play golf than beat balls on the practice range or stare into a video to figure out his swing.

Five years ago, the Masters champion was Zach Johnson, who described himself as a ''normal guy'' from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

''I'm just Bubba from Bagdad, Florida,'' Watson said. ''Small town, play golf because I love the game of golf. I play golf because it's fun. ... Everybody can see that my swing is homegrown. That means everybody has a chance to do it. Hard work, dedication, practice and the drive to do it, and not worry about what other people say.''

Before thinking about the next majors, though, Watson said he is more geared toward charity.

He started this year with ''Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million,'' in which he is trying to raise $1 million. He wore white all week at the Masters in another campaign that raised some $70,000. Ping is selling a limited edition of his pink driver, which could bring in $450,000. He has organized a ''Bubba Bash'' in Columbus, Ohio, to raise money for the Bubba and Angie Watson Medical Center in Africa.

''That stuff is more important to me, but right now with this platform that I have of winning the Masters, it's going to give me a better chance to raise good dollars for cancer, for the center in Africa and different things like that,'' Watson said.

There have been changes typical of any newfound stardom.

Watson said a radio station called him about 40 times the morning after he won the Masters. The first job for Watson's agent, Jens Beck, was to change the cell phone number of him and his wife. And while the last two weeks have been mostly about his new family, it didn't take long to realize he gets to play the Masters the rest of his career, with a few extra privileges as the champion.

''I think there's a new rule where I can take a guest, play Sunday before the Masters,'' he said. ''My wife said that she will be glad to play Sunday before the Masters next year. That's when I realized that every year I get to take a guest. I'll have a bunch of new friends. My cell phone number will be changed many times.''

''I know everyone has a job to do, and I get it,'' Foley said this week on ''Fairways of Life,'' a radio show hosted by Matt Adams on XM Sirius. ''But if it is about the game of golf, Tiger Woods is an extremely important part of the game, and I think everyone understands that. It has just gotten to the point where the tearing down of Tiger as a person and a golfer has become just too much. I think it is just out of hand.''

Woods has been under more scrutiny than any other golfer since he turned pro in 1996 when he was 20 and won twice in seven starts on the PGA Tour. The criticism has sharpened in the two years since Woods was exposed for extramarital affairs that cost him his marriage and impeccable image.

He tied for 40th at the Masters, yet most of the attention was on how Woods kicked his golf club after missing a tee shot on the 16th hole of the second round. He said the next day, ''I'm frustrated at times and I apologize if I offended anybody that that.''

Foley began working with Woods at the 2010 PGA Championship, and Woods has shown signs of getting back toward the top of his game. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill last month for his first PGA Tour win since the scandal in his personal life unfolded the night of Thanksgiving 2009.

Foley has gone through his share of criticism, too, especially in the early stages of Woods learning a new swing.

''I realize it is 2012 and we have dotcoms, and you have to write five articles a day, and you run out of things to write about,'' Foley said. ''But we should be in a position where we are trying to help and lift up and support a player like Tiger Woods instead of tearing him down, because everyone in the golf industry is better off because of his existence.''

Foley's comments came at the end of a 20-minute interview, and he raised the issue without prompting.

''That is basically one thing I want to get out,'' Foley said. ''Tiger is a wonderful person, and he is a good dude, and he lives a complex life. I think things have got to slow down, and it has got to stop, the daily referendums and the criticism.''

Woods' performance in the Masters has kept him in conversations, however. It was his highest finish in a major as a pro - except for the three times he has missed the cut - and kicking his 9-iron became a lasting image of his week at Augusta National.

A few days after the Masters, former Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger said on Sirius XM Mad Dog Radio that Woods' antics were an ''embarrassment to the game, to the membership at Augusta.'' The comments were startling because Azinger has long been a supporter of Woods.

''I was really disappointed to see him carry on that way,'' Azinger said. ''He's not trying to endear himself to anybody. And after he won Bay Hill, I thought, 'Here we go again, this is going to be Tiger just kicking butt and taking names.' I don't know. I thought he acted like the south end of a northbound mule.''

Jack Nicklaus was asked Tuesday about Woods' game and said he didn't know what was going on.

''I don't know what goes (on) between his ears,'' Nicklaus said. ''That's really the X factor. His golf game and his golf swing looks pretty similar to what I've been looking at and he hits a lot of great shots. But you never know what's going on in somebody's head.''

PING announced it will sell 5,000 limited-edition all-pink PING® G20™ drivers, inspired by the one used by Masters Champion Bubba Watson.

They will donate 5% of the proceeds to its fundraising campaign, “Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by PING.” The bright-pink G20 drivers will be available in golf shops nationwide approximately June 1.

As part of PING’s campaign, the company made a $10,000 upfront donation and gives $300 for every drive Watson hits 300 yards or farther (up to 300 drives). To date, $61,600 has been generated. All funds raised will go to Phoenix-area charities, chosen by PING with Bubba’s support. Its effort is part of the “Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million” initiative launched by Watson in January to raise $1 million for charities this year.

“Bubba is already approaching the target of 300 drives of 300 yards or longer, and we wanted a way to provide ongoing support for his generous cause,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “Even prior to his win at the Masters, golfers were requesting pink G20s.Through word of mouth, social media, and phone calls, the interest was extremely high. We want to satisfy that demand while bringing even more visibility to Bubba’s goal of raising $1 million.

“Golfers who own a pink G20 will be excited to have this prized possession. They’ll not only enjoy the improved performance of the G20, they’ll be participating in a wonderful cause.”

