I’ve refrained from writing about Tiger Woods over the last month for a couple reasons. First, I’m genuinely disappointed with the whole mess and don’t feel ready to share my thoughts until I can see it less emotionally. And second, I don’t think anyone really knows the true story…and won’t until either Tiger or Elin decide to speak out on the subject. And, I don’t want to join in on the speculation round table, as I feel there has been enough of that going on…without my help. Plus, no matter how disappointed I am, Tiger has earned my respect with his spectacular play; his countless hours of charitable work; and his ability to take the sport I love to unprecedented heights.

So…although I certainly have an opinion on Tiger’s extracarricular activities — I will not judge.

Now, that said, golf is going to hit a little speed bump this year without Tiger Woods. Even if Tiger plays in 2010, he still wont be the Tiger we’ve known…if that makes sense. And between the economy and new TV contracts, this probably wasn’t the greatest time for us to find out that Tiger is human after all. That said, golf, long term, is of course is bigger than any one person. But for the sake of the short term, here are four things I think golf could use in 2010.

1. Phil Mickelson to have a monster year. The stars have never been better aligned for Mickelson to take his place among the all-time greats. He’s rediscovered his putting stroke after finding Dave Stockton. He’s missing full shots better than ever after finally getting comfortable with his Butch Harmon designed golf swing. And, he has a new found perspective after his wife and mother both faced down health scares. Golf needs Phil to win 5+ times in 2010… preferably with a couple of majors. And one of those majors should come at the home of golf, St. Andrews, in the British Open — so Mickelson can become a global champion and not just an American one. He’s made some international strides the last couple years in China, but all things being equal, he’s pretty much thought of as an American golfer. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — but Tiger Woods belongs to the world. And right now, golf could use a global figure who won’t drop the ball. And at this point in time, Phil is that choice. I’ve been lucky enough to attend some major events where Tiger and Phil both competed, and I’ll wager that, at least in America, fans love Phil more. They may respect Tiger more (or at least used to) but they love Phil. Maybe it’s his style of play. Or maybe, it’s that, from day one, we’ve always known he was a fallible human being. Or maybe, we love the the fact that in the middle of a practice round, he’ll buy the crowd hamburgers from the snack bar. Or maybe, we love that he smiles. Or maybe, we love that he’s the tour’s most generous tipper. Or maybe, it’s a combination of all of the above. But I know one thing for certain — if Phil can play some truly spectacular golf in 2010 — he’ll add a whole lot of respect to that love.

2. The kids — Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Ryo Ishikawa and Danny Lee — to come alive in big events and preferably battle one another for a title. Golf needs a couple new superstars and more importantly… rivalries. I can think of nothing better than a couple of these kids in a back nine battle for a Green Jacket in April. Can you imagine Rory fearlessly matching Anthony birdie for birdie at The Masters? It would certainly be fun to watch. It would give us something to talk about besides Tiger Woods. Okay, you’re right, we’ll always talk about Tiger Woods. But a teenage/twenty-something shootout at Augusta would infuse some much needed excitement into the sport.

3. For a rivalry to develop on The LPGA Tour that makes people actually want to watch. Annika Sorenstam became Annika Sorenstam after Karrie Webb made her work harder and smarter than any woman professional to date. Wouldn’t it be nice if Michelle Wie could battle Lorena Ochoa or Paula Creamer for a few majors this year? I say Michelle because, even with her controversies of the last few years, no one moves galleries on Tour like her. I’ve spent a lot of time on the LPGA Tour and trust me, it’s easy to find Michelle on the golf course — just find the people. Despite her controversies, I like Michelle. I think she was the victim of a few things outside of her control the last few years. I think she will mature into a well-liked, if not beloved, golf figure over the next ten years. I don’t think she’ll dominate until she becomes a better putter — but I think, thanks to her, we’ll see women’s golf played at a level never seen before. Simply, the LPGA Tour needs Michelle. And right now, golf needs Michelle.

4. For the major tours to give back…more. Face it, this is a tough time financially for a lot of people…and I think golf has a wonderful opportunity to lead the sporting world in giving something back to fans and communities. First, I’d like to see the tours voluntarely cut their purses 20%. The current purses reflect an economic boom time and when Tiger was…well Tiger. This would go a long way with the sponsors as well as those fans who are also hurting. If companies could sponsor an event for $4.8M this year for what was $6M last year — this would prove that major tours are in this for long term partnerships and not short term gains. Basically the anti Carolyn Biven model. It would also help with the networks who are losing more and more ad revenue to the web. If they could televise an event for 20% less than last year, it would also do wonders for that partnership. Next, I would like to see ticket prices cut for the average fan and for the tour’s to expand on free tickets to kids. I would like to think, even if a family is hurting economically, that a father could take his kids to a PGA Tour event for a reasonable amount of money. Again, this would go a long way to proving to fans that golf cares and wants to continue to grow the game.

I think if these four things happen, then this time next year, we’ll be looking back on 2010 as a very successful golf year. Tiger or no Tiger.

What do you think, please leave a comment below?

The Hollywood Foreign Press announced their nominations for the Golden Globe Awards this week and the Academy of Arts and Sciences will be doing the same in a month or so. And while December is a hot month for movies, it is a decidedly slow one for golf. That being said it’s a great opportunity to run through the players who shone brightest in 2009 and who were consequently recognized by the major tours for their efforts. We begin, as we always seem to do when it’s awards time, Tiger Woods.

PGA Tour Player of the Year – Tiger Woods – For the 10th time in 13 years Tiger Woods has claimed the mantle of the best player on the PGA Tour, and even in light of his off-course media attention of late, few would be brave enough to suggest he didn’t earn it once again in 2009. Despite not winning a major this year (the one thing Tiger measures his success by), Tiger went ahead and dominated all comers in 2009, winning the Fed-Ex Cup, the money title and recording the lowest scoring average on tour for the 9th time in his career. His money total of $10. 5M was $4M ahead of second place finisher Steve Stricker and his six wins was more than double any other player on tour.

Yes, he did struggle in the majors by his standards, recording 6th place finishes at the Masters and U.S Open, a missed cut at the Open Championship and finishing 2nd behind the improbable Y.E Yang at the U.S PGA. Despite all this 2009 was a year where things must be kept in perspective. Woods returned from major knee surgery at the beginning of the year, an injury that has taken Ernie Els the better part of three or four years to recover from, and stepped straight back into the role of the game’s most dominate player. With an indefinite hiatus ahead for Woods, 2010 is going to begin the same way 2009 did – amidst uncertainty. But if nothing else, Tiger is still Tiger and 2010 is sure to prove to be a defining year in the great man’s career.

European Tour Player of the Year – Lee Westwood – Ten years ago Lee Westwood was on top of the European golfing mountain. He was the Order of Merit winner, a Ryder Cup star and had climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings. By 2002 Westwood was languishing outside the top 250 in the world. He was frustrated and discouraged with his golf game. In his own words he was lost. This year Westwood showed just what hard work, patience and a strength of will can do. Trailing 20-year old Irish supernova Rory McIlroy into the last tournament of the season at the Dubai World Championship, Westwood went ahead and played the tournament of his life, shooting an absolutely flawless eight-under, 64 in the final round to claim a six-shot win in the event and leap-frog McIlroy to win the inaugural Race to Dubai. For a player who as been close in multiple majors the past two seasons, the win reaffirmed many pundit’s beliefs that Westwood is a player on the cusp of greatness.

