The Second Golfer

Pros or amateurs - we all get frustrated

2011-10-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

I'm at the SAS Championship in Cary this weekend, and I had the chance to ask Nick Price a few questions after his opening round of 66, one shot back of first-round leader Corey Pavin.

Price is a former No. 1 player in the world, and he's won three majors - an Open Championship and two PGA Championships. This year on the Champions Tour, he has eight Top 15 finishes, including a win at the Toshiba Classic in March. So, the guy can play.

But in the past few weeks, he admitted that he hasn't been playing well. After his nearly flawless performance in round 1 of the SAS, he said he might have figured something out. And that's what's so frustrating for Price - and the rest of us, as well.

"This game, it's so frustrating. The amateurs, you know, the guys I play with in pro‑ams, go, you just don't understand the frustration. Well, we get frustrated just as much as anyone else. It's funny, you know, you go through phases, and you think you learn, but for some reason I started looking at my divot pattern. You know, this is after literally six really poor tournaments, and the thing that I worked the hardest on the last two years I just neglected, and then I got back to doing it, and everything sort of fell into place again."

I think that just proves that professionals are just like us. They have to think about those 1,000 things during a swing, just like we do. Of course, I don't think I could figure out what my problem is just from a divot pattern. Now that Price has lengthened his backswing, his divots are straighter and more shallow.

"It's just giving it a little more room and it seems to lengthen my backswing and just give me a little more time to get back to the ball. So I hope it lasts. I never know in this game."

Neither do I, Nick. Neither do I.

Tom Kite plays in 1,000th tournament

2011-09-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

In 1971, Tom Kite qualified for the Masters, marking the beginning of a long run for the Texan. Now, 40 years later, he'll be playing his 1,000th professional golf event at the SAS Championship in Cary.

I talked to Tom Kite Thursday after he played a pro-am round prior to the SAS Championship, and he said luck played some role in his longevity. But in 1971, playing golf at 61 wasn't in his mind.

"I was wondering if I would get to two when I played the first tournament there," Kite said of the 1971 Masters. "I was an amateur, qualified for the Masters because of my finish in the U.S. Amateur, and quite honestly, that was the furthest thing from my mind.

"My goal was to get on the PGA Tour and try to become a pretty good player out on the tour."

Mission accomplished.

Kite has had 38 victories over the years, including the 1992 U.S. Open. Between 1989 and 1994, he spent 175 weeks in the Top 10 of the World Golf Rankings, and he's played on seven Ryder Cup teams.

Success or longevity never really entered his mind though.

"I just wanted to play, and fortunately I've been relatively healthy through the 40 years or 39 years that I've been out here, so I haven't missed many tournaments because of some injuries, and so all of a sudden 38 years later, 39 years later, here we are and it's 1,000." Kite said.

SAS Championship officials presented Kite with a cake marking the historic event as he teed off this morning at Prestonwood Country Club for the first round. It was the second time in three years that Prestonwood was the site of a player's 1,000th career start. In 2009, Leonard Thompson made his 1,000th combined-career start at the SAS Championship.

And Kite, who has six Top 25 finishes this year on the Champions Tour, said he has no plans to hang up his clubs.

"As I told a buddy of mine back home when he heard that I was having 1,000, I said yeah, 'I'm just older than dirt,'" Kite said. "He said, 'Yeah, you're older than dirt, but you're not in it yet.' I said, 'Yeah, that's a good point.'

"As long as I can stay out of the dirt and stay healthy, who knows how many this will get up to."

But it is getting tougher, he said.

"I'm still trying to compete, and there's this endless supply of 50‑year old rookies that keep coming at you" he said. "It's like a treadmill, it just keeps coming and coming and coming. In this particular case, there's no on/off button, it just keeps coming. So I'm going to try to stay on that treadmill as long as I can."

Congratulations, and good luck at the SAS.

Nike Dri-Fit socks

2011-06-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

I never really put much thought into socks. They've always been just a unseen part of my attire when playing golf.

But after trying a pair of Nike Dri-Fit socks, I'm a changed man. Thanks to a blend of cotton, nylon, polyester and spandex, I've found the best socks I've ever worn.

I think the key is the spandex. The Nike socks form to your feet like a mold - almost like they were made with your feet in mind. They say one size fits all. Well, I think these really do fit all sizes of feet.

The mesh fabric on the top of the sock allows lots of breathing room for your foot. And the fabric allows the sweat to evaporate rather than stay stuck inside the sock, which causes smelly feet. Reinforced heel and toe areas top off the form-fitting Nike Dri-Fit sock.

To be completely transparent, I've never tried the Adidas Climalite sock, which touts itself as a sock that provides maximum sweat protection and comfort. And it's true that I'm a TaylorMade guy - clubs, balls and Adidas golf shoes.

But I usually find something I like and stick with it. I can't imagine finding a better sock than the Nike Dri-Fit.

We'll see though.

2011 Rex Hospital Open

2011-06-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

Some call the Nationwide Tour the minor leagues of professional golf. And technically, that's true.

But that doesn't mean you're not going to see plenty of good golf - and excitement, as well. This past weekend at the Rex Hospital Open at TPC Wakefield in Raleigh, the tournament came down to the final group, with two players barely missing birdie putts that would have forced a playoff with the eventual winner.

Kyle Thompson won the event, moving into the Top 10 of the Nationwide Tour money list.

It definitely was a treat for me to cover the event, which included interviewing players, snapping photos and watching some of the future stars of golf.

Here are the links to my coverage. I hope you enjoy.

Tournament officials rearrange the course for the tournament.
15-year-old gets to play with the pros
Rex Hospital Open turns into a U.S. Open tune-up for qualifiers
Three tied after the first round
Former Tarboro golfer struggles on first day
Scott Brown leads after 36 holes
Spence Fulford rallies for round of par on second day
Three-way tie after 54 holes
Thompson wins with birdie on 18

I've covered PGA Tour and Champions Tour events in the past, but the 2011 Rex Hospital Open was one of the more exciting tournaments I've seen as a reporter.

Now, I can hardly wait until next year.

Photo: Eliot Gealy finished tied for 11th at the Rex Hospital Open, and he's competing in the U.S. Open this weekend at Congressional.

The first one's free

2011-06-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

So, I was playing golf the other day at Birchwood Country Club thanks to my pal, Lynwood Roberson. Birchwood pro Randy Davis played nine holes with us, and after my first tee shot, Randy asks me: "Do you want me to say anything about your swing, you know, to help you?"

Knowing that I need all the help I can get, I immediately said, "YES."

From experience, I know a lot of golfers hate when someone tries to "fix" them during a round of golf. Practice is for the driving range, they say. Not me, man. I take as many tips as I get - as long as they come from someone I trust.

I trust Randy. He's a good guy.

So, part of my problem - according to Randy - is that I don't break my wrists much at the top of my backswing. And then, I don't turn them over on my downswing, which makes most of my shots go right.

In other words, a very stiff-armed swing.

My fix has been to overcompensate by either aiming left or starting out with my clubhead turned over dramatically.

Randy's tip during the first nine holes was to hinge my wrists more and try to turn them over at impact. He said if I did this correctly, my shots will start going up and left.

I asked how to fix that, and he said, "One thing at a time."

So I did what he said, and I was consistently hitting everything left. But by then, Randy had ditched us.

I got a good lesson, and I appreciate it. But now what? I sent Randy a message about what to do next.

Nothing. Just my luck - the first one is always free.

My next plan - try to make a trade. To be sure, Birchwood needs some help with a newsletter or marketing or something.

Or maybe I can wash his car.

The future of golf looks bright

2011-05-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

This was a press release sent out on PR.com:

I don't think this ranks up there with Bobby Jones at the 1926 U.S. Open, but it does give us hope about the future of golf.

RALEIGH - Jonathan Price, a sophomore at Granville Central High School and a member of the Tarheel Junior Golf Tour, did something most people at his age would never think to do.

With a 6-inch tap-in putt for par, Price intentionally forfeited his opportunity to participate in the N.C. High School State Championship. High school junior golfers dream of winning the state championship, but Price had a different plan. A plan so amazing, that it included Michael Pope, a senior at Granville Central High School.

Price and Pope were forced to enter a playoff for the last possible individual qualifier for the state championship. After Pope three-putted the playoff hole, Price was left with an easy 6-inch tap-in putt for par to win the playoff.

However, Price never made the putt. He picked up his ball and disqualified himself so Pope, his friend and teammate, could attend the state championship as a senior. This act of sportsmanship showed tremendous character and heart.

Congratulations, Jonathan Price for being a true winner.

Eric Murray, tour director for the Tarheel Junior Golf Tour, said that this level of sportsmanship is rare but not surprising. Murray went on to say, “the members of the Tarheel Junior Golf Tour amaze me every day. The junior golfers that I’m around are amazing golfers, but they also have life skills that are way beyond their years. Jonathan’s act of unselfishness and sportsmanship exemplifies that.”

I agree.

Shaq vs. Chuck

2010-11-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I know it was a rerun, but last night, I saw for the first time the episode of Shaq Vs., in which O'Neal played Charles Barkley in a five-hole golf match. Shaq was paired with Anthony Kim, and Barkley played with Bubba Watson in an alternate shot format.

Kim and Watson are two of my favorite golfers, and you gotta love Shaq and Chuck. Shaq was making fun of the way Barkley walked, and Barkley was making fun of the way Shaq putted - on a couple of holes.

Barkley was up two shots heading into the final hole, but he hit his tee shot into the water on the par 3 hole. Then Shaq topped his tee shot, forcing Kim to hit an awkward second shot that stayed on the green, but way above the hole.

O'Neal got the last laugh when he drained a 25-foot putt to win the match.

The bet was that the loser would wear a pair of pink Shaq underwear on a public beach. Barkley, fortunately for everyone, refused and threw the undies into the pond.

PGA Championship

2010-08-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

Watching the PGA Championship this week brought back memories of my time at Whistling Straits a few months ago in Wisconsin.

Anyone who has a chance to visit Destination Kohler, stay at the American Club and play the Straits course - or any of the other courses there for that matter - should do so. Although it doesn't have history of Pinehurst or Pebble Beach, that's only because it hasn't been around as long.

The service was impeccable, the facilities top-shelf and the views of Lake Michigan from the golf course spectacular.

I was working on a piece for AAA Living about the then-upcoming tournament, and I sat down with this year's director for the last Major of the year - Barry Deach. Deach also headed up the 2004 PGA Championship in 2004 when it was held at Whistling Straits.

But initially, he hadn't planned on running the 2010 event - until Ryan Jordan resigned as tournament director in June 2009.

"I got a call out of nowhere," Deach said.

And to hear him talk about the facilities and people at Destination Kohler, it made sense that he returned to Whistling Straits for this weekend's tournament. But some of his comments seemed a bit contradictory to me.

Deach talked about how much fun it is to put on a Major tournament, but then he said he might see one or two golf shots during the four-day event. That just doesn't seem like fun because he's missing some pretty good golf shots.

Matt Kuchar, who leads the tournament at 5-under right now, holed out No. 13 from what? 100 yards out or so? Bubba Watson, in a four-way tie one stroke back, had a couple of amazing up and downs from the thick rough to save pars on 17 and 18. Jason Day finished with five birdies and made the turn at 34.

And even Tiger Woods, who played horribly last week, birdied his first two holes en route to a 71 for the first round. After a 3 on the par 4 10th, he blasted a 365-yard tee shot on No. 11, scoring a 4 on the 618-yard par 5.

After watching Woods' meltdown last week and knowing he was headed to Whistling Straits this week, I remembered something Deach said awhile back - even before Woods had returned to golf from his slef-imposed hiatus this year.

"We would welcome him with open arms," Deach said when it still was up in the air whether he'd play this year.

Then I wondered if Deach still wanted him there seeing how poorly Woods was playing. But Woods' answer to a report's question this past week puts that into perspective. The reporter intimated that Woods is the No.1 player in the world playing like the worst player in the world. Woods said that he might be the world's worst player, but he still could beat the reporter.

And even though Woods' 71 is only three strokes better than his opening round 74 at the Bridgestone Invitational, where he finished tied for next-to-last, it appears that he's hitting better shots.

We'll see.

Well, we will. Deach won't. He's having too much fun to watch golf.

Jason Day photo credit: Getty Images

Pinehurst: an experience

2010-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, I scratched an item off my bucket list. I played golf at Pinehurst.

Like most golfers, I had heard stories about golf at Pinehurst. One of my more special memories of Pinehurst No. 2 is watching Payne Stewart sink a 15-foot putt to win the 1999 U.S. Open. Four months later, he was dead.

I had heard that playing golf at Pinehurst is an experience. But what does that mean? An experience. Everything you do is an experience.

And after two days at the resort and two rounds of golf on Nos. 8 and 4, I on top of the world. But I still didn't get the "experience" factor.

Then I stepped onto No. 2. I thought about the history. The tradition. The restoration project to return No. 2 to more like its original Donald Ross design.

That's when I understood. It's not that No. 2 is a great golf course, worthy of its reputation. It's the golfers who came before you. It's knowing that you're standing in the same spot that legends did - Sam Snead, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagan, Frances Ouimet, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer. The list nearly is endless.

Stewart's putt in 1999 and his face-to-face celebration with a young Phil Mickelson are defining moments in Pinehurst history. But there's so much more history. Ben Hogan won his first professional tournament there.

Jones called it the "St. Andrews of United States golf." Ironically, sand from the Old Course's Road Hole bunker was poured into the greenside bunker on No. 18 in 2005 to celebrate the relationship between these two legendary courses.

But there also were less than stellar moments at Pinehurst No. 2. The same year Stewart made history there, John Daly was having one of his legendary meltdowns when he couldn't keep his ball on No. 8 green. Known for its turtleback greens, Pinehurst No. 2 has been confounding golfers just as long as it's been enchanting them.

And that's pretty much what happened to me. I was hitting the ball fairly well on the first two days of my trip, scoring well for me on Nos. 4 and 8. In fact, I shot my best round ever on No. 8 - a 91, just missing breaking 90 for the first time.

With five holes to go, I needed four pars and a birdie to reach this feat. I parred 14, 15 and 16. And because No. 17 was a par 5 and the closing hole a par 4, I knew I needed a birdie on 17 or I was lost.

My third shot on 17 ended up just off the front of the green and about 10 feet from the front-placed pin. I missed the birdie putt by 4 inches. On 18, I missed my par putt by a foot, and ended the hole with a bogey.