The drivers will have a bright pink shaft and clubhead featuring the same technology that has earned the G20 high marks for its performance from golfers of all abilities. The G20s are offered in 9.5º, 10.5º, and 12º lofts for right-handed players; 10.5º for left-handed. There is also a version geared for women with 12º loft and a Ladies flex shaft. All come with a matching pink headcover and a power-promoting high-balance-point TFC 169D shaft labeled, “Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by PING. Limited Edition 2012.” It is available in R, S, and L flexes.

Petterson used another fast start for a 2-under 69 and a five-shot victory over Zach Johnson on Sunday at the RBC Heritage. Pettersson has never fit the tapered, powerful build made popular by Tiger Woods and copied by scores of young players.

The one time the 34-year-old Pettersson did slim down and lost 30 pounds, he also lost his winning golf swing.

''Ultimately, just cause you don't look like an athlete doesn't mean you're not an athlete,'' Pettersson said. ''We're not running a marathon out here, we're walking 18 holes.''

And no one walked them better this week at Harbour Town Golf Links than Pettersson. He finished at 14 under to win his fifth PGA Tour title and first since 2010. Pettersson also tied countryman Jesper Parnevik for most ever on tour by a Swedish player.

''It was great,'' said Pettersson, now a U.S. citizen. ''I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself, so I kind of downplayed the whole thing. But getting off to a birdie on one was great.''

Pettersson, second in the Houston Open two weeks ago, earned $1,026,000.

Top-ranked Luke Donald needed to finish eighth or better to retain his ranking, but tied for 37th and will fall behind Rory McIlroy.

Johnson shot a 70 to finish second at 9 under, while Colt Knost's chances for his first PGA Tour title fell apart with a 74. He was third at 8 under.

Kevin Stadler (68) and Billy Mayfair (69) tied for fourth at 6 under. Two-time Heritage winner Boo Weekley had his worst round of the week, 73, to tie for sixth with Matt Bettencourt (69).

Masters winner Bubba Watson and most of the world's best took the week off to recover from the year's first major

No one, though, was catching Pettersson in this one. He rolled in a 24-footer on No. 1 to get things started with a birdie. He added another birdie, from 16 feet on the par-3 fourth hole, then two-putted from 40 feet on the par-5 fifth to go up by four shots. When Johnson took bogey at No. 10, Pettersson was five strokes in front and cruising.

Pettersson used a run of five straight birdies on the front side Saturday to gain the lead. He was 13 under on the front nine the four days.

''I like all the holes,'' he said. ''I don't have one hole on the front nine where I feel awkward over the tee shot or second shot.''

He also didn't feel too bad on the greens, needing just 104 putts over 72 holes.

Knost was on top after Thursday and Friday and felt good as part of the final pairing. But those nerves Knost acknowledged Saturday were apparently back again in the final round.

He missed an 8-foot putt for par and made bogey on No. 1 for a second straight round to drop three shots behind Pettersson. And just like Saturday, Knost fought back with a birdie on the second hole - he made eagle there in the third round - to close in on Pettersson.

However, Knost's chances ended, though, a hole later with a horrible drive out of bounds left on No. 3 that led to a triple-bogey seven and left him five shots behind and out of contention.

When Knost flew his approach to the 12th green way left, he simply stood in the fairway and stared straight ahead, hands on hips, in disbelief.

''I hit it good this weekend, but the one swing (on No. 3) got me in trouble,'' Knost said. ''I made 7 and that was kind of it.''

Pettersson didn't let Knost's troubles affect his focus.

''He had a tough time out there,'' Pettersson said. ''But there were still other guys with a chance.''

Johnson, four strokes behind Pettersson at the start, tried to make a charge with birdies on the second, fourth and fifth holes. Johnson closed to three shots when he birdied No. 15 and Pettersson had his first bogey of the day moments later.

But Johnson ran out of steam on the 16th hole when he drove into a waste bunker and took bogey. Still, it was Johnson's best showing of the year and first top-10 finish since January.

''There were a couple of bumps along the road, but a lot of positives,'' Johnson said. ''Certainly some things that I can learn from.''

Donald was largely resigned to surrendering No. 1 when he woke up early for his 9:46 a.m. start time, more than four hours before the final group of Pettersson and Knost teed off.

Donald's round began badly with a double bogey at No. 1. He worked his way back with birdies on the fifth and sixth hole and that's where he stayed. Donald ended a four-week run at No. 1 that began after he won the Transitions Championship last month.

Donald said he's proved he's among the world's best and is confident he'll stay in that conversation, no matter where he's ranked. ''Now, my focus is winning tournaments,'' he said.

Donald headed the list of four golfers among the 20 who followed the Masters with Harbour Town. World No. 13 Webb Simpson finished at 4 over while No. 14 Matt Kuchar, two strokes from the playoff in third at Augusta National, also was way off the pace at 3 over. No. 18 Bill Haas did not make the cut.

Pettersson's last victory came at the RBC Canadian Open in 2010 and this win was likely just popular with first-year Heritage sponsor Royal Bank of Canada. The financial institution, along with the Boeing Co., stepped in last June to back the cash-strapped event which was in danger of disappearing without such support.

Pettersson remembers in 2009 feeling like he needed to trim down to play better. He worked out more, ate right, dropped 30 pounds - and couldn't swing the club. He vowed to beef up and rediscover his game. The regimen?

''Well, you drink 10 beers and (eat) a tub of ice cream before bed,'' Pettersson said. ''That puts it on quickly.''

Comfortable in his skin again, Pettersson went to work on his game. Things perked up this season with a second place at the Sony Open in January and the showing in Houston earlier this month. ''It's fun to play again and I kept the weight on,'' he said.

With a win under his belt, Pettersson doesn't expect to change anything, even his (lack of) fitness routine.

