Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Golf Punk at the Open

If you're looking for daily pics from the Open you've found it!


Golf Punk at the Open
7/12/2005 9:19:22 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [3] 

  Monday, July 11, 2005

The GolfPunk Magic Bus

So it’s goodbye to Jay Haas and hello to Freddy Jacobson. Terrific. Superb. First class - as Monty might say. Hardly in the form of his life is he, but as he invited me round for drinks at his house with Jesper and Per Ulrik last year, talks like a slightly comical Scandinavian version of Terminator you’ll have to forgive the editorial bias.

 

Never been round Tino Schuster’s place (surely only a matter of time) and Brad Faxon’s invitation for his barbecue is still in the post. You have to take your Titleist visor off to The Mad Faxer (embryonic GP cartoon idea still ‘in production’) for making the effort to turn up for qualifying. What a palaver, that is. Four billion people competing for just three places in another competition with a nice jug as first prize.

 

Two of Our Men Against The World got through to final qualifying – Mark Fairhall carded two solid rounds at Scotscraig of 71 and 72 to miss out by just a few and there were big hopes for James Heath after an opening 66, only for him to miss out after a second round 74, dammit.

 

The GP tour bus sets off for St Andrews tonight, with an army of lunatics on board. Big Dan’s off and running around in search of helium, sleeping bags and 260 yards of computer cable. If you want to organise a welcoming committee, get to The Gin House in St Andrews around 7am. Bring deodorant… King Of Wales



7/11/2005 5:01:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Friday, July 08, 2005

Introuducing GolfGirl

We were quite busy so we sent our Stateside intrepid far from tepid reporter Dr Sharon Morgenthaler aka GolfGirl to report on life behind the ropes at the Booz-Allen Classic. We like to prepare our charges so packed her off with nothing more than some old GolfPunks and a cheeky smile and told her to get on with it. And you know what she only bleeding did.

On the Dance Floor
GolfGirl goes to the Booz-Allen Classic Part 1

I came of golf age in the shadow of the mighty Congressional Country Club. But it was not on my playing radar. I am a municipal girl, playing the fine public courses of Maryland, USA. But to see the mighty Congressional, with its hundred year old fairways and the beast sleeping at the 17th hole, is to enter a headier realm of golf.

I had high hopes of being invited to play Congressional. I did everything right: I practiced hard and slept with a member! Sadly, it turned out that he was one of those men who would not, could not golf with a girl. He was notoriously intense and was known to have a passion for the sticks. We could talk golf, drink golf, and exchange balls, but bring up the question of playing and the answer was, “I’m not ready. It’s an ego thing.”

To get to Congressional became a personal quest. I didn’t even envision playing the course, I just wanted to get through the damn gates without crashing them. I assumed this meant meeting another graying rich member. It did not. It meant riding the tails of GolfPunk all the way to the press tent.

From across the pond, GP sent me a press pass and a couple of copies of past issues, along with the edict to stay nice. I was on my way with some sexy mag covers, a digital camera, and no concept of the power of a press pass, or how to work a tournament. I also had no bunker babes or party trailer, not even a goddam GP visor! I took this to be a test of my staunchness. I saluted good-bye to my day job for a week and drove over the tracks to the nice side of town where the wealthy play.

I arrived on a practice day. I had no real plan; as much as I love GP (and I really do), my legitimate arrival at Congressional was my aim. The minute I drove into reserved parking my quest was complete even if nothing else happened during my stay. However I did have a couple of strategies that had worked on the muni courses: no sunglasses or cap, let the red hair fly and the big blues do their work. Simply smile, look men in the eye and say (my greatest line) “HI!”.



I found my seat in the media tent labeled “Golf Punk”, right next to Golf Weekly. Oh, it was a moment. I sighed happily. Everyone else had lap tops, heavy duty cameras, and an air of efficiency. I had an issue of GP with a babe on front. I put it on the table, cover up and sat back. A nanosecond passed. A man glanced over, and glanced again. He nudged his friend to look. I smiled and looked them in the eye. RESULT! CNN and Golf Weekly were mine.

To be continued….

Words and Photos by Dr Morgenthaler

7/8/2005 5:09:49 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Thursday, July 07, 2005

Bad Day At The Office

One extraordinary day follows another. Locked into radio broadcasts at GP Towers in Brighton. All very quiet, despite mammoth workload in preparation for The Open. Why our workie David (host of the immortal Cabbage Patch Open, no less) is trying to get hold of a megaphone and tickets you get on the meat counter at Tescos is anyone's guess. Anybody know where to get cheap insurance so we can ferry people to and from The GolfPunk Clubhouse in our fleet of ClubCars? If so, get in touch. At least the GolfPunk blimp is back in action. Last year in Troon it nearly brought the whole chimney stack down at The Anchorage, but it's been patched up and re-inflated and looks as good as new. Which is more than can be said of us lot. Pass the helium...