LPGA Tour Player of the Year – Lorena Ochoa – She may not have done it in the same dominating fashion as in recent years, and she may have found a new challenger to her crown as the best female player I the game, but Lorena Ochoa is still had the LPGA Tour player by which all others are measured. Although she finished 4th on the final money list, $400,000 behind rising star Jiyai Shin of South Korea, Ochoa’s three wins and Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average were enough to give her the nod for the fourth consecutive year in the POTY points-based system . It took a final hole birdie from Ochoa at the Tour Championship to hold off tour freshman Shin in what may have been the best and most under-appreciated finish in a non-major event in golf in 2009.

LET Player of the Year – Catriona Matthew – While many women are still on maternity leave less than three months after giving birth, Scot Catriona Matthew was back at work and on her way to winning her first major championship, the Ricoh Women‘s British Open. Punctuated by a five-under, 67 in the second round, the 15-year veteran was the only player to finish under par at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. She finished the tournament at three-under, three shots clear of runner-up Karrie Webb. Matthews is the first Scottish player to win the LET POTY and just the fourth Brit in the 30-year history of the award.

PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Marc Leishman – The Aussie became the first player since Charles Howell III in 2001 to win ROTY honors without winning a tournament. “Leish” finished 20th on the final Fed-Ex Cup points list and 47th on the final Money List, rubbing shoulders with the game‘s best throughout the playoffs.

European Tour Rookie of the Year – Chris Wood – After bursting onto the scene and contending late on Sunday at the 2008 Open Championship, Wood went ahead and did the exact same thing in 2009 at Turnbury. He eventually finished T3 and also made the exclusive field for the Dubai World Championship at the end of the year.

LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Jiyai Shin – Few rookies have dominated golf in recent years like Shin did in ‘09. After winning 10 of 19 events on the 2007 Korean Tour and the 2008 Women‘s British Open, Shin transplanted herself to the LPGA Tour in 2009 and continued her rise to greatness, winning three times, more than any other player on tour and leading the tour in money earned.

LET Rookie of the Year – Anna Nordqvist – After a stellar amateur career in both Europe and the on the American collegiate circuit Nordqvist made a massive impression on the world of golf in 2009, winning the LPGA Championship, a major, in just her fifth start on tour. She would cap off the year by winning the Tour Championship and representing Europe in the Solheim Cup. It was a resume that would have put Nordqvist in contention for the POTY award most other seasons, but behind Ochoa’s consistency and Shin’s year-long hot streak, she had to settle for third-best on the LPGA Tour. The LET ROTY award was her consolation for a strong first-year campaign.

Quick Question for you.

What do Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover & Zach Johnson have
in common?

The answer is Dr Morris Pickens.

He was responsible for getting their mind games in shape prior to winning a Major Championship!

Infact he has provided sports psychology consulting for many PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, and Champions Tour players over the years.

Thus I am sure you will agree there is MUCH to be learnt from someone who has taught 3 major champions.

It was therefore a honour recently to hear Dr Morris Pickens speak during an interview for Golf Inside Circle.

The following golden nugget of advice really got me thinking about how I personally spend my time at the driving range and how it isn’t helping my scoring.

Like me you may only get a couple of hours in the week to practice – if that!

If we are not careful, we can end up down the range hitting shots with our driver and picking other clubs at random to hit.

Dr Morris Pickens points out that this approach simply won’t help my scoring.

He draws my attention to this one important fact.

“If you look at how the game is played this doesn’t constitute enough of the actual scoring on the golf course.

Basically when you look at it, most players only hit about 20% of all their shots, whether they are a 30 handicap or whether they are a tour player, with a 9 iron to a 3 wood off the ground.

80% off your shots hit are going to be either hit off the tee, so that would be your driver or 3 wood, with your wedges or with your putter.

So you have to understand those 5 clubs are different from the other 9 clubs

Those are you scoring clubs, namely your driver, your wedges
and putter.

So the other 9 clubs are kind of “advance the ball without hurting
yourself” clubs.

So if you consider you have 2 nights a week to practice, your time
is better spent working one hour on your driver and wedges.

And the other hour spent on your chipping and putting.

This way you are more likely to get better in the scoring areas.

Take for a second the concept of “scorecard golf”:

Nobody ever plays “scorecard golf” but if you look at your game like this it will help explain the principle of working in the scoring areas even further.

Imagine.

There are 36 putts in a round, so that’s 36 shots.

Then there are 14 tee balls, so that makes a total of 50 shots.

Then there are 4 par 5s where you can’t reach in 2 or either you go for them in 2 and you miss the green. So let’s just say you have 4 wedges into par 5s in one form or fashion.

That’s 54 shots

Then you miss 6 greens and have to chip, so that’s 6 more shots.

So that’s 60 shots in total.

And you still haven’t hit any irons out of the fairway yet!

So what you have to realise is that they you have already hit 60 shots out of however many you are going to take, say 70, 80 or 90 shots and you still haven’t hit any irons yet.

So when you start to understand this, you can really make progress in terms of how you approach practice and where you need to spend time and how you can improve your scoring.”

Tell me this.

Do you ever have the tendency to get on the range and think to yourself a thought like this.

“I just can’t hit that 3 iron (or say another mid to long iron), I need to throw in some practice there.”

I do and Dr Morris Pickens agrees saying:

“This is a natural inclination because you have more irons in your bag and you might feel you should be better at these.

But in actual reality you will never get the return on that investment!

Imagine spending hours and hours trying to improve your accuracy with
a 5 or 7 iron from say 50 feet on average to 30 to 25 feet.

You will do much better spending your time on your putting making
sure you can 2 putt the 50 footer and occasionally make that 30 or
25 footer.

That’s going to give you a much better return, instead of trying to
improve your 5 iron because quite simply you don’t hit it enough
to make that big a difference.”

That’s stellar advice and really something to take on board.

If you would like to hear more from this interview please head over to this page where you can receive a free CD copy and album.

Additonally I highly recommend Dr Morris Pickens’ new book:

“Learn To Win”

You can grab a copy here.

Good luck and play well.

One of my students, Angela Won, is playing the Futures Tour Qualifying School this coming week in Lakeland, Florida. Angela is a talented girl, with a great golf swing and owner of, perhaps, the best putting stroke on Earth. But unfortunately, she has an issue — an issue that has scared her to death and has kept her from reaching her true potential. Angela’s issue is chipping. Angela has basically had the yips with chipping for the last 5 years. During practice, she’s fine…but when she plays for something that matters, and has a chip shot, watch out — because it could go anywhere. I’ve seen her skull simple chips from the fringe over the green. I’ve seen her double-hit chips from the rough. I’ve seen her chunk chips so badly that the divot went further than the ball. It’s really quite something to see. I mean here is this girl who plays golf so naturally and so effortlessly that she is one of my favorite players to watch. But give her a simple chip shot and she turns into a 30 handicap. I’m not talking tough chips over bunkers or out of heavy rough — I’m talking little simple chips that most 15 handicappers would get up and down easily. Like I said, it really is something to see.