''Maybe,'' Pettersson says, ''some of these guys are overdoing it.''

Watson was so deep in the woods late Sunday afternoon that he couldn’t even see where he was going. With his golf ball nestled on a bed of pine needles, he hit a gap wedge that shot out toward the fairway and hooked some 40 yards and onto the elevated green.

Nothing less than the Masters was riding on the outcome. Nothing else would do except for a page right out of “Bubba golf.”

And on a thrill-a-minute Sunday at Augusta National, where Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa made only the fourth double eagle in the 76-year history of this major, it made Watson a Masters champion.

“I’ve never had a dream go this far, so I can’t really say it’s a dream come true,” Watson said. “I don’t even know what happened on the back nine. … Nervous on every shot, every putt. Went into a playoff. I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot that I saw in my head, and somehow I’m here talking to you with a green jacket on.”

His amazing shot in the playoff settled 10 feet from the hole, setting up a simple par for the win.

Lost in all the commotion was Oosthuizen making what is commonly called the rarest shot in golf—an albatross—when his 4-iron from 253 yards on the par-5 second hole landed on the front of the green, took the slope and rolled some 90 feet into the cup for a 2.

Oosthuizen had never made a double eagle in his life.

His Masters ended by watching a shot he didn’t know existed.

After hitting short of the 10th green in the playoff, he was in the fairway and could only see a trail of fans leading into the woods.

“I had no idea where he was,” Oosthuizen said. “Where I stood from, when the ball came out, it looked like a curve ball. Unbelievable shot. That shot he hit definitely won him the tournament.”

Watson, who made four straight birdies on the back nine and closed with a 4-under 68, made it all sound so simple. Maybe it’s because he has hit so many shots like that before. Maybe it’s because he is one of the few players who doesn’t have a swing coach, and never has.

“Hooked it about 40 yards, hit about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree and then started rising,” Watson said. “Pretty easy.”

The hard part was holding back tears.

He was blubbering hard on the 10th green, shoulders heaving and face contorted, for so many reasons. Just two weeks ago, he and his wife adopted a baby boy, Caleb. The first person on the green was his mother—his father died right after the Ryder Cup in 2010. He held her tight and cried some more.

As incredible as it all seemed, Gerry “Bubba” Watson, Jr., the powerful lefty with a million shots at his disposal, was a major champion.

“I never got this far in my dreams,” Watson said in Butler cabin, where defending champion Charl Schwartzel helped him into the green jacket. “It’s a blessing. To go home to my new son, it’s going to be fun.”

Oosthuizen was trying to join Gene Sarazen in the 1935 Masters as the only major champions to win with a double eagle in the final round. The former British Open champion made one clutch putt after another on the back nine, none more important than a 4-footer on the 18th for a 69 to force the playoff.

Both had a good look at birdie at No. 18 on the first extra hole and missed.

Watson, dressed all in white and using a pink driver, hooked his tee shot on the 10th into the trees, and it appeared he would have no shot at reaching the green.

Walking down the fairway toward an uncertain lie, he and caddie Ted Scott recalled their credo—“If I have a swing, I’ve got a shot.”

Among his idols in golf are Seve Ballesteros, who built a career on magical escapes like this one. It was the first Masters since Ballesteros died last May. Watson also admires Phil Mickelson, who never saw a flag that frightened him.

“I attack. I always attack,” Watson said. “I don’t like to go to the center of the greens. I want to hit the incredible shot. Who doesn’t? That’s why we play the game of golf, to pull off the amazing shot.”

They finished at 10-under 278, two shots ahead of four players who kept it close and made the Masters as compelling as ever.

Mickelson, playing in the final group for the fourth time, recovered from a triple bogey on the par-3 fourth hole and still managed to stay in the game. He could only make two-putt birdies on the two par 5s on the back and shot 72.

“It’s disappointing that I didn’t grab that fourth green jacket,” said Mickelson, whose wife and three kids flew in from San Diego on Sunday. “It’s disappointing that I didn’t make it happen on the back nine and get the putts to fall, even though I felt like I was hitting them pretty good. I gave them all good chances. I just couldn’t quite get them to go.”

Lee Westwood of England ran off three straight birdies, but the last one hurt. He had an 8-foot eagle putt to tie for the lead on the 15th and missed it, and a final birdie on the 18th gave him a 68 and only made it look close.

“I don’t feel like giving up just yet,” said Westwood, who had his seventh top-3 finish in a major since the 2008 U.S. Open.

Matt Kuchar tied for the lead with a short eagle putt on the 15th, then bogeyed the 16th for a 69. Peter Hanson of Sweden, who had a one-shot lead going into the final round, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole. He closed with a 73.

Watson, a 33-year-old from Bagdad, Fla., in the Panhandle, won for the fourth time in his career and moves to No. 4 in the world, making him the highest-ranked American in golf. He became the fifth left-hander to win the Masters in the last 10 years.

And he created a legion of fans—especially in Georgia, where he returned to school to get his degree—who chanted, “Bubba! Bubba! Bubba!” as he hugged everyone he could find on the 10th green.

“I don’t play the sport for fame. I don’t try to win tournaments for fame,” Watson said. “I don’t do any of that. It’s just me. I’m just Bubba. I goof around. I joke around.

“I just want to be me and play golf.”

Tiger Woods used to play practice rounds with Watson at the majors because he was intrigued how a guy who has never had a coach could make the ball move any direction he wanted.

Watson hasn’t had a lesson since he was 10. His father taught him the basic grip and basic swing, and Watson took it from there. The challenge has always been figuring out the game by himself. “I just swing funny, and somehow it works,” he once said.

