Good Morning,
Not to be outdone, Annika Sorenstam wanted to put her stamp on the golf world. Even in the shadow of the "5th Major", Annika simply stepped out on the first tee at Kingsmill and throttled the field that included the best golfer over the last 2 years - Lorena Ochoa. The 12 stroke victory does not change the pecking order just yet but reminds us that with 72 victories and good health, Annika will be a force for the foreseeable future. If Lorena, Paula, Natalie, Morgan and the other Ladies that Rock want to ascend to the throne, then they will have to contend with the best player on the Tour - and her name is Annika!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
PGA Week in Review
Good Night,
Looks as if youth has been served at the Players Championship! For the past few years, Sergio has been one of the best, if not the best, ball strikers on Tour. His tremendous struggles with the flat stick (belly, conventional, cross-handed, blindfolded, etc) has been well chronicled in every periodical and website across the land. It was refreshing to see him release the choke hold on the grip and simply let the ball get in the way of the putting stroke.
With Tiger on the mend and many of the world's best players falling prey to the wind, Sergio managed and rolled the rock to his biggest victory after his worst defeat last year at the Open Championship. The critics will be quiet for a moment until he puts himself in contention again and has another 6 foot putt for par coming down the stretch.
At 28, he still may be the best golfer under 30 to put a serious push towards the #1 spot on Tour.... not that Tiger is shaking, but the more competition in the sport, the more golf will be on the front page. Just watch ESPN and see that even without Tiger, Sergio managed to get the world of golf on in the top 10 minutes. Congrats Sergio, see you at Torrey Pines!
Looks as if youth has been served at the Players Championship! For the past few years, Sergio has been one of the best, if not the best, ball strikers on Tour. His tremendous struggles with the flat stick (belly, conventional, cross-handed, blindfolded, etc) has been well chronicled in every periodical and website across the land. It was refreshing to see him release the choke hold on the grip and simply let the ball get in the way of the putting stroke.
With Tiger on the mend and many of the world's best players falling prey to the wind, Sergio managed and rolled the rock to his biggest victory after his worst defeat last year at the Open Championship. The critics will be quiet for a moment until he puts himself in contention again and has another 6 foot putt for par coming down the stretch.
At 28, he still may be the best golfer under 30 to put a serious push towards the #1 spot on Tour.... not that Tiger is shaking, but the more competition in the sport, the more golf will be on the front page. Just watch ESPN and see that even without Tiger, Sergio managed to get the world of golf on in the top 10 minutes. Congrats Sergio, see you at Torrey Pines!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Game 1 - Celtics Win
Good Day,
Half way through the 2nd quarter, it was apparent that the Celtics-Cavs game was going to be hard to watch. 2 teams, only separated by the color of their uniform, creating a masterpiece of tough minded defense and poor offensive execution. The "king" missed several layups (eerily similar to the game 5 miss against the Wizards), finishing 2-18 from the field. Maybe this was a hangover from the 4th place finish in the MVP race. The quotes included "heavyweight fighters throwing nothing but body punches" and "tremendous defensive intensity". Unfortunately, the prognosticators are way off base...... The reason stems from their respective issues in the first round with the Hawks and Wizards.
The Eastern conference was supposed to be a simply Pistons v. Celtics with the other 6 teams just collecting playoff checks. The Celtics are learning that their road to the championship is littered with potholes and other hazards that will cause long term damage to their chances if they do not perform at a higher level soon than later. For those wearing green, best to be worried that the Cavs will not only steal Game 2 but the series as the "king" and his jesters will be a tough out.
Half way through the 2nd quarter, it was apparent that the Celtics-Cavs game was going to be hard to watch. 2 teams, only separated by the color of their uniform, creating a masterpiece of tough minded defense and poor offensive execution. The "king" missed several layups (eerily similar to the game 5 miss against the Wizards), finishing 2-18 from the field. Maybe this was a hangover from the 4th place finish in the MVP race. The quotes included "heavyweight fighters throwing nothing but body punches" and "tremendous defensive intensity". Unfortunately, the prognosticators are way off base...... The reason stems from their respective issues in the first round with the Hawks and Wizards.
