I’m enjoying a few days rest in the sunshine of my hometown on this holiday weekend in Ireland. Here however are a few memorable moments from the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial over the years for you to enjoy….just in case you were suffering from withdrawal symptoms or anything.
The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial will be held without its reigning champion this week. Phil Mickelson’s dramatic win a year ago was one of the most exciting finishes on the PGA TOUR in 2008, but he has put his career on hold after his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Even without the No. 2 player in the world, this installment of the Colonial boasts eight former champions, 17 major championship winners and 11 winners from 2009, including multiple winner and current FedExCup points leader Zach Johnson.
Last week, the Tour honored Byron Nelson. This week, it is Ben Hogan who takes center stage. This is the original Hogan’s Alley and the one that he called home. The Wall of Champions beside the first tee includes nearly every great name in the modern era of golf, but the first name on that list belongs to the iceman, and it is repeated a handful of times.
It is a demanding course. Narrow fairways and undulating greens force a player to drive the ball accurately and play precise iron shots. In the course of a round, a player will use every club in his bag. Colonial is a complete test of a player’s skills, exactly what Ben Hogan stood for.
This week the European Tour travels to The London Golf Club for the European Open. A high-class field will be present in Kent for the event where last year, Ross Fisher won the tournament in real style. A fantastic holed bunker shot at the final hole completed a majestic seven shot victory.
Sergio Garcia returns to European soil this week looking to kick-start his poor season thus far. He has not had a top ten finish since January and his last five tournaments in America have been particularly disappointing - 31st, 77th, 38th (at the Masters Tournament), a missed cut and 22nd in his defence of The Players Championship. But he returns to The London Golf Club full of belief that he can go one better than last year, when he was runner-up to Ross Fisher.
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy looked like he would challenge last week before fading away on the back nine, largely due to some errant tee shots. It is the mark of the young man however that at such an early stage of his professional career, he is joint favourite at 12/1 with defending champion Ross Fisher.
Henrik Stenson (25/1) and Angel Cabrera (25/1) will both be looking to bounce back after disappointingly missing the cut in Wentworth last week while Graeme McDowell will look to avoid what is becoming an all to familiar dreadful start to his tournaments. To his credit, he has bounced back from these starts and if he can shoot a sub 70 round on Thursday, he wont be without his chances.
Colin Montgomerie has played well in his last two tournaments only for final rounds of 80 and 77 undoing all the good work. Rafael Cabrera-Bello had a nightmare last week but the Spaniard remains on our radar and we are convinced it is a matter of “when” and not “if” he wins on Tour. At 80/1 his price looks too high and we just hope his confidence hasn’t taken too big a hit from Wentworth. David Horsey was impressive last week also and at 80/1, is again tempting. Finally, newly turned professional Shane Lowry (125/1) makes his debut on Tour after his Irish heroics. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for Lowry and would love to see him make it through to the weekend at least.
Verdict
Ross Fisher nearly came through for us last week and we are finding it difficult to oppose him this week despite the low odds. At 12/1 we recommend him as an each way bet due to the fact he likes the course and played so beautifully last week. I would imagine McIlroy and Stenson won’t be too far away however.
As an outside bet, David Horsey impressed me last week. His swing looks very compact and despite falling back in the final round at Wentworth last week, he should be brimming with confidence. At 80/1, I think he offers value. Rafael Cabrera-Bello is also tempting but I will stick with Horsey this week
Following on from our review of the Footjoy SYNR-G shoes and the flagging of www.buyfootjoygolfshoes as your number one source for obtaining both new and reasonably priced Footjoy’s, I though I would flag this article I came across earlier on www.europeantour.com:
“Latest independent figures reveal FootJoy’s continued dominance of the golf shoe market, as top four best selling shoes in the UK all bear the name of the #1 Shoe in Golf
FootJoy, the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf, once again recorded high market shares within the UK golf shoe sales market for the first quarter of 2009, according to the most recent Golf Datatech UK retail audit. FootJoy dominated the volume brand share at 53.4%, way ahead of the next brand with just 14.8%. With a whole raft of updated styles in the best selling models combined with high performance product introductions and high profile ambassadors like Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy showcasing the brand on Tour, FootJoy has once again set the standard for the new season.
