Feb 28, 2011

Luke Donald Match Play Weapons - R11 Mizuno...

Luke Donald never trailed in any of his matches this week. He was a dominate match play machine. He defeated Martin Kaymer 3 up to win the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship fairly handy. In cold conditions you'd think Kaymer would of had the advantage but Donald was striping his TaylorMade R11 driver and his short game was impeccable.

The victory is the first for Donald on the PGA TOUR since the 2006 Honda Classic and he will move up to the world's number three ranking when the Official World Golf Rankings are published on Monday.



WITB Luke Donald: WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship

DRIVER: TaylorMade R11 (9.5°) with a ACCRA XC65 shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade R9 (13°) with an ACCRA XC75 shaft

HYBRID: Mizuno Hi Fli CLK (17°) with an Aldila NV Hybrid 85 X shaft

IRONS: Mizuno MP-62 (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300 shafts

WEDGES: Mizuno MP T-11 (54°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300 shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot XG #7

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

Photo from the 2009 Canadian Open. Luke Donald Team RBC

Feb 26, 2011

Martin Kaymer vs. Luke Donald Match Play Battle

Lots of match play golf today from the desert with Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald coming out as the lads who will dual it out in the Championship 18 hole match tomorrow. Kaymer's matches were close but he was steady closing out Miguel A. Jimenez 1 Up and Bubba Watson 1 Up as well. Luke Donald was on fire for both of his matches today closing out Ryan Moore 5 & 4 and Matt Kuchar 6 & 5. Tomorrow should be a very close match between two guys that will steady. Whoever makes the clutch putts will win. My prediction Kaymer will win 1 up. The new World #1 will win it all.


Bubba Watson vs. J.B. Holmes Head-to-Head Golf Swings

Long hitters Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes face off this morning in one of the quarterfinals at the Match Play Championship. Who's swing will hold up under the pressure? Who will get the longest drive? Who will advance? My money is on Bubba.

Feb 25, 2011

Day 4 Predictions - Bubba Likes Match Play

I officially suck 2 for 8 with yesterdays predictions. I've slowly gone down hill since Day 1. Match play is tough just ask Ogilvy, Fowler, Crane, and G-Mac. My money match play pool I went 1 for 8 and I've dropped out of first with probably no hope of a top 3. I'm gunning for a Moore/Watson Final.

JONES BRACKET
48 Ryan Moore, USA  vs. 9 Luke Donald, Eng (Moore)

PLAYER BRACKET 
2 Martin Kaymer, Deu vs.vs. 23 Miguel A Jiménez, Esp  (Kaymer)

SNEAD BRACKET 
19 Bubba Watson, USA  vs. JB Holmes, USA  (Bubba)

HOGAN BRACKET
13 Matt Kuchar, USA vs. 44 Y.E. Yang, Kor (Kuchar)

Day 3 Match Play Prediction - Rickie Is My Homeboy

Managed to pull out a 9 out of 16 with yesterdays predictions. The young guns are in full form with Watney, Moore, Matteo, Mahan, Crane, Day and Fowler all looking impressive in their wins. My money match play pool I went 8 for 16 and I'm still in first place. Need Rickie, Moore and Ogilvy to continue to win. I'll be glued to the GC today.Love match play golf.

JONES BRACKET
32 Nick Watney, USA vs. 48 Ryan Moore, USA (Moore)
57 Matteo Manassero, Ita vs. 9 Luke Donald, Eng (Donald)


PLAYER BRACKET 
2 Martin Kaymer, Deu vs.vs. 18 Hunter Mahan, USA  (Mahan)
39 Ben Crane, USA vs. 23 Miguel A Jiménez, Esp  (Crane)


SNEAD BRACKET 
30 Geoff Ogilvy, Aus vs. 19 Bubba Watson, USA  (Ogilvy)
 38 Jason Day, Aus  vs. JB Holmes, USA  (Day)

HOGAN BRACKET
29 Rickie Fowler, USA vs. 13 Matt Kuchar, USA(Fowler)
5 Graeme McDowell, Nir vs. 44 Y.E. Yang, Kor (G-mac)

Feb 23, 2011

Day 2 Match Play Predictions

Managed a 23 for 32 in my first round predictions. Should of stuck with my initial money pool match play predictions where I took Palmer instead of Furyk and would of gone 24/32 (#1).  Match I'll be glued to Rickie Vs. Phil. My homeboy will win 1 up over Phil.