Woods was among those who congratulated Watson on Twitter before the trophy presentation.

“Congrats (at)bubbawatson. Fantastic creativity. Now how creative will the champions dinner be next year?” he tweeted.

Oosthuizen was trying to become only the sixth player to have won majors at Augusta National and St. Andrews—two of the most revered courses in golf—and almost got it done.

He stayed in the lead with a tricky par putt from 10 feet on the 14th and a 7-foot birdie putt on the 15th, but Watson caught him by making his fourth straight birdie on the back nine, a tee shot into 4 feet on the 16th.

Both hung on for pars the rest of the way.

Woods went from the favorite to not even a factor on the weekend. He closed with a birdie on the 18th for a 74 and had his highest score ever at the Masters as a pro, finishing at 5-over 293—15 shots out of the lead.

This, from a guy who only two weeks ago won by five shots at Bay Hill, presumably signaling a return.

“It was an off week at the wrong time,” Woods said.

He tied for 40th with U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, also favored to contend. McIlroy was one shot out of the lead after two rounds, then had a 77-76 weekend.

Woods and McIlroy were expected to be a big part of the show. This being Augusta, the show managed to go on. There simply is no greater theater in golf than the Masters, and it lasted all day.

An ace for Bo Van Pelt on the 16th—the second straight year he has made two eagles on the back nine—for a tournament-best 64. An ace for Adam Scott on the same hole, sending him to a 66.

The loudest cheer was for Oosthuizen’s albatross.

Hanson was sizing up a difficult chip from right of the first green when Augusta erupted in cheers from down below. No one was sure what it meant until Hanson and Mickelson hit their tee shots on the par-5 second, glanced over at the white leaderboard behind the eighth green and saw that Oosthuizen had gone from 7 under to 10 under ahead of them.

Hanson made two quick bogeys and never caught back up. Mickelson’s tournament might have ended on the fourth hole with one swing, one bad bounce off the bleachers, and two straight right-handed shots that led to triple bogey.

“Oh, no,” Mickelson said as his tee shot struck the grandstand and caromed into the woods. He could have gone back to the tee and played his third shot. Instead, he tried to chop out of the trees from the right side and barely moved it a yard. He tried the same shot again and slapped it to a muddy patch of grass. From there he went into the bunker, and triple bogey was the best he could do.

Kuchar made a late run, but this back nine—plus two extra holes— ultimately belonged to Watson and Oosthuizen. And when it was over, austere Augusta National had a guy named “Bubba” in a green jacket.

Scores

278 Bubba Watson 69 71 70 68 (Bubba Watson won at second play-off hole), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 68 72 69 69

280 Phil Mickelson 74 68 66 72, Peter Hanson (Swe) 68 74 65 73, Matt Kuchar 71 70 70 69, Lee Westwood (Eng) 67 73 72 68

283 Ian Poulter (Eng) 72 72 70 69

284 Justin Rose (Eng) 72 72 72 68, Adam Scott (Aus) 75 70 73 66, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 71 73 68 72

285 Jim Furyk 70 73 72 70

286 Hunter Mahan 72 72 68 74, Kevin Na 71 75 72 68, Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 75 72 71 68, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 72 68 75 71, Fred Couples 72 67 75 72

287 Ben Crane 69 73 72 73, Bo Van Pelt 73 75 75 64

288 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 69 75 70 74, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 76 68 70 74, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 74 72 71 71, Brandt Snedeker 72 75 68 73, Charles Howell III 72 70 74 72

289 Jason Dufner 69 70 75 75, Anders Hansen (Den) 76 72 73 68, Paul Lawrie (Sco) 69 72 72 76

290 Keegan Bradley 71 77 73 69, Vijay Singh (Fij) 70 72 76 72, Scott Stallings 70 77 70 73, Jonathan Byrd 72 71 72 75, Rickie Fowler 74 74 72 70

291 Nick Watney 71 71 72 77, Sean O'Hair 73 70 71 77, Zach Johnson 70 74 75 72, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 71 78 71 71, Luke Donald (Eng) 75 73 75 68

292 Bill Haas 72 74 76 70, Sang-moon Bae (Kor) 75 71 69 77, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 73 76 74 69

293 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 71 71 77 74, Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 71 69 77 76, Tiger Woods 72 75 72 74, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 71 71 70 81

294 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 75 75 72, Kevin Chappell 71 76 71 76, Webb Simpson 72 74 70 78

295 Steve Stricker 71 77 72 75, Ross Fisher (Eng) 71 77 73 74, Patrick Cantlay 71 78 74 72

296 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 74 74 77 71, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 72 75 75 74, David Toms 73 73 75 75, Stewart Cink 71 75 81 69

297 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 71 74 72 80, Scott Verplank 73 75 75 74

298 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 69 72 76 81

299 Martin Laird (Sco) 76 72 74 77, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 73 70 75 81, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 75 74 76 74

301 Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 78 71 76 76

302 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 74 75 76 77

306 Kelly Kraft 74 75 77 80

He choked up on a 5-wood and played a sweeping draw around the pines, over the water and onto the back of the green.

As he approached the Sarazen Bridge to the 15th green Wednesday, the grandstand rumbled when fans suddenly rose in unison to see him walk by. Some of them held cameras as high as they could, clicked and hoped for the best.

Woods is worth watching at the Masters for all the right reasons.

All it took was one win at Bay Hill two weeks ago for Woods to even remotely resemble the guy who once dominated golf. He won by five shots, and, just like that, was elevated to the favorite at Augusta National.

“Everything is headed in the right direction at the right time,” Woods said.

But he’s not the only star of this Masters.