My confidence was off the chart, which I figured was good, considering I'd be playing No. 2 the next day.

But after a few holes, I realized that No. 2 was going to kick my butt that day. I think it was the combination of the awe factor and the greens that require pinpoint accuracy. It got to the point where it almost was funny.

Better golfers than me have been humbled by No. 2.

I ended up with a 103, about 10 strokes over my handicap.

Oh, but what an experience.

Northgreen Country Club deals

2010-06-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Northgreen Country Club is offering a couple of deals that I wanted to make everyone aware of.

First, owner Wayne Holloman is selling $100 cards good for five rounds of golf. Obviously, if you do the math, that's $20 a round - even on weekends.

Wayne also announced this week that he has overstocked his inventory of golf balls, so he's offering some incentives in an attempt to move them. And he's letting the buyers create their own deals.

"What incentive or deal could I offer you that would entice you to come and buy a couple dozen balls and get some of these off my hands?" Wayne wrote in his email. "I will sell them to you for less than you can get them at Dick's and give you a reward in addition for your purchase."

One example he used was: buy two dozen balls and get a round of golf for free. But he said he's looking for other possible incentives.

Be creative, he said.

To contact Wayne about the golf ball sale or the punch cards, email him at: wayneholloman@hotmail.com.

Weekend of the 16-year-olds

2010-05-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday, a pair of teenagers made a little history in North Carolina and Texas.

First, 16-year-old Grayson Murray became the second youngest golfer to make the cut at a Nationwide Tour event.

Also, Jordan Spieth became the sixth youngest golfer to make the cut at a PGA Tour event.

From what I read about Spieth, the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion, he is at 4-under after two holes in the third round of the HP Byron Nelson Classic in Irving, Texas. That puts Spieth tied for 22nd.

As for Murray, I didn't have to read about him. I witnessed most of his miraculous run of birdies on the back nine Friday at TPC Wakefield in the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh.

He birdied five of the last seven holes to for a 66 on the day, good enough for 3-under in the tournament. The final cut line, which had been at 2-under all day, eventually went to 3-under, and Murray was in for the weekend.

So far today, Murray is 1-over after nine holes and is tied for 57th at 2-under.

This has been a whirlwind month for Murray, a long hitter from Raleigh. Two weeks ago, sophomore at Leesville Road High School, won the state 4-A individual championship. Then, he earned a spot in the Nationwide event by winning the Rex Hospital Junior Invitational. He played in a U.S. Open qualifier on Monday.

And then he came to TPC Wakefield Thursday, where he scrambled to a 2-over 73 on the first day. After 11 holes on the second day, it looked as if Murray's wild golf ride was over for awhile - especially after he three-putted the 11th.

But he got mad and told his caddie that he was going to birdie out the round. Well, almost. Five out of seven ain't bad.

And it was good enough to keep him in the tournament.

Photos: Top, Jordan Spieth; bottom Grayson Murray

Not good enough to get mad

2010-05-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

When I first started playing golf a few years back, I promised myself that I wouldn't become one of those crazy, wild-eyed hackers who threw clubs, spouted obscenities and sulked down the fairway after a poor shot.

Initially, it was easy. I'm not supposed to be good, I told myself. I'm supposed to hit all those bad shots. My mantra was: "I'm not good enough to get mad at my game."

And for the most part, I was a happy golfer. A drive that went 20 feet in front of the teebox was embarrassing, but I didn't get mad. Hitting into the water or woods never bothered me. Three- or even four-putting was OK by me. Airmailing a short chip shot over the green resulted in nothing more than a sarcastic smirk and a shake of my head.

I felt badly for my playing partners, to be sure. I hated that they had to suffer through such a round, but I never stewed. I never stormed off the green in anger. No temper tantrums for me.

I wasn't good enough to get mad at my game.

Oh, what a little improvement to your game will do.

Earlier this month, I played a couple of rounds that included triple-free golf. Always, I had scored at least one triple-bogey during a round. It was just a fact of life. Then, all of a sudden, I was hitting the ball better more often. Doubles and bogeys were even becoming fewer and farther between. Three pars in a row made me feel like Payne Stewart or Jack Nicklaus. I even had my first birdie on a par 5.

So, heading into the Carolina Pro-Am event sponsored by Oakley, I was getting excited. Maybe I can contribute a great deal. My handicap still was high, so if I can play well, knock down a few pars and maybe even a birdie, we might score well. Winning even crept into my head.

Big mistake.

During a practice round for the event at Little River Golf and Resort in Carthage, I was hitting the ball so well. To be sure, I still wasn't a good golfer, but I was playing a lot better than I had three months ago.

I tripled the first hole after knocking my tee shot into the water. Then, a par on No. 2 and a par on No. 3, a 510-yard par 5 that's ranked as the fifth hardest hole on the course, put me on top of the world. For the round, 12 bogeys, three pars, two triples and a double en route to a 92, my second-best round ever in my life.

I was ready. I knew it. I was going to help my team and impress my buddy Bryan, a golf pro, who helps me with my game.

The one thing I forgot: I'm not good enough to get mad at my game.

For the first nine holes or so, I played like I did a year ago. Driving the ball off to the left into the woods; topping fairway shots and watching them go about 20 feet; chili dipping; hooking; slicing; hitting the big green ball before I hit the white ball.

And I got mad at myself. I can play better than this. What am I doing? Why am I hitting it so badly? All kinds of negative thoughts ran through my mind. I was sulking, pouting, not talking, grumbling. I was doing things that I had frequently criticized other golfers of doing.

Then, when Bryan asked me: "When are you going to get your head out of your butt?" I remembered, I'm not good enough to get mad at my game.

I apologized to my partners for my behavior. I started having fun again. And then, I started hitting the ball better.

My best shot came on No. 7, a short par 4 with water on the right. We had started on No. 13, so this was halfway through our back nine. It was our second shot on the hole, and we had about 175 yards to the hole. Everyone else was in the water with their approach shot, but I stuck a beautiful 3-hybrid right on the green.

I still wasn't good enough to get mad at my game, but I was good enough to sprinkle in some good shots with the bad - just like I'd always done. It's just now, those good shots are better and more often. I just need to remember that when - not if - I hit a bad shot, it's OK.

Bryan also reminded me that day that I have teammates. And thank goodness for that. Mark and Tyler were pretty good amateurs, and we used Mark's drive fairly often. Bryan, the pro in our group, finished in the Top 10 among professionals at the event. Our net score of 57 still wasn't good enough to win, but we sure had fun.

Except for having to deal with that clown stomping off the fairway after a bad shot. Oh wait, that was me.

Charity events in the Twin Counties

2010-05-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here is an updated list of charity golf tournaments in the Twin Counties.

If anyone knows of any others not listed here, please let me know.

Saturday, May 15
What: UPS-sponsored golf tournament benefiting the United Way Tar River Region
When: 9:30 a.m. shotgun start
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $65 per player includes green fees, carts, lunch and prizes: mulligans and red tee busters at $5 each
Format: Captain's choice
Who it helps: United Way Tar River Region
Contact: UPS Dee Hurley or Parley Potter at 977-0608 or Ginny Mohrbutter at the United Way at 937-2213.

Thursday, May 20 - Friday, May 21
What: Moose Charities Golf Tournament
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday meet and greet celebrities and auction; 8 a.m. Friday shotgun start
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $10 entry fee for auction and meet and greet; $300 per team includes green fees, carts, lunch and drinks; $400 per team with celebrity.
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: Mooseheart Charities, which operates residences and schools for teens and children across the country, including North Carolina. Celebrities scheduled to play include Bonecrusher Smith, Ed Bradley, Dick Conn, Abe Jacobs, Bucky Waters, Chuck Ramsey and Billy Ray Barnes.
Contact: Betty and Mike Robinson at 908-2176

Friday, May 21
What: The first Nash Health Care Foundation Golf Classic
When: 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun starts
Where: Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $150 per player includes green fees, carts, lunch, dinner and drinks
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: Nash Health Care Foundation's proposed Pediatric Emergency Department.
Contact: Brenning Daughtridge 443-8118 - extension 8583 or bjdaughtridge@nhcs.org

Friday, May 21
What: Edgecombe-Martin County EMC 14th Annual 4-H Golf Tournament
When: 11 a.m. shotgun start
Where: The Links at Cotton Valley in Tarboro
Who it helps: Edgecombe County 4-H organization
Contact: Gary Hicks 823-2171 or vivian_turner@ncsu.edu

Friday, May 28
What: The first O.D. Moore Scholarship Golf Tournament
When: 9 a.m. shotgun start
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $65 per player includes green fees, carts, range balls, lunch and drinks
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: The O.D. Moore Scholarship Foundation/Nash Central Senior High Alumni Association for graduation high school student.
Contact: Patrick Ford 469-9805; Allegro Cordell 469-1299; Earl Coley 301-523-7889.

Thursday, June 10
What: The Chamber Annual Golf Classic
When: 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun starts
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $400 per team includes green fees, carts, lunch and drinks; $700 co-sponsor includes team.
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: The Chamber
Contact: Bobbi Booth 973-1202 or bbooth@rockymountchamber.org

Tiger's mental game

2010-05-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

I think people are reading way too much in the break-up between Tiger Woods and Hank Haney.

It's not that split that's caused Woods' game to go south. It's more likely that the root of his problems - in addition to his physical ailments - is the break-up between him and his wife, Elin.

You know the old saying: "Golf is a game of inches, and the most important are the 6 between your ears." Of course, if Stewie Griffin or that football head kid from Hey Arnold ever picked up a golf club, I guess you'd have to the 11 or 12 inches between the ears.

Now, I know what you're thinking. This sounds just like the Gil Gerard speech. Wait, never mind. That's not important.

Tiger's competitive golf experience over the past six months has included three tournaments. He finished in the Top 10 at the Masters; he missed the cut at Quail Hollow; and he withdrew from The Players Championship because of a bulging disc. That was disc.

During this time, he's endured intense media scrutiny because of his infidelities. It's no wonder that he's struggling. In addition to being rusty and having a bad back, he's also trying to get his life back on track, deal with an impending divorce, win back fans and sponsors and deal with the media.

I know he dealt with much of this when he was on top of the golf world. But the layoff and injury combined with the stress of a divorce make it difficult to play your best golf.

That's why the split with Haney, I think, is not a big deal. Tiger knows the mechanics of golf. He knows how to play the game. To be sure, a coach helps.

But right now, Woods is in need of a mental coach more than a swing coach.

Photo credit: Reuters

Charity events in the Twin Counties

2010-05-05T07:56:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I helped organize the 2nd Annual Operation Nineveh Charity Golf Tournament at Northgreen Country Club.

And I've said this before: helping put together a charity golf event is no easy task. With that said, I want to help out others who are doing the same thing by promoting local golf tournaments here in this blog.

So here are a few events coming up, including two set for Friday.

Friday, May 7
What: 13th Annual Our Lady of Perpetual Help School Golf Tournament
When: 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. shotgun starts
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $75 per player includes green fees, cart, lunch and drinks
Format: Superball, double shotgun start
Who it helps: Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and scholarships
Contact: David Sherrod 908-7376 or david.sherrod@ncfbins.com

Friday, May 7
What: 11th Annual Chris Griffin Memorial Golf Tournament
When: 1 p.m. shotgun start
Where: The Links at Cotton Valley in Tarboro
How much: $300 per team includes green fees, carts, mulligans, lunch and drinks
Format: Captain's choice
Who it helps: East Carolina University athletics through the Chris Griffin Endowment. "Griffin, a Rocky Mount native, was a graduate of East Carolina University and a devoted fan of ECU Athletics. He was an avid golfer and a tireless supporter of the Pirate Club." Cancer took Griffin at age 46.
Contact: Kelley Tyndall - fax: 446-0443

Thursday, May 20 - Friday, May 21
What: Moose Charities Golf Tournament
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday meet and greet celebrities and auction; 8 a.m. Friday shotgun start
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $10 entry fee for auction and meet and greet; $300 per team includes green fees, carts, lunch and drinks; $400 per team with celebrity.
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: Mooseheart Charities, which operates residences and schools for teens and children across the country, including North Carolina. Celebrities scheduled to play include Bonecrusher Smith, Ed Bradley, Dick Conn, Abe Jacobs, Bucky Waters, Chuck Ramsey and Billy Ray Barnes.
Contact: Betty and Mike Robinson at 908-2176

Friday, May 21
What: The first Nash Health Care Foundation Golf Classic
When: 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun starts
Where: Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $150 per player includes green fees, carts, lunch, dinner and drinks
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: Nash Health Care Foundation's proposed Pediatric Emergency Department.
Contact: Brenning Daughtridge 443-8118 - extension 8583 or bjdaughtridge@nhcs.org

Friday, May 21
What: Edgecombe-Martin County EMC 14th Annual 4-H Golf Tournament
When: 11 a.m. shotgun start
Where: The Links at Cotton Valley in Tarboro
Who it helps: Edgecombe County 4-H organization
Contact: Gary Hicks 823-2171 or vivian_turner@ncsu.edu

Friday, May 28
What: The first O.D. Moore Scholarship Golf Tournament
When: 9 a.m. shotgun start
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $65 per player includes green fees, carts, range balls, lunch and drinks
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: The O.D. Moore Scholarship Foundation/Nash Central Senior High Alumni Association for graduation high school student.
Contact: Patrick Ford 469-9805; Allegro Cordell 469-1299; Earl Coley 301-523-7889.

Thursday, June 10
What: The Chamber Annual Golf Classic
When: 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun starts
Where: Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount
How much: $400 per team includes green fees, carts, lunch and drinks; $700 co-sponsor includes team.
Format: Super ball
Who it helps: The Chamber
Contact: Bobbi Booth 973-1202 or bbooth@rockymountchamber.org

Northgreen Country Club deals

2010-05-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Northgreen Country Club once was the place to play golf in Rocky Mount.

The ACC Championships were held at Northgreen, where players like David Duval, Fred Funk and Stewart Cink roamed the fairways and greens.

After a period of lackluster maintenance, new owners Wayne Holloman and his dad Ed are in the process of putting Northgreen back in its place as a premiere golf club in this area. They've refurbished the greens, which are top-shelf now.

And the fairways are looking better than ever.

To be sure, more work needs to be done, but it's getting there.

If you haven't been to Northgreen in awhile, you should definitely check it out.

Right now, Wayne is considering offering a platinum membership at the club for $199 a month. The price would include unlimited green fees and cart fees, as well as a free bucket of range balls per round.