JONES BRACKET

1 Lee Westwood, Eng vs. 32 Nick Watney, USA (Watney)
49 K.J. Choi, Kor. vs. 48 Ryan Moore, USA (Moore)
57 Matteo Manassero, Ita vs. 25 Charl Schwartzel, Zaf  (Schwartzel)
9 Luke Donald, Eng vs.24 Edoardo Molinari, Ita  (Molinari)


PLAYER BRACKET 
2 Martin Kaymer, Deu vs.vs. 34 Justin Rose, Eng (Kaymer)
15 Robert Karlsson, Swe vs. 18 Hunter Mahan, USA  (Mahan)
7 Rory McIlroy, Nir vs. vs. 39 Ben Crane, USA (McIlroy)
55 Ryan Palmer, USA vs. 23 Miguel A Jiménez, Esp  (Palmer)


SNEAD BRACKET 
62 Thomas Bjorn, Dnk vs. 30 Geoff Ogilvy, Aus  (Ogilvy)
51 Mark Wilson, USA vs. 19 Bubba Watson, USA  (Bubba)
6 Paul Casey, Eng vs. vs. 38 Jason Day, Aus (Casey)
11 Ernie Els, Zaf vs. JB Holmes, USA  (Els)

HOGAN BRACKET
4 Phil Mickelson, USA vs.29 Rickie Fowler, USA  (Fowler)
13 Matt Kuchar, USA vs. 45 Bo Van Pelt, USA (Kuchar)
5 Graeme McDowell, Nir vs. 37 Ross Fisher, Eng (Gmac)
53 Stewart Cink, USA vs. 44 Y.E. Yang, Kor (Cink)

Cobra S3 Driver E9 Face Technology

Cobra Golf recently announced the introduction of the Cobra S3 Driver and Cobra S3 Max Driver, featuring revolutionary E9 Face Technology. This patent-pending new technology expands Cobra’s Sweet Zone by 30 percent, taking into account all areas where golfers hit the ball on the clubface, to make it the smartest clubface in the market.

“The new Cobra S3 Drivers incorporate unique new face shape technologies that result in a 30% larger Sweet Zone to promote superior distance and accuracy,” says Brian Zender, Senior Vice President and General Manager of COBRA-PUMA GOLF. “Through observation and intelligent design, our engineers provide golfers the first new driver technology that mirrors their typical hit patterns, giving them more distance, accuracy and forgiveness.”

E9 Face Technology™ Most clubfaces are designed with a circular sweet spot around the center of the face, the assumption being that the center of the club is where golfers hit the ball on every shot. Cobra tested golfers hitting more than 25,000 shots and discovered something different. They hit shots across the face in a canted, elliptical pattern that wasn’t always in the center. In fact, 99% of shots hit by golfers were in this elliptical pattern from the low heel to the high toe. So we redesigned the clubface to take advantage of this phenomenon – resulting in Cobra’s new E9 Face Technology with a 30% larger Sweet Zone.



PUMA Cobra booth at 2011 PGA Show + White Cobra S3 Sneak Peek

“We looked at tens of thousands of hits across the driver clubface and saw a distinct ball impact pattern from the low heel to high toe,” says Tom Preece, Vice President of Research and Development for Cobra Golf. “E9 Face Technology maximizes distance and accuracy from any point on the clubface, especially where golfers hit most often.”

COBRA S3 DRIVER The Cobra S3 Driver’s 6-4 titanium clubhead combines with the all-new E9 Face Technology, to create a 30% larger Sweet Zone on the clubface, which in turn provides golfers with more distance, accuracy and forgiveness off the tee. The new taller, elliptical face shape encompasses ball impact patterns, to increase ball speed where golfers hit most often.