I met Angela a couple years ago after she graduated from UC-Irvine. She was a very good junior player and had a great college career. But…in her own words, it should have been much better. When we met, I asked why? She said it was all chipping. I was surprised, as Angela wasn’t very long, and usually, shorter hitters rely on their wedges to compete at such a high level. But her equalizer had always been keeping the ball in play and literally making everything on the greens. Still, that will only take you so far and she had reached that point. She could no longer compete by wasting strokes around the green. I watched her chip for a while, and right away, we worked on some fundamental flaws — and she quickly got much better. All of a sudden she started holing out simple chips from everywhere. She started routinely winning short game contests against my other students. She was gaining confidence by the day and it looked like her problem was solved. It couldn’t have been this easy I thought. There is no way simple set-up fundamentals and easy drills could solve years of chipping problems in just a few days. But that’s what happened. Or so I thought.

Not long after we met and worked on those fundamentals, I watched Angela play in a golf tournament. She hit the ball fine and putted like her usual self — but low and behold — sure enough — her chipping was exactly how she described. She made 3 or 4 double bogeys from the fringe area by hitting some of the worst chips you’ll ever see. It was a completely different girl than what I had saw the previous couple weeks of practice. I think she shot something like 76 — but if Stevie Wonder had been chipping for her — it would have easily been 70-72. And if Tiger Woods was chipping for her — it could have easily been something in the 60′s.

She was right…she was an awful chipper. Or was she?

After the round, the first thing I told her was to putt everything from off the green the next day. I didn’t care how much fringe she had to go through — I wanted her to putt it. Then I told her we would talk over our strategy after the event. The next day she putted everything and played better — but still not nearly as well as she should have played…if she could somehow chip in tournaments like she did in practice.

The first thing Angela had to understand is why she was a bad chipper in tournaments. And to me, it was a comfort zone thing. If Angela had chipped in tournaments like she had in practice, she would have probably been the best college player in America. And quite frankly, she wasn’t prepared for that. And when golfers are not prepared for success, they will always find a way to sabotage themselves. And to me, Angela was doing just that — sabotaging herself.

The next thing Angela had to understand was that under extreme pressure, golfer’s always revert back to what feels natural. Angela was a great-great chipper as a teenager. But once she started taking lessons and doing things “the right way”, she lost all of that feel and became very mechanical. Her chipping method as a kid used lots of legs and feet. But her chipping method after lots of golf instruction used lots of hands and arms. She was basically confused. And when she got under pressure — she had the mechanical thoughts of hands and arms — fighting her natural inclination of feet and legs, which resulted in lots of ugly chips. I told her great players march to their own drum and if she was a great chipper before, she could be a great chipper again. And that I didn’t care if she chipped on one foot if it worked. To me, changing something that works just because it doesn’t fit the norm, is like trying to square up Lee Trevino’s stance. Seriously, if a golf pro would have gotten a hold of Trevino and said “wow, you hit it great aiming 50 yards left, but I think you should square up your stance” — we never would have witnessed the genius that was Lee Trevino.

So, our strategy was two-fold. One, Angela needed to give herself permission to play well. And two, she had to be secure enough in herself to do things her own way. Sure, we would work on her chipping — but until she made those two mental decisions — none of our work would matter.

Sadly, over the next year, Angela experienced a serious wrist injury and was unable to compete. So she has never been able to put her new-found chipping philosophy to the test. But she is healthy now and looking forward to starting her professional career. And her first step is next week in Lakeland.

Now, here is where my title “don’t kid yourself” comes in to play. Angela and I have talked extensively about her chipping fears in the past and how to overcome that fear. But until you put that talk into action, you never really know. Angela thought she had mastered that fear many times before in the past, only to have it reappear the first time she missed a green. So, I told her it would be irresponsible for us to just assume it’s gone forever. And that we had to prepare for that situation in case it comes up. I’m a very positive coach – but I am also a realist. I don’t subscribe to the theory of thinking everything is going to be okay, when deep down you know it may not be. We can fool a lot of people, but we can’t fool ourselves. Think about it — if you have duck-hooked every single shot for nine holes and now face a tough drive with water all down the left side — does it make more sense to just believe you can hit it straight or to have a plan or strategy in case that situation comes up? I’m all about expecting the best but preparing for the worst. Because if you’re prepared for the worst, it’s not nearly as scary.

I posed this question to Angela yesterday.

If I asked you to walk down a 100-yard, dimly lit hallway and then told you on the other end was $10,000 — would you walk down? She said yes. I then asked, would you still walk down if I said that along the way super-scary things would happen, like men in masks jumping out at you? She got a little apprehensive and said probably not. I asked, what if you knew they wouldn’t kill you and when it was over you’d be okay? After she thought about it more — she said definitely not — even if she was going to be okay. I then asked her would she go if I told her exactly when all the scary things would happen? She said maybe. I then asked would she go if I told her not just when things would happen — but what would happen? She said probably. I then asked would she go if I told her when it would happen — what would happen — and then what she could do as it happened to not be scared? She said yes, she would go for sure.

I told her this story was just like her golf. And that dimly lit, super-scary hallway was her chipping. But now instead of walking down that scary hallway with no information, she now knows when and where all the bad stuff will happen. And she now also knows how to deal with it. This seemed to make her feel better.

So, what will Angela do if she gets nervous chipping this week? Well, I showed her a simple chip with a 6-hybrid she carried in her bag. It mirrors her putting stroke, which she loves, and is super easy to repeat. She can hit it from anywhere that there isn’t a lot of rough to carry. And I’ve had her practice the heck out of it over the last few weeks. She’s gotten to the point where she is ridiculously good with this club and has tons of confidence. But the best part of this club is — she can’t chunk or skull it. Her misses are 7-8 feet away from the hole. And as good as she putts, that’s still almost a guaranteed par. But more importantly, she has a security blanket to fall back on if she needs it. And I believe that security blanket will be enough to let her have a good week. I told her — instead of practicing like you’re not going to be nervous — let’s practice just in case you are. And let’s work on a shot you can play even in your hands are shaking. That’s not saying you’ll need it — maybe you won’t — but it’s a nice thing to have in your back pocket just in case. Basically, let’s not kid ourselves.

A funny thing happens to a golfer when they have one thing that consistently bothers them in their game. It doesn’t take long before that one things starts to infect other areas of their game. For example, a person who putts poorly will put so much pressure on their iron game that eventually it will let them down as well. Or in Angela’s case, she has put so much pressure on her putting because of her chipping – that I worry it will eventually let her down if something doesn’t change. I don’t ever want her to feel like she needs to make everything to stay competitive. I just want her to just stroke it — because when she does — it’s magic. But unless her chipping gets better and takes that pressure off her putting — who knows what could happen.

I’m not sure how Angela will do this week, but I’m certainly pulling for her. It’s tough to tell how someone will do when they haven’t played in a tournament in over a year — but I have faith in one thing — Angela’s chipping will not kill her this week. She’s given herself permission to succeed; she’s gone back to what feels natural; and she has a “go to shot” just in case she gets nervous around the greens. And most importantly, she’s not kidding herself.

Okay — so you want to be a scratch golfer. I for one believe you can reach that goal — if of course, you have the requisite time and talent. And if you have access to the correct information through instruction or books/DVDs. And if…and this is a big IF…you learn that great play, which to me is the definition of scratch golf, is not…about fabulous shots. Nor is it about terrible shots. It’s about all the shots in between. Or…in my opinion — the most important 48 shots in golf — good misses. Let me explain…

I once read that Bobby Jones hit about six perfect shots a round. I also read that he hit about six awful shots a round. His words – not mine. I found it curious that I also read the same thing about Walter Hagen. When he would hit a poor shot – he would brush it off as just one of the six he knew he’d hit each day. This number six stuck with me through the years as I continued to read more and more about great players. Jack Nicklaus said the same thing. He too would only hit about six perfect shots a round, as well as six awful shots. Tiger Woods said the same thing. What was up with this number? I wondered if they all came up with this number six on their own — or were they all reading each other’s words and just going a long. Either way, I decided to investigate with some of my professional students. And believe it or not — I found the same thing. They all hit about six perfect and six poor shots per round.