"By rack price, you would only have to play six rounds in a month to break even on the deal," Wayne said in an email. "This is a great deal, and I am considering it and will probably give it a try if I get enough interest."

Contact Wayne via email if you're interested: wayneholloman@hotmail.com

Even if you're not interested in a membership, you should play the course. You'll be surprised if you haven't played it since the Hollomans took over.

Energy bars and balls

2010-04-27T11:29:00.001-07:00

Last week, I played in the Operation Nineveh charity golf tournament at Northgreen Country Club.

I know, that's not news. I helped organize it, and I've been promoting it for weeks.

But what is news is what I discovered at the event: energy bars and ball that I like.

You know how you play in some charity golf tournaments, and you'll get a bag full of pencils, rulers and refrigerator magnets? Stuff that you'll either throw away or never use?

Well, thanks to my friend, Bryan Bush, I discovered a brand of golf balls - other than TaylorMade - that I like. I also discovered an energy bar that was pretty tasty.

Srixon might not be my first choice of golf balls when I ask my Mom for a Christmas present, but it's definitely my second favorite. And I believe it's a better ball than any Titleist I've played, which include the Pro V1 and Pro V1X.

SCNS Sports Foods makes an energy bar called 10th Tee Back Nine, and it comes in two flavors - chocolate peanut caramel and chocolate peanut honey. Both are good, and if you get a chance, check them out.

So next time you go to a charity golf event, look for Srixon - or TaylorMade - balls and 10th Tee Back Nine energy bars. And leave the rulers in the cart.

Operation Nineveh charity golf tournament

2010-04-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it's over.

Helping put on a charity golf event is a lot harder than I thought. But everything came together, and I think it was a success.

We raised some money for Operation Nineveh, a planned homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Rocky Mount.

We got the word out about the organization.

We played golf at Northgreen Country Club. Here are some photos of the event.

And there were plenty of prizes, food and drinks to make the day even better.

I'd like to thank everyone who helped out with donations, as well as the players who participated. I believe Operation Nineveh's Web site will be posting a sponsors and participation list this week.

And although my team - at 8-under - didn't win, we had some good times out there. Chip read about the event in the Rocky Mount Telegram, and he showed up to help out. And Tony delayed his trip back to Alaska so he could play.

Trevor Seibert, sports writer at the Telegram, rounded out our team. And everyone contributed.

Chip was pretty steady on the tee; Trevor carried us on the front nine; Tony bombed several drives on the back nine; and I chipped in for eagle from beside the green on No. 7 and nailed a long birdie putt, as well.

But there was more than playing golf for me. Making phone calls, picking up prizes, recruiting teams, setting up and tearing down tables at the club. Afterward, I was exhausted. But it was worth it, primarily because it was for a good cause.

Well, now that it's over, I guess it's time to start planning for the Fall Classic.

Anyone want to play golf and help out the homeless?

Tiger's not the only one at the Masters - or is he?

2010-04-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Watching the first round of the Masters, you'd think the only guy out there was a man named Tiger.

I'm glad the players realized that wasn't true.

Oh yeah, the wall-to-wall coverage from the Golf Channel and then ESPN talked about all the old guys playing well. Tom Watson, 60, led early. Fred Couples, 50, finished the day in the lead. In all, five players over the age of 50 shot under par.

And thank goodness the players paired with Woods showed up. K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar both played well, and thanks to their pairing with Tiger, we got to see many of their shots.

But all of that was more of an afterthought. The big news was Tiger.

We saw every step; every smile; every chat with a fellow player; every frustrated club drop. And all of it was analyzed. He seems more at ease. He seems more focused. He seems the same old Tiger. He seems like a new Tiger.

The analyses were varied and endless.

Actually, his fairway shot on No. 9 was pretty incredible. And the club drop on 14 was really the only time he overtly showed any frustration. But what did he really have to be frustrated about.

He shot an opening round 68 - his best ever first-round Masters score - and ended Thursday two strokes behind the leader, Couples. And that's what everyone was talking about - Tiger's back.

But it really didn't matter what Tiger did. If he had shot a 78, everyone would have been talking about how his scandal and layoff adversely affected his play. He's still the story.

Even in this post, I've spent most of it talking about how Tiger isn't the only player on the course at Augusta National.

Well, he might not be the only one, but he's the only one we're talking about - including me.

Tiger talks

2010-04-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

I think I was probably like most people who watched Tiger Woods' press conference today at Augusta National - curious.

Curious about what he'd say. Curious about what reporters would ask. Curious about his demeanor.

I know there are people out there who don't like him because of what he's done, but I have to admit that he was pretty impressive today. America loves a good apology. And if his February statement wasn't enough for them, then today's continued mea culpa definitely should have been.

Regular readers of this blog know I really don't care about Tiger's personal life. But if I did, then I think I'd see someone who screwed up royally, got caught, realized his astronomical mistakes and is now trying to rectify that.

Woods really did seem like a different person today, but he did have some of the same Tigerisms that he displayed while he was living his life of lies.

He smiled when he talked about the game of golf. He seemed more relaxed when he was questioned about the game. And he appeared genuine when he said he was having fun again. But then again, this is only the first day, and he hasn't actually competed. I guess the crowd reaction and the greetings from the other players today really were positive.

There were actually several things Tiger said during the 34-minute event stood out for me.

First, he apologized to the other PGA Tour players, acknowledging that they're probably tired of answering questions about Woods. Tiger, although the No. 1 golfer, is not the only player on the Tour, and each one of them are trying to do the same thing he is - win tournaments.

Secondly, he said he was going to "try" to tone down his negative outbursts on the course. He followed that up by saying that if he did become more reserved when he hit a bad shot, he probably would be more reserved when he hit a good shot or won an event.

I'm not completely on board with that. Yes, the club throwing and cussing is bad. But fist-pumping and celebrating is not. We'll see how that goes. He said he was going to try, and maybe he won't be able to check his emotions on either end of the spectrum.

Thirdly, Tiger impressed me most when he said that what has happened put things more in perspective as far as winning championships. He was asked about his thoughts on chasing Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Majors, and Woods said it's more about how you live your life than how many championships you win. Bingo.

And lastly, there were a few questions he danced around, which is what I meant about seeing some of his Tigerisms showing up at the press conference. One in particular stood out when he was asked about rationalizing his sense of entitlement. Perhaps, he didn't understand the question - it was a little unclear. But what he should have said was: "I thought I was entitled to have sex with any woman I wanted because I'm the best golfer on the planet."

He then could have followed that up with: "But I now realize that winning golf tournaments doesn't preclude you from playing by the rules of morality and integrity."

But that's just me. He did just fine on his own.

Now that the curiosity factor has been quenched - and I hope it has for everyone - let's see how he plays golf.

More Tiger Woods detractors come forward

2010-04-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

When I started writing this post about Tiger Woods' kindergarten teacher coming forward this week to accuse him of lying, my first reaction reaction was: enough is enough.

I didn't want anyone to think I was defending him or his infidelities. I just wanted people to know that I'm so tired of everyone Tiger bashing.

People who regularly read my blog know how I feel about Woods. Yes, he's a bad husband, and he made multiple mistakes by having numerous affairs over the years. But that's none of my business, and my opinion of him never changed because I never looked to him as a role model for family values.

After his Thanksgiving week revelations of the series of lies he obviously was telling, I shied away from any of the sensational stories about the women, where he did it or who allegedly knew about it. I really don't care.

Then I read about Maureen Decker stepping into media spotlight to say that an incident he's been telling for years never happened. In a couple of books and several interviews, Woods said that on his first day of kindergarten, he was attacked by 6th-graders, who tied him to a tree, spraypainted the N-word on him and threw rocks at him.

He also said the teacher didn't do much about it.

I don't think the teacher was ever named in the books or interviews, but Decker is assuming that he was talking about her. And she says he needs to come clean, apologize to her and retract the story.

So, my first reaction was: give it a rest. He hasn't told that story in years that I'm aware of; the last book in which it was published came out in 2005; and it's the media that is retelling the story because of his notoriety and upcoming Masters appearance.

But then I started thinking: what if the story isn't true? How would I feel if one of my heroes fell from grace and I discovered that he told a pack of lies?

I've always looked up to Dean Smith, arguably the greatest basketball coach of all time. Reading his books, watching him coach the Tar Heels and meeting him a few times, I've tried to take some lessons from philosophies and teachings.

He was the first to implement pointing to a teammate who passed the ball that led to a basket, in essence thanking the passer. The lesson is that you always recognize others who help you attain goals.

Smith also implemented the free throw huddle to talk strategy after the shot. The lesson is that we should make sure everyone around us is on the same page, so we can move forward to attain goals. Never assume that everyone else knows what's expected of them.

I would have a hard time if Coach Smith's reputation was tarnished. But Woods is no Coach Smith.

I understand that sports figure become role models whether they want to or not. But Woods has never been a role model for me - except when he's playing golf. I respect the way he hits the ball, and I'd love to be able to do what he does on the course. But that's where the love affair ends.

And now after Woods' integrity about topics that have occurred off the course have come under scrutiny, I realize that people have the legitimate right to question his oft-told tale about the kindergarten attack.

But now after thinking about the whole situation, I guess I go back to my original thought. Who cares?

If the story isn't true, then Woods should say so in public and apologize to Decker. Obviously, she feels slandered, and rightfully so if the incident never happened.

But if it turns out that he lied about the attack, my opinion still won't change. We already know he's a liar and a cheater. But as far as I know, he still can hit a golf ball better than anyone else. And that's the lesson I want to take away from Woods' exploits, not how many or who or where he bagged women.

If people want to focus on that stuff, that's up to them. As for me, I'll still look at what he's doing inside the ropes, not inside the sheets.

Not all celebrities act like celebrities

2010-03-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

I was sitting outside the clubhouse at the King and Bear course at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., this weekend, watching celebrities file in and out of the entrance. They were getting ready for the 10th Annual Murray Brothers Caddyshack Celebrity Golf Tournament.

Bill Murray was there. His brothers, Brian Doyle Murray, Joel Murray and others I didn't recognize also were there. Sports figures David Garrard, Jack Del Rio, Kenny Lofton and others walked past me.

Then a guy walked up to me, stopped and started talking to me. I recognized him. I'd seen him on TV, but his name escaped me. To him, I was some random guy sitting on a bench outside the clubhouse.

We started talking about the weather, specifically about the sunny skies after a night of rain. Then the conversation turned to the crazy storms during the winter in New York, where he said he'd been working fairly often over the past few months.

He talked about his home in Minnesota, where he would caddy as a youngster at Town and Country Club in St. Paul. And he mentioned how he would drive regularly in Minnesota's snowstorms.

"I'd get in my two-wheel drive Impala and just go," he said.

"Yeah, people in the South don't know how to drive in the snow," I said.

It was a brief conversation, and it didn't have to happen. He could have walked right past me just like the rest of the well-known figures who had gathered in St. Augustine this past weekend to help the Murray brothers raise money for the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.

But he didn't. And that's why I'm a fan of Chris Mulkey.

You might not recognize the name, but I'm sure you'll remember the face. He's been in at least 60 feature films and countless TV show, including Magnum, P.I., NCIS, Friday Night Lights, Law & Order and a show in 1990s with Brian Doyle Murray called Bakersfield, P.D.

As a journalist, I've met and interviewed a bunch of celebrities over the years. Many of them talk to you only because they want or need the publicity for some show, movie, book or whatever they're promoting. Few will stop and chat with you.

It was refreshing when Chris stopped to talk about something as mundane as the weather. Granted, he's not a household name - no offense. But he's still recognizable and a well-known actor, even if it is by face only to many people.

"It's about the kids," Mulkey said when asked why he took time out of his work schedule to fly to Florida for a day of golf.

Paula Trickey, whose TV credits include One Tee Hill, The O.C. and Baywatch, said she also was impressed with the students at the blind and deaf school who performed the night before the tournament.

OuttaSight played for the golfers, which brought Bill Murray out on the dance floor at one point.

"Did you see the kid playing Johnny Cash?" Trickey said. "It blew my mind."

Trickey said she plays in about a half dozen charity golf events each year, and the Murray brothers event is one of her favorites.

"It's all about the children," she said.

True, but it's also all about being down to earth. Some celebrities get it, and some don't.

David Mobley, long drive champion from Charlotte - Bill Murray dancing to OuttaSight

Charity golf tournaments in North Carolina

2010-03-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

You know the old saying: "One paycheck away from being homeless." It's been around ever since I can remember, and I know plenty of people who really live paycheck to paycheck.

And with so many people who have lost their jobs in the past couple of years, I wonder how many of those people really did turn up homeless. I don't know any personally, but I did read about one man who lost his high-paying job and his house, but still has a nice roof over his head every night.

So what does this have to do with golf?

In April, my friend, Bryan Bush, is putting together a charity golf tournament in Rocky Mount, N.C., to raise money for a new homeless shelter and soup kitchen. The shelter will be called Operation Nineveh, and the tournament will be held April 16 at Northgreen Country Club.

We're going to have some great prizes and great golf for a great cause.

I've been talking this tournament up for the past couple of months, and I started thinking about other causes that are just as important as homelessness.

So I thought I'd throw a little publicity out there for some other charity golf events coming up in Eastern North Carolina.

This week, Northgreen will host a skills challenge to help raise money for the local American Red Cross' HEROES campaign. For $20, golfers will compete in four categories: driving, chipping, putting and an 150-yard approach shot. Scroll down on the Red Cross' Web site for more information.

On April 9, In His Grip Men's Golf Invitational will be held at River Ridge Golf Club in Raleigh.The money goes to In His Grip Association, a golf-themed ministry in Raleigh.

On April 19, the 3rd Annual Wake County Autism Society Charity Golf Tournament also will be held at River Ridge in Raleigh. Like the name indicates, this event will raise awareness and support of families and individuals living with autism.

These are just a few of the charity events coming up in the next month. If anyone knows of any others, let me know.

Obviously, I'm lobbying for the Operation Nineveh event, but take a look at all of them. There are a lot of people out there who need help.

When will Tiger return?

2010-03-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, "sources" sai d Tiger Woods would play at the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Now, there are "sources" who say Woods will return in April at the Masters in Augusta.

I'm guessing that tomorrow, there will be "sources" who say he's playing at the CA Championship at Doral as Charl Schwartzel
in some elaborate disguise designed by the top Hollywood special effects artist.

But I guess I can see why the speculation is running rampant. After word leaked out that Woods would make his return at Bay Hill, the phones started ringing, and ticket sales went up.