The Cobra S3 Driver also features Cobra’s popular Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT), which allows golfers to easily dial in their optimal ball flight for maximum distance and accuracy.

E9 Face Technology™  A taller, elliptical face and beveled perimeter create a 30% larger Sweet Zone for increased distance, accuracy and forgiveness.

Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT)™  Three simple face-angle settings (Open, Neutral and Closed) optimize ball flight for increased distance and improved accuracy.

High-Performance Fujikura Blur™ Shaft  A lightweight shaft with CAGE technology, proprietary finish, and thin carbon interweave.

The Cobra S3 Driver (MSRP $349) is available in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° in men’s right-handed, and 9.5° and 10.5° in men’s left-handed, with a Fujikura Blur TX 005 or TX 006 shaft, in choice of X (65g), S (65g), R (65g) or Lite (55g) flexes, as well as with a Cobra/Golf Pride grip. A women’s version is also offered in a 13.5° loft and Fujikura Blur TX 004 shaft in Women’s (49g) flex.

Cobra S3 Drivers | Cobra S3 Irons | Cobra S3 Pro

Feb 22, 2011

Miura Forging Process Video Plus Review Of Series 1957 - C Grind Wedge

Last summer got the chance to review a wedge from Miura. The Miura Wedge: Series 1957 - C Grind was a great wedge and quickly became my 100 yd. and in club. This video below, shot in fall of 2010, shows the highlights of a typical day at Miura. But what is typical in that work day yields results that are extraordinary."

"Follow a Miura iron from forge to factory -- from a billet of carefully selected, prime steel to a finished piece of industrial art, the highest expression of what a forged golf club should be.

In this brief video, you'll visit both the forge and factory that Katsuhiro Miura owns in Amaji, Japan, near the ancient city of Himeji. This region was for centuries the seat of samurai sword making, and it has grown into Japan's center of fine metal work. Here, Miura-san and his sons don't just supervise -- they get their hands into the work, every day, creating the subtle shapes and lines that define the very best in forged clubs.

1st Round Predictions WGC Accenture Match Play

Most die-hard golfers will be glued to their TVs to take in this years WGC Accenture Match Play that's starts tomorrow. Friendly match play with your buddies at your local course is great fun. Watching pros play some match play is even better.  What golf fan doesn't love the Ryder Cup.

So who do you have picked to win this week. Patience, timely putting, nerves of steel and some luck will go a long way to win it all this week. I'm involved in so many Match Play pools my head has been spinning all week. I just hope I get them all in on time. So here's my predictions for round 1 as of right now.

JONES BRACKET

1 Lee Westwood, Eng vs. 64 Henrik Stenson, Swe (Westwood)
32 Nick Watney, USA vs. 33 Anthony Kim, USA (Watney)
16 Retief Goosen, Zaf vs. 49 K.J. Choi, Kor (Goosen)
17 Francesco Molinari, Ita vs. 48 Ryan Moore, USA (Moore)
8 Steve Stricker, USA vs. 57 Matteo Manassero, Ita (Stricker)
25 Charl Schwartzel, Zaf vs. 40 Ryo Ishikawa, Jpn (Schwartzel)
9 Luke Donald, Eng vs. 56 Charley Hoffman, USA (Donald)
24 Edoardo Molinari, Ita vs. 41 Martin Laird, Sco (Molinari)


PLAYER BRACKET 
2 Martin Kaymer, Deu vs. 63 Noh Seung-yul, Kor (Kaymer)
31 Zach Johnson, USA vs. 34 Justin Rose, Eng (Rose)
15 Robert Karlsson, Swe vs. 50 Hiroyuki Fujita, Jpn (Karlsson)
18 Hunter Mahan, USA vs. 47 Sean O’Hair, USA (Mahan)
7 Rory McIlroy, Nir vs. 58 Jonathan Byrd, USA (McIlroy)
26 Adam Scott, Aus vs. 39 Ben Crane, USA (Crane)
10 Jim Furyk, USA vs. 55 Ryan Palmer, USA (Furyk)
23 Miguel A Jiménez, Esp vs. 42 Yuta Ikeda, Jpn (Jimenez)