Now, what constitutes perfect and horrible for players of this magnitude?

Well, a perfect shot is just that — perfect. For example, they have 148 yards to a right pin and decide to hit a little cut 8-iron just slightly left of the flag. Their result is perfect. The shot goes 148 yards. It ends up right at pin high and leaves the 10-foot birdie putt they wanted. It was dead solid and came off exactly how they saw it in their mind. This would be a perfect shot. This could also be a drive that goes 300+ yards right on their intended line. Or a 25-foot breaking putt that curled into the hole just like they envisioned. These too are examples of perfect shots. Granted, some days the top players have exceptional feel and can hit many more than six perfect shots per round. But I’m talking about on average. We tend to remember the 63′s and 65′s — but these players also shoot a lot of 70′s and 72′s. And at times – even higher.

On the other hand, a horrible shot is something that looks nothing like they intended. They were aiming down the left side of the fairway, trying to hit a little cut, only to double-cross it into the left trees. Or, they have a simple 7-iron shot…which they pull left of the green into a bunker. Or worst yet, they yip an easy straight in 4-footer. These would be great examples of horrible shots. And if you were to follow the PGA or LPGA Tours around — you would see many of the top players in the world hitting tons of horrible shots. Of course, as we only get to see the guys and girls on TV (which means they are playing great that week), we can sometimes get a false impression of just how “perfect” these golfers can be. What about all the players not making the TV cut that week?

Remember, this is an average. I’m talking about the majority of the time — not the 5-10 times out of 100 that a pro can shoot over 75-76. Or for that matter, the 5-10 times out of 100 that a pro can shoot under 65-66. I’m talking about the 80-90 times out of 100 when the pro shoots scores that when combined fit right into their average — between 70-72. I know there are a handful of players out there that average less than that — but I am talking about the majority. And for you — as someone trying to get to scratch (basically a 72 average) — this is even more pertinent.

Ok — so what about the title? Based on the information I just gave you — how did I come up with the most important 48 shots in Golf? And what are they? Well, basically the most important 48 shots in golf are just good misses. As a scratch golfer…or someone who averages 72…you will hit roughly six perfect and six awful shots per round. Lets subtract those 12 shots off 72, which would leave us with 60 more strokes left to play. Now, from that remaining 60 — we have to take off tap-in putts. And scratch golfers average roughly 12 tap-ins per round. This would be anything after a missed first putt — to a tap-in after a good chip. Basically, anything that you SHOULD make. So, if we then take those 12 tap-in strokes off 60, it leaves us with 48 remaining strokes. So what are these remaining strokes if not great, awful or tap-ins? They are simply good misses. And that my friend is exactly what great golf is all about — good misses.

It’s not the quality of your great shots — or for that matter — the quality of your horrible shots (As long as horrible doesn’t consistently mean penalty shots for you) — that determine your score. It’s the quality of your misses, as they will make up the majority of your strokes, that will determine just how good you get at this game. Because if the greatest players in the world can only expect to hit six perfect shots per round — how can we expect to hit any more? But the funny thing is — that attitude is usually what keeps players from reaching their full potential. They think about the one perfect 7-iron that flew 155 yards, as opposed to the other 90% that flew 145 yards. Or the one bombed drive that flew over that fairway bunker positioned 235 yards from the tee, as opposed to the other 20+ that flew directly into that same bunker. Bob Rotella calls it “a conservative strategy with a cocky swing.” I think that’s great advice. Take a club and/or line that takes stress away — instead of one that increases mental anguish.

Let me give you an example of a good miss. You have 155 yards to the pin with 10 yards past the flag before you run out of green. So, basically 165 yards to the back. And to top it off, there is no trouble on the back of the green. And you’re a great chipper of the ball. In front of the pin is a deep bunker that is almost impossible to get the ball close from. You have 146 yards to carry the bunker. Now, you can hit a 7-iron 155 yards. You’ve done so in the past. But realistically, you only carry it about 145-148 yards. So, instead of selecting a club you would have to hit perfectly, take a 6-iron, which you carry easily 155-158 yards, and swing confidently. If you miss it slightly, great – you are right at pin high. If you hit it normally, you’re more to the back of the green. If you absolutely flush it — you are slightly over the green with an easy chip — your strength. So, in this example, no matter what happens — you will probably make a par or birdie. But if you hit 7-iron, you could be either in the bunker or perfect. Those are your only two choices. And if you play those percentages throughout the round — the golf course will eventually get you. But if you play the 6-iron type percentage — you will always be in control and…even when you miss it — you’ll be in position to score. And this is how great players work themselves around the golf course.

Alright, her are some tips to help you get better at the most important 48 shots in golf.

1. Develop a sound course strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses
2. Understand your strengths and weaknesses
3. Develop a sound pre-shot routine that gets you into a consistent mind-set and set-up
4. Develop quality practice habits that focus on set-up fundamentals, which are key to missing it well
5. Become a great putter inside 5 feet
6. Know how far your clubs go on average in the air — not just your best. And then, based on what’s in front of you, plan accordingly
7. Play from the hole backward when you devise your strategy. Imagine yourself on the green before you hit your tee shot and then ask yourself — “where would be the best place to miss this for an easy chip or putt?”
8. Develop a “go-to” shot that can get you around the course when you’re feeling off

If you work on these things and more importantly — make a choice to say “Hey, I’m not going to try and be perfect in an imperfect game” — you will start making progress on that goal of scratch golf. Embrace your misses because no matter how great you get at this game — you will always have more misses than perfect shots.

Good luck and play well…and smart.

Spain’s Rafael Cabrera Bello produced one of the most sizzling final rounds in European Tour history to win the Austrian Open near Vienna.

Cabrera Bello, eight shots behind the leaders after the third round, fired an 11-under-par 60 to storm up the leaderboard and edge England’s Benn Barham by a single stroke.

The first-time Tour winner ended up with a total of 20-under-par 264 while Denmark’s Soren Hansen was third on 267.

The 25-year-old could even afford to miss a 30-foot eagle attempt as he became the third player on the Tour to score 60 on the final day. He said on the European Tour website:

“It’s just amazing. I played the best golf of my life and I can’t believe it. I was so far back I wasn’t thinking about winning. I just tried to play a shot at a time and today it worked out really, really good.”

Bahram was three shots in the lead overnight but Cabrera Bello started chipping away from the third hole onwards, picking up three birdies and four more from the eighth to 11th.

The Spaniard collected further shots on the 13th, 14th and 16th at the Fontana Golf Club.

On the LPGA Tour, Choi Na-yeon, of South Korea, achieved her breakthrough title when she won the Samsung World Chmapionship at Torrey Pines.

After losing a seven-stroke lead, Choi held her nerve to birdie the final hole and hold off the strong challenge of Japanese ace Ai Miyazato, who found water on the last.

She finished with a total of 16-under-par 272 after carding one-under 71 while Miyazato settled for 273 after her 69, the lowest round of the day.

In third place was South Korean Shin Jiyai on 277.

Meanwhile, there was no tournament on the PGA Tour as players prepare for this week’s final event of the FedEx Series, the Tour Championship.

