Sorenstam To Play in Inaugural China LPGA Event
In her farewell season, former world number one Annika Sorenstam is determined to spread the golfing gospel as far and wide as possible.
The 10-time major winner will be part of history in October when she competes in the first-ever LPGA Tour event in China – the Grand China Air LPGA event, which will be held from October 24-26 at the Hainan West Coast Golf Club in Haikou on the resort island of Hainan.
The tournament will feature a 63-strong field vying for $1.8 million in prize money. Also taking part is Taiwan’s Tseng Yani, who this year became the first rookie in a decade to win a major when she triumphed at the LPGA Championship in June.
In a press release from sports management company IMG, Sorenstam said she was looking forward to visiting China to play golf, with previous trips having all been about business matters.
“Having visited China several times as part of my course-design business, I believe the Grand China Air LPGA will be a major milestone for the LPGA, taking elite women’s golf to one of the world’s most dynamic countries. The players are all very excited about being among the first group to visit this fascinating place for an LPGA tournament and to have the chance to be the first champion of an event that in years to come could be one of the biggest we have on Tour,â€
Sorenstam had been the dominant player on the LPGA Tour until injury in 2007 saw the emergence of Mexico’s Loreno Ochoa as her successor
The Swede returned in 2008 with three victories on the circuit to prove she still has what it takes. But in May, the 37-year-old announced that this would be her final season as a pro golfer.
She has won close to 90 tournaments and has some great recollections of a legendary playing career. And she hopes her Chinese experience will be part of her scrapbook of memories.
“I have been fortunate to enjoy many wonderful experiences in my time with the LPGA, from great victories through to travelling to all corners of the world. However, as I look back on my career in a few years’ time, there is no doubt that a victory at the first LPGA tournament to be played in China would be a very special memory.â€
Download Free 2008 Open Championship Factsheet
Following on from the success of the 2007 Open Championship Factsheet ,the 2008 US Masters Factsheet and the 2008 US Open Factsheet I have produced one for the Open Champioinship at Royal Birkdale.
This 2008 Open Championship Factsheet is perfect for bringing you right up to speed for the event starting on Thursday 17th July.
Print it out and read it in the bath, on the train or have it just by the remote as a handy guide whilst watching on TV.
If you like the factsheet – let me know as I will do one for the US PGA and Ryder Cup. You can find out more about the Open at the official website and by watching the video below by Golfalot.com.
Tap here to get your factsheet …
Enjoy the the Open at Royal Birkdale and Play Well.
Cheers
Andy
Former Wild Man Kim Hoists Tiger’s Trophy
His initials are studded around his belt buckle in diamonds. And Anthony Kim certainly knows how to sparkle.
Kim flashed his winning smile for the second time this season when he lifted the AT&T National, the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, over the weekend.
The 23-year-old shot a closing round of five-under-par 65 to overturn a three-stroke overnight deficit and sweep to a two-shot victory over Fredrick Jacobson. Earlier this year, he won the Wachovia Championship.
Kim has certainly made his mark on the PGA Tour this season, winning at the Congressional in Bethesda to become the first American under 25 years old to win twice on the tour since … well, Tiger Woods himself.
Having left behind a partying lifestyle to pay more attention to the game, Kim is now being talked about as a potential challenger to Woods’ superiority.
Woods is recovering from major surgery on his knee and was not able to be present to watch Kim’s victory, which he achieved with a total of 12-under-par 268.
He now moves into sixth place in the United States Ryder Cup rankings and adds another $1 million to his bank account.
Kim, like so many others, was an awe-inspired youngster when Woods burst on to the scene in 1997. He said in an AP article that to win a tournament hosted by the world number one was a great honour.
Woods even fired in a phonecall to Kim, who said:
“I would watch everything he did, every move he made, when I was growing up. So to win his tournament is a true honour. I’m very excited. He told me to just keep working hard and keep it up, and the sky’s the limit, and there’s no reason to stop now.â€
Indeed, Woods as his inspiration was at the centre of almost anything Kim said in his post-tournament news conference.
