When I was making my Fantasy Golf picks last week I should of went with my gut feeling as I figured some players in the 100 to 125 of the FedEx standings would do well this week and even possible win. More on the line for these players fall out of the top 100 and you don't make to this week's Deutsche Bank Championship.
Well Heath Slocum fit the bill and with that clutch 20 foot putt on the 18th secured him the win at the Barclays. Tell me when Heath Slocum woke up this morning he didn't have a huge smile on his face vaulting up the FedEx Cup standings to #3 from #124. He wasn't the only big mover for the week either. I'm just wondering will this hold true for this week.
I also see an interesting trend of Adams clubs popping up in winners bags week to week. Very interesting I think I might need to test some of these Adams clubs out.
Here is a complete list of the clubs that Heath Slocum used to win the 2009 Barclays Championship at Liberty National:
I always get a kick out of some of the headlines that pop up ever day at Yahoo.com. Most are set to entice you into obviously clicking on the various links scattered about their front page. i especially like them when they deal with golf.
Last week Ryan Moore won the Wyndham Championship for his first PGA Tour victory. The interesting thing about his win is that Ryan this year went golfing out their on the PGA Tour without one single sponsor. That's no club deal, no bag deal, no shoe deal, hell no glove deal. Hard to imagine in this day and age. Anyways the headlight at Yahoo.com after his win read:
Ryan Moore, the golfer who left $300,000 on the table
For most that know anything about golf really not a big deal these guys still make lots of money on tour look at the 125th player on tour last year he made $852,752 just playing golf. These guys are routing through scrap heaps looking for copper piping or copper sinks to sell for extra cash, it's not like they work extra jobs. They're golf pros who make a damn good living. Some like Moore choose to play the clubs they want to play and don't have to worry about all the headaches that go with having to please their sponsors. Yes Moore is a bit of an enigma but who really cares he won. Now never in a million years would you see:
xxxx xxxxxx, Golf Blogger who left $300,000 on the table
I'm not a millionaire golfer, hell I'll do anything for a buck and I'm damn proud of it. I've got three kids to feed right.
I got home from camping this past Sunday just in time the thrilling end of the Wyndham Championship and to see Ryan Moore get his first PGA Tour win. I do believe he's one laid back dude. Check out Stephanie Wei interview of Ryan my new favorite PGA Tour pro.
Will try to resurrect this contest come the final week of the FedEx Cup -The Tour Championship. Didn't get near the interest I was hoping (had almost 30 people for the Masters so was hoping this would be the minimum) so this contest is delayed til then. Stay tuned.
With the FedEx Cup starting this week I figured it was a great time to start another Contest (it's been awhile since the Masters Contest) and see how some of you can do over the course of 4 weeks. Pick the winner each week and the money they win you add to your total for the four weeks. The person with the most $$$$ after 4 weeks of the FedEx Cup wins the grand prize. The big hitch is you can only pick a player once so you really have to know how the players play the golf courses they'll be trying to conquer over the next four weeks. Who's hot, who's not, when do you pick Tiger or Phil? All good questions give it a try.
Another rule is if you choose a Puma Sponsored golfer you get double their money for the week.
Lately my interests in golf have been at seeking out new hybrids and putters that might help my game. Various photos of the Adams Pro Black Hybrid have been surfacing around various golf forums including our friends at Golf WRX.com where a member has even submitted a review of the Adams Pro Black Hybrid. These look amazing and I'm sure will be a popular hybrid when they hit the market. Check out some comparison pics of the Adams Idea Pro and Pro Black hybrid.
Anthony Kim is even checking them out as he had then in his bag at the WGC Bridgestone Inviational. Check them out in the video up in the corner right of my site.
On a side note it looks like Steve Elkington is playing some Adams Pro Black MB.
Thanks to our friends at GolfToImpress.com for posting this sweet picture of a Custom Black Kombi Cameron Putter. The regular Kombi is one I've had my eye for awhile. Some pictures surfaced around the Masters of a black pearl Custom Kombi one that Pat Perez was going to test out. Hopefully this black finish or a variation will be available to us mortals because just on looks alone very high marks from me.
