Reciprocal Golf Problog

SONY rankings a waste?

2011-04-16T10:58:00.001-07:00

Do you wish that the SONY world rankings for professional golf had never been invented? For ten years it was simple; Tiger was Number One, Phil was Number Two, and the rest of the world didn't matter!

With Tiger's misstep with his personal life in late 2009, it has become a joke with too many TV commentators introducing this guy as "world number one", this guy as "world number three", and the next guy as "world number two". The following week they are all mixed around again anyway.

When Tiger was Number One, he had around 17 points to 8.64 points for Phil, then 8.53 points for number three, 8.51 points for number four, and so on down the line.

Today, whoever is Number One for the next day has 8.67 points, Number Two has 8.64 points, etc.

To listen to some commentators on the European Tour, if one player is about to putt a 20 footer, he announces within the next twenty seconds which five players will change position at the top if that player makes the putt! It's turning into a joke!

Johnny Miller hit the nail on the head when he announced during one recent tournament how embarrassed Lee Westwood looked when he was Number One. I agree with Johnny. Westwood, in my opinion, never should have made it to the Number One position. Whenever he even got within two stokes of leading a major, he'd fold like a cheap tent.

This morning I was watching the "European Tour" event in Kuala Lumpur (I know; it's not in Europe!). The commentator was talking about one player about to putt on one hole, and then saw a crowd of people running to another hole. He commented, "Look at all those viewers running over to hole number 5. Maybe Martin Kaymer is playing that hole. Wouldn't we all want to watch the World Number One play if we had the chance?"

Come on, really? The day to day, no I should say the hole to hole, change in who's Number One, Two, Three, Four, Five, etc. is getting ridiculous.

I suggest that whoever runs the SONY rankings change its policy and only make changes to their scoreboard every three months, or every six months. Once a year would be just fine with me.

But this daily update between players whose points are decimal points apart is ruining the major reason they set up the system in the first place. Once a player is out of the top five, or top ten, it doesn't amount to a pile of beans what position he is in.

I suggest they only list, or announce, who the top five players are once every six months or so. One tournament's outcome does not change anything, so why pretend it does?

WHAT PRICE OUR FREEDOMS?

2011-03-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

I was driving my son's car down from Oregon to Los Angeles to deliver boxes of his college textbooks and his car to him at USC last Fall. Interstate-5 allows the traffic to move along around 80 to 85 MPH from Stockton to the Grapevine without the California Highway Patrol getting into action, so I was making good time.

As the traffic lanes went from two lanes to five lanes near Newhall, I noticed that local drivers had joined traffic from northern California, and that the left lane was moving at 90 MPH. My car was heavy, being loaded with all those books, and I knew I could not stop as quickly if necessary, so I turned on my right turn signal, looked in my right mirror to see if my blind spot was clear (which it was), and then started to move one lane to the right. A small white sport car came out of nowhere and whipped past me on the right, so I returned to my lane!

I looked again in my rear view mirror, where an orange Honda Element was riding close to my rear bumper, and to my right, where there was no vehicle in sight, made sure my right signal was still on, then moved toward the lane on my right. The orange Honda Element flew past me on my right, so I stayed in the left lane once more.

It appeared to me that I was holding up traffic even though I was already moving with traffic at 90+ MPH! My third attempt to move to a lane on my right and slow down finally paid off. From the second lane I again looked to my right and was able to again move right and slow down.

As I drew a big breath to relax I noticed a CPH cruiser moving out from the right side of the road. Then he pulled in behind me and turned on his red light! I slowed down, then stopped on the right shoulder and started thinking how I was going to tell the officer why I had been holding up traffic.

The officer came up to my right window, so I lowered the window. Imagine my surprise when he said he had stopped me for speeding! I started to explain to him my predicament of trying to get out of speeding traffic in the fast lane when he barked, "License and Registration!"

I handed him my license and Registration while continuing to try to explain to him what had happened. He wasn't interested, and walked back to his cruiser. Five minutes later he returned with a speeding ticket made out for me to sign. I was shocked that he was more interested in writing the ticket than in listening to my explanation of how and why I tried to make my trip more safe! I decided then and there that I would "fight" the ticket.

A week later I mailed the ticket to the L.A. Court with my letter of explanation asking to contest the speeding charge. I had also learned that I could file a complaint against the officer online, so I did so. A week later I received a phone call from a CHP sergeant asking me to tell him my side of the story, and why I wanted to file a complaint against the officer, which I did. A few days after that I received a letter from the same sergeant asking me to put my explanation of my complaint in writing and return it to him in the mail. I did so.

A few days later I received another phone call from the sergeant. When he asked me to explain one more time why I was filing a complaint against the officer, the sergeant stated, "The video and the recording of your conversation with the officer do not agree with your statement!"

I asked, "You video tape and record traffic stops? Is that legal?"

"It is."

"And the officer does not have to tell me he is videotaping and recording at the time?"

"No, he does not."

"What did he videotape? Our conversation?"

"No, he videotaped your car with your Oregon license plate in the second lane clocked at 90 MPH."

I said, "that makes sense if he caught me while I was changing lanes to get out of the faster traffic."

Then I said, "I'd like to see that tape, and listen to the recording of our conversation."

He replied, "You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"It requires a court order."

"So, now our law enforcement officers may videotape and record traffic stops without telling the driver he is doing so, take a spot video segment that does not tell the whole story but takes a moment out of context, and the driver can't see the video?"

"Correct."

"When did this come about, with the Patriot Act?"

He replied that he did not know exactly when the rules changed. Then he asked if I still wanted my complaint to proceed, or if I wanted to cancel the procedure.

"I want to file the complaint against the officer, and now I will file a complaint with your new procedures that allow officers to videotape and record a standard traffic stop on an honest American citizen! This isn't Nazi Germany in 1939, it is the United States of America in 2010! I don't know how much longer our freedoms will last in this country at this rate."

I thanked him for his calm demeanor during the phone call, told him I did not blame him for the apparent current rules under which law enforcement may act, and then hung up.

I was reminded of my section on Americans losing their freedoms in my book, LOVE WAS NOT ENOUGH, to be published in a few weeks. In the book I explain that dishonest law enforcement officers in this country are one of the two cancers that will move our nation into the category of a Third World nation. I explain why I feel this country needs an experienced businessman in the White House, not another attorney and politician.