The second man who ever walked on the lunar surface may have been in the galleries but it was Sweden’s Alexander Noren who was over the moon at the Omega European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland.

Noren, being watched by former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, shot a five-under-par 66 in the final round for total of 20-under 264 to claim his maiden victory on the European Tour.

Aided by eagle on the 15th hole from a bunker shot, Noren was able to hold off 2006 winner Bradley Dredge, of Wales, by two strokes. Dredge shot 65 in his closing round, the same as England’s Ross McGowan, who finished third on 267.

It was a good tournament for Asian players with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee finishing fifth on 270, one stroke behind Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez while Filipino Angel Que was tied for seventh on 272 with Simon Dyson, David Howell and Rory McIlroy.

The tournament was also the first qualifier for next year’s Ryder Cup and Noren’s victory put him in first place. He said on the European Tour website:

“I was so happy when that bunker shot went in. I’ve never felt this good about my game, and to win was just brilliant. (As for the Ryder Cup race), I will just have to stay there!”

On the LPGA Tour, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen won her first tournament in two years when she swept to a convincing victory at the Canadian Open in Calgary.

Pettersen closed with a one-under 70 for a total of 15-under 269 and a five-stroke victory over a group of five rivals – Momoko Ueda, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato, Angela Standford and Karrie Webb.

Since her last victory on the Tour in October 2007, Pettersen had gone more than 40 tournaments without winning, notching up six runner-up places. This included a play-off loss at last week’s event in Portland.

Meanwhile, three players were tied for the lead after the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.

South African Retief Goosen and Americans Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair were on 13-under-par 200 with one round remaining to play of the US PGA Tour event.

Goosen shot three-under 68 and O’Hair managed 70 but the round of the day belonged to Stricker, who carded six-under-par 65 to take a share of the lead.

However, there are plenty of challengers ready to take them on in the final round with nine golfers within three shots of the leaders.

Leading the chase are two-time British Open winner Padraig Harrington, of Ireland, Scott Verplank and Kevin Na, all three on 201.

Harrington put himself in contention with a third round of 67 while Na had 66 and Verplank shot 68.

Jerry Kelly and Kevin Sutherland were on 202 while Jason Dufner, John Senden, Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk were bunched together at 203 for a share of ninth.

World number one Tiger Woods and FedEx Cup leader was a distant nine strokes behind on 209 after his third round of 72.

The top 70 players from this tournament go on to the next event in the FedEx Cup series, which is this week’s BMW Championship in Lemont, Illinois.

The Solheim Cup was more than a victory for the United States over Europe. It also proved that women’s golf was worth watching.

Golf watchers from both sides of the Atlantic hailed the event as it provided riveting theatre, drama and great shots from both sides.

The US won the tournament 16-12 for their third straight victory but the Europeans gave them a major fright and, at one time, appeared to be the dominant side.

The clamour was most evident at the golf course itself – Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

From the practice rounds to the tournament proper, the crowds were there yelling, supporting and sharing in the excitement. One would have thought Tiger Woods was playing.

US veteran Juli Inkster said she hopes the tournament would help boost the popularity of the LPGA Tour. She said:

“I just think if more people could come out and actually watch us play – I’ve been out here, as you guys (the media) know, a long time, and I’ve never seen the golf that these women play now. We have a great product, and the more people see that and write about it, it’ll be great for us.”

One of the most positive things to come out of the tournament, from a US point of view, was Michelle Wie’s performance.

The 19-year-old former child star, who has been under tremendous pressure since she showed phenomenal talent at 13, led the way, collecting a 3-0-1 record.

Also performing well were Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel, both under 25 years old, giving the LPGA Tour young talent who have the ability to shine for a long time.

Going into Sunday’s singles, the score was 8-8. Even during the early exchanges of the singles, it appeared that the Europeans had the advantage.

The Americans fought back, though. Pressel eventually sealed the winning 14th point for the US when she beat Anna Nordqvist, of Sweden, three and two to ensure they maintained their unbeaten home record.

The US were captained by Beth Daniel while Alison Nicholas led the Europeans.

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Ryan Moore won his first US PGA Tour title when he defeated Kevin Stadler in a play-off to capture the Wyndham Championship.

After firing five consecutive birdies on the back nine, Moore closed with five-under 65 for a total of 264 for the tournament to force a play-off with Jason Bohn and Kevin Stadler.

Bohn was the star of the round after his final round of 62 but he was first to go in the play-offs when he found the greenside bunker on the first extra hole.

Two holes later, Stadler’s approach trailed off the green and Moore sunk a par putt to claim victory.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who was also in the mix to win, finished one stroke behind the leaders after his 70 while Kevin Sutherland, Fred Couples, Michael Allen, Brandt Snedeker and Justin Rose were tied for fifth on 266.

On the European Tour, it was déjà vu for England’s Simon Dyson as he won the KLM Open in Holland.

It was a similar victory to his 2006 triumph, both times sinking an 18-foot birdie putt on the first hole of sudden death to win.

This time, however, he needed to beat two rivals – Peter Lawrie and Sweden’s Peter Hedblom.

Before that, Dyson equaled the course record with a seven-under-par 63 to finish at 15-under-par 265 to force the play-off.

Tiger Woods has just about done it all in the game of golf: 14 major championships, 69 career wins on tour, a record stay at world number one, NCAA, U.S Amateur and Junior titles, Fed-Ex, Ryder, and Presidents Cups. There’s not much else to conquer really. Over the weekend at the Buick Open Sir Nick Faldo noted that one day Tiger is going to save the world a lot of paper because when he gets done with his career the record books are just going to read “Tiger” and nothing else. But there is one thing Tiger’s good buddy Roger Federer still has a lot over him- a gold medal.

That all might change on August 13 when the International Olympic Executive Committee meets to announce the results of its vote on the inclusion of golf into the Olympic rotation for 2016. On that day the IOC will announce which two of the seven sports under consideration to be considered for final admition into the 2016 summer games. The other six other sports under consideration for the bid are baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby, softball and squash. The two sports nominated will then be discussed before the entire International Olympic Committee at a panel in Copenhagen, Denmark and the announcement with come on October 9, the same day as the announcement of the 2016 host city.

Golf has been a conspicuous absentee from the Olympic rotation since 1912 and its nomination for the 2016 games has divided the world golfing community.

The main argument against golf being included in the Olympics is that golf is already a global game, one too entrenched in the professional side of the sport to do the Olympic experience justice. With major world tours, on both the men’s and women’s side, ranging from the powerful PGA and LPGA tours of America and Europe to tours in Japan, Korea, Australasia, South America and South Africa to name but a few, the sport already has a wide global reach, touching down on almost every part of every continent on the planet.

Add to that international competitions like the Ryder Cup (now considered only behind the soccer World Cup and Summer Olympics in terms of popularity), Presidents’, Walker, Solheim and Curtis cups, WGC championships and the four major championships, it remains to be seen how an Olympic gold medal could top any of that.

The only other sport that has been in a similar situation recently to golf is tennis, which was re-introduced to the Olympic rotation at the 1988 Olympics Games in Seoul after a 62 year absence. It was in Seoul that Steffi Graff famously won the “Golden Slam”, all four majors plus the Olympic gold in one calendar year (she is still the only person to do this). Since ’88 many of the games’ top players have skipped the Olympics, deciding instead to concentrate on a hefty summer schedule of major championships. Many fear that golf will follow the same trend. Many of the top-ranked players, including Tiger Woods, have, so far, shown a luke-warm support for golf in the Olympics.

