Nick Faldo is on the Clock

Which European golfers deserve a captain’s pick next week?

Thrash TalkThe FedExCup playoffs kicked off last week, and while this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship is big news, the Ryder Cup takes the cake as usual. A couple weeks ago, I dissected the United States team and predicted the four golfers Paul Azinger will pick next Tuesday. European captain, Nick Faldo, has to make his two captain’s picks the day before on Labor Day.

It was tough finding four worthy golfers for Azinger to pick, but the same can’t be said for the European side. While there are only two picks, there are a handful of worthy choices. It’s going to be tough for Faldo, so I’ll lend him a helping hand this week. I’ll eliminate a few of the more undeserving choices, and then I’ll select the two guys most deserving of making the European team.

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Golf Talk [Episode 098]

Odds of Sergio Garcia and Vijay Singh both making 25+ foot putts? Less likely than you getting a hole in one in the next five years, that’s for sure.

Golf Talk PodcastSergio Garcia… loses again. And to none other than Vijay Singh! What’s more, both make long putts to continue the playoff! What’s going on around here? Plus Ryder Cup news, a bit on rules, 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 098 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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Taking a Look at Towels

Have you spent anytime thinking about your golf towel lately? You should.

Bag DropFresh off a relaxing vacation in Colorado during which my clubs were replaced by a pack-n-play, I had some windshield time to reflect on a piece of equipment that’s often overlooked: the towel.

No, this isn’t a trip to the bath section of Target, JC Penney, Kohls, Wal-Mart, etc. but a trip to the accessories aisle in your favorite golf shop (if you can put down that new driver for a minute).

Golf towels, to a point, can be pretty boring. Oh sure, you can get a towel from that “dream course” you played or from a tournament you attended or perhaps with the logo from the equipment company of the clubs you have (or wish to have) but there have been some pretty nifty towels to hit the market recently that you may want to check out to make cleaning your clubs and ball a bit easier during your round.

Let’s take a look.

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Bunker’s Dozen: August 2008

Can Padraig Harrington stay atop the rankings two months in a row?

Thrash TalkThe 2008 majors are in the past, and now it’s time to start talking FedExCup and Ryder Cup. A few weeks ago, Padraig Harrington won his second consecutive major. In case the media was still wondering about his legitimacy, he clearly put that to rest. Sergio Garcia once again felt heartbreak at the PGA Championship and again this past weekend at the Barclays. How will that affect his ranking this month?

This time last month, Vijay Singh was winless in 2008. Fast forward to the present, and Mr. Singh has multiple quality victories this season. Also, Fred Funk tasted major success for the first time, albeit in a Champions Tour event. Both guys are in the rankings this month, but where did they end up? Keep on reading to find out.

And as always, if you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss it in the forum.

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Volume One Hundred Fifty Eight

One of Tiger’s records is broken, Vijay is undefeated in the Playoffs, and are you ready for Patriot Golf Day?

Hittin' the LinksWelcome to another edition of Hittin’ the Links. So, it’s playoff time again: can you feel the excitement in the air? Well, can you? Of course you can, who wouldn’t be able to (yawn)? Well at least HTL is here to add to the excitement with a little weekly dose of whats hot on the golfing world wide web.

In this volume, we see who broke Tiger’s record of youngest ever U.S. Amateur champion, check in on current FedExCup points leader Vijay Singh, and investigate what happened between the PGA Tour and Westchester Country Club. Also, we learn about Patriot Golf Day, see which European is making a Ryder Cup run, and find out what Nick Faldo said on the air concerning Ryder Cup hopeful, Paul Casey. Read on!

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Clicgear Cart Model 2.0 Review

The Clicgear Cart 2.0 might be the last pushcart you’ll ever need to buy.

Clicgear FoldedSince finding out that the folks at Clicgear had made improvements to their award-winning push cart, I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on one to find what the fuss was all about with this easy-to-store, easy-to-use push cart.

Personally, I would much rather walk when playing golf versus having to use a motorized cart but don’t like having to sling my clubs around anymore (must be a sign of getting old) so a push cart is a vital piece of equipment for me and the enjoyment I get from playing golf.

You may not think of a push cart as being that big of deal but having had some not-so-pleasant experiences with some push/pull carts in the past, I was hoping that the Clicgear would be the final answer to my search for the “perfect pushcart.” Read on to find out whether my search is over.

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Nine Holes with Anthony Kim

Behind the buckle, there’s one heck of a golfer.

ProfilesThe most promising young gun on the PGA Tour these days just might be Anthony Kim. He has, as they say, all the shots, plus some enormous belt buckles. In fact, going into this season, he was perhaps better known for his brash demeanor and flashy belt hardware than for his play. But after winning twice in 2008, people are taking notice of how much talent this 23 year-old has.

Good thing. He seems poised to break out (as if winning twice this year isn’t “breaking out”). He’s among the favorites at the 2008 FedEx Cup, which he enters in 5th place (4th if you eliminate Tiger, who still leads the point race despite missing the last two months of the season following reconstructive knee surgery). Kim’s performance in majors makes me wonder if he’ll win one before Sergio does.

Anthony Kim certainly merits paying attention to. Happily, he’s hard to miss with all the glare coming off that belt buckle.

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2008 FedExCup Playoffs Rundown

The FedExCup playoffs are here, and it’s time for some predictions.

Thrash TalkWhen the FedExCup was announced, there were mixed reactions from the golf world. Fast forward to 2008, and there are still a lot of different opinions on the first-ever playoff system in golf. Nonetheless, this year’s FedExCup playoffs start today.

Things aren’t perfect with the current playoff system (144 golfers is far too many for a playoff), but golf fans are still going to have a chance to see some high-quality golf over the next month or so. Even though Tiger won’t be able to defend this year, eight of the top 10 golfers are playing the Barclays this week. The fields will be strong, the courses will be nice, and the golfers will be playing for $10 million. That sounds like a winning recipe.

Which golfers are going to be the toughest to beat this year? Also, which golfers might have a disappointing run the next month? Finally, who might get hot late in the season and make a surprising run up the FedExCup standings? Keep reading to get my thoughts on this year’s playoffs.

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Eric Hunt Swing Analysis

In this edition we look at causes and corrections for block shots.

Swing CheckEric Hunt, known on the forum as Whip_It_Out, resides in Texas and plays (as he descirbes it) a hilly, treeless, windy course known as Twin Creeks. At the time of the video captures seen in this article, Eric played to a 8.4 handicap on his home course. Eric’s misses tend to be off the toe of the club with the ball flying to the right of the intended target.

During this Swing Check we’ll look at his setup, backswing, and impact positions, and how each may encourage Eric’s blocked shots to the right of his target.

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