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A Consistent Pre-shot Routine

A consistent pre-shot routine helps to establish a rhythm and keeps your mind from worrying about the small stuff.

One of the things drilled into us in a series of swing classes I took over the past year is having a consistent pre-shot routine. Whether it be a cartwheel, two claps, address the ball and swing or stand behind the ball, hike up your pants, take your stance, waggle 40 times then swing, it should be the same every time. After a while, you stop worrying about things like standing too far away from the ball, position of the ball in your stance, etc. Those things will come naturally with a good pre-shot routine. Need a good example? Watch Mike Weir. That little pre-swing swing isn’t for his health.

Driscoll Breezes to First Win

Virginia Beach Open: James Driscoll turns in final-round 68 to win first Nationwide Tour event at the TPC of Virginia Beach.

driscoll_sand_save.jpgIn a surprising finish, Kyle Thompson collapsed after a third-round lead by turning in a fourth-round 74 and leaving the door open for James Driscoll to breeze into his first Nationwide Tour win. The University of Virginia grad shot a final round 68 and held on to a four-shot lead to win the Virginia Beach Open this weekend.

Driscoll and Brandt Snedeker entered the fourth round at nine-under, two strokes behind Thompson. Driscoll fired off two birdies in the first five holes, then answered a bogey on the seventh hole with an eagle on the par five eighth hole to leave him three-under at the turn, and one stroke ahead of Thompson.

Driscoll bogeyed the tenth, but followed with two birdies to stretch his lead to two strokes going into the eighteenth hole. Thomspon double-bogeyed the hole, sealing Driscoll’s four-stroke win, and leaving Thompson in a three-way tie for second.

Another European Victory Prior to the Ryder Cup

Victories for three of Europe’s team members in the last three weeks will surely give the side confidence, but is that enough to guarantee victory?

The last three European Tour events have now been won by three different European Ryder Cup team members. With Padraig Harrington’s victory in Germany this weekend (congratulations to him), Luke Donald’s last week, and Miguel Angel Jimenez’s victory two weeks ago, not to mention the numerous top ten finishes by European Ryder Cuppers in these three events, the confidence within the European team must be sky high.

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Singh Wins Canadian Bell Open

Vijay Singh beats Mike Weir in a playoff to win the Bell Canadian Open and practically locks up the race for Player of the Year.

In an exciting finish, Vijay Singh takes the Bell Canadian Open right out of Mike Weir‘s grasp on the third playoff hole. Leading after 54 holes by 3 strokes, Weir shot a final round 72 (+1) and Singh a 69 (-2). After a pair of birdies on the first playoff hole (#18) and an anemic pair of bogeys on the second playoff hole (#17), they went back to #18. Weir’s troubles on this hole started when he drove into the thick right rough. Chopping it out another 100 yards down the fairway, Weir then plays a slight draw with an iron, skips it off the back of the putting surface, and splashes into the water. This opened the door for Vijay who, after another beautiful drive, hit a 6I to just off the green and chipped it to within 6 feet. Vijay missed the birdie putt but left only a comeback tap-in for the par and win. All in all, Weir and Singh played sloppily (Vijay played the 11th hole in 7-over par), but Singh managed to best the Canadian in his own championship.

The win puts Vijay Singh to within about $500,000 of Tiger Woods’ single-season money earnings record. Moreover, if Vijay’s victory last week didn’t cement his bid for Player of the Year, this win – Vijay’s seventh and his fourth in his last five starts – should do it. Singh’s seven victories accompany 14 top-10, 20 top-25 finishes, and well over $8 million in winnings. There’s absolutely no chance that Tiger will steal this one away from him.

Weir Leads Bell Canadian Open

Mike Weir leads by one stroke in the Canadian Bell Open.

I was slightly caught off-guard when I just checked the PGA leaderboard. Mike Weir carries a one stroke lead into the weekend at the Bell Canadian Open with World #1 Vijay Singh hot on his tail. It’s interesting to look at Weir’s results from this year. I hadn’t heard his name in quite some time and I quickly see why. After a pretty hot start this year (T5 at the FBR Open, T4 at Pebble Beach, then winning the Nissan Open), he had a string of missed cuts and poor finishes. The only two saving graces since that start was a T4 at the U.S. Open and a T9 at the British Open. Ok, so he turns it on for the majors. Who doesn’t? Here’s to hoping he can hang on. I’m tired of hearing about Vijay.

