TaylorMade Rolls Out Rossa Monza Spider Balero and R9 460

Stop the presses, TaylorMade releases another driver.

Bag DropTaylorMade Golf continues to roll out the equipment for 2009 and this month they’ve given you a new driver and new putter to hopefully fill out your bag. We poke a bit of fun at TaylorMade about their product release cycle, but there is little doubt that for the myriad of products they release in a year, for the most part they churn out some very innovative equipment.

This time around we get a the Rossa Monza Spider Balero – the latest edition to join the popular mallet series – as well as the R9 460 driver, which features Flight Control Technology but no movable weights.

Tag along as we look into the latest from the folks at TaylorMade.

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Volume One Hundred Ninety Four

Phil’s back, it’s U.S. Open week, and Camilo’s taking applications

Hittin' the LinksGood Day Sand Trappers and welcome back to another installment of Hittin’ the Links. The stage is set, the players are ready, here comes Bethpage Black! We know Tiger has done his homework, with his impressive win at the Memorial along with his new found love of hitting fairways he is most definitely the guy to beat this week.

In this pre-U.S. Open volume of HTL we look at Phil Mickelson’s comeback to the Tour, delve into the USGA’s decision to stay with an 18 hole U.S. Open playoff, and find out who is taking caddy applications. Also we see who is not at the U.S. Open, look at the long road to get there, and do a wrap-up of the week’s winners. Read on!

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Five Things that Might Surpise You about the U.S. Open

Who’s Ray Ainsley? And other nagging questions.

Trap Five LogoHere it is two weeks until the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Two weeks ago, the media was reporting on the recent demise of Tiger Woods and speculating that this year’s Open might be the most wide open in years. This week, following Tiger’s 14 of 14 fairways hit performance (and 87.5% for the week) at the Memorial, they are declaring him the winner even before the first tee shot is struck.

If they switched opinions any faster, they’d all be in traction with whiplash. Still, I wouldn’t go betting the farm against Tiger, either… and maybe not even dinner.

I love the U.S. Open. Well, to be honest, I love the Masters and the British Open, too. To be fair, I do like the PGA Championship, but she needs to love herself and stop imitating others before she and I can have a real relationship. Maybe bring back match play… I don’t know.

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Three Wishes for The Week

Or, Kenny: Shut Up, Phil: Stay Home, John: Stop Wearing Those Pants.

Thrash TalkIn no particular order, I would like to see Kenny Perry stop saying things like he does in the linked USA Today feature, Phil Mickelson to spend a little more time with his ailing wife before returning to competition, and Mr. John Daly to stop wearing Loudmouth Golf pants.

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Golf Talk [Episode 116]

Michelle Wie is 16th on the LPGA Tour’s money list, but has yet to win. Matter of time?

Golf Talk PodcastTiger Woods wins The Memorial for a fourth time with an epic Sunday 65. Is he back now? We discuss. Plus, Steve Stricker gets a win at The Colonial, Phil’s gonna play at Bethpage, and a whole lot more in this episode of Golf Talk.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 116 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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Volume One Hundred Ninety Three

Tiger has his course put on hold, sounds off on sportsmanship, and wins the Memorial… busy week!

Hittin' the LinksHello folks, it’s Monday and Hittin’ the Links has returned again with a week full of golf news from the world wide web.

Tiger made sure Jack’s tournament didn’t disappoint! I tell you, nobody finishes like Tiger Woods. Plus, I know I enjoyed the little bonus Wednesday skins game. It’s always nice to get the best players in the world out, mic’d up, and without all the pressure, even if it did rain the entire time.

In this volume, we look at why even Tiger is feeling the recession, find out how he feels about sportsmanship, and see how Jack honored some college golfers. Also on tap, we investigate Greg Norman’s opinion on the Majors, delve into golf on sale, and do a wrap-up of the week’s winners. Read on!

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MacGregor Golf Acquired by Golfsmith

This is some of the biggest news to hit the golf industry in a long time.

Bag DropMacGregor Golf is going away. Well, sort of. Once one of the premier names in golf equipment, MacGregor golf was sold to Golfsmith International Holdings on May 20. More specifically, Golfsmith acquired full intellectual property rights to the MacGregor brand in North and South America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and Africa.

One of the oldest golf companies in the world, Macgregor golf has over 110 years of experience making clubs for all levels of golfers. Based in Albany, GA, MacGregor Golf boasts a record of 59 wins in majors, including 18 by one Jack Nicklaus. For years MacGregor was well known for making some of the best forged irons in the industry.

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Volume One Hundred Ninety Two

Stricker survives Colonial, Sergio has a broken heart, and Daly looks ahead to his PGA Tour return

Hittin' the LinksHello and welcome again to another volume of Hittin’ the Links. I don’t know about everyone else out there, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Colonial this weekend. I found it even more interesting down the stretch when it seemed like everyone with a shot at winning began giving it away. Congratulations have to go out to Steve Stricker, though if he could have made a three-foot putt he would have won it in regulation!

Anyway, in this newest edition of HTL we begin by doing an update on Amy Mickelson, see what Sergio is blaming his recent poor play on, and find out what we have to look forward to on Wednesday. Also on tap, we look at the NCAA Mens National Championship, see who recently qualified for the British Open, and do a complete wrap-up on this week’s tour winners. Read on!

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Nine Holes with Ian Baker-Finch

There are slumps, and then there are slumps.

ProfilesIan Baker-Finch won 16 international titles and a major. He’s just 48, but hasn’t made a PGA Tour cut since 1994. His career as a golfer bottomed out just at a time (his mid-30s) when many players come into their primes.

What happened? His could be a cautionary tale for other players.

After his win at the 1991 Open Championship, he began to be paired with more long hitters. Naturally, he started trying to add length. He made swing changes that made him wild off the tee and actually cost him distance. He fought injuries and lost his confidence.

As Baker-Finch puts it: “I couldn’t handle the pressure, and didn’t like the fact I was playing poorly. So I said, ‘Hey, why do I put myself through this? I’m going to go do something I enjoy.'”

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