Should the PGA Tour Have Playoffs?

Why the 2012 PGA Tour playoff system is AWESOME!

Thrash TalkThe PGA Tour got the 2012 FedExCup Playoffs right. That statement from me is not easy to make, mostly because I have been quite critical of the playoff format. I like to see the best player win the money title, not someone who got hot at the Tour Championship as Bill Haas did last year. The best player last year was Luke Donald, and although he won the money title at the end of the Fall Series I felt if any player deserved the $10M bonus it was Luke and not Bill.

All that said, this year I see the magic that Tim Finchem was trying to create by getting the best players to play in the events at the end of the season. We have been treated to some fantastic golf, by all the big names. Consider this past weeks BMW Championship where the leaderboard displayed names like Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, and Vijay Singh. All the giants of the game, and each of them playing some of their best golf. The only word I can use to describe it is brilliant.

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty Nine

It’s come down to this, The Tour Championship.

Hittin' the LinksThe big boys took some time off this week, but fear not golf addicts, there were still some stories from the world of golf.

In this PGA Tour-less volume of Hittin’ the links we begin with a preview of the Tour Championship, then investigate Tiger’s almost coach, and find out what Rory was doing on late night. Also, we look into Ben Crane’s Therapy Sessions, see the five best shots of 2012, and do a wrap-up of the events that did go on this week, read on!

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TaylorMade Penta TP5 Golf Ball Review

TayorMade hits another home run with some minor tweaks to an already-great golf ball.

TaylorMade TP5 Balls One BallTaylorMade has never shied away from taking chances where technology is involved. The company that brought us three different ways to adjust a driver and a slot behind the face of a fairway wood to increase the CoR is back, and continues to up their golf ball game.

Already the first company to introduce a five-layer golf ball, TaylorMade has seen their golf ball line take off recently. The TP5 is the fourth premium golf ball TaylorMade has brought to market since their entrance in the mid-2000s, and they’re gaining traction on the PGA Tour as well as in pro shops worldwide. 25 million Pentas were put into play around the globe in 2011, and Darren Clarke used a PentaTP en route to his Open Championship victory.

TaylorMade’s golf ball market share doubled in 2011, continuing their inroads into a business dominated by the likes of Titleist, Bridgestone, Callaway, and others, and this year they’re aiming to bring their (healthy) obsession with innovation back to the golf ball. Read on to see how they did.

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TaylorMade ATV Wedge Review

We review TaylorMade’s radical attempt to consolidate their wedge offerings and improve your short game.

It’s a testament to TaylorMade’s insane devotion to innovation that just about every TM-related equipment review starts like this: “Not long after the release of their last technology-packed golf club, TaylorMade is back with another highly-touted line.” This time it’s wedges.

After success for a few years marketing the groove design in their wedges (Y-cutter grooves, Z-grooves), TaylorMade came out with the world’s first wedge with a replaceable sole, the xFT. It was a solid wedge on a number of levels, but not exactly on the Cleveland or Vokey echelon. This year they’ve gone away from the replaceable route, instead opting for a radical sole design.

Bounce is the name of the game when it comes to wedges. It’s invaluable in sand shots, and the most consistent short game shots are those that utilize bounce. But instead of offering copious options (like Vokey), or an extensive fitting system (like Edel), TaylorMade has gone for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Does the uniform system benefit the most golfers, or is TaylorMade leaving something on the table when it comes to individuality? Read on to find out.

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PING Updates the Anser Lineup

PING finally gets into the adjustable driver market with the introduction of the PING Anser Driver as well as introducing new fairway woods, hybrids, and irons.

Bag DropFor a few years now, the big trend in the driver market has been the introduction of adjustable clubs. We first saw this with the TaylorMade R9 line and over the last few years the majority of companies have fallen in line and introduced some sort of adjustable driver. Up until this point, PING has stayed away from this market, but with the updated Anser line (which also includes fairway woods, hybrids, and irons) PING now has an adjustable driver.

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The Rise of Rory McIlroy

Rory is number one with a bullet. How high can he go?

Thrash TalkI enjoyed watching Rory McIlroy win these past two weekends at the Deutsche Bank and BMW Championships. Rory appears like a very likable young man and a very gracious winner. He is young and I think he has only just begun to get as good as he will eventually be. He does not have the same impact on the game of golf as Tiger did at the same age.

Tiger hit the scene and the game has been changed forever. Tiger was incredibly athletic and had a workout plan that would make a NFL football player proud, at a time that most golfers were not in the gym much at all, if ever. Rory is fit, in fact much more fit in recent months than in his younger days, but almost all the golfers on the PGA Tour are fit in today’s game. Not all of them, but the vast majority, certainly most of those in the top ten of the world rankings.

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty Eight

It’s really good being Rory McIlroy!

Hittin' the LinksLife is really good right now for Rory McIlroy. Talk about being on top of the world, the kid is doing a very good impression of another player who was dominant in his mid-twenties…what was his name? Anyway, congratulations to Rory and I certainly hope he cools down a bit by September 25th.

In this edition of HtL we start with a giant overreaction, then check out the $100 Million Dollar Man, and find out how his niece did at Q-School. Also, we look at the U.S. Ryder Cup Picks, investigate a cool comeback, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty Seven

Rory look like the man to beat.

Hittin' the LinksWe are down to seventy in the FedEx Cup playoffs and Rory McIlroy is looking more and more like the guy to beat with the resurgence of his game as of late. Throw in the fact Davis Love III has some decisions to make this morning, and the best event in all of golf is just around the corner and we have a lot of golf to look forward to in the coming month.

In this edition of HtL we begin with a look at Roger Clemens’ golf game, then check out the newest standings in the FedEx Cup race, and find out how tweeting angry can cause problems. Also, we look at some Ryder Cup pick predictions, take a peek at Cheyenne Woods first professional win, and do a wrap-up of the Deutsche Bank Championship. Read on!

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Nine Holes with the Front Nine at TPC Boston

What the pros will face on the front nine at TPC Boston.

ProfilesThe Boston area is not particularly known for its golf. We have one tournament in the area per year, The Deutsche Bank Championship, and Brookline’s The Country Club has hosted the occasional major (as well as the 1999 Ryder Cup and next year’s U.S. Amateur). Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, MA, used to host a PGA Tour event until the tournament folded in the late-1990s. That’s about it.

Thankfully, the emergence of The Deutsche Bank as an important FedExCup Playoff event (and it’s tendency to produce big-name winners) coupled with New England-native Keegan Bradley has increased the stature of professional golf in the area.

Winners tend to be well into the double-digits below par, and to pull out the Deutsche Bank you generally need to get off to a fast start on the relatively easy front nine. Here’s a description of what the world’s best are facing.

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