Mickelson Drops Titleist, Signs with Callaway

Over the Labor Day weekend, Phil Mickelson signed an endorsement deal with Callaway Golf, dumping Titleist early.

phil_mickelson_callaway.jpgOver the Labor Day weekend, Phil Mickelson, the #4 ranked golfer in the world, signed an endorsement deal with Callaway Golf to use a prototype Callaway HX ball and a prototype model of Callaway’s Fusion driver at this week’s Canadian Bell Open.

This move comes just a week after prematurely dumping a Titleist contract. Mickelson had been with Titleist the past four years.

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Tour Round-Up

Round-up from last week’s tour events.

It’s finally happened. Tiger Wood’s 334-week reign atop the World Rankings is over. Vijay Singh won the Deutsche Bank Championship to claim the top spot, making him only the twelfth golfer in 18 years to hold that position.

The only three European Ryder Cup members to enter the Omega Eurpoena Masters took the top three places (well, Sergio Garcia finished tied third), Luke Donald winning by five from Miguel Angel Jimenez. The only thing more impressive than Donald’s final round was Jimenez’s curly mullet (aka the Spafro).

Luis Carbonetti from Argentina won the European Senior Masters at the Duke’s Course in Woburn, England. In last place, however, was Nigel Mansell, the former Formula 1 and Indy Car world champion, finishing at 28 over. Apparently, despite trying to keep his game on track, his rounds were plagued by bad driving, leaving him well off the pace (ahem…).

Vijay Gets Medieval in Boston

Vijay pulls out the pliers and the blowtorch and put Tiger’s hopes of remaining on top of the Tour in the hurt locker.

vijay_singh.jpgAfter starting off today down three strokes to the top player in the world, Vijay Singh turned on the heat today at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Vijay shot a tournament-low 63 today to couple with yesterday’s 68 and leave him at 131, two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods, Bill Haas and Richmond, VA native John Rollins.

While he’s turning up the heat on Tiger, Vijay’s playing it cool as a cucumber. “Yeah, if I win this tournament, I’ll be No. 1. Fine,” said Vijay. “But what would that change for me? I’m going to go out there next week and do it all over again.”

Vijay started off his round with an eagle, and made the turn with three more birdies and only one bogey. He kept the pace up on the back nine, with five birdies and another bogey, bringing him to eight-under for the day. Haas was equally strong today with a second-round 64, while Rollins remained consistent, turning in a five-under 66 to accompany yesterday’s four-under 67. With two rounds to go, it looks like the field will be playing to catch Vijay.

The tournament continues with the third round tomorrow at the TPC of Boston.

A Game of Leapfrog

“Anything you can do, I can do better.”
“No you can’t!”
“Yes I CAN!”

jimenez_european_masters.jpgSaturday proved to be a game of “Anything you can do, I can do better” in Switzerland, as Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald were bettered by fellow Ryder Cup teammate Miguel Angel Jimenez. After starting with an eagle, Garcia gave up the lead on the back nine as Jimenez posted a third-round 66, two better than Garcia’s 68. Luke Donald posted a third-round 65, which earned him a share of second place with Garcia.

In addition to the friendly competition before the Ryder Cup matches in two weeks, Jimenez is also looking for his fifth win this year. After rebuffing comments yesterday by Sergio Garcia that Jimenez should sit out the German Masters next week, Jimenez is angling to conquer the Omega European Masters as his sixth win in 2004, equalling the record set by fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.

“I feel strong. I’m doing the right thing. I don’t feel I need to take a break. […] I have my family with me here and I’m nice and relaxed.” Instead of proving to be a tiring run of events for the 40-year old, Jimenez appears to be thriving with the competition, and a thriving Jimenez could spell trouble for the Americans at Oakland Hills.

However with Tiger playing well in Boston, my figurative money’s still on the Americans.