SNEAD BRACKET 
3 Tiger Woods, USA vs. 62 Thomas Bjorn, Dnk (Woods)
30 Geoff Ogilvy, Aus vs. 35 Padraig Harrington, Irl (Ogilvy)
14 Dustin Johnson, USA vs. 51 Mark Wilson, USA (Johnson)
19 Bubba Watson, USA vs. 46 Bill Haas, USA (Haas)
6 Paul Casey, Eng vs. 59 Richard Green, Aus (Casey)
27 Kim Kyung-Tae, Kor vs. 38 Jason Day, Aus (Day)
11 Ernie Els, Zaf vs. 54 Jeff Overton, USA (Els)
JB Holmes, USA vs. 43 Camilo Villegas, Col (Holmes)


HOGAN BRACKET
4 Phil Mickelson, USA vs. 61 Brendan Jones, Aus (Mickelson)
29 Rickie Fowler, USA vs. 36 Peter Hanson, Swe (Fowler)
13 Matt Kuchar, USA vs. 52 Anders Hansen, Dnk (Kuchar)
20 Louis Oosthuizen, Zaf vs. 45 Bo Van Pelt, USA (Oosthuizen)
5 Graeme McDowell, Nir vs. 60 Heath Slocum, USA (McDowell)
28 Robert Allenby, Aus vs. 37 Ross Fisher, Eng (Fisher)
12 Ian Poulter, Eng vs. 53 Stewart Cink, USA (Poulter)
21 Alvaro Quiros, Esp vs. 44 Y.E. Yang, Kor (Quiros)

Feb 21, 2011

Quagmire ColorFusion A Family Love Affair

It’s always a fun day at the house when a golf package arrives in the mail. My kids get really excited especially the youngest. His eyes light up and he hopes he can try “Daddy’s new golf club”.

Just before Christmas some Quagmire ColorFusion shirts arrived for the whole family. I decided they would be Christmas gifts but it was hard to keep them a secret. I had told my girls about these shirts that change colour so the were intrigued. When they opened their heat activated ColorFusion shirts on Christmas morning, they immediately wanted to parade around in them.


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

These ColorFusion shirts have become a bit of a Crogie fashion statement. We recently wore them to my daughter’s birthday party at our local bowling alley. Under the white lights at the Rock and Bowl, they sure scored some cool style points. My ColorFusion polo is orange and turns yellow when it gets above 20 degrees Celsius. Gus and Emma have green ColorFusion shirts that turn yellow, and Maya’s purple shirt turns pink.




























The kids really love wearing these shirts. They especially enjoy showing their friends how to turn the shirt a different color. Their friends think it's pretty cool. What’s not to like with Quagmire’s ColorFusion Technology. My kids can't wait to test out their shirts on the golf course. My son now calls his ColorFusion his “golf shirt”. He can’t wait to wear it and practice putting with Dad.



Since the ColorFusion shirts were released on November 29th, sales have taken off for these fun shirts. At the 2011 PGA Merchandise show, demand and exposure was so great ColorFusion shirts are now sold out online except for kid sizes. More stock should be available online in the near future. GolfTown will also start carrying Quagmire in March.

From Quagmire Golf Media
What is ColorFusion?

Quagmires new state of the art technology will blow your mind! These crazy fabrics and screen prints will either change colour in the heat or sunlight depending on which styles you choose! A common misconception is that your armpits will be the only thing that changes, not the case! The whole shirt will change and anyway if you are worried about that and you can’t handle the “heat” you’re not cool enough to be wearing Quag anyway. If you want to get technical the Colorfusion shirts that change with heat will begin changing at 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit for our friends in the USA) and the screen prints change from UV rays so they work best on the bright sunny days. This product is meant to last and you can wash and dry this shirts just as you would all of your others.