Many thought it would be Tiger Woods hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy but a little unknown in Y.E. Yang decided to make some incredible shots and make a little history in the process. Congrats 2009 PGA Champion Y.E. Yang you sure made it exciting to watch. First Asia-born player to win a Major. Can you say life altering, you deserve it Y.E. Yang.
I know if you are like me you buy a few golf clubs here and there on eBay or your local Golf Forum. Many if not all I buy either don't have a head cover included or the head cover isn't really that great. Take a look on eBay for instance search head cover under golf and you get back over 1900 listings. Now some of these are people who collect head covers for a living see what happens when Scotty Cameron releases a new head cover, the SC fanatics go crazy. Many though are looking for a replacement head cover and a affordable one at that.
Sumi-G sent over some headcovers (Driver, fairway wood, hybrid) to review and I believe after giving them a thorough work out these head covers may just be the ultimate head cover. So your search for a new head cover could be over, read on.
The first thing you notice about these head covers is they look nothing like anything you've seen before. It's part of Sumi-G years in the making design, this is no ordinary head cover. It took a minute or two to figure out how the head of the club goes into the head cover but once this was figured out the club could be protected by the head cover in a few seconds. The other cool thing about the Sumi-G head cover is you can put it on with one hand as well as you can easily pick it up off the fairway or tee box no bending or stretching yourself out. How innovative is that.
Features:
• Unique mechanical closure
• Convenient one-handed operation
• Rigid exoskeleton protects both club and shaft
• Easy to pick up from ground with club
• Fits right-handed clubs only
• Fits 460cc drivers (not all square clubs)
• Patent pending
The Sumi-G head cover has a rigid construction and a long neck to protect your club and shaft unlike conventional head covers. Here's how good this rigid exoskeleton is at keeping those valuable clubs safe. I recently got back from a family vacation with my wife and three kids crammed into a packed minivan for camping and vacationing. Of course my clubs had to come along as I had a few games lined up. No damage came to any of my clubs (Driver, 5 wood, 21 degree hybrid) during the many miles we put on while on vacation. Talk about piece of mind.
Just to give you an idea how much I like these head covers that since I got these Sumi-G head covers my original head covers haven't been used. I like the way they protect my clubs plus these head covers look cool with the Sumi-G logo and exoskeleton design Sumi-G definitely has a hit with these head covers.
The only down side to these head covers is the driver model will fit most 460CC drivers as it did with my NickentEvolver but some square headed driver might not fit so be warned. Another thing is at present these head covers are only made for right-handed golfers. I'm sure they're working on some lefty versions so don't feel left out.
The Sumi-G head covers are part of their Tee Collection. The Driver headcover retails for $38 , fairway wood for $32 and the hybrid model for $28 and can be purchased directly through Sumi-G. I have no problem with the price as these are high end functional head covers that do what they say. Enough said.
I've been working nights the last while and my sleep habits during the summer when I'm on nights tends to be a bit crazy. Anyways I wake up today and turn on the PGA Championship to see if anyone is chasing Tiger, I'm intrigue to find a few within a few shots but minutes later players are falling like flies (ie. Paddy, Glover...etc). I was suppose to help out a neighbor with pond supplies but I'm sure glad I didn't as I got to see a tremendous eagle chip from Y.E. Yang. If you missed it here it is.
I just had to post this YouTube video of Paddy Harrington hitting an amazing 301 yd. bunker shot from round 2 of the PGA Championship. It was fun editing the video with all the commentary from Feherty and the other commentators. Much better than having to study for medical coding training courses or any kind of courses for that matter.
I have a hard enough time getting out of green side bunkers Padraig pulls off a shot that even Tiger Woods seemed impressed from the look of there conversation up the 15th fairway. This could be one guy that might put some pressure on Tiger tomorrow. Would of been even better if they had been in the final group.
Can't believe I've missed the Tweets of Geoff Ogilvy. Up until yesterday I didn't even realize he was on Twitter and he's got some great ones this week at the PGA Championship. Where he's playing on the weekend at even par. .....“what does it say about practice round pace of play that I can be Tweeting so much?”
