Hello everybody and happy new year to you all. We've rather reluctantly returned to GolfPunk Towers for another year packed full of wonderful surprises, sublime golfing, innovation and general website brilliance. (If anyone knows how to achieve the latter all answers to the usual address please.)

We'll get all formalities out of the way with a generic "I trust you all had a nice holiday" to all our blogroll and reader friends. Some of them have been hard at work such as Bogey Lounge who is bearing the torch for Asian golf; "the world's most populated region (60% of the world's population)". With the upcoming Royal Trophy between Europe and Asia we could get a good insight into the state of the game there at the moment.
Golf fore golfers have been keeping an eagle eye on all the behind the scenes action at the current negotiations between the PGA Tour and the TV networks over current licensing rights, particularly ABC's decision to pull out of the running.
Golfchick seems to have sidestepped the whole festive season to pursue her golfing obsession, spending hours nose-deep in Ben Hogan's wisdom and the Golf Channel. I'm sure we'll read the results soon
We, on the other hand, got stuck in front of a log fire as the snow and ice captured most of the courses in Blighty. A few berks ventured out and webitor bloke Sifa was particularly proud of the 35 points he notched up around Singing Hills GC (the best christmas present he got). He reckons this is the start of a 2006 revolution so watch this space.
In the meantime we've come across a fantastic website www.despair.com that lends its own unique world view to everybody's new year resolutions and the whole 'positive thinking' mantra. We've included one that might be appropriate to us all.

To view more click: www.despair.com

1/4/2006 12:38:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Ernie Els continued his fantastic return to form with a second placed finish in the South African Open.

Retief Goosen held off a late challenge from Els to win the title shooting a final round of 70.

Two late birdies in the last two holes sealed victory for Goosen. He even managed a spectacular chip in on the 17th hole to move one shot clear of his South African counterpart.

12/18/2005 10:21:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

All invitations welcome......

'Awwww, that feels good'

12/18/2005 10:16:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

It seems in some parts of the world they are getting really arsey about slow play.

12/18/2005 10:13:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Ross Fisher continued to take on the mighty Fancourt links with an impressive second round of 70 to hold the outright lead at the South African Open.

He is now five shots clear of his nearest rival, Retief Goosen, with his eight-under par total.

Defending champion Tim Clark was tied for the lead with Fisher after the first day but stumbled to a 78 .

The course is proving to be so difficult that Fisher will have to put in maximum concentration if he is to hold onto his lead.

Second placed Goosen critised the course saying that the pin positions and bunkers were "ridiculous"

12/17/2005 1:00:02 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

It seems that Chelsea and Arsenal were on Santa's naughty list after being handed two of the toughest draws in the next round of the Champions League. Chelsea will face Barcelona, who are arguably playing the best football in Europe this season, and Arsenal will face Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The draw in full is as follows:

Barcelona v Chelsea

Real Madrid v Arsenal

Weder Bremen v Juventus

Bayern Munich v AC Milan

PSV Eindhoven v Lyon

Ajax v Inter Milan

Benfica v Liverpool

Rangers v Villarreal

12/16/2005 3:44:18 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Englishman Ross Fisher leads the South African Open with defending champion Tim Clark after the first round.

In conditions which most of the field described as impossible, the duo both carded five-under par rounds of 68.

Hot winds blew across the Fancourt links hardening the grees and pushing them up to 'unputtable' on the stintmeter.

Big name casualties included Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, both of whom were unable to break par.

Henrik Nystrom is in third place after a 69 but still described conditions as "a bit like a US Open."

Winds are predicted to blow for the remaining three days so players better start holing their approach shots or there could be some embarrassing moments ahead over the weekend.

12/16/2005 3:20:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Michael Campbell plans to copy Tiger Woods mental and physical approach to his game next year.

The New Zealander will cut his schedule from 34 to 26 tournaments to get himself in peak condition for next season.

Campbell said: "I'm the type of person who says yes all the time and I'm learning to say no for my own survival. I must make sure every time I go out I'll be ready."

Campbell admitted that there were times this year when he felt tired mentally and physically but that didn't stop him from having one of his most successful ever seasons.

He won the US Open and finished second in the European Order of Merit. So next year we predict that Cambo will romp the majors grand slam and the money list as well as solving the Common Agriculture Policy currently puzzling the EU and be able to finish a Rubick's cube in under 30 seconds.

12/16/2005 2:56:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0]