Singh Is PGA Tour’s $10 Million Man

Vijay Singh becomes the first player ever to top $10 million in a single season.

vijay_singh_pump.jpgIf there was any doubt earlier in the season about who should win the PGA Tour Player of the Year, it has been erased. Vijay Singh won his ninth title on tour this year at the Chrysler Championship pocketing $900,000 for the effort and becoming the first player ever to eclipse the $10 million earnings mark for a single season.

Singh’s win this week was a convincing one. After shooting a 4-under-par 67 on Saturday to take the lead (and to win the Crestor Charity Challenge for the fifth time this year), Singh birdied the first two holes on Sunday and never looked back. He poured in five more birdies and only had one bogey en route to a 65 that put him five strokes ahead of Jesper Parnevik and Tommy Armour III, his widest margin of victory since winning by six at the 2002 Houston Open.

Next week at the Tour Championship, Vijay Singh will go for his 10th win. His current nine wins ties him with Tiger Woods for the most victories in a single season since Sam Snead won 11 times in 1950. It took Singh 173 tournaments over eight years to earn $10 million for his career. He has surpassed that with one incredible season, his victory at Innisbrook pushing his total to $10,725,166. That’s more than $5 million more than Phil Mickelson, who is second on the money list and more than Tom Watson’s career earnings.

“It’s hard to swallow it right now,” said Singh “It’s incredible. I leave tomorrow to go to Atlanta so there’s no time to celebrate. I’ll get my time.”

Park Wins CJ Nine Bridges Classic

Grace Park banishes the memory of her Samsung collapse by winning the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in convincing fashion.

Grace Park TeeingSouth Korean native Grace Park shot a 7-under par 65 on Sunday to win the CJ Nine Bridges Classic by five strokes. Coming off a final-round collapse two weeks ago, Park closed this one in style, saying “I can’t describe my happiness with words.”

Park, who described her play as “really good today,” and her eight birdies in the final round helped her to repel the likes of Annika Sorenstam, who beat her two weeks ago at the Samsung. Sorenstam carded a 67 to finish in a tie for second with fellow Swede Carin Koch at 200. Defending champion Ahn Shi-hyun shared fourth place with Lorena Ochoa and Jeong Jang, six strokes off the pace.

This tournament was conducted at Jeju Island, South Korea. Stops on next year’s LPGA Tour include Mexico, Canada, and South Korea as well.

Out to Pasture

Pasture Golf. While the term is generally regarded as a derogatory remark describing the upkeep of a local course, these gentlemen like it au naturale.

I think it’s safe to say that while most golfers, including myself, love to take in the natural beauty of a lush, well–kept track, there are some adventurous souls out there that like to rough it. They take it back old–school style. Not 1970’s old–school, more like 1570’s old–school.

These sheep–herders enjoy Pasture Golf. While the term pasture golf is generally regarded as a derogatory remark describing the upkeep of a local course, these gentlemen take it as Pasture Golf a compliment.

More power to ’em, but the only cows I like are the ones on the grill.

Fun at the Chrysler Championship

Taking in a PGA Tour event in person is quite different from watching it on TV.

chryslerOn nothing more than a whim, I decided to take in Saturday’s action at the Chrysler Championship at the Westin-Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. What follows here are merely a bunch of observations from a half day’s adventure on the course. It was only a half day because we got stuck at a car dealership in Orlando in the morning.

Continue reading “Fun at the Chrysler Championship”

Trick or Treat

Apply a little pressure to your practice by setting up a mini punishment/reward system.

Apply a little pressure during your practice. For example, if you’re practicing five-foot putts, the following might be an example:

Make < 40%: clean out the garage
Make 40 – 60%: good job
Make > 60%: treat yourself to a nice big steak and a beer

The net time, maybe you bump the percentages to 45/65. Find the point at which rewards are truly rewarding – and difficult to achieve. As with the regular game of golf, you are your own referee. Be honest or your game won’t improve as it should.

Eyes Over the Ball

Are your eyes over the ball when you putt? Try this quick drill to find out.

Where are your eyes when you putt? Commonly, putting problems start when a golfer’s eyes move too far inside the ball. To find out where your eyes are, take a normal putting stance. Hold a ball between your eyes and then drop it. If you’re properly aligned over the ball, the dropped ball should strike the ball you would putt. If the balls miss each other, adjust your stance until your eyes are over the ball.

Step Drill

Take a step towards a proper weight shift with this drill.

Many people suffer from a reverse pivot or a poor weight shift. There’s one simple drill that will help you “get through” the ball with your weight on your left side.

This drill is borrowed from baseball. Start with your feet together and then swing the club to the top. As you start your downswing, step toward the target with your front foot just as you would to hit a baseball.

Starting with your feet together will ensure that you get your weight onto your front side as you swing through the ball. This drill is also very good to get the feel of the swing starting at the bottom and stop those golfers that cast their hands to start a golf swing. Try this drill without a ball first or until you have mastered the stepping motion with good balance.

Seve Accused of Assault

Seve Ballesteros has been accused of assault by a European Tour official, but details are nonexistent.

Seve BallesterosThe European Tour is investigating Seve Ballesteros, accused of assaulting a Spanish golfer off the golf course during an amateur tournament last month. Ballesteros was a spectator at the over-35 event in Pedrena, Ballesteros’ home town. Jose Maria Zamora, a tournament director on the European Tour and amateur player, is the reported victim.

Zamora penalized Ballesteros for slow play at last year’s Italian Open. Ballesteros refused to adjust his card and was later fined by the tour. The European Tour has said that they’re investigating but is declining to comment. No other details are available, and we imagine that suing someone in Spain is just as easy as it is in the United States, so what constitutes “assault” can be left to the imagination of the readers. Was it a prod with a forefinger on the shoulder to accentuate a point, or was it an attack?

We will simply go with “innocent until proven guilty.” Especially given the fact that it is the European Tour doing the investigating and not the local police.

Overcome Caveman Golf

Golf is a game of risk vs. reward. Being realistic about the risks – and the reward – is the key to playing smart golf.

Golf Digest recently published a “Guide to Caveman Golf” for those people incapable – or unwilling – to overcome their “smash it and then go look for it” tendencies. If you are able to overcome your tendencies, you may score better as a result. We don’t advocate hitting nothing but your 3W off the tee, but do try to ask yourself a few questions:

  • If you hit a 3W from this tee, do you still have a 7I or less into the green?
  • If you hit to the fat part of the green instead of going at the flag just over that water hazard, can you lag and tap in for par?
  • Do you need to make this putt, or would lagging one up there be sufficient?
  • What’s more important: being closer to the pin or hitting the highest lofted club you might be able to get to the hole?
  • If you go at this par five in two and miss the green, will you be in better or the same shape as you’d be if you safely lay up?
  • Would you rather play your next shot from the trees again or from the fairway?

I think you get the point. Golf is a game of risk vs. reward. Being realistic about the risks – and the reward – is the key to playing smart golf.