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?

Happy holidays my fellow golf aficionados! Seeing as how Christmas is poking it’s head around the corner I thought I might do something a little different and provide you last-minute shoppers out there with a a few ideas for the golfer on their list. The main rule I would recommend if you are buying for a golfer, especially a golf nut, is to NEVER, EVER buy anything performance-based that can be confused with “golf art”. In general, a tartan golf towel or funky ball marker with a “I love to Golf” emblazed across will be used about as much as those clubs designed specifically for chipping.

But have no fear, buying for the serious golfer is not a tough task and I have scoured the internet for the coolest gifts of all shapes and sizes. Here are a few of the best-

*    A dozen Titleist Pro-V 1s- Let’s face it, every golfer loses balls (some more than others) and an extra dozen balls will always be of use. The fact that these are still regarded as the best balls in the game means that a player of any level will appreciate them, and with the price of a dozen of these babies coming down more and more, they have become a bargain gift.

R.R.P- $39.99 at Golfsmith.com

*    Bushnell Pro 1600 Rangefinder with slope – With rangefinders becoming legal to use in many tournaments, as well as a staple amongst professionals the world over this is a great gift for any serious golfer. One of the advantages about playing with a rangefinder is you don’t need to go tramping all over the fairway to get a yardage; just point and shoot, pull a club and you’re away. But the absolute best thing about this model in particular is the slope aspect. It gives you an exact yardage with regards to how far the shot is uphill or downhill. Ben Hogan might roll over in his grave but the fact remains- all the guess work is gone when you have one of these in your bag.

R.R.P- $381 at Amazon.com

*     J Lindeberg Slater Belt- Golf is becoming more and more of a way to make a fashion statement and one of the most fashionable accessories out there is the J Lindeberg belt. Whether on the runway or on the links, J Lindeberg has been making the most fashionable, youthful and fresh clothing out there ever since Jesper Parnevik first donned his gear almost a decade ago. Even if Jesper’s style is not the one you’re after this belt has become one of the most iconic fashion statements in the game and will add a little flair to anyone’s wardrobe.

R.R.P- $110 at trendygolfusa.com

*    Under Armour Zone Impact Polo shirt- One of the most popular buzz words in golf is ’performance’, not just in equipment, but in clothing as well. Five years ago Under Armour was a company based around performance under- shirts and work out gear. Today they are one of the fastest growing companies in sports, branching out into shoes, clothing, winter wear and yes, even golf. To top things off they make one of the best shirts, with fantastic materials designed to make you cooler in the heat and warmer in the cold. To top it off they are worn by several of the games top young players, from Hunter Mahan to Michael Sim.

R.R.P- $34.99 at Edwinwatts.com

*    A series of lessons with your local pro- Now, I know a lot of people that take lessons from various pros and I an honestly say that there is no better way to improve your game than getting together with your local pro for a couple of lessons. The key is to take several lessons over a period of time. One lesson will provide you with some quick fixes, but when you take a series of lessons a good pro will map out a game plan for going from point A (your current action) to point B (where you want to be). Also, add a twist- instead of just going to the range and working on your swing, why don’t you book a couple of short game lessons where you learn the proper way to chip, play bunker shots and putt. I guarantee you’re long game will thank you.

Check out- golfswingsecretsrevealed.com or pga.com/profinder to find a pro in your area.

Happy Holidays!

Andy’s Prologue: Following on from Gail Smirthwaite’s highly interesting post on How Much Does Your Ego Play A Part In Your Game Of Golf?, I would like to present Gail’s thoughts on playing in the “flow”. Gail’s Advice: In this blog post I am going to look at the importance of the mind when it comes to playing golf.

It never ceases to amaze me how many golfers overlook developing the number one aspect of performance that can position them ahead of the field and help them to be consistently more successful. I am referring to the power of the mind, but more importantly how to control it so it doesn’t control you!

It has long been accepted that the mind is what makes the key difference between success and failure in many areas of life and not least in sport. Yet golfers who really want to achieve a better result, lower their handicap, or win tournaments, do not actively engage in preparing themselves as much mentally as they do physically.

Tiger Woods possibly did not know the importance of having a sports psychologist at the age of 12 but he does now. It is a little known fact that Jay Brunza, Sports Psychologist, worked with Tiger from such a young age. Woods has often said that he doesn’t need to work on his mental game, but then will follow this up by saying that he doesn’t need to “because all the strategies have been in place from the age of 12!” Tiger’s father knew the importance of the mind and guided Tiger well, but although guidance is so important at such a young age credit needs always to go to Tiger who has taken ‘strength of mind’ and the ability to focus to a new level.

It is so important to develop your mental skills and clearly the earlier the better. Although many golfers out there may not have been fortunate enough to have a trained sports psychologist on hand from childhood believe me when I say that it’s never too late.

If you think of the sports person you most admire, how would you describe them? Possibly focused, driven, motivated, dedicated, ambitious – all these skills are not to do with technique or talent but everything to do with attitude.

If you make the choice to learn to be more aware of how to create a positive mindset and how these skills can be developed then you stand every chance of not only creating the golf game you want to achieve, but success in the life you want as well.

Much has been written about top sports performers’ ability to perform ‘in the zone’. It is in this ‘state’ where the best results are achieved most easily. You can liken the zone to that feeling of everything being so easy on every level; when you are operating without conscious thought and without effort. To give you an everyday example; remember what it was like when you learnt to drive a car? It was awkward trying to remember everything in the correct order, but after time you learnt to drive without any conscious thought for the process.

University of Chicago psychologist Mihalyi Csikzentmihalyi has studied the equivalent state in the workplace, a state which he refers to as being ‘in flow’. This is the feeling when you are fully motivated, inspired, and passionate about what you are doing. When you are fully effective and powerful and time flies by and results seem to just happen. You may have experienced golf shots like that before because this is what brings back so many golfers to the game time and time again.

What percentage of your golf game are you operating in flow? And what are the times where you are not? There are a number of feelings that potentially will threaten you whilst performing ‘in flow’; such as when you are disengaged, bored, unfocused, full of self-doubt and fear, or distracted.

I recently coached a successful businessman in his mid-forties. He came to me to help him to lower his golf handicap as he had become increasingly frustrated with his golf game over the whole golfing season. He booked the usual course of six sessions and by session five he had not once mentioned his golf! I asked him during this session how well he had been playing recently and if he wanted to discuss his game. He answered that his game was now ‘absolutely fine’ and ‘that ‘it’ was taking care of itself!’

We had spent the previous five sessions talking about his career and we had worked on his various challenges within his work role, what he valued and how to honour these, in order to take the stress out of his life. He became goal-focused on what he wanted in his working life and by session five his confidence and self-esteem had returned along with his golf game!

Here was a man not performing in the ‘flow’ in the one of the most important aspects of his life; his career and this was affecting his game of golf. Each one of us possess natural talents – the ones that we are born with – if we do not recognise what we are good at then life can become a struggle.

When we follow our path, the one that offers least resistance, and begin to play the game we most naturally play, on and off the golf course, we begin to excel. We will find that we are having fun because it is ‘effortless’, we are in the flow because we are doing what we ‘love’ to do.

So take a moment to remember that playing golf is a great hobby not a matter of life and death. Get your game into perspective; have fun, enjoy and get yourself into your flow!

Many thanks for reading.

Gail Smirthwaite

Pro golfers twitter their way into fans’ hearts. Professional golfers are going back to the people thanks to technology. In the old days of pro golf, the big-name players were mostly happy to rub shoulders with ordinary folks off the course. Modern golf doesn’t allow for such intimacy, with the increased money involved, television coverage, sponsor obligations, security and the higher profile golfers enjoy these days compared with the past. However, social networking websites such as Twitter.com are allowing the pros to once again connect with fans in a cyber kind of way.

LPGA Pro Nicole Hage tweets at Twitter.com/NicoleHage, to view more photos please visit her Facebook page here.

Twitter is the latest sensation in social networking. The site allows users to post “tweets” or short messages to their subscribers, providing updates, news and other interesting and often personal tidbits. It’s like a blog with fewer words.

Among the well-known golfers who provide tweet service are Stewart Cink (@StewartCink), John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) and Stuart Appleby (@StuartAppleby) while female golfing tweeters include Natalie Gulbis (@Natalie_Gulbis), Morgan Pressel (@MorganPressel), Meaghan Francella (@MFrancella) and NicoleHage (@NicoleHage).

Other golfers tweeting with their fans are US PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin (@ParkerMcLachlin), Japanese-American sensation Tadd Fujikawa (@Tadd_Fujikawa) and women’s Futures Tour players Carling Coffing (@CarlingCoffing), Liz Janangelo (@PumpkinPutts), Whitney Myers (@Whitney0Myers), Maggie Simons (@MaggieSimons), Kristie Smith (@NikeGolfChick) and Briana Vega (@BrianaVega), the latest winner of golf reality show Big Break.