Check out the new Quagmire Colorfusion we have added to the golf and kids line, the colours change right before your eyes. This sh*t is seriously crazy. Depending on the piece, either the whole entire shirt will change to a completely different colour from the heat, or the Rad Quagmire Screen Print will change colour in the sun!


Quagmire golf has come a long way over the past 5 years. We have had such great success in the Golf world that we have decided to add 2 more very cool Sub-Brands to the mix: Quagmire Premium, for a little classier touch and the all new very cool Quagmire Kids, for all those young Whipper Snappers looking to dress cool! We will always stick very close to our golf roots but wanted all the Quag fans to be able to wear their favourite brand all the time.

Feb 16, 2011

Yahoo Fantasy Golf Picks - 2011 Northern Trust Open

Well thank you Mr. D.A. Points and your hot SeeMore putter last week at Pebble Beach as I finally picked a winner and got some elusive bonus points with my Fantasy picks. JB Holmes did well for me again but Duval, Clark for withdrawing and DJ was no where near his usual form. This week I'm going with guys who are rested and few guys who are just playing well and may just win this week. Rain is expected a few days so it's always a crap shoot. FYI I'm shying away from a few high profile picks because there tweets don't instill confidence. Bubba Watson is sick and apparently Paul Casey is nursing a bad neck. So here are my picks this week what are yours.

My Foursome

A-List

Matt Kuchar - Rested and coming off 3 top 10s (T6, T5, T7). A no brainer.

Bench - Luke Donald - First PGA Tour event of the year fresh and ready to improve on his stellar record here.

B-List

Steve Stricker - Rested and last years winner. If it gets sloppy look for Stricker to rise to the occasion.

DA Points - I'm going to ride the DA wave again. Combination of distance, good putter and good GIR% he can win two weeks in a row.

Bench Alex Prugh - T10 last year. Has three top 25s so far this year. Do I hear first win. Maybe?

Tom Gillis - No real history here just like the way he's playing 3rd last week. Good scrambler.

C-List

Aaron Baddeley - Like the way he's been playing lately, T6 last week. Always makes the cut here. Come on Badds.

Bench - JB Holmes - If JB could off made a few more putts last week he would of won. Would love another top 10 to get into Match Play. I'm going to roll dice that he can scramble his way around the three courses for a good finish.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters Career Mode

The Master Career Mode look very interesting along with the Road to the Masters. Fun begins March 29th!

Feb 15, 2011

SeeMore Putters Congratulates D.A. Points On First Win

SeeMore Putters press release on D.A. Points victory with a SeeMore FGP putter.  

SeeMore Congratulates D.A. Points on Resounding Victory at AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM

Winner Shoots 15 under, also wins Pro-AM

A great year for D.A. Points just got a lot better with his first PGA Tour Win and $1.134 million at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and the daily double of winning the Pro Am version of the tournament with his very famous partner who also played some outstanding golf. The two finished first at 35 under par as a team. SeeMore is proud to congratulate D.A. for this great achievement. He used a SeeMore FGP for the victory, the same putter he has used since he first put it in the bag in early 2009 and which has helped to catapult his career to an entirely new level. Points came into the tournament this week with a very hot hand, and his remarkable 15 under par winning performance moves him to a cumulative score in 2011 of 55 under par through just 17 rounds of PGA tour play. At the AT&T, Points won it with great putting, finishing first overall in putting average, first in birdies, and second in fewest total putts. His monster right to left breaking 30 foot birdie on number 15, following an incredible hole out eagle at 14, put D.A. in position to hold off a strong field of charging players to secure the win. Making the victory even sweeter for D.A. and SeeMore, the greens at Pebble Beach this week were thought by many of the players and caddies to have been in the best condition they have ever been in. In perfect putting conditions, the best putter won!

The victory came at the same storied venue at Pebble Beach where SeeMore first arrived on the golf scene in early 1999. That was when Payne Stewart, in his first tournament using the same putter, won the AT&T Pebble Beach invitational, and then went on to win the 1999 US Open with the greatest putting performance in US Open history. The SeeMore brand was re-launched in 2007, and immediately regained worldwide prominence as Zach Johnson used a SeeMore FGP to win the 2007 Masters. SeeMore's website at SeeMore.com and SeeMorePuttersBlog.com has many new features about SeeMore's remarkable legacy, technology, and tour success. SeeMore putters are custom made in Franklin, TN.

