Episode 014

Tiger demolishes Ames, Paula Creamer changes the business of gal’s golf, and Michelle Wie is ranked THIRD in the world? Also the media’s distance bias, Daly and Olazabal on the HOF ballot, and Nikki of BBV infamy.

PodcastI guess this week we learn that even when trying to compliment Tiger Woods, you have to be careful what you say. Stepehen Ames now knows that. Other topics in this week’s podcast include Paula Creamer changing the business of women’s golf, Michelle Wie debuting at number three in the women’s rankings, Daly and Olazabal as possible hall-of-famers, and Nikki of the Big Break V. We also get into a debate on media bias when it comes to the distance debate: which side are you on?

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 014 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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Dick Harmon

Anyone who knew Dick Harmon came to know a man who was dedicated to helping people as much as he tried to improve their swings. He was one of golf’s greatest teachers for his knowledge and his character.

ProFilesA truly remarkable person passed away on February 10th, 2006. Dick Harmon, 58, was the son of golf pro and Masters champion Claude Harmon, husband to Nancy and father to Heidi, Richard, Chris, and Mary. Those closest to him say he was far more than a golf professional.” It was never about him,” said brother Butch Harmon. “It was always about someone else. He is a person that all of us are going to miss and we’re going to miss him in ways that have nothing to do with golf.”

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Scratch Golf Wedge Review

Scratch Golf is a maker of custom-built wedges. Read on to see how do they rate against the big boys of wedge makers.

scratch_golf_logo.jpgI’ve never had a club built and constructed for me before. I’ve been fitted for proper shafts and things, but never have I had a custom club built to my liking. At some point I found out about Scratch Golf Wedges, who specializes in custom-built wedges. As you’ll remember from last week, I love wedges, so I had to get fitted for one of their wedges.

I don’t know how I found out about Scratch Golf, but I will say that I was slightly nervous, as I had no experience with them, nor had I heard from anyone who had a wedge built for them in the past. But at the risk of spoiling the rest of review, I wasn’t disappointed.

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Michelle Wie and the PGA Tour

Michelle Wie may want to compete on the PGA Tour, but her game does not compare to Tiger, Ernie and Vijay. There are other golfers that she can model her game after if she continues competing against the men.

The Numbers GameSo is it possible? We’ve all had this discussion time and time again and we all know Wie is going to continue to try. After all, her ultimate goal is to play in the Masters. So not only is she going to have to play on the PGA Tour, she is going to have to be very good against those guys as well. I don’t think Hootie is going hand out any special exemptions to the youngster.

The best place to start with Wie is the numbers. There was a recent article by Mike Vitti posted on the PGA Tour’s website that did a great job on her stats and was able to post detailed info. The article ends by giving Michelle a few guys on the PGA tour to model her game after. I agree, but there is a better golfer for Wie to use as an example.

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Chrysler Classic of Tucson Preview

Five of the last six winners have made the Chrysler Classic of Tucson their first wins on the PGA Tour so you won’t hear them complain about stars missing from the field.

Chrysler Classic of TucsonThe PGA Tour makes another stop in my beautiful sunny state with the Chrysler Classic of Tucson. However, the shine will be coming from the sun as most of the PGA Tour and international golf stars are in Carlsbad, California for the Accenture Match Play Championship. With top players like Tiger, Vijay and Phil out of Tucson, it leaves the event ripe for the picking by a player looking to get his first win on the PGA Tour and secure his card. In fact, five of the last six winners in Tucson were first time winners and some guy named Phil Mickelson won his first PGA Tour event in Tucson as an amateur and then went on to win it two more times. So there is still a lot of love for the event or is there?

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Wie Debuts at Third in World Rankings

The first ever Women’s World Rankings have been released, and Michelle Wie is third? In the words of many, “WTF?”

Big WiesyThe first comprehensive world rankings system for women has been released. As you would expect, Annika Sorenstam tops the list. Her place atop the list was a foregone conclusion, but the placement of some other gal golfers has many scratching their heads in confusion.

Most notably, rookie Michelle Wie occupies the third spot on the list with a 9.24 points Average, sandwiched between Paula Creamer (second place with 9.56) and Cristie Kerr (6.94).

Creamer and Kerr combine for eight career LPGA victories while Wie has a big goose egg in professional golf. Kerr voiced her opinion on this matter, saying “Michelle is a sweet girl, she really is, but she hasn’t done anything worthy of being ranked so high.” While this may seem true, the Women’s World Golf Ranking doesn’t rank players the same way the men’s system works.

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A Weekend at the Golf Show and Why it Sucked

It was quite routine for early man to travel in packs. It just doesn’t work at a golf show, that’s for sure.

Thrash TalkFor the past couple of years, I have grown increasingly more obsessed with the game of golf. Currently, I can’t explain why my delicate condition, I fear that it has grown to an alarming proportion. My mind constantly wanders and thinks about anything and everything golf. It is like a deep, deep sickness. My family and friends often grow annoyed by my constant chatter of the game.

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Titleist Responds To Callaway Suit

Titleist has fired back at Callaway’s golf ball patent infringement suit.

Bag DropLast week we brought you the opening salvo in a lawsuit Callaway Golf has filed against Acushnet, parent company of Titleist. Callaway alleges that the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball infringes upon four patents that Callaway acquired when it purchased Top-Flite Golf Company in 2003.

Acushnet has since released a statement clarifying its position on the disagreement. Read on to see what the Titleist take is, and where we might go from here.

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Volume Forty-Seven

Here’s my nine favorite places to check for golf links each day. So bookmark them and check in daily.

Hittin' the LinksUnfortunately for me, this will be the last edition of Hittin’ the Links you’ll be receiving from me. I’ve enjoyed scouring the Web to find new products, sites, and articles to link to. This week, I thought it would be nice to put together a list of my favorite places to find Hittin’ the Links fodder.

Thanks for reading.

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