Big Break II Premieres Tonight

The Big Break II premieres this evening at 9pm on The Golf Channel.

BBIIThe Golf Channel’s original production The Big Break II begins its season tonight at 9pm on – duh – The Golf Channel.

The stakes for a chance to play big-time professional golf just got higher. The Golf Channel’s hit reality show – The Big Break – is back and heading for the bright lights and hot golf of Las Vegas for a new 11-week season.

The Big Break II pits 10 players against each other in challenges that test their golf skills and mental toughness. The last man standing wins an invitation to play four Nationwide Tour events in 2005, a 2005 Ford Five Hundred luxury sedan, and $10,000 from Nationwide.

My only real thought is this: couldn’t they just give the guy a Nationwide Tour card? Seriously. Four events? What would it really hurt? Anyway, the Big Break II is on in… about an hour. Don’t miss it. 🙂

Tees Me

The Epoch tee is new and independently tested. Forget brush tees, baby!

Every once in a blue moon, we see some hack using an expensive brush tee trying to add another foot or so to his monster 220 yard drives. That’s all well and good, but now a company called Evolve Golf has introduced the epoch-3 tees. These bad-boys are sleek and stylish, and should be available in September of ’04.

Backed by some impressive independent test results, these tees just might actually provide you some distance and accuracy, and you won’t look like a fancy-boy packing them in your bag.

P.S. We’ve previously reviewed the Brush-T here.

Sunday at The Heritage

Despite the absence of many top names, The Heritage at Woburn provided an entertaining day’s golf and a worthy winner.

13th tee at The HeritageWith only two of Europe’s Ryder Cup winning stars making the cut, and only a handful of otherwise household names in attendance, my expectations for the final day’s play of The Heritage at Woburn were perhaps understandably low. However, my pessimism was unfounded, as the quality of golf played on Sunday not only made for a great tournament, but also (re)opened my eyes to the high standard of golf on tour, not only among the top dozen or so golfers, but right down to 125th ranked player and beyond.

The tournament was won by Henrik Stenson of Sweden by a convincing margin of 4 shots from Spain’s Carlos Rodiles. His stats for the tournament speak for themselves, notably his impressive length and accuracy from the tee, on a tight, tree-lined and slightly damp course. Equally impressive was his run of four consecutive birdies from the 14th (that I was fortunate enough to witness), and the manner in which he made each of them: found the fairway, found the green, holed the putt. Simple. He could have made it five birdies in a row on the par 5 finishing hole, but, deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, laid up and wedged onto the final green, and two putted to close out the win.

Continue reading “Sunday at The Heritage”

Film Yourself

Film yourself swinging to get a new look on your golf swing.

What you feel and what’s actually happening in a golf swing are often two very different things. Get a new eye: a video camera. Today’s digital video (DV) cameras cost as little as $300, and software lets you step through frame by frame. Record your swing from at least two angles – down the line and head-on – and compare the reality of your swing (the tape) to the “feel” of your swing (what you think you’re doing). You may be amazed by the differences.

Singh Withdraws From AmEx Championship

Vijay Singh withdraws from the American Express Championship due to damage to his home from Hurricane Jeanne.

Vijay SinghVijay Singh withdrew from the American Express Championship to be played in Ireland this weekend after Hurricane Jeanne, the 4th hurricane to pound the state of Florida in the past two months, caused damage to his home in Ponte Vedra Beach. Singh felt it was time to spend some time with his family. He is still scheduled to play three more tournaments this year including next week’s Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, a European tour event. Other notables who have already withdrawn from the American Express Championship include Mike Weir, John Daly, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, and Nick Price. The tournament will still include 44 of the world’s top-50 players.

Play With Three

Play a round of golf with three clubs.

Pick three clubs – any three clubs – and play a round of golf with them. Leave your woods at home and try to putt with a wedge instead of your putter. For example, a PW, 7I, and 4I might be ideal. You’ll learn how to hit huge, low hooks with your 4I to get maximum distance off of the tee. You’ll learn to pinch your wedge and lay off your 7I. Your putting stroke will improve as you attempt to make consistent contact with the blade of your wedge.

Anna Who?

Anna Acker-Macosko posts a final-round 60, and Leta Lindley crumbles with a final-round 76 (67-67-65-76) as Christina Kim holds off Inkster and Webb at the 2004 Longs Drugs Challenge.

anna_acker_macosko.jpgWhat do you call someone who’s played in relative obscurity for most of her professional career, only to surge to shoot a blisteringly-hot 11-under 60 in California?

Anna Acker-Macosko.

Starting the day off tied for 40th place at 2-under, Anna Acker-Macosko came out of nowhere to equal her career-best finish (T5) at the Longs Drugs Challenge in Auburn, California. Today’s finish is also only her fifth top-ten of her career, but her second this year. She was joined in fifth place by Jeong Jang, who posted an equally impressive nine-under 62.

Of greater importance, however, was the collapse of Leta Lindley (67-67-65-76), who fell from the lead to end up tied for 13th after posting a final-round 76. That left the door open for Christina Kim to leapfrog Julie Inkster‘s 68 and hold off Karrie Webb‘s final-round 64 to win the Longs Drugs Challenge, her first career win since joining the tour last year.

Singh Wins Eighth

Singh wins his eighth and the all-time money title.

Vijay Singh has won his third tournament in a row, furthering his grip on the #1 Golfer in the World title and leaving Tiger Woods’ single-season earning record in the dust. Singh weathered a charge from Stewart Cink at the 84 Lumber Classic in Farmington, PA to take his eighth PGA Tour title in 2004. Singh’s 3-under 69 gave him a one-stroke victory just five days after signing an endorsement deal with 84 Lumber.

Woods’ best hope for reclaiming the top spot in the world rankings may be convincing Vijay to sign with Callaway. 🙂

Long Putt? Aim Short…

Divide and conquer long putts to have a better chance at walking off with a two-putt, instead of three or four.

Looking at a long putt, say something of the thirty to forty-foot range? Take the time to read the line, but by all means don’t aim at the hole.

Dissect the putt. Divide it into shorter sections – the break left to that crest, the break right off the crest – and then, once you’ve got the line and tempo in your head, pick a spot about three to five feet along the first part of your line.

Long putts aren’t about sinking the putt every time, unless you’re a pro. Instead, working on getting the putt as close to the hole as possible is a wonderful goal, and the occasional putt in the hole a welcome surprise. Try to sink it, and chances are you’ll end up with a three-putt instead of a chance at two.