The Top Thirty

There are two weeks left for the top 30 to be decided. Who will be in and who will be left out? We can rule out a few, but the rest are going to fight to the finish.

The Numbers GameThe chase for the top 30 continues. All the players are scrambling to get into the Tour Championship at the end of the year. They all want to be invited to the party, but we know that most will be on the outside looking in.

Even the PGATour.com is pumping up the action with a section on their website dedicated to the chase. Heck, they even have a corporate sponsor… the popular soft drink company with the red can. I wonder how much that cost. Anyway, they (PGATour.com) are focusing in on 25-45. Here is the list through last week’s tournament:

Nonsense in the Technology Debate

Geoff Shackelford, a golf course architect, takes issue with the answer the R&A’s Peter Dawson gave to a question about technology.

R&AThe Secretary of the R&A, Peter Dawson, has recently opened himself up for Q&A from the golfing public. Recently, a man named Neal Walker Coventry wrote in to ask “Should something be done to prevent technology’s influence on the game?” In this day and age, “technology” is being blamed for just about everything that’s “wrong” with the game of golf, and the Secretary’s answer to the question bothers at least one of the self-appointed guardians of the game. On his blog, Geoff Shackelford, a small-time author and golf course architect, replies with the blather typical of his side of the technology debate.

Steranka Named New PGA of America CEO

The PGA of America names Joe Steranka as the successor to Jim Awtrey as chief executive officer.

PGA of AmericaThe PGA of America announced Joe Steranka as chief executive officer Wednesday. Steranka, 47, will become only the second CEO to serve The PGA of America following the retirement of Jim Awtrey. Awtrey, the longest tenured CEO among America’s leading golf associations, served the PGA 19 years. Steranka joined the PGA of America in 1988 as as Director of Communications and Broadcasting and has served as Managing Director of Communication and Broadcasting since 2003.

2005 Chrysler Championship Preview

The PGA Tour stops in Florida just one week before the Tour Championship.

Chrysler Championship LogoThe Chrysler Championship is the last full-field event before the season-ending Tour Championship. There is really only one key story to keep an eye on this week, and that is the race to finish in the top-30 on the PGA Tour money list. Sure, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, and David Toms are all top-ten golfers playing this week, but those guys have their spots wrapped up. The guys near the 30th position will be sweating it out the most this week.

Preview: CJ Nine Bridges Classic

Grace Park defends her trophy at the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in South Korea against the top LPGA golfers including Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer. It’s unfortunate for the fans that it won’t be televised!

LPGA logoI’m a bit frustrated by the lack of information concerning this week’s CJ Nine Bridges Classic. There is no television coverage this week so I’m relying on scant internet information to provide me with details. I can find out and pass along the basics of the event such as dates and times but I can’t fly out to South Korea to watch it. Too bad for me!

It’s a bummer that with all of the three-hundred plus channels I get through my premium cable subscription that I can’t watch the top golfers on the LPGA tour compete at one of the premier golf courses in the world. This is the only official LPGA event held in Korea.

Even the European Tour gets better coverage than this!

Annika’s Still on Top

With all the talk about the young guns coming to the LPGA, people are forgetting just how dominant Annika Sorenstam still is.

Thrash TalkThere have been numerous articles written worldwide about Michelle Wie’s disqualification at last week’s Samsung World Championship, including a few right here at The Sand Trap. That’s definitely the hottest topic in the golf world right now, all tours included. I thought it was pretty interesting at first, but I have to admit, I’m already tired of hearing about it.

2005 Newport Cup: The Photos

Some pictures to remember the inaugural playing of the Newport Cup.

Newport CupThe Newport Cup may be over, but with the help of some images, it will live forever.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, you’re about to read one heckuva long story. It’s a story of sorrow (Red Team) and jubilation (Blue Team). It’s a tale of birdies and bogeys (and quadruple bogeys). Of water hazards, bunkers, and pine straw. It’s a story of net holes in one and five-hour rounds in some of the best golf weather to be found. For cryin’ out loud, it’s even got a llama!

Join us as we look back at the weekend that was the 2005 Newport Cup.

The Composite Conundrum

Lightweight carbon composite is a club designer’s dream. But it hasn’t been so dreamy in the marketplace. Where does this material go from here?

Bag Drop At the start of 2005, nearly every major driver manufacturer – with a couple notable exceptions – had a new driver made of titanium and carbon composite either in their lineup or on the way. What a difference a year makes. When the calendar flips to 2006 and golf’s heavy hitters congregate at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, only a few drivers utilizing composite materials will likely be on display. Is composite on its way out (for a second time)? Or are the companies that are sticking with composites on the right track?

Volume Thirty-Two

I’m dropping the links like they’re hot this week.

Hittin' the LinksSo, I’ve put a lid on my golf season. I just got back from Houston and playing some golf with my dad and brother. We had a good time with great weather, but I think, unfortunately, that will be all the golf had for me in 2005. I had fun and this year has really got me energized to find a place to play in 2006. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, I’d rank my enjoyment, quality of play, and improvement as a 7. Not a great year, but certainly not a bad year either. How has everyone’s year been? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Now, on to the links!