Bunker’s Dozen: October 2006

The European Ryder Cup team battles Tiger Woods for this month’s top spot.

Thrash TalkThe month of September was dominated by two things in golf: Tiger’s continuous stroke-play winning streak and the European Ryder Cup domination. Tiger won the Deutsche Bank Championship the first week of September and the WGC-American Express Championship the last week of September (it actually ended October 1st). Tiger said his streak ended when he lost in the World Match Play Championship, but it’s actually still going strong at six in a row.

The 36th playing of The Ryder Cup was just as impressive in the month of September. The hype was higher than ever, and the performance of the Europeans was better than ever. Europe beat the United States in a landslide en route to winning The Ryder Cup for the third straight time.

Was Tiger’s play good enough to outlast the great play of the European Ryder Cup team? Also, who else performed well in the month of September? These questions and more are answered in this month’s Bunker’s Dozen. If you have anything to add, feel free to comment below or discuss it in the forum. I hope everyone enjoys the list!

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The Race to The Tour Championship

The race to the season-ending Tour Championship is heating up with only four events left.

Thrash TalkTiger Woods won his sixth consecutive stroke-play event, and he did it in convincing fashion. The race for the player of the year award was over a month ago, and Tiger really has nothing left to prove in 2006. We will probably see him one more time on the PGA Tour this season.

That one start will be the season-ending Tour Championship. That also leads me right into this week’s topic. Tiger may have nothing left to prove, but that’s not the case for so many outside the top 30 on the money list. The golfers outside the top 30 want to make one last push to get into the grand finale. Playing in the Tour Championship can make or break a season for many of the world’s best.

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Green Friendly Golf Belts: Looking Good, Doing Good

Sometimes a clever idea solves more than one problem. The belts from Green Friendly Golf not only hold up your pants and look good doing it, they make fixing ball marks and even marking your ball a lot more convenient.

Bag DropI don’t know about you, but I hate carrying lots of stuff in my pockets when I play. I especially hate fumbling around trying to find a coin or distinguish between tees and the ball mark tool. Totally disrupts my concentration, fragile as it is.

This year I went so far as to try those ball markers that you clip on the bill of your cap. My PGA pro friend thought it looked a little too LPGA. While I remained secure in my masculinity, I gave up after losing a few of them.

Green Friendly Golf has come to the rescue with a belt that incorporates not only a ball marker, but also a tool that’s been specially designed to conform to the technique experts now recommend for fixing ball marks. Here’s the story on the belt and the technique…

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Dr. Gio Valiante, Sports Psychologist and Author

Dr. Gio Valiante offers up his opinions on making fearless swings, the “other” golf psychology books, and who he thinks has the strongest mind on the PGA Tour.

Throwing Darts TitleToday’s interview is with sports psychologist Dr. Gio Valiante, who has worked with PGA Tour players such as Chris DiMarco, Justin Leonard, Camilo Villegas, and Chad Campbell. Valiante has also authored a book entitled “Fearless Golf.” Dr. Valiante is a professor at Rollins College and is also the mental game consultant to Golf Digest.

We hope you enjoy the interview.

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Byron Nelson

A gentleman both on and off the course Byron Nelson has carried himself as a humble, true, and generous champion. His influence has continued since walking away from the game as a full-time player in 1946.

ProFilesThose who knew Byron Nelson recognize that his records and trophies all take second place to his tremendous depth of character. Anyone who witnessed Nelson at the tournament that bore his name, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, knew how respected he was by every participant. The Byron Nelson award ceremony was always a tender moment as Nelson greeted and congratulated the victor.

Nelson’s achievements are pinnacles of excellence that rival that of any athlete in any sport. His high level of play over a relatively short time-span amassed an impressive number of victories, set a new standard for the golf swing, and left us with the memories and example of what every sportsman should be: a gentleman.

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Europe vs. America in Numbers

After the Ryder Cup I thought it would be interesting to compare the European Tour and the PGA Tour. Players participating on both tours provided interesting, and somewhat strange results.

The Numbers GameA stat appeared on my television while I was watching the Ryder Cup on Sunday. The stat listed Paul Casey as being sixth on the European Tour in Greens in Regulation (GIR) at 75.1%. As the resident “numbers guy,” I was taken aback. I knew that Tiger Woods was ranked first on the PGA Tour… but with a GIR rate of nowhere close to 75%.

So I thought it would be worthwhile in this installment of The Numbers Game to compare players stats on both sides of the pond – the European Tour and the PGA Tour – to see what it might reveal. I’m not looking to identify the better tour – just see what the numbers tell us. I was surpised what they had to say!

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Golf Talk [Episode 038]

If misery loves company, you’ll appreciate Jeff and Erik’s take on the Ryder Cup beatdown this week.

PodcastThe U.S. Ryder Cup team suffers yet another horrible defeat at the hands of the wily Europeans. This week, we talk about this loss in-depth, along with Karrie Webb, Eric Axley, 14 whacks in a bush, and a whole lot more in our Ryder Cup wrapup. Tune in to this episode of Golf Talk for more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 038 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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Ryder Cup Rundown

The Europeans thumped the United States for the third straight time, and I’m tired of it.

Thrash TalkI still haven’t recovered from the Ryder Cup beatdown the Europeans gave the United States this past weekend, but there really isn’t anything I can do about it. The European team was favored, so the result shouldn’t be that shocking. The final score was the same as it was in 2004 at Oakland Hills, 18½ to 9½. The complete domination is what really blows my mind, and it’s quite obvious some things need to change for the Americans.

The United States team didn’t play great golf, but they certainly played good golf. The Europeans, on the other hand, played lights out. Anything the Americans did, the Europeans did even better. I have never seen so many holed long putts and chip-ins in my life, at least in a three-day period. I take my hat off to the golfers from across the pond. They handed us a third consecutive beating, and all the credit should go to them.

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FootJoy Introduces Boa Lacing System in ReelFit Shoes

Remember when your mother taught you how to tie your shoes? Well, with FootJoy’s latest model, you can forget it. You twist instead of tie.

Bag DropThere’s a reason we don’t play in loafers. Golf requires a stable platform not only for the swing, but also for all the walking we do uphill and down. Short of wearing high tops, most golfers rely on shoes that lace up over the instep to get a firm fit.

FootJoy is taking lacing a step further, however, with its new ReelFit shoes that feature the Boa lacing system that tightens up over the instep and around the ankle.

It’s a high-tech solution that lets you dial in the support you’re looking for. What’s more, the laces will never break. Here’s the scoop…

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