“It would be great to have an Olympic gold medal,” Woods recently said, “but if you asked any player, ‘Would you rather have an Olympic gold medal or green jacket or Claret Jug?’ more players would say the majors.”

It’s pretty clear which one he would rather win.

Woods’ comments about the validity of golf as an Olympic competition appears to be one of the major arguments against the inclusion of golf in any future Olympics, just like there is currently in tennis. Even if you are a follower of tennis, it is much easier to name the winners of each of the years’ majors than it is to note who won Olympic gold, even though it only happens once every four years. Experts and former tour players alike believe the same thing is sure to happen with golf should it make it to 2016.

“Who wants to run the 100-meter dash, and not have the world’s fastest runner show up?” said Olin Browne, a tour player and member of the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. “What’s the point?”

Former tour player and Australasian PGA Tour board member Mike Clayton agrees.

“One wonders why there is this seemingly never-ending quest to include golf in the Olympics,” Clayton said last year. “Presumably it would qualify the game for extra government funding but . . . an Olympic tournament could never approach the importance of the game’s grand slam championships.”

One man who knows an awful lot about both the running both professional golf event and the Olympics is current Augusta National chairman Billy Payne. Payne served as the CEO of the Atlanta Olympic Committee and is considered the driving force in Atlanta’s surprise winning bid for the 1996 games. Since then Payne has taken over the reigns at Augusta National from Hootie Johnson and run the Masters tournament. While many have speculated that some of the world’s top players will be absent from the Olympic experience should golf be included in 2016, Payne has a different opinion entirely.

“Once players are asked to represent their country, they will play,” he says. “You’d be surprised by the power of the Olympics to move people.”

Indeed, international stars like Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lorena Ochoa and Suzanne Petterson have all expressed interest in playing for their respective countries in 2016.

Another who has ties to both parties and is a strong advocate of golf in the Olympics is former LPGA Commissioner and current Executive Director of the International Golf Federation’s Olympic Committee, Ty Votaw. Votaw points to the growth of other Olympic sports as the main arguement for golf becoming an Olympic sport.

“There are 300 million people now playing basketball in China,” Votaw said. “There wasn’t anywhere near that number before the (U.S.) Dream Team played in Barcelona (in 1992). I’ll take 10 percent of that. The estimated number of golfers in the world is around 60 million, so if we get another 30 million then we’ve grown the game by 50 percent. Even if it’s 1 percent, 3 million, then we’ve still grown the game.”

Even though Votaw has neglected to take into account the fact that Chinese and NBA superstar Yao Ming has accounted for a great deal of the recent basketball growth in China (not to mention a relaxing of communism in the country in general), Votaw still has a point. He goes so far as to sight tennis as a perfect example of how the game can be advanced in counties just based on the far-reaching influence of the Olympic experience.

“Look at how women’s tennis in Russia has grown since tennis became an Olympic sport,” Votaw said. “I don’t think there would be so many world-class Russian tennis players if tennis didn’t have Olympic status.”

Again Ty, the end of the Cold War around that time may have had a lot to do with the growth of sports in general in that area of the world.

Greg Norman, a long-time proponent of spreading golf as a global game, sides with Votaw and Payne as well.

“Golf is one of the most global games out there, among the top five in the world,” Norman said. “So why not include it?”

Why not indeed?

Many aspects of Olympic golf have yet to be determined, and one of the main focal points is the inclusion of professionals, as well as the actual format for the event. In 1992 the IOC allowed professional basketball players to represent their country for the first time in Olympic history, and out of that decision sprang the aforementioned “Dream Team” which went onto win the gold medal by an average of over 40 points a game. Heck, head coach Chuck Daly didn’t call a single time out the entire tournament. Opposing teams were seen asking members of “The Dream Team” to pose for photos and autographs before they played.

Since 1992 however, the rest of the world has caught up with USA basketball, and subsequent team USA’s have not always taken the gold. In fact, in 2004 in Athens Team USA failed to even make the gold medal match. An argument could be made that the rest of the world has caught up to the Americans because of The Dream Team and the way they spread the popularity of the game globaly. Their popularity spawned a world-wide basketball epidemic and today more players from overseas play in the NBA than at any other time in its history.

Olympic golf has the potential to do the same thing that professional basketballers in the 1992 Olympics did. Imagine a player from a lesser known golf nation, one with a huge population such as India or China, playing along side the likes of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. This would be the dream scenario for the IOC and the main reason behind the Olympic golf push. The potential for growth in countries like China in this scenario could be exponential. However the chances that something like this would occur all depends on the format that the IOC decides on (should golf make the cut).

Many are calling for the absence of professionals should golf be awarded a spot on the roster for the 2016 Olympics. One proposal suggests a format that would essentially be a re-hashing of the Eisenhower Trophy, the event currently known as the World Amateur Championship. It is currently contested by 3 players from the participating countries in a stroke play format. Some are calling for a similar event where 2 professionals from each country, based on world rankings, would compete in a four round event to decide the medal winners (WGC World Cup anyone?).

In a discussion appearing on The Golf Channel recently, world no. 3 Paul Casey of England favoured a format along the lines of the Alfred Dunhill Cup which was contested by 3 players from each country in a combined stroke play and match-play format. That event was discontinued in 2000.

Clearly much as still to be discussed, including of course, if golf deserves to bask in the Olympic flame.

Regardless of the outcome of the IOC meeting later this month, golf will continue to come up on the Olympic radar and be a hot-button talking point in the future. Whether, in 20 or 50 years’ time an Olympic Gold medal becomes as prestigious as a major trophy or a Ryder Cup is unsure, but Ty Votaw makes a good point about golf and its history.

“If Jack Nicklaus had won three Olympic gold medals, then you can bet Tiger Woods would have had that target on his chart on his bedroom wall when he was a kid.”

Tiger Woods winning Olympic gold? That would certainly be one for the record books.　

When you consider that Mary, Queen of Scots was a high profile lover of the links it has taken the home of golf no little time to produce a major winner in women’s golf.

Thankfully that all changed at teatime on Sunday evening when Catriona Matthew, having recovered from a few early wobbles, held her nerve to clinch her first major title by three strokes after a tough week at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The North Berwick born player has been Scotland’s most likely for some time. Unlike so many Scot’s she has transferred a stellar amateur career into a solid career on the professional circuit. Her consistency has never been questioned but her lack of wins has in the past been blamed on a problem converting good positions into winning positions.

That all changed on Sunday when, despite slipping back to the field, she responded valiantly to notch three straight birdies in the back nine and restore her three shot lead.

Modest, unassuming and refreshingly matter of fact and down to earth about her sport and her career Matthew will be a popular champion both in her homeland and on Tour: Christina Kim was just one of the fellow pros to pay gushing tribute to the new champion.

And women’s golf in the UK has benefited from the media coverage of a homegrown winner with a story to tell. Characteristically Matthew was quick to downplay what many saw as the most remarkable part of her win – she gave birth just 11 weeks ago.

Indeed victories have bookended the birth of her second child with a win in Brazil coming when she was five months pregnant. The next time we hear a male pro complain about the weather or a sore wrist we might like to reflect on the magnitude of Matthew’s achievement.

On her return to Europe at the Evian Masters she suffered the anguish of a fire in her hotel. Her husband and caddy got his feet burnt as they made a dash for safety although he recovered sufficiently to take the bag and share in her biggest win.

