Tuesday, May 20, 2008
O2 To Be A Golfer

Did you see a wayward TaylorMade TP Red LDP in central London yesterday lunchtime? You see the Mick Hucknall* and Justin Rose where launching stingers from the roof of the O2 Centre. Chances are it was the Simply Red front man who narrowly missed you. If you’ve seen Rosey drive you know he would have at least cleared the area covered by the congestion charge.


The 2007 Order of Merit winner was joined on a bespoke tee, 50 metres up, by the singer song writer to officially launch the 2008 BMW PGA Championship which kicks off in earnest on Thursday.

The flame haired crooner is new to the game but knew a thing or two about his high flying swing coach, ‘to get some pointers from Justin is brilliant. I have huge respect for what he has achieved and look forward to seeing how he gets on this week.’ So are we. We’ve stuck the sweets kitty on JR at 28-1.

Hucknall will be performing with Simply Red at the exclusive, charity ‘Concert on the Course' on Wednesday evening at Wentworth Club with the proceeds going to GOLFAID.

The charity was set up by The European Tour players’ wives and was established in 2006 to make grants to organisations and charities, particularly those assisting children and young people. With the full help and support of Members and staff of the Tour, the players have taken over responsibility for moving GOLFAID forward.  Their aim is to support a range of noble casues including charities located close to the events they play.

So not only will people get to hear most of Simply Red’s greatest hits at the ‘Concert on the Course’ they’ll be doing good for a generation who may never have heard of them.


"Just, can I borrow a sweet?"
"Soz Mick, gummies too slight to lend some."

If you want to see the likes of Angel Cabrera, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, José  Maria Olazábal and Vijay Singh and a strong British contingent including Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Luke Donald, Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood in the flesh, visit www.europeantourtickets.com or call the ticket hotline on 0800 023 2557.

See you there.

*Mick Hucknall didn’t drive balls into crowds in central London yesterday, not on purpose anyway.




5/20/2008 3:10:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
Ritter Sweet Swing For Me...

Our American doyen of drives, pharaoh of the fairways and guru of the greens, Jeff Ritter, is flying over this August to teach you lucky bleeders how to play this daft game we call golf. 

Now he might not pull out the rockets, planets and Ferraris he uses in his drawing board lessons in GOLFPUNK magazine, but he'll be able to get your swing into shape for the arduous winter season. The swing school takes place at Blundells Hill Golf Club on Merseyside on the 26th-27th and 28th-29th Aug and cost $850, which is £431.75 in real money. With around five in a class you’ll get enough of Jeff’s time to make a difference.

Visit Jeff’s web site www.jeffrittergolf.com for more information on his unique style of coaching.

For more information or to participate in his unique swing school, contact Jeff Ritter at jritter5@cox.net.


Jeff Ritter. King of swing.


5/20/2008 3:00:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
Learn And Golf

Here’s a little user service via you pals at GOLFPUNK. Anyone who lives on this side of the pond probably won’t have a clue about what we’re banging on about but aspiring American golfers should find this useful.

collegesportsscholarships.com are a non profit website who provide info and stats about college golf scholarships and the golf recruiting process.

They reckon, “With hard work, and the information and tools we provide, you can attain your goal and play College Golf.”

Which sounds like a dream come true to us. If this applies to you have a look.

And if you end up on the PGA Tour off the back of it be sure to give us a call, we could always do with a new cover star.

Be lucky.


"Woosy, can I borrow your science homework, the dog ate mine."


5/20/2008 10:19:46 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Monday, May 19, 2008
Euro Legend Backs The Stars And Stripes.

Golfing legend and inspiration to a generation Seve Ballesteros has come out with something nobody in GP Towers, nay the world, ever thought he’d say. Talking all things Ryder Cup with the Mirror the five-time major winner said, "I hope the Americans win this year in all seriousness." Que?

"I see the Ryder Cup getting very boring because we are beating them so badly. Everybody is losing interest." Ah now we see. Sort of.

Along with skipper Tony Jacklin, Ballesteros was at the forefront of Europe's rejuvenation in the competition in the early 1980s, culminating in victory at the Belfry in 1985, the first European win since 1957.

“I don't want to see a competition looking like a church service, I want to see a bullfight between the bull and the matador”

"My heart is always with the Europeans but my head is with the Americans for the good of the trophy." Said the shot making maestro.

Seve enjoyed a stormy Ryder Cup relationship with US captain Paul Azinger, with the pair clashing at the Belfry in 1989 and Kiawah Island two years later.

"We know how tough Paul Azinger is and how competitive he is," said Ballesteros.

