Here it is, overhyped NFL draft day, and I’m thinking about things that the professional golf tours need that other sports have. Here’s my list… 1. A draft…Imagine that PGA Tour, Canadian Tour, Euro Tour, Japan Tour, South American Tour, Sunshine Tour, and African Tour (I invented that one) could each draft one of the following players…Tiger, Ernie, Vijay, Retief, Phil, Darren, Furyk, and on and on until each tour has 100 players. Now that would change things. 2. Cheerleaders…sorry, couldn’t resist this one. 3. Bling…what would golf bling look like? Would it be more than Tag ... full post »

After posting 13 birdies in two days, offset by 5 bogeys, a mouse has assumed a tie for the lead at the midway point of the Open de España, currently being debated at the Centro Nacional de Golf, in Madrid, España. Stuart Little, an unassuming rodent of indeterminate age, swung his cudgels with dexterity and power, wielding a wheel of cheese-shaped putter to navigate the tricky Iberian course with expertise. Playing partners Hector “Speedy” Gonzalez of Mexico and Haywood “Mickey” Mouse of central Florida both expressed their admiration for Little’s play: “We’re not the most physically-gifted creatures, as you ... full post »

Spanish teacher and golf nut that I am, imagine my excitement when Miguel Carballo, Argentina, won the season-opening Movistar event on the N-Wide tour, in Panama, of all places. Four events later, Carballo sits in 6th place on the tour’s money list, growing more comfortable on the North American continent with each passing week. Currently striking the ball at the Henrico County Open, he finds himself at T16 after two rounds. Check him out on the PGATour.Com website and …what? No picture? No media guide entry? Nothing on the guy who won your first event ... full post »

One of my favorite e-newsletters is a new one from the folks at The Wire. It’s called Tour Van, and gives you a synopsis of what each week’s winners on most of the major tours were playing. Check out Nick Watney’s bag last week: Driver: Titleist Pro Titanium 905R (11.5 degrees, UST Proforce V2 79 shaft) 3-wood: Titleist PT 906F2 (15 degrees, True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft) Utility: Titleist PT 585.H (21 degrees, Aldila NV 105 shaft) Irons(5-PW): Titleist 695MB (True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts) Wedges: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Wedges (56 and 60 degrees, True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts) Putter: Scotty Cameron ... full post »

It’s funny how one thing leads to another. I was reading the results of the ACC golf championship (see my penultimate blog entry) and started looking for Michael Quagliano on the Duke side. Seems like dude didn’t make the starting five for the Blue Devils. Quagliano was all-everything as a junior golfer, winning almost every event he entered on the IJGT. So I bounced to the Duke team site and found Quagliano…still on the team, but not among the top quintet. As I read on, another name jumped out, with a lot of vowels (like ... full post »

I guess I’ve seen it all. Kudos to the ACC coaches for not requiring that a playoff resolve the co-championship. Congratulations to the Virginia Tech five and their coach. full post »

I’ve put out a challenge this week over my buffalogolfer.com e-newsletter, engaging our readers on the Buffalo website in a challenge with the readers of TravelGolf.Com. As you know (see the icon down below, to the left?) I will be playing 100 holes of golf in one day this June, to raise money in the battle against cancer at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. To find out why, VISIT THIS PAGE. Over the next month, I’ll be tallying up the support from both sides, to determine who has the bigger heart. We’ve seen contributions from Wolfrum and ... full post »

I cannot help slogging through the variety of golf offerings out there…I’m on golf.com, golfdigest.com, golfweek.com, golfchannel.com, and the myriad others quite a bit. When I was in 3rd grade, I was the top speed reader in my class, so my ability to trudge promptly through these sites is well-rehearsed and well-earned. Many articles are fine entertainment, while others leave me scratching my head. Here is an example of one that absolutely reeks of corporate involvement: Happy Trails: America has almost as many golf trails as it has had presidents. Which should get your vote? As I read ... full post »

Funny thing, press clippings. During his Wake Forest years (only recently completed), the headline-grabber was Bill Haas, son of Jay, nephew of Jerry (Wake Forest coach.) Kyle Reifers, son of two outstanding Columbus, Ohio-area amateur golfers, did the grind thing, improving year after year. As a virtual graduation present, he won on the Nationwide Tour in 2006, relieving himself of burdens still carried by his newbie-tour peers. While Haas has toiled in relative professional anonymity, Reifers has shown a few bursts of outstanding play, mated with lots of due diligence. Should be an interesting weekend ... full post »

