Major Hangover

If history is any indicator, Phil’s chances at a three in a row are pretty slim. Only two before have done it and to make things worse only five golfers since 1978 have won a second major in the same year they won the Masters.

The Numbers GameCody talked about a Major Surpise… some of you think that Phil can seriously make a run at the Grand Slam. When one of the top players has their game peaking and seems to be on a roll, why not?

Well, not only do you have quite a few great golfers going after the same trophy but usually a peak has a sharp drop off as well. Only a few golfers in the history of the game have been able to keep their play at a high level after winning a major. With Phil, anything can happen, but the numbers don’t look like they are in his favor.

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Zurich Classic of New Orleans Preview

Hurricane Katrina did it’s damage last year and now it’s time to see which player will stir his own storm to get a win at the 2006 Zurich Classic.

Zurich Classic of New OrleansLast year was the first year the Zurich Classic was held at the TPC Louisiana. Not long after Tim Petrovic won in an exciting playoff over James Driscoll did Hurricane Katrina come through the Gulf Coast region to cause extensive damage to the TPC. The PGA Tour has been in New Orleans since 1938 and is committed to New Orleans and the tournament so they weren’t about to let Katrina stop a tournament, so this year the Zurich Classic will be returning to the English Turn Golf and Country Club once again. Since the event was held there from 1989 to 2004 it will almost feel like a welcome home to the staff of English Turn and to many of the PGA Tour players.

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Server Move

We’re back up and running on a brand new (and more powerful) server.

Site NewsWe’ve completed a switch to a new server. Everything, including our forum, seem to be working quite smoothly. If you see any problems, however, please report them to problems@thesandtrap.com. Thanks!

Now, back to the golf…

A Major Surprise

Stuart Appleby should already be a major championship winner. Which other golfers are in the same boat as Appleby?

Thrash TalkStuart Appleby cruised to his second win of the 2006 season this past weekend in Houston. Appleby started off the year by winning the Mercedes Championship for the third straight time. The Aussie showed this past weekend just how good he is with a 54-hole lead. Appleby played well on Sunday en route to winning his eighth career PGA Tour event. It’s beyond me why he hasn’t won a major championship.

When it comes to golfers without major championships, the media always talks about Chris DiMarco, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, etc. That’s not a bad thing because all those guys are near the top 10 in the world rankings. However, what about the golfers ranked a little lower in the world like Stuart Appleby? There are some very talented golfers without major championships, and Appleby tops the list of “underrated golfers without a major championship.”

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How a Napkin Ring Improved My Practice

Practice balls have always had their limitations. But the Birdie Ball addresses the key issues of realistic flight, great feel, and limited distance. It’s worth a try.

Bag DropThey say that practice makes perfect. The corollary must be that no practice makes imperfect. So, unless you’re a golf professional, work at a course, or live down the street from a range, finding time to groove your swing or practice your short game can be difficult. And given the choice between spending what time you do have playing or practicing, well, it’s not hard to figure out why those scores aren’t coming down.

That’s why I became so intrigued when introduced last fall to a relatively new product that’s turned my backyard into a viable, fun practice range. The invention of a father-son team from Colorado, it feels and flies like a regular golf ball, just a much shorter distance. The odd part is, it looks like a napkin ring.

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Volume Fifty-Six

Oh, the American Classics.

Hittin' The LinksWe Americans are lucky to have such a rich golf tradition in our country. While even our oldest establishments are mere toddlers when compared to the eldest European tracks, they have a tremendous amount of history and sentimentality attached to them. From Bobby Jones to Nelson and Hogan, Nicklaus and now Tiger, all the greats have left their mark on our tradition through their stirring victories and heart-breaking defeats on these famous courses.

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Naples Grande Resort and Club

Naples Grande Resort & Club kicks off the Blackstone Group’s new company look.

Naples GrandeNaples Grande Resort & Club has undergone an ownership change, a name change, and an attitude change. There’s a new look, a new name, and a new attitude for one of this city’s legendary destination resorts. Under the fresh ownership of the Blackstone Group, the Registry Resort is now the Naples Grande Resort & Club – the new name reflecting a new era for this grande dame on Naples’ trendy north side.

Did we say era? Frank Cavella, area vice president for Naples Grande Resort & Club, puts it this way: “A new name, new look and new aura.” The latter, not coincidentally, is the name of the resort’s recently-opened signature restaurant just off the refurbished lobby.

“The Registry helped define Naples 20 years ago,” Cavella said. “We’re just trying to bring it back now with a new look and feel.”

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Golf Talk [Episode 020]

The post-Masters lull is only boring if you stop paying attention to golf altogether. We’ve got plenty to talk about!

PodcastAaron Baddeley breaks through with his first win on the PGA Tour, but did Jim Furyk give it away a little? Lots of Tiger Woods news, Phil Mickelson updates, Greg Norman and Annika Sorenstam, changes at Winged Foot, and a little bit about distance once again.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 020 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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The Mythical ‘Ball Boost’

The USGA dips its toe into the ongoing debate over whether players with super-fast swing speeds gain an “extra boost” of distance.

Fred Funk, one of the shorter hitters on the PGA Tour (which, at 49 years of age and 5’8″, is not altogether shocking), is feeling left out these days. He believes that the modern golf ball gives players who swing 115 or 120 MPH a “boost.” More specifically, as he said in a recent interview, “You just get this huge gain hitting the ball a certain speed.”

Unfortunately, despite what Fred and others believe, the facts on this issue have recently been made quite clear. The USGA, on April 11, dispelled some commonly held beliefs in an article called “Myths About Golf Equipment and Performance.” The first myth was “Golfers with faster swing speeds get disproportionately greater distance benefits from new golf balls that have been introduced after 2000.”

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