"Nick, I was honly hoking."

European captain Nick Faldo has also had run-ins with Azinger over the years but Ballesteros believes the American's feisty character will bring some much-needed spark to the event.

"I don't think they will resort to bad sportsmanship but we need a little bit of something.

"Golf is a gentlemanly sport but we need some kind of controversy to make the news and make it competitive.” Which we’re all for. We hope the Spaniards comments are some sort of reverse psychology to inspire team Europe to another victory. But if there’s one man you can’t second guess it’s Severiano Ballesteros.




5/19/2008 11:41:59 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
Finch Makes A Splash With Irish Open Win.

Richard Finch claimed his second European Tour title on Sunday, winning the Irish Open by two shots despite a run-in with the water hazard at the final hole.

The 30-year-old had to dry himself off before three-putting to card a two-under-par 70, with his 10-under total of 278 leaving him two strokes clear of Chile's Felipe Aguilar.

Richard followed up his victory at the New Zealand Open in December, and has now climbed to fifth place on the Order of Merit after taking home the £330,297 first prize.

The water incident endeared him further to the large crowd and he marched down the fairway to loud applause.

"It was not a choice really," Finch said when asked about his early bath. "It was a bit of an awkward stance, but I never gave falling in a thought.

"The momentum of the follow-through took me round and in."

Languishing in 218th in the world entering the event, Finch now stands fifth on the Order of Merit, 105 places higher than he was last season, and is only just outside the top 10 in the Ryder Cup standings.

"I'm not thinking about that," said the man from Hull about his Ryder Cup chances. "I haven't even played in a major yet and my goal this year was to try to qualify for one of those."

GOLFPUNK diarist Rory McIlroy claimed seventh place on 282, with the 19-year-old rookie finishing with a 70. To put the golfing phenomenon’s finish into perspective defending champion Padraig Harrington was joint 31st on one over 289. And former Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie is still without a top-40 finish since January after he also shot a final-round 76 to be five over par.

Congratulations Rick. Winning tour events is far from easy and you provided us with one of those golf moments that will live long in the heart and mind. For anyone who hasn’t seen it click the image and enjoy.



5/19/2008 11:40:13 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
World No.1 Completes Sybase Hat-Trick.

Lorena Ochoa completed a hat-trick of wins at the LPGA Tour's Sybase Classic yesterday.

The world No. 1 had struggled at her previous two events, by her own very high standards, finishing fifth at the SemGroup Championship and tied for 12th at last weekend's Michelob Ultra Open. But Ochoa rebounded at the rain-shortened tournament, finishing one shot ahead of five players with an overall score of 10-under 206.

"It feels so good to have defended my title," said our Lorena, who captured her sixth title this season. “It was getting tight at the end, and I knew a lot of players were making birdies. But it was great to hang on."

Ochoa had to grind this one out rather than running away with it like her first five wins this year. Lorena won those events by a combined 37 strokes, with the closest margin being three shots.

"I think that was what was important. It doesn't matter how you do it sometimes; you play really good, other players struggle, sometimes you just keep yourself in a good position. Today it was different; it was a different win, but I enjoyed it a lot," said the girl from Guadalajara.

"Tht's three on the bounce, can I keep this one?"

Morgan Pressel went berserk and shot a final round 6 under 66 to zoom into contention and got within a shot after Ochoa bogeyed the ninth and she birdied 12 for her fifth birdie in seven holes.

"I think I had two holes where I didn't have birdie opportunities, and one of them I chipped in," said the 19-year-old Pressel who finished one shot off the lead with South Korea's Na Yeon Choi, Britain's Catriona Matthew, Sweden's Sophie Gustafson and Americans Brittany Lang.

The victory was Ochoa's 23rd overall and 20th since April 2006. The £153,217 prize pushed her career earnings past the £6 million mark, making her the fastest player on the LPGA Tour to reach that plateau.
The diminutive millionaire accomplished it in just over five years, more than four years faster than the old mark set by outgoing golfing legend Annika Sorenstam.




5/19/2008 11:34:09 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday Fun

Here's a rib tickler I saw on the web. Enjoy.


Golf genie bottles it shocker.

A lady took her husband to an ancient palace. In front of the palace there was a golf course. She wanted to play golf there but her husband told her, 'Honey, its too risky. If your ball hits one of the stained glass windows we’ll have to pay a shed load of money to fix it up.' But the wife was having none of it and continued to play. She tees up and with her first drive shanks it into one of the stained glass windows smashing it to pieces.