Such is the strength and depth of its product line-up, FootJoy shoes are also dominant in the breakdown of total unit model share sales for the year to date, with the top four and seven of the top ten coming from the FootJoy portfolio. The AQL® remains the nation’s favourite golf shoe with 17.4% of the market, followed by the DryJoys® golf shoes with 8.9%. The full top ten list is as follows:
1. FootJoy AQL (17.4%)
2. FootJoy DryJoys (8.9%)
3. FootJoy Contour Series™ (8.1%)
4. FootJoy GreenJoys® (6.2%)
5. Competitor Model A (4.9%)
6. Competitor Model B (2.9%)
7. FootJoy SoftJoys® (2.8%)
8. FootJoy LoPro Collection™ (2.7%)
9. Competitor Model C (2.5%)
10.FootJoy ReelFit® (1.9%)
The continued popularity of the AQL has seen this range alone sell more units than the nearest competitor brand’s total sales across all of its models in the first quarter of 2009. While AQL and DryJoys continue to lead the way another success story is the new LoPro; the sporty and ultra-comfortable shoe launched in January this year is already the 8th best selling golf shoe in the UK.
The rapid success of the LoPro underlines FootJoy’s unquestionable strength in depth and broad appeal. The younger, casual and more contemporary designs like LoPro and ReelFit, plus more modern style options in DryJoys and AQL, complement the more traditional styles more readily associated with the #1 Shoe in Golf. Another FootJoy innovation, the new SYNR-G™, is also ahead of forecast following the high profile launch at the start of the year and, despite a premium price tag, has been in big demand. An effective advertising campaign, featuring triple Major winner Padraig Harrington, combined with the support of FootJoy’s retail partners has ensured that SYNR-G has been highly visible in golf shops the length and breadth of the UK.
So, there you have it, Footjoy continue to dominate as the #1 shoe in golf. Hardly a surprise when you consider everybody you see on a golf course is wearing Footjoy’s. If you dont have a pair of Footjoy Golf Shoes, well perhaps you should consider switching over. A great place to look and source Footjoy Golf Shoes can be accessed by clicking here.
Just some of the talent we can expect at the LPGA State Farm Classic. A win for Michelle Wei perhaps???
Just in case you missed the HP Byron Nelson Championship last week, here are a few short videos to keep you up to speed. Congratulations to Rory Sabbatini on a fantastic win.
I recently spoke of my admiration for the Cleveland Wedges and the sublime feel they encompass. However, Nike Forged Wedges have also become extremely popular for their soft carbon steel, proprietary U/V grooves and the sublime feel the forging process provides. As with all wedges, the required lofts, bounce and shafts are available so as to allow you the choice to maximise your game. Seems to do the trick for Tiger Woods so that’s good enough for me!
Forged
The most popular forged clubs provide superior accuracy and feel while eliminating soft and hot spots on the face. Proprietary hybrid grooves combination of U and V grooves that clean the area between the ball and club, giving excellent ball control and shot-stopping performance.
CPR Series Wedges
Sometimes golf can throw up a few nasties. Times when the ball is buried in deep rough etc. However, that is exactly what the CPR is designed for. Nike’s clubs for Prevention and Recovery make these difficult shots that much easier. The CPR is a must for those who have a little anxiety in their short game and therefore ideal for the higher handicapped golfer.
Tiger Woods Forged Wedges
Well the name of the club alone sells these babies! They are made with precision forged 1030 carbon steel instead of cast for better feel and consistency.Unique groove design, a morph of U-groove and V-grooves that removes water and grass away from the face more effectively to create optimum spin and distance control. They are a beautiful club and one which of course is hugely popular amongst the general public.
You cant be Tiger Woods but you can certainly maximise your game by utilising the same technological advances he does. The forged wedges are available here so why not take the time to go through them and see if there are any in particular that catch your eye. I’m sure you will find what you are looking for at www.buynikegolfwedges.com
European Tour
Paul Casey took another step toward catching Tiger Woods at the top of the World Rankings with a cool, calm and collected win in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Casey finished birdie, birdie to finish at -17 to win his third tournament of the season and continue his excellent form. He was pushed all the way by one of our tips at the beginning of the week, Ross Fisher. Fisher shot a superb 64 in the final round and only just missed out on a playoff as his eagle putt slipped by the edge on the last. Soren Kjeldsen battled his way to third place while Stephen Dodd continued his good form to finish a shot behind Kjeldsen at -12. Rory McIlroy made an early charge but came unstuck around the turn to finish in 5th position.