Words by Iestyn George

7/7/2005 5:23:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Wednesday, July 06, 2005

London beats Paris to 2012 Games

The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London, the International Olympic Committee has announced.

London won a two-way fight with Paris by 54 votes to 50 at the IOC meeting in Singapore, after bids from Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated.

Prime Minister Tony Blair called the win "a momentous day" for Britain.

Paris had been favourites throughout the campaign but London's hopes were raised after an impressive presentation by Lord Coe, the bid chairman.




7/6/2005 3:06:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Tuesday, July 05, 2005

A Swedish major in sight?

International GolfPunk Kenne Jonnson asks the burning question on the cold lips in Stockholm, "Are we gonna get a Swedish major winner or what?" .... but better!

Whether Swedish golf is close to getting a male Major winner is an issue golfers talks about in all locker rooms. Will we ever get one? Who will it be? Some say that we in general do not have the same fighting spirit as players in other countries. Why? Is it the background where the players preparing for a professional life have too much safety? Yes we are good at taking care of everyone that wants to be a golfer. But is this good when learning to fight and strive for titles in the badlands of the real world?

Waking up on a Masters morning knowing that not a single Swedish player will play the weekend makes one ponder even more. One must not forget the wives of Woods and Bjorn and I think even Scott has a Swedish girl (Adam if that is wrong the first pint @ the Scandinavian Masters is on me). And who knows. Perhaps one day they can persuade them into seeking Swedish citizenship. We have the world #1 player Annika Sörenstam. We have Sophie Gustafson and Catrin Nilsmark captain of The Solheim Cup and the 1988 US Open winner Lotta Neumann. And there are many more with Linda Wessberg and Cecilia Ekelundh leading the way. In the past we’ve raised many good players but still we talk of the first Major. There will never be a male counterpart to Annika so lets leave the girls and go into the boys’ locker rooms. Jesper Parnevik or Spaceman – still don’t know if I love his swing or hate it - has been close. And Freddy J, Carl P and our fishing lover Haeggman are three very talented players on the track. Perhaps Swedish golf is in as good a shape as it ever can be. But is this enough? Perhaps but I cannot help but be sceptical of how we will make it to the top consistently fighting for a Major? I say we need to let the young players travel on their own without today’s back-up. Let them play tournaments at British links. Fighting other players as individuals instead of in teams. After missing a cut sitting alone crying in a hotel room is perhaps the way to raise a winner. Learning how hard life on tour actually can be. Let them decide if this is the life they really seek. The first Swede winning a Major will differ from the rest. He will definitely have a mind for the game and yes we do have some potential out there today. But even with all this in mind there is still the £10 000 question. - When will we get a major?

Words by Kenne Jonnson



7/5/2005 8:12:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Wednesday, June 08, 2005

The GOLFPUNK. Essential 100 - The Greatest Golf Stuff of all time

It’s here! After months of deliberation, a fair bit of pondering and the odd blazing row the GolfPunk Essential 100 is ready to be unleashed on the public in fancy shiny book form. A celebration of the greatest golf stuff of all time it is available exclusively in WH Smiths.

We worked tirelessly because we were desperate to create something as beautiful as the game of golf itself; a book reflecting just how glorious, inspiring, and compelling it can be. This is not a definitive list of the best 100 players or the 100 greatest courses. Golf inspires different people in many different ways and the Essential 100 celebrates the eccentrics and the showmen, the celebrations and the heartbreak - it’s a rollercoaster of stunning photography and amazing facts, all celebrating the greatest game in the universe.

Come on in, the grass is lovely...

OUT NOW EXCLUSIVLEY IN WH SMITH HIGH STREET

6/8/2005 9:42:34 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Friday, May 27, 2005

Bunkered, golf's progress

GOLF has come a long way since players swung curved sticks at hand-sewn leather balls stuffed with feather.
But, despite all the modern hi-tech aids to a better game - from titanium-coated drivers to graphite-shafted irons - players are generally not getting the ball into the hole any sooner.
The average golfer still takes 100 shots for 18 holes, says the National Golf Foundation, a U.S. industry research and consulting service.
And even among the professionals on the PGA tour, the scores of the best players have increased only by 0.28 of a stroke over the past ten years.
In 1995, the average score posted on the tour was 71.18, while in 2005 it is 71.46.
Among serious amateur players, the improvement in handicaps has been 'slight' over the past four years.
In 2000, the average male handicap was 15.7 and in 2004 it was 15.2. Among women, it improved from 15.7 to 15.2 over the same period. The statistics are not being trumpeted by the big sporting manufacturers, who spend millions of pounds convincing golfers that their dream of hitting balls like Tiger Woods still lies in buying the newest equipment.
Rick Martino, director of instruction of the PGA of America, says one reason may be that while equipment has improved, courses are harder.
Other experts say thousands of elderly people are taking up the game and most do not practice enough, so their poor performances impact on statistics.


5/27/2005 8:57:50 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0]