Author: Jeff Smith

Episode 011

A week before Erik’s Steelers and Jeff’s Seahawks face off in the Super Bowl, the big game and some of golf’s more colorful characters are in our sights in this weeks Golf Talk Podcast.

PodcastDespite Super Bowl distractions we manage to tackle the following topics this week: a slightly above-average price tag on a putter, Duval making two of two cuts, the great distance debate, equipment expenses, the “not so popular with peers” Phil Mickelson, the Daly Planet, viability of range balls, and the not-so-growing need for PGA Tour trading cards.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 011 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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Nine Holes with Cristie Kerr

One of the LPGA’s hottest young stars, Cristie Kerr, is finally living up to her potential.

ProFilesCristie Kerr has undergone a transformation since joining the LPGA Tour in 1997. She has become one of the most recognized and loved talents in recent years. She could credit adversity, a major weight loss and health program, and the chipping off of some rough edges for her present popularity.

She has found a way to get into the winner’s circle as well. She has won five events in the last two years and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Once called “the female Tiger Woods” by the Orlando Sentinel, Cristie Kerr is doing her best to make an impact on and off the course.

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Bart Bryant

While Bart Bryant is a new face to many fans he’s been banging around the golf landscape for many years. He’s earned exemption and a regular PGA job by sticking with his game for nearly twenty years.

ProFilesThe ability to stick with something when you don’t see results is a noble quality. For every player who’s won an event on the PGA Tour or risen to join the ranks of the very best in the world there are hundreds who never make it. Whether its finances, nerves, or lack of talent or perseverance, not everyone succeeds on Tour. For every glory story there are many who find other ways of making a living, other ways of enjoying the game of golf.

Of course there are those who stick with golf through lean years, years in which success is only a fleeting thought. Bart Bryant, like a lot of guys on Tour, had to stick with the game through some very lean years before finding more security in the game he loves so much.

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The Fitness Secrets of Championship Golfers

Proper fitness, nutrition, and mental training can significantly improve your results whether you are a touring professional or weekend hack. If you are serious about getting better at golf and improving your overall health this book may be a step in the right direction for you.

Fitness for GolfIt is no secret to those who follow professional golf that the players have a vast array of resources at their fingertips. All they have to do is ask and they receive the best equipment, swing instruction, psychological training, course management ideas and nutritional information in the world. The average player often does not have these resources at their beck and call.

Susan Hill, the President of Fitness for Golf and widely recognized golf fitness expert, has brought together a team of experts in “The Fitness Secrets of Championship Golfers.”

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Nine Holes With Davis Love

Catch up on a little Love III trivia.

ProFilesIf we look at The Sand Trap .com’s list of “Best Players to Have Won Only One Major” we’ll find one Davis Love III. He is a consistent and fundamentally sound player whose overall success has been hampered by injury the last few years. Look for Love III to win again… soon.

This week, we walk half a round with “The Love Monster,” a nickname I’ve just now created for him. Join us…

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Tom Lehman

This is a year of transition for Lehman as his British Open exemption runs out and he is old enough to be the captain of the Ryder Cup.

ProFilesWhile Tom Lehman isn’t in the prime of his career anymore, he has kept a reasonable and steady pace for 14 years. His professional career took some turns but he’s been playing professionally since 1983. Just to give you some perspective: Tom Lehman played the first day of the Panasonic Las Vegas Pro on September 15, 1983 and it was the same day that now fellow competitor Kevin Na was brought into the world. This is completely unheard of in any other high level competitive sport and it is a primary reason why I love Golf.

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Troy Matteson

Setting a new Nationwide Tour earnings mark is Troy Matteson. He and a handful of his peers are about to embark on a year in the PGA Tour.

ProFilesThe 2005 season on the Nationwide Tour will probably be remembered for Jason Gore’s battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour following his U.S. Open performance, but no one earned more money on the Nationwide Tour than Troy Matteson. He made the cut in 25 of 27 events, had 10 top-10 finishes and thus played his way onto the PGA Tour for 2006.

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Ogio Grom Stand Bag Review

In the world of golf bags the Ogio Grom is a solid contender. It has loads of unique features, is well made, and has good looks.

Ogio LogoA good golf bag is akin to a well-designed fly-fishing vest. A good vest keeps your most important items handy without getting in the way when you’re in the middle of a battle. The Grom stand bag from Ogio does just that. It is thoughtfully designed and innovative in many respects. It is a bag you might want to have a look at if you’re in the market for a place to put your clubs.

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Nine Holes With Nick Price

Barely squeaking into the Tour’s top-125 money winners in 2005, Nick Price has had a long and successful career. Come along for nine holes with hall-of-famer Nick Price.

ProFilesWhile his best playing days are behind him, Nick Price is a champion who can look back on an impressive string of victories all within a relatively short period of time. He played with the right attitude as he searched for swing perfection. “Excellence is like a process, you know?” said Price. “No matter where you are, you just keep trying to refine.” He remains one of Golf’s truly special players.

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