He said watching Woods at the BMW Championship last season helped wean him off the wild lifestyle he previously had.
Kim said he turned up at the tournament with just enough time to practice a few putts while Woods, whose tee-off time was 11 minutes ahead of his, had been there for a while already preparing for his round. Woods won the tournament while Kim was a distant 22 strokes adrift.
“That was quite a low point in my golf career, to feel like I wasn’t doing myself justice to act that way and prepare that way. I just took a step back and said, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it the right way.’ And I’ve been doing it ever since.â€
Another young player seemingly on the brink of great things is 27-year-old Englishman Ross Fisher, who was in commanding form as he won the European Open by seven strokes.
He closed with a four-under-par 68 for a total of 20-under 268 and a comfortable triumph over Spain’s Sergio Garcia in the European Tour event.
Fisher opened the tournament with a course-record 63 and then watched Garcia respond the next day with 64. However, the Englishman shot under 70 in all four rounds to ensure he was always in the driver’s seat.
Garcia’s challenge ended on the third day with a 74 even though he finished the tournament by shooting 66.
Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was third on 276, after closing with 73 while South African David Frost finished fourth one stroke further behind. Fisher said of his victory on the European Tour website:
“Just a great week. I felt really calm all day, very composed, comfy with my game. I got my fair share of luck as well – at the last I was just thinking, ‘Try and put it on the green’. I’m delighted.â€
On the LPGA Tour, Lee Seon-hwa birdied the last hole for a one-stroke victory over Jane Park and Lee Mee-na in the NW Arkansas Champinoship.
Lee finished with a four-under-par 68 for a 15-under total of 201. The tournament was shortened to three rounds because of bad weather.
Late Mayo’s Amputee Golf Event Still Going Strong
A unique golfing event is taking place in the Welsh valleys.
If you take a close look at each of the more than 50 golfers taking part at the Bryn Meadows resort near Ystrad Mynach, you will see that every one is missing some part of their bodies.
That’s because it is the annual Amputee Golf event, organised by the British Amputee Golf Association and founded by the late Brian Mayo, with golfers from all over the world taking part.
The BBC website interviewed one of the players, American John Novak, who lost an arm more than two decades ago after an accident. Novak, who uses a prosthetic arm, said:
“I was doing a power line inspection and I got electrocuted. I fell 60 feet into the water and some fishermen pulled me out, they saved my life.â€
The tournament was first started in 1989 by Brian Mayo, who lost both his legs. He had licked a golf ball contaminated by weed killer and contracted meningitis. Mayo died in 1999 but his family has carried on the tradition of the tournament.
Apparently, Mayo was in the habit of picking up his golf ball off the green, licking it and then wiping it clean before taking a putt. That incident left him in a coma for 11 days and doctors said it was due to the weed killer.
The BBC quoted Mayo’s son Gary as saying that his dad was inspired by World War II pilot Douglas Bader, who also lost both his legs. Gary said:
“My dad read a book (about Bader) after he had his legs amputated and also met Bader and he inspired my dad. He was my dad’s hero. He was back on the course six weeks after he came out of hospital using his Mercedes as a golf cart!â€
Woods Offers No Clue On Comeback Date
Tiger Woods has said that he has no idea when he will return to the circuit and also revealed that last month’s US Open would have been his final tournament of the year, whatever the outcome.
In his first live interview since undergoing surgery on his knee, the world number one and US Open champion has not put a timetable on his comeback.
After winning the US Open at Torrey Pines after a gruelling 19-hole play-off against Rocco Mediate, Woods underwent surgery to have the anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee reconstructed. He also had some cartilage repaired.