I’ll try my best to be pithy… Blog o’ the weekend…Beverly Ferguson on wind. It killed Davies and Ochoa in Florida, and delayed Heritage to Monday. Glad I learned to hit knockdown shots as a kid. Early call for British Open underdog…Markus Brier from Austria…Good win at China Open on Euro tour. Call for Hogan…the season of pretend instruction has begun…remember the Hawk’s advice…Dig it out of the ground. You’ll be amazed how long you preserve a lesson you taught yourself. Courses I’m looking forward to playing this year on my Michigan swing…Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes. full post »

Thanks to my elimination from the Blogger Lost and Found, ummm, Blogger Island, err, Blogger Idol, err, whatever that thing is that Heather M. runs on WorldGolf.Com, I am now free to write a good blog. I know that wil come as a surprise to my colleagues at TravelGolf, who believe that my constipated writing efforts take root in too much coaching from conflicted rivals Butch Harmon and Rick Smith, but I promise to rise from the ashes of their influence. That French guy who blogs about golf led me to that architecture guy who blogs about golf, ... full post »

Are you kidding me? No, golf writers will never be confused with Don Imus or Michael Richards, but even some of the drivel I’ve read this morning is beyond comprehension. Here are a few… On Zach Johnson in the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches, from SI’s Cameron Morfit: Johnson … was one of the U.S. team’s few clutch players, going 1-2-1 under the most intense pressure the game can dish out. 1-2-1 is clutch? Like Justin Rose on 17 at Augusta on Sunday … only made double when he needed birdie? Hmmm… Seth Davis from the same Web site: “Hootie ... full post »

Time was, you made an eagle or better on a hole, you received crystal. Post the low round of the day, more Waterford. 2007 has wrought a re-definition of the Crystal Criteria. In anticipation of Billy Payne´s soon-to-arrive missive, here are the criteria for crystal for 2007 and beyond: …Make quadruple bogey or worse on a hole, get a goblet… Jeev Singh, 8 on par four first on Sunday; Geoff Ogilvy, 9 on par five fifteenth on Saturday; Miguel Jimenez, 9 on par five fifteenth on ... full post »

3. Brad Dredge Obligatory unknown foreigner (like Bjorn, Rose, Clark before him) to place high. 2. Tiger Woods Continues chase of Nicklaus´record how-many runer-ups in pro majors. Adds second to PGA loss to Beem. 1. Retief Goosen Makes up for Pinehurst debacle with second consecutive 70. First to go from cutline to jacket-wearer. Funny-ass pairing of day…You´ve had Leavenworth, you´ve had Alcatraz, now you get…Singh-Singh. full post »

I remember watching Seve Ballesteros escape from everywhere, build a nine-shot cushion (or so), then give nearly all of it back before winning his first Masters. I was seduced. I´m certain that, a generation later, in 1997, other yong golfer-wanna-bes had the same satisfaction viewing Tiger tear it up and hammer Kite and everyone else by mounds of strokes. What kids do you think will look back at the 2007 Masters and call it the turning point in their decision to golf…manic-depressive ones who like seeing Ogilvy make 9 on 15? Suicidal ones who enjoy slow bogey-fests like ... full post »

If you visit Golf.Com´s Par Three Contest photo essay from Augusta National, you´ll get the idea that the only people who played were a threesome totalling over 180 years of age, the English version of Lanny Wadkins (who has yet to impress me without Paul Azinger by his side) and some cute little daughters of current players. At least five photos were dedicated to Palmer, Player and Picklaus…err, I mean Nicklaus. Should begin with a P, dammit! They had two more of Faldo, who must be sick with despair to have to share the booth with Mr. Milquetoast, Mr. ... full post »

Disclaimer: if you want golf, visit links to my colleagues. If you want a private eye inside my away-from-travelgolf world, read on. I find myself in northern Spain, in Asturias, where the reconquest began so many centuries ago. I´m in a town called Gijon, near Santander, near where Ballesteros grew up. It´s Palm Sunday, people are carrying laurel fronds to their godfathers, the way Asturians celebrate Palm Sunday. Next weekend, Easter Sunday, the godfathers will return the favor with a gift to their godsons. I´m here because I agreed to shepherd a group of fifteen american students ... full post »