Cink is one of the most active twitter-ers and is keeping his fans up-to-date with his progress when competing in tournaments and during time off from the Tour.

Hage, Gulbis, Pressel, Daly and the others also faithfully provide updates on a regular basis to keep fans happy.

There is much to catch up on from pro golfers, so log on to Twitter.com, where you can also read the latest about me Andy Brown (@AndyBrownGolf) and HomeofGolf.TV.

In Alphabetical Order: (please let me know of anymore pros that join Twitter so as I can update this page- thanks)

Sofie Andersson (@SofieAndersson)

Swede Sofie Andersson is one of the many promising professionals to come from Sweden and who is now competing on the Duramed Futures Tour in the US. The 26-year-old joined the Tour in 2007 and won a tournament in her rookie year at the Aurora Health Care Champions in Wisconsin. She has also had six other top 10 finishes, including second at the 2009 Michelob ULTRA Duramed Futures Players Championship. She resides in California.

Stuart Appleby (@StuartAppleby)

Australian Appleby turned pro in 1992 and has since been a consistently successful golfer since. He started off on the Australasian PGA Tour before winning twice on the secondary Tour in the US in 1995, where he finished fifth on the money list and qualified for the US PGA Tour. Appleby has won eight times on golf’s premier tour and he reached the top 10 in the world in 2004. His best performance in a major was at the 2002 British Open, where he lost in a four-way play-off to Ernie Els.

Kyeong Bae (@KyeongBae)

South Korean Bae Kyeong has been on and off the elite LPGA Tour since 2002, and a permanent fixture since 2006. Although she has never won on the main tour, she did find success during her year on the Future Tour is 2005 when she won two tournaments. She has also won the Shinsegye Cup KLPGA Championship on her native Korea LPGA Tour. Her best finish on the LPGA Tour was second place at the 2006 Sybase Classic.

Stacy Biebar (@GolfProGirls)

Bio coming soon.

Paul Casey (@Paul_Casey)

Bio coming soon.

Susan Choi (@GolfProGirls)

Susan played Varsity golf at Wellesley College for all four years. This experience triggered a passion, and made her realize that this is what she want to do for the rest of my life. Susan started competing in local and national events her Junior year at Wellesley and had some pretty good success, but most importantly she says, “I loved it!” Susan has been featured on Big Break Ka’anapali and she is a proud founder of GolfProGirls.com.

Irene Cho (@TheIreneCho)

Irene Cho is a product of the University of Southern California and has been playing on the LPGA Tour since 2007, one year after turning professional. She had a distinguished amateur career, earning AJGA All-America honours in 2002 and 13 top-10 finishes on the American Junior Golf Association tour. In 2006, she was Honda Player of the Year and Pac-10 Player of the Year.

Stewart Cink (@StewartCink)

Cink, who turns 36 in May, is one of the most respected players on the PGA Tour. With 12 professional victories to his name, including five titles on the PGA Tour, Cink has established himself as one of the world’s leading golfers, having broken into the top 10 of the world rankings intermittently in his career. One of the highlights of his career was reaching the final of the 2008 Match Play Championship in Arizona, losing to world number one Tiger Woods.

Carling Coffing (@CarlingCoffing)

The 23-year-old Coffing is one of the rising stars of the women’s game, having turned professional in 2008. The Ohio State graduate with a degree in communications had a stellar college career, at state and national level and is currently competing in the women’s Futures Tour. She is hoping to one day break into the LPGA Tour.

Paula Creamer (@ThePaulaCreamer)

American Paula Creamer has been one of the biggest stars of the LPGA Tour ever since she burst on to the professional scene in 2005. She has earned more than US$1 million each year since turning pro and won eight tournaments along the way. When she won the Sybase Classic in 2005 at 18 years, nine months and 17 days, she became the youngest winner at the time of a multi-round tournament on the LPGA.

John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly)

Daly is one player whose charisma and persona could rival that of Tiger Woods in terms of fan popularity. The 43-year-old two-time major champion is currently on a comeback in the professional game after years in the wilderness, trying to rediscover the form that helped him to the 1991 US PGA Championship and the 1995 Open Chamipionship title. His booming drives make him one of the biggest drawcards on the tour, even when he is not playing well.

Chris DiMarco (@ChrisDiMarco)

Chris DiMarco is a veteran on the US PGA Tour, having joined the pro ranks in 1990. In recent years he has shown the ability to challenge the top players in any situation and has been rewarded with three titles – the 2000 SEI Pennsylvania Classic, 2001 Buick Challenge and 2002 Phoenix Open. DiMarco was runner-up at the 2006 British Open, the same year he won the Abu Dhabi Championship in UAE on the European Tour.

Heather Daly-Donofrio (@LPGARocks)

Daly-Donofrio is an 11-year veteran of professional golf, having first joined the LPGA Tour in 1998. She has two tour titles to her name, winning the 2001 First Union Betsy King Classic and the Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions. She achieved two top-10 finishes in 2005 but has since only played sparingly on the main tour.

Meredith Duncan (@Meredith_Duncan)

Meredith Duncan turned in professional in 2002 after a successful amateur career during which she won the US Women’s Amateur Championship in 2001. The following year, she was part of the US Curtis Cup team. After turning pro, she played on the Kosaido Ladies Asian Circuit and, in 2003, tied for fifth at the LPGA Final Qualifying event to earn her Tour card.

Allison Fouch (@AllisonFouch)

Fouch turned professional in 2006 and enjoyed her best year in the LPGA Tour in 2008, when she made the cut in 17 of 25 tournaments she played. Her best finish was at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, where she finished tied for second and also had a career-low score of 64 in the final round. The previous year, she won twice on the Futures Tour and had eight other top-10 finishes for second overall in the money list and an exemption for the 2008 LPGA Tour.

Meaghan Francella (@MFrancella)

Having turned pro in 2004, Francella’s major triumph to date has been in winning the 2007 MasterCard Classic where she saw off Annika Sörenstam in a four hole playoff. In 2006 Meaghan won the Lakeland Duramed Futues Classic, helping her secure a 5th place on the Futures Tour money list and full exemption for the 2007 LPGA season. She finished 29th and 88th on the LPGA money list for 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Tadd Fujikawa (@Tadd_Fujikawa)

Fujikawa hit the headlines in 2006 when, aged 15, he became the youngest golfer to qualify for the US Open. The next year, he became the second youngest player to make the cut at a PGA Tour event, Hawaii’s Sony Open, at 16 years and four days. He left the amateur ranks in 2007 and won his first tournament as a pro in April 2008 at the Mid-Pacific Open in Hawaii.

Julieta Granada (@JulieGranada)

Paraguay’s Granada has been a pro since 2005, winning the YMCA Futures Classic on the Futures Tour in 2005 before joining the LGPA Tour in 2006. In that year, she won the final tournament of the season, the ADT Championship, enabling her to collect the first-ever $1-million prize in women’s golf. A graduate of the David Leadbetter school in Florida, the 22-year-old has had a fine amateur career and is one of the stars of the future.

Natalie Gulbis (@Natalie_Gulbis)

One of the most glamorous and popular golfers on the LGPA Tour, Gulbis, 26, has also proven herself to be a quality player, earning her first title at the 2007 Evian Masters. She showed promise at a young age when she qualified for her first LPGA tournament, the 1997 Longs Drugs Challenge. At 14, she was the youngest amateur to do so until Michelle Wie broke her record in 2002.

Sophie Gustafson (@SophieGustafson)

Another pro export from Sweden, Gustafson has been a regular feature on the LPGA Tour since 1998. Her best year on the Tour was on 2000 when she won two tournaments and had two other top-10 finishes. She triumphed in the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship and the Weetabix Women’s British Open. She won again the following year, at the Subaru Memorial of Naples and captured her fourth tour title at the 2003 Samsung World Championship.

Nicole Hage (@NicoleHage)

Hage turned professional in June, 2007 and returned to LPGA Final Qualifying School last year where she finished joint 34th to re-enter the Tour. Prior to becoming pro, she enjoyed a successful amateur and junior career, earning All-American credits in 2002 and 2003 as well as being on the 2002 Junior Solheim Cup.

Maria Hjorth (@MariaHjorth)

Hjorth is one of the veterans of the LPGA Tour, having made her rookie year in 1998 and then going on to win two tournaments and attain five other top-10 positions in 1999. Her maiden triumph on the Tour was the SAFECO Classic and she also won the Mizuno Classic. She had to wait eight years before her next triumph, at the 2007 Navistar LPGA Classic.

Janell Howland (@Janellaxo)

Howland has played only sparingly on the LPGA Tour since 2005, having played eight tournaments in total, including five in her rookie year. In 2008, she played 16 tournaments on the Duramed Futures Tour and eventually regained her card for the main circuit in 2009. She had a strong amateur career, winning two tournaments in 1999 while representing Lamar University and the 2001 Bermuda Match Play.