I go on to suggest that during our next Presidential race that we have all of the contestants compete in a golf tournament against each other instead of holding more debates, because the game of golf brings out the best and the worst in all those competing. In one day we can learn more about which contestants are honest, who has a temper, who can handle adversity with calm and who cannot!

Most importantly I explain why we do not want more attorneys in Washington, because attorneys are, next to doctors, the worst businessmen in the country.

I close with my explanation as to why I hope Donald Trump runs for the Presidency, and why I encourage all Americans to vote for him if he decides to run.

Our nation can no longer tolerate attorneys in the White House if we are to survive as a nation, and if our freedoms are to survive for our children!

DO YOU PLAY GOLF FOR FUN OR FOR BUSINESS?

2011-03-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

I played my first round of golf when I was 13 years old and my dad, U.S. Navy Commander Edward W. Baumann, took me out to the Barber's Point Naval Air Station near our house in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, to the base's new nine hole course in 1963.

Dad first stopped at the Base Exchange and checked out (rented) a half set of clubs in a canvas carry bag. Those mixed five irons, driver, three-wood, and putter would be my first set of golf clubs for the next four months. Dad bought me two sleeves of Jato golf balls to use. I would tee off on the first tee, then walk along the right side of the fairway, mostly an old airplane runway covered with weeds, and look for lost golf balls until I reached my drive. I'd hit my second shot toward the green, then return to the rough to look for more balls.

I didn't take a golf lesson right away, using an interlocking grip at first. After two months I could shoot 48 for nine holes, twelve over par, and had filled six gallon buckets with used golf balls I had found. Dad would drop me off at the course on a Saturday at 6:00 A.M. and then pick me up at 7:00 P.M. after I had walked 72 holes, and had found another two dozen balls or so. After four months Dad bought me a series of six golf lessons, and I changed to an overlapping grip. Then I asked Dad if he'd buy me my own set of clubs, a full set with 14 clubs. He replied, "I'll buy you a set when you break 90 for 18 holes!"

A week later I shot 88, playing the Barber's Point nine-hole course twice. And, Yes, it was an honest 88. If Dad taught me one thing, it was to always be honest, in sports and in life.

Dad took me to the base Exchange and bought me a full set of Sam Snead Blue Ridge irons and woods. I think my first putter of my own was an Acushnet blade.

Three years later Dad was given orders to move to San Diego, and my younger brother, Bruce, and I joined the San Diego Junior Golf Association. Being residents of San Diego County, we could play unlimited rounds of golf at Torrey Pines Golf Course, owned by the city, for $33 per month, each! Today it costs over $200 to play one round at Torrey!

In 1966 I attended the University of California, San Diego campus, and was the #2 man on their golf team as a scratch golfer. UCSD being a two year campus at that time, I transferred to San Diego State College to finish my education in business Management in 1971. Two weeks out of college, I met two potato farmers from Boise, Idaho on the first tee at Stardust Country Club and played 18 holes with them, during which I corrected their slices! I was immediately their best friend for life!

Over lunch I told them I was starting a company called Intertel, Inc. where I intended to manufacture and sell the world's first cordless telephone. I asked them if they would like to invest in my company, $25,000 each in stock. Both men said, "Yes." The next day they called me and said they had two other potato farmers in Boise who wanted to invest the same amount.

Over the next four years we made and sold the world's first cordless telephone, as well as inventing the world's first "touch pad dialer" that allowed users to push buttons to dial regular telephones and our cordless phone on rotary-dial telephone lines.

Over the next 40 years every small business I started was with someone I had met and played golf with on a golf course! Golf, I had learned, was better than a Lie Detector when it came to judging the character of a man.

When I started Probe Golf in 1986 and was looking for nationwide distributors to market my custom fit golf sets, I would have interested individuals fly into the Medford, OR airport and drive to the Lake Shastina Golf Resort where my Probe assembly facility was in my garage.

The next morning I would play 18 holes with each applicant, and from one round of golf, or less, I could tell if I wanted that individual as a Probe distributor. I learned in less than four hours how honest a person was. I learned if he had a temper, and if he could handle pressure.

In my new book, LOVE WAS NOT ENOUGH, 2nd Edition, to be published next month, I even suggest that during our next Presidential primaries, we hold a golf tournament between all of those in the running, instead of holding debates.

Golf is the greatest game ever played, and I believe it should play a bigger part in our national and international politics. What do you think?

2010-10-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Ryder Cup matches were exciting this week, and ended up about as I had predicted; Europe beat America due to better putting, again as I had predicted. But the overall scoring was closer than I thought it would be.

This was my first Ryder Cup where I heard commentators at the Golf Channel discuss how Europe set up the course to give the European team the advantage. How did Europe do that? For example, the greens were slower than the PGA was used to putting. European Tour players are used to putting slower greens than are our American PGA Tour players, so the European team members had the advantage.

Also, the longer rough at the Ryder Cup matches penalized the American team more because the European team members are more accurate off the tee. The Golf channel commentators then asked each other why the United States doesn't do the same thing when the Ryder Cup is played in the United States every other year, and no one seemed to have an answer.

Are we just too nice, too fair, or too stupid to let Europe get away with such "gamesmanship"? Earlier last week I predicted that Europe would win simply because about half of their team members used oversize putter grips, where virtually all members of the American team used standard size putter grips. It has been proven that oversize grips help keep the wristiness out of the putting stroke, making each golfer more efficient at making putts.

Time after time the Americans rolled their putts toward the hole, only to come up two or three rolls short of the hole, while most European putts at least reached the hole and had a chance of falling in.

How close were the matches? The U.S. only needed 14 points out of the total 28 points to retain the cup, since it was last won BY THE United States. They fell short by 1/2 point!

How many additional putts did the U.S. team need to roll another two or three inches to the hole to have changed the outcome, and have the U.S. win this week's Ryder Cup matches over Europe? Just one!

Ryder Cup Matches

2010-09-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

With the Ryder Cup matches coming up in a few weeks. I thought I'd investigate the potential use of "performance enhancing golf equipment" by either side. What I learned is worth mentioning, although most golfers will not recognize it as an advantage by the European side.