'I've repeatedly told you not to play here’ said the husband. “Where on earth are we going to get the rare stained glass to fix the windows, it’ll cost a fortune? Let's apologies and see what happens.'

So both of them climbed up to the floor that the glass was broken and knocked the door. Someone from inside called them in. They saw a very old man sitting inside the room with a broken bottle beside him.

The wife started, 'Err... we’re extremely sorry for what’s just happened, we’ll pay whatever it costs.'

The old man replied, 'No no, not at all. As a matter of fact you've done a great favour. By breaking the glass you’ve released me from a spell that kept me in that bottle for more than 1000 years. Now tell me how can I serve you?'

The couple jumped for joy as you would if you’d met a wish-granting genie. So the husband said, 'I want lots of, lots of money enough to cover my family for ten generations.'

The genie said, 'Your wish is my command.'

Buoyed by this the wife said, 'I want a huge house on a beautiful golf course in every country in the world.'
The genie said, 'Your will shall be done, but I also have a small wish.'

Grateful for what the genie had done they both said, ‘We’ll do whatever we can, just ask.'

The Genie said coolly, 'It's been more than 1000 years since I’ve felt the touch of a woman, may I make love to your wife once.'

The husband shouted, 'Of course not we can’t do that, out of the question.'

But the wife took her husband to one side and said, 'Look dear, we’re getting enough money to never worry about the next ten generations of our family and a mansion on a lavish golf course in every country in the world. So why worry? No one will ever know what we had to do for all this wealth.’

‘Wait downstairs and I'll right back.'

The husband reluctantly agreed and waited downstairs.
After ravishing her for almost two hours the genie asked the woman, 'How old are you?'

'I'm 25.' She said.

'Well how old is your husband?'

'Err…he’s 35, why?'

The old man replied, '35? Isn’t he a bit old to believe in genies?’

Boom and indeed boom.



5/16/2008 3:48:02 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
Tom Cruise Looks To Bond With Father-In-Law Over Golf

News in from the gossip pages. Tom Cruise has bought Katie Holmes’ dad membership to a prestigious LA Golf Club.

In a bid to bond with his father-in-law, the pint sized actor is said to have forked out £75,000 for him to join Bel-Air Country Club.

But the lovely Katie's dad, Martin Holmes, is apparently not a fan of the game, or the 2,000-mile trip from his Ohio home.

Although Martin has never spoken out about the diminutive Top Gun star sources claim he was unhappy when Katie started dating him in 2005.

We at GP Towers think, ‘who cares?’

The answer is quite a few people. When looking for more on the story we typed ‘Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, golf’ into Google there was 946,000 results. Whereas when we typed ‘Trevor Immelman” into Google there was 580,000 results.

Goes to show doesn’t it?

We’re not sure what it shows but it shows something.


Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, tee block out of shot.


5/16/2008 2:10:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Thursday, May 15, 2008
Ritter Tips - Bunker

GP swing coach Jeff Ritter knows a thing or two. In the first of a new series of swing tips JR gives advice on getting out of bunkers.  Take it away Jeff...

Bunker’s 

Easy as 1-2-3

By Jeff Ritter

Bounce

The first thing you need for good bunker play is “bounce.” Bounce is simply setting the clubface in a position to where it will enter and exit the sand with a consistent “splashing effect” versus a “digging effect.” To achieve bounce, open the clubface at address so that the scoring lines would extend just outside of your front foot (foot closer to the target). Although a sand wedge is you best play for most shots, any club with an open face creates bounce. It is not uncommon to try to play long bunker shots with a pitching wedge as long as the face is open.

Consistent Point of Entry

A bunker shot that comes out high, soft and spinning usually has a point of contact 1-2 inches behind the ball. Play your ball a little forward of center to ensure that you contact the sand first. To fine tune your impact, draw a line (2-3 feet long) in the sand perpendicular to your target line at your desired point of contact. Practice striking the line consistently. Hits ahead or behind would indicate less than quality shots.

Speed

Great bunker shots are played with a brisk, upbeat tempo. Practice striking the sand with some authority, as to throw the sand out of the bunker and onto the green. Once you experience bounce, coupled with speed, you will know what it feels like to be a master of the sand just like the guys and girls on tour.




For more on Ritter's tips check out jeffrittergolf.com




5/15/2008 9:55:48 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Annika To Call It Day

Annika Sorenstam has announced that she’s going to knock her illustrious playing career on the head at the end of the season.

Carefully avoiding the word "retire", she called it "the r-word," Sorenstam said the time was right, even though she has three victories in eight tournaments this season and has shown signs that she could make another run at the top spot in the world rankings.