Noon Huachai (@NoonH)

Noon Huachai is a rising star from Bangkok, Thailand, who turned professional in 2007 and has played on the Duramed Futures Tour. As an amateur, she met with much success, winning three times on the 2005 Future Collegians World Tour. The same year, she also recorded three wins on the International Junior Golf Tour. She now makes the United States her home.

Rebecca Hudson (@GolfingBecs)

Bio coming shortly

Vicky Hurst (@TheVickyHurst)

Hurst is one of the most popular new faces on the LPGA Tour. She made her debut in 2009 and has already recorded two top-10 places from eight tournaments (up to 06.09), in which she made the cut seven times. She turned pro in 2008 and went on to win five events on the Duramed Futures Tour to earn her Rookie of the Year honours and priority list for the LPGA Tour.

Trevor Immelman (@TrevorImmelman)

Bio coming shortly

Peter Jacobsen (@JakeTrout)

Jacobsen is one of the stalwarts of the US PGA Tour, having won seven titles during his heyday and continuing on to find success on the Champions Tour, where he won two majors. The 55-year-old American is also a well-known TV personality, with two shows on The Golf Channel. The last of his PGA Tour titles was the Greater Hartford Open in July, 2003.

Liz Janangelo (@PumpkinPutts)

Janagelo is an American professional who plays on the women’s Duramed Futures Tour, having had one season in the elite LPGA Tour in 2008. The 25-year-old from Hartford, Connecticut turned pro in 2006 after a solid amateur career that include five titles in her State Open Championship. Her best season so far was in 2007 when she won twice on the Futures Tour to finish sixth in the season-ending rankings.

Sarah Kemp (@SarahJKemp)

Kemp had an outstanding career as an amateur and professional in her native Australia before making the jump to the LPGA Tour in 2008 via the Ladies European Tour. She was her country’s top-ranked amateur in 2003, the year she won the first of two Australian Stroke Play Championships. In 2005, she won four times on the Australian Ladies Professional Tour before achieving nine top-10 finishes on the Ladies European Tour from 2006-07.

Christina Kim (@TheChristinaKim)

Kim is an American of Korean heritage, born in San Jose, California in 1984 and now one of the most colourful and talented female golfers on the LPGA Tour. She is famous for her flamboyant style of dress and the Kangol berets she loves to wear. And her golf is not bad either with three pro titles to her name – the 2004 Longs Drugs Challenge and 2005 Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions, which added to the 2002 Garden State Summer Classic she won on the Futures Tour.

Mindy Kim (@MindyKim89)

Kim is in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2009 after a successful 2008 in which she won three times on the Duramed Futures Tour, where she also finished second on the money list. Kim turned professional in 2007 after a solid amateur career in which she won the 2006 American Junior Golf Association Mission Hills Desert Junior Classic and the Los Angeles City Championship.

Jeehae Lee (@Jeehaeda)

Lee made her LPGA debut in 2009 after more than two years as a professional, which included two victories on the Futures Tour. The Seoul-born Korean, who studied economics at Yale University, had a strong amateur career, with one victory in the American Junior Golf Association. She was also third at the 2003 Ivy League Championship individual tournament and the low amateur at the 2006 Connecticut Women’s Open.

Spencer Levin (@Spencer_Levin)

American Levin has been playing professionally since 2005 but it is only in 2009 that he has been a regular feature on the PGA Tour. The 25-year-old previously played on the Nationwide Tour, where, in 2008, he earned seven top-10 finishes to end up 22nd on the money list. He is the son of former PGA Tour golfer Don Levin.

Stacy Lewis (@Stacy_Lewis)

A rookie in 2009, Lewis made a solid start to her career on the LPGA Tour with some eye-catching performances. The previous year, she had played seven events on the Tour with two top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the US Women’s Open. As an amateur, Lewis won 12 collegiate events during her time with the University of Arkansas and was a four-time All-American.

Davis Love III (@Love3D)

Love is one of the most respected golfers on the professional tour, having been among the paid ranks since 1985 and a long-time resident among the world’s top 10 players. The 45-year-old has won 20 titles on the PGA Tour including the 1997 US PGA Championship, which remains his only major win so far. His last win was the Children’s Miracle Network Classic in November, 2008, a victory that gave him a lifetime exemption on the Tour.

Paige Mackenzie (@Paige_Mackenzie)

After turning pro in 2006, she promptly went on to win an event on the Cactus Tour as a sponsor’s exemption. Mackenzie had played a handful of times on the LPGA in 2005 and 2006 before earning full playing honours in 2007. Her best finish in a major was actually when she was an amateur, tying for 13th place at the 2005 US Women’s Open. While at University of Washington, she finished as the country’s top amateur according to Golfweek and became the college’s first female golfer to win the Pac-10 Championship individual title.

Michelle McGann (@MichelleMcGann)

McGann is a true stalwart of the LPGA Tour, having made her debut in 1988 and turning pro one year later. The chirpy star enjoyed her best years during the mid-1990s when she won seven tournaments in three years. Her last victory on the Tour was in 1997 when she captured the ShopRite LPGA Classic, one of two titles that season. McGann has earned more than US$3 million in prize money.

Jill McGill (@JillyMcgilly)

The statuesque McGill is a veteran of the LPGA Tour, having enjoyed her rookie season in 1996. In that time, she has had numerous top 10 finishes and came close to winning tournaments in 2001 and 2005, both times earning the runners-up check. The six-footer had a solid amateur career, winning the 1993 US Women’s Amateur Championship and the 1994 US Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship.

Rory McIlroy (@RorsMcIlroy)

Bio coing shortly.

Parker McLachlin (@ParkerMcLachlin)

The Hawaii-born McLachlin has been in the pro ranks since 2003 and broke through to the main PGA Tour in 2007. After successfully returning to qualifying school for the 2008 season, McLachlin ended his tournament drought when he won the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. That performance helped him secure his place on the Tour until 2010.

Kate Miller (@GolfProGirls)

Kate received a golf scholarship to the University of North Carolina. Her collegiate career is highlighted by being named a two-time All-ACC selection for golf. She also had the chance to be a sideline reporter for ESPNU during a UNC Basketball game. Katie is now a member of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, and she aspires to play on the LPGA Tour. She would also like to pursue a career in journalism. Kate is one of the founders of GolfProGirls.com.

Tina Miller (@TinaMillerGolf)

Miller, whose full name is Christina Mae Miller, is a 26-year-old pro golfer from Miami, Florida who turned professional in 2005 at the LPGA Wendy’s Championship for Children. She has been playing golf since she was seven years old and earned a full scholarship to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. In her junior year, she became a member of the elite Iron Arrow club – the university’s highest society honour.

Whitney Myers (@Whitney0Myers)

Myers is another golfer who is trying to make a name for herself on the women’s Futures Tour after showing plenty of potential at junior and amateur levels. She is a former winner of the Pennsylvania State Junior Girls’ Championship and a two-time AJGA champion. The 23-year-old was also the individual winner of the 2008 SEC Women’s Golf Championship.

Johanna Mundy (@JohannaMundy)

Englishwoman Mundy has been a professional on the LPGA Tour since 2000 after an amateur career that included victories in the 1992 and 1994 Sussex Ladies Championship and the 1994 Astor Salver. She has had four top-10 finishes in her LPGA Tour career with her best most recent performance being 13th place at the Corona Championship. Also last year, she tied her career-low score of 65 in the last round of the Fields Open, where she earned 14th place.

Jane Park (@MaryJane1432)

Park has been playing professionally on the LPGA Tour since 2007 and, though she has come close, was still looking for her first career title by the middle of the 2009 season. Her best performances in 2008 were two second places, a third and one other top-10 finish. As an amateur, she was runner-up at the 2003 US Women’s Amateur and tied for 30th at the US Women’s Open.

Suzann Pettersen (@SuzannPettersen)

One of the best players on the LPGA Tour, Norwegian Pettersen joined the Tour in 2003. She enjoyed a fantastic year in 2007, winning five tournaments, finishing second twice and gaining five other top-10 places. Her victories included a major triumph at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, when she also went over US$1 million in career earnings. She has since earned more than US$4 million.

Pat Perez (@PatPerezGolf)

It has been a breakthrough year for 33-year-old Perez in 2009 after he won January’s Bob Hope Classic for his first PGA Tour victory. In the first two rounds of the tournament he set a record of 20-under-par 124 for the lowest score over 36 holes relative to par. Although Steve Stricker beat the record by one over the third and fourth rounds, Arizona native Perez, who has won once on the Nationwide Tour, went on to win the tournament and establish himself as a winner on the Tour.

Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter)

Englishman Poulter is one of the most popular players on the circuit with nine professional titles titles. Seven of his victories come from the European Tour while he has also won Japan’s famous Dunlop Phoenix tournament in 2007 and the 1999 Ivory Coast Open on the Challenge Tour in Africa. The often colourfully dressed Poulter scored the winning points for Europe in their 2004 Ryder Cup victory over the US.

Amber Prange (@GolfProGirls)

Amber Prange is a graduate of Washington University and was an All-American junior and collegiate player, with 9 Top-Ten NCAA Finshes. She recently competed in Golf Channel’s Big Break Michigan. A rookie on the Duramed Futures Tour last year, she will continue to compete on the Futures Tour for the 2009 season. Amber is one of the founders of GolfProGirls.com.

Morgan Pressel (@MorganPressel)

Pressel has emerged as one of the leading players on the LPGA Tour with more than US$2 million in earnings since she turned pro in 2006. She was barely 18 when she was given special exemption to join the Tour full-time. She has two titles under her belt and a string of top-10 finishes. Pressel enjoyed an eventful amateur career, finishing joint runner-up at the 2005 US Women’s Open.

Anna Rawson (@TheAnnaRawson)

Australian Rawson has been playing the game since she was 13 years old and the glamorous golfer also does modelling work, either on the catwalk, print ads or on television. The Adelaide-born Rawson started playing full-time on the LGPA Tour in 2008, when she recorded a career-best tie for 10th at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. As an amateur, she was a member of the 2003 NCAA Championship team, representing University of Southern California, and won numerous amateur tournaments in her native Australia.

Maggie Simons (@MaggieSimons)

The 24-year-old Simons joined the Futures Tour at the start of 2008 after enjoying much success as an amateur. She is a two-time winner of the North Carolina Women’s Amateur tournament and was the runner-up in the 2007 North and South Women’s Amateur Championship. She earned a degree in psychology at Wake Forest University but is now focusing mostly on her budding golfing career.

Kristie Smith (@NikeGolfChick)

The 20-year-old Smith is one of Australia’s up and coming female golfers, having only recently turned professional after a successful amateur career. The daughter of former Aussie golfer Wayne Smith, she was the Australian Amateur champion in 2008 and was the best-performing amateur at the 2008 Women’s Australian Open. The Perth native is currently playing on the Duramed Futures Tour with an eye on one day qualifying for the LPGA Tour.

Annika Sorenstam (@Annika59)

Sweden’s Sorenstam is one of the greatest female golfers ever to play the game, having dominated women’s golf in the late 90s to mid 2000s. She won 90 tournament titles all over the world, 72 of them on the LPGA Tour and 10 majors. She tops the career money list with more than $22 million in earnings and once shot 59 in a competition. The 38-year-old retired from golf at the end of the 2008 season to start a family.

Angela Stanford (@Angela_Stanford)

Stanford has four career victories to date (06/09), the first one coming in 2003 in her third year on the LPGA Tour. That was at the ShopRite Classic and it was not until 2008 that she recorded her next triumph at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. The same year, she won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. She started 2009 by winning the season-opening SBS Open for her fourth career title.

Karen Stupples (@KStupples)

England’s Stupples has been playing on the LPGA Tour since 1999 and her best year on the circuit was in 2004, when she won two tournaments, finished runner-up once and had five other top 10 places. One of those victories was at the Women’s British Open where she became only the second player to shoot a double eagle at a major tournament. More recently, her best finish was second place at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill in 2008, the same year she crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings.

Perry Swenson (@PerrySwenson)

Bio coming soon.

Yani Tseng (@YaniTseng)

Taiwan’s Tseng made her LPGA Tour professional debut in 2008, making the cut in 26 out of 27 tournaments and picking up her maiden victory at a major – the LPGA Championship. She had nine other top-10 finishes. So far in 2009 (up to end of June), she has had one more victory, winning the LPGA Coming Classic and shooting a career-low 62 in the process.

Brianna Vega (@BriannaVega)

Vega, 27, plays regularly on the women’s Futures Tour after turning professional in 2004. Although born in New Jersey, she went to college at North Carolina State University, twice winning the state’s Most Valuable Player award, in 2003 and 2004. At the 2008 Suncoast Series Tour, she finished with three victories and emerged as the leading money winner. Vega has recently shot into the limelight by winning the golf reality show, “Big Break VI”.

Michelle Wie (@TheMichelleWie)

Wie is one of the most famous names on the LPGA Tour, having played regularly as an amateur since she was barely out of her teens but only making her full-time Tour debut in 2009, having turned pro four years earlier. One of the best amateurs ever, she set many records in the unpaid ranks including the youngest to qualify for the USGA Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at the age of 10, in 2000. Shortly before turning pro, she was runner-up at the 2005 McDonald’s LPGA Championship.

Andy’s Prologue:

“As one who is prone to losing confidence whilst playing golf, I have been fortune enough to have benefited from Gail Smirthwaite’s expertise. Gail is a trainer for the PGA CPD programme and tours UK golf cubs conducting talks on ‘how to play golf with confidence’ to all standards of golfers.

Not only that, she coaches many individual tour golfers including Alison Nicholas who is our ex-US Open Golf Champion and who has just been announced at the 2009 Solheim Cup UK and European Captain. You can listen to her fun and entertaining appearance on the Chris Evans Show on BBC Radio 2 here in the UK, simply click on the play button above. I can’t stop thinking about yellow canoes – you will have to listen to find out why!

Gail offers top notch advice and tips, so much so ‘Glen Muir’ one of the leading prestigious golf clothes companies in the UK (these are the guys that did the clothing for the Ryder Cup) sponsor her.

So over to Gail for some solid help on not letting our egos get in the way of a great round of golf!

Gail’s Advice:

In this post I am going to talk about the role of our egos in the way we make judgments, formulate opinions and how our ego can affect our behaviour.

Social environment plays such a big role when it comes to how we handle our egos. A golfer’s interpretation of what is going on around them can potentially impact greatly on their golf play if they allow it to.

Here’s how it works! If you allow your ‘EGO’ to get involved when you play golf your level of competence becomes based on what others are saying and doing. For instance; outdoing your fellow players, always looking at how others are doing with their scores and worrying about how you look will be accompanied by the following self-talk …’Am I good enough?’, ‘How I can I avoid looking bad?’, ‘How is everyone else doing?’

If you are someone whose competence is ‘self-referenced’ and by that I mean you base your success on personal performance, mastering the skills and on your own level of effort; accompanied by self-talk such as; ‘How can I get better?’, ‘How do I do this?’ and so on… then you will be able to more readily focus on what really matters THE TASK AT HAND!

Annika Sorenstem knows a thing or two about golf and she is quoted as saying that …”Success is measured one shot at a time”.

The problem with someone who relies too much on their egos whilst playing is; should their confidence dip, which is often just around the corner in any game of golf, the ability to find the strength from within to focus will become a huge mountain to climb. You need to work on having the ability to concentrate on only that which is important – YOU and the shot you are about to play.

It may seem a contradiction in terms that in order for you not to play in your ‘ego’ you need to focus on yourself. Being self-motivated is often the quality we believe makes people ‘egotistical’. But as I said earlier the ‘ego’ is concerned with ‘appearing’ to be in control, a winner, the best etc. to others. This not only puts extra pressure on your performance, but also whilst worrying about what you believe other people maybe thinking of you may cause you to end up in an extremely vulnerable position – on and off the golf course!

Playing golf too much in your ‘ego’ lays you wide open to needing a ‘quick fix’ when your confidence dips. By looking for someone or something outside your control to help feed your confidence is a recipe for disaster. You need to be able to find that strength within so that you can control the only part of the process you are able to … how you see yourself and how you can stay focused and in the moment.

The reason I talk so often about the importance of your self-talk remaining positive is so that you can become your own ‘Confidence Caddie’™. If you do not fear losing then you will in effect be lifting a cloud from over you the whole time you play.

When Tiger Woods was asked a question what he thought the major attribute he and Roger Federer have in common he replied; ‘We don’t fear losing’.

The significance of this statement is that there is a different mentality when you look at mistakes as lessons and not as a personal attack on your self-worth.

How you see yourself is so important because if you see yourself as a really competent golfer then that is who you will be. If you see yourself as not very good at golf then that is how you will play.

Spending time on creating a good self-esteem will be helped by not worrying about what others may or may not be thinking. Remember, where does your control lie – with what you think about yourself or what others think?

For more advice and a 10 page free report on overcoming first tee nerves, controlling your emotions on the course and how to concentrate when you need to most please head over to my site at GolfMindGuru.com

Many thanks for reading.

Gail Smirthwaite

All of us, regardless of our skill level, have at times, swung the golf club very well. And, I imagine all you fortunate readers who’ve completed Andy’s course — The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf– swing the golf club exceptionally well at times. But what makes this game so frustrating is not the good days — it’s the bad ones. Especially if they happen very soon after a great day. What gives?