As far as the use of drivers, fairway metals, irons, and wedges is concerned, both teams seem to be using similar equipment. However, it is in the area of putters that the European team seems to have the advantage over the American team.

At least half of the European team members are using putters that have larger than average grips. That's right, their grips are fatter than usual.

How is that an advantage? As a manufacturer of one of the most performance enhancing golf putters of all time, the PROBE 2020, I know what can improve a golfer's putting stroke. My 2020 was inverted-shafted, where the thin end of the shaft was in the grip, and the fatter, heavier end of the shaft was in the center of the brass putter head.

This guaranteed a pure pendulum stroke instead of the usual jerky stroke encouraged by virtually all other golf putters. The well-known "yips" were virtually impossible to imitate with a PROBE 2020 putter.

We also made the 2020 with larger than usual putter grips, which encourages each golfer's hands and wrists to remain calm during the stroke. It was virtually impossible to "strangle" the fatter grip with too much grip pressure, which can cause the hands to push or pull the putter off-line.

I have noticed that European tour players use fatter putter grips then do most American tour players. When I tried to search for different putter grips online this past week, I was surprised at what I found, or should I say what I did not find.

I could not find any manufacturers of fatter putter grips listed on the Internet. I could find article after article about name tour players using a righthand low grip, or a lefthand low grip, or a claw grip, or whatever. That described how they all held the putter grip, but there was no mention about the thickness of the grips preferred by each player.

Could it be possible that the Europeans understand how the thickness of a putter grip can give a player an advantage, and that the Americans have no clue about the subject?

That alone could determine the outcome of the Ryder Cup matches this fall.

America vs. Europe!

2010-09-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

What is the state of American professional golf at this time? The Ryder Cup matches are coming up in a few weeks, and the Europeans seem to be stronger than the Americans at this point in time.

As a manufacturer and inventor of revolutionary new golf equipment from 1987 through 1994, I noticed something I have never noticed before when I was watching the European tour event this morning on The Golf Channel. Two European golfers I was watching on one green were putting, back to back, with putter grips I had never seen before!

At that moment I asked myself whether European pros could be using golf equipment that was completely different from the equipment being used by American pros! That would seem to be almost impossible considering how small the globe is with the internet in this day and age.

But the thought lingered most of the day while I ran errands around Ashland, Oregon today. I remembered last year when K. J. Choi was seen using a fat, round, white putter grip at the Memorial. I had never seen that grip before.

So for the next week or so I am going to do some investigating to see what I can learn about the golf equipment European Ryder Cup team members are using, and whether it may differ from the equipment American Ryder Cup team members may be using in the upcoming Ryder Cup matches.

Golf equipment may seem to be the same, but subtle differences can make a huge difference in performance. For example, members on both teams may use Taylor Made drivers, but the shafts used can be different, and grips can make a huge difference. The putting grips I saw on TV this morning had flat sections running from the top of the grip to the bottom of the grip, and there were many flat sections. I would guess the grip, each one, had at least eight, possibly ten flat sections. I had never before seen such a putter grip.

The two putting grips I saw this morning were similar, but one was orange and one was white. They could be the same grip, except for the color. Then again, they could be entirely different.

Stay tuned for the next few days and I'll report what I am able to learn about the differences in golf equipment used by both the American Ryder Cup team and the European team members. This should be interesting!

PGA Tour back to normal!

2010-09-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

The PGA Tour is finally getting back to normal. No more "Oost-who's" winning majors, no more Tiger Woods's missing cuts. Tiger is in the Ryder Cup and Phil once again misses out on his (many) opportunities to move into the Number One Golfer In The World position by missing two-foot putts because he has to play a Callaway putter! Will Phil ever put winning tournaments ahead of his endorsement of poor golf equipment?

Tiger's game is coming around just in time for the Ryder Cup in a few weeks, now that he is putting his personal problems behind him.

This weekend in the Fed Ex playoffs Phil Mickelson was contending until he missed a bunch of putts down the stretch on Monday's final round, including one from under two feet. Phil just doesn't have the mental strength to move into the Number One position every time he has the opportunity to do so.

This morning, Corey Pavin announced his choices to complete America's Ryder Cup team, naming Tiger, Ricky Fowler, Stewart Cink, and Jach Johnson to the team. Ricky fowler seemed to be the questionable pick to some in the golf media, but I think Ricky will bring youth and excitement to the team.

The American team needs to start building an experienced young team for the future as well as for this year's competition, and Ricky Fowler is a good place to start. The Ryder Cup is always exciting, if not too exciting when Johnny Miller's announcing style comes into play. If we listen to Johnny during the very first match on day one, each putt in his mind will decide the outcome of the entire matches on day three!

I hope Johnny relaxes a little this year and lets the television viewers relax as well. We don't need Johnny causing millions of viewers rushing to the medicine cabinet for their Valium thirty minutes into the first day's matches.

Don't worry about Tiger!

2010-09-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods got off to a terrible start in this week's Deutsche Bank Championship, being four over par after the first 7 holes before returning to finish at one over par for 18 holes. But that is understandable for a man who is making major changes in his swing at this time.

He followed up that round with a six-under 65 on day two. Tiger will recover from his poor golf at the beginning of this year now that his personal problems are more or less behind him. In addition to his new swing changes, his personal life is now making major changes as well, moving from Florida to New York to live, for example.

Give him a few weeks to settle down in his new environment, and the old Tiger will be back in stride. And now that he is a single man again, his game will return to its best once he can settle on a new, steady girlfriend.

I can't stress enough the importance of a man having a good relationship with a woman and a happy home life in order to play good competitive golf. Tiger must have many women practically throwing themselves at him since his divorce, so the sooner he can settle down with just one woman the sooner his game will be back with a vengeance.

Yes, Tiger is back!

2010-09-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

For months, many months, eight to be exact, avid golf fans have asked, "What is wrong with Tiger's game, and when, or will, he ever be back?"

The answer is, "He has had personal marriage problems on his mind, and he will not be back until he can put them behind him."

Last week his divorce from Elin was finalized, and although he will still think about it often, his focus can now be directed back to his golf game. And, "Yes, he will be back to his winning self very shortly."