TaylorMade White-Out Hits Manhattan

No it's not another snowstorm to hit N.Y. but a cool marketing ploy from TaylorMade and retailer Golfsmith to market the new white-headed R11 driver. For those of us that can't head down to 54th Street where they've erect an outdoor driving range. Here's a list of people to follow on Twitter to get some great insight.

Jason Sobel

David Dusek

Rob Walters

Martin Kaymer hitting some balls at the N.Y. White-Out

Feb 13, 2011

Points and Spackler Make A Good Team

Sure D.A. Points dunked gap wedge on #14 for eagle was awesome (chest bump with Bill Murray not so much) but where he shined was on the greens at the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Tied for second in putts per round and first in putts per GIR. Points was a machine on the greens with his SeeMore FGP blade prototype putter.




























I got to review a FGP stainless steel blade putter a few years back and I've been hooked on their putters since. I'm currently testing out one of their Si4 putters.

Nice to see Points win for the first time in 128 events and SeeMore getting another victory with one of their putters.(essentially the same model that Payne Stewart(U.S. Open) and Zach Johnson (Masters) used to win). My son would also like to point out D.A. Points always fashionable Lego belt buckle.



























D.A. Points WITB 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

DRIVER: TaylorMade R9 SuperTri (9.5°) with a UST Mamiya AXIV Core Green 69 shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade Burner (13°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD YSQst 75

HYBIRDS: TaylorMade R11 Rescue (18°), Ping G10 Hybrid (21°) with Aldila VS Proto Hybrid 85 shafts

IRONS: Ping i5 (4-PW) with Ping Z-Z65 shafts

WEDGES: Ping Tour-W (52°), Tour-W TS (58°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts

PUTTER: SeeMore FGP

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x


Feb 9, 2011

Yahoo Fantasy Golf Picks - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

A better week for me with picks at the Waste Management Phoenix Open although obviously I should of gone with Mark Wilson (had him on my radar). DA Points got me some points and I had Rickie in when he shot 62. Kim and Vegas were flops though. This week I'm going with guys who have experience at this Pro-Am event and who have been playing well as of late. Patience will be a key with long rounds with their amateur partners plus as usual good putting. So here are my picks this week what are yours.

My Foursome  

A-List  
Dustin Johnson - Can he pull off three in a row. Hell ya will start him off on Thursday at Monterey.   

Bench - Phil Mickelson - Loves Pebble Beach would love to win here again. Will he have enough in the tank after playing a lot lately I'm betting yes.

B-List  
 VJ Singh - Great track record at this event playing better as of late some of the old mojo will rub off here I see another top 10 for VJ.

Tim Clark - Combination of distance, good putter and good GIR% plus I like the way he finished last week. A hunch.

Bench  
Pat Perez - Usually a solid pick at Pebble with 7 of 8 cuts made. Could definitely see him contending.


DA Points - I'm going to ride the DA wave. Combination of distance, good putter and good GIR% plus I like the way he's playing even though he's had success here.

C-List  
 JB Holmes - If JB could off made a few more putts last week he would of won. Would love another top 10 to get into Match Play. I'm going to roll dice that he can scramble his way around the three courses for a good finish.

Bench - David Duval - A week of to recharge for Pebble will do Duval good. Playing well with a coupl eof top 25s. Can he turn it into a good finish. I say yes.

Feb 8, 2011

Sunice Staff Player Mark Wilson Gets Another Win

Mark Wilson has been impressive in his two victories this year and I love the fact he's wearing a pullover form Sunice I got to review late last year. Great Sunice gear for Fall here in Ottawa apparently also good for Winter in Scottsdale, Arizona. Nice win Wilson!


