Who are the Bubble Guys?

March 26, 2014April 1, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

Who are the bubble guys? They are the players who stand between 40 and 60 in the world rankings. At any time, players behind them can easily leap-frog their position by playing well in a tournament. If you do not think it is that easy, look below and see what happened to last week’s winners and how they rocketed up the world rankings.

A couple of weeks back, I was discussing the world rankings with Brian Penn from All About Golf. We initially were talking about Adam Who are the bubble guys? They are the players who stand between 40 and 60 in the world rankings. At any time, players behind them can easily leap-frog their position by playing well in a tournament. If you do not think it is that easy, look below and see what happened to last week’s winners and how they rocketed up the world rankings.Scott taking over as world number one and Brian set me straight as to the real meaning of the rankings. He said:

“Jim, the odd thing about the world golf rankings is that it doesn’t matter who’s #1. Top guy has a nice feather in the cap but what it’s really about is winning majors. What’s very important is staying in the top 50 because of all the automatic invites to the big tournaments. Weird that the farther down you go the more meaning it has.”

The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that his view about the importance of the bubble guys is spot on! Additionally, his sage advice was behind the article I wrote for Pundit Arena called Valero Texas Open – The Most Important Tournament of the Year. It might be worth a read.

The bubble positions are especially critical so close to The Masters for one reason and one reason only – how a professional qualifies. There are many ways, but the one with the most impact is the 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament are invited to the show!

If Matthew Every can jump from 94 to 44 on the world rankings by winning one event, all the bubble players must be sweating as they tee it up over the next two weeks. Two weeks before any Major is always exciting as players jockey for position hoping to get that elusive invite. There will be many sleepless nights over the next two weeks as the bubble guys pray they are not ranked number 51!

No matter what happens – The Masters is a Tradition Like No Other! I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

What is Important in Golf?

March 25, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

The Boys at Voyageur Days Golf Tournament

What is important in golf? Most players immediately think of the mechanics of a golf swing, mental preparation, scoring low or going for scratch. All of these points are very important, but is that really what is important in golf…..to you?

Golf is bigger than a game. It offers the opportunity to for players to enhance their lives in many ways. But, it is important to note that golf offers something different for everyone. For me, golf offers many ways to be grateful; so today I thought I would share some of those. I am grateful because:

I have golfed with an astronaut – Colonel Robert Springer. He explained what it was like to be in a space shuttle – that was way cool;
I have golfed with a 73 year-old guy who schooled me on the importance of the short game (cost me three drinks for the lesson);
I have learned to control my emotions while working through adversity;
I have learned to be a gentlemen;
I have learned to be gracious whether I win or lose;
I am inspired every time I play in the morning when the sun peeks over the trees;
I have watched, then celebrated with others after they shot a hole-in-one; especially my mother;
I converse daily with like-minded golfers friends around the world through blogging and social media;
I continue to meet so many fantastic people on the golf course that I cannot count them all; and
Mostly, I share my most favorite game with the people I treasure the most!

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point that golf provides some many opportunities to be grateful. I have played golf for most of my life, but it has only been the past five years that I really understand how it has helped shape the person I am today. Some may think that I am crazy for letting a game become so important to my life – they may have a valid point. I would counter to say that golf really is more than a game because it continues to teach me how to set goals, face adversity, support others, cherish friendships and share joyful experiences everyday!

What are you grateful for?

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

New World Number One!

March 21, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Is it possible that Adam Scott will take over as world number one? His play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is nothing short of fantastic. After the second round, Scott will have an 7 shot lead and if he continues to play well, he should take over as the number one golfer in the world. But…..

ABC reports :” The complex world ranking system assigns points to an event based on the current world rankings of those playing and while official projections are not computed until all players begin the event it appears a win for Scott would still leave him fractionally short of Woods.

Had Day been able to play, a win for Scott in Woods’s absence would have most likely been enough to take the top spot.

Regardless, a win would at the very least get him close enough to pass Woods at the Masters with a higher finish than the American, even if he did not defend.”

Does this seem fair? It is very difficult to determine how the world rankings are calculated. I have tried to follow the process, but I am always tripped up by the ‘strength of the field’ and ‘head to head’ competition. I am sure the golfing experts use an algorithm that would stump Albert Einstein, but it seems to work for them. Regardless, Adam Scott is playing outstanding and if he stays focused, should cruise to a win at Palmer’s tournament.