......“There are so many people out here early it’s incredible. Tiger really has changed the way people watch practice days”
.....“I just had 245 into 12, which is a par-four by the way, after a great drive. And 13 is a 255 to the hole par-three... into the wind”
.....“watching America’s Got Talent, wondering how Hasselhof’s still on TV”
Here's what Geoff Ogilvy will be wearing on Saturday at the PGA Championship.
Watching Sergio Garcia on the last hole today at the PGA Championship got me mad. For one thing I had him in one of my Fantasy Leagues and two it just seems like he doesn't give a shit this was a guy who was suppose to give Tiger a bit of a rival. Remember 10 years ago when he made his run against Tiger at the PGA only to fall short. Hell last year he probably should of won the PGA.
Today it just seemed he didn't care about even small things like getting par or bogey to actually make the cut at this years PGA Championship, no he played the hole sloppy and wound up with a double bogey and one shot short off the cut line. I should of known not to pick Sergio this week there probably was a better chance of him wearing bull fighter pants or breeches out there then actually making the cut. He sits at 114th in the FedEX Cup standings. Me thinks it will be an early exit for Sergio there as well if he doesn't get out of his funk.
For most golfers these days more thought is being put into what they wear on and off the golf course. Gone are the days when you only see golfers wearing khaki shorts/pants and plain polosgolf shirts. Men and women golfers are actually starting to understand that golf can be both fun, functional, comfortable and you can look good as well. One company that gets it is Sumi-G.
Sumi-G first introduced their rather large product line this past Spring to the World at the Orlando PGA Merchandise show. They were nice enough to send me some head covers and one of their belts. So here's a little review of their black Dormy Belt.
The Dormy Belt is part of the Sumi-G Tee Collection which also includes their head covers, hats, bag towel with brushes.
The first thing you notice about the belt is how soft the leather is, Sumi-G uses only Italian leather on their belts. Very nice who wants to put on a stiff belt, this belt screams quality. The lining on the black and white belts is a red Colorfast suede liner another really nice touch. Most golf belts that are out there these days are of the wider variety and that goes for the Sumi-G belt (1 5/8" wide) so just make sure any shorts or pants can except this style of belt.
The buckle on the black Dormy belt is silver chrome. The buckle is double pronged which makes securing your belt easily. The coolest thing about the Sumi-G Dormy belt is the magnetic ball marker with the Sumi-G logo built right into the buckle.
While testing out the belt I never once lost the ball marker but Sumi-G throws in an extra 2 markers just in case you lose one. This of course was an added bonus to this belt as a golfer having a ball marker right in hands way, no need to search in your pocket for a marker because it's right there on your belt. Very functional and it looks great too.
This belt with its high end design and leather and the functional ball marker would definitely make a great gift for the golfer in your life. The only negative I did find with this belt was it was prone to scratching. I pretty much wore it for a two weeks straight on and off the golf course and some light scratching did occur around the outside of the buckle. So you might decide that this this might be the belt you only wear on the course.
It comes in white and brown as well and retails for $85.00 USD. You can purchase it online at Sumi-G's online store. You can also view the other items Sumi-G has available in there Green Collection (divot tools, money clips, scorecard wallets) and Trunk Collection (holdall, shoe, and shag bags) in their catalog.
If your lucky enough to go to the practice rounds today at Hazeltine National Golf Club this is what Puma Golfer Geoff Ogilvy will be wearing. Shoes are awesome and I love the 18 Hole design on the black golf shirt.
After seeing Luke Donald in person at the Canadian Open just a day after a T5 at the Open Championship I truly believe this guy will win very soon and hopefully play well once the FedEX Playoffs start. He's got all the skills he just needs to close out a few tournaments better. His last PGA Tour win came in 2006 far to long between wins for sure. This week after the first round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational he's even par. Lower rounds for Donald will come this weekend you wait and see.
Do you constantly check the weather on the Weather Network even if you don't have a tee time for that day? Do you go out of your way when traveling home from work to drive by a least one golf course before you get home? Do you dream of installing a putting green in your backyard? In the line at the grocery store does the Symbol LS2208 bar code scanner remind you of an invention idea you had for a golf simulator. Do any of your children have middle names like Augusta or Tiger? Do you have more than 10 golf courses on speed dial on your cell? Do you recognize pro golfers better than your local and Federal politicians.
