Now that Tiger Woods is in rehab for the next few weeks, actually we may not see him again until The US Open at Torrey Pines which is in mid June but not even he knows that for sure.
What is considered the 5th major, The Players Championship is here and it holds the deepest field out of any other tournament excluding the major’s. The question is who will step up this year? There has not been a repeat champion here in 15 years and that says something about how tough this tournament is. I was watching the golf channel the other day and saw a program that was asking the players to describe the island green 17th in one word. You name it, they said it. There is no other hole in golf that plays a bigger factor on the players’ minds than the 17th hole. The 137 yard par 3 can have you hitting PW or 6 iron depending on the wind, a hole so closely watched by golf fans that you can click on the dedicated live web cam on the PGA’s homepage.
With all of this pressure to win a tournament that is so important to the players, you might think the boys are breathing a little easier in the clubhouse knowing Tiger isn’t in the field. But that still begs the question, who will be the one to rise from the field and raise their game high enough to challenge Tiger? I don’t know if there will ever be an answer.

First off I just wanted to thank you for reading my blog and I apologize as it has been some time since I last wrote. Mom’s 70th b-day, am I off the hook now?
My goodness here we are Masters Week already, and the good folks from Augusta have agreed to broadcast the par three competition on television. This should be a fun event, the world’s best playing with some of the legends of golf all throwing darts with a ton of action on those bathtub greens. Historically speaking there should be a few aces too, the funny thing is they usually don’t come from the usual suspects.
How many pools are you in? 3 for me and all of my picks remain the same. We all know who our number one pick is, how can you not pick him? Tiger is absolutely off the hook, in the zone, whatever you want to call it right now and I fully suspect he will grab all 4 majors this year. I know, not a very bold prediction. For as many highlights that exist in the Masters video vault there is one that has never been captured on film. There have never been 4 rounds shot in the 60’s…that record will fall at this year’s Masters. 4 majors and 4 rounds in the 60’s at Augusta is the tallest order there is in golf and Tiger may do it all this year.
One of the greatest things about Augusta is “something” always happens year after year and that is where the video vault is crammed with so many memorable moments. Some of golf’s most incredible finishes and stories have come from Augusta and I am sure this year will be no different.
Now that golf season is here we are going to step up the golf chat a little in the morning with our former PGA Tour player Greg Powers on Thursday & Monday mornings at 6:25 & 8:25 am.
Good luck in your pool(s), put the “do not disturb” sign on the door, get your favourite beverage, relax and enjoy The Masters.

The new captains for the 2009 Presidents Cup were announced today and the picks were good ones.
Captain Jack has decided to step down after a three year term and hand the reigns over to a man who has played in a few President Cup’s himself, Fred Couples. Always a fan favourite and one of the smoothest swings and personalities around I look for Freddie to take the US to a championship in 2009. He has been there and done that 4 times and anyone who watches Freddie on the golf course can easily spot his smooth gliding confident walk and he’s got the swing to match. The fact that the players have so much respect for him and everybody likes the guy is going to help this team a lot. If you have ever watched a skins game where Fred is in it, you can see that the other three guys playing all feed off Fred. I remember watching one particular skins game, and typically the skins game is a chance for the players to be a little more loose and interactive with the crowd. Someone let a joke go, and I guess Freddie felt that the laughing and carrying on was going on a little too long so he asked them to settle down and get on with the game. It may not sound like much but the way he went about it was so classy and yet he was still able to send a message like” C’mon guys quit screwing around we have microphones on here” was nothing but pure Freddie Couples. It’s funny how we like to call him “Freddie” as if we know him or he is our friend, but I think that just comes with the territory when you talk about Fred Couples. People have this affinity for him and wherever he goes or whatever tournament he plays in, there will always be big crowds around him. Also the cup will be played on US soil at San Francisco’s Harding Park Golf Course and I don’t think that will hurt the American’s confidence one bit.
Greg Norman leads the International field and he too has played in a few cups himself. Greg and Fred locked horns 3 times during the 1996-1998 Presidents cup and next year they will do it again only with a captains hat on. Greg Norman is more of a businessman now than a golfer and even though he too commands respect I will be interested to see how the players react to him if the Internationals fall behind at some point during this tournament.
If you are getting the feeling that I don’t like Greg Norman, you are wrong. I just don’t like his chances.