It was his second operation of the year, having had arthroscopic surgery days after finishing second in April’s US Masters. Upon being asked when he can play again, he said in an ESPN article:
“I really don’t know. We’ll have to see how this thing heals and everyone heals at a different rate. Some six months, some at nine and some at 12. To be honest with you, no one really knows until we start the rehab process and see how this thing goes.â€
Woods also explained that he sustained stress fractures while recuperating from the April surgery. It forced him to miss the Memorial tournament and it was at that point that he decided to make the US Open his final event of the year.
This probably explains why he was so determined to win it, going toe-to-toe with Mediate on the Monday despite the pain, finally winning it on the 19th hole.
“I basically couldn’t practice (with the stress fractres). Couldn’t play more than nine holes. After dealing with that, I decided to make the US Open my last event of this season, no matter how it turned out.â€
Woods was speaking in a conference call to promote the AT&T National near Washingont DC, a PGA Tour event he hosts but will not be able to attend.
99 Reminders of Maurice Flitcroft
We’ve all dreamed of playing in the Open. For most of us those dreams remain safely in our imaginations. A lucky few live the dream. Others drive themselves demented trying.
And the regional qualifying for the Open is a step on the road to those dreams. An obstacle to be overcome as you strive to get that one shot at glory. Some manage it. Some come agonisingly close. And some fail spectacularly.
And as spectacular failures go they don’t come much bigger than John Spreadborough’s disaster at Monktonhall near Edinburgh yesterday. It’s true that by taking part in the regional qualifier he got closer to Birkdale than most of us. But, by carding a 99, he missed out by a country mile. And he did it with people watching.
One, unnamed, Monktonhall official spoke of a nightmare swing that marked Spreadborough out as an impostor from the start. He carded a 13 at the seventh and an 11 at the 12th. That 13 included three lost balls off the tee – despite the presence of ball spotters. An extended stay in a bunker caused the problems at the 12th.
Now I’ve not played Monktonhall for some time and I’m sure it would have been set up to prove a real challenge for the qualifiers. But I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone carding a 99 there, let alone a professional.
And a professional is what Spreadborough claimed to be. His playing partners didn’t complain and he wasn’t too slow so there was no question of officials stepping in and declaring his attempt at the big time a knock out. That at least allowed him to enjoy his purple patch: three closing birdies to guide him home in less than 100.
Of course it could have been an off day. The R&A are in no way suggesting that Spreadborough shouldn’t have been there. But stories like this do put everyone, and crucially the press, in mind of Maurice Flitcroft, the Open impostor par excellence.
Along with the emergence of Seve Ballesteros, Flitcroft was the big story at the 1976 Open. A crane driver and chain smoker Flitcroft had been hacking around some fields with a few clubs when he decided to enter some competitions. With no handicap he couldn’t play as an amateur so he declared himself professional. After that he tried to qualify for the Open: he scored a mighty 121, 49 over par.
Angered professionals demanded their entry fees back, they got their money, but they weren’t asked to explain how they failed to notice that his equipment amounted to a fake leather bag and half a set of clubs. Flitcroft tried again to qualify under a variety of assumed names including Gene Paceky and Gerald Hoppy. He was never successful.
Flitcroft himself said:
“I was looking to find fame and fortune, but only achieved one of the two. I was in show business. I toured with a revue, and I used to jump into a tank on the stage, I was a stuntcomedy high diver. The revue used to tour all the country and I would dive into this tank. It wasn’t all glass, just the front so the spectators could see what was going on under the water.â€
His golf, it would seem, was another way of finding fame through public humiliation. But Flitcroft’s name lived on. The Blythfield County Golf Club in Grand Rapids called a tournament (featuring greens with extra large cups and some with two flags to make things easier) after him. They even flew him out to play in it. It’s not clear what the Americans made of the Barrow-in-Furness wide boy but Flitcroft told them it was the first time he and his wife had left the house together since their gas oven blew up.
Maurice Flitcroft left people fascinated by his audacity. But, unfortunately for hapless pro’s like John Spreadborugh, he also left a prism through which the very worst golfing failures are viewed.