A few weeks ago, I was in Kohler, Wisc., having lunch with the 2010 PGA Championshi p tournament director Barry Deach, and Woods name inevitably came up.

"We wish him all the best, and we would welcome him with open arms," Deach said.

The PGA Championship isn't until August, and chances are that Woods will be back by then. But who knows?

But even so, Deach said, "The Majors are a little less affected" by Woods' decision to play.

He's right. Non-Majors try to field the best players available to get better television ratings and attendance. And for the past 15 years, Woods has been the biggest draw at those non-Majors, particularly the Bay Hill event, which he hasn't missed since he started playing pro. Actually, he's been the biggest draw in golf, but you get the picture.

The Majors - Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship - have the built-in draw that they are the major tournaments of the golf season.

But I'm guessing that Woods isn't going to base his decision on how it's going to affect a particular golf tournament's bottom line or TV ratings. I would hope his decision is based on equal parts of how it affects him and his family.

If he needs more time to get his house in order, then wait. If things are good at home enough for him to play in a couple of weeks at Bay Hill, then do that. If the Masters is the right one, then wait for April.

And if he really is playing at Doral as Charl Schwartzel, then you heard it here first.

The Bear Trap

2010-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

Two par 3s and a par 4.

It doesn't sound like much, but this weekend, the best players in the world might find it a little challenging. Well, they did last year - and every year that PGA National has hosted the Honda Classic, actually. At least that's what the hype says.

But are the holes really that hard?

Holes No. 15, 16 and 17 at the PGA National Champion course will be spotlighted, I'm sure, during the 2010 Honda Classic, which begins Thursday. Nicknamed the Bear Trap, they've been called the toughest three holes on the PGA Tour, and that's a pretty bold statement, considering Amen Corner at Augusta, the last three holes on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and 14-16 at Bay Hill.

On paper, the holes don't appear hard at all, except for the fact that No. 16 is the course's No. 2 handicap hole. But 15 and 17 are par 3s that play 179 and 172 and are ranked the third easiest and easiest holes on the scorecard, respectively.

But water and wind play huge roles when you actually get out there and play the holes. You have to carry your tee shots over water on both par 3s, and the 434-yard par 4 16th has water down the entire right side. Yes, that is intimidating.

Originally designed by Tom and George Fazio, it has hosted a Ryder Cup, PGA Championship and 18 Senior PGA Championships. In 1990, Jack Nicklaus redesigned the Champion course, and it's been hosting the Honda Classic since 2007. In honor of Nicklaus, the 15-17 three-hole stretch was dubbed the Bear Trap.

It's interesting to watch the ads for this weekend's Honda Classic. You know, the one with Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els and Y.E. Yang - if I remember correctly - knocking ball after ball into the water during play on the Bear Trap holes.

I played the Champion course at PGA National in November. I hit the greens on both par 3s and two-putted for pars, but I double-bogeyed No. 16. I never hit the water, but I just hit a couple of bad shots en route to my 6. Granted, I was playing from the white tees, which means the holes played 143, 353 and 131, but I still had to hit the shots. After that good stretch of golf, I was smiling. And even after I teed off on No. 18, (see photo to the right), I still was smiling.

Of course, I should have been a little more focused because even if you make it through the Bear Trap relatively unscathed, you have the Champion course's finishing hole with which to contend. For the pros, it has another tee shot over water and plays 556 yards. For me, I got to tee off on the other side of the water hazard, but it still was 507 yards. I carded a snowman on the hole.

But I didn't get caught in the Bear Trap.

Whistling Straits

2010-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

There's only one bad things about heading to Whistling Straits, site of the 2010 PGA Championship, next week. The weather.

Unfortunately, my schedule forced me to visit what's been called "a masterpiece in the world of golf." I checked the weather for Kohler, Wisc., and it's supposed to snow today and tomorrow, so there should be snow on the ground when I arrive Monday.

But that should be the only downside to my visit. With plenty of interviews on tap, including one with tournament director, Barry Deach, I should get a good idea why the PGA chose to bring this year's Championship event to Whistling Straits.

That's not all though. The 2015 PGA Championship and 2020 Ryder Cup also will be held at Whistling Straits.

If anyone has anything they'd like to know about this course, let me know.

Tiger talks

2010-02-19T20:15:00.001-08:00

I've been holding off all day on this, wondering whether I should even bother. I guess I'll throw my 2 cents into the mix if for no other reason than to say I did.

For the three people on the planet who didn't watch Tiger Woods this morning, he came out of hiding, read a statement to the world, hugged some people and left. If I sound a little cynical, it's probably because I've been reading so many opinions about what Woods said.

And what he didn't say.

And what he should have said or done.

But there are others out there who didn't skewer Woods today. And some who still believe in the "good Tiger."

As for me, at the risk of repeating myself: I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE.

I watched the latest in the Woods drama because I was hoping he'd make some kind of announcement regarding his return to golf. He didn't, other than to say he probably would at some future date. That was disappointing.

But most of the other stuff that he said was just filler for me. I will say that I think he had a lot of guts to say the things that he did. Whether they were sincere or not, whether they were from the heart or not, whether it was all a PR ploy or not, just the words coming out of his mouth impressed me.

He manned up and said he was sorry. He apologized several times in numerous ways. He called himself selfish and foolish. He admitted that because of his celebrity status - and I'm paraphrasing - he believed that he didn't have to live by the same rules and moral code as us regular folk.

As far as I can tell, everything he said about what's happened so far was true. He said he brought this on himself; he said he lost sight of his values as a Buddhist; he said he was the one who deserves all the blame.

As far as what he said about the future, that's a little harder to sort out.

"I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year."

Sooner rather than later would make me happy. But I guess Woods isn't going to base his decision on what makes me happy.

But what he said right after the above quote was what I thought the most important part of Woods' statement. And he said it almost in passing.

"When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game."

Does that mean no more cussing and throwing golf clubs? Perhaps that statement was for Tom Watson's benefit, who recently criticized Woods for his past on-course behavior. Regardless, that part impressed me most.

David Duval - Still good after all these years

2010-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

I remember David Duval when he was a kid. Well, when I say kid, I mean a force in the world of college golf. Fiery and focused might have described him best, but many thought arrogant and aloof were better descriptors of the young Duval.

In a story by Jim Sumner of theACC.com, legendary Georgia Tech golf coach Puggy Blackmon told a story about Duval's first ACC golf tournament, which was held at Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Duval finished second in the ACC Tournament as a freshman in 1990, one stroke behind Duke’s Jason Widener, while Tech finished fifth in the team competition, eight strokes off the lead. Tech’s Trip Isenhour, approached Duval to congratulate him on his individual play. Duval snapped at Isenhour, “I didn’t win and the team didn’t win and if my teammates had played worth a damn and given me some help, we would have won.”

That fire and drive - plus a bunch of talent - helped Tech win the team conference title for the next three years, and Duval took the individual titles in 1991 and 1993. I was a young reporter for the Rocky Mount Telegram - back then, called the Evening Telegram - when Duval was playing in his final conference tournament. Returning to Northgreen Country Club for that 1993 event, Duval then had future PGA Tour star Stewart Cink on his Tech team.

I wasn't as obsessed with golf back then as I am now. And I guess I didn't appreciate spending time following those two future greats on the course. Looking back now, I remember Duval as a bit standoffish. He signed a few autographs, but he didn't talk a lot to the media or the fans. At least, that's my recollection.

By the time 1999 rolled around, Duval was at the top of the golf world. He was No. 1 in the world golf rankings, and his eagle on No. 18 at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic was good enough for a 59 for the final round and a one-shot victory. Two years later, he won the Open Championship and was the Masters runner-up.

But then, his well-publicized spiral began. In 2003, he took an extended break from the game. Injuries and a lack of confidence have plagued him as he's made numerous comeback attempts since then.

Now, after second-place finishes in both last summer's U.S. Open and this past weekend's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, his return to form seems closer than it has been in a long while. Stan Awtrey wrote a piece about Duval for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Web site this week, and one his quotes shows a maturity that probably wasn't there in 1990.

“I’m feeling very comfortable and very confident in what I’m doing,” Duval said. “And, you know, in a kind of strange way, it makes me proud. I feel like I kind of have given the folks who have given me starts this year good firepower for why they did it. That makes me feel good, too.”

Duval never was a fan favorite when he was winning all the time, but his struggles during the past decade have made him a little more endearing, in my eyes, at least. I always watched for his name on the leaderboard because of my brush with him at Northgreen so many years ago, although I never really cared whether he won or not back then. But now, I watch for his name because I want him to win.

If he keeps playing like he has been lately, it won't be much longer.

Photo credit: PGA Tour

Tiger who?

2010-02-15T11:19:00.001-08:00

Don't tell me golf isn't exciting without Tiger Woods.

This weekend at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, we had plenty of drama that makes for a good final round in a golf tournament.

Two golfers in contention - including the leader - completely wrecked their chances at victory with excruciatingly painful 9s on the par-5 14th hole at Pebble Beach. Paul Goydos held a one-shot lead on eventual champion Dustin Johnson before his debacle that hurt me to watch. I can't even imagine what Goydos felt.

David Duval continues to periodically wow and amaze us. After his well-publicized fall as the world's best golfer a decade or so ago, Duval has turned up near the top of a few leaderboards here and there. For the fans who want to see him succeed, he did so again this weekend by finishing tied for second, one stroke behind Johnson. Duval's birdie putt on No. 17 was the highlight for me.

J.B. Holmes also made a charge at the end with an amazing second shot on No. 16, which he birdied. A near birdie miss on 18 was the only thing that kept the tournament from heading into overtime.

Then, we had the winner - Johnson, whose final round 74 was nothing to write home about. But it included an eagle on 6 and a double on 9. And when he needed a shot, he got it. His chip out of the bunker on 18 to within less than 4 feet from the hole won the tournament for him. He mucks up that chip or misses the short putt, and we're in a playoff.

Now, that's exciting.

Yes, TV ratings go up with Woods in the field. Yes, he makes things more competitive. And yes, I'll be glad when he returns.

But don't tell me golf isn't exciting without him.

K.J. Choi in second

2010-02-12T09:00:00.001-08:00

I have a reason to follow K.J. Choi more closely than other golfers. We've actually hugged.

I was fortunate enough to play in the Buick Open Pro-Am this past year thanks to Travel Michigan, and my team was partnered with Choi. Before then, I knew of Choi by name only.

But afterward, I was a fan. I pick him every week on my fantasy golf team, and on Thursday, he came through for me - and himself, of course. At the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he carded a seven-under 65 for a tie for second in the opening round. So far after three holes today, he's even and still tied for second behind Dustin Johnson. Here's what Choi said after his first round at Pebble Beach, which is one of Choi's favorite courses.

I wrote a story for the Rocky Mount Telegram last year about my experience at the Buick Open Pro-Am, and you can find it on my new Web site under the clips header. It was definitely one of the highlights of my golf-writing career.

My pro-am team didn't win, but we all contributed to our score - even me. I had an eagle opportunity on one of the par 5s at Warwick Hills in Michigan (thanks to my handicap, of course.) I missed the putt, but tapped in for birdie, and we used my score on that hole.

That's when I got a hug from Choi. Hope there are plenty more of those to go around for Choi for the rest of the Pebble Beach tournament.

Photo: K.J. Choi tees off during the 2009 Buick Open Pro-Am. Credit: J. Eric Eckard

Interactive golf #CKJR

2010-02-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Twitter, blogs galore, Facebook and just about every social media network on the Internet has been raving about CKJR. And for anyone who hasn't heard, it was the Twitterific battle between one of the world's top female golfers - Christina Kim - and PGA Tour hopeful, John Raser.

John ultimately won the match, chipping in on the 18th for birdie and winning the final hole of the match play impromptu event. Unfortunately, the shot that won the match was undocumented. The two iPhones used for streaming went dead before the final hole. I'm not saying there was a conspiracy because I saw Christina's facial expression in a Tweetpic immediately afterward, posted by John, of course.

But until the final hole, viewers witnessed a match that rivaled some of the best and more well-known golf events - primarily because of the interaction available between the golfers and the fans. I was among the viewers who tuned into the Ustream feed. Here are some highlights from John's Ustream video clips and Christina's Ustream video clips. And although it didn't always work, I sat and waited for it to return so I could see what happened next.

The match was casual, as it had to be considering Christina and John kept passing iPhones back and forth while filming and playing. They also tweeted when the video feed went down. But what made it even more special was that the fan were able to "chat" with the golfers. And Christina and John read many comments aloud, playing off them and each other. The chemistry between the two was pretty awesome, which is special because the two had just met a week or so before Sunday's CKJR matchup.

A chance meeting at the PGA Merchandise Dow in Orlando led to Christina and John setting up what started out as a casual round of golf. But after a little good-natured trash-talking, the two ramped up the event, and it took on an Internet life of its own.

The two eventually settled on a wager: the loser would caddy for the winner at some future tournament. John was in danger of working Christina's bag at an LPGA event in New Jersey, but because of John's come-from-behind win - he was down two holes with four to go - Christina will be caddying for John at a Tar Heel Tour event.

Afterward, Ryan Ballengee conducted a waggleroom.com interview of the hottest two reality golf show stars of the week.

I hope the two continue CKJR. They both said they want to turn it into a quarterly event, complete with a real video crew next time so we can see the entire match. And I hope to make it to the Tar Heel Tour event to see Christina caddying for John.

Photos: Via John Raser and Christina Kim on Twitter

#CKJR

2010-02-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Kyle Busch, a race car driver, didn't think too much of Twitter. But I read Saturday from my friend, Jeff Gluck, a NASCAR beat writer sbnation.com, that Busch now is on Twitter and immediately had 3,000 followers within the first day.

Why should I care about a NASCAR driver's Twitter account? Well, I don't. But I'm illustrating part of why I'm sitting here waiting for a golf match to start. No, it's not the Northern Trust Open or any other big name tournament.

It's called #CKJR, a private match between LPGA golfer Christina Kim and PGA Tour hopeful John Raser. What started out as plans between these two friends on Twitter to meet for a round a golf turned into a Battle Royale complete with a wager that will see the loser caddying for the winner in an upcoming tournament.

The trash-talking was rampant, and it spread to many of the followers who interact with Kim and Raser on Twitter. I even threw in a jabs at Raser - although I spelled his name wrong a couple of times. A mortal sin for a journalist, I know.