Keep Swinging Baby

Tucson Arizona is the host for the Accenture Match Play Championship and the drama on day number one was to say the least, off the hook!
What looked like an upset in the making, J.B. Holmes had his foot on Tiger Woods throat as he was 3 up through 15 holes and the last thing he needed was for Tiger to wake up…Tiger woke up all right. Tiger clawed his way back draining a couple of birdies and an eagle to not only tie, but overtake J.B Holmes who said after the match “What are you going do, he is the world’s number one and you can never count him out”. Nuff said. Tiger takes on Aaron Oberholser on day number 2.
Phil Mickelson also moves on to day number 2 as the world’s number 2 player takes on a tough Stuart Appleby in match play. By the way you may notice something different about Phil, he looks a little thinner and his man boobs aren’t as prominent as they used to be. Lefty has rededicated himself to the game and is getting in shape to try and keep up with Tiger and maintain his number two status, so watch for a sliming Phil as the season moves on.
I don’t know what the hell to think anymore about Ernie Els. I know he had knee surgery last year and his swing was looking good, but it wasn’t yesterday! He got crushed by Jonathon Byrd falling 6&5. That means he won 6 holes up with 5 to play, so this match was all but over by the 13th. The problem may not be Ernie’s swing as much as it is his putter, it turned ice cold on him and you could see the proof in that if you look back at what happened at Dubai this year.
How about Colin Montgomerie downing Jim Furyk? Who saw that coming? If Monty can slow down on the sweets and custard, he’s a guy who can make a late charge and some noise this season before that ever creeping Champions Tour closes in on the now 45 year old.
Keep your eyes peeled on the Golf Channel Wed-Fri and then NBC picks up the action for the weekend coverage. Enjoy my friend and be listening Monday morning to Mike Richards in the Morning as former PGA Tour player Greg Powers joins us to wrap up the event.

Keep loose and keep swinging the clubs this winter.

By now I am sure most of you are aware of GPS technology, many higher end cars include GPS as standard equipment now a days or you can even buy a portable unit to take with you wherever you go. How about a cell phone with GPS for that busy urbanite that must have the latest gadget and know which way is north? They have those too!
As we inch ever closer to the 2008 golf season, you may notice something new in the cart this year. GPS Strategies Ltd will introduce GPS technology to 5 different golf courses in the greater Calgary area, Lakeside Greens, Elbow Springs, Springbank Links, Valley Ridge, and Boulder Creek will all carry this slick idea for the 2008 season and I am sure there will be more to come.
If you have never seen or used GPS while golfing then you are in for a real treat, the high resolution screen that is prominently displayed in your cart will never leave you guessing for a yardage ever again. Here’s how it works. When your cart pulls up to the tee box you are shown an overhead view of the hole in beautiful rich colour and immediately you know how many yards the hole is, which way the hole turns, how many yards to a trouble area, and where the pin is located. You can even see how far out the cart in front of you is so you don’t have to guess whether it is “safe to hit yet or not”. After you tee off and start driving towards your ball, the yardages on the screen changes until you have reached your ball. Once stopped and a quick check on the screen, you immediately know how many yards to the green and where the pin is. If you find yourself getting hungry while out on the course you can even order food and beverages right from your cart, no more where is that drink girl? If you are playing too slow and need to pick up the pace you will get a message on your screen asking you to pick up your pace. What if there is an emergency on the course? No problem, you can ask for assistance with the push of a button and get in touch with the pro shop at anytime. You weekend warriors that like to bomb around in the cart and pretend that you are in a 4 X 4 and don’t know what the “90 degree on, 90 degree off” rule is are being watched too. While you are busy denying that you drove across the 10th green in your cart, the pro shop is busy looking at the GPS trail that they have on your cart. The golf course is now in total control of their carts and they know where you are at all times.
To say that GPS adds something to the golf experience is an understatement, already word is catching on that it is here for 2008 and soon public demand will take over and just like that high end automobile, GPS will become standard equipment in the golf world.
Lakeside Greens, Elbow Springs, Springbank Links, Valley Ridge, and Boulder Creek will all carry GPS this year and I encourage you to give them a call and give it a try for yourself.