Time to Phil his Boots
I’m not a sports psychologist. So, I suppose, my opinion on this isn’t worth a damn. But here goes.
I would argue that Tiger’s enforced absence (the rehabilitation of the knee has begun – could the superman of world sport return quicker than we expected?) represents an opportunity for the rest of the field. An opportunity to win a devalued major? Possibly, but hey, I’d take a major if the rest of the field were playing with one leg, one arm and a blindfold. Bet a lot of us would.
A glance down the top tens at The Masters and The US Open throws up three unlikely names as the form players in this years majors (after Woods is removed from the equation): Miguel Angel Jiminez, Robert Karlsson and Brandt Snedeker.
Those three have posted two top ten finishes each in this years majors. They’ve shown consistency in the toughest arenas. Theoretically the next two majors are golden opportunities for that disparate triumvirate.
But my guess is they won’t be hogging the limelight in the run up to Birkdale this year. And this is where my cod psychology thesis comes in: step forward Philip Alfred Mickelson. The world number two is a whole lot of ranking points and a whole lot of majors behind Tiger.
But with no Tiger what can we expect from Phil? I would argue that this is Phil’s great opportunity, his last opportunity, to put a dent in Tiger’s armour.
Let’s imagine this summer: an inspired Mickleson takes his first Open and his second USPGA. He’s now won five majors. At the Ryder Cup, free from his nemesis, he becomes the talisman of a victorious US team that reignites the event as a contest.
Then Tiger returns, ring rusty and missing the home comforts that he has become used to. Mickleson, still revelling in the momentum of his Tiger free winning spree, is free of the inferiority complex that has damaged his challenge. He squares up to the Tiger. He beats him. It’s game on and Tiger no longer has everything his own way.
Suddenly Mickleson would be a real challenger to Tiger’s greatness. Tiger would have to raise his game. The two greatest golfers in the world, sparking off each other, feeding off each other’s exploits. Woods as golf’s Roger Federer. Mickelson, reinvigorated, as the Rafael Nadal of the links. Woods with the competition his genius deserves, Mickelson with the claim to greatness he craves, golf with the top level rivalry it longs for.
Can it happen? It could. Much was made in the run up to the US Open that Torrey Pines was Mickelson’s home course. It must, then, have hurt him to see Tiger “Hopalong†Woods claim the title, the glory and the status of Superman.
What better way to show that he’s got over it than to come out fighting and take his first Open. And that might be all it takes. The rest of this year will see Barack Obama and John McCain fight it out to gain momentum. Momentum is as crucial in politics (“the big mo†I believe they call it) as it in sport. For Phil an Open victory might be the spark that presidential hopefuls spend millions trying to find.
And, for Mickelson, 2008 is different. If he can start the momentum at Birkdale there is no Tiger shaped obstacle in the way. The tiny snowball can be a bloody great boulder by the time Tiger returns. Woods on the backfoot, Mickelson driving forward. It’s a mouthwatering prospect.
And if Phil misses the boat this time? Then that’s it I’m afraid. Maybe a couple more big wins here and there. Warm applause and rueful shakes of the head. Appreciation of what he’s achieved, sorrow over what he’s failed to do. And then someone else will come along and Mickelson won’t be number two anymore. And Tiger will pretty much have the history books to himself.
Open Returns To Thompson’s Great Stage
Success in sport can be a fickle mistress. Whatever the record books say there is very rarely an undisputed champion. Allan Wells won the 1980 100m gold at the Olympics. But the Americans weren’t there so, for some, it is an achievement forever diminished (that Wells went on to beat them all weeks later is not dwelled on.) Tim Henman got to six Grand Slam semi finals and was number four in the world. But he never won Wimbledon and there were always, at least, three players better than him the world. So he’s a failure.
Such is the lot of the only man to have won three consecutive Opens in the last century. He is not considered a true great because four of his wins came at a time when few Americans accepted the challenge of the British links.