Why can we swing the golf club perfectly one day, hitting it long and straight, yet barely find the clubface on other days? Most assume they’re not talented enough. Or they don’t work hard enough. Or better yet, that PGA Tour pros have some secret for consistency they’re not sharing with the world.

For some, yes — you may lack the requisite athletic ability to hit the golf ball long and straight. But even so, in all my years of teaching, with thousands of students, I’ve only met one I considered hopeless. And to this day, I still can’t figure out why I couldn’t help him. But that’s another story. My point simply is: if you’ve hit it well in stretches before — you can and should be able to do it consistently.

Let me share a couple of my favorite tips on how to maintain a great golf swing — or get one back that seems to be on vacation.

First, to maintain a great golf swing — you must maintain your body. It’s amazing how may people can’t figure out the reason for a slump, yet in the last year — they’ve put on 20-30lbs around their belly. So now the feels they used to feel are gone. Maybe their 90 degree shoulder turn has become 75. Or their distance from the ball changes. Or their posture changes slightly. Or their transition at the top of the swing gets quicker because it’s shorter. Either way, it doesn’t feel the same. And with that loss of feel comes a search for new mechanics. And looking for answers — which rarely works. Look at the players who are consistent throughout the years and you’ll see very little change in their bodies. Hale Irwin and Bernhard Langer are both great examples of this. In fact, I read a few months ago that Bernhard can still fit into the same size pants he wore in high school. That’s nuts — but speaks volumes to why he is so consistent.

So, my first tip to staying consistent: Maintain your fitness level. This may require more effort as you age — but you’ll see the benefits in your handicap.

Second, to maintain a great golf swing — you must maintain your set-up. After years of teaching some of the best players in the world, this next piece of advice is the absolute best tip I could ever give you.

**You don’t lose your golf swing overnight. It’s impossible. But you can lose your set-up overnight, which in turn will impact your golf swing — especially how it feels. So, as a golfer, you’ll try to recreate a feel you have when playing well (such as back to the target at the top of your swing), but will fall short — because it’s impossible to feel the same thing from a different set-up. So, you spend the day manufacturing feels. Anything to get you back to your best days. But hear this — if you find your set-up, your swing will find you. You won’t have to look for it.

So, how do you keep your set-up? I’ll give you an easy tip — one I share with all the touring pros and scratch amateurs I teach — and that’s go buy a cheap hitting mat. I don’t want you to hit a lot of balls off the mat — only a few occasionally. But you’ll use it to maintain good form. Here’s how. Next time you’re hitting it well — I mean really well — go hit some balls on the mat. Then, have a friend trace your feet and ball position. Use a 7-iron or so. Also, have your friend draw your target line — as well as your body line. But only draw your body line — using your feet as the reference — once you’re hit a couple well on the mat. Why? Well, you may hit your best shots slightly open or closed. And this is valuable information to have. Lee Trevino – one of the best ball strikers ever — aimed way left. While Sam Snead, another of the all-time greats — aimed way right. You see, if anyone ever tried to get their stances to fit a model of perfectly square — they never would have been so consistent. But — they found their set-up all the time, which is why they were so good. Does that make sense?

Then, once you have your feet, ball, target line and body lines traced — put the mat away. Keep it in the trunk of your car or in the garage. Then, next time you are struggling — go stand on it and hit some balls. Your swing will find you in no time. Or better yet, stand on it for a few minutes a week and you’ll never have to worry about losing you swing.

Good luck!

I have spent the last few weeks on the road with some of my students at Futures Tour Events in Florida. These were the first events of the season and as expected, I learned a lot about my student’s games. I always say a golfer has four games or swings: They have their practice range game; their golf course game; their golf tournament game; and lastly – their last nine holes, with a chance to win a tournament game. Ideally, we want all of those games to match. Unfortunately, even for the highest level golfer, sometimes they get progressively worst.

I would like to share Stella Lee’s experience over the last few weeks and show you a couple things that can help improve your scoring. Stella had two problems which didn’t allow her to play up to her scoring potential in the first two events – rhythm and comfort zone. On the golf course, her rhythm got much slower on short shots and she wasn’t quite ready mentally to shoot a score in the 60′s.

Let me first give you some background on Stella and what we’ve worked on the last few months. Then, we’ll tie it together — so just like Stella will hopefully do this summer — you can also play golf up to your true potential.

I first met Stella at The LPGA Qualifying Tournament last fall. We met to discuss the possibility of working with one another after she missed the cut. At the time, she was living just outside Los Angeles and was understandably frustrated with her game. After spending an hour with her, I saw a number of simple things we could incorporate that would help achieve her two main goals — more distance and accuracy. I was happy to hear later that week, based on our initial meeting, she had decided to move to Orlando to work with me this past winter. I was happy for a couple reasons. First, she is a great girl who is lot of fun to be around. And second, I thought I could help “unclutter” her mind and simplify the way she swung the golf club.

After a very good junior and college career at University of California Irvine, Stella turned pro in the 2004. She played the Futures Tour and had a reasonable first year. She made 6 of 8 cuts and had a stroke average of 73.5. But, something happened to Stella during her first season that happens to many girls when they make the transition from a junior/college golfer to that of a professional. She started to change things. She went from a very good scorer in her junior days, who relied heavily on short game, to someone obsessed with more distance. She had never been long as a kid, but neither were the courses. Now, the courses and girls were longer — and she started to feel somewhat inadequate.

Does this sound familiar? So many times we play with someone much longer, and if not careful, it makes us change things in order to compete. When in reality, we don’t compete with length. We compete with score. Granted, hitting it longer, with no loss of accuracy, is a great advantage. But very few players have it all. And,, a lot of times we’ll play with someone who’s very long while theyre having a great day – and because they make it look so easy – we feel the need to change. But, I promise you this – a lot of those long players would change positions with a short straight hitter on many a day. I for one was one of those players back in the 90′s when I competed in events. There were many times my 300 yard drives couldn’t find the golf course, when I thought how much easier life would be if I hit it 250 yards right down the middle. So, the moral is, everyone is searching a little.

Okay, back to Stella. When we did our initial talk, I asked about her short game. She said putting was her strength. First, I love when a player tells me they are a great putter. I know someone who really believes that, has chances to make the LPGA Tour. I’ve known many girls who hit it like a top 20 player in the world — but putt and chip like a 10 handicap — who now have “real jobs.” But, I also know many girls who’ve made a living on tour for years, who are very unimpressive on the driving range. Of course, do not get suckered into a putting match with these girls, or else you’ll be buying dinner. Trust me, I speak from experience. So, because of Stella’s assertion that she had a great short game, we did not spend too much time this winter working on that area of her game. Basically, we worked on swing mechanics for a couple months and then started playing golf to test her new move on the course. As we started playing, I was happy with her swing progress, but was not too thrilled with her short game. But, she, and some of my other students who also play the Futures Tour, kept assuring me that her short game was great. So, against my better judgement, I didn’t say much as it related to short game. However, I did make some comments and reminded her that 68% of all shots happen inside 100 yards. So, 68% of her practice should also be inside 100 yards.

As the first event drew closer and her swing felt more comfortable, Stella did start working on her short game more. We practiced a lot together and her stroke and chipping method were spot on. However, when we played, she wasn’t getting the most out of her game inside 100 yards. I recommended she work on a more consistent routine, as it seemed she was taking an awful long time of chips and putts. But, she wasn’t comfortable with hitting it quicker on short shots and was okay waiting until she was ready. Even if that meant standing over the ball longer on certain shots. I told her – I was okay with that on one condition – and that she was controlling the situation and not letting the situation control her. If she was waiting to get more focused – okay. But, if she was waiting because she was unsure – then not okay. I described Jack Nicklaus’ putting routine. Nicklaus was potentially the greatest pressure putter in the history of golf (at least before Tiger Woods came along) and his routine varied from stroke to stroke. Basically, Nicklaus would stand over a putt until he knew it was going in. And would not stroke it until he had that very positive feeling. So, I told Stella — if this is why you are waiting so long, then cool. She said it was and reassured me again — that her putting and chipping were the best part of her game.

Stella hit the ball beautifully during the first Futures Tour at Cleveland Heights in Lakeland, Florida. And again during the second event at LPGA International in Daytona, Florida. She averaged an amazing 13 fairways hit per round, as well as 13 greens. In the two events, she only had one penalty stroke. So, based on those hitting stats, you would assume Stella had a great two weeks. In fact, for someone who has such a great short game, with those hitting numbers, you would probably assume she won or came very close to winning both tournaments. Well, sadly, you would be wrong. Stella had a disappointing two weeks. She finished well down the pack in Lakeland and missed the cut in Daytona. Why? Simple, her short game let her down.

In my opinion, these two reasons are why Stella struggled with her short game in the first two events. And why I think she will get better and better each week if she works on this as diligently as she worked on her swing this winter.