Now, a friendly match between two people on a private golf course without TV coverage or a huge gallery typically doesn't attract interest. But considering Kim has almost 7,000 followers on Twitter and Raser has more than 6,000, this match has the makings of a Major.

Yes, I do believe that social networking sites are here to stay. And I can say that because I'm sitting here in front of my computer on a Sunday morning waiting for two random people to tee it up for no other reason than I watched the beginnings of the match unfold on Twitter.

Little girls on the PGA Tour?

2010-01-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't know that the PGA had allowed little girls to join its ranks. But apparently after listening to Scott McCarron accuse Phil Mickelson of cheating, it made me think of a whiny little baby.

I'm sure everyone has heard the controversy. The USGA banned square-grooved clubs at the beginning of the season, but a few golfers found a loophole in the rule change that allows them to use vintage Ping Eye 2 wedges because of a lawsuit filed decades ago.

But that didn't stop McCarron, who finished in the Top 10 just three times last year, from blasting Mickelson for using square-grooved clubs at this weekend's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

“It’s cheating, and I’m appalled Phil has put it in play,” McCarron told The San Francisco Chronicle.

Come on, Scott. Are you sure that this has more to do with the fact that you missed the cut and Mickelson is tied for 10th at the start of today's third round? You didn't call John Daly a cheater. You didn't call Hunter Mahan a cheater. Or Brad Adamonis. Those guys reportedly also used the old Ping wedges. Could it be because Daly and Adamonis both missed the cut too, and Mahan is barely in the Top 40 in the tournament?

Mickelson has a target on his back. He's possibly the heir-apparent to the No. 1 spot in golf with Tiger Woods' return to competition up in the air. No offense to Steve Stricker. So, it should come as no surprise that Lefty will be scrutinized significantly this season. But to accuse the man of cheating because he's using clubs that are legal in the eyes of the governing body is unfair.

McCarron said that Mickelson is violating the "spirit of the rules." Whatever. If all we had to go on was the spirit of the rules, we wouldn't need any real rules. The USGA has a set of guidelines that golfers must follow to compete fairly. One of those guidelines allows the use of the Ping Eye 2 clubs. I agree with Mickelson. How are you supposed to interpret the spirit of the rules when you have actual rules in place?

“It’s not my job or the job of any of the players to try to interpret the spirit of the rule or the intent," Mickelson said. "I understand approved or not approved. I didn’t make this rule. I don’t agree with the rule, but I’m abiding by it.”

And I don't know if the club made that much difference. Mickelson isn't leading the tournament. Others who have used the Pings didn't make the cut.

Scott McCarron should keep his mouth shut about what other golfers are doing and worry about his own game. Or maybe he should pick up an old Ping wedge for his next start. Either that, or just wear a dress for his next tee time.

Whiny little girl.

North Coast Golf Show - golf giveaways

2010-01-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, I hate drawings for giveaways. They want you to fill out a form with your name, telephone and email, and you never win. Well, it seems that way in my case. Then, you get inundated with junk mail and telemarketers' calls.

But during the North Coast Golf Show, I decided to sign up for every drawing available - from the trip to Branson, Mo., to the Chevy car giveaway to the Mini raffle. The majority of drawings however were for golf trips to random resorts that had booths set up at the show.

The place was packed so I didn't always get a chance to hear their sales pitches before dropping my name in the hat or barrel or glass container. But there were a few that sounded fairly interesting. Please remember that I haven't played any of these courses so I'm not touting them. I'm merely telling you what their reps told me, what I've found in their brochures and what's available online.

So here goes:

Probably the most intriguing promotion came from Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich., which is in the northern part of the state. The rep passed out a card with spaces to write a golfer's "bucket list." You post your list online, and the best one picked gets five nights accommodations for two people, five rounds of golf each on any of our 18-hole championship courses with cart. Plus, both guests will receive 9-holes of on-course instruction with a Rick Smith Academy Instructor.

Treetops has five courses, one designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., another by Tom Fazio and three more done by Rick Smith.

The best brochure at the event was one for Hawk's Eye Golf Resort in Bellaire, Mich., which also is in Northern Michigan. It read FREE BEER on one side and FREE GOLF on the reverse. Who could ask for anything more? You get a chance for free golf if you sign up for the resort newsletter. The free beer comes in when you book a golf package, which comes with coupons to redeem for beer at the resort.

Hawk's Eye Resort has two championship courses: Hawk's Eye and The Chief. The Hawk's Eye course was voted fourth best in the state by Michigan Golf Magazine. And considering that Michigan has more golf courses than any other state besides Florida and California, that's impressive.

Probably the resort with the best pedigree at the golf show was The Resorts of Tullymore and St. Ives. Located in Stanwood, Mich., which is in the central part of the state just northeast of Grand Rapids, this resort has won awards for its two golf courses, clubhouse and pro shop. And these awards are from Golf Digest, which listed them as one of the top 100 courses in the country and 14th best public and resort course. Other awards came from Golf Magazine, Golf for Women and Golfweek.

This giveaway also requires a newsletter sign-up. The difference is that this is a monthly drawing, with a annual giveaway that features 12 rounds of golf.

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa features a Jack Nicklaus course and a Gary Player design. Located in Williamsburg, Mich., near Traverse City, Grand Traverse Resort also includes a third course, as well as a long list of accolades from national magazines like Golf Digest, Links, Golf for Women and Golf Magazine.

Wisconsin also was represented at the golf show with Hawk's View Golf Club in Lake Geneva, The House on the Rock Resort in Spring Green and Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Fond Du Lac.

Hawk's View features two courses - Como Crossings and Barn Hollow. Como Crossings hosted the 2005 Wisconsin State Open Qualifier and was named Top 25 new courses in 2002 by Golf Magazine.

The House on the Rock was built in the 1940s, and it has turned into a tourist attraction that has been turned into a resort. The golf courses were added later - an 18-hole RTJ Sr. design in the 1970s and a nine-hole Roger Packard/Andy North collaboration in 1994.

Rolling Meadows was redesigned in the 1990s when Dick Nugent turned an 18-hole course into 27 holes of championship play. With six sets of tees, it appears that any level of golfer can have fun at Rolling Meadows.

So, that's it. I'll keep you posted on whether I win any golf packages. If I do, maybe I'll take you with me.

Brian Pavlet

2010-01-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Many times, personal Web site exaggerate tremendously. He's the best at this. She's wonderful at that. This product is the greatest on the market.

But after seeing Brian Pavlet on Saturday at the North Coast Golf Show in the Chicago area, one sentence in the biography section of his Web site told the tale perfectly.

"His engaging personality and performance make him one of golf’s premier showmen."

I sat in the audience and listened to Pavlet, a former RE/MAX World Long Drive champion. He was engaging, and he did perform well. And as far as showmanship was concerned, he made me laugh out loud several times. Besides, anyone who can stand before a bunch of golfers and say, "Putting is overrated," better be a good showman. We've all heard the line before: Drive for show and putt for dough. It's ingrained in most of our heads.

But when Pavlet directly contradicted that, it seemed OK because of the way he said it. With a smirk and a chuckle, he turned the world of golf tips upside-down. He mocked pre-shot routines and scoffed at the importance of using your lower body to get more distance.

To illustrate the latter, he told a story about how he was added to a longtime threesome at some golf course at the last minute. It was a set-up because these three never wanted a stranger added to their group, and they were focused and serious about beating each other, not wanting a fourth to foul things up. They had no idea that Pavlet was a long-drive champion.

So Pavlet strolled up to the first tee, he said, and they were looking at him with disdain. When he pulled out a 30-inch training driver, they thought he was strangest person on the planet. But then he started outdriving them with a 30-inch driver. (Most drivers are in the 45- or 46-inch range or so.) What makes this even more impressive is that he has to squat down so far just to hit the ball. He hit a few on stage, and you could see that he was almost in a split. He pointed out that you can't generate much lower-body strength to the swing when your stance is so wide open.

Anyway, he kept telling the audience," This is how I know that we (golfers) will try anything if we think it will work." The story went on that by the 9th hole, he was consistently outdriving the threesome, who were no longer looking at him condescendingly. And finally, one of them walked up to him and asked, "Where did you get that? I want one."

But probably the funniest story he told revolved around watching a guy, with a crazy pre-shot routine. Finally, after a few head rolls and waggles, the guy addressed the ball, and it looked like he was ready to hit it. But then he stepped away from the teebox, ran to his bag and started pulling out golf magazines until he found the one with the driver tip. He did a quick read, went back to the ball and whiffed it.

Pavlet's presentation, however, wasn't just about funny tales and comic relief. He did have good advice for golfers who wanted to get better. He said one way to beat your opponent is to intimidate him by getting a golf bag with your name on it. They'll look at it and say, "Oh, this guy is good. His name is on his bag."

And then there was the tip on the downswing. He said that people ask him all the time about how to start the downswing. He said teachers talk about "ringing the bell," pushing your pocket toward the target, throwing your right knee toward the target, stomping your left heel and many more. He said that when he gets to the top of his swing, the one thing that pops into his mind is: "GO THE OTHER WAY."

During his presentation - which included drives that nearly reached 400 yards - he said that all golfers want to hit the ball farther and that distance sometimes takes a back seat to accuracy. Even today's pros have that mentality, with their "slash and gouge" philosophy off the tee, Pavlet said.

"They hit it as far as they can off the tee, gouge it out of the rough onto the green and make the putt," he said.

Yeah, that works for the pros, but when I hit in the rough, I typically can't gouge it out onto the green. But I'm sure if Pavlet ever saw me try, I'd end up as a story in one of his presentations.

North Coast Golf Show

2010-01-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

I know it's not the big PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, but I'll be at the North Coast Golf Show in the Chicago area this weekend. Some of the highlights include a long-putt contest, closest to the pin competition and a $25,000 hole-in-one opportunity.

Featured pros are Dan Boever and Brian Pavlet, a couple of long-drive champions.

I'll be tweeting and blogging from the show this weekend, so be on the lookout.

Tip of the week - Putting surfaces

2010-01-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

With the start of the new PGA Tour season this week at the SBS Championship in Hawaii, it's time to get the year started with a golf tip on the most important part of the game - putting.

Charlotte golf pro Bryan Bush talks about the different putting surfaces you might encounter during golf trips, from bentgrass to bermuda - and what to do to conquer them.

The future of golf is good - with or without Tiger

2010-01-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Golf has been around for hundreds of years, and all the so-called experts who have rung the sport's death knell because of Tiger Woods need to check their history.

It's true that 2009 was bad for golf. It was bad for many sports. But that had more to do with the economy that Tiger Woods, still the world's No. 1 golfer. Real estate prices at golf communities tumbled; advertising and sponsorship dollars dwindled; and play across the country declined.

Woods missed the first part of the 2009 PGA Tour season while he recovered from knee surgery, but I think that had little effect on the overall picture of golf. And by the time news of his infidelity spread like wildfire, the season was over.

The point is that golf - and any sport for that matter - will survive even through the most heinous scandal.

Pete Rose didn't take down baseball. Michael Vick won't be the end of football. Tim Donaghy's gambling and organized crime ties can't stop basketball.

And Tiger Woods will not hurt golf - whether he plays or not.

My prediction is that he'll return to professional golf, and the sport will blossom again. But I don't think of that as a cause and effect issue. One has little to do with the other.

In fact, I feel more confident in predicting a better year for golf than I do about Woods' return to professional play.

The economy has started to rebound, meaning purse strings will loosen for fans, advertisers, sponsors, real estate developers and casual players.

Woods has been playing professional golf for less than 15 years. Yes, he's the greatest golfer of this past decade, and The Associated Press recently named him top athlete of the past 10 years.

But athletes come and go in the world of sports. In golf, after Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan, there was Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. And now, there's Tiger Woods.

No, there wasn't the controversy surrounding those past greats like there has been with Woods. But they stepped away from playing professionally just the same.

Many blog posts, news reports and magazine articles that have jumped on this Tiger Woods circus have pretty much decided it's time to take golf off its life support system and let it die - especially if Woods walks away forever. But I think most of these people know Woods as a celebrity, not a golfer.

Woods might not ever hold the celebrity status he once held when he was on the top of the golf world and the realm of celebrities. But those are two different arenas. And Woods still is on the golf summit.

Now again, I believe Tiger will return.

But if he doesn't, golf will continue - and it will prosper.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Tiger troubles

2009-12-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

I've tried to stay away from opining about Tiger Woods because I think this is a non-story - or at most, a one-cycle story. And I know it might be unpopular to say that my opinion about Tiger Woods hasn't changed, but it hasn't.

Don't get me wrong. I don't condone infidelity. Tiger Woods messed up royally with his numerous affairs after he was married and started a family. He has admitted all this, and he's taking a break from professional golf in an effort to save his marriage. But if you believe some news reports, the divorce is inevitable, and the couple will split after the holidays.

I say good luck. I hope Tiger and Elin and the two kids come out of this as unscathed as possible. Again, I'm not calling for Tiger's head like a lot of people I've talked to.

And I think it's because I've never held Woods up as my role model for family values. When making decisions about life, family or children, I never once thought to myself, "I wonder what Tiger would do" or "What did Woods teach me about life?"

No, I looked - and still look - to Tiger Woods as a golfer, pure and simple. He's one of my go-to guys for golf, not for fidelity and faithfulness.

And it's not like he held himself up as some great role model. If you really watched his actions on the golf course, you'd know that he curses loudly and sometimes throws clubs. He's doesn't always display a modicum of decorum that many of you would like to believe.

I think there's probably two kinds of people with opinions about the Woods scandal - those who look at him as a golfer and those who look at him as a celebrity. And I believe a recent poll bears this out.

Most golf fans still have a positive opinion of Woods, while overall public opinion has dropped dramatically since news of the affairs came to light. And that's how I view him - as a golfer.

I certainly can understand some of the outrage directed at Woods. I'm boycotting the NFL because of the Michael Vick, the dog-killer.

But Woods didn't take a life. He cheated, and he got caught. But no matter how much he sucks because of his lack of faithfulness to his wife and children, he's still the No. 1 golfer in the world.

That will only change on the golf course - not in the bedroom or the car or wherever else he's had sex.

Women and golf

2009-11-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting phone conversation the other day with Nisha Sadekar. She runs Play Golf Designs, a company that provides female professional golfers for events across the country. Charity events, corporate outings, private tournaments, etc.

I'm trying to pitch this as part of a story idea, and I wanted to get some information about what she does and what golfers could expect if they contract with her company.