He will go on to pass Jack's record of eighteen majors, even though competition is getting tougher every year with the new young talent that is emerging on the PGA and European tours.

Last week in the first of four FedEx playoff tournaments Tiger finished seven under par, five shots behind the leaders. He is working on a new swing, and just one swing on Saturday, where his old swing got in the way, cost him three of those five strokes.

As time passes Tiger will think less and less about his personal problems and more about his golf game. He will stand up to each shot and visualize the shot, where it will fly and where it will land. He will not stand up to many shots and wonder where his kids are, or what is Elin doing at that moment.

Tiger is confident his game will be back very soon, as evidenced by the $54 million mortgage he took out last week on a new home for the future in Jupiter, Florida. In the meantime he has moved into a bachelor pad in New York where he can start a new life with new friends and get away from his memories of the last ten months.

Yes, Tiger is back, and back to stay.

Is Tiger back?

2010-08-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

When Tiger Woods shot 65 the first day of the Barklays at Ridgewood Country Club on Thursday, he was leading the tournament. Surprised? Many spectators were, while some were not.

It was no surprise to me at all. Tiger and Elin were in court on Monday, ending their marriage for good, and all the emotions that have plagued Tiger since last November should have finally ended for the better.

On Wednesday a People Magazine article and interview with Elin hit the newsstands and caused a little stir among the golf media, but the emotions finally took a new turn. Tiger could now concentrate on playing golf as a single man for the first time in six years, and his old winning attitude took over.

We all know how golf is a mental game first and foremost, and the last eight months has been mental torture for Tiger. Let's hope he can put it all behind him now.

If he completes this week's tournament well he would be a good Captain's pick for the American Ryder Cup team next month, and the American team can use all the help it can get.

New PROBE 2010 putter.

2010-08-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have been deluged with emails from PROBE 2020 putter users asking me when PROBE GOLF, www.probegolf.com, will be releasing its new PROBE 2010 inverted-shafted, center shafted putter.

From 1992, when PROBE GOLF first introduced its patented PROBE 2020 putter, through 1996, when we ended its production, over 120,000 golfers purchased a 2020.

Today we still receive emails from former customers telling us that no matter what new putter they may try, they end up going back to the 2020 for its superior feel and control.

Former PROBE 2020 customers will be glad to learn that PROBE GOLF has just signed a manufacturing contract with a foundry to produce its new 2010 putter head. Just as 2010 vision is superior to 2020 vision, the new 2010 PROBE putter head will be wider than the original 2020 head to incorporate longer alignment lines so it will be easier to line up at the target.

Alignment was the ONLY negative comment we ever received from 2020 customers since its introduction in 1992. The original 2020 head was too narrow to accommodate longer lines.

The 2010 will retain its heavier weight that virtually all customers liked in the 2020, as well as the inverted shaft to insure its true pendulum stroke with no opportunity for the "yips" to enter the stroke.

Finally, the 2010 will include the center shafting just like the 2020, to allow each player to intentionally put side spin on short breaking putts to reduce or eliminate the break, thus making it easier to make those putts.

The PROBE 2010 will be introduced this fall to the golf industry. Inquiries may be emailed to contact@reciprocalgolf.com.

Who is at fault at the PGA?

2010-08-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you are an avid golf fan, you already know about the fiasco that took place on the final hole at the PGA Championship yesterday! The question that is on everyone's mind is, "Who is at fault?"

Dustin Johnson waded through thousands of spectators to the right of the 18th fairway to find his tee shot. He had a one-shot lead over two players in the clubhouse, and all he needed was a par to win his first major. Virtually everyone was rooting for him after what happened to him two months ago at the last major, the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Dustin found his ball when the crowd opened up and he saw some rough ground about six feet by six feet in size. The crowd covered the ground around that spot, thousands of them.

It took about ten minutes before enough of the crowd toward the green could move and give Dustin a target to shoot for. He looked over his shot, then hit a thundering five iron 237 yards to a heavy lie 20 yards over the green. He lofted a wedge to six feet of the pin. One six-foot putt to win his first major. He didn't quite hit the putt firmly enough, and it fell short to the right. He tapped in for bogie, then headed to the scoring trailer to sign his score card, and then he would be going to the tenth tee for the three-way, three hole playoff for the championship. WRONG!

A PGA official walked up to Dustin at greenside and informed him that there might be a problem with a penalty being incurred during his second shot on the 18th hole.

After the smoke cleared about fifteen minutes later it was decided that Dustin was in a sand trap on the right of 18 and he had grounded his club, which is a two-stroke penalty. He thus took a triple-bogie, and was not in the playoff!

The reigning PGA official walked in front of the cameras with a "rules sheet" they had handed out to each player on Monday listing the special rule that applied for the week regarding the bunkers. When he read the rule, it seemed to appease everyone, including myself.

Then the media interviewed several tour players, who said, "They hand out such a rules sheet every tournament, and nobody reads them."

Then the regular tour commentators asked the PGA official about that rules sheet, and such questions as, "What about the fact that the spectators were standing in your so-called bunker? How can it be a sand trap when 25 spectators are standing in it?"

The official again stood by his rules sheet, which technically is the final say in that situation.
Then he was asked about the PGA official who was walking with Dustin's twosome. "Why didn't he step forward when Dustin found his ball and tell Dustin he was in a sand trap?"

The head official then said, "We don't want our officials hovering over every player during a round; we just want them nearby if a player has a question about the rules."

The whole situation is frustrating to everyone, players and spectators. Please allow me to give you my take on it all.

Back during the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, I predicted on Tuesday, two days before the tournament started, that Dustin Johnson would win the Open. He had a three-shot lead after Saturday's round. I told my son who was sitting beside me that if I was Dustin's caddy, I would tell him to leave the premises and go to dinner with some friends and relax, and get away from any press. He had been relaxed all week, and led the tournament as a result.

Instead, Dustin responded affirmatively to all media requests for an interview, which was a huge mistake on his part. The media told him that his being relaxed was all wrong, that his leading the U.S. Open required that he be nervous beyond belief! The result was nervousness on Dustin's part starting Sunday morning, and he blew up to an 82 in the final round!