Rory McIlroy has all the traits of the heir apparent—an easy swing that produces enormous power, a U.S. Open title at age 22, a tennis star for a girlfriend, and an engaging personality - something that Woods is not. In his last 12 tournaments, McIlroy finished third or better eight times, including two wins and a brief stay at No. 1 in the world.

“I’m in a great place,” McIlroy said. “I feel like my golf game is in great shape.”

There is so much anticipation about this clash of generations it’s as if they were the only two players competing for a green jacket, much like the days of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Far from it.

“There probably hasn’t been a Masters with more legitimate chances,” Geoff Ogilvy said before heading out for a final practice round. “I can understand people seeing this as a two-man race, but it’s never been further from the truth. There are more horses in this race than ever before.”

Luke Donald returned to No. 1 in the world three weeks ago by winning at Innisbrook. He is one of eight players among the top 20 in the world who have won this year, a list that includes Woods and McIlroy, along with Hunter Mahan (twice), Steve Stricker, Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson, a threat at Augusta even when he’s not playing well.

“And you’ve got a guy like Keegan Bradley,” Ogilvy said, referring to the PGA champion who won the first major he ever played. “Nobody ever talked about a Masters rookie with a chance. There’s more people in the conversation, isn’t there?”

One conversation that was kept short Wednesday was Masters chairman Billy Payne refusing to discuss the all-male membership at Augusta National. The topic returned this year because IBM appointed Virginia Rometty its CEO, and the last four chief executives of Big Blue were invited to be members.

“All issues of membership are now and have been historically subject to the private deliberations of the members, and that statement remains accurate, and remains my statement,” Payne said.

Despite a few more attempts—including a tense moment when Payne cut off a series of questions by saying, “Thank you”—the focus at Augusta quickly shifted back to golf.

Still fresh are memories from last year, when eight players had at least a share of the lead in the final round—McIlroy early, Woods in the middle, Adam Scott late—until Charl Schwartzel finished with four straight birdies for a two-shot win.

It could be anyone this year—not just Woods and McIlroy.

“Rory has never won here,” Lee Westwood said. “Tiger has not won here since 2005. So I think everybody in this room would have to be naive to think it was a two-horse race, wouldn’t they? There’s more. I think Phil might have a little bit of something to say about that. Luke might. I might.”

Adding to the wide-open feel is the weather.

An unseasonably warm spring, which caused the azaleas and dogwoods to already lose their blooms, gave way to storms that dumped 1 1/2 inches of rain on the course before dawn Wednesday and toppled a few trees, including one that crashed onto a restroom.

Another storm arrived in the afternoon and cut short the Par 3 Contest, along with making Augusta National even softer. Mickelson said to brace for birdies in such soft conditions. His fear was that players could fire at pins, instead of thinking their way around a course that can require so much strategy.

The forecast was for occasional storms the opening two rounds, followed by sunshine on the weekend. That’s all it takes to change the dynamics of this major. The greens are more receptive, yet a soft course also becomes a longer course.

Soft conditions might favor McIlroy. Remember, Congressional also received plenty of rain at the U.S. Open last summer when Boy Wonder set the championship record at 16-under 268.

“He plays without fear, which is a great way to play,” Mickelson said. “When you get soft conditions like at the U.S. Open, he’s going to light it up. And I think that he’s going to continue his great play. If he ends up learning this golf course, I think he’s going to win here a number of times.”

Then again, that’s what Nicklaus and Palmer said about Woods when they first saw him at Augusta as an amateur and predicted he would win as many green jackets as they had combined—10. Instead, he is stuck on four Masters.

McIlroy will be playing with Angel Cabrera the first two rounds, a replay from last year. They were in the final group, when McIlroy shot 80 on the final day to go from a four-shot lead to a 10-shot deficit.

Asked if he felt sorry for McIlroy going through such a meltdown, Cabrera said:

“No, because when I play bad, nobody feels sorry for me. It was a shame, but I didn’t feel bad for him. I knew it was going to be hard for him. When we got done, I told him, `This is a tournament you can win many times.’ “

Known for his meticulous preparation, attention to detail and supreme short game, the 34-year-old Englishman sets the highest of standards for himself, but sometimes he believes he needs to ease off.

Asked if he needed to produce his best golf to win the Masters on Sunday, the world number one replied: "I don't think so.

"I think I have to play very solidly. If I play my best, I would hope that would certainly be good enough.

"But I feel like what I've learnt, especially from the last year or two, that I don't need to play quite my best. I just need to play good golf."

As an example, Donald points to the five wins he achieved in the last 14 months, which propelled him to the top of the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic and the world number one spot.

"Probably only one of them I really played what I thought was really good golf," he said, referring to his win in the 2011 WGC Match Play tournament.

"I've been able to win tournaments without playing my best golf, and I think the Majors is a similar deal.

"I think a lot of people put too much pressure on themselves, and you go out there and you press a little bit too hard, and suddenly you're a few shots back and trying to play catch up.

"Obviously knowing that just playing my game is good enough is a good thought to have for me."

Last year, Donald got off to a poor, nervy start at the Masters and left himself with a mountain to climb.

The fact that he very nearly did so, closing with a 69 and a share of fourth place, has given him confidence that he has what it takes to win at Augusta National.

"The fact that I made I think 20, 21 birdies, and an eagle last year; and I think knowing that I'm able to shoot those kind of scores.

"Obviously I looked in quite a bit of detail at my statistics from last year in where I could find some improvement; obviously (par-three) 12, trying not to hit it in the water on Sunday.

"But you are just always constantly trying to learn from what you did and kind of move forward."

Donald also revealed that he is mulling a new approach to tackling the devilishly difficult fringes to the greens at the fabled course—by using his driver.

