Buick Open Preview

Tiger and Vijay headline a strong field this week at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club.

buickopen_logo.gifTiger Woods comes into the Buick Open on top of the golfing world as always. Mr. Woods won his second major of the year two weeks ago at St. Andrews to (hopefully) answer the question “is he back yet” once and for all!

Unfortunately, last year’s Buick Open took place when Woods was still facing that question, and the honor of being defending champion belongs to Tiger’s top rival, Vijay Singh. Both players will be looking to win this event for the second time in their respective careers. Singh also won it in 1997, and Tiger won it in 2002.

Weetabix Women’s British Open Preview

The ladies ferry across the Mersey for the Weetabix British Open.

weetabix_logo.jpgThe LPGA Tour takes a short chunnel ride from France to England this week for the the season’s final major tournament. Added to the official tour schedule in 1994, The Women’s British Open became a major championship in 2001 but traces its roots back to 1976. The course changes annually and this year the ladies will play golf at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the city of Merseyside.

3M Greptile Premium Golf Glove Review

3M makes golf apparel? You bet, and it’s not too bad either.

3M Golf LogoMost golfers I know love to shop around for new golf equipment. It’s like Christmas morning any time of year! We all love to test out the latest drivers, irons, wedges, and putters. But if there’s one golf item I hate buying, it’s gloves. I am very hard on golf gloves and go through several every year. I live in Oklahoma, where the humidity at times is overwhelming, and humidity and golf gloves definitely don’t get along. I rediscover this fact every year.

Young Guns Gone Bad

For every Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott, there are other young golfers who have struggled to live up to the hype.

Thrash TalkI am always excited to see young talent make their way to the PGA Tour. There are always going to be young guns that overachieve and young guns that unfortunately underachieve. Tiger Woods obviously burst upon the scene in late 1996, and he has elevated the sport to new heights ever since. In the past five or six years, there have been a handful of golfers with the “next great challenger to Tiger” stamp on them. This group has included names such as Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott. These two golfers haven’t won a major yet, but they have still had very solid careers and have lived up the hype.

Peek’n Peak Resort, Upper Golf Course

A fair test of golf that plays far shorter than the 7025 yards listed, the Upper Course at the Peak is a sight to behold.

Peek'n Peak LogoPeek’n Peak has long been known to northwestern PA and New York as a great place to ski. With over 25 trails, “the Peak” entertains skiiers and snowboarders in those wintry months when golf can’t be played.

When golf can be played, the Peak offers two courses – the Lower and the Upper. The Upper course, some may remember, plays host to a Nationwide Tour event – the Lake Erie Charity Classic, won this past July 3 by Esteban Toledo.

The Midseason Report

This week, the Bag Drop takes a quick look at this year’s equipment from a hands-on perspective.

Bag DropThe 2005 golf season is reaching the midway point. What better time to stop and evaluate some of the clubs that have made it into my bag so far this year? Without further ado, let the mini-reviews begin!

Volume Nineteen

This week’s links will hopefully bring you a little “mo” to get through the work week.

Hittin' the LinksI think there’s a new word in the golf jargon dictionary. Tiger’s been using it, and I found myself saying all round yesterday. That word? “Mo.” As in momentum.

Tiger was saying it as a good thing, “Those two birdies really gave me some mo.” I was saying it like, “Crap, those two doubles are going to make it tough to recover.” Regardless of the type of mo you’re referring to, I really like it.

Here are this week’s links. If you’ve got some other good jargon to share, drop it in the comments.

Battle of the Bridges

The Battle of the Bridges takes place tonight in what might be Tiger Woods’ final Monday-night appearance.

Tonight, at 7pm ET on ESPN2 and at 8pm ET on ABC, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, and John Daly will meet at the Battle of the Bridges. Tiger Woods may not be playing in Monday-night golf beyond this year’s event, making this event one you won’t want to miss.

Ratings have dropped since Sergio Garcia bested Woods in a head-to-head match in 2000, and this year’s lineup failed to get Vijay Singh and Ernie Els for the best-ball match play tournament.

For those of you who can’t get enough Tiger, for those of you who hate or love Phil Mickelson, for those of you who want to see if John Daly has gone back to the mullet, and for those of you who want to see if Retief Goosen’s facial expression ever changes, tune in tonight.

Ben Crane Takes Rain-Soaked US Bank Championship

Ben Crane took only four hours to shoot a 1-under 69 to capture his second PGA Tour victory, the US Bank Championship.

Ben CraneBen Crane, one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour, walked away with the US Bank Championship. Carding a 1-under-par round of 69, Crane was never pressured as his nearest competitors Scott Verplank, Chris Smith, and Kenny Perry folded with rounds of 71, 71, and 73. Crane eventually won by four over Verplank and five over Chad Campbell, one of the few players to have a decent day in the blustery conditions, firing a 65.