First, her routine was awful. I know that sounds harsh – but it’s true. Here’s the thing – and we all fall victim to this – myself included. If you practice a certain way and then play differently – you will certainly struggle. And especially when there is pressure. Stella was spending the few weeks before the first event making 100 five foot putts on a chalk line every day. She got so good at this drill, she literally could do it with her eyes closed in 15 minutes. But, the one thing she didn’t take into account as she was practicing and making those 100 putts every day was rhythm. As she practiced, she would roll a ball over, look at the hole and stroke it in. It was the same tempo every time. Yet, when she got on the course in the tournament, her rhythm completely changed. Instead of looking and rolling the ball in. It was looking and waiting. Sometimes as long as five seconds just staring at the ball. So, now all that great practice she did on that line was useless really. Useless because she didn’t take the same feeling to the course. Instead of her five foot putts being an instinct – which is what we all want – it became a mental endeavor. She was thinking about it too much. Looking back at it now, we both learned something from the experience. She either needed to do one of two things. Practice on the line slower – just like she would do in the event. Or, putt in the event quicker – just like she practiced on the line. If she had done that, I believe she would have won the first event and come in the top 3 in the second. Wow – what a difference in confidence level that would have been. And all because of pacing.

Pacing is such an important fundamental. I bet you can think back to a lot of your great rounds and remember you pace. So many times I’ve asked people what they remember about their best scores. And almost always, they say the same thing. It felt like I was in slow motion they say. Or, sometimes they say it felt like they were moving much quicker and not thinking. Either way, it’s the same thing. It’s pace. Try and recreate your ideal pace as often as possible — especially recreate the pace you practice at — and you’ll find yourself scoring much better.

The second thing that stopped Stella and also stops the average golfer is comfort zone. Comfort zone is a very underrated factor to a golfer’s improvement. Think about it. How many times have you had a great front-nine followed by a lousy back-nine — only to shoot the same exact score you always shoot? Or vice versa? Sometimes we all get a little uncomfortable scoring lower than we’re used to. And for Stella, who had struggled for a couple years, it wasn’t time for her to be one of the best players on the Futures Tour. She wasn’t ready yet. She was finding ways to shoot the same exact scores she had shot the year before. In spending her entire winter focusing on a mechanical change, she lost sight of something very important for a professional golfer — score. She hadn’t quite given herself permission to be the best player yet.

I see this a lot with average golfers. They hit the ball better because of lessons or a program like Andy’s – but still don’t score that much lower. I hear it all the time – George, I’m hitting it so much better – but now I can’t chip. Or, my short game is so much better, but now I cannot hit a fairway. This is the same situation – they are not quite ready to get out of their comfort zone.

I believe you will see a great improvement in your scoring ability if you focus on these two things. First, recreate the pace you practice on the golf course. And secondly, see yourself shooting lower scores. Give yourself permission to be a lower handicap.

Good Luck!

Not sure if there is a quantifiable list out there — but I believe hands down — the best tournament golf course in the world is Augusta National. I would rank St. Andrews a distant second — but without a doubt, Augusta National is my number one. I promise it’s not just because it hosts the Masters (my favorite tournament) every year. It goes much deeper than that. Augusta does something no other golf course does — it identifies the best player in the world. And it does so almost every year. Yes, that’s right – the best player in the world usually wins the Masters — or at the very least, has the chance to win. You cannot say that about any other major event or golf course.

1985 was the first year of the Sony World Rankings and the first recipient of the number one ranking was Bernhard Langer. That year, Bernhard Langer won the Masters. In 1986, Jack Nicklaus (probably the best player ever and owner of more Masters titles than any other golfer) won – but a close second was Greg Norman and in third, two strokes behind, stood Seve Ballesteros. Greg and Seve were the two best players in the world in 1986. In 1987, Larry Mize beat Norman and Ballesteros (again the two best players) in a playoff. In 1988, Sandy Lyle was the number one ranked player in the world and yes – he won the Masters. In 1989 and 90, Nick Faldo won, which vaulted him to the number one spot. In 1991, Ian Woosnam won and was also the world’s number one ranked golfer. In 1992, number one ranked Fred Couples won the Masters. Do you see the pattern? In the first 8 years of the Sony World ranking, the number one ranked golfer in the world either won or came in second — and that pattern has continued to this day

The list of winners since 92 is stellar. Tiger Woods has four victories. By the way, Tiger has been the number one ranked golfer longer than anyone in history. Vijay Singh, a former number one – is a Masters champion. The year Mark O’Meara won the Masters, he was not ranked number one, but most would agree he was the best player in the world in 1998. Phil Mickelson has won twice and although he wasn’t officially ranked number one – each time he took home the green jacket, he was undoubtedly the world’s hottest golfer.

Additionally, the top finishers each year are loaded with top ranked players; Ernie Els, David Duval, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Davis Love, and many other highly ranked players have had many chances to win at Augusta. Simply, if you are going into the Masters on top of your game, and you are one of the world’s elite – you will have a wonderful chance to either win or finish well.

In my opinion, the reason for this is the golf course. Augusta National tests all facets of the game. And more importantly, allows for recovery. U.S. Open style courses don’t allow for this style of play. If you’re not hitting fairways and greens at the U.S. Open – you’re not going to win – no matter who you are. Same with the PGA and British Open. But, at the Masters, the golf course lets the best players find a way to still compete. If they aren’t hitting it well, they can make it up with a creative short game. A well rounded golfer always has a chance to do well at Augusta — but a golfer with limitations will be exposed immediately. And when you come right down to it – that’s really what the best player in the world is – well rounded. Ball striking, course management, short game, trouble shots, putting, mental – they can do it all. And if one area of their game is off, they make it up in others. Augusta allows this.

Like I said, a distant second is St. Andrews. If the tour played there more often, it might make a better run at first place. Using the same argument as Augusta – if you look at the major events held there in the last 40 years or so – you get similar results. 1970 – Jack Nicklaus, the best player in the world won. 1978 – Nicklaus won again. 1984 – Seve Ballesteros, the best player in the world won. 1990 – Nick Faldo, the best player in the world won. 1995 – John Daly, who could sometimes play like the best player in the world, won. In 2000 and 2005, number one ranked Tiger Woods won. So it also has a history of finding the best golfer. Bobby Jones once said you could never be considered a great champion unless you won at St. Andrews. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Bobby Jones designed and built Augusta National as an homage to St. Andrews

Two courses each identifying the best players in the world – what more evidence do we need?

What do you think? Agree with my opinion? The Masters is coming up in a couple weeks. If history holds up — Look for Tiger, Phil and Ernie in a back nine battle.

Most golf fans would love to be commissioner of the PGA Tour for a day. Then, we could all implement our pet projects for the betterment of the game. I for one would change two things in my one day in office. First, I would do away with Q-School completely. Second, I would make it mandatory for each PGA Tour member to play every event at least once in a five year period. Why would I do away with Q-School? (Q-school = yearly 3 stage qualifying tournament for aspiring PGA Tour players) Answer – it’s an antiquated system that no longer does the job of finding the most qualified players. Think about it – you need to play your best golf in one week segments (the length of each stage) and if you don’t — you’re out! No chance to get on tour for another year. It doesn’t make sense. If you want to find the best players to compete on a tour that spans 10 months – why not challenge qualifiers for an equitable amount of time?

As it stands today, the top 25 finishers on The Nationwide Tour year-end money list receive PGA Tour cards for the following year. I say make it more. Make it 35 or 40 and do away completely with Q-school. Then, run the Nationwide Tour like the old days on the PGA Tour, when there were only 60 exempt players and many spots open for Monday qualifying. These qualifiers were called “rabbits.” The great thing about this format was…if you were a good player, you were going to get into an event. And if you were a really good player, you would use this system to win tournaments and forge a career. I say do the same thing on the Nationwide Tour today — 60 exempt players and 60+ rabbits for every event. That way, the best young players in the world today are almost guaranteed a tour to play. And if they have a bad week, they can try again the next tournament and not have to wait a year. In this scenario, you would have the best Nationwide players – determined by a full season – graduating to the PGA Tour. This system almost guarantees a constant stream of battle tested pros graduating to the PGA Tour, which ultimately only enhances the product.

Right now, the PGA Tour has a rule stating each professional must play a minimum of 15 tournaments per year to maintain their membership. However, there is nothing in the rules telling professionals what tournaments they must play. Pros are independent contractors and free to make their own schedule. I believe in the contractor system, but I also believe it will eventually ruin the PGA Tour, as top players disregard second tier events year after year. We are starting to see the residuals of this system now as long standing events are closing down. They just can’t stay competitive without top players making an appearance — because they can’t keep their title sponsors. Sponsors are putting up the enormous title fee (up to $6,000,000 per year) to get a message to customers who want their product. It only makes sense – if the television ratings are higher – more people are getting their message And lets be honest, television ratings are higher every time Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson play. Plus, the daily attendance at top events is always higher with the stars show up. So, as a second tier tournament, trying to secure sponsorship without the best players, is almost becoming impossible. Just ask the folks at “The International”, a long running tournament on the PGA Tour who shut their doors this past year. The tournament director said he just couldn’t compete without Tiger Woods in his field.

