Reliving the Olympic Success

Golf returned to the Olympics for the first time in over one hundred years and did not disappoint. I review how it went and how it can get better next time.

Thrash TalkIt seems from the ratings that I have seen that, like me, there were a lot of people watching the final round of golf for both the women and the men at the Rio Olympics. The ratings for the men were in fact, second only to the Masters. That is truly fantastic to hear.

Going into this Olympics, at least on the men’s side, you might think that we were set for a complete disaster. All but a few of the high profile names dropped out for multiple reasons. Pika, safety, or the real reason – just plain tired. I suspect all that didn’t play sort of wished they did. They will come out and say that they didn’t miss it, because they don’t want to look stupid, but the reality is they probably have a pit in their stomach for missing the first Olympics in over 100 years. I am talking about Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, and yes I suspect even Rory McIlroy.

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Blast Golf Review

Has advancements in motion sensor technology made 3D swing analysis possible for the average golfer?

Blast Golf Box FrontGolf is hard (a registered trademark of this site’s owner…). Even the pros do not go about improving without some help from modern technology. For some, it may be with high-end launch monitors like TrackMan or FlightScope. For most of us, the price tag of one of those units puts them out of reach. Fortunately, it seems nowadays that more electronic products are coming out for the everyday golfer that are designed to be both helpful and affordable.

One of those products in the market is the Blast Golf, created by Blast Motion. The company is a leader in motion capture and analysis technology. They create products for a variety of sports and continue to develop new ways to use motion sensor technology to help athletes improve. For golfers, their sensor is designed to detect the movements of the golf swing and analyze it, giving an indication of how well they perform in various functions of the swing and where they can improve, all while taking high-speed video.

Having a good swing trainer at home would be a boon to any golfer who works to improve their game, but is it the real deal? Let’s find out.

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Volume Four Hundred Ninety

The women’s Olympic tournament wraps up golf from Rio in style.

Hittin the Links Hello all, and welcome to Hittin’ the Links!

This week, we’ll take a deep dive into the women’s Olympic golf tournament, where Inbee Park took home the gold. We’ll also check in with Wyndham winner Si Woo Kim and U.S. Am champ Curtis Luck.

We’ll also check in on a few more stores from the last regular reason event of the PGA Tour season, and this week’s Tiger Woods nostalgia moment.

Let’s hit the links!

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Volume Four Hundred Eighty-Nine

It’s Olympic time!

Hittin the Links Welcome to Hittin’ the Links! This week, we’ve got Olympic fever here at The Sand Trap. We’ll take a look back at Justin Rose’s gold medal-winning effort in Rio, and preview next week’s Women’s Tournament.

We’ll also laugh and cry with Bubba Watson, and check in on some of the action going on here in the U.S. All that, plus a quick look at Mizen’s newest set of irons. Let’s dive in!

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Volume Four Hundred Eighty-Eight

Russell Knox wins the Travelers, but Furyk sets a record.

Hittin the LinksThis week on Hittin’ the Links, we venture north to Cromwell, Connecticut, where Russell Knox won the Travelers Championship but Jim Furyk stole the show.

We’ll also check in with the Olympic tournament, which starts on Thursday, reminisce about Nike withdrawing from golf, and check out this week’s winners on the Web.com Tour and of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. All that, plus your weekly allotment of Tiger Woods nostalgia.

Let’s hit the links!

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Volume Four Hundred Eighty-Seven

Jimmy Walker, Jimmy Walker, and a touch more Jimmy Walker coming on the heels of his PGA Championship victory.

Hittin the Links Ladies and gentlemen, Jimmy Walker is your newest major champion! On the rain-soaked grounds of Baltusrol Golf Club, Walker held off defending champion Jason Day by one shot, winning it with a knee-knocker on the 72nd hole that was never in doubt.

Finishing just before sunset, Walker became the fourth first-time major winner of 2016, following Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, and Henrik Stenson.

This week, we’ll also take a look at Beef Johnston’s upcoming schedule, check in with Phil Mickelson, and preview the Olympics.

Let’s hit the links.

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Volume Four Hundred Eighty-Six

Vegas with a side of Beef.

Hittin the Links Welcome, welcome, welcome to Hittin’ the Links! Jhonny Vegas is your weekly PGA Tour winner, as he grinded out a victory at the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, shooting a 64 on the final day. He got some help, as we’ll see, from an ill-timed bladed bunker shot on the 72nd hole by Steve Wheatcroft.

We’ll also look forward to the PGA Championship, get to know Beef Johnston, and whatever you do, do not click the fourth link. Just don’t do it. All that, plus a new weekly segment for hole #9.

Let’s hit the links.

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The Events that Matter (and the 2016 Olympics)

In a press conference for the ages Rory McIlroy firmly planted his foot in his mouth and now looks like a spoiled, rich, professional golfer who is out of touch with the game he plays for living.

Thrash TalkOne of the things I like best about Rory McIlroy is his candor during press conferences. He is open, honest, and says what is on his mind. I love it. It is such a contrast to the robotic answers that we got for so many years from Tiger Woods. At the British Open Rory’s press conference was not only interesting, he lit the dang thing on fire.

The questioning was about his participation in the Olympics. Male golfers are dropping out at an alarming pace. Rory was not the first and he was not the last. In his initial statement he said he was dropping out because of the Zika virus. Almost everyone has cited the virus, or as Jordan Spieth calls it “health concerns” (we’ll get to him later). But during his press conference he seemed to backtrack. He basically said Zika was one of many reasons. I think he had to do this because the Zika virus is a really weak excuse. As a reporter I could have easily asked him why if he was so concerned about the virus did he go to the Bahamas on vacation a location where reported cases of the Zika virus have been found. Or stay at his house in Florida where mosquitos have been found with the virus. The virus was not a legitimate excuse and he probably knew it. Then he went down a path I would have recommended he not go down.

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Volume Four Hundred Eighty-Five

Henrik Stenson, Henrik Stenson, and more Henrik Stenson.

Hitting the LinksIt wasn’t the Duel in the Sun, but it may have been the Battle in the Breezes, as Phil Mickelson shoots a final-round, final-pairing 65… and loses by three to Henrik Stenson’s 63, with none other than Johnny Miller on the call.

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