Peter Thompson, however, was a great champion and he triumphed in an age of other great champions. And this year the Open rota returns to the scene of his first and last championship wins.
In 1954 Thompson won the first of his Opens at Royal Birkdale. It’s true that Ben Hogan didn’t turn up to defend his title. But Thompson held off the challenge of, amongst others, Bobby Locke to claim the Claret Jug. Locke was no slouch: he won the Open in 1949, 1950, 1952 and again in 1957.
Thompson, born in Melbourne on the eve of the Great Depression, found his true calling at the Open. In 1952 and 1953 he was second. He followed the Birkdale triumph with wins in 1955 and 1956. Then he “slumped†to second behind the imperious Locke in 1957 before winning again in 1958. A seven year stretch of finishing no worse than second. Not a bad record.
But he wasn’t playing the leading American. The currency of his domination was devalued. And it’s true that he didn’t find full time life on the PGA Tour to his liking. Although, in 1956, he did manage to finish ninth on the American money list. And he only played in nine tournaments.
In 1965, however, golf was changing. Gary Player had become the international golfer par excellence. Arnold Palmer had cultivated a transatlantic army and won back to back Opens in the early 1960’s. Tony Lema had won the 1965 Open. A chubby young guy called Jack Nicklaus was in the process of redefining the game.
Thompson, the man who dominated as American pro’s basked in splendid isolation, was ageing. He shouldn’t have had much of a chance against the new kids on the block. But he was back home at Birkdale. And not only did he have a chance, he wiped the floor with them to claim his fifth and final Open Championship.
The myth of the Australian who couldn’t beat the Yanks was put to bed. He didn’t just beat the Yanks he beat the very best of them.
Even without that victory it’s impossible to argue with his record. From 1951 to 1971 he finished outside the top ten on only three occasions and, in that period, never finished outside the top 25. As records in a major go that takes some beating.
It was his victories though that proved his brilliance and his mastery of the oldest championship of the lot. It is a record that only Harry Vardon has beaten and only JH Taylor, James Braid and Tom Watson have equalled. A pantheon of greatness that Thompson deserves to be bracketed in.
There will be more than a few Europeans who arrive at Birkdale this year with their eye on getting a chance to have a pop at the best America has to offer. They might like to remember the story of the unassuming Australian who proved that, when it comes to staking a claim for greatness, Birkdale is as good a place as any to start.
Park Emulates Pak to Become Youngest US Open Champ
Inspired by Pak Se-ri’s triumph 10 years ago, Park In-bee became the youngest winner of the US Women’s Open title when she triumphed by four strokes at Interlachen in Edina, Minnesota.
Just short of her 20th birthday, Park replaced Pak as the youngest winner, having first been introduced to the game by watching her older compatriot win the same tournament 10 years ago.
The nine-year-old Park was awoken by her screaming parents, who were celebrating Pak’s victory on television in Seoul. Only days later, she played golf for the first time, determined to one day emulate her idol.
And she did it in style, dominating the final 10 holes as she left second-placed Helen Afredsson far behind. She said in an AP article:
“When she (Pak) made a putt, they were screaming. So I really could not sleep. I didn’t know anything about golf back then, but I was watching her. It was very impressive for a little girl. I just thought that I could do it, too. Really, I can’t believe I just did this, especially with all these big names on the trophy that have been very, very successful with golf. Hopefully, I’ll put a couple of my names on there. It will be great.â€
Two birdies and a par on the way back to the clubhouse was enough to silence the pack as Park closed with two-under-par 71 for a four-round total of nine-under 283.
She picked up a cheque for $585,000 as well as a soaking from her compatriots Jang Jeong and Kim In-kyung, who poured celebratory beer all over her. Park became the third player in the last six years to use this tournament for her debut victory on the LPGA Tour.
