Q-School Kickoff

PGA and LPGA Tour Q-Schools kick off soon. The men will play six rounds, the women five, and everyone’s hopes are on the line.

What makes players gruel through five or six rounds of tournament play against hundreds of competitors for a virtually non-existent purse?

A dream.

A dream of playing on “the big tour.” Of walking the courses of the LPGA and PGA Tours from inside the ropes, and with clubs in hand. That’s right: the final state of the PGA Tour’s “Qualifying School” or “Q-School” starts today.

Though the winner pockets only $50,000, the payoff cannot be measured in terms of money. The top 30 and ties earn PGA Tour cards for 2005. Players landing in spots 30 through 80 earn full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour for 2005. The remaining players “earn” non-exempt Nationwide Tour status.

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Stinger Tees

Stinger Tees – yet another tee that helps you hit the ball further. The difference? These actually make sense, and are affordable too!

Ever since seeing The Golf Channel‘s Playing Lessons from the Pros with Cobra Long-Drive Champs Jason Zuback and Brian Pavlet, I’ve been intrigued by the “Stinger tee.” Zuback and Pavlet recommended it as “necessary equipment” that gives them an advantage. When LPGA cutie Laura Diaz professed to using the same tees in her Playing Lesson I had to give Earl Weiss, owner of Stinger Tees, a ring.

A few days later, I had my grubby paws on some 2¼” and 3″ Pro XL Competition Stinger tees. The tees are as attractive – the natural wood grain doesn’t leave paint marks on my clubs – as they are functional. The thinner tees are easier to stick into hard ground and the sharper points make these tees great groove cleaners. My course’s superintendent is a fan of Stinger tees too: “they don’t chew up our mower blades as much as thicker tees or those damned plastic tees.”

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Norman, Scott Take Flak for Missing Aussie Open

Greg Norman and Adam Scott have taken heat from Bruce Devlin and Wayne Grady for skipping the 100th Australian Open. Boo hoo.

Greg NormanGreg Norman, who has participated in the Australian Open 23 times in his career, has come under fire for missing the 100th Aussie Open, held November 25-28, by Bruce Devlin. Devlin called Norman “selfish” and said that he should do more to publicly thank the Aussies who have supported him throughout his career.

Said Norman, “I haven’t read his comments, but considering I’ve played the Australian Open 23 times in my career… I think my track record speaks for itself.” Norman hasn’t played in the tournament for four years because it typically coincides with Thanksgiving in the US. “It’s my life, and I like to spend time with my family. My children are in college in the US, the only time they come home is for long weekends like Thanksgiving.”

Adam Scott was also missing, opting to play in the Skins Snore, err, Skins Game instead. Mister Slice adds another quote, this one from Wayne Grady: “As far as I’m concerned, the big losers out of this are the Australian golfing public and Greg himself. I’m pretty sure Greg won’t be around for the next major one in 100 years.”

Tight Lies Tour Says “What Rules?”; Allows GPS

Players on the 2005 Tight Lies Tour will be allowed to use electronic devices to get yardages. Who needs a caddy anyway?

Tight Lies TourThe Tight Lies tour is one of several regional circuits. Call it a “mini-tour” if you want – they’re all across the US. Ryan Palmer, a recent PGA Tour winner, once played the Tight Lies Tour.

This time, it’s not one of the players making news, but a rules change for the 2005 season. The Tight Lies Tour has decided to allow the use of electronic range finders. The tour has partnered with SkyGolf GPS, which uses a statellite-based system to determine yardages (accurate to within one yard) to carry hazards, the front of the green, the pin, and more.

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Get Into the Target

Good players have tunnel vision: they don’t see hazards, just the flagstick.

BrainThe next ten “Tip of the Day”s are being taken from an article by Dr. Bob Rotella for Golf Digest, titled “Inside the Golfer’s Mind.” We’re paraphrasing, changing the language a little, and condensing his typical three to four paragraphs into one or two. This is tip seven of ten: get into the target.

