Volume X, Issue 14

When I was 25, it was a very good year...
Even though he has a famous aunt – LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley – you’d have been hard-pressed to pick Keegan Bradley out of a lineup before this year. He had toiled on golf’s mini tours and on the Nationwide Tour, making it to the PGA Tour in 2011 as a rookie. Then he won the HP Byron Nelson Championship in a playoff. Still, did you know who he was entering the PGA Championship?
Bradley was ranked 329th in the world when the year began and still outside of the top 100 at 108 heading into the PGA, despite a solid year with several top 10s. Then he wins the tournament in a playoff over Jason Dufner, making two birdies over the final three holes to help close a five-stroke deficit after he had made a triple-bogey at the 15th hole at Atlanta Athletic Club. Bradley moved into the top 30 in the world after his victory and now has a very real chance of a PGA Tour first – player of the year and rookie of the year in the same season.

Yeah mom, erase the TiVo...
Jason Dufner seemingly had the tournament won. He had a five-shot lead with four holes to play at the PGA Championship. Then he hit a ball in the water at the 15th hole, but miraculously made a bogey. Even after Keegan Bradley birdied the 16th hole ahead of him, Dufner had a three-shot advantage. But he made bogeys at the 16th and 17th, Bradley added a birdie at the 17th and they were tied. In three holes, his five-shot advantage was gone. Dufner eventually lost in a play off.

Keeping score, World Golf Rankings...
Week ending 28 August 2011
# 1. Luke Donald, England
# 2. Lee Westwood, England
# 3. Steve Stricker, USA
# 4. Dustin Johnson, USA
# 5. Martin Kaymer, Germany
# 6. Rory Mcllory, N. Ireland
# 7. Matt Kuchnar, USA
# 8. Adam Scott, Australia
# 9. Phill Mickelson, USA
# 10. Jason Day, Australia
# 39. Tiger Woods, USA

It's official, "forever" does not include 2011...
U.S. Presidents Cup Team Captain Fred Couples was asked last week about including Tiger Woods as a wildcard selection and responded, "I've told him that he's going to be on the team. There is no reason for me to wait till September 26 to pick Tiger. He's the best player in the world forever."

There's still the rest of the season ....
In the next five weeks the Player of the Year race will be decided, and the final 11 spots on the U.S. Presidents Cup team will be finalized (at this point only Tiger Woods is assured a spot at Royal Melbourne).

Ya dem Svedes, de be show offs......
What were they thinking? The men's golf team at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas (a small Lutheran College founded by Swedish immigrants in the 1880's) posed naked for an unofficial team photo. They then posted the photo on Facebook. Sure, their head covers protected their "equipment" but school officials were not happy. The team's was suspended for three tournaments, later reduced to one. For the curious, click here for the team photo.

There's still the rest of the season ....
In somewhat of a surprise announcement, Officials of the Fry's.com Open announced that Tiger woods has committed to the 2011 Frys.com Open, scheduled to be played at CordeValle Golf Club, San,Marin, CA from October 5-9.

She got by with a little help from Irene...
Singing in the rain Sunday at the Canadian Women's Open, Brittany Lincicome, saved par on the 18th hole for a 2-under 70 to edge defending champion Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis by a stroke at Hillsdale Golf & Country Club. Lincicome finished at 13 under earning $337,500 in the process.

Rules rules and more rules...

Q. Larry's golf ball was lying in the rough, behind an immovable object, within a foot of the fairway. Larry declared that he was allowed to, and would, take relief from the immovable object. He picked up his ball, extended his arm and dropped the ball within one-club length of the nearest point of relief, but not nearer the hole. However, of the several areas of the arc he could have chosen, Larry picked an area that insured his ball would land in the fairway. Larry has been known to test the limits, and on occasion the spirit of the rules of golf. Scott thought this might be such an occasion and said, "Larry,no problem with taking relief, but you are in the rough and must stay in the rough. Relief from an obstruction does not mean you can also improve your lie."

What, is the correct ruling?

A. Scott is correct. Larry can not improve his lie while taking relief. He must re-drop his ball. His ball was laying in the rough and his relief drop must also be in the rough.

B. Larry did nothing wrong. In taking his relief, he was free to drop his ball anywhere within one-club length of the nearest point of relief, just as long as the ball was not dropped closer to the hole than the ball position from which he was taking relief.

And the answer is ... Click here to read the answer

Rules rules and more rules...

Q. Larry took relief from an immovable obstruction. The ball came to rest in a position such that another immovable obstruction interfered with his swing. What should be the procedure from this situation?

A. Larry must play the ball as it lies.

B. Larry must re-drop and try again to take relief from the original immovable obstruction. His must repeat until he has a playable drop from his original point of relief.

C. Larry may take relief from the second obstruction.

And the answer is ... Click here to read the answer

The right tool for the job...

Long viewed as a crutch for players of an older generation – they have been popular for two decades on the Champions Tour – belly putters or broom handle putters are now common among the younger set, too. For three straight weeks, we’ve seen winners using them, starting with Adam Scott (long putter), Keegan Bradley (belly) and Webb Simpson (belly). Even Fred Couples used a belly putter to win on the Champions Tour.

No longer is there as much of a stigma with using such a putter. For many players of older vintage, the long putter was seemingly a last resort. But now we are seeing younger players using them, guys who never had issues. They just like them. They work better. It’s not uncommon to see players on the Nationwide Tour using a version of the long putter. PGA champion Keegan Bradley went to it several years ago – and he’s just 25.

All of this makes the golf purists cringe. While long putters are clearly not the end to putting problems – guys miss plenty with them – they are clearly an advantage. You can anchor the club under your chin, against your chest, in your stomach, which makes it easier to repeat the stroke.

That has long been the knock against them, all the rules makers have skirted the issue. And now it might be too late.

The land down under...

In terms of recent accomplishments, Tiger Woods should not have even be part of the discussion for an at-large selection to the U.S. Presidents Cup team that will take on an international squad in November in Australia. He’s played in just eight qualifying events this year, and is nowhere close to earning his way onto the team by being among the top 10 point earners (presently 39th). He was not even eligible for the first three playoff events in which players can still earn points.

"Tiger’s a guy I want on my team,’’ Couples said. "I can’t imagine not having him on the team. If he has to be picked there will be somebody upset, because they probably had an incredible year. He’ll be great to have on the team.’’

Yep, there’s going to be some folks upset, because Woods has not done it on merit. And why would Couples say "if he has to be picked?’’

Right now, Rickie Fowler and Bo Van Pelt are close to making the team on points. PGA champion Keegan Bradley has two victories this year and wasn’t eligible to earn points in 2010.

Yes, somebody is going to get left out, and it will be awkward. And while Couples has the right to pick whom he chooses – and Woods has certainly shown himself worthy at the last Presidents Cup, where he went 5-0 and at last year’s Ryder Cup where he was 3-1 – charges of manipulation are sure to be prevalent.

Conspiracy theories will abound, such as Couples was under pressure from (pick one) the PGA Tour, Australian interests, the television networks, both at home and abroad. And when you consider that the tournament is being played in November and will be shown on tape delay in the United States, there is even more pressure to have the world’s most recognized golfer be part of the competition.