If any of these ring a bell please consult your local golf course right away:
A few months back I had the pleasure of doing a review of Cleatskins for golf shoes. It's nice to see the company signing their first two PGA Tour pros in John Senden and Tour Rookie Spencer Levin. If you don't know what Cleatskins are check out my review to find out more about these stylish slip over covers that help protect your golf shoes.
"Cleatskins are an incredibly practical accessory for me and other golfers who are moving on and off the course frequently so I’m thrilled to have their support." John Senden
Well it time for me to make those hard Fantasy Golf Picks especially this week with the stellar field and forget about my plumbing problems (damn foot valve in my well and Danze faucet. Another week another tournament that Tiger dominates. So who's going to give TW a run for his money week this is one hell of a field and you could pretty much put all the names in a jar and pull out the winner so here goes my picks.
Some people might think Stewart Cink would be a good pick this week considering he's won this even before and he's coming off a Major win but I'm going with another Nike staffer in Anthony Kim who's game seems to be coming around with his last 5 tournaments looking like this T16, T11, 3, Cut, T3.
Don't count out these Ryder Cup stars in Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey all seem to shine in these heavily stacked fields.
Retief Goosen probably should of won in Canada and with his last few tournaments looking like this T16, T5, P2 he should be around the top of the leaderboard.
Some also may pick Jim Furyk this week but seeing him testing out putters this week doesn't instill a lot of confidence in him doing well on the greens this week.
Here's some video of Anthony Kim a couple of weeks ago at the RBC Canadian Open - Mike Weir Charity Classic.
A few months back I was contacted by the people that run Sonic Golf, it seems I had a video of Vijay Singh using their product and I had some incorrect information on the video I had posted on YouTube. Check out the video now.
Vijay Singh Sonic Golf System-1 Used For VJ's Sweet Swing
Of course I corrected my inaccuracies for the video but it also got me thinking as a high handicap golfer could a training device such as this help me out with my tempo. I'd never reviewed or used a training aid before and thought why not? So they were nice enough to send over a unit across the border here to Canada for me to test out. Here's my findings.
The Sonic Golf System-1 was developed by Dr. Robert Grober who's not only a Yale Physicist but a golf enthusiast to boot. Basically he developed a learning device for golf that uses cutting edge technology to convert your swing motion into sound. Slow swings are low pitch, quiet tones. Swing faster and the pitch and volume gets higher. With each swing you hear your rhythm and tempo, backswing/downswing transition, and the timing and speed of your club head release.
The unit came in a great compact hard case easily carried to the range or to your backyard. Any clubs that you plan on using with the System-1 have to be fitted with Sonic Golf's custom Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. So a bit of re-gripping experience is needed. Even for me with my rookie re-gripping skills, I had no problem with the grips (I re-gripped my 4, 7 and wedge). Once you put on the grips just take off the removable end cap and insert the Sonic Golf shaft insert into the club just make sure it fits level or your Sonic Golf won't work properly. Turn on the transmitter and set the transmission channel (10 total channels) make sure your receiver and transmitter are set to the same channels. Your now set to begin listening to your golf swing, through the included headphones.
When you begin using the System-1 you’ll notice how the tone varies, depending how fast or slow you are moving the club. You’ll hear a high pitch when you move the club very quickly and a low pitch tone for a slower moving club.
In case your wondering the Sonic Golf System-1 shaft insert is very light and strategically placed that it is not noticeable during practice. The shaft insert weighs only a little bit more than a single AA battery and that weight is located under and behind the hands.
So if the Sonic Golf system could help out Charles Barkley with his God awful swing then why not me, right?
For the most part I used the Sonic Golf System-1 in my backyard because lately free time is at a premium with 3 kids. So in the evening I'd break out the unit and give it a go for 20 minutes or so. It was really cool to hear what your swing sounds like I know my swing will never be like Tigers or any Tour professional but this unit really helped me especially before a round in one getting loose and the other just concentrating on a nice even sounding swing. Sometimes I might have a week between rounds of golf, the Sonic Golf System-1 really helped me be a little more consistent.