All of her golfers are female, and most are on the Futures Tour, which is the female equivalent of the Nationwide Tour. Several have been on the Golf Channel's Big Break, and there are a couple of LPGA Tour players.

I think it's a great idea. In fact, I tried to set something up for my recent family reunion, but I couldn't draw enough interest.

But apparently, there are critics of what Nisha and her roster of female golfers do.

During our conversation, a Time article came up, and Nisha took umbrage with some of the things in the piece - particularly this part: "At first glance, it's easy to wonder if the site is advertising some kind of golf-escort service."

Nisha counters that it's about golf and fashion, and combining the two is natural in the women's world.

Now I know I have a man's perspective, and I'm definitely on Nisha's side. Why can't a woman be fashionable on the golf course while she's crushing 270-yard drives off the tee? I know that if I was at an Play Golf Designs event, and one of the pros was wearing the latest from whoever, I would be thinking more about her short game instead of her short skirt.

Maybe I have a golfer's perspective instead of a man's perspective.

The point is that no one says anything when guys like Camilo Villegas wears skin-tight golf shirts or Adam Scott makes Golf Channel's sexiest golfers list. Actually, Villegas made it, too. Double standard?

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for good-looking women on the golf course. But I don't think a woman diminishes herself by dressing a certain way if she can out-drive, out-chip and out-putt a man.

At the end of the day, it's still about golf.

Photos: Aree Song, top, and Ashley Prange, are two of the two dozen or so golfers on the Play Golf Designs roster.
Courtesy of LPGA

Tip of the week - putting drills

2009-10-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Teaching professional Bryan Bush talks about putting drills, saying work on the green is the most important part of your golf game.

Florida trip

2009-10-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'm back. I was fortunate enough to spend a week in Florida, and I played four great courses while I was there.

Slammer & Squire at World Golf Village
The King and the Bear at World Golf Village
Old Palms Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens
PGA National Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens

I was trying to decide which was my favorite, but they're all so different, it was a little difficult to come up with a definitive answer.

Slammer & Squire, named for Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, who consulted with course architect Bobby Weed, was a good first stop for me. Wide open fairways, five sets of tee boxes and some pretty neat par 3s, the Slammer & Squire got me off to good start on my trip. The course features plenty of views of the woodlands, and on the back nine, the World Golf Hall of Fame is visible throughout. My score was 97.

The King and the Bear was named for legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, the only course co-designed by these two superstars in the golf world. It's a little more difficult that the Slammer & Squire, thanks to plenty of water hazards. I won't say I had to carry water on every hole, but it seemed that way. My score was 99.

Overall, the World Golf Village was impressive, with impeccable customer service and chilled apples on holes 1 and 10 on both courses. Nice touch.

Old Palms Golf Club is a private course in Palm Beach Gardens. My cousin, Jeff Neal, arranged for a round of golf there. Jeff is the director of golf for the Puntacana Resort and Club in the Dominican Republic.

http://www.puntacana.com/

Old Palms' turf is Paspalum, a eco-friendly grass that has high salinity tolerance, drought resistance and low fertilizer requirements. It's used in a lot of courses in tropical regions. My front nine at Old Palms was pretty good for me - a 46, which included a par on the No. 1 handicap hole, the 525-yard par 5 No. 4, and a chip-in birdie from behind the green on hole 5. We also let Camilo Villegas and his father Fernando play through on No. 9, but not before they stopped off for a quick picture with my group. Pretty cool. But then I imploded on the back nine and ended my round with a 103.

My last round was at PGA National Champion course where they hold the Honda Classic. It was also the first Neal Family Reunion Invitational. The teams:

Tas Sipowski and J. Eric Eckard
Jeff Neal and Bill Neal
Ty Neal and Mark Neal

Tas started us off with a nice start, with birdies on five of the first six holes. I contributed with a net eagle on No. 6, thanks to a par and two strokes with my handicap. On the Bear Trap - holes 15, 16 and 17 - I went par, double-bogey, par. Arguably harder than Amen Corner at Augusta, the Bear Trap confounded many of the best players in the world at the 2008 Honda Classic, netting scores of 356 over par, 102 strokes more than the previous year. Granted, those guys play from the tips, and I was playing from the white tees. But still, par, double-bogey, par is something to write home about.

Tas and I won the event with a team score of 61. Jeff and Bill shot a 64, and Ty and Mark ended with a 70.

Leonard Thompson

2009-09-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Unless you're a ultra hardcore golf fanatic, you might not have heard of Leonard Thompson.

He doesn't show up atop leaderboards like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson do almost each week. But Thompson has played more professional golf tournaments than both Woods and Mickelson combined.

The SAS Championship marked Thompson's 1,000th tournament, combining both the PGA and Champions tours.

He joined an elite group Friday, becoming one of 10 golfers to play at least 1,000 professional golf tournaments - Miller Barber, Dave Eichelberger, Charles Coody, Arnold Palmer, Dale Douglass, J.C. Snead, Gay Brewer, Gene Littler and Jim Colbert.

There was a time when you did see Thompson's name on leaderboards alongside more recognizable names like Hale Irwin, Payne Stewart and Curtis Strange. He won three times on the PGA Tour, his first coming in 1974 at the Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic, where he beat Irwin by one stroke. He won the 1977 Pensacola Open by two strokes over Strange; and he topped Stewart, Billy Andrade and Doug Tewell by one stroke at the 1989 Buick Open.

I caught up with Thompson, 62, in the clubhouse at Prestonwood Country Club Friday after
Irwin and John Morse presented Thompson with a huge cake to mark the historic event.

He was sharing his cake with the wait staff in the clubhouse, getting a couple of pieces to go and leaving the bulk of the chocolate delight behind.

As we walked outside, he just shook his head and said he had no idea that a cake would be waiting for him on the 18th green after his first round of the tournament.

"Pretty nice," he said.

Thompson, a North Carolina native and Wake Forest graduate, said 1,000 tournaments isn't something you set out to do. The Champions Tour, previously called the Seniors Tour, was nine years away.

"But once I knew I was going to do it, I tried to arrange to do it here," said Thompson.

He grew up in Laurinburg; played his first tournament at Pinehurst; went to Wake Forest; and played in 20-plus Greater Greensboro Opens.

"Anything in North Carolina has special meaning," he said.

He said he had the chance to do a West Coast swing of Champions Tour events, but his 1,000th would have taken place somewhere in California. He didn't want that. He wanted to do it in his home state.

"Four or five things have to happen to make it to 1,000," he said. "You have to stay healthy; you have to have an understanding wife; you have to have an organization in place to have enough events to play to reach 1,000."

Thompson has officially retired from the Champions Tour, but he plans to play some events as long as he remains competitive.

And those competitive juices were apparent on Friday. After a round of 74, I suggested that he was probably just happy to be playing.

"I ain't as happy I would have been if I had shot a 65," he said.

Photo
Hale Irwin (L) and John Morse (R) present Leonard Thompson a
cake marking Thompson's 1,000th tournament during the first
round of the SAS Championship Friday at Prestonwood
Country Club in Cary. (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

Trevino out

2009-09-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Lee Trevino said he hit too many 5 woods during two rounds of Pro-Ams leading up to the SAS Championship in Cary and was forced to withdraw because of his back.

Trevino, a crowd favorite anywhere he plays, flew out this morning shortly before his 10:40 a.m. tee time. Alternate John Morse took Trevino's spot in the SAS.

When the announcement went out over the loudspeaker that Trevino had withdrawn, you could hear the groans ripple throughout the crowd at Prestonwood Country Club, which by the way is pretty large for a Friday.

Trevino, who turns 70 in December, still plays a half dozen events or so each year.

Preview Day

2009-09-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

The day before the SAS Championship starts, golfers were mentally preparing themselves for the weekend. Just like a pre-shot routine in which golfers picture a straight and long drive or a putt dropping into the hole, golfers this weekend were talking about winning.

Fred Funk, Charles Schwab Cup points leader, said he's been playing pretty well of late, and he wants to win to build momentum heading into the Senior Players Championship next week in Baltimore where the points double.

Eduardo Romero, last year's SAS Champion, said he's ready to put some poor showings behind him. "I came here to win."

SAS Championship

2009-09-21T18:49:00.001-07:00

Come on, how can you not get excited with the likes of Lee Trevino, Hale Irwin, Fuzzy Zoeller, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, Tom Lehman, J.C. Snead, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Hal Sutton, Fred Funk ... ?

I could go on. But you get the point - I hope. I'll be at the SAS Championship this week in Cary, covering the tournament for AP.

There's a good story on the SAS Championship Web site about how some dozen or so golfers in the field have ties to North Carolina, including Mike Goodes and David Eger, a couple of fellow UNC-Chapel Hill alums.

Here's the link.

http://tinyurl.com/l49q7s

So, if you're in the Triangle area this weekend, come on out. These are the guys who put golf where it is today.

Tip of the week - bunker play part 2

2009-09-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Bryan Bush, teaching professional from Charlotte, returns to finish his tip on bunker play.

Fallen firefighters tournament

2009-09-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Anytime I play in a best ball tournament, my goal is to use at least one of my shots because usually, I'm playing with golfers who are much better than I am.

Thursday was no different.

I was lucky enough to latch onto a team with three good players, including Jason Bland, a Rocky Mount firefighter; Scott, a volunteer firefighter in Nash County; and Mr. Glover, an 82-year-old man who still can play the game..

We played Ford's Colony in Rocky Mount, a nice course that's fairly wide open, but can play long - more than 7,000 yards from the tips. We played from the white tees, giving my teammates a chance to drive the green on a couple of the shorter par 4s.

But at the par 3s, I stepped up. There were closest to the pins contests at the four par 3s, and I had short-lived leads on two of the holes. My best shot probably came at No. 16, which played 169 yards from the white tees over water. I stuck it below the hole on the right side, about 10 feet from the pin.

We used a couple of my drives on longer holes, and at least three of my putts. I was putting pretty well Thursday.

We ended up with a 60, 12 under par. But that was only good enough for fifth place. The winning team - one of two fielded by Tarheel Auto Sales - which carded a 56 for the day. Plus, there were three 57s.

But it was for a good cause - a fundraiser for North Carolina firefighters who have been killed seriously hurt. Organizers still were tallying up the total money riased, so I'll update you guys later on that.

I'd call it a success. About two dozen teams turned out, and they had some extra contests that seemed pretty successful, too.

I know I had a good time, and I'd like to play Ford's Colony again. It was my second round there, but it's definitely one of the better courses in Eastern North Carolina.

Fallen firefighters charity tournament

2009-09-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

The first N.C. Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Championship golf tournament is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at Ford's Colony in Rocky Mount, and I'm going to mosey over there to see if I can join a team.

Organizers aren't taking individual players, and I didn't put together a team. So we'll see. Obviously, if anyone wants to play, let me know.

Here's a link to the Web site.

http://tinyurl.com/lb6tso

It's definitely a good cause. The money goes to an organization that helps families of firefighters who have been killed or seriously injured. There have been three firefighter deaths so far this year in North Carolina, including a Salem volunteer firefighter who died of a heart attack in March.

Hopefully, I'll find a team tomorrow.

Pick your favorite foursome

2009-09-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

If you could three golfers to round out a foursome, who would you choose? Living or dead, makes no difference.

There are so many from which to choose. Lee Trevino, who once threw a rubber snake at Jack Nicklaus before teeing off an 18-hole playoff at the 1971 U.S. Open; the great ball-striker Ben Hogan; Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur ever; smooth-swinging Slammin' Sam Snead; Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus.

Well, you get the picture.

I was having so much trouble just picking three so I divided my lists into different categories. First, golfers no longer with us; second, golfers who are retired from competitive play; third, golfers now playing on a Tour; and lastly, female golfers.

So let's get to it.

I'd first choose Payne Stewart, Bobby Jones and Sam Snead.

I remember exactly where I was while watching Stewart win the 1999 U.S. Open, just four months before he died. My goal is to one day play consistently enough to dress like Stewart in honor of him.

Jones once called a penalty on himself at the 1925 U.S. Open after his ball moved slightly in the rough. Because no one saw the infraction, officials left the call up to him. He said it moved, incurred a two-stroke penalty and lost by one.

Snead comes from rural Virginia near the border of West Virginia, my home state, so I have sort of a connection there. Plus, he's the winningest golfer in PGA history.

For the next category, I'd choose Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

Nicklaus and Palmer were part of the Big Three (along with Gary Player) in the 1960s. They typically battled head to head and raised golf's popularity significantly. Nicklaus won 18 Majors, more than anyone else, and he actually had more Major runner-up finishes (19) than any other golfer. Palmer gave us Arnie's Army and that popular drink named in his honor - iced tea and lemonade.

And as far as Trevino goes. Come on. Anyone who will throw a rubber snake at his opponent just before a playoff ... I wanna party with him. Actually, the real story goes that Trevino forgot he had the toy in his bag and that Nicklaus saw it and told Trevino to throw it to him.

But the legend is far more funny.

Third picks go to Padraig Harrington, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate.

Arguably, the greatest golfer of all time, Woods still is chasing Nicklaus on the Majors wins' list and both Snead and Nicklaus for all-time wins. But he's close.

After seeing Mediate up close at the Buick Open this year, I think he's pretty loose on the golf course. And funny, too.

I don't know why I'd choose Harrington. He had a great run in the Majors last year, but this year, he's had bad luck at a couple of holes in tournaments that put him out of contention. But he never cried foul.

Lastly, I'd go with Michelle Wie, Christina Kim and Paula Creamer.

OK, many of you might be wondering why I left off Natalie Gulbis. Well, if I had said "hottest golfers," she would on the list. I'm not saying that Wie, Kim and Creamer aren't hot; I'm saying the category is female golfers.

Kim is one of the more flamboyant players on the LPGA Tour, and I want to have fun on my round of golf. Plus, she can play.

I think Wie is coming into her own after breaking all the age records in women's golf. She's still a teenager - she'll be 20 in October - but she really showed me something at the Solheim Cup last month in Illinois. As impressive as she was as a kid competing against adults, I think she'll be more impressive as an adult competing against other adults.

And Creamer. Although she's been on the Tour for just four years, she's already won nine times and near the top 25 in earnings. Nice.

So there you have it. That's who I'd pick.

Who would you pick?

Hickorly Meadows Golf Course

2009-09-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's no Augusta National or even a match for any of the courses at the Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Va.

But it's not supposed to be.

Hickory Meadows is a 30-year-old municipal golf course straddling Interstate 95 on one side and farmland on the other. And many golfers might overlook Hickory Meadows when looking for a place to play in the Rocky Mount area, but they'd be missing out.