Her swansong will be the Dubai Ladies Masters in December, leaving her enough time to add the finishing touches to her wedding in January 2009 wedding.

"The reason for this decision is that I have other priorities in my life," Annika said. "This is obviously a very difficult decision for me to make, because I love this game very much. But I know it's the right one. I'm leaving the game on my own terms."

She's also leaving while still within striking distance of several records, making the timing of her announcement surprising. Her 72 victories are third to Kathy Whitworth's 88 and Mickey Wright's 82, and her 10 major championships are fourth all time, five shy of Patty Berg's record 15.


Annika Sorenstam looks at alternative careers.

She shot the only 59 in LPGA Tour history early in 2001 and followed that by overcoming a 10-stroke, final-round deficit to win the Office Depot Championship at Wilshire Country Club to tie the record for largest final-round comeback.

Yet for all of her LPGA accolades, she might be best remembered for her appearance at the Bank of America Colonial in 2003, when she became the first woman since 1945 to play in a PGA Tour event.

She missed the cut by four shots, but gained legions of fans and elevated the levels of admiration and awareness of the women's game by shooting respectable rounds of 71-74.
"It would be very difficult to find another golfer who has done as much for the LPGA Tour than Annika," LPGA Tour Commissioner Carolyn Bivens said. "History is still being written, but it's not going to be easy to erase Annika's name from the record books."

Her dominance helped forge a friendship with the dominant male golfer of this generation, and said it was "sad to see the greatest female golfer of all time step away."
"But it's nice to see Annika did it on her terms," Woodsy added.
Due to the announcement it’s natural to write the super Swede’s golfing obituary but there’s still plenty to play for.

Catching world number one Lorena Ochoa looks unlikely but after her sensational start to the season it's possible. And if anyone can do it…




5/14/2008 10:39:59 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Kneesy Does It For Tiger

Watch out planet golf the big cat is back. Well back soon anyway.

Tiger Woods underwent arthroscopic surgery in April on his left knee, but he says he may be fit to play in the Memorial tournament, which starts on 29 May.
Woods said: "If I can't play before, then hopefully at the US Open.

The US Open, the year's second major tournament, takes place between 12-15 June at California's Torrey Pines.
Tiger also had surgery on the same knee in 1994 and 2002.
Before the latest operation, Woodsy was having another terrific year. He’s won three PGA Tour titles this season and hasn't finished out of the top five in five events this year.


Before.

Since having his surgery, Tiger missed defending his title at the Wachovia Championship. He also missed last weekend's Players Championship for the first time in his career. Sergio Garcia won The Players Championship in a playoff with Paul Goydos.
After winning, Garcia, a 28-year-old Spaniard who has had seven PGA Tour victories, had a quip about Woods not playing in the tournament.

"First of all," Garcia said, "I want to thank Tiger for not being here. That always makes things a little bit easier."
Woodsy said he did not take offense and would not use the statement for motivation when he returns to the game.

"I think it's just poking fun," Eldrick said, possibly through gritted teeth.


After.


But anyone thinking the surgery would slow Woodsy down are likely to be disappointed. The known gym junkie seems confident. "The rehab is going well". "I've been training hard. I'm getting sick and tired of riding the bike, though. I'm chipping and putting. I'm not doing anything beyond that.”
Woods added, "Hopefully I'll start hitting balls, start progressing soon and work my way up the bag."

Looking at how he did after his last bout of surgery you’d expect business as usual. He’s won 30 times and five majors since the knee operation in 2002.





5/13/2008 11:29:08 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
Sorenstam Wins By Seven At Michelob

Firstly apologies. At the beginning of the year we said Tiger could do the ‘Grand Slam’ and Lorena Ochoa would be all conquering on the LPGA.

It turns out we may have got a little carried away. With Tiger falling at the first hurdle the resurgence of Annika Sorenstam has put a halt towards Lorena’s march into the history books.
Sorenstam fired a five-under 66 to cruise to a seven-shot win at the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill. The former world No. 1 who went winless last year, took her third title of the season at Willamsburg, Virginia, with a 72-hole tournament-record total of 19-under 265.

"It was a very special one. I love coming here, I think it's a great golf course. I just haven't done well here in the past," said the super Swede, who picked up £115,000 for the win. "It means a lot to play well here. They've had great winners here in the past and I wanted to do something special this week."


Annika deals with the hosepipe ban in her own way.

Ochoa on the other hand, who was tied for second at halfway, slipped to joint 12th after a final round of 70.

"I was a little frustrated. It was a long week," said Ochoa. "I had trouble with the speed of the greens and they also broke more than I thought. It's time to move on to the next one because it wasn't my week."