For all that she might shun the limelight Matthew certainly provided a most dramatic narrative as she warmed up to capture her biggest prize.

The win is also a massive boost for Europe’s Solheim Cup team. With Annika Sorenstam gone Europe at least now have two reigning major champions on board for America in Matthew and Anna Nordqvist. It will still be a tough task but Matthew, set to become the most capped Scot, has given morale the lift that was required.

Hearteningly the Scottish Girls team, bedecked in Saltires, were on hand to celebrate the win. The support amateurs are given in Scotland is phenomenal and the results seem to just get better and better.

Turning that into measurable success on the pro tours is, however, becoming a problem and Scotland’s professional standing is sliding (only Vikki Laing, another East Lothian native, joined Matthew in qualifying for the weekend at Royal Lytham & St Annes) every year.

Matthew has shown perseverance and dedication can take you to the top. Let’s hope her win inspires others to do the same.

But for now let’s just enjoy her victory. Sensible, likeable and as matter of fact as any golfer you’d ever meet.

All the qualities, in fact, that one would hope for in Scotland’s first major champion.

Tiger Woods won the Buick Open but, careful … don’t mention the major.

It was his fourth title of the season after coming back from eight months off to recuperate from knee surgery.

Naturally, four PGA Tour titles after such a long lay-off is an amazing record – something any pro worth his endorsements would treasure.

Though he has impressed in his rare appearances on the Tour, Woods has yet to win a major … oops! Remember, don’t mention the major. I did, but I think I got away with it. (Thanks to John Cleese for that legendary line).

What major is it we should not mention, you ask? Well, there seems to be no getting away from it … the last major of the season – the US PGA Championship.

And why should we not mention it? The reason is that two weeks before each of this year’s three majors so far, Woods had won a tournament.

Then he goes into the majors – US Masters, US Open and British Open – as favourite but fails to win, even missing the cut at the Open.

The Buick also happens to be two weeks before a major, so best not mention it … the major, that is.

He shot 69 on the final day for a total of 20-undrer 268 and a three-shot victory over Roland Thatcher (64), Greg Chalmers (68) and John Senden (70).

Previously this season, Woods had taken the week before a major off. This time, however, he is planning to play right through. He has signed up for the World Golf Championship – Bridgestone Invitational before tackling the Hazeltine course for the US PGA Championship.

His victory at the Buick – the last event because the main sponsor is pulling out – was his 69th on the Tour. He is third behind Sam Snead, who has 82 and Jack Nicklaus’ 73.

Meanwhile, Britain were able to celebrate their own home-grown major winner as Scottish mother of two Catriona Matthew won the Women’s British Open at Lytham St Annes.

The 39-year-old shot 73 on the final day for a total of three-under-par 285 and a three-stroke victory over Karrie Webb.

Her victory came only 11 weeks after she gave birth to her second daughter, Sophie. She said on the LPGA Tour website:

“Coming up the last hole was a feeling I don’t think I’ve ever had before. Just a tear in my eye trying to hold myself together for the last two putts. It’s just it really has not sunk in yet.”

Tied for third were Korean Han Hee-won, Paula Creamer, Ai Miyazato, of Japan and Christina Kim. They were on 289, four strokes adrift of Matthew.

Staying east of the Atlantic, Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson won his first title on the European Tour after taking the Moravia Silesia Open in the Czech Republic.

The 23-year-old is on his debut season on the Tour after earning his place through Qualifying School and shot a final round of 67 for a total of 13-under-par 275.

That was two strokes better than the English pair of Sam Little and Steve Webster. Little closed with 70 for his 277 while Webster carded 72 on the final day.

The Canadian Open provided golf fans with gloomy weather, a record birdie barrage, delays, a play-off and, at the end of it all, an Australian winner.

Nathan Green defeated South African Retief Goosen on the second play-off hole to capture his first US PGA Tour title.

The 34-year-old closed with a four-under-par 68 to finish on 18-under 270 for the tournament along with Goosen, who finished with 69.

The competition had to be extended into a fifth day after heavy rain had fallen over four days – up to 10 centimetres had flooded the course.

Green then parred the second play-off hole at the Glen Abbey Golf Club while Goosen could only bogey.

The Australian, who has previously won the on European Tour, said it was worth waiting five days for his US$900,000 triumph. He said in an AFP article:

“It’s a huge surprise to finally win. This is where I started my pro career. I love coming up here. The people are great. I’m over the moon.”

Anthony Kim and Jason Dufner each shot 74 to finish four shots back of the leaders on 274 while Lee Janzen, Brandt Snedeker and Jerry Kelly tied for fifth on 275.

Earlier in the tournament, Mark Calcavecchia set a PGA Tour record with nine straight birdies.

In the second round, 2005 champion Calcavecchia was on fire after parring the first two holes of his round, though he felt he could have done better than his score of 65.

He subsequently finished tied for eight on 276.

In Europe, Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez won his fourth Tour title with victory at the SAS Masters in Malmo, Sweden.

Known as “The Axeman”, Gonzalez birdied five of the last six holes on the longest course of the Tour to snatch victory – his first in five years.

His final round of 69 gave him a total of 10-under-par 282 for the tournament and a two-stroke victory over Welshman Jamie Donaldson.

This was despite shooting 77 in the third round. Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl, winner of the recent Welsh Open, was third after his closing 74, four strokes behind the winner.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Ai Miyazato ended her four-year wait for victory on the LPGA Tour when she won the Evian Masters in France, becoming the second first-time winner for the 2009 season.

She sank a birdie on the first play-off hole to beat Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson, who had forced extra-time by tapping in for birdie on the 18th.

Both players finished on 14-under-par 274 after Miyazato closed with 69 and Gustafson returned 70.

Meena Lee shot 65 in the final round to share third place with Cristie Lee, one stroke adrift of the leaders.

Tied for fifth on 11-under were Helen Alfredsson, Paula Creamer and Karrie Webb. World number one Lorena Ochoa was joint 40th on 286.

Padraig Harrington wanted to play in the Irish PGA Championship mainly to get in some links golf and boost his confidence ahead of the British Open.

He achieved both targets in emphatic style, winning the tournament for the third straight year and eyeing a similar feat at the Open, played this year at Turnberry.

Although the Irish event is a side show to the Scottish Open in Loch Lomond, won by Germany’s Martin Kaymer for his second victory in a row, Harrington didn’t want to break a habit that has brought him success for the past two years.

In 2007 and 2008, he stepped off the Irish links to win the Open. With his latest victory in his homeland, Harrington is halfway to repeating his feats of the past couple of years.

Winning an Open title is tough any year and this year will be no different with Tiger Woods returning after last year’s injury-enforced absence to boost the field.

Harrington scored a seven-shot victory over former British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney at the European Club in Brittas Bay.

On the European Tour, meanwhile, Kaymer became the first German to win the Scottish Open when he triumphed at Loch Lomond, continuing his hot streak after last week’s play-off victory over Lee Westwood in the French Open.

Kaymer, 24, closed with 69 to finish at 15-under and beat France’s Raphael Jacquelin and Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Costano by two strokes.

South African Retief Goosen was in the mix going into the last day but he could only manage 73 in the final round as he shared fourth place, on 272, with Soren Kjeldsen, of Denmark, Australian Adam Scott and American Nick Watney.