"I've been experimenting a little bit off the greens, off the edge of the greens. It can be a little bit tricky around here," he said.

"In the morning it's dewy. The ball tends to skip through and it's a little bit easier.

"When it gets drier, the grass becomes very sticky around the greens. I've experimented a little bit with actually using a driver around the greens.

"A lot of people use rescues, 3-woods sometimes, putters. I just found the driver had the perfect loft, that it was able to go through the grass a little bit.

Whether I'll use it this year or not, I'm not sure, but certainly something I've been playing around with."

Surging interest from competitors is set to make this year’s U.S. Kids Golf European Championship - Europe’s premier junior tournament - the biggest yet.

Record numbers of world’s best junior golfers are expected to travel to Scotland for the four-day tournament, which is held across five historic East Lothian links courses.

Organised by the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation - which provides opportunities for children across the world to learn and play golf and to forge new friendships - the competition will see players as young as six years old challenging for the European Champion titles in various age group.

Dan Van Horn, President and founder of U.S. Kids Golf, said: “Since our inaugural event in 2008, the European Championship has continued to grow in strength and is a main highlight of the junior golf calendar.

“An indication of its growing popularity is the fact that entrants are already 150 up on last year. If that level of interest continues - and we hope other young golfers will want to ensure they are part of this great event - we will be on course for record year; with competitors numbering way in excess of 500.

“That’s a tribute the strength of the relationships with have formed with our East Lothian partner clubs which allows us to create a superb, quality tournament.”

The European Championships takes place from June 5-7 on Gullane No. 2, Gullane No. 3, Craigielaw Golf Club, Luffness New Golf Club and Longniddry Golf Club. The courses are modified for each age group in order to provide the same level challenge, meaning holes are progressively shorter as the age groups get younger. It ultimately allows the players to reach the greens in the same number of strokes as the top pros on the PGA tour.

The top finishers in each category will compete in the Van Horn Cup over Gullane No 1 on June 8 – a showpiece event, modelled on the Ryder Cup, where the best European players are matched up against the top golfers from the rest of the world. The top five finishers in each age and gender group also automatically receive an invitation to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina, in August.
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland chief executive said: “We are delighted to welcome US Kids Golf Championships to the Home of Golf. 2012 is a very exciting year for Scottish golf with the Curtis Cup and the return of the Open in 2013 before the eyes of the world turn to Gleneagles for the Ryder Cup 2014.
“This is an excellent opportunity to showcase Scottish golf to the next wave of golfing talent from around the world and affords us the chance to put Scotland front of mind with the pros of tomorrow.”
Tournament Co-ordinator Alasdair Good, Head Professional at Gullane GC, said: “East Lothian’s historic courses always provide a stunning setting and a great challenge for all of the competitors – a main reason why this tournament has become so popular.
“The European Championship provides an unrivalled opportunity to see the cream of the emerging golf talent from Scotland, UK and the rest of the world.

“Such is the strength of the platform provided by the competition that we are beginning see some of the winners from our first event go onto to bigger things on the world stage. That is a superb endorsement of the good work the tournament has achieved.”

The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation was launched in 2001 to provide opportunities for kids to play and learn the game through local tours and tournaments such as the European Championships. Since holding its first tournament in 2000, U.S. Kids Golf Foundation now runs some 400 events each year including the prestigious World Championships at Pinehurst.

The Foundation is the charitable branch of U.S. Kids Golf - the world’s largest producer of junior golf equipment. The firm has pioneered the development of golf clubs for young people, eliminating the problem of kids using heavier, cut-down adult clubs which often hurts developing swings and discourages budding players.

For more information or to register for the U.S. Kids Golf European Championships, visit www.uskidsgolf.com

The policy board on Tuesday approved two significant components to the overhaul—the PGA Tour season will start in October, and the developmental Nationwide Tour will be the primary path to get a PGA Tour card.

Cards would be awarded at a three-tournament series blending Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour players.

The board approved the concept, which has been talked about for several months.

What remains are the details—a lot of them.

“Any time you make a change, human nature is, `Why are we changing? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’ There’s another way to look at things,” Finchem said. “When things are going pretty well, that’s the time to get better.”

But while the tour wants to make sure players are better equipped when they reach the PGA Tour, money is behind the change, too.

The tour wants to make the Nationwide Tour more appealing as it searches for a new title sponsor—this is the final year of sponsorship for the Ohio-based insurance company. Finchem said the tour is talking with several companies, though “close might not be the right word.”

By starting the official season in October—shortly after the FedEx Cup season ends—it allows the tour to give more value to the tournaments now part of the Fall Series. If they are not treated like other tournaments, odds are they would not renew their sponsorship, which would eliminate some $25 million in prize money.

Starting the season in October means that Q-school no longer can be an avenue to the PGA Tour. Instead, Q-school will award cards for only the Nationwide Tour.

Finchem offered only a skeleton of the plan:

— After the FedEx Cup regular season ends in August 2013, the tour will take the top 75 players from the Nationwide Tour money list, along with the players who finished No. 126 through 200 on the PGA Tour money list, and have them play three tournaments. The top 50 will receive PGA Tour cards for the following season.

The biggest problem for the board is blending two very different tours. Finchem said his staff has discussed seeding the players in such a way that the top 25 from the Nationwide Tour are assured of being among the top 50. The only thing that would suffer if they played badly in the three-tournament series is their ranking for the next season.

For the last several years, the top 25 players from the Nationwide Tour received tour cards. Another 25 cards or so were handed out at Q-school, which often produced a few heartwarming stories of a long shot who achieved his dream of reaching the tour.

