2008 U.S. Open Storylines

This week, I give my take on a few hot topics heading into the year’s second major.

Thrash TalkThe world’s best will head to Torrey Pines (South Course) next week for this year’s U.S. Open, and there are numerous storylines worth talking about. Tiger Woods finished second at The Masters a couple months ago and then had knee surgery two days later. He hasn’t played a competitive round since, and it will be interesting to see how things go when he tees it up in the season’s second major.

Any time a U.S. Open is played, the golf course gets a fair amount of attention as well. Often times the course setup is borderline unfair for the golfers, but how tough will Torrey Pines play? Also, can Phil Mickelson finally recover from his collapse at the 2006 U.S. Open? Can an International win this event for the fifth year in a row? All these topics and more will be covered in this week’s Thrash Talk.

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Golf Talk [Episode 090] Unedited!

Due to a death in my network of peers as well as a small computer mishap in the rush to get this podcast done (note to self: don’t save over a file you need to use later), this week’s edition is brought to you “uncut” and largely unedited.

Golf Talk PodcastKenny Perry wins in a tough Memorial, then decides to skip the U.S. Open, Tiger’s knee may still not be as healed as he’d like, HGH isn’t going to be tested, 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 090 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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2008 Memorial In Photos

56 Photos from The 2008 edition (the 33rd) Memorial at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

In addition to the Sergio Garcia images from Tuesday at the 2008 Memorial, I took a fair number of other pictures as well. Below, I’ve selected 56 random photos. Nearly all have a little commentary, and I invite you to check them out.

Memorial Scoreboard

Mike Weir’s team would go on to win the $2000 first-place prize at -10 in the Wednesday pro-am. I believe they split the prize, but I’m not sure if the pro gets his $500 or if the three amateurs each get $667. Either way, the amateurs will stay well below the $750 limit imposed by the USGA.

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Volume One Hundred Forty Six

David Feherty would like to say Thank You!

Hittin' the LinksHello, Hittin’ the Links took a week off but is now back in action and better than ever, bringing everyone out there the best in golf stories from around the world.

In this volume of HTL we say “You’re welcome” to David Feherty, take a look at the winner of Jack’s tournament, see why Kenny Perry is not playing at the U.S. Open, and investigate whats wrong with the Tour’s drug testing policy. Also, we check in on the LPGA, visit the golf destination of the week, see what course you should be taking your clients to, and take a peek at the results of the NCAA golf Championships. Read On!

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NCAA Division I Men’s Championship Preview

Which teams and individuals have what it takes to be National Champions?

College GolfThe Division I Men’s NCAA Golf Championship starts today, and it’s time for a few predictions. The event will be played at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana. There were three separate regionals a couple weeks back, and the top 10 teams from each advanced to the NCAA Championship. In addition, six individual golfers (their teams didn’t advance) will be battling the rest of the field for individual supremacy.

Which teams and individuals have what it takes to win an NCAA Championship this season? Keep reading to find out.

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Photos: Sergio Garcia at the 2008 Memorial

Sergio Garcia, resplendent in lavender (?!) at the 2008 Memorial.

Sergio Being Interviewed

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“How Great Golfers Think” Book Review

Bob Skura is no Bob Rotella, but for me at this point in time, that’s a good thing.

Just about every golfer has their demons. Whether it is a temper or negative attitude or thinking about the score you think you can make, none of these things can positively impact round of golf. Bob Skura’s How Great Golfers Think is a book designed to help golfers of any skill level deal with those demons.

Where How Great Golfers Think differs is in its approach. Most “mental” golf books I’ve read give you stories and whimsical, common-sense advice. While serving a purpose, this often does not stick with you over time. How Great Golfers Think is more of a seven-course meal and leaves you satisfied and full, laying out steps and a plan for golfers to better improve their mental approach and ultimately lower their scores.

Using a lesson-story format through the regular foursome of Kip, Andy, Frank, and Jason, Skura lays out three fundamentals to success:

  • How to think.
  • How to talk.
  • How to play.

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Is it Still Camilo Time?

Is Camilo Villegas’ future still as bright as it once was?

Thrash TalkDuring the Florida Swing in early 2006, the majority of golf fans were introduced to Camilo Villegas. Villegas’ flashy look and style took the golf world by storm. On top of that, his unique way of reading greens entertained the masses. The young Colombian had the look of a star, and he seemed to have the game to contend immediately.

After a great start to the 2006 PGA Tour season, Villegas struggled as the year progressed. Those struggles continued in the early parts of 2007, with the exception of an occasional strong finish here and there. He found his game the last month of the season and recorded three top-10 finishes in a row to end the season.

This year, it’s been a mixed bag once again for Villegas. After quite a few mediocre finishes to start the season, he has a couple top-10 finishes in the past month (including a third-place finish this past weekend at Sugarloaf). With all the inconsistency, is Villegas still a relevant figure in the golf world? Also, does he have what it takes to get things right and become a multiple-time winner on the PGA Tour? Let’s take a look.

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Golf Talk [Episode 089]

Annika announces her retirement the week her successor is the fastest to reach $12M in earnings. Interesting.

Golf Talk PodcastAnnika announces her retirement, Ryuji Imada captures his first PGA Tour win, Seve wants the U.S. to win, golf is less difficult than team handball, Tiger’s healthy again, 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 089 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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