PGA Tour
Rory Sabbatini, dressed in pink in support of one of his buddies and Amy Mickelson in their battle against cancer, shot a superb 64 to win the Byron Nelson Championship. Standing on the final tee with a 3-shot lead, Sabbatini was able to enjoy the walk with the victory all but assured. Sabbatini did bogey the last to eventually win by 2 shots from Englishman Brian Davis who also shot a 6 under par 64 too finish on -17. It was Davis’ third consecutive top-5 finish so perhaps the talented 34 year old could claim hiis first tour victory in the not too distant future. D.A. Points had a final round of 65 to finish 3rd on -16 while Scott McCarron finished with a scintillating 62 to tie Dustin Johnson on -15 in 4th place.
Champions Tour
After receiving a special invite from The PGA of America, Michael Allen ended a 20-year victory drought in dramatic fashion Sunday, making a clutch birdie on Canterbury’s brutal 18th hole to win the 70th Senior PGA Championship and join Arnold Palmer as the only men in history to win the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy in their Champions Tour debut. Allen was chased all the way home by 1987 Masters Champion Larry Mize. Mize shot a final round 67 to finish 2 shots back on -4. Bruce Fleisher also had a 67 to claim third place on -2. With a final round of 66, Tom Watson was 4th while Chris Starkjohann, Fred Funk, Gil Morgan and Jeff Sluman finished in a tie for 5th.
LPGA Tour
Yani Tseng followed her excellent 62 in the third round with a solid 67 in the final round to win the LPGA Corning Classic. She won by a single shot over Paul Creamer who had back-to-back 65’s to finish on -20. Soo-Yun Kang also tied for 2nd after her round of 69. Mika Miyazato completed her with with a 70 to end the week in 4th on -19. One of our favourites, Michelle Wei, continues to show good form as she tied for 26th on -13. Her opening round of 73 just left with far too much to do. We believe she is not far away though.
Ladies European
France’s Jade Schaffer won the HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open yesterday. The 22-year-old from Strasbourg, who recently moved to Paris, beat Spain’s Paula Marti witha birdie at the first extra hole of a sudden death playoff. Both players totalled 13-under 275 after four rounds at Golfpark Gut Häusern near Munich. Schaeffer closed with a five-under 67 to set the mark, before Marti matched her total with a final round of 73. Melissa Reid was again just outside the winners enclosure, finishing in a tie for 3rd alongside Martina Eberl. Maria Verchenova has become very popular amongst the male population so we are hoping she can push through and be known for her golf ability rather than just her good looks. She had a solid week to finish in a tie for 31st.
Who remembers the 1969 Ryder Cup where 18 of the 32 matches went down to the final green at Royal Birkdale? In what was such a tense and competitive event, Jack Nicklaus displayed an incredible moment of sportsmanship when he conceded Tony Jacklins putt on the 18th to halve the Ryder Cup. However, some of his teammates and especially Captain Sam Snead were less than impressed such was the desire to win.
Or what of the 1991 Battle on Kiawah Island? Following on from the feud between Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger over allegations of Cheating at the Belfry, the tension this year rose to unprecedented levels. The US Team came out dressed in Khaki baseball caps as though preparing for a war. In fact, a war on the shore is exactly what we got with the American Golfers criticised for going completely overboard.
1999 again saw the Americans being accused of some gamesmanship. Trailing going into the final day, the Americans seemed to be possessed and were fist pumping, dancing, jumping and just about doing anything they could to get the crowd involved. It worked but was however marred when the American team and wives ran on to the green when Justin Leonard holed a monster putt against Olazabal, when Olazabal still had a putt to halve the hole.
So, when the young talented Irishman with goofy looking hair, Rory McIlroy, comes out and says the Ryder Cup is not a priority for him, you begin to wonder. When he claims it is just an exhibition match, you question has he not been following the Ryder Cup over the years or something? Captain Montgomerie had to smile in front of the cameras after to explain that Rory was young and would learn once he had played in the competition. However, I cant help but think Monty behind closed doors would have been gritting his teeth at the thought of a young kid denouncing the Ryder Cup as simply an exhibition.
