The PGA Championship!

August 6, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 11 Comments

PGA Championship – Wanamaker Trophy

Tomorrow is the last Major of 2014. I have predicted Rory McIlroy to win this event several times and I wrote more about it at Pundit Arena just yesterday. The PGA Championship, played at the Valhalla Golf Club, will test the mental and physical stamina of all the players. At this time, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson are the leading candidates to win the Wanamaker Trophy. However, it is important not to discount Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott or Sergio Garcia. Tomorrow’s start will decide who will be set up to play in the last group on Sunday.

From the names above, there is one name missing; you guessed it, Tiger Woods. After leaving the WGC – Bridgestone in the last round via golf cart, barely getting into his SUV and having difficulty walking up the stairs of his private jet, it is highly unlikely that Tiger Woods will be a player in this weekend’s Major. There is no question he is mentally willing to play, however it is unclear if he will be able to.

Tiger Woods requested a registration exemption earlier in the week and was granted this request. Arriving at Valhalla Golf Club today, Woods stated he was ready to play and plans to win! In typical Tiger Woods fashion, he put all other players on notice:

“That’s the only thing I can control,” Woods said. “Try to go out there and win this event. That’s all I’m focused on. … I played all right. Nothing great. It’s only Wednesday – I want my good stuff to start tomorrow. I felt pretty good about how I played and the shots I hit.” (USA Today)

It is impossible to begrudge Woods the opportunity to play and everyone wishes him well. Unfortunately, the way the rest of the field is playing it is unlikely he will be a factor on Sunday. For any player to win a Major, they would have to be at their best and Tiger Woods is far from being at his best. As the players hit the links at 7:30 am tomorrow morning, all the questions will be answered and Woods will put on his game face preparing to do battle with the rest of the field. No matter what happens, I do wish him luck!

Another player to watch tomorrow is Rickie Fowler. Fowler has finished in the top 5 in the previous Majors of 2014. His game is strong, honed, and ready to make a run at winning his first Major. To his chagrin, he will face Rory McIlroy (who is also playing his best golf in years). Paired with Victor Dubuisson and Ernie Els, Fowler will be able to feed off the excitement of Dubuisson’s play, yet watch “The Big Easy” calmly navigate his way around Valhalla. Rickie Fowler is quickly maturing into a weekly contender and this weekend should be no different.

My dark-horse for the PGA Championship is Sergio Garcia! Ranked third in the world, Garcia is still considered my dark-horse pick for several reasons. First, he experienced a difficult loss to McIlroy last weekend in the WGC – Bridgestone (shooting 1 over on the last day). His mental toughness in the Majors is suspect and the expectation to win his first Major is growing. However, being paired with Steve Stricker and Tom Watson is a blessing. Both of these players are calm, mature, and complete gentlemen. Garcia could not ask for a better group to start the first two days of the PGA Championship. If Garcia starts strong, he just might be able to repay Rory McIlroy for last weekend.

The PGA Championship will be very exciting! As with every Major, the first two days will set the scene for the weekend. However, moving day (Saturday) will determine who has the mental toughness to raise the Wanamaker Trophy above their heads on Sunday!

Who is your favourite? Dark-horse?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Sunglasses and Golf

July 27, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 15 Comments

The RBC Canadian Open Golf Championship is heading into the fourth day. Jim Furyk is holding a 3 stroke lead over Tim Clarke and seems near impossible to beat. Graham DeLaet shot even par on moving day and will take a miracle to win his national title. The Royal Montreal Golf Club is living up to its hype and today’s final round should be exciting and fun to watch.

For the first three days, the weather was normal for the Montreal area with plenty of sunshine. The grass and trees are very green and when the sun shines an aura of brilliant colors surrounds the players and gallery alike. Interestingly, many players wear sunglasses either all the time, or at least during some aspect of their round. Personally, I do not wear sunglasses while playing, but wonder if it provides an advantage.

Sunglasses when fitted properly are very comfortable. According to my research, it is also important that they have the proper UV protection. It is only recently that professional golfers started wearing sunglasses and according to Robert Allenby are a must.

“Australian-born professional golfer Robert Allenby, one of the first pros on the PGA tour to wear sport sunglasses during tournament play, has said that he prefers polarized copper-colored lenses with a 50 percent transmittance rating for golfing.

“Polarized lenses help take glare and shine off the green so I can see the line better . . . The color helps me see the definition of the grass and covers all climates and light scenarios,” Allenby said in the February 2008 issue of Eyecare Business magazine.

Allenby mentioned that wearing sunglasses has helped him perform better on the links by relieving the need to squint, which keeps him more relaxed.

Following Allenby’s lead, many young players on the PGA tour are starting to wear sunglasses during tournament play, including Zach Johnson, winner of the 2007 Masters Tournament.