Yesterday, when Dustin and his caddy walked up to his drive among all those spectators, the first thing that should have happened was Dustin's caddy letting him know he might be in a bunker, and then they should have called over the PGA official that was walking with them.

Yes, that's right. I blame the caddy. These guys carrying the bags on tour are not simply bag carriers, they are their player's manager and adviser as well. Their job is to do the thinking for their player, so all he has to do is swing the clubs that are handed to him by his caddy.

Dustin is a nice guy, a "country bumpkin" in my opinion. Thinking is not his strong point. Golf, as I have stressed for months, is played between the ears, and is 90% mental, and 10% mental. That is the reason Tiger is playing poorly this year, his mind is on his personal problems, his divorce, his children.

Tour players have to think about one thing, hitting their golf ball. Whatever their caddy can do to keep them from thinking about or worrying about anything else is tantamount to their winning tournaments.

Dustin's caddy needs to learn that, and learn it quickly. If he does not, he should learn another profession.

PGA Championship week!

2010-08-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Today the PGA Championship starts, the last major of the year, and I hope we see a continuation of last week with a tour star winning the championship and not another unknown!

I'm amazed at some of the names that writers are picking to win the PGA this week, such as Vijay Singh. Singh has had a tough year, but this writer picked him simply because he won at the same course, Whistling Straits, the last time the PGA was played there. But that was the year Vijay was the leading money winner on tour.

Then there is the writer who has picked Y.E. Yang to repeat his PGA victory from last year when he held off Tiger Woods for the win. Yang is a scrapper, and it will take a scrapper to conquer the tough conditions expected this year.

There is also the writer who has picked Phil Mickelson to win the PGA, even though Phil announced this week that he has Psoriatic Arthritis! Phil told the media on Wednesday that the symptoms came on right before this year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and plagued him during the tournament and then got worse during a family trip to Hawaii. At one point Phil said he couldn't even get out of bed!

And there are writers who are betting that now that Tiger has hit rock bottom after his worst tournament as a pro last week at Firestone, he will rebound if just from pride if nothing else and play well at the PGA.

Let's watch today's opening round and see what we can learn about Tiger's play.

Congratulations to Hunter Mahan!

2010-08-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

The PGA Tour returned to some semblance of normalcy yesterday with Hunter Mahan's victory at the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club, and it didn't come any too soon!

For months now professional golf has had one relatively unknown player after another win tournaments, including two majors, with the television ratings dropping as a result. Not only did a name player, and an American, win at Firestone, but the next six place finishers included five recognizable American players and one two-time U.S. Open winner.

Now things are getting better on tour. With the PGA this week, the last of the four majors of the year, I hope this trend continues.

And what happened to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson this last week? Tiger understandably is still fighting his mental demons from his private life even though he is blaming it on something else, lack of practice. When your mind is troubled in golf, it is even hard to concentrate on practicing.

Phil played fairly well for the first three days, but then his having to play Callaway equipment caught up with him one more time, and he ballooned to a 78 on Sunday, one higher than Tiger's 77! And these are the two best golfers in the world?

With Phil, it is just one more example of golf equipment companies trying to pull the wool over the golfing public's eyes, paying tour stars millions of dollars to tell the world that Callaway golf equipment is the best, while each player's game suffers from having to play Callaway.

It reminds me of the days when I worked the Senior Tour back in 1991 through 1994, when Callaway first introduced its Big Bertha driver on tour. I watched the likes of Chi Chi Rodriguez, Jim Dent, Bob Murphy and Jim Colbert try the Bertha on the driving range, and one after another had its face cave in! The Callaway tour reps said, "No problem, here's another one!"

The same was true of the Callaway irons at the time. The players complained that they could not work the ball left to right, or right to left. Callaway rushed to solve the problems the tour players had with the irons while at the same time they were advertising to the public in golf magazines and on television how many tour players were playing those irons!

For a game that advertises how golf teaches us honesty and integrity, I wish there was some honesty and integrity among the equipment manufacturers.

Then, and only then, will golf truly become the greatest game ever played.

Will a tour star win at Firestone?

2010-08-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

The other day we discussed the fact that the PGA Tour needs its stars to play well to keep spectators interested in watching golf week after week. No spectator wants to see "Oost-Who" come out of obscurity to beat all the tour's stars, and then disappear, only to have another "Oost-Who" win the next week.

I mentioned that maybe, just maybe Tiger Woods would come back to life at the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone this week since he has won the tournament seven times in the last ten years. If he did, it would do the tour a world of good. Unfortunately, it is not to be.

After three rounds at Firestone. Tiger is ahead of just two players. If there had been a cut after two rounds, Tiger would not have been playing on Saturday. Fortunately, there was only one player on the leaderboard after two rounds who is not readily recognized, and that is Peter Hansen. So the odds that some name player will win the tournament are pretty good, and that is what the tour needs right now.

A Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker or even an Adam Scott winning this week is what the tour needs to bring some reality back to professional golf, and all four are on the front page of the leaderboard after two rounds. The leader by one shot, Retief Goosen, is a name player who has won two United States Opens.

With the year's final major, the PGA, just one week away, spectators need to get excited again about watching professional golf. Ernie Els is also near the top after a 64 on Saturday, and he still leads the tour this year in the chase for the Fed Ex Cup.

Unless another nobody comes out of nowhere tomorrow to capture the title, this week should go a long way to bring some semblance of normalcy back to the tour, and the Tour needs that more than ever right now.

There is also the very good chance that Phil Mickelson will become the Number One golfer in the world after this week. He has to finish at least fourth this week and Tiger has to finish around 34th or worse for that to happen. Tiger is doing his part in that equation, since he is around 78th out of 80 players after three of the four rounds. Phil is tied for tenth after three rounds, so he has his job cut out for himself on Sunday.

But if he does not become Number One after this week, it will probably happen next week. I am confident Tiger will not play well at next week's PGA, and Phil should play well enough to gain the points he needs to finally break into the Number One position.

Tiger has been asked by a multitude of reporters if he will accept a captain's pick for the
Ryder Cup if it is offered to him by U.S. Captain Corey Pavin. Tiger's reply has been the same week after week, "I plan to play my way onto the team."