I’m not saying the commissioner needs to tell Tiger to play every week to save the tour. Tiger is a global figure who could never play every event. But if there were a rule stating each player must compete in every tournament at least once every five years – I think that solves the problem. Now the folks selling sponsorships can secure five year deals knowing that Tiger and other top players will at least make one appearance. And the fans outside the loop of the greatest tournaments will be treated to watching the greatest players live and in person. This is only good for the game and in turn, will make all the players more money. It’s a true win-win.

So, what would you do as PGA Tour commissioner for a day?

For a lot of you, this is the time of year to watch the golf season start on television and dream about playing again sometime this spring. It’s just too cold. That said, there are still couple things you can do this winter to guarantee a much better start in 2008.

First thing: Make a commitment to get in better golf shape over the next few months. You’ll be amazed how much better your first game will feel with new found flexibility and posture.

Check out one of my favorite Websites — www.coreperformance.com

Mark Verstagen (founder of Core Performance) is one of the best there is in the fitness world and his Website is very easy to navigate. Simply, go to the “Fitness” menu item on the top left. From there, click on the “Exercises of the Day” on the drop down menu. There you will find a plethora of simple exercise videos with great explanations on “why” and “how.” Look for the exercises that are specific to golf and learn how to do them properly. I promise, they will really help. You know, so many times I watch people trying to make a move in their swing that their bodies will just not allow. They get frustrated and think it’s impossible. But really it’s just a physical limitation that causes their grief. A proper workout will fix this problem. Imagine taking all the great information you’re learning from Andy and Golf Swing Secrets Revealed and applying it with an “in shape” body. Your improvement would certainly come much quicker.

Another great Website for fitness is www.mytpi.com

This program is the brainchild of Titleist and was founded by Dr. Greg Rose and PGA Professional Dave Phillips. I’ve met and worked with these guys on a couple occasions and it doesn’t get much better. They really know their stuff. Almost all the information on their site is free. You just have to register with an email and can even get a customized program over the Internet.

So, make a commitment to strengthen your core this off season. Also, work on other often neglected body parts, such as ankles, calves, hip flexors and hamstrings — all vital to consistent ball striking. You will find exercises for all these areas at the above Websites.

**Remember, before you start any exercise program, first make sure you are physically capable. Contact your physician if necessary.

Second thing: Make a commitment to improve your mental game in 2008. We’ve all heard the saying that golf is 90% mental — and although I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that statement — it is very important. When I say I disagree — people usually ask why. I believe golf becomes almost a purely mental pursuit the better your physical skills become — but a great mental game doesn’t help too many people who can’t get the ball airborne. I could put Jack Nicklaus’ head on somebody who hits a 100 yard slice and shoots 120 and they wouldn’t magically become a scratch golfer. The physical skills have to improve as well. That said, lets make sure your mental skills are equal to your physical skills.

Here are a couple great mental exercises I use with my students to get their mind “quiet” and in the moment.

First one — Learn to breath deeply and quiet your mind.

Here’s how it works: Take a very deep inhale through your nose. Try to make the inhale last for 5 seconds. Then, slowly exhale through your mouth for 10 seconds. Total time for one breath should be 15 seconds. People usually have a hard time with this at first for two reasons. One, they are out of shape and don’t have that much oxygen available in one breath. Cardio exercises will help with this. And two, they aren’t used to breathing so deeply. They have been “shallow” breathing through their mouth for a long time and just need time to retrain their technique.

So, if each breath takes 15 seconds — then you should average 4 breaths per minute. This would be ideal. At first, just practice the breath. Concentrate on the act of breathing and improving your lung capacity. Do this for 10 minutes a day for the next week. You will find yourself breathing better and getting more relaxed each session. Then, after one week — add 10 more minutes a day. Spend the first 10 just breathing and relaxing. Then spend the next 10 minutes — with the same breathing pattern — visualizing yourself playing golf. Start on the first hole of your club or the course you’ll play once spring arrives. See yourself hitting a great drive. Then a great second shot. See yourself making putts and shooting great scores. Play this same course everyday in your second 10 minutes. Get to the point where it is automatic in your head and you score 18 under par. Hit nothing but perfect golf shots over and over again. But make sure you keep a consistent breathing pattern during the visualization stage.

Second one — Learn how to quiet your heartbeat and mind very quickly to focus.

Here’s how it works: When we get nervous, our heart rate goes through the roof. The best players can calm their heart rate to a normal tempo even during the most stressful of situations. I want you to be able to do this as well. Here’s how you’ll practice. While at the gym or exercising, I want you to wear a heart rate monitor. After sufficiently warming up, exercise in such a way that spikes your heart rate very high at your maximum heart rate. (Warning: Again, make sure you can physically do this before starting an exercise program). Here’s how you find yours. Subtract your age from 220 and take 70% of that number. This would be your high number.

Once you get to that high zone, practice getting your heart rate low in a hurry. Here’s how you do that. Just repeat the breathing exercise in step one. Deep breaths through the nose and out the mouth. Shoot for (4) breaths a minute. Watch the heart rate monitor. You’ll see how quickly your heart rate drops. It is the quickest way to calm yourself down. This is exactly what you’ll do on the first tee or when you encounter a nervous situation. Breath!

If you spend the winter learning how to breath and visualize, your mental game will improve tremendously.

I promise you this — if you enter your 2008 season with a better body and stronger mind — you WILL play better.

Good Luck!

Those who watched the Shark Shootout presented by Merrill Lynch this weekend were treated with a rare glimpse of Greg Norman. A blast from the past if you will – or a return to competition of one of the game’s all-time dynamic figures. Granted, The Shark Shootout is a team event with a format that would never be mistaken for the Ryder Cup – but don’t kid yourself — Norman was grinding to win. And it was fun to watch. Sadly however, in an all too familiar classic Greg Norman scenario, a lesser pro (Woody Austin) made a great shot on the last hole to nip him by one. Make no mistake, I take nothing away from Woody Austin. He’s a great player — but in historical terms — he’s no Greg Norman. But wasn’t that always the way with Greg?

I got into an argument a few months back with a friend and fellow golf professional about Greg Norman. His contention was Greg was always overrated and never won enough. My contention was Greg was underrated and never won enough. I also said Greg Norman should go down in history as one of the all-time best players. Of course, this made my friend chuckle — but allow me to make Greg’s case.

First, think of one memorable tournament during Greg Norman’s prime that he did not play a factor. I think you would be hard pressed to come up with one — let alone many. Simply, he was always in contention in big events — and always had a chance to win. Basically, from 1984 – 1996, if there was a major tournament — Norman had a chance to win.

First, let’s talk about the Masters.

Norman had 8 top-five finishes and no victories. In 1986, he bogeyed the 18th hole to miss a playoff by one. In 1987, in a playoff, Larry Mize made a miraculous chip to beat him by one. In 1988 and 89, he again had chances to win on the back nine, only to finish 5th and 3rd. And of course who could forget the collapse of 1996 where Norman’s back-nine meltdown opened the door for Nick Faldo’s 3rd Green Jacket.

Next, let’s talk about the U.S. Open.

Norman had 5 top-ten finishes and no victories. In 1984, he lost a playoff to Fuzzy Zoeller. In 1995, he again played poorly on the back nine, which allowed Corey Pavin to win his first major.

Next, the British Open.

Norman had 9 top-ten finishes and 2 victories (1986 and 1993). Although clearly his best “major results”, he could have and should have won again in 1989. He lost a playoff to Mark Calcavecchia and never hit one bad shot. He birdied the first two playoff holes. Made a bogey on the 3rd playoff hole with a shot that flew right over the flag and a chip that lipped out. And made an “X” on the last playoff hole by driving the ball straight down the middle 345 yards into a small pot bunker. This of course after shooting 64 to get into the playoff.

Next, the PGA Championship.

Norman had 5 top-five finishes and no victories. He lost in 1986 to Bob Tway’s miraculous holed bunker shot on the 72nd hole. In 1993, he lost in a playoff to Paul Azinger after “lipping” out putt after putt in overtime. He should have won both of these events as he was clearly the better player and did nothing to lose either.

If you’re keeping track — this is a playoff loss in each major championship. For the record, Greg Norman is the only person to ever lose all four major championships in a playoff.

So, Norman has two major victories, which for most players would be wonderful — but for Greg, it is a complete and utter disappointment. Here is my concern as it relates to Greg Norman. I’m worried that in 50 years, as people are looking at the golf record books — they will see this guy named Greg Norman with 20 PGA Tour wins, 14 European wins and 2 Majors. They’ll think — here was a pretty good player. Yet, they’ll have no idea how close he was to being known as the greatest player ever. So — here is my argument for that outlandish statement.