Press Release
Sunice® staff player Mark Wilson drained a nine-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Jason Dufner and capture the PGA TOUR's frost-delayed Waste Management Phoenix Open Monday for his second win in three starts this year and fourth career PGA TOUR title.

Neither of the two playoff participants had birdied the 377-yard 10th hole during the tournament until Wilson made his winning playoff putt, making him 65 of 69 on putts from inside 10 feet for the tournament.

"Mark is playing at an incredible level right now,"says Mark Fletcher, President of Sunice®, Canada's No. 1 outerwear brand. "He leads the PGA TOUR with two victories, and the fact he's only played in three events bodes well for him to have an incredible year. We hope his Sunice® apparel has made him feel comfortable on and off the course."


























With the cool early morning conditions in Scottsdale, Wilson was able to wear his Sunice outerwear to his advantage during the event. J.B. Holmes, another Sunice® staff player, shot a final-round 67 to finish T5 at 15-under.


























The 36-year-old Wilson held a two-shot lead when fourth-round play resumed Monday morning and finished with a 2-under 69 while Dufner shot a final-round 66, including birdies at the 16th and 17th holes, to force the playoff with Wilson at 18 under.

Wilson-who captured last month's Sony Open in Hawaii in a 36-hole Sunday finish-made a four-foot par putt on the first playoff hole, the 18th, to extend the playoff after Dufner had tapped in for par. Wilson then won on the 10th after a 7-iron approach from the right-center of the fairway set up his clinching putt. Dufner's drive landed in the left rough. Hitting first, his approach finished 40 feet left of the hole. After Wilson's approach to nine feet, Dufner's birdie putt attempt was seven feet short, setting the stage for Wilson's winning putt.

The Monday finish was necessitated by delays for frost and frozen turf the first four days of the tournament. Wilson earned $1,098,000 for the victory, which gave him the 2011 FedExCup points lead and put him atop the money list at $2,098,700. Before his two PGA TOUR victories this year, Wilson had captured the 2007 Honda Classic and 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Feb 7, 2011

Carving Out An Identity

Gone are the days when the pros just throw on any old belt. These days belts and buckles are all part of a player's personality and style. For proof, check out Anthony Kim, Bubba Watson or any other pro on tour.





















With the help of companies like Identity Belts & Buckles (IBB), hackers like you and I have the ability to deck ourselves out in some pretty trendy belt and buckle combinations.  The Dallas-Fort Worth area company went live in May 2010 and are quickly becoming recognized and popular with area tour pros, as well as college and junior players.  Their belts and buckles definitely make a fashion statement.  For me or any other golf consumer, customization is the key for any golf related product.  Companies like IBB deliver with their many customization options.  For such a young company, their great vision definitely has them on the road to success.

Identity Designed Belt 7 Buckle for Ari Techner at Scratch Golf.




















I had the pleasure to ask Austin one of the owners of Identity Belts & Buckles a few questions recently.

Belts have become quite the accessory for not only the Pro Golfer but the average hacker what makes an Identity Belt different from other companies who make golf specific belts?

Identity Belts & Buckles... I really believe the quality and care for the products is what sets us apart. Every part of our belts and buckles is made in the USA. We are able to manage every aspect of the buckle manufacturing. From the shape, weight, color, even the tool size used in cutting the material. We take pride in the quality of our product. The custom process is easy and a lot of fun. We have a world of options to choose from but the first thing we establish is a design. Creating designs with clients is always an adventure, whether it's from a jpeg or sketch submitted to us or from scratch. In no time at all (1-3 days on average) we create a digital rendering of a custom buckle. Our custom clients get a true look at what their dream buckle will look like. This renderings gives them a chance to choose what they like and would want to tweak in a design. We make the necessary changes and can have a buckle machined, polished, painted and out to a waist line in no time.

What's the coolest custom design you've done to date?

Tough to say... I'll let you pick from some of our all time favorites: The Bulldog was really cool -design was apart of the 2010 Brickyard Collegiate in Georgia. The Rocketship - John Rollins iB1 debut, Pebble Beach U.S. Open. Some individual custom work : Morton, Mason.

