75th Win

I have to congratulate Tiger Woods on his 75^th win and 8^th PGA Tour victory at Torrey Pines.  With all due respect Tiger will still need to win a major this year to quiet his critics to justify another swing change.  I have no idea if more of the top 15 ranked golfers in the world would of made a difference in the outcome of the Farmers Insurance Open but I sure would of liked to have seen more than just 2 of the Top 15 competing.  I guess we will find how Tiger fares in April at the Master’s but a victory at Torrey Pines definitely helps him get off to a great start to the year.

The competitor who poses the biggest threat to take away major victories away from Tiger may have created a level playing field for Tiger possibly winning his first major since 2008.  The recent change in clubs by the #1 ranked golfer, Rory McIlroy, will give Tiger a better chance to win a major this year.  No offense to Nike clubs and I know most people will have a strong opinion that clubs do not make a player but I know I play much better with better technology and they do make a difference.   I wonder how long before Rory misses his Titleist MB 712 Irons and Vokey wedges.  The specifics of Rory’s marketing deal have not been released yet but I am pretty sure the language in his contract will not give him the same leeway as of Tiger’s contract years ago, that allowed him to play with “any” clubs.  Though Rory ditched his Nike putter in the Abu Dhabi tournament, I would have to think if Nike shelled out a 100+ million dollar contract to pay someone using their products- using the Titleist made Scotty Cameron Studio Select putter would be frowned upon by Nike’s brass.

In other news I have completed two rounds in 2013, with blistering scores of 93 and 100.  The latest score I shot with the utmost consistency of shooting a 50 on the front and 50 on the back.  This early in the season I rarely care about my score then how I am striking the ball.  Overall I would say I am shaking off a lot of rust from the long off season but pleased to see how my driving and iron play currently stands.  My short game and putting is a mess right now but that seems to be parts of my game that need the most work year in and year out.  

For you followers out there here is another blog you should follow.

http://www.kmcgradiocanudigthat.com

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The Open Championship

The Open Championship, 3^rd Major

The 2012 Open Championship begins with the 1^st round on July 19^th and held at the revered course at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club located in England.  The last time the Open Championship was held at Royal Lytham was back in 2001 when David Duval took the Claret Jug home. 

The tournament itself is known for one of the few tournaments the pros play that opens with a par 3 & their 200 + bunkers.  Expect a great tournament and let’s root for an American to take home the Claret Jug this year, house money is on Tiger to break through and silence his critics.

Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club prides itself on being one of the premiere courses in the world and has a mantra of pace of play that most clubs especially in the Mid-Atlantic region should practice.

The Club expects you to follow the governing rules for pace of play and what they expect from their members and visitors:

Etiquette and Slow Play
We understand that every golfer does not play to the same standard or at the same speed. It is most inconsiderate to hold up players behind you and to do so would ruin their day. PLEASE CALL THEM THROUGH. A Fourball should take no longer than 4 hours.

Please read the underlined sentence:  NO LONGER THAN 4 HOURS!!! & yes that means for a foursome.  For those of you accustomed to playing 4 ½, 5, or 6 hour rounds.  If you don’t practice ready golf or regularly averaging 12 minutes a hole, this means YOU!!  I realize good money was paid to enjoy a round of golf but if you are regularly having problems locating your ball in the woods or heavy rough, stop playing with expensive balls; take your penalty/mulligan/give me and move on.  If you still constantly average 15 minutes or more to play a hole—please let the group behind you pass through—most golfers don’t like to see bad shots constantly nor less playing slowly.  I could and have played with all sorts of playing abilities stemming from individuals who never touched a club before to former collegiate golfers and take pride in either not playing slow or letting the group behind you play through.  You will make your round a lot more enjoyable letting a group through that’s constantly breathing down your back hole after hole.  Golf is a great game and hard enough to play well; no need to add additional distractions to make the game harder.