Because I tend to take the club back only about half, three quarters of the way back in my swing my audio feedback was of course interesting for me to hear. So I just tried to concentrate on having a nice even sound from backswing to downswing with the higher or highest pitch at what would be the impact zone for the swing. Some days were good at getting a good sounding tempo other days took a little more work.
That's the beauty of Sonic Golf instant feedback whether your takeway is to fast or your downswing is to slow you'll hear it with Sonic Golf. When your at the range or in your backyard you're able to tell if your transition is to quick (higher pitch) common for most of us who are high handicappers. Sonic Golf really got you to focus on tempo and trying to have a more fluid sounding swing. Now I think it would be interesting to hear a professionals swing.
Getting this audio feedback of timing, rhythm, and tempo of your golf swing I think would be a great bonus in working in tandem with a certified instructor. The only draw back I could see is the Sonic Golf System-1 Solo Edition Retails for $399 so I guess if your swing is real terrible and you can't hit your driver, just sell your driver and buy the Sonic Golf unit it will help you in the long run. You can always go buy another driver down the road when you get the swing firing on all cylinders.
Sonic Golf System-1 Solo Edition Retails for $399; Pro-Edition is $499 (includes 1 extra receiver (RX-1), 1 extra set of Sony headphones, and 6 custom Golf Pride grips)
Check out Sonic Golf for more details on these systems.
Here's a couple of videos of two of the nicest golf swings on tour from July 20th, 2009 Practice Range at Glen Abbey just before the start of the inaugural Mike Weir Charity Classic. Fred Couples had to withdraw from the Canadian Open as he hurt his back during the Charity Classic
I didn't get the chance to see Big John Daly at the Canadian Open just didn't have enough time and could only fit in one day where I didn't get to see Daly. I'm sure there will be more opportunities to see John in Canada with his crazy schedule. Close to Ottawa in Montreal coming up after the PGA Championship, he'll be visiting Montreal Aug. 18, to play in a pro-am that's part of the Desjardins Montreal Open, to be held Aug. 17-23.
From recent media reports Daly's game has taken a nose dive. I think all the travel has finally got to him and his game is going South. Missed cuts at Canadian Open and Buick Open and playing for the sixth straight week on a road trip that has taken him to five countries wouldn't you be just a little burnt out.
His swing coach, Rick Smith, described Daly as being in a "toxic state" after an 88, which Smith attributed to massive weight loss, not enough sleep and the wrong kind of diet.
Daly hit two balls out-of-bounds on the par-5 first hole - his 10th of the second round - and took a 10. He shot 51 on his back nine for a 16-over 88.
Some rest for Daly and the upcoming PGA Championship might be just what the Daly needs to right the ship and then maybe the Media can actually talk about his game for once instead of his weight loss, weight loss supplements, Twitter chat, or his bright Loudmouth pants. We just want Daly back and on his game.
Nice to see some of Quagmire Golf's apparel line out on the course during Mike Weir's Charity Classic. The first pic is of last year's winner Chez Reavie sporting a nice Slice shirt in Green/Black/White.
Joe Thornton was one of the Sports Celebrities to attend the Mike Weir Charity Classic and it looks like Joe is a big fan of Quagmire Golf as he's wearing a Reavie shirt in Black/White and some Checks shorts. Joe definitely looked comfortable with his golf game and in his Quagmire clothes on the course. Nice to see a Canadian company doing well.
Watching various players and celebrities hit shots at the driving range was pretty cool on the first day of the RBC Canadian Open and the inaugural Mike Weir Charity Classic. All eyes were definitely fixed on Michael Jordan when he appeared out of a large media scrum and emerged on the range beside Anthony Kim, Fred Couples and later Luke Donald. Jordan's 6'6" frame looming over the much smaller pro golfers. Going through his warm up routine like a wily vet hitting his short irons through to his driver was very fun to watch. Jordan still looks like he could play ball. At 46 he obviously hits the gym still whether its cardio, yoga, Kettlebell training, or whatever. Getting closer to him on #12 at Glen Abbey to try to get an autograph (unsuccessful) trust me Jordan definitely doesn't look out of place. Here's some video of Michael on the practice range, enjoy.