If you think about it, a properly struck ball flies through the air, lands, and rolls very little. It’s inconsequential to the ball whether there’s water two inches or two hundred yards right of its target: it lands where it lands, rolls where it rolls, and then stops. The same is true of golfers playing well: they don’t see a pin tucked just over a huge bunker and a water hazard – they merely see a pin.

Good players develop tunnel vision: they see the target, they fire at the target, and nothing else matters. In fact, they don’t even see it. The further you get “into” your target, the more your body will do to help you hit it there. It’s a bonus you get just for concentrating, just for being into the target and into the moment, the shot, the swing.

Harrington, Howell to Hong Kong

Padraig Harrington and David Howell headline the players at this week’s Omega Hong Kong Open.

After two successful 2004 seasons, Padraig Harrington and David Howell turn to the Omega Hong Kong Open close out their 2004 golf seasons.

Harrington looks to defend his 2003 victory in Hong Kong and make a start at building the foundation for a season better than last year’s second-place European Tour season. After deciding to play on the PGA Tour in 2005, Harrington hopes to defend his first career title with a win in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Ryder Cup star David Howell will be joining Padraig in Hong Kong. Howell is coming off an excellent showing at the Ryder Cup, but will be joined at the event by fellow Ryder Cup teammates Harrington and Miguel Angel Jimenez, as well as the likes of Nick Faldo and Jose Maria Olazabal.

The Omega Hong Kong Open starts Thursday at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, Hong Kong.

Forum

Forums are coming, forums are coming!

We’re working on adding some forums to the site. If you’re interested in getting in early and helping us shake out some bugs, email us, post a comment on this entry, or IM me on AIM (iacas).

It should be exciting! The forum is looking good and, unlike some other forums out there, we’re not a bunch of over-sensitive hippies.

The creation of this forum was pushed forward by forum member #2: Aaron White, aka “Mister Slice.” He said just yesterday:

The game of golf has a new challenge: the Internet. While many sports have seen a huge increase to their following on the Internet, it seems that golf is lagging far behind. There is a very drastic shortage of golf-related web material compared to football, baseball, basketball and college athletics.

The Sand Trap .com to the rescue, Aaron!

Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide

The Sand Trap takes a look at Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide by Mike Pedersen. At $47, this eBook tips the “expensive” scales a bit, but it’s worth it in the end.

Golf FitnessSnow is not a golfer’s friend. In fact, sitting around on your couch, watching football, and eating pizza is not a golfer’s friend either.

Golf is a game of precision, flexibility, and power. I live in Pennsylvania, so to say our golf season is “shortened by winter” is an understatement. It’s difficult to hit balls when there are three feet of snow on the ground, but despite that, I’ll be improving my golf game this winter. How?

Using Mike Pedersen’s Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide. Pedersen’s eBook is priced at $47 and aims to offer a range of stretches, exercises, and dietary tips that will help you improve and maintain your golf game.

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Confidence Begets Confidence

Given two players of equal skills, the one who believes in himself more will win more than not.

BrainThe next ten “Tip of the Day”s are being taken from an article by Dr. Bob Rotella for Golf Digest, titled “Inside the Golfer’s Mind.” We’re paraphrasing, changing the language a little, and condensing his typical three to four paragraphs into one or two. This is tip six of ten: confidence begets confidence.

Confident golfers think about what they want to happen on a golf course. Golfers lacking confidence often think about things they don’t want to happen. We’re not talking about over-the-top bravado, but a quiet confidence and the ability to picture a good result and focus on positive outcomes over negatives. “I’ll put this up by the pin” instead of “I hope I don’t leave it short.”

Given two players of equal skills, the one who believes in himself more will win more than not. Even different clubs or shots inspire different levels of confidence: a favorite putter, your trusted 7-iron, or hitting a draw off the 7th tee at your home course.