Nice one Annika. Obviously we haven’t learnt our lesson and are thinking of some outrageous predictions for the rest of the season.

Boo Weekley to win the 2008 US Presidential race anyone?
You heard it here first.




5/13/2008 11:24:13 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Monday, May 12, 2008
Sergio Stands Up

Sergio Garcia won his first PGA Tour title in three years after beating Paul Goydos in a play-off to claim the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

The Spaniard became just the second European to win the event, joining 1987 winner Sandy Lyle. Largely missing in action since a heartbreaking play-off loss to Padraig Harrington at last year's British Open, El Nino thoroughly deserved his seventh US PGA Tour triumph.


"The goal is to keep getting better and the only thing this tells me is to keep working hard and believe in myself," he said. "There have been times when you doubt yourself [but] when I believe in myself, there's not a lot of guys out there that can beat me", said the Iberian dreamboat.

One who can is Woods, who missed the tournament due to recent knee surgery. "I want to thank Tiger for not being here," Garcia said, only half jokingly.



Goydos's Australian caddie, Scott Saginac, did everything he could to get his man across the line but without a bond villainesque weather machine he couldn’t control the wind. At the penultimate hole of regulation, Saginac talked Goydos out of hitting a nine iron at the famous island-green par-three hole. Instead, Goydos hit a wedge to the heart of the green and made a safe par, so when they returned to the same hole for the play-off, the Californian chose the same club again.


Unfortunately this time the crosswind that had been whipping left-to-right all day gusted at exactly the wrong time. Goydos's ball, which looked so good while it was in the air, came up just short, into the water, effectively handing Garcia the tournament.


"He hit a great shot," said Saginac who’s been working for Goydos for five years. "… Paul thought it was good, Sergio thought it was good, we all thought it was good. And then it dropped in the water."

Gutted.

Meanwhile many of the players expected to make the Ryder Cup team were given plenty to think about after a dreadful first two days of The Players Championship left many prominent names taking an early flight home.

Open champion Padraig Harrington, world No 10 Justin Rose and recent Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood, Paul Casey and Niclas Fasth missed the cut as tricky winds gusting up to 35mph around the Stadium Course at Sawgrass, in north Florida, caused havoc.

One of Faldo's predecessors, Bernhard Langer, showed he might still have another Ryder Cup appearance left in him by producing a round that he described as almost 'perfect'.


Congratulations Sergio. Even though we haven’t been able to find any quotes we’re pretty sure he did it for GOLFPUNK’s Shaun McGuckian. In GP 38 he and Owen Blackhurst argued if the Spaniard with the liquid swing would reach his undoubted potential. Shaun said ‘of course he will, watch this space’ and has been smugger than a mug of smog since Garcia’s winning putt.











5/12/2008 5:17:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 

  Friday, May 09, 2008
Tanzanian Golf

News from around Planet Golf. When I saw a golf headline with word Tanzania featured it tickled my interest. You see I’m Tanzanian and still have loads of family still living in the jewel of East Africa. Swelling with pride I read on hoping o bring you news about how the next big thing I was gutted to find out that the article was about how our lady golfers were far from brilliant. Ho hum, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
 
“Tanzanian golf trio of Betty Malaba, Sophia Viggo and Hawa Wanyeche returned home from Cairo yesterday where they competed in the ninth edition of the All Africa Challenge Golf Trophy held at Katameya Heights Golf Club.

The Tanzania team finished at the eight position out of 17 countries that competed in the 54 holes team event.

Only Wanyeche and Viggo managed to post their scores in the Tanzanian kitty for the entire three rounds as Malaba dropped out at early stages.



Tanzania posted a three-day scores of 168, 171, 175 for a total cumulative 514 strokes to tie with Cote d'Ivoire.

However, Malaba was a stand in player after teenager Ayne Magombe had made an eleventh hour pullout citing education commitments.
South Africa retained the title as it has always been the case with a three rounds combined score of 431.

Hosts Egypt, finished second behind eventual champions South Africa, edging Zimbabwe by 13 strokes.

Kenya which was earlier said to be best placed among East African teams in the event , crushed out at a shocking fifth position.
Malaba said the major reason for poor performance was toughness of the course that has numerous water pools and bouncy greens.
"The course was tough and full of hazards," said Malaba who competed in the inaugural event held in Harare's Chapman Golf Club in 1992.”

Maybe it was lost in translation but I didn’t think we’d done that bad.

To find out more about golf in Tanzania check out www.thecitizen.co.tz and search for golf.    




5/9/2008 2:00:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 


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