It's a nicely designed, wide open, well-maintained course that is basically very forgiving for those of us who might hit an errant tee shot into an adjoining fairway. I've played the course three times in the past few months, and that happened to me a few times.

But even when you're in trouble - lying two in another fairway - you still have a good chance of getting back on track and making par.

Don't get me wrong. There are some challenges to Hickory Meadows. Although the fairways are wide open, even the first cut of rough is tall. A couple of times, I felt like I was at a U.S. Open event.

And with three par 3s, three par 5s and 12 par 4s - all but two less than 400 yards - it plays pretty short (6,423 yards from the tips.)

My favorite hole is the closing hole - a short par 4 with water just in front of the green. Long hitters can go for it and make birdie fairly easily. My least favorite hole is No. 16, a crazy dogleg with water all the way down the inside of the leg.

Yes, you can find better courses nearby. But I like it, and if you get a chance to play Hickory Meadows, you shouldn't pass it up.

Tip of the Week - bunker play - part 1

2009-09-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Teaching professional Bryan Bush talks about shaving strokes off your score with good bunker play.

Patriot Golf Day

2009-09-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last year, I played Grand Haven Golf Club, and I discovered I was at the course where Patriot Golf Day got its start. Fighter pilot and golf course owner Dan Rooney started Patriot Golf Day - which now is a weekend - two years ago to raise money for Fallen Heroes Foundation and Wounded Warriors Inc.

Here is the story from the USGA.
http://tinyurl.com/le5kcj

Rooney and his father bought Grand Haven Golf Club in 1998, and renovated it into a very nice course. Tall trees surround tight fairways, making it a bit of a shotmaker's course.

But that's not important right now. What's important is letting everyone know that this year's Patriot Golf Day is scheduled for this weekend - Friday through Sunday. At public courses across the country, $1 in all greens fees will be donated to the two military groups. And private courses are expected to add $5 from each member's monthly dues.

The first year, the nationwide event raised about $1.2 million. In 2008, it raised $2 million. In 2009, let's shoot for $3 million.

Interestly, I was watching TV the other day when a commercial aired about Patriot Golf Day. Two young boys appeared on the screen, saying they'd be playing for their father, Capt. Chris Cash, who was killed in 2004 while serving with the N.C. National Guard in Iraq.

I had done several stories on Cash and his death, and I remember talking to his two sons. I was lucky - I had my dad around for almost 40 years. They weren't even out of school when their father was killed.

I guess because I played the course where it all started, and a couple of kids who I know are playing for someone special in their lives, I feel an attachment to the event. Plus, my niece just returned from tour of duty in Iraq; and my dad served in World War II; and many of my other family members served or are serving in the military.

There are a few courses in the Rocky Mount area from which to choose, but with more than 4,000 courses participating, I'm sure you can find somewhere to play this weekend.

Here's a list:
http://tinyurl.com/lvp76y

So, what do you say? I'll be playing. Will you?

Photo is of Tim Hygh on No. 13 at Grand Haven Golf Club, a nice 153-yard par 3 with a huge waste bunker in the front and right of the green.

Tip of the Week - hitting the fairway on the first tee

2009-08-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Bryan Bush - a teaching professional from Charlotte - talks about a drill that will help you take hitting the ball straight on the driving range to hitting the ball straight on the first tee.

Golf balls and tees giveaway

2009-08-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here's my first giveaway. I'm starting out small to see how this works. The winner gets a sleeve of two Titleist golf balls with Ford's Colony logo and tees. You don't have to sign up to leave a comment to be eligible for the prize. Just leave a comment, and you're in.

I'd like to try this once a week, but we'll see. If it works out, the prizes will get larger, such as a Michael Jordan multi-function golf tool, a golfer's cooler for the course and plenty of hats with logos of golf clubs from across the country. And these are virgin hats. You know me, I only wear UNC hats.

Anyway, here's what you're playing for. Good luck.

OK, here are the rules. Leave your favorite golf joke - or just favorite joke - on the post about the giveaway. Let's keep it semi-clean, please. No profanity. And make sure it’s not just a lame comment, like “Hi,” Love this” or “good job.” Those will be disqualified.

Please leave some way of me contacting you.

Winners will be picked by an Internet random generator.

At this point, U.S. addressees only are eligible.

Contest ends at midnight Eastern time Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009.

Disclaimer: Second Golfer and its author assume no liability for damages associated with any prizes awarded here or contents contained therein. Prizes lost in the mail or those not delivered by sponsors are not the responsibility of Second Golfer or its author. Prizes not claimed within two weeks of notification to the winner will have to be forfeited.

Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to enter, and entrants must follow state and local laws concerning sweepstakes.

Sea Scape Golf Links

2009-08-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

It makes sense that this course has links in its name. Much like Nags Head Links, Sea Scape Golf Links in Kitty Hawk features a Scottish links-style layout because of its proximity to both the sound and the ocean. But unlike Nags Head Links, no holes skirt the water, but you can see the Atlantic from a couple of the holes.

That brings wind into play, and I'm using that as an excuse on a couple of holes in which my shots came up short of the pin. And I know I hit good shots.

Regardless, I had the best round of my life. Even with three triple bogeys, I managed to finish with a 91. Granted, the par 70 Sea Scape is a short course - 6,131 yards from the tips - and features six par 3s and and two of its four par 5s are in the high 400-yard range. But I had six pars, including three in a row on the front nine.

Putting, I think, was the key. I was up and down six times on the front for a 44. Putting once on a green is pretty special, and several were from at least 6 feet or better. Putting on the back nine was not as good, but still not terrible.

The fairways are pretty wide open, but there's plenty of uneven lies along the way. And the waste bunkers full of sea grass and sand make it fairly challenging.

The picture of me is on No. 18 just after the round.

Nags Head Links

2009-08-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

The name is dead on. Links style for sure.

The highlight of playing Nags Head Links today definitely was the back 9. With the bulk of the holes passing along the Roanoke Sound, the vistas are much better than the houses that you have to navigate on the front 9.

Nags Head Links is a shot-makers' course. With fairways that often narrow in the middle, plenty of forced carries and tall grass that reminds me of the heather in the U.K., accuracy is more of a premium than the long ball.

And the 360-yard par 4 No. 8, with its extreme broken dogleg, has several blind shots. In fact, in lieu of fore caddies, I think playing the course at least two or three more times would be the way to go.

I played the course with three new friends, Louie, Dave and Rick. And it's a good thing, too. If not for them, I wouldn't have heard such jewels as "That shot was either good or bad" and "If you hit it in the middle, then the fairway is wide enough." Thank goodness for new friends.

OBX charity golf tournament

2009-08-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

I just discovered another charity golf tournament that I'd like to let people know about. It's called the Mulligans Golf Classic, and it's set for Oct. 5 at Nags Head Golf Links in Nags Head. The tournament, a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Virginia, is a best-ball format and is limited to 25 teams.

The owner of Mulligan's Bar and Grille, Gus Zinovis, started the tournament three years ago because his grandson spent a month there after he was born prematurely. Gus said he wanted to give something back to the hospital after the care his grandson received.

So if you're in the Outer Banks area in October, try to make it out there. To play, call Shannon Moody at 252-207-5391.

Here's a link to Mulligan's Web site:

http://www.mulligansobx.com/

Tip of the Week - Irons - the downswing

2009-08-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is the long-awaited next installment of golf tips from Bryan Bush, a teaching professional from Charlotte - the downswing.

Charity golf tournament

2009-08-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

I'll be playing in a charity event in October at Northgreen Country Club. It's a fundraiser to help raise money so Tommy Ivey, a Rocky Mount pastor, can start a new homeless shelter in the city.

I'll have more information later, but I wanted to go ahead get the word out so you can save it on your calendars.

Oct. 16 at Northgreen Country Club
Noon registration
1 p.m. shotgun start

$50 per person; $200 a team
Mulligans will be available for sale, and prizes will be given for longest drives and closest to the pin.

For more information, call Bryan Bush at 704-302-4774

More Buick Open Pro-Am

2009-08-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

http://tiny.cc/G8xVW

This is a story in the Rocky Mount Telegram about my experience in the pro-am.

TGX Golf Radio

2009-08-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was on a radio talk show today with host Ed Wanambwa, a golf guru/journalist/broadcaster/entrepreneur from Atlanta. We talked about the Buick Open, my recent trip to Europe, the Phil Ford Golf Classic and golf in general.

Plus, he had some other guests that brought up some interesting points about Tiger Woods, faith and golf and other interesting tidbits. It was a good show.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tgxradio/2009/08/05/TGX-Golf-Radio-Show-

No more Buick Open

2009-08-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official - Buick pulled it sponsorship from both the Buick Open a Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Mich., and the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in San Diego, citing financial woes.

The Buick Open has been a staple on the PGA Tour for the past 51 years, so it's pretty sad. I know times are tough for General Motors, and I guess it was inevitable that this would happen.

The PGA said it was "very interested" in keeping a tournament in Michigan, so all is not lost for the area right now. But rumors are that the Greenbrier in West Virginia will be the site of a new PGA Tour event next year to replace the Buick Open slot.

The Flint/Grand Blanc/Detroit area is suffering through some tough times, and the Buick Open seemed like an oasis in their expanse of economic woes. And it's good that people remember and recognize this. The players certainly do.

Here's what a few of them said while I was in Michigan covering the first two days of the tournament when the rumors were flying and GM had yet to officially confirm that this would be the last Buick Open.

Tiger likened it a little to the Masters, in that the same volunteers show up year after year.

"It would be unfortunate," said Tiger Woods, who won his third Buick Open on Sunday. "Obviously this area's been struggling a bit, and as I said, I think the atmosphere, all the players have really enjoyed playing in front of the fans here. It is very intimate. You see the same people at same holes each and every year, and it is a venue that we don't get to play in front of very often. It's much more personal here.

"I think it's just how the people are. It's a smaller town. I think, as I said, you see the same people on the same greens, on the same tees each and every year. You kind of get to know them, say hi to them, how's everything going. You don't get to say that in any other tournament, except for maybe the Masters because some people have been going to the Masters for 50-plus years in the same seat. But that's basically the only tournament I've ever experienced that in."

Steve Lowery, who led after the first round, said he's been playing the tournament for the past 20 years, and he's disappointed.

"I think a lot of the players look forward to coming here," Lowery said. "The people are really nice. The golf course is enjoyable. I think guys look forward to it. I've been doing this out here for 20 years, and it's a place that I look forward to coming.

"You know, and it's just enjoyable. It'll definitely be missed. It's a great community, great place to play golf."

Jim Furyk talked about even seeing some of the same fans every time he came back.

"A lot of the same marshalls on a lot of the same holes," Furyk said. "Yeah. I've seen the fans. Definitely one, maybe two or three different places where the same fans, a lot of the same marshalls on the same holes, same rowdy people on 17."

Woody Austin said the longevity of the Buick Open is a testament to its quality.

"It's such a great event," Austin said. "An event can't be at a place for 51 years if it's not a good event, so there's obviously a lot of support in the community. There's obviously good people. Obviously Buick's been a great sponsor. So it's sad to see that it could possibly go away because it wouldn't have been here this long and be this popular if it wasn't."

And he also talked about the fans on No. 17 - the party hole. They added bleachers this year, and a beer tent was close by.

"I guess it was my first - since it was my rookie year, it was kind of my first experience with a rowdy crowd on 17," Austin said. "And I'd been playing with Freddie Couples the first couple days and having to hear 'Freddie, Freddie' always.

"So on Sunday when they were yelling 'Woody, Woody,' that was my first really good feeling of having a big crowd yelling my name. So I thought that was really cool. So I'll never forget that."

And I don't think anyone who had any connection with the Buick Open - whether they be fans, players, marshalls, standard-bearers or any other volunteer, official or reporter - will forget the Buick Open.

Buick Open Pro-Am - my partners

2009-08-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

MNM Celebrity Golf tournament

2009-08-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

I found out about this when I was talking to David Noel this weekend at Phil Ford's event. Looks like a good cause.

http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/072808aaa.html

What a week

2009-08-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's more like: "What a month."

In June, I was in Europe, playing golf at some very nice courses, particularly the ones near London.

Then, I was fortunate enough to play in the Buick Open Pro-Am tournament with K.J. Choi. I also covered the first two rounds of the Buick Open, watching Tiger Woods go for nearly worst to nearly first. He eventually won the tournament by three strokes, his 69th PGA win.

On Saturday, I spent the day, covering the Phil Ford Golf Classic, hanging around former Coach Bill Guthridge, Phil Ford, Walter Davis and David Noel.

Pretty nice month for me.

W.Va. Golf Hall of Fame opens

2009-08-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.bdtonline.com/localsports/local_story_214230824.html

Phil Ford Golf Classic photo gallery 3

2009-08-03T07:54:00.001-07:00

Phil Ford Golf Classic photo gallery 2

2009-08-03T07:22:00.001-07:00

Phil Ford Golf Classic photo gallery 1

2009-08-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Phil Ford Golf Classic

2009-08-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/celebrities-heed-call-to-aid-boys-girls-club-751861.html

Phil Ford Golf Classic

2009-08-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

I spent the day at the Phil Ford Golf Classic in Nashville, and now I'm writing a story for the Rocky Mount Telegram. I'll post some pictures later tonight.

John Senden leads the Buick Open

2009-07-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

John Senden is the leader heading into the final two rounds of the Buick Open at Warwick Hills, with a 14-under.

He nearly dropped a shot on No. 9 when he hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker. But he hit out to about 40 yards from the hole and had a nice up and down.

He said he thinks that should help some for the weekend.

"I played solid," Senden said. "I didn't have any bogeys, and getting a little awkward lie on the 9th hole and having to chip out pretty much and then nice up-and-down was a good momentum boost for scoring going into tomorrow.

"And every shot's important, so I need to feel like I can treat the weekend - try to feel the same as I did the last two days by staying focused on what I need to do."

But just remember: Tiger is on the prowl.

"With Tiger going out and shooting low, I think that shows his class, being the best player in the world," Senden said. "I think that him starting out on fire is fantastic for the game this week, the golf tournament, and you know, he's basically the best player in the world. It was great to see that he was doing what he was doing."

K.J. Choi watch

2009-07-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

It looks like K.J. Choi, my playing partner in the pro-am, is going to miss the cut. He's at 3-under for the tournament, and the projected cut is 4-under.