Tied for third, one stroke behind Alfredsson were Angela Park, Kim and Stacy Lewis, who was attempting to win a major tournament on her pro debut.
While Park was becoming the young women’s US open champion, Kenny Perry was flying the flag for forty-somethings on the PGA Tour when he won the Buick Open for the second time.
The 48-year-old shot a six-under-par 66 in the final round for a total of 19-under-par 270 and a one-stroke victory over Woody Austin and Bubba Watson.
The triumph is probably enough to confirm Perry’s place in the United States team to contest the Ryder Cup against Europe this year at Valhalla.
Austin blew his chance to win the tournament after finishing with two straight bogeys for a fourth round of 68. Watson narrowly missed a play-off chance when he failed to hole a 12-foot putt on the final green.
Bob Tway, Ken Duke and Matt Jones tied for third on 271.
Perry’s main concern this year is to make the Ryder Cup because it is being played at a course that is near his home. It was also where he lost the 1996 PGA Championship in a play-off to Mark Brooks. He said on the PGA Tour website:
“I just feel like I needed to go back there. I want to go back, end of my career; it’s the icing on the cake for me to be able to play at my age. I’ll be 48 when it comes, and just in front of my home folks, just something I wanted to do.â€
On the European Tour, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal held off a strong chasing pack to win the French Open at Le Golf National with a total of 15-under-par 269.
Larrazabal, whose footballing compatriots won the European Championship later that night in Austria, carded a final round of four-under 67 to finish four shots clear of former Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie.
Denmark’s Soren Hansen was third on 274 with Australian Richard Green a further two strokes back in fourth place.
Larrazabal, who was a caddie for his brother five years ago, had to come through two rounds of qualifying to play in the tournament and was an outsider given his ranking of 481. Even he was at a loss to explain his victory, as he said on the European Tour website:
“I promise you I don’t know what I did. I know that today I played great golf. Today and yesterday was probably the best golf of my life. I played great golf at the qualifying tournament as well. Montgomerie is probably one of the greatest players in the history of The European Tour. I feel great. Right now I know that I can play like those guys so this is amazing.â€
The Penalty For 15 Clubs In A Stableford Fourball Match
A friend of mine emailed me with the question below regarding a golfer having 15 clubs in a stableford fourball match:
RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
“If you have time I have a question on the rules…
I was playing a fourball stableford competition yesterday, on the first green my playing partner discovered he had 15 clubs in his bag. I know in stroke play it would be a 2 stroke penalty, how is it applied in a stableford fourball?
The committee allowed my own score to stand on the first and did not deduct 2 points.”
RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“As your playing partner discovered that he was carrying 15 clubs during play of the first hole in stroke play he incurred a penalty of two strokes (Rule 4-4). If it was during play of the second, or any other hole, a maximum penalty of four strokes would have been incurred. Rule 31-6 confirms that in a four-ball stroke play competition the side is penalised for a breach of Rule 4.
For the way this is applied in a Stableford competition Note 1 to Rule 32-1b states,
Note 1: If a competitor is in breach of a Rule for which there is a maximum penalty per round, he must report the facts to the Committee before returning his score card; if he fails to do so, he is disqualified. The Committee will, from the total points scored for the round, deduct two points for each hole at which any breach occurred, with a maximum deduction per round of four points for each Rule breached.
Of course, once a player discovers that he started with 15 clubs he also has to declare which one he is taking out of play and if he subsequently uses this club during the round he is disqualified. If either player in a four-ball is disqualified under Rule 4 the penalty applies to his partner as well (Rule 31-7).”
Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.
Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.
Tiger Woods Goes Under the Knife
Tiger Woods is recovering from his second knee operation in 10 weeks, having gone under the knife to repair torn ligaments.
The world number one was forced to have another operation only days after winning the US Open earlier this month, when his grueling 91 holes, including 19 holes of play-off golf against Rocco Mediate, aggravated his tender knee.
