Author: Guest Author

Buick Invitational Preview

Tiger Woods is about the show us what 10 years on the tour has taught him as we enter the 2006 Buick Invitational.

buick_invitational_logo.jpgThe 2006 Buick Invitational starts today with defending champion, Tiger Woods making his 2006 season debut and hopefully with as good a start as last year. Tiger won the event after taking the lead from Tom Lehman in the third round in a weather delayed event. Tiger has finished in the top ten in all eight of his Buick Invitational starts, including seven top five finishes and three wins. He will face Phil Mickelson, who will be the only other player in the top five to make the event. Phil knows the course and event well winning back to back in 2000 and 2001 and coming off a T-5 finish at last week’s Bob Hope he looks to be in good form to defend his West Coast Swing title. That’s all great but what we really want to see is a repeat duel between Tiger and Phil like the 2005 Ford Championship at Doral.

This year players will face the North and South course at Torrey Pines Golf Course where the South Course recently underwent a 3.2 million dollar renovation and lengthened to 7,607 yards in anticipation to host the 2008 U.S. Open.

What else will players face in this year’s Buick Invitational?

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Sorenstam and Creamer Create Buzz in South Africa

The top two female golfers in the world are in the news this week. Annika consents to build a family-friendly golf course in South Africa and Paula agrees to play a Precept golf ball.

Sorenstam and CreamerThere were two reasons why Annika Sorenstam played golf at the World Cup this week. Not only was she intent upon winning her first tournament of the new year but she also had an announcement of grand proportions.

Sorenstam wasn’t the only LPGA golfer to create a buzz in South Africa although her news was directly related to this small country. The number-two player in the world created headlines of her own.

Paula Creamer is now playing golf with a Precept ball. Her intent? “Everything I do, I do with the goal in mind of becoming the number-one ranked women’s player in the world.”

The problem is that nobody told this to Annika as she soundly trounced Team USA.

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I Proclaim War on ‘The Deck’!

Upper Deck has tarnished my boyhood passion with its grotesque inflation rate of the all American hobby.

Thrash TalkI don’t know if I am particularly pissed or suddenly sullen. It has come to my attention as of late that there is a matter that needs to be addressed in a public forum. This issue has been festering itself in the sports card business for years now and it’s about time we do something about it, or at least try.

It appears that there are fewer companies with the cash and/or balls to manufacture golf trading cards. In fact, as of right now, there is only one such company, Upper Deck. Upper Deck is a private company whose headquarters is located in Carlsbad, California and has been printing sports cards since 1988 and issuing golf trading cards since 2001, when they saw their next latest and greatest serving of bread and butter vis-à-vis Tiger Woods.

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Volume Forty-Three

This week’s links are sure to jump-start your week.

Hittin' the LinksHope you all enjoyed the celebrity-infused golf this weekend. I sure did. There’s something about watching celebs play golf that completely entices me. I get sucked into the television and lose hours of my life watching A-C list celebs hack it around the course.

I think I need to see someone about this problem. Now, on to the links.

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Sorenstam’s Team Wins World Cup

The Swedish team of Annika Sorenstam and Liselotte Neumann easily take the World Cup from last year’s defending Japanese team. Team USA was no threat.

Sorenstam and Neumann Share World Cup VictoryIt should not be surprising that the world’s number one female golfer in the world grabbed the World Cup this weekend in Sun City, South Africa. Annika Sorenstam was the driving force behind the Swedish team today as her defining eagle on the 492-yard par-5 set the stage for a singles score of 70 which was the certain reason for her team’s three stroke victory over Team Scotland.

Her partner, Liselotte Neumann scored a 77 and did not contribute today as much as in earlier competition. “It’s nice to have the number one player in the world as your partner,” said Neumann.

The Swedish duo will each receive a check for $110,000 and the glory of having the first unoffical victory of the 2006 season.

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Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Preview

Justin Leonard is looking to join the list of repeat winners and David Duval is hoping to play a lot better than last year at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Bob Hope Chrysler ClassicThe 2006 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic started today with the first of five rounds. In last year’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic we watched as Justin Leonard, using his new Nike equipment, shot five rounds in the 60s to secure his win over Tim Clark and Joe Ogilvie by three shots. Winners like Stuart Appleby and David Toms (a victor last week) already know the great feeling it is to have secured a win in 2006 and with In and Out Burgers right around the corner we are sure to see Phil Mickelson make his 2006 season debut. This is also the third or nine events in the 2006 West Coast Swing presented by Allianz where currently Stuart Appleby has a 20-point lead over Vijay Singh and David Toms.

The event is also known for attracting top celebrities which gives the tournament an added bonus by watching celebrities and pro mix it up but let’s take a look at the rest of the field and see who Justin Leonard is up against this year.

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2006 Women’s World Cup of Golf

The first LPGA tournament of 2006 features number-one golfer Annika Sorenstam and Q-School winner Ai Miyazato in a limited field event.

Women's World Cup of Golf logoThe big names in ladies golf are back!

Sorenstam, Creamer and Gulbis are among the forty women looking for their first victory of 2006 at the Women’s World Cup of Golf. Ai Miyazato, fresh from her win at Q-School, will be defending the trophy for the Japanese team. Twenty teams in total will be competing the weekend at the beautiful Sun City Resort in South Africa.

Will Miyazato’s rookie season begin with a win and a follow-up trophy for the Japanese? Or will one of the nineteen other competing countries claim the cup and a piece of the $1.1 million purse?

This tournament is sure to satisfy even the most discerning palates.

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The New Deal

The Golf Channel: evolving monopolistic media juggernaut? Or, just a kick-ass network?

Thrash TalkI don’t know if you can answer that question with a yes or no right now, but maybe you can in the near future. The latest and greatest story out of the PGA Tour in the past few days has been all about the 2007 and beyond television deal that was reached by the PGA Tour, NBC, CBS and the Golf Channel.

I am not going to address the specifics of the deal here because Everardo Keeme did a standout job already. Instead, I’m going to give you the run down, the fall out, and the build up.

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Volume Forty-Two

I’m smuggling nine links across the border for you this week.

Hittin' the LinksTop of the mornin’ to ya! Is anyone else enjoying golf during prime time? I sure am. I’ve pretty much given up on television lately because there’s not much on. Usually I’ll end up reading or listening to music or watch a DVD, but the last two weeks, I’ve been able to watch a ton of golf.

I think we need to lobby the PGA to broadcast more during prime time. Your thoughts? Now, on to the links.

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