Kaymer’s form makes him another good tip for the Open title as he goes for three straight victories. But he is wisely playing down his chances, as he said on the European Tour website:

“Everybody asks me about the third win in a row, but we are playing a major next week, and the field is going to be the best we have all year long. I think I’ve been there (Turnberry) before, but my manager, he played there a couple of weeks ago and he said it’s going to be really, really difficult, which is always good – if you play Majors, they should be difficult.”

An interesting name in the top 20 was former Open champion Ernie Els. The South African, who is aiming to get back to the top, was tied for 13th with Geoff Ogilvy, Brian Gay and Miguel Angel Jimenez on 277, eight strokes off the pace.

While the men are looking forward to one of the biggest majors of the season, the women have already completed one of theirs with South Korean Ji Eun-hee triumphing at the US Women’s Open in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Ji nailed a massive 20-foot putt on the 72nd hole to claim a famous victory after Cristie Kerr saw her lead evaporate.

Her final round of 71 gave her a total of even-par 284 and a one-stroke victory over Candie Kung, who closed with 69.

Kerr had held the lead even up to the back nine but her final round of four-over 75 was not enough to ensure the crown. She finished in a tie for third with Kim In-kyung on 286.

Brittany Lincicome was one stroke behind in fifth while Paula Creamer, Ai Miyazato and Suzann Pettersen were joint sixth on 288.

World number one Lorena Ochoa, of Mexico, was tied for 26th on 293. But the day belonged to Ji, who said in an AP article:

“I didn’t even dream about winning this tournament, but, well, I did it, and I think this is going to be one of the most memorable moments in my life.”

On the US PGA Tour, Steve Stricker shot a seven-under-par 64 for a total of 264 for victory at the John Deere Classic in Silvis Illinois.

He was three shots ahead of a trio of players – former US Masters champion Zach Johnson, who shot 66 in his final round, Brandt Snedeker (65) and Brett Quigley.

It was Stricker’s second title this year and the sixth of his career.

Mutinies are historically associated with pirates and sea-faring ships. They are not, usually, associated with putters and professional sports. However, that’s exactly what has transpired this week as a number of LPGA players have called for, and possibly received, the resignation of LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens.

In the same week as the biggest event event on the women’s golf calender, the U.S Women’s Open, several of the game’s biggest names, led by Suzanne Pettersen, have gone out of their way to call for Biven’s resignation, sending an open letter to the LPGA board asking for a change in personnel at the very top of their organization. It was reported earlier in the week by Golfweek that a meeting of several high profile players, including world number one Lorena Ochoa, Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr met for dinner earlier in the week to discuss the current state of the tour. Out of that dinner came the letter signed by 13 players asking for Biven’s resignation. Creamer is so far the only other to admit signing the letter.

“All we are doing is standing up for our tour,” Pettersen said July 7 from Saucon Valley Country Club, site of the 2009 U.S Women’s Open. “Now it’s up to our leadership and our board to find a solution.”

Bivens, and the tour board itself, have been under fire in recent months, as the tour struggles to secure sponsorship and events for 2010. At the present time the LPGA Tour has only ten events on its schedule for next season. Since 2007 the tour has lost seven events, three of which were held at the beginning of the season in Hawaii. Six other events are currently without a sponsor including one of the tour’s biggest events in China.

Bivens, who took over as LPGA Tour commissioner in 2005, now has her future as head of the tour in question, and it is still unclear as to her fate. Yesterday Golfweek reported that sources close to the Tour have confirmed that Bivens will not have her contract honoured for her final two years in office. The article went onto report that the LPGA board of directors has been meeting “behind closed doors” all week to discuss the future of the Tour and the (reportedly) vacant commissioner position. Bivens has not commented on the alleged ousting and the Tour itself has been reluctant to comment as well. No official announcement has been made and Bivens herself has yet to comment.

“Carolyn has not resigned,’’ David Higdon, the LPGA’s chief of communications said in a short email to Golfweek earlier in the week.

However, Sporting Business Daily, working with anonymous sources, has learned that Bivens has agreed to a buyout on her contract to the tune of $500,000 per year for the two years she has left on her contract. The article went onto say that the board as already organized a golf industry insider to interview potential replacements for Bivens.

“(Bivens) stepped on some toes and hurt some feelings…there were a lot of things for her to overcome.” Golf Channel’s Charlie Rymer said yesterday in a report on Bivens.  ”The LPGA needs to get on the same page because being fractured in today’s business society is too much of a challenge. Whoever comes into this position, they have to get moving and get things done quickly.”

While the biggest event of the year continues today in Pennsylvania, the headlines continue to be dominated by the fate of the Tour’s leadership.

“Patience is the No. 1 thing you have to have this week,” Ochoa said of the U.S Women’s Open. She could just have easily been talking about the Tour itself.

While the young guns provided a window into the future, Tiger Woods showed them just who owns the AT&T National.

As the “greedy host” he promised to be, Woods took the lead with a 20-foot birdie on the 16th and then parred the final two holes for his 68th PGA Tour victory.

Hunter Mahan equalled the course record set by Anthony Kim Thursday with a final-round 62. That was good for second place.

Both Mahan and Kim are seen as challengers to Woods’ top ranking. But not just yet as the world number one continued his successful comeback from a knee operation that sidelined him for eight months.

However, Woods’ mind is probably thinking of Britain, for more than one reason. First, his good friend, tennis king Roger Federer won Wimbledon for his record 15th Grand Slam. Then there is the British Open – the season’s third major.

Woods is still waiting for the golf equivalent of Federer’s achievement – his 15th major. It failed to come at his first comeback major, the US Masters. Then Woods was unable to defend his US Open crown at Bethpage Black last month.

The British Open at Turnberry is his next chance at a major as he pursues Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

It is only a matter of translating his Tour form to the majors, something Woods has plenty of experience doing, except this year, in which he has so far won the last tournaments he had played before the majors.

On the European Tour, German Martin Kaymer won the France Open at Le Golf National when he beat England’s Lee Westwood in a play-off.

Both players finished on 13-under 271 for the tournament after Westwood stormed into a contention with a final round of six-under 65.

However, Westwood found water in the play-off and bogeyed while Kaymer, who closed with 68, birdied the 470-yard, par-four 18th for victory.

It was Kaymer’s third title on the European Tour and lifted him into the top 20 of the world rankings.

Englishman Ian Poulter was third, three strokes behind, after his closing round of 67 while Denmark’s Anders Hansen (66) and Swede Peter Hanson (70) were tied for fourth on 275.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, the British Open champion who defends his title in two weeks time, failed to make the cut after opening rounds of 72 and 75.

Meanwhile, South Korean Yi Eun-jung almost had nothing to show after squandering a six-stroke lead but held on in the play-off to win the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Ohio.

Yi beat Morgan Pressel on the first play-off hole for her first LPGA victory, having started the day four shots ahead and then increasing it to six with a couple of birdies out of the gate.

However, Pressel slowly chipped away at her lead and ended on four-under-par 67 to tie Yi, who made even-par 71, on 18-under 266. Yi made birdie in the play-off while Pressel tapped in for par after narrowly failing to hole a birdie putt.

Michelle Wie continued her solid form in her first season as a full-time LPGA pro with a career-best 64 for a total of 268. She was tied for third with Lee Seon-hwa and Kim Song-hee.

World number one Lorena Ochoa, of Mexico, was tied for eighth with two other players on 270.

For Yi, the victory was a significant improvement on her recent form in which she failed to make the cut in four of seven starts in 2009. Her previous best finish was 26th at the Corona Championship.