It was Woods’ first tournament after having an initial knee operation soon after April’s US Masters at Augusta, where he finished runner-up. His surgeon, Dr Thomas D. Rosenberg, said in an AP article:
“We were confident going into this surgery, and I am pleased with the results. There were no surprises during the procedure, and as we have said, with the proper rehabilitation and training, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Woods will have any long-term effects as it relates to his career.â€
It was only after Woods won at Torrey Pines in San Diego, his 14th major title, that he revealed a double stress facture in his left tibia. This was in addition to the knee injury.
He then announced that he would miss the rest of the season, including the British Open and PGA Championship, in order to fully recover. Woods said:
“It was important to me to have the surgery as soon as possible so that I could begin the rehabilitation process. I am very appreciative of Dr. Rosenberg and Dr. Cooley and his staff’s guidance and look forward to working with them through the necessary rehabilitation and training. I look forward to working hard at my rehabilitation over the coming months and returning to the PGA Tour healthy next year.â€
His absence from the British Open at Royal Birkdale means it is the first major he misses as a professional since he joined the pro ranks almost a dozen years ago. Woods’ first major title was the 1997 US Masters, which was also his debut major as a pro.
Adjustable Golf Driver Rules Question
Ever since the launch of TaylorMade’s revolutionary r7 quad driver with Movable Weight Technology (MWTâ„¢) back in 2004 the following question has been a common one:
RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
“You seem to be helping everybody out with your golf rulings, I learn something every time I log onto your sites, now can you help us out down here in Australia?
During a matchplay round in our pennants competition, one of the players [he has one of those drivers with the heel and toe weighting system] noticed that one of the securing screws had started to come loose, he automatically tightened it up, his opponent decided that he had altered the playing characteristics of the club, I don’t think he had, what would be the official ruling?”
RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“Whilst there is no direct Decision relating to this situation my opinion is that, in equity, the player should not be penalised, providing there was no intention to change the playing characteristics of his club when tightening the screws.
I assume that the screws came loose during the normal course of play, in which case the player is entitled to repair it, or have it repaired, without unduly delaying play (Rule 4-3a).”
Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.
Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.
Understanding Golf Rule Decision 16-1d/5
Every week I see a limited knowledge of the Rules of Golf leading to incorrect decisions, here is one recent example:
RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
“How are you? I have a question regarding a rules decision. In our social club competion the winner was penalized 2 shots for testing the green.
What he did was to rub his dirt covered ball on the green to clean it (because the green was wet) just before he putted. Was this a valid penalty?”
RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“Decision 16-1d/5 deals with this circumstance;
Q. May a player clean his ball by rubbing it on the putting green?
A. Yes, provided the act is not for the purpose of testing the surface of the putting green. It is recommended that a ball be cleaned in other ways to eliminate any question as to the player’s intentions.
It would seem that your committee was wrong in penalising the player, unless they had some good reason to suspect that his intent was to test the surface of the green. There are many circumstances like this where a partial knowledge of the Rules leads to wrong decisions.
Others are, that knocking a leaf down in a practice swing, rolling a fellow competitor’s ball back across the green to him, or entering a clubhouse during a round, always incur a penalty. Not so.”
Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.
Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.
Cink Ends Four Years in the Wilderness
Stewart Cink ended a four year title drought when he lifted the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Cink shot a three-under-par 67 to finish at 18-under-par 262, a career best effort for him. It was also only the second time out of 10 tournaments in which he actually ended up winning after going into the final round in the lead.
He held a two-stroke overnight lead before prevailing by one over Tommy Armour III and defending champion Hunter Mahan at the venue where he had won his first career title as a rookie. Cink said in an AP article:
“I know there has been some talk that I have not been a closer. They had every right to say that, because I felt the same way myself. So I felt that I had something to prove to myself. Well I think the first thing is I can’t believe it was this long since the last one. You know, I feel like I’ve played well enough along the way to have won a couple but, you know, sometimes when you have to wait a little bit you have to go through a few extra trials, and it seems a little bit sweeter.â€
However, he had to fight off some determined challenges from the two runners-up, who had threatened to take him to a play-off. At 48, Armour was aiming to become the oldest PGA Tour in 2008 but missed a 40-foot put on the 72nd hole that would have tied him with Cink.
