Volume Two Hundred Forty Nine

The most fan friendly Tour players, Tiger’s redoing his swing (again), and the PGA Tour is looking for sponsors

Hittin' the LinksGood Day Sand Trappers and welcome to another installment of Hittin’ the Links.

So, Tiger is going to miss the Tour Championship… what will golf do? Well, relax people, golf will be fine. I have no doubt after a little swing tweaking with the new coach Tiger will be back as good as ever, maybe even in time for the Ryder Cup.

In this newest edition of HTL we begin with a look at the Tour’s most fan friendly players, check into Tiger’s newest swing overhaul, and watch Will Ferrell imitate Phil Mickelson. Also on tap, we investigate why Monty is delighted to face Tiger, make some date suggestions for Tiger during the Ryder Cup, and do a wrap-up of some of the weeks events. Read on!

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I Took the Forward Tees Challenge

As part of The Sand Trap’s experiment, I ditched the tips for a day. I was licking my chops and was raring to go. It was fun, but boy was it a debacle!

Thrash TalkThe idea is beautiful in its simplicity, and genius in how many layers it can peel back. It’s called the Forward Tees Tournament and it’s taking place next weekend at your home course. Just as the name says, everyone plays from the shortest set of tees their home course provides. Before you head out, you post your expectations.

I call tell you from experience, it’s going to open your eyes. And maybe not in a good way.

I’d like to call the FTT less of a golf skills event and more of a golf intervention. Stripped of a big course rating, a yardage that measures near 7,000, and standing where Mr. and Mrs. Havercamp normally tee off, you’ve got to be oozing confidence. I know I was. Until I realized all the flaws that show up from the tips just might rear their heads from the senior tees.

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Mizuno MP-CLK Hybrid Review

The forged blade of hybrid clubs is here, not that that’s a bad thing

Mizuno MP-CLKWhen I think of Mizuno Golf the first thing that comes to mind is a forged iron. Mizuno for years has been manufacturing forged irons that are among the very best in the golf industry. I personally played a set of MP-32s that remain one of my very favorite sets to this day. In more recent years they have even successfully gone after the higher handicap player with the MX line of game improvement irons.

That being said, I have never been a real fan of their line of woods. Even their Tour players have rarely played their woods and almost never played their drivers, a trend that continues to this day. So when I heard I would be receiving one of their new MP-CLK Hybrids I was anxious to try it to find out if it was more like their world class irons or their often unsuccessful woods.

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Volume Two Hundred Forty Eight

Tiger stays number one, buys his wife a house, and gets to play another week

Hittin' the LinksHello, Hello golf fans and welcome to another edition of Hittin’ the Links. It’s pins and needles time for U.S. Ryder Cup hopefuls, Captain Cory Pavin will announce his picks today to round out the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Don’t bet against Tiger, as he is a shoe in.

In this newest volume of HTL we begin with a look at the soon sponsor-less Nationwide Tour, check out the perfect golf date, and investigate Elin’s new place. Also, we look into another great golf story involving rules, see why Verplank is done for the year, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Loving the Much Maligned PGA Playoffs

How can people rip on a series of events that extend our golf season with meaningful tournaments featuring the best players in the world?

Thrash TalkI’m baffled by all the negative press the FedExCup gets. As a golf fan, why wouldn’t I want an extra month of meaningful golf, with the best players on the PGA Tour competing for a huge purse, and bringing golf to some of the biggest media markets in the country?

For years, the golf season effectively started at the Masters and ended at the PGA. But the introduction of the PGA playoffs offers up golf straight through September.

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Volume Two Hundred Forty Seven

If you have a 20 footer to win your first event, do not hit it six feet by the hole.

Hittin' the LinksJim Furyk shows up late with his pants around his ankles, Phil throws a hissy fit as only Phil does, and the PGA relents. What’s that say about Retief Goosen, who was similarly DQed a few years ago at the Nissan?

Also, the Euro team is set, Wie wins, Quail Hollow gets a major championship, Tiger moves on, and Eihlein earns a victory at Chambers Bay

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Tiger Will Own 2011

He may not win in 2010, but watch out in 2011 as Tiger will come roaring back.

Thrash TalkI’m glad to hear that it’s “okay to root for Tiger Woods again” because, if nothing else, it signals a return to stories about Tiger being about golf and not about his marriage, his kids, his infidelity, his temper tantrums on the course, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I don’t really care about.

We recently asked people in the forum to predict Tiger’s 2011 season, and as I write this 25% of people think Tiger will continue his major-less streak in 2011. 43% think he’ll win a lone major, and 23% think he’ll win two or more. In regular PGA Tour events, only 9% think he’ll go winless, while 40% think he’ll win one to three and another 25% think he’ll win four or more.

My votes? I picked two majors and 4-6 regular PGA Tour wins, and here’s why. In 2011, Tiger Woods will have the emotional wreckage of his broken infidelity and subsequent divorce behind him, he’ll have incorporated enough of new instructor Sean Foley’s methods to get his swing back, and he’ll be eager to prove that he can still be dominant. Let’s look at each of these.

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Volume Two Hundred Forty Six

A Monday qualifier makes good, the rules of golf come under fire, and is Stevie on the way out?

Hittin' the LinksHello again golf fans, and welcome again to Hittin’ the Links. Well, it’s been a tough week to be a USGA rule book, just about every yahoo who has ever swung a golf club has chimed in on the Dustin Johnson snafu. Personally, I think people should leave the rules alone. The rules of golf are one of the main reasons this is called a gentlemen’s game. Instead of trying to change them, maybe these people should pick up a rule book and learn them instead!

In this newest volume we begin with a look at the Stevie-Tiger rumors, investigate some waning country club memberships, and look at how Dustin Johnson is moving on. Also, we check out some tough choices for Monty, investigate this week’s rule infraction, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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That Damn Phone To His Ear

Communications at a PGA Tour event is crazy and essential.

Wyndham ChampionshipThis week I was fortunate to do double-duty at the Wyndham Championship: working as a Headquarters Chairman as well as a part-time media guy (thanks to Erik at The Sand Trap and to Rob Goodman at the Wyndham). I hear a lot and see a lot that happens backstage at a PGA Tour event. It probably isn’t a stretch to say that keeping track of everything requires a tenuous dance of thousands of people around the ropes that enclose our friendly neighborhood touring professionals.

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