Author: Erik J. Barzeski

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).

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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.

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Greg Norman to PGA Tour: Show Me the Books!

The Norman-Finchem fight enters round number, uhhh, we lost track when it hit 50 last year. This time, Norman wants to see the PGA Tour’s “financials.”

Greg NormanGreg Norman wants to see the the PGA Tour’s books. As Tim Rosaforte says in his article, the request is not new. However, this may be the first request from a player with as high a profile as Greg Norman.

Norman is so serious about seeing the books that he’s hired high-powered attorney Leonard Decof, last seen representing Ping against the PGA Tour over the issue of square grooves. Though a lawsuit over the PGA Tour’s books has not yet been filed, it has certainly been threatened.

Rosaforte says “Norman’s view is that as a tour member, he’s entitled to see the financials and the minutes of all its meetings.” PGA Tour Co-COO Ed Moorhouse told Golf World “We’ve offered to sit down and answer any specific questions. To this point he has not availed himself of that, but we are ready to sit down and discuss any questions he has.”

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Jeff Smith Swing Analysis

Jeff Smith, then a 24-handicapper, puts himself in front of the looking glass (and video camera) for his Swing Check.

Swing CheckStaff member Jeff Smith was a 24-handicap golfer who has only really gotten serious about his golf game last year (2005). Jeff is a strong golfer who fits an over-the-top move that, combined with his tremendous clubhead speed, leads to even more tremendous slices.

Jeff mistakenly ordered regular flex shafts in his clubs, and with a driver swing speed of 100 MPH, suffice to say he’s playing the wrong shafts. The regular flex shafts alone probably account for 50% of his troubles off the tee and a smaller fraction of his troubles with the irons. But that’s not what this column is about, so let’s give Jeff a Swing Check!

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Episode 016

Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas, and Natalie Gulbis in a swimsuit. What more could you want?

PodcastTiger goes seemingly unchallenged in winning at Doral again, the Ohio Golf Association challenges players with a “tournament ball,” and we challenge listeners to share their spring golf rituals with us. Also, Vijay Singh takes a week off (gasp!), Camilo Villegas may be better than Sergio Garcia, and he’s part of the Cobra brand resurgence, Rory Sabbatini is player of the month while Natalie Gulbis puts in a bit for Playmate of the Month (not really), and Pebble Beach wins a lawsuit over a “replica” course. 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 016 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.

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Introducing “Swing Check” Video Analysis

A new column debuts, and you can be the star. Or, well, the subject at least…

Swing CheckWelcome to the most helpful column here at The Sand Trap: Swing Check. This column will look at video of someone’s swing, critique it (largely by comparing it to the swings of professionals), and share the results for all the world to see. It’s free analysis that you can use to improve your game, and the best part is this: you get to submit the videos!

To submit your video, please read on and fill out the required information.

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Episode 015

Geoff Ogilvy, ‘Steve’ Pate, Mark Hensby, Kirk Triplett? Don’t worry, we’ve got a fair share of Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie, Greg Norman, Davis Love III, and even Bill Clinton to tide you over this week.

PodcastGeoff Ogilvy wins in a yawner at the World Golf Championships/Accenture Match Play, yet we want more match play events each year? Sure! A new showdown at Doral, Michelle Wie moves into the #2 spot after a third-place finish at the Fields, and Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are upset with the changes at Augusta National. Also this week, guest Bruce Hardie from Australia joins us to talk about the state of golf down under. 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 015 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.

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MyTPI Personal Fitness Review

MyTPI: all the benefits of a personal physical trainer without someone screaming “ONE MORE TIME!” in your ear.

MyTPITiger Woods sparked a lot of trends when he joined the PGA Tour ten years ago, but one of the most resounding of those was golf fitness. The old jokes about how anyone could win at golf – and with folks named “Lumpy” winning tournaments, they were true – faded away in the face of Tiger’s workout regimen. Professional golfers became athletes – fine-tuned machines built for flexibility, strength, and speed capable of delivering a clubhead to a ball faster and with more strength than ever before.

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Technology, Tradition, and ‘The Facts’

If you want to get people riled up, try using “technology” and “tradition” in the same golf conversation.

TitleistLast week, Titleist posted an opinion piece on the brand’s website on the ever-contentious subject of technology vs. tradition. Geoff Shackelford responded with point-by-point dissent, which touched off a flame war of comments, and another story on sportsfanmagazine.com has covered some of the same ground.

Shackelford’s piece and the companion piece on sportsfanmagazine.com both claim to be rooted in “the facts.” There are plenty of opinions in both, but actual facts are hard to come by. Let’s take a closer look.

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