Well we are off to the races for the 2008 PGA Tour season and it looks like the layoff didn’t hurt Tiger one bit. He had the longest layoff of his career and still comes back in December and kicks the snot out of everyone in the field at his own tournament (The Target World Challenge). A few more weeks off and then we see him do it again; he literally annihilates the rest of the field at the Buick Invitational. The scariest thing about Tiger, (and he said it himself) is that he is still “getting better”. If that is the case, then we have yet to see Tiger play his best golf and that gives me a headache to even think about it. Tiger has truly separated himself from the rest of the field, and that is what it has come down to…Tiger and the rest.

The big question for Tiger this year is can he do it, can he grab all four majors in the same calendar year and still learn what it means to be a father at the same time? I have yet to meet someone that say’s no and I certainly wouldn’t bet against it.
This may be the biggest year yet for Mr. Woods and I would suggest you golf fans drink it up because for as many young phenomenons there are out there that claim to be the next Tiger Woods, there will never be another. It’s great to hear stories about some 5 year old in Pensacola that has a swing better than Tiger when he was 5, but realistically if the next great thing in golf can even make the PGA Tour will he (or she) be able to mentally handle the pressure, the attention, and the responsibility of being the World’s # 1? Me thinks not!

TW is in Dubai this weekend and even though he is a few time zones away he still shoots a seven under 65 and grabs a 2 shot lead on day number one….what jet lag? That’s enough about Tiger, for now.

If you are in a golf pool or looking to join one, I will suggest some names that might be worth scratching down in your picks. I would consider any one of these players to be in your bracket.  Woody Austin, Brandt Snedeker, KJ Choi, Trevor Immelman, Stewart Cink, Daniel Chopra, Rory Sabbatini, Hunter Mahan. Yes there are some dark horses in there but usually the dark horses can help shoot you towards the top of the list in your bracket.

Next time I am going to talk about GPS technology and the 5 courses in Calgary that have decided to implement it for the 2008 season.

Keep it on the short stuff!

Now that the golf season is grinding to a sudden halt it’s almost time to put the clubs away for the year, but what do you do with them in the winter? Most of us leave them in the garage and let the spiders enjoy a home, but why not take out the putter and take it inside with you?

Trying to swing an actual club in the house is a recipe for disaster, especially near the china cabinet or fish tank, but you can use your putter practically anywhere. Most of us won’t do it, “No way am I going to spend any time putting around the house trying to shave strokes off my game!” Right!? And then we fast forward to spring and you’re ready to go for round # 1 of the 2008 golf season. Well that is entirely up to you, but how many times did you 3 putt this year? If you were anything like me wayyyyy to many, but I am actually three putting fewer times than I ever have and it all started with a tip a pro gave me.
A few weeks back I was golfing with a buddy of mine and we were commenting on each other’s putting strokes and he mentioned how well I was “rolling the rock” and he said to me “You have a little arch in your putting stroke; you don’t bring it back dead straight”. I asked him if he thought that is what I needed to do, “Bring the putter back dead straight as if I were to follow a tape measure?” He said yes. I went on to tell him that I was of the understanding that there should be a small arch to the putting stroke, and I didn’t need to change my game or do anything special to do it, it just happened. All I was trying to do was feel the weight of the putter head as I swing the club. However far I bring it back on the backswing, I do the same on the follow through. Nice loose hands on the grip really helped me feel the golf ball and certainly understand what tempo means. I’m not a pro or a teacher nor do I claim to be one, but when you get advice from a real “pro”, you should take it.
My putter is coming in the house with me this winter and the tape measure is staying in the toolbox. A few golf balls and my wife’s finest crystal as a cup and I’m ready to keep the dream alive!
BTW – This will be the last blog about golf (I promise)
Next time NFL Football talk and lots of it, there are so many great stories developing right now in the NFL and I’ll sink my teeth into some of the good stuff next time.

I’m Out