That might have been believable up until this past Wednesday, but not any longer. His play this week at Firestone leaves one to wonder if he will even be offered such a spot. I for one think it would be a major mistake by Pavin to take up a spot on the team with Tiger.

No stars on the PGA Tour!

2010-08-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

A month ago I asked the question "Who is the best golfer in the world?" The Sony rankings showed that Tiger Woods is the best, but that is only because he had such a large lead in points, no one could catch him for a while no matter how poorly he played, and how well everyone else played.

Let's face reality; no one individual has played well enough to be considered number one, or number two, or number three in the last few months. And that, in the long run, will ruin professional golf!

Yesterday I started reading some of the other golf blogs on the internet, and was pleased to see many others agree that without its stars, golf fans will not watch televised golf, and without viewers the ratings for pro golf will dwindle away, and without ratings professional golf tours will cease to exist.

Tiger recently stated to the press that he is playing poorly because he is not practicing as much as he should, and he went on to say that he will never practice in the future as much as he should practice because he is spending time with his kids. That statement surprises me simply because he is now divorced from Elin, and their kids are with her most of the time, which means that Tiger's time with his kids has to be limited.

I think a more correct statement would be that Tiger's mind is on his kids, and therefore his mind is not on golf, and we have mentioned for months that "golf is 90% mental, and 10% mental." Until his mind can forget his personal problems, he will not continue to be the best golfer in the world.

Then there is Phil Mickelson, the supposed Number Two golfer in the world. I don't know about you, but I am tired of hearing every week the TV announcers stating the same identical thing as that week's tournament is about to start, "Phil is threatening to pass Tiger and take over the Number One spot in golf!" I'm sorry, but Phil is not threatening to do anything!

I have mentioned for months now that Phil Mickelson should be the Number One player in golf even if Tiger's mind were clear and concentrating on his golf 100%. Phil has more talent than Tiger. His problem is the people around him, his ambulance-chasing attorney who threatens any golf manufacturer who attempts to get better golf equipment in Phil's hands, and his endorsement contract to play Callaway golf equipment.

As long as Mickelson puts endorsement money ahead of winning majors he will never play to his potential, and I am afraid that will be Phil's legacy to the game when he retires.

So, what tour player is going to step up to the plate and excite the spectators like Tiger used to excite them, and keep professional golf from dying a slow death? Women's professional golf was near death ten years ago when they had no American golfers to excite the viewers. Then a few young American women who had game and were pretty showed up on the LPGA Tour, and women's golf got a shot of adrenalin.

The PGA Tour has a chance this week to gain new life itself due to the playing of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, where Tiger has owned the tournament for years. If Tiger can take advantage of his past domination at Firestone and do it once again this week, he has the chance to revive the PGA Tour and save what will otherwise be a very boring season.

You would not believe what goes on!

2010-08-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Based on the kind of comments I receive from readers when I write about life on the PGA and Senior PGA Tours, I have come to believe that most golfers among the general public have no idea what professional golf is all about!

For example, I was in the contestants' locker room one week at a Senior PGA Tour event, working with one of the players while fitting his PROBE driver to exactly what he wanted in the way of performance. A network reporter came into the locker room and asked the player for an interview. It was that player's second event on tour since he turned 50 years old, so the reporter wanted to know about the player's initial experiences on the Senior Tour.

I sat on a bench next to the player during the interview. The reporter asked the player, "How do you like being out here on the Senior Tour, playing once again with players with whom you once played on the regular tour?"

The player looked at the reporter and answered, "Don't think these guys were friendly to me just because they shook my hand when they saw me again, and the cameras were on them. Most of these guys would not throw water on me if I were on fire!"

The reporter was shocked, and looked at his cameraman with a bewildered look in his eye, not knowing what to say. I sat there and watched the reporter, wondering what he would do next. I was not surprised at the player's comment, because I had seen it all before.

Most of the players on tour, both the regular tour and he Senior Tour, renamed the Champion's Tour a few years ago, put on one face when in front of the cameras, and are completely different when off camera!

If you don't believe me, pick up a copy of my new novel, LOVE WAS NOT ENOUGH, and learn for yourself what your own idols are like when off camera. The book is based on my true experiences while promoting my PROBE golf equipment on tour for many years during the 1990's.

In addition to learning about what goes on at PGA Tour events, you will learn other valuable lessons about life, such as how to make a marriage work when the husband is self-employed and motivated to be a successful entrepreneur, and his wife wants him to put her ahead of his career.

You will learn how to raise your children so you are proud of them in this age of peer pressure among teenage young men and women. What I learned under those circumstances is simple to recognize and put into practice, and it is true for all couples. It does not take years of education and a ton of psychological mumbo-jumbo to write about what makes a marriage work.

If you like a good read that teaches you important lessons about life, pick up a copy today. You will be glad you did.

No top players anymore on the PGA Tour!

2010-07-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

My last blog asked who was the Number One golfer in the world. One reader answered by asking who could beat Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, the next major on tour. My answer, "Any one of the top 50 players in the world can beat him."

Not a single golfer can claim to be Number One on today's tour. Not a single golfer can claim to be in the top three! No one single golfer has shown in the past six weeks that he stands out from the rest of the pack. When was the last time that was the case on the PGA Tour, or the European Tour?

Every week a new face shows up on tour, and makes himself noticed. The days of one or two players dominating the headlines has ended, at least for the foreseeable future. The question is, does the professional tour need stars, someone that we can call the best in the world, or is it all right to have a crap shoot at every event, with a different winner holding the trophy every Sunday?

Do you remember the last time Tiger Woods was not technically the Number One player in the world according to the Sony rankings? Wasn't it about five years ago that the commentators told us that if Vijay won the tournament that Sunday, and Tiger did not finish in the top five, Vijay would move into the Number One spot? Vijay won, and Tiger shook his hand, and it was announced at that moment that Tiger was no longer the world's best.

There was no official ceremony or exchanging of any crown, just the commentator's mention of the fact.

Then about six weeks later it was announced that Tiger was once again the world's Number One.
And Phil was Number two, which Phil will always be as long as he puts endorsement money from Callaway ahead of playing the better equipment that would take him to the world's Number One position.