Also, Annika Sorenstam, perhaps the best woman golfer to play the game, with 72 career LPGA victories, has worn sports sunglasses during most of her tour wins. (AllAboutVision.com)

Sunglasses are definitely here to stay. The fact that many players sign endorsements to wear a particular brand has helped cement their place as must-have golfing equipment. I definitely see the benefits of wearing sunglasses, but I find it difficult to read the greens with them on. Now, it might help if I paid more that 10 dollars for a pair, but I am not really sure.

So Grateful Golfers, it is time to help me out:

Do you wear sunglasses?
If so, what brand?
Do you have a special lens colour?
What style do you like?
Would your recommend wearing sunglasses while playing golf?

Sunglasses are here to stay and if an advantage can be gained from wearing them, we all would like to know.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The RBC Canadian Open Golf Championship

July 23, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

The RBC Canadian Open Trophy!

The RBC Canadian Open Golf Championship starts tomorrow at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. Founded in 1873, it is one of only 66 golf courses in the world that hold the official “Royal” designation. The course will play as a par 70 at 7135 yards with six holes snaking around the large picturesque ponds. A Canadian has won this championship seven times since its inception in 1904; however, no Canadian has raised the trophy in 60 years! This is the year it will change.

Throughout its history, the RBC Canadian Open has shaped the face of professional golf in Canada. Many of golf’s greatest names have claimed the Canadian Open Championship title including Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Greg Norman, Nick Price, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.

As the National Sports Organization (NSO) and governing body for golf in this country, Golf Canada’s mission is to promote participation in and a passion for the game while protecting its traditions and integrity. We hope you enjoy this great championship and leave with an increased affection for the unique spirit of integrity, sportsmanship and fellowship that make golf the greatest game on earth. (RBC Canadian Open)

The defending champion Brandt Snedeker will be teeing it up with Dustin Johnson and Hunter Mahan at 8 am. There are many notables playing this year who are vying for the win. Of note, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ernie Els, Luke Donald and Jim Furyk. More importantly, there are 18 Canadians in the field with Grahame DeLaet, David Hearn, and Mike Weir leading the way. This is a strong field and the winner will have to stay focused for 72 holes to claim the RBC Canadian Open Trophy!

The pressure is on all the Canadians to perform. After 60 years, Canadian golfers are anxious to crown a locally grown hero and claim the title – “king of golf” – in Canada. This year, unlike years past, there are some players in the field that could bring the trophy back home. Grahame DeLaet and David Hearn are having great seasons. They are young, eager and skilled! Both are having great careers and this year they have jumped out to a strong start.

Normally, I would analyse more data before making a prediction, but this weekend I am going with my heart. Grahame DeLaet is the man who will be standing on the podium on Sunday! My dark horse favorite is Mike Weir! Having walked way out on a limb, any Canadian will do! It is time the Canadian Open Trophy is brought home!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The Duck Stays in Canada!

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Match-play is the most equitable competition in golf. If players have honestly built their handicap, it provides a fair means to compete . Among friends, as I found out yesterday, it provides endless entertainment, chances to rib your opponent, and light-hearted competition.

A match-play match consists of one side playing against another over a stipulated round unless otherwise decreed by the Committee. In match play the game is played by holes. Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, a hole is won by the side that holes its ball in the fewer strokes. In a handicap match, the lower net score wins the hole. The state of the match is expressed by the terms: so many “holes up” or “all square”, and so many “to play”. A side is “dormie’’ when it is as many holes up as there are holes remaining to be played. (if you want all the official rules governing match-play competitions go to RCGA.org)

This weekend was a perfect way to rebound from my poor showing at last-weeks Regional competition. Not playing well during the last two days of Regionals was quite disappointing, but that is golf! Immediately after the last round of Regionals, I headed to the airport to pick up my friend and his wife who had just arrived from the UK. They graciously planned to visit us for three days, so Kirk and I took advantage of the time and hit the links all three days.

Jim and Kirk before “Duck Match”

The last day was the competition for the “Duck”. This year we decided to have a match-play competition because stroke-play was too intense and not suited for a friendly! The negotiations about how many strokes a-side he would receive was hammered out in a two-hour discussion. The guiding factors used were his handicap – he is a 10 and I am a 4, his play over the previous two days, it was my home course, his jet lag and maybe a bit too many libations. Ultimately, we decided on four strokes a-side. It may seem a bit much considering his handicap, but I figure it was the right number for each of us to enjoy the round and keep the competition close.

Hitting to the second green from 150 yards out!

We were fortunate to have one of my regular playing partners, Jean, join us. His steady play and ability to arbitrate disagreements was a great addition to our group! As we started, I quickly jumped out up 2. I thought that this was going very well and if I could get through his four-stroke holes on the front, I could hold a commanding lead going into the back. Well something happened that I was not ready for – his short game. That was by far the best part of his game! He always chipped close and never 3-putted. Each putt was either in or a tap-in on the second shot! It definitely was a clinic on how to put pressure on your opponent during a match-play competition.