Photo courtesy PGA Tour

No birdie on 9

2009-07-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

John Senden scored a par 4 on the 9th at Warwick Hills to go to 14-under in the Buick Open. With just a couple of groups left on the course, it looks like Senden will be your second-round leader.

Par on the 8th

2009-07-31T14:53:00.000-07:00

John Senden stayed at 14-under with a par 3 on No. 8. And his tee shot on the 9th went into a fairway bunker. He'll have to hit a mighty nice shot to birdie this hole. But he's only 162 yards out so it is possible.

John Senden

2009-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

John Senden moved to 14-under after a birdie on the 584-yard par 5 7th. He drove the green in two and two-putted from 14 feet. Holes 8 and 9 are definitely birdie territory so he could theoretically extend his lead.

Tiger talking

2009-07-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

So I'm in the interview room at the Buick Open, watching Tiger Woods, chatting, smiling and just appearing in a lot better mood than he was after Thursday's miserable first-round performance.

Today, he shot a very nice 9-under to go 10-under for the tournament. And at this moment, he's in a tie for third, just three strokes back.

During the question-and-answer session of the post-round interview, a reporter asked Tiger about two putts that he barely missed. One was on No. 1 for an eagle, and the other was on No. 3, which would have been for birdie.

Tiger dismissed the putt at No. 3, saying that he missed his mark on No. 3 and that "it really probably shouldn't have gone in."

But the eagle attempt on the first hole?

"1 was a good putt," he said with his head tilted and that Tiger smile, like, "Yeah, it should have gone in."

Of course, had he not shot 9-under today, perhaps he wouldn't have been smiling so much.

Lowery headed the wrong way

2009-07-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

After starting the day at 9-under and holding the first-round lead at the Buick Open, Steve Lowery is 2-over for the day and has dropped to 7-under for the tournament and into a tie for 25th. He's at the 17th tee.

John Senden still is in the lead at 13-under with four holes to play.

John Senden on the move

2009-07-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

John Senden birdied holes 1 and 2 to move into the lead at the Buick Open. He's now at 13 under for the tournament, one shot ahead of Michael Letzig.

John Senden

2009-07-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

John Senden moved into a second place tie with Vaughn Taylor at the Buick Open after finishing his nine holes at 3 under. Senden and Taylor are both at 11-under for the tournament, one shot behind leader Michael Letzig.

Both Letzig and Taylor are in the clubhouse, and Senden still has the back nine to play.

There's still a four-way tie for third, including Steve Lowery, Tiger Woods, Kevin Stadler and Roland Thatcher. Woods was on fire today, shooting a 9-under for the day.

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

Steve Lowery

2009-07-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Steve Lowery, the first-round, leader at the Buick Open, birdied the first hole and he's played par golf since. He's now in a four-way tie for third with Tiger Woods, Kevin Stadler and Roland Thatcher.

One stroke ahead is Vaughn Taylor, and Michael Letzig still has the lead at 12 under.

Tiger back in contention

2009-07-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

For many of us, we'll hit the practice range or the putting green aftre a bad round.

For Tiger Woods, he didn't deviate from his game plan after turning in what he called one of his worst putting days ever.

"Same routine," Woods said after scoring a 9-under 63 to pull within two of the lead. "I didn't change a thing."

Plus, he was mad.

"I was a little bit hot yesterday," he said with a smile.

He was in danger of missing his second straight cut, but a slew of birdies and an eagle has Woods back on the prowl for a Buick Open title. But like Michael Letzig - the leader right now at 12 under - Woods knows that he can't get it all back at once.

"You have to look at it like a process," the No. 1 player in the world said. "I was so far back yesterday.

"I'll just try to put a dent in that every day. But at least I'm back in the tournament."

Woods is a little happier today - except for his 3-putt on No. 18 - and the galleries are a little happier, as well, I think.

"It's nice to have everyone excited," Woods said. "I played well, and people started getting excited about it."

If he shoots another 63 tomorrow, the excitement will grow significantly.

Another Tiger charge

2009-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Tiger birdied the last two holes - 7 and 8 - to put himself at 10 under for the tournament. He's headed to No. 9, just two strokes behind the leader, Michael Letzig.

Wow.

Michael Letzig

2009-07-31T09:21:00.001-07:00

Michael Letzig just finished his round, and he's the leader in the clubhouse at 12 under.

But he's well aware that there's plenty more golf to be played.

"Steve Lowery could go out and shoot 9 under again, and I'd be way behind," Letzig said.

Lowery, who tees off in about 10 minutes, was the first-round leader at 9 under.

Back on track

2009-07-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

After five straight pars, Tiger finally birdied another hole. He's now at 8 under for the day and 9 under for the tournament, three strokes off the pace.

Photo courtesy of PGA

K.J. Choi watch

2009-07-31T08:49:00.001-07:00

K.J. Choi is 2 under for the day and 4 under for the tournament. Not bad, but he's going to have to get some birdies if he wants to make a run at the title. He has two birdies on the day, along with a bogey and a slew of pars with three holes to play.

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

Michael Letzig is your leader at the Buick Open

2009-07-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

Michael Letzig carded eight birds and a bogey en route to a second-round lead at the Buick Open. Letzig has one Top 10 finish this year, when he tied for eighth at last week's RBC Canadian Open.

With one hole to play, he's 12 under for the tournament, one stroke ahead of Vaughn Taylor.

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

Daly collapses

2009-07-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

John Daly, who has said he's more focused and more serious about golf, is on his way to a gigantic collapse in the Buick Open.

He wasn't really in contention at the start of the day, finishing 4 over after the first round. And he started today fairly well, with birdies on 10 and 13.

But then he bogeyed 15, doubled 18 and scored a 10 on No. 1 with two shots out of bounds and two more in high rough. he followed that up with another bogey on No. 4 to put him at 12 over for the tournament.

The cut is expected to be at minus-3.

Tiger struggling

2009-07-31T08:25:00.001-07:00

Tiger has gone par-par over the past two holes. Uh-oh. What's wrong?

Tiger charge

2009-07-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

So far after the first 10 holes he's played, Tiger Woods has an eagle, six birdies, two pars and a bogie to move within four shots of the lead. Vaughn Taylor, who is 12 under for the tourney, also is playing well today, shooting 5 under through 14 holes.

Tiger's lone bogie so far came on 18 when he left his approach shot short of the pin, screamed his long putt way past the hole and missed the comeback putt. You could tell when he tapped in for bogie that he was upset - the ball nearly bounced out of the hole because he hit it a little hard.

John Daly is playing one group behind Woods, and Daly's approach shot sailed over the green and into the grandstands. After searching for it briefly, Daly started heading back down the fairway to hit again and take a penalty. But they finally found his ball, and he dropped on the right side of the green.

Daly, wearing something a little conservative for him today, chipped on and stopped his ball about five feet from the hole. All he had to do is putt it in for par - a miracle considering almost losing his ball.

But his first putt was terrible and rolled past the hole. Then his comebacker did a 360 around the edge. He then tapped in for a double.

And he followed that poor performance with a horrendous 10 on No. 1. He went out of bounds twice on the left, and bad shot after bad shot put him in the rough and the trees as he made his way down the fairway. Daly is in last place, and he will miss the cut.

The string is broken

2009-07-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

Tiger just scored a four on the par 4 15th, the first hole in the second round of the Buick Open that he hasn't shot under par.

He's now three off the lead behind Vaughn Taylor, who is three under today and 10 under for the tournament.

I told you

2009-07-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.

Tiger Woods started on No. 10, and so far after his first five holes, he has a birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie run to put himself into the Top 5. For the tournament, Woods is two strokes behind the leaders, Steve Lowery and Vaughn Taylor, who are both at 9 under.

Woods apparently following up his worst putting day ever with one of his better ones.

Tiger and K.J. watch

2009-07-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are about to give up on Tiger, please don't.

Yes, he's tied for 96th after the first round of the Buick Open, eight strokes off leader Steve Lowery.
"Guys are only going to continue to go low. That's the way this golf course is playing right now this week. It's going to be 20-plus probably to win the tournament," Tiger said after shooting a 1 under par 71.

Yes, he missed several putts that he normally makes.
"Probably one of the worst putting days I've ever had," Tiger said. "Just didn't hit any."
And no, he's not playing like Tiger.
"I was playing good yesterday (in the Pro-Am), playing good today starting out, when I was warming up, got on the greens today, and it was just terrible," he said.

But this is Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world. And what's good about that - besides the obvious - is that he's a well-liked winner. The crowds grow significantly when he's in the field. He's not like teams you love to hate because they win so much or used to win so much, ie Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Lakers.

"Anytime you get Tiger to your tournament, you should thank Tiger for coming," said Tom Pernice, who finished tied for 13th at 5 under. "It looks like Tiger stepped up to the plate, did what he needed to do to really help out Buick and the community here.

"So I thought it was a great thing, and it adds excitement anytime Tiger is in the field."

Right now, it's anyone's tournament - including Tiger's. He's got three more days to make up eight strokes.

"I'm going to have to take advantage of the holes you're supposed to take advantage of, par 5s, couple of short par 4s," Tiger said. "I'll handle those and sprinkle a few more here or there, and I'll come up with the number I need to come up with."

He's never lacked confidence.

And as far as my new favorite player, K.J. Choi, he's at 2 under, tied for 70th. Now I can't go into all the quotes and reasons why Choi still is in it. But I can root for him.

Photos courtesy of PGA and PGA Tour

Corey Pavin

2009-07-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Corey Pavin just finished his 6 under 66, highlighted by a string of birdies on the back nine. And after he talked about his first round at the Buick Open, the conversation turned to the Ryder Cup.

Pavin, captain of the next U.S. Ryder Cup team, is preparing for the 2010 matches, which are set for Oct. 1-3 at Celtic Manor Golf Club in Newport, Wales. When one reporter in the interview room asked him if he was enjoying the preparation, it was pretty obvious that "enjoying" the experience probably wasn't the right word to use.

He called it his job. He said he just wanted to do things that reflected positively on his team. And he said it wasn't something he usually did.

And when asked what he was focusing on in the near future, he talked about gifts for the players, hotel room measurements in Wales and room decorations. Pavin said he wanted to complete those logistical questions this year, so he could focus on his team next year.

I have mixed feelings. I was excited when Paul Azinger, winning Ryder Cup captain in 2008, led his team to victory over the Europeans. On the final day of the tournament, I was on my way to play golf at the Homestead in Virginia. I pulled over at a roadside motel to watch the final showdown that had the rookies tally a 4-1-1 record on Sunday. Azinger was excited, too.

But here, Pavin was reserved and almost nonchalant about the next Ryder Cup. OK, maybe he's concentrating on the Buick Open. I mean, he is in contention - just three behind the leader. Or maybe he's just playing things close to the vest.

I hope that's the case because I want another exciting victory for the U.S.

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

No. 17

2009-07-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

The party hole deserves its name.

No. 17 at Warwick Hills is well-known as having one of the rowdiest crowds on the PGA Tour. With a tent halfway down the 197-yard fairway that has a beer tent right behind it, No. 17 crowds should be pretty animated.

Most of the time, the tent crowd won't even stop talking - and talking loudly - when golfers are on the teebox or the green. But when one of Michigan's own sticks a tee shot about a foot from the pin, they will stop the partying briefly to watch Andrew Ruthkoski of Muskegon, Mich., tap in for a birdie.

Ruthkoski earned a spot in the Buick Open field by placing second in a Monday qualifier at Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills.

Ruthkoski's two on No. 17 was his fourth birdie in his first eight holes, and he headed for 18 at 3 under. (He bogied No. 10, the hole his group started out on this afternoon.)

But a double bogey on No. 18 and a triple bogey on No. 1 turned his 3 under into a 2 over.

Maybe he needed that party crowd atmosphere to follow him around the turn.

Oh, and for the Tiger and K.J. watch. Tiger is 1 under through 16, Choi is 3 under through 17.

Tiger and K.J. after 5

2009-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Tiger is 2 over, and K.J. is 3 under. I'd like to think K.J.'s early success is thanks to me.

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

Tiger and K.J.

2009-07-30T10:58:00.001-07:00

After one hole, K.J. Choi is 1 under and Tiger Woods is 1 over. But if you're worried about Woods, don't. Steve Lowery bogeyed his first hole today also, and he finished the first round at 9 under. He's in the clubhouse with the lead.

Steve Lowery

2009-07-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

Steve Lowery is in the clubhouse at 9 under, taking the lead at the Buick Open. And like Tom Pernice, he talked about how great it is to play at Warwick Hills.

"They've kept the four par 5s and the driveable par 4," said Lowery, who won the AT&T Pebble Beach tournament in 2008. "I'm not a fan of the 470-500-yard par 4s.

"This type of course - it makes it more exciting to watch, more exciting to play. I think it's better."

He also said he thinks a little more rambunctiousness from the fans would be a good thing.

"Obviously, it could get out of hand," Lowery said. "But golf needs more of that."

He said the par 3 No. 17, already known for its rowdy crowds, is an exciting hole to play.

I remember my tee shot on the 17 in the Pro-Am. I sliced it to the right, and I was sure that i saw my ball go into a group of fans on the right side of the green. But all of sudden, it magically appeared inside the ropes, just short of the green.

When I walked up to my ball, I asked the group if they threw my ball back, ala throwing a home run ball back onto the field.

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

Tom Pernice

2009-07-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

I guess you could call Tom Pernice Jr. a golf purist.

Pernice is tied for the clubhouse lead at 5 under. Two players still on the course are at 7 under and 8 under. In the interview room, Pernice talked about his first win on the PGA Tour - the 1999 Buick Open - and his affinity for the course here at Warwick Hills.

"A lot of players lover coming here because it's a traditional, old-style golf course," said Pernice, who's been a pro since 1983. It's my special place. It was my first win."

Although Warwick Hills was ranked at the easiest course on the PGA Tour last year, Pernice said that you still have to excute.

"These old style golf course - to me, that's what golf's all about," Pernice said. "I've got into troucle in the past for criticizing Rees Jones' redos. But it can't be a great course if it's too difficult.

"It's still a game for enjoyment. After a tournament, the other 51 weeks of the year, the average player has to go out and play it."

He said he likes Warwick Hills, likening the style to Pebble Beach, Riviera and Brown Deer Park in Milwaukee.

"Anytime you play an old traditional style golf course, you have a chance to score well," he said. "You don't have to have power here.

"To me, that's the way golf was meant to be played."

Photo courtesy of PGA Tour