Author: Erik J. Barzeski

Episode 004

Tune in this week as we bash Natalie Gulbis’ dad, call Annika Sorenstam a dirty cheat,

PodcastIt’s here! The fourth episode of our podcast is now available. You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 004 as an MP3 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

This week, we hand out end-of-year grades to Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Danielle Aimee, Charles Howell III, and many more golfers. We talk about feel-good stories and guys who don’t care who wins a PGA Tour event. For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

Continue reading “Episode 004”

Controversy Surrounds Sorenstam, Creamer @ ADT

Controversy surrounds Annika Sorenstam’s tee shot on the 18th in the first round of the ADT Championship.

ADT Championship LogoControversy – and a 30-minute discussion on the 18th hole – surrounded Annika Sorenstam’s tee shot on the 18th hole at the end of her first round in the ADT Championship today. After hitting the ball in a bunker inside a marked lateral water hazard, Sorenstam was given a drop near the back edge of the bunker and hit the green with her third shot. Paula Creamer, Sorenstam’s playing competitor and Kay Cockerill, on-course commentator for The Golf Channel, disagreed. They contended that the ball never crossed the hazard line. If that were true, Sorenstam would most likely return to the tee to hit her third shot.

Continue reading “Controversy Surrounds Sorenstam, Creamer @ ADT”

LPGA Beats PGA Tour to Playoff Punch

The LPGA Tour will feature a season-ending playoff in 2006, beating Tim Finchem to the playoff punch by a year.

Carolyn BivensAccording to an AP article, the LPGA will beat the PGA Tour to the punch in offering a season-ending “playoff” system. New LPGA Commish Carolyn Bivens today announced the 2006 LPGA schedule. That schedule included details on a playoff system that will be the first of its kind in golf.

Instead of the top 30 players on the money list qualifying for the season-ending ADT Championship, the field will be comprised of 30 players who have racked up points throughout the year along with two wild cards for a total of 32. The field will be cut to 16 players after 36 holes and to only eight players after 54 holes. The eight remaining players will start the field at even par, leading to a $1M payout for the winner of the 18-hole shootout.

Continue reading “LPGA Beats PGA Tour to Playoff Punch”

Howell Slays the Tiger in China

Tiger Woods breathed down David Howell’s neck all weekend at the inaugural HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai, but Woods never made the move that everyone thought was inevitable.

David Howell wins the HSBCTiger Woods three-putted for bogey from 15 feet on the fifth hole while Englishman David Howell birdied from four feet, a two-shot swing that set the tone for the final round of the HSBC Tournament of Champions as Tiger fell four shots back after starting the day one back. After that, the Englishman marched to victory in the $5 million all-star event that also served as the opener of the 2006 European Tour season.

Continue reading “Howell Slays the Tiger in China”

Episode 003

Check out our end-of-year grades, our discussion on why we care about watching the PGA Tour, and much more.

PodcastIt’s here! The third episode of our podcast is now available. You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 003 as an MP3 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

This week, we hand out end-of-year grades to Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Danielle Aimee, Charles Howell III, and many more golfers. We talk about feel-good stories and guys who don’t care who wins a PGA Tour event. For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

Continue reading “Episode 003”

TaylorMade r7 Fairway Wood Review

The r7 isn’t just a driver (or irons): it’s also a fairway wood, and it’s a damn fine one at that.

Taylormade R7 Fairway SoleTaylorMade must really like their “r7” logo because they’re sticking it on everything these days. Just recently they announced “r7 irons,” their r7 driver line (Quad, HT, and TP) continues to sell well, and earlier this spring the r7 TP fairway woods were announced. It’s taken us awhile to get this review online because, with a $399 price tag, the r7 TP fairway wood isn’t one that your average golfer is going to want to try.

Make no mistake about it, this club – like most of TaylorMade’s “TP” or “Tour Preferred” line – is for the better player.

Better players who do put this club in their bags will find one of the best fairway metals on the market today. They’ll also find their wallets four bills lighter. Read on to see whether I felt the performance justified the cost.

Continue reading “TaylorMade r7 Fairway Wood Review”

Scotty Cameron Putter Restoration and Custom Shop

Scotty Cameron introduced custom and restoration services in April, and we take them for a test drive with an old, beat up Coronado.

Scotty CameronScotty Cameron is an artist. Modern artist to some, renaissance artist to others, and an artist of his own breed to a thoughtful few. Though he doesn’t work with oils, he does offer his pieces of art in an oil (can) finish, and while you may not find him among the lilies at Giverny, you will find him among the mills at his California studio.

Scotty Cameron makes putters. Far from ordinary putters, many believe them to be the best in the land. What began as a hobby has turned into a world-class business and a long-standing association with Titleist. Scotty’s works of art routinely top the professional golf tours in putter counts and can be found in the bags of players like Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Brad Faxon, Davis Love III, and more. These pros and more trust Scotty with their “gamer,” the putter they know will make the crucial 10-footer to win a major.

Continue reading “Scotty Cameron Putter Restoration and Custom Shop”

The Biggest Stories of 2005

Our top five stories of the year… and three that almost made the cut. Can you guess what they are?

Trap Five LogoAs the 2005 PGA Tour season all but concludes this weekend with The Tour Championship, we look back at a year in review. What were the biggest stories this year? Can you remember them all? Have we?

In looking back, we also look forward to a 2006 that will bring us more of the same great stories (and, hopefully, less of the bad ones). We look forward to surprise winners, dominance by a select few (or one), exciting majors, long putts, hole-outs from the sand, Michelle Wie, and much, much more. This year, Eight things stood out to us, and five made the cut into our top 5.

Continue reading “The Biggest Stories of 2005”

Episode 002

The Tour Championship, Phil Mickelson’s decision not to play in it, the legs on the ladies of the Big Break III (and why IV is such a snore), Jeff’s hole in one, and much more!

PodcastWe’re happy to announce that the second episode of our podcast is now available. You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 002 as an MP3 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.

Continue reading “Episode 002”