What is the most popular design from your collections?

Halo, hands down for the iB1 buckle. Plaid for the Class Six line up.

Name a Pro you'd like to design a belt for?

We have had some great opportunities to make buckles as gifts for players like; Fowler, Kim, Annika, Kerr & Mahan, in Notah Begay's NB3 Challenge. As for one specific pro... Roy McIlory.


























Where do you see golf specific belts/buckles 5 years from now?

We hope to continue the growth in the club golf shops as well as expand throughout the golf industry. At country clubs or in the corporate golf offices, everyone has nice shirts... Why not have a really nice buckle to show off your organization! (In college I worked at the prestigious club in town, Miramont. Loved working with the pros and members there. Miramont is the type of club we hope to incorporate buckles as a part of staff uniforms.)

Will you design a belt and ship to Canada? Is there any place you won't ship? 
No problem. We try not to limit where our buckles go.

Give us the scoop what design are you working on right now?

Currently, we're rolling out 200+ buckles for the Texas Junior Golf Tour, Tour Championship (Feb. 11 tournament start date) We have also been busy out fitting our Tour players with new buckles and belts for the first stretch of the season. We also have some new buckle types in the works and are working to further increase our personalization/custom experience this year.

Look for Ottawa Golf Blog to do a review of some of IBB belt and buckles real soon.

2010 In Review For IBB

  • Started minimal production in May.
  • IBB stabled nearly a dozen guys on Tour in 2010, graduated Bobby Gates and Martin Piller to the big show to make it a bakers dozen to start 2011.
  • Sponsored Notah Begay's NB3 Challenge in mid August, providing custom buckles for each player.
  • Were heavily involved with the College Golf Fellowship at retreats of DL3, Paul Stankowski, and Ben Crane.
  • Displayed and retailed custom buckles in 6 club golf shops in Texas (October) Articles of several Texas golf mag and newspapers, debuted on the thegolfchannel.com in late October.

John Rollins during the first round of the 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 17, 2010 in Pebble Beach, California sporting an Identity Belt & Buckle



















Feb 6, 2011

St. Patrick's Green Works For Rickie Fowler

At least one of my Fantasy Golf picks is playing well this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open as Rickie Fowler fired his lowest career round to get into contention on Saturday with a Monday finish looming.

Feb 2, 2011

Yahoo Fantasy Golf Picks - 2011 Phoenix Open

Once again a terrible week for me when it came to my Fantasy Picks at Torrey Pines. Went with Tiger and Glover in Group A. Both made the cut but played poorly. Group B was a little better with Bill Haas playing well on Sunday unfortunately you have play well all 4 rounds. Ryuji I figured was a solid pick crapped the bed on Friday and didn't make the cut. Rickie didn't play well on weekend and faded. My Group C picks were not great either with Boo missing the cut by one and Freddie fading on the weekend.

So now we have the Waste Management Phoenix Open where distance, GIR% and putting can win come Sunday.

My Foursome  

A-List  
Dustin Johnson - Not much history at this course but DJ has been consistent so far this year. Bombs it far hits lots of greens and is a good putter. Liked the way he ended at Torrey Pines.   

Bench - Phil Mickelson - Great track record here would love to win here again. I'm not leaving Phil off my list again he looks ready for a win. Will put him in on Friday with a afternoon tee time.

B-List  
 Hunter Mahan - Should defend well after a good week last week (poor final round though)


DA Points - Combination of distance, good putter and good GIR% plus I like the way he finished last week. A hunch.

Bench  
Rickie Fowler - His friend Bubba won last week, why not him this week. 2nd place finish last year. Wait and see 


Kevin Na - Great record here and has been consistent lately. God all around numbers should do well this week.


C-List  
 Anthony Kim - Signs of the real AK last week. He's got something to prove after coming back form an injury. Look for him to make lots of birdies this week. Good putter

Bench - Johnnie Vegas - I've got to ride the wave with Vegas. Didn't have him in last week. His stats don't lie, 22nd in GIR%, 28th in driving distance, ok putter (T74th).