Mahan also had a strong finish, shooting birdies on the final two holes but it wasn’t enough to dislodge the leader.
Armour and Mahan both had fourth rounds of 65 for their 263s with Heath Slocum a further stroke back after his closing 67 and three-time major champion Vijay Singh alone on fifth on 266 after a 68.
On the European Tour, Martin Kaymer broke a barren run for Germany by winning BMW International Open at Munich Eichenried, although he had to endure a torrid time before beating Denmark’s Anders Hansen in a play-off.
Kaymer almost suffered a choke of Norman-esque proportions when he squandered a six-shot overnight lead to come home in 75 for a total of 15-under-par 273.
That put him tied for the lead with Hansen, needing to birdie on the par-five 18th to force a play-off. Playing the 18th again, Kaymer hit a six-iron to within seven feet while Hansen’s hopes evaporated after he found two bunkers. Kaymer eventually two-putted for victory.
Kaymer, who had a triple-bogey eight on the 11th hole, was in tears at the victory ceremony, dedicating the triumph to his seriously ill mother. He said:
“It was very exciting today, but to be the first German to win this tournament is very special for me. It was a great support out there today, and I can’t wait to play next year. To win in my country is very special for me. I was leading after three days with six shots, and they were gone after six, seven holes already, and I just kept fighting and brought it home.â€
A trio of Englishmen, John Bickerton, Paul Casey and Mark Foster, shared third place, two strokes behind the play-off men at 275.
Golf Tries to Assess Impact of Tiger’s Absence
When Tiger Woods first burst on to the scene, now more than a decade ago, he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show with his father, Earl.
The famous host asked Earl, in his son’s presence, if Tiger was bigger than the game. His answer was an emphatic “absolutely not!â€
Indeed, we would all like to think that no athlete is ever bigger than his sport. It is the sport that makes an athlete, not the other way around.
Still, let’s give ourselves a test, to see how we really feel in our hearts. It is one thing saying “no-one’s bigger than the game†and another to actually believe it.
With Woods out of for the rest of the season because of the knee injury he aggravated en route to winning the US Open, plus other injuries, it means he will miss the year’s last two majors, the British Open at Royal Birkdale and the US PGA Championship.
The test is simple. You have to answer just one question, which is: Do you feel the last majors of the season have lessened in value because of Tiger’s absence?
There’s no need to shout out your answer, but consider what your honest feelings are. If you feel no, then you are true to the “no one’s bigger than the game†mantra. However, if you feel even a tinge of yes, well … surely not.
There has been much discussion in the media and web forums about the impact of Woods absence for the rest of the season. Most agree that golf is the loser.
Many sports fans tune into tournaments specifically to see Woods. If he doesn’t play, they don’t watch. When Tiger won his first major, the 1997 Masters, he was talked about as a messiah for the game.
It never happened. The number of golfers in the world didn’t suddenly boom because of him, according to some media reports.
The predictions were that more golfers of Tiger-esque strength and skills would follow him on to the courses. But the reality is that there is really no one who can touch him.
The person who has benefited most from the Tiger Woods phenomenon is Tiger Woods himself.
The PGA Tour, where he plays most of his golf, only really does well in the ratings when Woods is playing, which he does selectively and, for the rest of 2008, not at all.
We now have to wait until April next year, a whole 10 months, before we might see him attempt to add to the 14 majors he has already won.
Whoever wins this year’s Open will have a tough time. Every journalist will be itching to ask the question: “Is your victory devalued by Tiger’s absence?â€
In the meantime, we have Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and a host of others who will vie for honours and try to carry interest in the game.