Finchem said research shows that players who spent a year on the Nationwide Tour are more equipped for the rigors of travel than someone who gets hot for six rounds and gets a card. He also said an average 1.4 players go from college to Q-school and get their cards. Among them are Dustin Johnson and J.B. Holmes, both of whom won in their rookie season.

This year, 21-year-old John Huh made it through all three stages of Q-school and won last month in Mexico against a weak field. Under the change, however, the Mexico event would be held in the fall as part of the new season.

The change in earning cards begins in 2013. That means the 50 players who earn their cards will only have eight months to finish among the top 125 on the PGA Tour, instead of having six extra events in the fall to make up ground.

— The fall events will be the start of the new season in October 2013. Still to be determined is whether those tournaments will offer the same number of FedEx Cup points as tournaments held from January until the FedEx Cup playoffs begin in August.

Not awarding similar points could be a problem.

Golf World magazine, in a story for its digital edition Monday, obtained a letter from the Frys.com Open in which it expressed “concern about continuing our sponsorship” if the fall events are only given half the points.

Fry’s has the greatest potential of a large purse and is geared toward being a big event.

Finchem said offering full points for every tournament remains a possibility. It was one of the details still to be discussed, and he said he would go back to the 16-member Player Advisory Council for comments.

The notion of abandoning the traditional means of PGA Tour access—Q-school — first was brought up one year ago. It took this long to get the concept approved. The hard work figures to be in the details, but by announcing that it has approved the plan, the tour has left itself a little more than a year to get that sorted out.

“I think the player directors felt … a lot of times, it’s easier to get everybody focused when you know it’s going to happen,” Finchem said. “So this is going to happen. And now we’ve got a couple of things that we have got to make sure we do right.”

One thing Finchem made clear is that everything revolves around the FedEx Cup, which last month renewed its deal through 2017.

“It means that the PGA TOUR competition is the FedEx Cup,” Finchem said. “We like that. And we like what it does for those tournaments involved and for the sponsors involved.”

Other elements:

— The HSBC Champions in China will be considered a full-fledged World Golf Championship starting in 2013. Until then, it counts only as an official win on the PGA Tour if one of its members were to win.

— College players can get into the three-tournament qualifying series if they earn enough money that is equivalent to being within the top 200 on the PGA Tour money list or the top 75 on the Nationwide Tour.

Trusted by more players on the PGA TOUR since 1997 and counting, Scotty Cameron Fine Milled putters are designed and built with craftsmanship and performance in mind. With his experience and innovative research from the Cameron Putter Studio in California, Scotty Cameron creates modern, yet timeless putters to satisfy the best players in the world, as well as serious golfers with preferences for the highest quality and performance.

The brand new Scotty Cameron by Titleist Select line of putters is the culmination of Cameron’s Putter Studio research, combined with his desire to design and build the best putters in the world. The new family includes five modern blade models (Newport, Newport 1.5, Newport 2, Notchback, Newport 2.6), two mallets (GoLo, GoLo S), three mid lengths (Newport 2 Mid, GoLo Mid, GoLo S Mid), and two long options (Big Sur, Big Sur S).

The new Select putters feature a Deep Milled face that contributes to a softer feel and sound, as well as elegantly refined shapes and a Tour-validated Black Mist finish. All are precision milled from soft, 303 stainless steel with the exception of the Big Sur models that feature high grade milled aluminium heads.

“My ultimate goal when designing and building a putter is to provide the golfer pure putting confidence,” said Master Putter Craftsman, Scotty Cameron. “Whether it is for the best players in the world or golfers who aspire to play their best, the performance and preference options available in the new Cameron Select line are my deepest yet. These putters have all been tour-validated, developed and refined through product and player research conducted at our state-of-the-art Cameron Putter Studio and on practice greens around the world.”

With the Select family, Cameron has taken “visual flow” to a new level. When looking down at the putter in the address position, Cameron has designed the surfaces in the head to flow naturally into the ground. The Select weighting system provides modern balance and stability and every Select putter is outfitted with a stepless steel shaft for a clean, unimpaired visual at address. Select putters can be lie adjusted +/- 2 degrees off the standard 71 degrees and loft adjusted +/- 1 degree from the standard 4 degrees for even greater fine-tuning.

A choice of model and set-up options allow golfers to choose a Cameron Select putter with the appearance they prefer, the length and weight they need, and a neck configuration that provides the proper amount of toe flow during the stroke.

ON TOUR: Every year since 1997, Scotty Cameron putters have been the choice of more players and more champions on the PGA Tour than any other brand. On the 2011 PGA TOUR, players trusted Scotty Cameron putters for a Tour-leading 18 victories, include first-time PGA Tour champions Chris Kirk, Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy and Kevin Na who trusted Cameron putters to win at the Viking Classic, Greenbrier Classic, Reno-Tahoe Open and the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children, respectively. Nick Watney trusted his Scotty Cameron putter to win twice in 2011, at the WGC – Cadillac Championship and the AT&T National. Rory McIlroy turned in a performance for the ages with his Cameron putter en route to his first major title at the U.S. Open. With additional wins across seven different worldwide professional golf tours, including the 140th Open Championship, Scotty Cameron loyalists accumulated a total of 58 victories in 2011.

2012 CAMERON SELECT MODEL DESCRIPTIONS

MODERN BLADES
The conventional models - the new Cameron Select Newport, Newport 1.5, Newport 2, Notchback and Newport 2.6 putters - replace the Studio Select line. The head features a rich, dark, glare free Black Mist finish with red dot graphics and red dot weights in the sole, and is covered with a new Cameron Select headcover. The grip is a new Select black with a red dancing Cameron logo. All standard right hand models are available in 33, 34 and 35 inch lengths, as well as 34H and 35H custom heavier weight configurations.