His second strength was his ability to get the ball back in play! He did hit a few wayward shots, but scrambled perfectly. Of the four situations where he had to play out of trouble, he played it safe by chipping expertly out from the woods or sand; Kirk made three pars and a bogey from trouble!

Out of the Cabbage on to the green. Another par!

Kirk out of the sand for par!

His ability to scramble was really hard to compete against. In a match-play event, the ability to recover can be demoralizing to your competitor! And in our match, he gave back as much as he received. He never bent to the pressure and kept firing back great shot after great shot!

I was not to be out done. My game was steady and relentless. I did nothing flashy, yet nothing disastrous. I figured that if I played my normal game (with a couple breaks) Kirk would not be able to stay with me over 18 holes. This strategy had worked very well in our stroke-play competitions, but not during our match-play event!

After seven holes, I was still one up. This was the last hole on the front nine that Kirk received a stroke. My plan was to tie the hole and head to the par 5 ninth hole, one up. Since the par 5, ninth hole was played straight up, I figured I had a good chance to be 2 up starting the back nine!

Well, in a movie, this is where the slow motion scene would start! After hitting a 260 yard drive, Kirk had 120 yards to the pin. He confidently stepped over the ball and hit a 5 iron (okay it was a wedge) and hit his ball to 1 foot! He sunk his putt and evened the match. He looked and smiled at me as if to say…’you’re in trouble my friend’!

The back-nine was a slug fest. Every time I would put the pressure on, Kirk would counter with pressure of his own. During his four holes where he received a stroke, his play was excellent. He won three of the holes and put me in a pickle being 2 down with three to go! Teeing off on the 16th hole, solved nothing. We were both in play. After hitting our approach shots, he was 30 feet away and I was 45 feet away. It was not looking good for The Grateful Golfer! Undaunted, I stepped up and drained my putt for birdie! No one was more surprised than me, but with some unexpected pressure, Kirk left his putt just short and putted in for par. I was now 1 down with two to go!

17th Hole at Roundel Glen Golf Course!

The 17th hole was a 120-yard par 3. There is a sand trap to the right protecting three-quarters of the green which usually comes into play during pressure matches. The pin was up front. Kirk hit to the middle of the green about 25 feet away. I was off to the left about 15 feet away. After Kirk made his second putt; the pressure was on to win the hole and push the match to the 18th. As I stepped over the putt, I felt confident that his putt was going in! After a smooth stroke, I came up six inches short! Yup, short! The match was over and Kirk defended the title of not having to carry ‘The Duck’

Jim keeping ‘The Duck’ for another year!

After the match, Kirk and I both agreed that match-play was the best competition for ‘The Duck’. It allows the higher handicapper more chances to be competitive. Overall, it was an awesome day and we are looking forward to the rematch in the UK on his home course or maybe The Old Course in St Andrews!

In case you were wondering, I shot a 73 and Kirk shot a 78. Next time he is giving me strokes! This was truly a fantastic match!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Day Two – ONTARIO REGIONAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Another exciting day on the links is over. Today was not as successful as yesterday, but I had a fantastic time. Gone are the days of commiserating about the would a, should a, could a, about a round of golf. My score was a smooth 84. You are probably asking how I shot an 84? Well I missed a 1 footer for an 83 on the 18th hole! The score is very interesting because my play was not as poor as it indicates. However, there were some marked differences between my first round and second round.

I thought it would be interesting to outline these differences and possibly suggest areas of improvement for tomorrow. So, here it goes:

Putting. During the first round I never missed a putt inside of 8 feet. I was on fire. During the second round I only made one putt inside of 4 feet. That four-foot difference was major today. If I was putting with the same accuracy today as the first day, I would have shot 78. The difference between the first round and second was confidence. Early in my second round I missed a couple putts that I felt I should have made. After that it was a grind.

Getting off the Tee. First round I was striping the ball down the fairway, always. Second round….nope. The problem was my head. No literally, my head – it was like a bobble-head and I could not keep it still! Tomorrow, I will fix that problem.

Approach shots. First round, I chipped everything close and without fear. Today, I second guessed every shot. I could not get comfortable! I knew my distances and today, suddenly, I decided not to believe that I hit the ball to the right distance. Lastly, I gave the wind too much respect!

Okay, I think you get the point. I did not play well and that is life on the golf course. My expectations were high and I was not able to meet them today. Does that mean I should start the dangerous spiral of forgetting how well I can play….the answer is NO!

To all the Grateful Golfers out there – the real lesson from today’s challenges – the mental approach to golf! The real problem today was my mental weakness. I let False Evidence Appearing Real or FEAR affect my game. I started to count the score and convince my brain that all was good. Instead, what I should have done is focus on each shot, pay attention to what the course was offering and trust in my swing! Tomorrow will be a different day and I will be mentally stronger and better prepared for an awesome time on the links!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!