Cycles of Greatness on the PGA Tour Poster

Chart the PGA Tour’s big names from 1916 to 2004 with this heavy-duty poster from HistoryShots.com.

I consider myself a fan of the history of the PGA Tour. Though I wasn’t around to see Slammin’ Sammy Snead, The Wee Ice Mon Ben Hogan, Arnie Palmer and his Army, or even Fat Jack Nicklaus in their primes, that does not mean that I cannot appreciate what they accomplished.

History Pga Winning PercentageI’m also a fan of statistics, charts, and graphs. The image to the right was taken from a larger poster at HistoryShots.com. It adds fuel to the fire that Tiger Woods is the best golfer ever by comparing his winning percentage (24%) to Hogan’s (22%), Nicklaus’ (16%), Palmer’s (13%), Watson’s, Casper’s, and Player’s (12%, 11%, and 7% respectively).

Inside An Online Golf Shop

As the owner of GolfGods.com, Jason Mischel has learned the that golf business isn’t easy, but it is fun.

Bag DropLess than two years ago, Jason Mischel was an avid golfer who owned a thriving mail-order pet supply company. His biggest golf-related concern was probably trying to decide whether he wanted to buy a new driver.

Fast forward to the present, where Jason is the owner of GolfGods.com, an online golf shop in the dog-eat-dog world of retail golf. Now he’s trying to figure out what new drivers the rest of us want to buy – and how much we’re willing to pay, how to direct visitors to his site, and how to compete with the big names like Edwin Watts, Golfsmith, and Golf Galaxy.

Volume Fifty-One

The game of golf is synonymous with history, legends, and lore. It’s one of the reasons why I love the game so much. Here are some great sites that will help you remember the history and memories of our beloved game.

Hittin' the LinksIt was between passing out and downing my last gulp of green ale this past weekend when I thought about all the memories I’ve had on the golf course. The game of golf is synonymous with history, legends, and lore. It’s one of the reasons why I love the game so much.

So I’ve been feeling nostalgic and reminiscent as of late. Maybe it’s because the Bay Hill Invitational took place this past weekend and the tournament conjures up such great imagery of past champions. Or, maybe it’s because at the tournaments helm is one of golf’s most endearing icons. Possibly, it’s because the feeling of spring is finally here, which conjures up thoughts of great rounds that have long since passed. Then again, someone could have slipped something into my Smithwicks and I’m having some trippy flashbacks. Whatever the reason, here are some great sites that will help you remember the history and memories of our beloved game.

Pampling and Inkster Grind Out Victories

Greg Owen blows up by three-putting from 3’4″ and hands Rod Pampling his second PGA Tour trophy.

Australian Rod Pampling proved to be just lucky enough this St. Patrick’s Day weekend to overcome a two-shot deficit with two holes to play. He started the day with a substantial four-shot lead, but quickly saw that lead collapse after carding a double-bogey six on the par-four 13th hole after shoving his drive out-of-bounds. He thought that he had handed the tournament to Greg Owen on a silver platter, the two-shot lead seemed too great to overcome in just two holes. However, Owen would take three putts to get down from 40 inches on the 17th green and would drop another stroke after a putt that looked center-cut agonizingly lipped out on the 72nd hole. “I can’t believe it missed,” he said afterward. “I cannot believe it missed.”

Pampling used to be known as that guy who held the first-round lead of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie only to blow up Friday and miss the cut. Now he’s known as only the second non-American player to ever win the Bay Hill Invitational.

Episode 017

Lawsuits galore this week: Greg Norman and Sean Connery get “lawyered up” and Luke Donald gets “Luke Donalded” up in winning his first full-length PGA Tour event.

PodcastGreg Norman and Sean Connery go after Tim Finchem and Sherwood Country Club, the South Korean Prime Minister quits in a “golf scandal,” the odds on Tiger winning the Grand Slam in 2006 are a measly 30:1, and a little Phil Mickelson news: being dumped by Ford and holding out on hybrids. This and a whole lot more in this week’s Golf Talk Podcast.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 017 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

Donald Ross

An icon in the golf world, Donald Ross left a legacy that we can still enjoy: some of the greatest golf courses in the world.

ProFilesDonald Ross (1872-1948) was born at Dornoch in Scotland. He grew up playing the famous Royal Dornoch golf links and apprenticed under “Old” Tom Morris for a year at St. Andrews. Ross’ name has become synonymous with golf and as a testament to his genius, there are nine of his courses on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.

Trion:Z Ionic/Magnetic Bracelet Review

Magnets have long been associated with the ability to enhance the body’s natural healing ability. After trying on the Trion:Z Ionic/Magnetic bracelet I’m still skeptical but keeping an open mind.

Trion:Z Ionic/Magnetic BraceletI thought I could use an “edge” when playing golf to maximize my performance on the course. I was running out of steam and a bit achy at the end of a round of golf. I figured that exercise alone just wasn’t enhancing my performance in spite of the fact that all the tour pros insist that using weight training equipment and stretching would help me achieve that par score that is so evasive to me.

I started to look into magnetic bracelets. Hey, don’t laugh! Magnetic jewelry has been used since ancient times to ease pain and improve circulation. I even saw celebrities like Johnny Bench and Ben Roethlisberger sporting them on their wrists endorsing their healing properties.

Ernie Els Training System Review

Great things really do come in small packages (and carry the name of the PGA Tour’s ‘Big Easy’)!

Ernie Els Training SystemMy main goal for 2006 is to lower my handicap and I’ve made improving my short game my a priority. I’ve committed myself to spend more time at the putting greens both at my house and my home course. I’ve learned from Dave, who tells us week after week in the Numbers Game that the key to lower scores is hitting greens in regulation and putting. It’s great to drive the ball well but you’ve still got to get the ball in the hole.

Enter the Ernie Els Training System. The Ernie Els Training System has a simplistic approach that almost makes you doubt its worth. After all, it’s a late-night The Golf Channel infomercial product, isn’t it? Perhaps, but after one practice session with this product I loved it. It hasn’t left my bag since.

What’s in the Bag? Volume 2

There are some surprises and some non-surprises in the second volume of “What’s in the Bag?”

The Numbers GameWelcome to the second ever “What’s in the Bag?” here in The Numbers Game. I thought it was time to check the bags of the winners on the PGA Tour again and see where we stand. Last year TaylorMade dominated the clubs when I looked, Odyssey was the putter champion, Cleveland in wedges, and Titleist had grips on the ball category. Read on to see if there have been any changes.