Newport: A soft, modern blade with a high toe profile that aids in correct setup at address. A plumbing neck provides a full shaft of offset and medium toe flow. Available in right hand only.

Newport 1.5: A soft modern blade with a high toe profile featuring a black-on-black milled sightline in the flange and a short flare neck for added toe flow. Available in right hand only.

Newport 2: A crisp, modern blade with a high toe profile, black-on-black milled sightline in the flange and a plumbing neck that provides a full shaft of offset and medium toe flow. Available in right and left hand.

Notchback: A crisp mid blade with a high toe profile, notched back flange with a black-on-black milled sightline and an elegant single bend shaft that provides 3/4 shaft of offset and near minimum toe flow. Available in right hand only.

Newport 2.6: A crisp modern blade with a high toe profile, black-on-black milled sightline in the flange and a zero-offset straight shaft positioned one shaft back from centre. The Newport 2.6 features a slightly thicker topline and minimum toe flow. Available in right hand only.

MALLETS & MID LENGTHS
The GoLo Mallets and GoLo Mids replace the Studio Select Kombi Mallet and Kombi Mid lines and are joined by a new Newport 2 Mid option. The GoLo (single bend shaft) and GoLo S (straight shaft) feature an elegant rounded profile with Select weighting technology. The slightly asymmetric back profile, contained cavity lines and pulled in heel encourage a flowing stroke along the ideal arc. The bottom sole plate with internal rubber ring produces a great sound. Two neck configurations allow the golfer to choose his preferred set up appearance and dynamic feel.

The stock conventional length mallets are available in 33, 34 and 35 inches as well as 34H and 35H custom heavier weight configurations. The Newport 2 Mid, GoLo Mid and GoLo S Mid come in a standard length of 43” with custom lengths of 40-46” available.

GoLo Mallet: Elegant, rounded mallet with a slightly asymmetric D-shaped back flange with contained cavity lines and a pulled in heel that encourages a flowing stroke along the ideal arc. A single bend shaft provides 3/4 shaft of offset. Available in right and left hand.

GoLo S Mallet: Elegant, rounded mallet with a slightly asymmetric D-shaped back flange with contained cavity lines and a pulled in heel that encourages a flowing stroke along the ideal arc. A zero-offset straight shaft positioned one shaft back from centre. Available in right hand only.

Newport 2 Mid: Refined crisp, modern blade for heel-toe blade enthusiasts seeking a mid-length option. Precisely weighted and balanced for mid lengths. Available in right hand only.

GoLo Mid: Elegant, rounded mallet with a slightly asymmetric D-shaped back flange precisely weighted and balanced for mallet enthusiasts seeking a mid-length option. Features a single bend shaft that provides 3/4 shaft of offset. Available in right and left hand.

GoLo S Mid: Elegant, rounded mallet with a slightly asymmetric D-shaped back flange precisely weighted and balanced for mallet enthusiasts seeking a mid-length option. Features a zero-offset straight shaft positioned one shaft back from centre. Available in right hand only.

LONG
The Select Big Sur and Big Sur S replace the Studio Select Kombi Long line in the Cameron putter family. Both putters are constructed from aluminium and feature a stainless steel centre sole weight bar and triangulated stainless weights that provide exceptional balance. They each feature a Cameron one-piece black grip, Tour Black Mist plated finish, cherry dot graphics, cherry dot weights in the sole and a new Select Big Sur headcover. The Big Sur and Big Sur S Long putters are available with a standard length of 49” and a lie angle of 79°, with lengths of 46-52” available through custom order.

Big Sur: A sleek but full mallet matched to a double bend shaft that provides a full shaft of offset, and is available in right and left hand.

Big Sur S: A sleek but full mallet matched to a zero-offset straight shaft positioned one shaft back from center. Available in right hand only.

FootJoy, the #1 shoe in golf, has announced the launch of a stunning new lifestyle-infused, spikeless shoe ahead of the golfing season. Providing the ultimate in comfort, fit and style, the Contour Casual is an extension of FJ's extremely successful Contour Series™ franchise, the best-selling golf shoe in the world, and has been developed using the same construction techniques to create a shoe which can be worn casually both on and off the golf course.

Sure to be a hit amongst golfers throughout the summer months, the Contour Casual will be available for purchase from May 1st. This versatile shoe is comprised of super-soft, premium materials that deliver lightweight underfoot comfort, waterproof protection, industry-leading size options as well as a world-class fit. Luxury full grain leather uppers give a premium look and allow for excellent support, fit and durability,. Carefully constructed super soft quarter linings provide extreme comfort and coupled with Slip-Last construction provide unparalleled flexibility, with a PU Fit-Bed and platform providing additional comfort, cushioning and superior support with real contour last.

"This shoe is the ideal option for the golfer who enjoys the convenience of wearing the same shoes from the practice area to the clubhouse, but still demands the premium materials, comfort and style that FootJoy has delivered for over 100 years," commented Russell Lawes, European Marketing Manager, FootJoy.

The Contour Casual will be available in a variety of sizing options, including whole and half sizes inboth , medium and wide widths. Available from the beginning of May, these must have shoes will be available in three striking colour options; White/Navy, Brown/Orange, Black/Taupe, with a recommended retail price of £100.

Whether it is the all-round excellence of the all new FJ ICON™, the unrivalled stability of the XPS-1™, or the reliable and consistent performance of DryJoys Tour™, FootJoy remains the overwhelming favourite for golfers of all abilities around the world.

FootJoy®. The #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

For full details on the 2012 FootJoy range visit: www.footjoy.com