Are you obligated to tell your opponent if you find his ball?
Your opponent hits the ball into the rough and can’t find it. You stumble across the ball while looking for your own ball. Are you obligated to tell your opponent that you’ve found his ball, or is it “ok” to leave him in the dark, potentially costing him a lost-ball penalty?
The short answer: you’re allowed to remain mute by the rules of golf, but it’s a serious breach of etiquette to be such a jerk. Read more at about.com.
Grace Park loses a three-stroke lead at the Samsung World Championship to none other than Annika Sorenstam.
Annika Sorenstam captured the Samsung World Championship by three strokes over three-round leader Grace Park, who held a three-shot lead going into the final round. Sorenstam ended with a closing 67 to finish at 270 (-18) to Park’s 73 (273, -15). Lorena Ochoa finished two strokes further back at 275 (-13).
Sorenstam birdied only one hole on the front nine, but hung around long enough for Park to blow up. Following a chip-in for eagle at the 15th, Sorenstam birdied 17 to take the lead and parred 18. Park parred 14, 15, and 16 and bogeyed 13, 17, and 18 to lose the tournament.
This victory marked Sorenstam’s 54th career win and her sixth of the year. Se Ri Pak continued to suck it up, shooting a final-round 78 in the blustery conditions. This followed a third-round 80 and put her at +15 for the final score. Michelle Wie finished with a 70 and ended at -5 for the championship. Defending champion Sophie Gustafson finished with a 71 to stand alone in fourth with a 277, and Cristie Kerr, who played in the final group Sunday and who putted a ball 20 yards off the green during the round’s 11th hole, shot a 75 to finish at 278, eight strokes behind Sorenstam.
Grace Park holds a three-stroke lead going into the final day of play at the Samsung World Championship.
Grace Park, despite a bogey on the last hole Saturday, leads the 20-player field at the Samsung World Championship by three strokes over fan favorite Cristie Kerr and the best female player in the world Annika Sorenstam. Mexican heroine Lorena Ochoa is one further back. One behind her: defending champion Sophie Gustafson, Hall-of-Famer Juli Inkster, and Catriona Matthew, who shot a first-round 64.
Grace Park grabbed the lead in the first round at Bighorn Golf Club and set a new 18-hole tournament record at 10-under 62. She shot a 5-under 67 on the second day to set a new 36-hole record and open a four-shot gap. Her 71 (-1) in round three slimmed the gap to three but again established a new tournament record at 200, previously established at 201 by her two closest trailers, Annika Sorenstam and Cristie Kerr, in 2002.
Putting with one hand can improve the two aspects of putting.
Practice putting with one hand – your right or your left. You’ll find that each hand is typically responsible for part of the putt. Your right hand typically controls distance and your left controls the swing path. If your distance control is suffering, putt with just your right hand. If your stroke is suffering, putt with just your left.
Sometimes putting off the toe is helpful as well.
You’ve got a five-foot, downhill, right to left putt. You’ve got any number of lines depending on the speed. Do you nudge it out there, or power it through a little of the break? Sometimes, choosing the middle line and making a slightly more aggressive stroke while striking the ball slightly towards the toe of the putter (½” at the most) frees you to make a confident stroke. Hitting the ball towards the toe takes some speed off, letting the ball die into the hole, while at the same time pushing the ball just a tad higher to compensate for the lost speed.
Different putters react differently to mishit balls, so try this on the practice green before using it on the course.
Use the time driving to the course effectively by visualizing your round.
Visualization is one of the keys to playing successful golf. Every good golfer visualizes the shot at one point, and most good golfers have a solid game plan before entering a round. When you’re driving to the course, what are you doing? Listening to music? Chatting on your cell phone?
Consider using the time to “play” a round of golf in your mind. Be realistic – if you hit a 230 yard slice off the tee, don’t imagine 290 yard draws. Imagine playing in the current weather conditions. Hit solid shots in your mind’s eye and make the putts. You can “play” eighteen holes in about five minutes this way, and you’ll be more prepared.
What became of the greatest workers of the early 20th century?
This relates to golf, I promise. 🙂 But here’s a little quiz for you…
In 1923, who was…
These men were considered some of the worlds most successful of their days.
Now, 80 years later, the history book asks us, if we know what ultimately became of them.
Make sure you get your putt to the hole.
“90% of all putts left short don’t go in.” I’ve used that taunt a few times, even though it’s quite obvious that it’s just a gag. Every putt left short won’t go in, and Dave Pelz has taught us that the best speed for a putt is that which makes it stop 17 inches past the hole. Practice hitting your putts at a speed that puts the ball one to two feet behind the hole and you’ll make more putts, even if it’s simply because you don’t leave as many short.
Chip with the toe of your club in bad lies.
Your ball is in the fringe or fairway near the green, but sitting in a slight depression. The sole of the club is wider than the hole, making it difficult to get down to the ball. You could chop down hard, but you’d have very little distance control. Instead, set the club up on the toe a bit and play the shot almost as you would a putt. The shot will come out lower than normal and you may have to swing a tad harder as energy will be lost by making contact so far out on the toe.
