Who could have known that Michael Campbell would take center stage this year?
Emerging from relative obscurity, New Zealander Michael Campbell has asserted himself as one of the finest players of 2005. His solid performance at the U.S. Open certainly put him on the map for many who didn’t know he existed. Time will tell if he can secure a long stay as one of golf’s elite.
Power, Accuracy, Short Game and Putting skills can be measured. While it may not be an exact science, formulas can be developed to track these and rank players. Can we trust them though?
The PGA Tour gave it a first pass, and now I’m going to give it my best shot. Last week we looked at the PGA Tour’s “Skill Ratings” for the members of the Presidents Cup team, and suffice to say I had some issues with how the numbers shook out. This week I’ll put in my two cents on how to rate thes four skills: Accuracy, Power, Short Game, and Putting.
Nothing is going to be perfect. All I’m hoping is that these might evolve over time to become reliable or at the least, believable. Oh, and also you should be able to understand exactly what they mean. Nothing vague. This should be a step up from last week.
Christina Kim defends her Longs Drugs trophy at the last full field event of 2005.
I’m feeling a bit depressed as I write this. I can’t believe that the Longs Drugs Challenge is the final full field event of the 2005 season. I must admit I have had a great time covering the LPGA events in stark contrast to my comments in a previous column so I’m now sitting here eating my words.
This tournament will undoubtedly cheer me up as the defending champion is none other than the very colorful and always outspoken Christina Kim. Last year Christina snatched victory from veteran Karrie Webb. This year Kim has yet to win and although Karrie won an early tournament she has since faded into the middle of the pack.
The Longs Drug Challenge is a 6,235-yard 72-hole event originated in 1996 and carries a respectable $1 million purse. It will be interesting to see if Kim can defend her title against another stellar field of 144 golfers on the beautiful Ridge Golf Course while keeping her composure. Nah! I would rather watch Kim dress in her funky clothes and act just like she is…a charming 21-year-old LPGA rookie!
The world’s best come together for this World Golf Championship extravaganza!
This week marks the third of four World Golf Championship events, and it will be played at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, California. The top golfers in the world will be teeing it up Thursday, with the exception of Ernie Els. The number one golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, will lead the awesome field once again. Woods was last seen at the Presidents Cup two weeks ago in single action against Retief Goosen. Woods lost the match, but his United States team was victorious.
Continue reading “WGC-American Express Championship Preview”
In this week’s Thrash Talk, I’m going to sound off on a few topics that really get under my skin.
First off, I hope everyone has had a more relaxing week than I have. My wife and I closed on our first house Thursday, and it’s been chaos ever since! That being said, I’m ready to settle in and talk a little golf. I’ve done my best to catch the main headlines this past week in the golf world, and a few of them have caught my attention. Michelle Wie, the soon-to-be professional, dominated the news once again.
Any golf fan who halfway pays attention to the sport knew Wie would turn professional as soon as she had the chance, and that seems to be the case. Wie announced this past week she intends on turning pro tomorrow. Well, actually her dad made the decision, which also comes as no suprise to yours truly. Wie’s dad has been a little controversial as of late, making just about every business decision for his daughter.
Hee-Won Han shrugs off inclement weather to win her first tournament since 2004 at the Office Depot Championship.
Weather delays wreaked havoc at the Office Depot Championship this past weekend. The ladies never completed a solid round of golf due to a dense fog which covered the deluxe Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes. After waiting for over three hours before play resumed darkness then covered the course forcing the ladies to complete this 54-hole tournament on Monday.
Tensions were mounting as most of the rounds were played piecemeal. Mother Nature and slow play dealt “the Donald” a one-two punch at his new golf courses’ inaugural LPGA event. Hee-Won Han was in the lead by a single stroke with only ten holes left to play heading into the conclusion of a very long three-day tournament. But Han was relaxed and ready as she started her day with two birdies in a row on her way to a two-stroke, wire-to-wire triumph over the rest of the field.
This week’s links are sure to get you through a sleepy Monday morning.
The past few years I’ve had a real hard time getting out in the summer to play as much golf as I’d like. Mostly, because I’ve moved and don’t have the same core group of golfers I used to and my job responsibilities have increased. In the past, I would always play until late October, but the past two years, my season almost starts in October, and I like it. It’s not as hot, it’s cheaper, not as busy and I tend to play in other locations (my parents moved to Texas recently). So now, my season doesn’t end until December or January.
When do most of you put an end to your golf season? Leave it in the comments after you read the links!
When the weather gets too cold and wet to play, many of us like to haunt golf shops and look for new additions to our collections. Here’s what I have my eye on this year.
Turning another page on the calendar makes me think about how the golf season is quickly slipping away from those of us in northern climes. For PGA Tour types, this means the Silly Season is upon us. But for those of us who are about to lose our golfing privileges for the next five months or so, we’re entering the Shopping Season.
That’s put me in the mood to start making a list for Santa Claus, since old Saint Nick and his helpers always want to know what golf goodies I’d like to see under the tree. Here’s what’s on my list so far this year; what’s on yours?
In a not-so-subtle twist of irony Tiger Woods’ luxury yacht “Privacy” is in the news again.
Christensen Shipyards have been ordered to cease using Tiger Woods’ name and photograph in connection with their luxury yachts. The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge William Zloch, upholds the original terms of sale.
The suit claims $75,000 in initial damages. The lawsuit claims that Woods’ star status could bring damages to a mind boggling $50 million according to the terms of the lawsuit. Christensen Shipyards stood to gain financially using Woods’ name and chose to use Woods as advertising leverage against the explicit language of the contract.