The Eastern conference was supposed to be a simply Pistons v. Celtics with the other 6 teams just collecting playoff checks. The Celtics are learning that their road to the championship is littered with potholes and other hazards that will cause long term damage to their chances if they do not perform at a higher level soon than later. For those wearing green, best to be worried that the Cavs will not only steal Game 2 but the series as the "king" and his jesters will be a tough out.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Most Valuable Player
Good Night,
82 games, 3,936 minutes and still there is no clear cut NBA MVP winner! Congratulations to Kobe Bryant but was he really the most valuable player on his own team? Granted, Kobe scored 28 ppg and learned to trust his very team mates that he wanted to trade away for Kevin Garnett or Jason Kidd. Even more interesting, a trade to Chicago for Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and a couple of other NBA players? Understandably frustrated, Kobe vented prior to the season in hopes of a contender and his dreams were answered when Mitch Kupchak (the Lakers MVP) acquired Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and a few other moving parts (Jarvis Crittenton and Aaron Mckie).
If Mitch Kupchak had buckled to the demands of a whining star, the Lakers opening day lineup would have been Brown, Deng, Gordon, Fisher and Odom...... does not a triangle make. A trade for Jason Kidd; just ask Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson what that will do for your post season! Front office personnel never make a 3 pointer, take a charge or hit 2 free throws in a blowout but Mitch Kupchak deserves far more credit than he will receive for his patience and building a contender in Los Angeles.
82 games, 3,936 minutes and still there is no clear cut NBA MVP winner! Congratulations to Kobe Bryant but was he really the most valuable player on his own team? Granted, Kobe scored 28 ppg and learned to trust his very team mates that he wanted to trade away for Kevin Garnett or Jason Kidd. Even more interesting, a trade to Chicago for Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and a couple of other NBA players? Understandably frustrated, Kobe vented prior to the season in hopes of a contender and his dreams were answered when Mitch Kupchak (the Lakers MVP) acquired Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and a few other moving parts (Jarvis Crittenton and Aaron Mckie).
If Mitch Kupchak had buckled to the demands of a whining star, the Lakers opening day lineup would have been Brown, Deng, Gordon, Fisher and Odom...... does not a triangle make. A trade for Jason Kidd; just ask Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson what that will do for your post season! Front office personnel never make a 3 pointer, take a charge or hit 2 free throws in a blowout but Mitch Kupchak deserves far more credit than he will receive for his patience and building a contender in Los Angeles.
Nike Dominance on Tour
Good Day,
Not sure if anyone has noticed the dominance of the Nike brand on the PGA Tour in 2008. It seems like every week, there are 2 or 3 Nike sponsored players in the Top 5 on the weekend. My friend and I chat about the volume of players using other products, whether it is Titleist, Callaway, Cobra, etc. but at the end of the day, there is Nike on and near the top of the leaderboard. Let's take a look at the 2008 schedule so far (20 events): 6 wins (30% of the events), 11 times in the top 5 (55% of the tour events), 4 times with multiple players in the top 5 and oh, by the way, 1-2-3 @ the Masters!
Of course, Tiger gets the "tiger" share of the headlines but the rest of the pack more than carries their fair weight - Trevor I, Justin L, Stewart C, KJ Choi, Chad C, Stephen A and Anthony K (the winner @ Wachovia). As we approach the Players Championship and with Tiger on the mend, it would only seem fitting that another Nike player step up and contend. Look for Chad Campbell and Justin Leonard to make solid showings at this difficult challenge for the top players in the world. Without intervention from Mother Nature, the fairways should be fast and the rough a bit down due to the cool weather, length will not be as much an issue. The TX connection will be able to work the ball in the breeze and give Nike a chance for their 4th winner in '08.