Technically the press still lists Tiger as Number One because the Sony point system still shows him ahead of anyone else, but bet on Tiger to win the PGA? Not with my money!

Who's the world's best player?

2010-07-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

For a decade we golfers knew that Tiger Woods was the Number one golfer in the world. For a few weeks Vigay Singh had more points than Tiger in the Sony World rankings, but we knew the truth, didn't we?

We knew that Phil Mickelson was the #2 in the world, and that Steve Stricker was #3. Paul Casey was 4th, etc. But who is #1 now? Sure, the Sony rankings claim that Tiger is still Number One, but come on! He hasn't played like the best golfer in the world since last fall.

Yes, I know his mind has been in turmoil due to his marriage problems, and I know as well as anyone how the mind can upset the golf swing, but really? With such an opening, I would think Phil would have come on strong and overtaken Tiger during his time of weakness. But has that happened? NO!

And it won't happen as long as Callaway owns Phil Mickelson. It seems Phil can't think for himself without consulting with Callaway or his ambulance chasing attorney, Glenn Cohen in Jacksonville, FL. As long as Phil plays Callaway drivers and the Callaway (Odyssey) putter, he will not come close to the golfer he should be. All just to con the public into believing that Callaway golf equipment is the best in the business!

I can read Phil Mickelson's head stone right now: "Phil Mickelson. He should, and would have been the best, but for Callaway Golf."

The fourth major championship of 2010, the PGA, is approaching, and is anyone favored to win it? I wouldn't be surprised if another nobody European wins the PGA. There is no American player who has stood up this year and claimed he is Number one.

But I am willing to make a prediction. Lee Westwood will finish runner-up at the PGA! That seems to be his mission in his life.

Oosthuizen holds on in Sweden after Open.

2010-07-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

Last week at the Open Championship I was surprised to see Louis Oosthuizen win it, especially by such a wide margin. I attributed the win to his lucky round on Friday when he was able to miss the 50 to 60 MPH winds that hit most of the field that day.

I predicted that he was just a "flash in the pan" winner, and that we would not hear much more from Oosthuizen in the weeks to come. I may have been wrong!

Instead of taking a week off to celebrate his victory at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Oosthuizen entered the Nordea Scandinavian Masters in Sweden this last week, and was tied for the lead after the first round. I was especially impressed with his reason for playing. "It is good for the European Tour."

Oosthuizen continued to stay close to the lead through three rounds. In following the tournament, I was surprised to see that no Americans were entered in the field. KJ Choi from Korea was entered, which surprised me, because he has played so well for years on the PGA Tour.

The ultimate winner was Sweden's own Richard Johnson at 11 under par, and Oosthuizen finished a respectable three shots back.

The Senior British Open

2010-07-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

This week the Senior British Open is being played at Carnoustie in Scotland, and Tom Watson who also played in the Open Championship last week at St. Andrews is in the field. One American who was scheduled to play this week is Mark O'Meara, but he canceled the trip after his Dad passed away. He decided that his place was with his family instead. It should be an interesting week watching the seniors play Carnoustie.

I also noticed that last week's Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen, is playing at the European Tour event in Sweden this week. I would have expected him to take a week off after his first major victory, but according to the commentators he chose to play because, "It will be good for the European Tour."

That's commendable, and Louis made the most of the first round by shooting five under par and was tied for first when they went off the air. A few days ago the Golf channel commentators were taking bets as to whether Oosthuizen's win at the Open championship is a "flash in the pan" victory, never to happen again, or if he is the real deal, and will go forward and continue to win on tour. I personally think he got tremendously lucky when he missed most of the high winds that hit St. Andrews last Friday, and that lucky day led to his victory.

Time will tell if his swing and his mental game take him to new wins in the near future.

Oosthuizen's major victory also started an argument among the Golf Channel commentators about the status of American tour pros, and whether anyone would once again dominate professional golf in the near future like Tiger dominated prior to last year's indiscretions.

The consensus seemed to be, "No, no one player will dominate the tour for some time." Phil Mickelson's game is hurting, due in my opinion to his endorsement contract with Callaway. Phil is forced to play golf equipment that is in my opinion second-rate, especially his driver and his putter. I explained two months ago why I am no longer a Phil Mickelson fan, because tour players owe it to themselves and to their fans to play the best they can play, and not put endorsement money ahead of performance.

Steve Stricker is supposed to be the Number 3 player in the world, but his game varies tremendously depending upon the course he happens to be playing at any one time. Then look at the European players who have won recently. Justin Rose won twice on the PGA Tour, then McDowell won the U.S. Open, to be followed by Oosthuizen's win at the Open championship.

Lee Westwood finished as the runner-up for the umpteenth time, and in my opinion will do so for the rest of time. He just doesn't have the mental strength to see himself as the best, only the second best!

The upcoming PGA Championship may bring out a player who separates himself from the pack, but I doubt it. I wouldn't be surprised if another "nobody" takes that major as well.

Does the PGA Tour control players?

2010-07-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

I remember the first time I saw a PGA Tour player on TV during a tour event with a significant growth on his face. That's right, a beard! I thought to myself, "Wow, this guy is going to get in trouble with the PGA Tour."

For some reason I thought there must be a rule on tour that no one could grow a beard, that all players had to be clean shaven. After all, what would happen to professional tour golf if a bunch of hippies showed up to play?

Then, when I didn't hear any comments from TV commentators about the beard, I saw a player with long hair on tour. I thought to myself, "Now this guy has done it! He's going to catch it for sure." But then nothing seemed to happen to him either.

More recently I learned that the PGA Tour pretty much keeps its tour players from being approachable by equipment manufacturers that want to show tour players new equipment that is intended to make each player a better driver of the ball, or a better wedge player, or a better putter. The tour's rules do not allow any equipment manufacturer from approaching any tour player unless that manufacturer already has a contract to play that manufacturer's equipment!

And when those kinds of rules apply to tour players, you know what happens, right? That's right, lawyers then run the tour. Lawyers that "represent" each tour player then dictate who can talk to their "client" on tour.

But what about each player's thoughts? Can the tour control what players are thinking? Can the tour control what each player says in front of a camera? Unfortunately, I believe the tour (PGA, European, Nationwide, etc.) not only can control what players think and say, they do control what they think and say.