On a side note, I wanted to point out a statement by Adam Scott posted by White Dragon Golf: ” I made a lot of putts today, and a lot of putts from considerable length. I hit a lot of nice shots, too, but it wasn’t like I was hitting it four feet. ….” Scott’s comment reinforces the recent discussion on focused putting and breaking 100 with consistency. An amateur’s and professional’s short game can be the difference between an average score and a great score.

As the this weekends event unfolds, Should Adam Scott be crowned world number one if the wins the Arnold Palmer invitational?

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

The Blue Monster

March 8, 2014March 8, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Recent modifications to The Blue Monster are the main talk at this weekends World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. Mr. Donald J. Trump employed architect Gil Hanse to redesign this historic course to provide new and definitely greater challenges to the professional field. Situated within the heart of Trump National Dorval Resort in Miami “this 7,608 yard course features a series of strategically placed deep bunkers, long flowing fairways, interesting undulating greens, deep Bermuda rough and a challenging assortment of water hazards – all of which combine for a course that requires both length and finesse to score well.”

After two rounds, the goal of making this course a challenge was achieved. The Blue Monster is bearing its teeth and taking a bite out of every professional. Only three players had sub-par rounds on the second day and four players under par at minus one for the tournament (and tied for first) remind all golfing pundits of the US Open. If that is not proof that this course is tough, then maybe we need another toughness gauge!

The Blue Monster is designed to be a challenging course. However, is the redesign of the course really causing the pros scratch their heads, talk to themselves, or look to the sky in disbelief? Maybe, but many of the comments coming off the course point more to the conditions. The course is dry, greens hard, and the wind – gale like!

Rickie FowlerVerified account‏@RickieFowlerPGA – Ya the breeze was quite strong today💨 RT @jtedscott: Can you say windy? #3-197 hole, PW 205 yds. #4-211 hole, 3 iron 175.

Keegan BradleyVerified account‏@Keegan_Bradley – Had to lay up 3 times today and non of which were par 5s. #2par3‘s.

Sergio Garcia ‏@TheSergioGarcia 14h – So challenging out there today with the wind. Other than two holes I played pretty well. Let’s see if we can get back into it tomorrow!

The wind is expected to continue through the entire weekend. Therefore, moving day will be very interesting. How much risk are the pros willing to take move up the leader board? How tight can they cut the corners with 25 mph winds moving their ball? When a course is playing this tough, any player within 10 – 15 strokes who can score two sub-par rounds of 3-4 under are back in the hunt. Moving day is going to be fun for the fans!

The Blue Monster, through the Trump National Dorval Resort, is a fantastic venue. The fans appear to be appreciative of the new course, the new challenges and the picturesque landscape. I am not so sure about the professionals who have navigate their way through this beast, but if the winner of the this marathon will definitely earn the PGAs motto “These guys are good!”

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

5 Wood or Extra Wedge

March 5, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 16 Comments

How many times have you heard the question – should I replace my 5 wood with an extra wedge. In 1980, Tom Kite first pro to put a 60 degree wedge. He and Dave Pelz, a former NASA physicist, worked on creating the lob wedge to fill a gap determined by Pelz’s research. It is a famous story and if you want more details the story is in the February 2013 edition of Golf Illustrated has all the details. That unlikely team changed the face of golf.

Ultimately, there really is no right answer. Previously I wrote on this same topic. The response I received was 50/50 of using either club. I originally felt that higher handicappers should use the 5-wood and lower handicappers the lob wedge. I still stand by that assessment, however, my logic seems to have a bit of hole in it.

Many of the pros are carrying the 5 wood and an extra wedge! They are removing their 3 iron. The reason for this change is the dramatic increase in the use of hybrids. The first hybrid golf club was the Rescue by TaylorMade in the late 1990s. Designed to deliver the precision of an iron with the ease of hitting of a wood. Personally, I recommend hybrids because they add a dimension to an amateurs game that allows for options when choosing between the two.

Choosing between a 5-wood and wedge is a tough decision. I recommend that you experiment with carrying each separately and carrying both in a round. I suggest that you play at least 3-5 rounds with each configuration to ensure an accurate sample group. Make sure that you keep track of how often you use the club and that is your answer.

I use a wedge vice 5-wood. On a side note, I also use 3,4,5 hybrid. This combination works best for me.

What is in your bag? 5-wood or extra wedge or both?

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