Not sure if anyone has noticed the dominance of the Nike brand on the PGA Tour in 2008. It seems like every week, there are 2 or 3 Nike sponsored players in the Top 5 on the weekend. My friend and I chat about the volume of players using other products, whether it is Titleist, Callaway, Cobra, etc. but at the end of the day, there is Nike on and near the top of the leaderboard. Let's take a look at the 2008 schedule so far (20 events): 6 wins (30% of the events), 11 times in the top 5 (55% of the tour events), 4 times with multiple players in the top 5 and oh, by the way, 1-2-3 @ the Masters!
Of course, Tiger gets the "tiger" share of the headlines but the rest of the pack more than carries their fair weight - Trevor I, Justin L, Stewart C, KJ Choi, Chad C, Stephen A and Anthony K (the winner @ Wachovia). As we approach the Players Championship and with Tiger on the mend, it would only seem fitting that another Nike player step up and contend. Look for Chad Campbell and Justin Leonard to make solid showings at this difficult challenge for the top players in the world. Without intervention from Mother Nature, the fairways should be fast and the rough a bit down due to the cool weather, length will not be as much an issue. The TX connection will be able to work the ball in the breeze and give Nike a chance for their 4th winner in '08.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Take a Moment
Good Night,
It is very important that you stop and take a moment to recognize those in your life that are truly supportive of you. As we get older, this becomes more apparent each and every time you hear of those around you losing loved ones. Not trying to sentimental or mushy, it is just the fact that we all get lost in the rat race as we pursue happiness, love and MONEY. The news we get to see, read and/or hear daily emphasizes the truly sensational aspects of the "train wrecks" that sell ad space. Unfortunately, that has warped the views of some and make the logical seem obtuse with the need to find the bad in everyone important.
At the request of those who really look for the "glass half full" perspective, pick up the phone or better yet, go and see the one(s) you care for and make sure that they are aware of your feelings. You may not get a chance to do that which will be something you will miss, if not regret, for the rest of your days. As I have been told and its been proven, "Time is like a thief in the night..... silently ticking so maximize what you do with yours!"
It is very important that you stop and take a moment to recognize those in your life that are truly supportive of you. As we get older, this becomes more apparent each and every time you hear of those around you losing loved ones. Not trying to sentimental or mushy, it is just the fact that we all get lost in the rat race as we pursue happiness, love and MONEY. The news we get to see, read and/or hear daily emphasizes the truly sensational aspects of the "train wrecks" that sell ad space. Unfortunately, that has warped the views of some and make the logical seem obtuse with the need to find the bad in everyone important.
At the request of those who really look for the "glass half full" perspective, pick up the phone or better yet, go and see the one(s) you care for and make sure that they are aware of your feelings. You may not get a chance to do that which will be something you will miss, if not regret, for the rest of your days. As I have been told and its been proven, "Time is like a thief in the night..... silently ticking so maximize what you do with yours!"
Welcome to the Clubhouse
Good Day,
Too much free time on my hands so I decided to tee up a blog and give it a try. While under construction, feel free to comment on any practice range topics (i.e. Nike Golf dominance, rising gas prices, Kentucky Derby, recession, '08 Elections, foreclosures, TPC Sawgrass, music, Warren Buffett, MLB, NFL, FCC and any other acronyms you can think of). This site will be a journey back and forth across the fairways while we all try to make it to the clubhouse. So please pull up to the bag drop and enjoy your time out with friends, competitors and nature.
Too much free time on my hands so I decided to tee up a blog and give it a try. While under construction, feel free to comment on any practice range topics (i.e. Nike Golf dominance, rising gas prices, Kentucky Derby, recession, '08 Elections, foreclosures, TPC Sawgrass, music, Warren Buffett, MLB, NFL, FCC and any other acronyms you can think of). This site will be a journey back and forth across the fairways while we all try to make it to the clubhouse. So please pull up to the bag drop and enjoy your time out with friends, competitors and nature.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