Rory McIlroy is a fantastic young talent and someone who is sure to challenge the very best in golf and I cant wait to see it. We do not need him however down-playing the Ryder Cup as though he is some experienced campaigner. Think of all the passionate great players we have seen in the Ryder Cup….Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Payne Stewart, Christy O’Connor Snr & Jnr, Seve Ballersteros, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie….the list goes on and on. I proclaim Tiger Woods has the same attitude as Rory with the Ryder Cup. Last September, the number one golfer in the world was missing due to injury but, surprise surprise, the US Team won. Why? Passion!! Pure and simple passion! Think Anthony Kim, think Boo Weekley, think J.B Holmes……even Jim Furyk started dancing (well we are not sure what he was doing but his legs and arms were moving all over the place).
You see, the Ryder Cup is much more than an exhibition. It is each and every Europeans or Amercians right to claim thay have the best Tour in the World. It is true the matches sometimes go overboard but who cares (provided its kept inside the ropes)? I want to see that…I want to see Rory hole a 20ft and pump his fist at his American opponent. Golf is a game based on etiquette but every two years, at the Ryder Cup, it becomes a war, a competitive hatred develops but that is all it is…competitive. I want to see Sergio Garcia hand the smug little Kim an ass whopping the next time because that is exactly the faith he suffered when they met last time….but wasn’t it great for the game? A young cocky Kim strutting his stuff to the adoring fans, a gladiator taking centre stage at the Colosseum. Or Boo Weekley riding his driver down the first fairway….Fantastic!
So Rory, we will forgive your blasphemous words but be warned!! If you think you can walk into the Ryder Cup without something to prove, you are sadly mistaken. If you cant unerstand that every golfer the world over would give anything for the opportunity to play in the Ryder Cup, then you are sadly mistaken. If you think the passionate Europeans will forgive you for thinking the Ryder Cup can be treated with the individualistic and nonchalant contempt I believe Woods has shown toward the Ryder Cup, you are very much mistaken! We want the Ryder Cup back and with Captain Montgomerie on board, the passion and fight is back. Poulter, Garcia et all will be reborn and the war will commence!
This is competiton. This is Passion. This is the Ryder Cup!!
The Hot Metal MX-700 Ti 9 Driver made its mark with the golfing press in the first few days of its release. Following an unveiling at the Orlando PGA Golf show on Jan 28, the reviews have been nothing but good it seems.
Golf Digest tested the club and found that the Ti9 face allowed MX-700 driver to generate both the highest launch angle and lowest backspin rate of all the drivers tested in its coveted 2009 HOT LIST. With a launch angle graded at 12/13 and a spin rate of just 3/13, the MX-700 driver laid waste to every other driver tested. Mizuno’s Global R&D Manager David Llewellyn believes this launch / spin combination is the holy grail of any driver.
“It’s very hard to combine a high launch angle with a low spin rate – but it’s unquestionably the way to produce the longest drives. Every manufacturer in the market is trying to find the best way to get this combination. The HOT METAL Ti9 face insert is the latest part of our solution and Golf Digest’s test prove that it’s the very best method available.”
It wasn’t just the launch data that impressed Golf Digest’s Testers. In the hands the MX-700 made a big impression.
‘I couldn’t not hit it straight’ - G.Digest tester
‘This is just a cannon…very long’ – G.Digest tester
‘looks very comfortable at address’ – G. Digest tester
“We think the flight data alone was worthy of winning Digest’s coveted gold award. We’re not sure why more weight wasn’t given to this part of the test.” David Llewellyn
Now, I must admit that I am a massive fan of Mizuno’s irons and you can be sure you will be hearing plenty more about them in the coming months in this blog. However, I must confess that I never really thought much about their woods. Well, after reading this review and recently coming across one, I’m going to have to give them more thought. As always with Mizuno, the club looks beautiful but to make the Golf Digest 2009 HOT LIST means the driver has clearly excelled in terms of performance also. If you are in the market looking for a new Mizuno driver, or indeed any Mizuno Clubs (the MP-67 irons are the most beautiful on the planet in my view…more about this in a separate blog post later!), then www.buymizunogolfclubs.com may have what you are looking for. Featuring both used and new Mizuno products, you should take the time to check out the store by clicking here.
