Top Ten Stories of 2004

These are the top ten golf stories of 2004. Would you have ranked them differently?

The Sand Trap wasn’t around for much of 2004, but we were still golf fans and viewers! About.com’s golf section lists the Top Ten Stories of 2004, and here they are:

10. U.S. Curtis Cup team heralds the future of women's golf
 9. John Daly gets first win in nine years
 8. Major championship venues inspire awe, anger
 7. David Duval returns to the PGA Tour
 6. Arnold Palmer plays his 50th and final Masters
 5. The slump of Tiger Woods
 4. Europe dominates the Ryder Cup
 3. 14-year-old Michelle Wie challenges the cut line at PGA Tour Sony Open
 2. Vijay Singh wins nine times on the PGA Tour
 1. Phil Mickelson wins The Masters

I sure as heck would not have ranked them that way. Tiger, the Ryder Cup, and Vijay’s dominance (and Annika’s dominance) beat the pants off Mickelson winning the Masters.

How would you have ranked them?

Diaz Bounces Back

Laura Diaz was headed for her worst season in four years until a good finish last week qualified her for the ADT Championship.

Laura Diaz SmilingLaura Diaz was just about to have her worst season in four years until she finished birdie/birdie at the Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions last week to move into second place, earning her spots in the top 30 and the ADT Championship at Trump International.

“I really, really wanted to play this week,” said Diaz.

Once thought to be a rising star on the LPGA Tour, Diaz has suffered a few setbacks of late. After winning twice in 2002 and finishing seventh on the money list, Diaz injured her left ankle. She played through the pain and qualified for her first Solheim Cup, but had surgery in December to repair four tears in a tendon and one in a ligament.

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Jack Nicklaus as You’ve Never Seen Him Before

Jack Nicklaus took a fishing trip to Russia, and Golf Digest .com has the story (and a photo gallery).

Jack Nicklaus and his sons took a fishing trip to Russia and came back with… a bloody nose. Don’t have to worry about sharp metal objects flying at you too frequently in golf (well, not frequently). Fishing is another story.

Bloody Jack Nicklaus

Read the story or just check out the slideshow, both at golfdigest.com.

Bunker Rakes: In or Out?

There may not be a rule regarding bunker rakes, but there is some common sense.

Bunker RakeWhen you’re done raking a bunker, should you place the rake inside or outside the bunker?

That simple question has long perplexed individuals. We hear it’s even been the cause of at least one divorce! What do the rules say about bunker rakes – they sure are a mystery. Let’s get an answer.

In either position – in or out – the bunker can affect a player’s ball. Outside it could knock a ball into a bunker (or prevent it from falling into one), and inside it could keep a ball in a bunker or bury under the rake.

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Light a Match in Bunkers

Light a match to light up your bunker play.

Gary Player is widely recognized as one of the best bunker players in the world. In his “Playing Lessons from the Pros” (on the Golf Channel), Player gives an interesting tip for playing out of the sand:

When you light a match, you don’t just slowly drag the match along the box. You flick it – fast – kkkkshhhhhhttttt! You do the same thing when you play out of the bunker. Don’t try to slide the club slowly through the sand – it won’t come out! Instead, flick it through the sand, accelerating rapidly. The ball will pop out with lots of spin.

There you have it. Light a match to light up your bunker play.

Top Ten Golfers of 2004

“The Top 10 Golfers of 2004” according to about.com. How would you rank them?

About.com’s Golf section has a list of the Top 10 Golfers of 2004. We’ll post the list here, but we’ll leave the discussion to you. Post a comment!

10. Michelle Wie
 9. Kevin Stadler
 8. Retief Goosen
 7. Tiger Woods
 6. Meg Mallon
 5. Phil Mickelson
 4. Ernie Els
 3. Ryan Moore
 2. Annika Sorenstam
 1. Vijay Singh

How would you have ranked them? What additions or removals would you have made?

Bass Ackwards: Singh and Sorenstam

Blatant sexism? Whatever you call it, The Golf Channel and other reporters need to get it right.

AnnikaThe Golf Channel, and much of the golf journalism world, has been going ga ga over Vijay Singh’s season. He had a great year – we grant you this – but headlines like “Sorenstam Having a Vijay-Like Year” are despicable. The headline should read “Singh having a Sorenstam-Like Year.”

“Sorenstam has won nine times around the world this year, same as Vijay Singh.” Annika Sorenstam has won at least five events each of the past five years. Neither Tiger Woods nor Vijay Singh can say that, nor could they ever.

Blatant sexism? Whatever you call it, I don’t understand what’s so difficult about understanding that some players are better in their respective arenas than others, and Annika stands above all men in that regard.

Dick’s: Titleist on Sale

Get to Dick’s if you like Titleist irons – they’re having a sale.

Titleist IronsDick’s Sporting Goods (store locator) is having a sale on sets of Titleist’s popular DCI 990 and DCI 762 series. Originally $699 and $899 respectively, both sets now sell for $399 and are available with R300 flex shafts.

The DCI 762 features a large volume cavity, progressive offset, and dual hosel lengths to provide for exact weight distribution and careful CG management; a thin face design allows for a larger club face area for increased confidence and playability, and a larger cavity for enhanced forgiveness; multi-piece carbon and metalized mylar cavity insert provide improved feel, increased playability, and modern flight characteristics.

The DCI 990 is designed with the better player in mind; a high performance blade design that features a variable muscle back cavity that provides traditional, solid feel, enhanced workability and consistent performance.

Tiger Pissed about Ryder Cup Captain Lehman

Tiger feels Mark O’Meara should have been chosen for the 2006 Ryder Cup, and he isn’t shy about sharing his feelings.

Tiger Woods and Mark O'MearaTom Lehman is the next US Ryder Cup captain, as we told you here on The Sand Trap .com, and Tiger Woods ain’t happy about it. Tiger slammed the PGA of America for not choosing his good buddy Mark O’Meara, saying:

I thought he should have been captain, because of the heritage of where he’s from. He’s Irish, so it would have been a perfect fit for Mark O’Meara to be the Ryder Cup captain in Ireland, especially as he goes to the K Club every summer to fish.

O’Meara was in the running, and has better career stats than Lehman: 16 wins and two majors to 5 wins and one major. “He’s obviously very disappointed he didn’t get it,” Woods said. “He feels this was probably his only chance, because of his age. He’ll be 51 by the time the next one comes around and more than likely that one looks like it’ll be Azinger’s.”

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