Chrysler Classic of Tucson

The WGC Match Play Championship isn’t the only PGA tournament in town, going into its 11th year, the Chrysler Classic of Tuscon is gaining notariety.

Mark CalcavecchiaAlthough the Accenture WGC Matchplay Championship garners much of the media attention this week, there is another PGA Tour event with some recognizable names teeing it up this week in Tucson, Arizona. The Chrysler Classic of Tucson was born out of necessity seven years ago so players who fail to qualify for the Matchplay have a chance to compete and improve their world ranking. After the first round, Billy Mayfair and Mario Tiziani are tied for the lead at -9. Veteran Mark Calcavecchia, Michael Allen, Lucas Glover, and Darron Stiles are one back at -8. The event is played at the Omni Tuscon National Resort and the event is known for very low scoring. In 2004, Heath Slocum won the event with a final score of -22, 2003’s champion Frank Lickliter won with a total of -19.

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Nike One, Back in Black (for a Limited Time)

The Nike ONE Black is now available in… black.

Black Nike One BlackGolfers asked for it, and now they’ve got it: a black Nike One Black. Says a Nike press release:

Due to incredible demand for the black Nike One Black, Nike Golf will offer a limited number of two-ball sleeves of the black Nike One Black with the purchase of a dozen Nike One Black or Nike One Gold golf balls at participating golf shops and golf specialty stores.

Golfers looking for the unique black ball need to ask their local shop or specialty store to take part in the program that Nike Golf is making available to store owners. The black One Black two-ball sleeves are expected to begin shipping by the end of February and will only be available while supplies last.

Only pro shops and golf courses that ask to take part in the program are going to have the black Nike One Black, so if you’ve got a hankering for the dark side, give your shop a call.

Photo Credits: © Nike Golf.

Complete your Backswing

Making a full shoulder turn is critical to both distance and accuracy.

From time to time, we all have a tendency to shorten our backswings. Your muscles may not be as loose as normal, you may be faced with a crucial shot and get over cautious, or you may think that shortening your swing will give you more control. Whatever the reason, not making a full shoulder turn can have some negative effects.

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What’s New for Titleist in 2005?

Information on the 2005 Titleist products has been sparse, but we’ve gathered up all we know here.

TitleistTitleist has a reputation for being tighter than Fort Knox about its new products. Even Titleist reps seem to have little idea of what to expect in regards to new products. Earlier this week, we introduced you to the redesigned Titleist website which includes some teaser pictures on some of the new offerings for 2005. We’ve had our ears to the ground and have some more details and specs on what to expect early on this year from Titleist. Please take what you read here with a grain of salt. This information is compiled from what we’ve been hearing throughout the industry. Although it is accurate to the best of our knowledge, it has not been confirmed by Titleist.

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The Long Ball: Distance is Everything?

The ball is going too long, right? There may be more to this than you think…

Longball MickelsonThe long ball enthralls us all, regardless of the sport. In baseball, Barry Bonds is the current king, but the McGwire/Sosa race remains fresh in our minds. In football, it’s the hail mary. And in golf, it’s the 350-yard drive. The drive that makes 550-yard par fives reachable with 6-irons and renders long par fours defenseless against an onslaught of high-arcing short irons and wedges.

But the ball, many say, has simply gone too far this time.

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2005 Nissan Open: Adam Scott

Adam Scott is the “unofficial” 2005 Nissan Open champion. What were his sticks? Titleist all the way.

Adam ScottAdam Scott is a Titleist guy, and in last week’s shortened Nissan Open, two Pro V1x players squared off, but Adam came out on top. Here’s what he carries:

Driver Titleist 983K 8.5°
3 Wood Titleist Pro Trajectory 15°
2-Iron Titleist Prototype
Irons (3-PW)Titleist Forged 680
Wedges (SW, LW) Titleist Vokey Design 54°, 60°
Putter Scotty Cameron Prototype
Ball Titleist Pro V1x

Here’s a picture:

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Titleist.com Redesign Debuts with New Gear

Titleist.com has been redesigned, and a quick look around will reveal a lot of what’s coming from the makers of “the #1 ball in golf.”

TitleistTitleist today unveiled a new website at titleist.com. The new site is similar in design to the old site but features specs on the page (instead of within popup windows), animation and video, and an updated roster of players and features.

The site also carries information and some teaser shots of new and soon-to-be-released products, including:

Things are looking up for Titleist fanboys these days.

They Say it Never Rains in Southern California

Heavy rains have caused another delay, this time the victim is the Accenture Matchplay Championships at La Costa Resort.

La Costa FloodIn light of the washout of the Nissan Open last weekend, the news that the Accenture World Match Play would be delayed until Thursday came as little surprise to many golf fans. Parts of La Costa golf resort were literally under water thanks to 2 inches of rain in the last day, and little relief is in sight since another inch is expected tonight. Luckily, since this is a diminished field event and each round halves the field, PGA officials are planning on playing two rounds on Friday to make up the lost time. Tournament director Mark Russell said, “It’s totally saturated, but based on this weather forecast, it’s going to get nothing but better. If we get a day of sunshine and breeze, it will get dramatically better.”

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Accenture/WGC World Match Play Preview

Could the World Match Play signal a changing of the guard? I for one think so. Look for Phil Mickelson to dominate this week.

Mickelson in BlackVijay Singh and Tiger Woods are neck-and-mockneck atop the World Golf Ranking, with Singh holding a slight lead. Could this be the place for the two top guns to have a 36-hole shootout? Don’t get your hopes up for a No. 1-2 showdown at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA this week. First of all, the 64-player bracket is every bit as unpredictable as NCAA hoops in March Madness mode. Second of all, a third player is going to throw his visor into the “Who’s No. 1?” debate. He won’t have the world ranking points to officially claim the top spot, but at week’s end, look for Phil Mickelson to stand tall above Vijay, Tiger and the rest of the world for the all-important title of Best Golfer in the World right now.

Read on for details on how Phil is going to take over the world, as well as predictions for every single match scheduled for soggy La Costa at this week’s WGC/Accenture Match Play Championship.

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