Last week's British Open is an example. I watched virtually 100% of the telecast of the 2010 Open Championship, and have taken the position that Louis Oosthuizen was given a gift, and the victory, on Friday morning, when he finished the first two days with a huge lead over the rest of the field because the wind did not blow during the hours that Oosthuizen was on the course on Thursday and Friday.

Was that lucky for him? Yes. Does the PGA or the Royal and Ancient try to control the starting times to make the first two days' tee times as fair as they can each week for the entire field? Yes. But does that mean the weather will be the same both days? No.

It was obvious to me that Oosthuizen received the ultimate gift in a professional golf major championship, almost perfect weather for himself while most of the field suffered through tremendous winds that made the Old Course at St. Andrews virtually impossible to play for 95% of the field.

But did we hear any of the commentators speak up and tell the world of that gift? No. Nada. The professional tours have control over those commentators, as well as the players that tee it up every week. And telling the world that the winner was lucky is not in the cards. They MUST praise the winner as the one player who conquered the course in all kinds of conditions when the rest of the field, including the best players in the world, simply failed to measure up that week!

I was watching the Golf Channel's tape delayed interviews on Monday morning, many of which I had already seen Sunday evening after the Open had ended hours before, and I witnessed one interview where the actual truth almost came out about Oosthuizen seven-shot victory.

The media asked Rory McIlroy about the 80 he shot on Friday during the hurricane that blew most players off the course, when he had shot his record-breaking 63 on Thursday, and followed the 80 with two more rounds in the 60's on the weekend.

I could tell Rory was picking his words very carefully, trying not to mention the fact that Oosthuizen missed the 60+ miles per hour winds that almost canceled Friday's round because the tour considered the course unplayable. But he did, for one second, almost make the statement about Oosthuizen's amazing luck, but then changed his chain of thought and said Oosthuizen "held on like a champion over the weekend, and did not choke coming down the stretch" (with his seven shot lead).

Granted, the tour officials don't want a lot of name calling and sore losers on tour, but what about honest feelings and emotion on the part of players? Is the tour justified in trying to make tour stars appear dishonest, void of emotion, when the truth is so apparent?

I for one would like to see tour players tell it like it is for once, and not have the fear of suspension hanging over them every time they answer a question posed to them by the media.

Weather determined British Open Champion!

2010-07-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

In my 50 years watching 200 major golf championships, this is the first time I have ever seen the weather determine the winner! During a week when almost hurricane winds blew virtually 99.9% of the players off the Old Course at St. Andrews at one time or another, Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa played early Thursday in no winds, and then got lucky by playing during a lull in the weather on Friday.

To give you an idea how tough the conditions were for most players on Friday, the first round leader, Rory McIlroy, followed his opening 63 on Thursday with an 80 in the wind on Friday. He then shot in the 60's again on Saturday and Sunday.

Oosthuizen built up such a lead over the rest of the field the first two days that no one could mount a charge over the weekend to catch him!

And looking at the rest of the field on Saturday and Sunday, no one even seemed interested in trying to catch Louis since his lead was so large! Tiger Woods on the front nine on Sunday hit two very stupid tee shots with driver that he should have known would put him in two of the dangerous bunkers that cannot be played forward toward the hole.

Tiger had to play sideways out of both of those bunkers, wasting two shots when he needed to put up a charge to try to catch the players in front of him. He started birdie, par, birdie, then drove into one of those bunkers and made double bogey. Then he made two pars, only to make another double bogey from driving into another bunker! Tiger, Phil Mickelson, and the rest of those chasing Oosthuizen seemed to lose all common sense on Sunday, making one bad mental decision after another!

Here I am on Sunday morning watching the Open Championship, and with nine holes still to go I am giving the victory to Louis Oosthuizen.

Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen! Take this gift and make the most of it with the rest of your career!

I'm heading to the golf course.

The weather may determine the winner at the Open!

2010-07-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked about the importance of today's weather conditions in determining who will have the advantage going into the weekend at the Open Championship. Friday's weather was not even close to being the same as Thursday! Very early players on Friday did get a tremendous break from the weather, as did the early players on Thursday.

Louis Oosthuizen, for example, received the gift of a lifetime Friday morning when he was able to play in no wind and light rain, so the greens actually held shots. The wind then picked up so quickly after he finished that the officials suspended play for an hour and six minutes. If the wind had not died down a little so play could continue, officials would have canceled the entire second round for Friday, canceling Louis's round of 67! As things stand as of this writing, Louis will have a tremendous lead over the field starting Saturday's round because players are fighting just to make pars Friday afternoon.

After play continued, the average scores increased by three shots per player over the players who finished before the suspension! Scoring difficulty increased tremendously after play resumed. Rory McIlroy, for example, had shot 63 on Thursday, 9 under par, but then hit the windy conditions Friday and was +8 through 16 holes for the day when I discontinued following Friday's round!

After all players finish their rounds Friday evening, it will be interesting to see what score is required to make the cut for the weekend.

First round of the Open Championship.

2010-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

The first round of the Open championship ended about as I had predicted, with most of the leaders playing early, before the wind picked up. Friday's forecast shows the weather will not be the same as Thursday, however, so conditions will probably not be equal for everyone after the first two days.

Phil Mickelson showed why he can't score at the British Open when it is windy, because he can't hit the ball low when necessary.

Two of the players I mentioned yesterday that we should watch out for are Ernie Els and Justin Rose. Both players shot under par today.

Tiger shot well as he always does at St. Andrews, and a nice surprise for American viewers was John Daly's six under par start.

The leader after the first day, Rory McIlroy, represents one of the young players in the field this year.

Six of the players on the first page of the leaderboard are Europeans with whom I am unfamiliar, but unknown Europeans near the lead on day-one of the Open Championship is nothing new. They usually fade after the first day, so it will be interesting to see if any of them remain near the top after Friday.

One reader commented to me that Edoardo Molinari should be among the top picks to win after his performance last week at the Scottish Open, and I agree. Edoardo shot three under on Thursday.

After Friday's round, and we get to see if the same weather holds as Thursday, we will have a better look at the leaderboard and the potential outcome.