Bolle Kicker and Kickback Sunglasses Review

Will the Bollé Kickers or Kickbacks make me switch from my old trusty pairs of Oakleys?

BolleI own a pair of Oakleys that are so old I can’t even figure out what model they are (I think they’re similar to the Fives 2.0 series). Anyway, I have kept them for so long because I can’t seem to find another pair that will take their place. I love their gold iridium lenses and it seems that no other company makes something similar (or as good).

Until Bollé. Their line of “Action Golf’ sunglasses is quite nice, so I decided to try them. I tried two models, the Kicker and the Kickback. To test them out, I’ve been wearing them on the golf course and around town the past few weeks to see if they’re worth replacing my old ones. Bollé claims that “when you see like a pro, you putt for the dough.” If that’s the case, count me in.

I mean, Sergio Garcia is wearing them, so why shouldn’t I?

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Davies Leads, Sorenstam Stalks at Chick-fil-A Tourney

Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb are only one stroke back of co-leaders Laura Davies and Denise Killeen in first round action at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship.

chick_fil_a_logo.jpgA bogey-free 67 placed Annika Sorenstam near the top of the leaderboard in opening-round action today. Challengers were all fighting for the right to be in the lead, but it was Laura Davies who moved into the coveted position with a 6-under 66. Right behind Sorenstam was last week’s winner of the Michelob Ultra Open, Cristie Kerr (68). After her round today, with cameras flashing and reporters standing by, Kerr was asked about her feelings regarding Sorenstam in the field this week. Kerr replied, “Obviously, she’s been the best player in the world for a long time, but there’s a lot of players willing to step up and challenge her. I’m not too concerned about her. I’m just going to play my game.”

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EDS Byron Nelson Championship Preview

The “Big Five” battle it out for bragging rights in Texas.

byron_nelson_tourney_logo.gifThe sun has set on a record-setting final round at the Wachovia Championship, and it is time to move on to the great state of Texas for the Byron Nelson Championship. This tournament is the only one on the PGA Tour that is named after a Hall-of-Fame golfer, and it is definitely one of the special events on tour. This will mark the first time the “Big Five” have all played in the same tournament since The Masters. Tiger Woods is still the top-ranked golfer in the world, but Vijay Singh inched ever so close to the top spot with his playoff win Sunday at the Wachovia Championship. Tiger is sitting at 13.02 points, and Vijay is now up to 12.88 points and will surely regain the number one position with a win this week.

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Taking the Midnight Train to Georgia

The ladies of the LPGA head to Eagle’s Landing Golf Club to participate in the Chick-Fil-A Charity Championship.

chick_fil_a_logo.jpgJennifer Rosales will defend her title this week in another leg of the “southern swing” at the Chick-fil-A Charity Tournament hosted by Nancy Lopez. Rosales narrowly beat out Grace Park, Rosie Jones, Becky Morgan, and Jung Yeon Lee to clinch the 2004 event with a 7-under par 65. Jennifer was also the first winner of the 2005 season at the SBS Open. Previous winners of the crystal vase including Se Ri Pak (2003), Juli Inkster (2002) and Annika Sorenstam (2001), who will all be on hand and clawing to get a share of the $1.6 million purse and the $240,000 victory check.

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Yes! Sophia Putter Review

Yes! puts the traditional blade style putter back in play with the Sophia. And it’s got the vintage appeal and modern technology I’ve been looking for.

Yes! GolfI’ve always had a soft spot for the traditional blade style putter used by Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson, playing such models as the Wilson 8802 and “the” Original Putter by Arnold Palmer. To me, there isn’t a more timeless club. It oozes tradition. Old video footage shows Jones, Palmer, Hagan and Snead using them, yet they’re almost as forgotten as persimmon due to the current trend of mallet putters. Much to my dismay, I haven’t found many blades around anymore, so when I saw that Yes! developed the Sophia, I had to try it.

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To Play Or Not To Play

Should teenage phenom Michelle Wie be playing in PGA Tour events without qualifying?

Thrash TalkMichelle Wie is just your everyday 15-year-old female golfer. Well, apart from the fact that she has played in two PGA Tour events and in the final pairing with Annika Sorenstam on Sunday in an LPGA major.

Wie played in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open the last two years and her upcoming appearance in the John Deere Classic via sponsor’s exemption looms in early July. Wie’s two rounds of even par to miss the cut by just one stroke at the 2004 Sony Open prompted Tom Lehman, who played with Wie in a pro-am, to give her the nickname “Big Wiesy.” Michelle is already six feet tall and has a swing that resembles Ernie Els, “The Big Easy.” That is a lofty nickname for a teenager.

However, not all is well in Wie’s world. She’s undergone quite a bit of scrutiny and endured a bit of controversy lately. Is the world taking Wie for granted, or is Wie taking advantage of the world?

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Tips for Attending a Professional Golf Tournament

Plan your trip in advance, and you may have the most fun you’ve ever had. Just remember the Gore-Tex and plenty of drinking water.

golf_crowd.jpgI’ve been fortunate to attend many golf tournaments. My first was in 1984 as I watched Bob Tway hole a bunker shot to defeat Greg Norman on the 18th at Inverness for the PGA Championship. Most recently I saw the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George. While I’ve had a blast at every tournament I’ve been to, I’ve always found it difficult to attend a tournament and not feel as though I’ve seen all I could. I’ve finally come to the realization that it’s impossible to see everything – the players, the course, the spectacles – unless you’re there for multiple days.

To make the most of your trip to a professional tournament, I’ve put together a quick “how-to” guide. Take advantage of my experience to make your visit to a professional golf tournament even better.

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Volume Eight

Wine tasting with the Shark, Big Ben playing with women, Danielle Amiee speaks after missing the cut, and more in this week’s edition of Hittin’ the Links.

Does anyone else have “that” guy in their office? The guy who has maybe played golf twice in the past five years, but knows so much more about the game than yourself, who probably plays at least twice a week. Well, my office has “that” guy and this past Friday, he was telling me about how he “needs a stiff shaft because he generates so much clubhead speed that he can’t hit the ball straight.” He added that “it doesn’t matter I still hit the ball well over 300 yards.”

Right. Me too. Now, on to the links.

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Forgotten Promise: Sergio ‘Singhing’ the Blues

Sergio Garcia ties the record for the worst final-round collapse in PGA Tour history by giving up six shots to Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh before losing in the playoff. Singh would go on to win his third PGA Tour event of the year.

SinghSergio Garcia promised he’d win. People have been talking about Garcia’s “promise” – and his raw talent – for years. He battled Tiger in 1999 at the PGA. Surely a wisened, seasoned Sergio could hold on to a six-shot third-round lead, couldn’t he?

In a word or three, no, he couldn’t. It only took 19 holes for Sergio Garcia to fail to keep his promise to the world of golf. A two-time winner last year in three-man playoffs, Sergio bowed out on the first hole of a three-man playoff late Sunday evening in Charlotte, NC to Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh. Three holes later, Vijay would one-putt par the difficult 18th – the same hole on which Sergio three-putted to lose the tournament that was seemingly his only a half hour before.

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