If you give Greg Norman two shots a year from 1984 — 1996 to use anyway he wants — and let him use them as a mulligan or take them away from one of his competitors — his record would be unbelievable. I know, I know — that’s not golf. We can make that argument with a lot of people. It’s the day of the event that matters. But — Greg Norman is such a special case — I believe he deserves special examination.

So, back to my argument. Give Greg two shots a year and what happens?

Well, he wins 2 Masters, 2 U.S. Opens, 3 British Opens, 3 PGA Championships and a plethora of other PGA Tour events. Important PGA Tour events. Remember Robert Gamez at Bay Hill? Or David Frost in New Orleans? Or how about Mark McCumber in San Francisco? These are just a few of the guys who holed out improbable shots on 18 to beat Greg Norman.

Okay, so now, if you give Greg the two shot a year — you’ve got a player with 10 majors, 30 PGA Tour wins, 20 European Tour wins, 33 Australian wins and 22 other world-wide victories. And a player with this record during the booming “television” age — may just be considered one of, if not the best player ever. Definitely in the top 3 all-time. Of course realistically, the argument of the best player ever is going to be a moot point by the time Tiger Woods is done being — well Tiger Woods.

But my point remains the same. Greg Norman’s legacy should not just be the record books. It should be all he did to lift the game to unprecedented worldwide heights right after a definite lull in the sport. It should be his then unprecedented run as the number one ranked player in the world. It should be the way he played the game — never out of a tournament — no matter where he began on Sunday. I used to love — pre-Internet age — to turn on the television Sunday to see highlights of Norman shooting 30 on the front 9 to get back in the tournament. To me, Tiger has yet to be as exciting as Greg Norman was. Yes, he’s better — much better when it comes to winning — but not more exciting. Plus, Norman’s skills should go down with the all-time best.

Norman was probably the best driver of the golf ball ever. He is among the top-five long iron and fairway wood players ever. I would put his overall short game among the top-five ever. He was a great pressure putter. Simply, there was nothing he couldn’t do. Norman had only two problems. One, he had a flaw in his iron swing that caused a “way right” miss under pressure. Two, he had a mind that wouldn’t let him admit this flaw to himself. He would only try to hit great shots under pressure — and never played it safe. If he didn’t have the second problem — there is no telling how many times he would have won.

Yes, this was a Greg Norman rant. But – after watching him on television today, I realized something significant. I missed him. I miss watching and wondering what was going to happen. Today, as lucky as we are to watch Tiger Woods — we know what’s going to happen. If Tiger’s leading — Tiger’s winning. With Greg, he could birdie holes 10-17 to tie the lead and then make a double on 18. It’s exciting when the best player in the world plays this way. I suppose that’s why so many people love to watch Phil Mickelson today – or Arnold Palmer in his prime.

Anyway, if you’re ever on the course or a pub somewhere and someone starts bad mouthing Greg Norman — stick up for him. They probably have no idea how close he was to being one of the best ever.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player – and let me just say, God is not making golf professionals like them anymore. If you watched the recent Presidents Cup, I don’t need to argue the class of these two individuals – but I thought two anecdotes could share my personal insight.

For years, I was the Director of Golf at Cheval Golf and Country Club – just outside Tampa, Florida. Each year our sister course, the TPC of Tampa Bay, would host a Champions Tour event (now called the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am). Well, for a few of those years, my course hosted the “Super-Seniors” Pro-Am portion of the event, which was for all the professionals over age 60. Of all the professionals I met — no one wowed me like Gary Player.

I was in the parking lot on the day of the tournament checking on a few things when I received a call over the radio. “Gary Player is in your office and wants to talk with you” was the message from one of my assistants. I told him to stop fooling around and actually do some work – but he assured me it was true – and that I needed to come inside. Well, low and behold, he was right. There he was – Gary Player – standing in my office – waiting for me. As one of the all-time legends of the game, he was on my short list of people I wanted to meet. We shook hands and Mr. Player offered me a gift. He gave me a Gary Player golf shirt – exactly my size. He wanted to thank me for allowing him and the other professionals for playing our course. Turns out, he had someone call up earlier in the week to find out what size shirt I wore. I was completely touched. But – it doesn’t end there. After the round, Player came in and said what a great golf course we had. He said the greens were some of the best he had ever played and were much better than the TPC course. He said that he’d be happy for us to use that quote in our monthly newsletter (entirely his idea) – along with a personal thank you to the members. Needless to say, we got a lot of mileage from that quote.

Jack Nicklaus also played in our Champions Tour event a couple times and called the TPC course one of the best he’d played in years. But – the first year he played – he stayed right alongside our clubhouse in one of the condos. So at night, he would eat in our clubhouse with the owner of the country club. This was very hush-hush, as we didn’t want the members to bombard him during dinner. But of course, that didn’t stop me from finding my way to the restaurant on one occasion. Actually, to be honest, I was there for another matter and then happened to see him. But – like Gary Player – Mr. Nicklaus was high on my list of golfers to meet.

The owner of the club saw me walking by and called me to the table. There I had a wonderful 10-minute conversation with Mr. Nicklaus, who asked me all kinds of personal questions and seemed genuinely interested. I was very touched by his sincerity. A couple weeks later, and completely unsolicited, I received a nice letter and picture. Nicklaus wrote a little note, referencing our conversation, and then personalized a great picture to me. It remains one of my favorite golf treasures.

A couple years later, I was the official starter of the 2nd stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School – also held at the TPC of Tampa Bay. As I looked at the roster of players I’d be starting that day – one name stood out like a big red flag – Gary Nicklaus (youngest son of the Golden Bear). I believe it was Gary’s 4th attempt at qualifying up to that point. I was interested to see him hit it, as I had heard good things. But honestly – I was more interested in asking him about his dad. Needless to say, I was a little surprised when Gary’s caddie ended up being none other than his dad – Jack Nicklaus himself. And was even more surprised when his caddie remembered me and asked how things were going. He even remembered a couple of the things we talked about the night we first met. I must say, pretty impressive for a guy who has probably met thousands of golf professional around the world.

In this day and age of spoiled athletes, it was such a breath of fresh air to see two of the all-time great champions go out of their way to make a club professional feel special. And I for one will never forget the contribution they have both made to the game I am fortunate enough to make a living at today.

In a previous post, I mentioned that it might be time to do away with the Presidents Cup. After all, with the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, the Americans have a major team event every year. This seems like too much. Especially with the new Fed Ex playoffs, which forces top players to compete every week leading into the matches. Well, after thinking about the subject – and more importantly – watching and enjoying the Presidents Cup, I’ve changed my mind. Maybe it’s time to do away with the Ryder Cup. I say lets invite the Europeans to play in the Presidents Cup instead. I know, I know – the Ryder Cup has history. And yes, I love the Ryder Cup and can say without much shame – have secretly rooted for the Europeans for years. Hey, cut me some slack – how can you not root for Seve Ballesteros? So why now do I want to do away with the Ryder Cup? Simple, Jack Nicklaus! He’ll never be Ryder Cup captain again – but there’s a good chance he’ll be back to captain the Presidents Cup. And the Americans need him. That is…if they want to continue playing up to full potential.

Simply, Jack Nicklaus, with the power of his personality, has transformed the Presidents Cup. For the first time, Americans are playing loose. They’re playing like the Europeans in the Ryder Cup. Nicklaus has brought the game back to a competition and not a spectacle. He realizes that these guys know how to play golf and there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Give them the ball and let them play. That’s it! Nothing more complicated than that. Please take note Paul Azinger.

One thing I loved about Nicklaus’ captaincy was his team selection process. Simply, he asked his best players whom they wanted to play with. “Hey Tiger – who do you want?” Sounds pretty simple to me. No computer models needed. Just gut instinct from the world’s best players. True genius is always simple.

So, I’m not sure if we can get the Ryder Cup fellows to play in the Presidents Cup (with Jack Nicklaus as captain of course) – but if possible, we should try. Either that or continue our biennial disappointment. I would also be okay with Jack Nicklaus becoming permanent Ryder Cup captain. Then I think we would have chances against the fun-loving Euros. I figure Jack has at least 5 more cups in him. By then, Tiger Woods could be playing captain and we’d be set for years. With Jack and Tiger leading the troops for the next 40 or so years — who could ask for more?

Quick show of hands — How many of you are anxiously awaiting the Presidents Cup?

Okay, you in the back — put your hand down.

What started as a much needed event has turned into overkill. With the Ryder Cup reaching unprecedented heights in popularity – the Presidents Cup seems like the proverbial red-headed step child. The media isn’t interested. The fans aren’t interested. And of course, the players aren’t interested. It’s my guess – if not for the reverence players have for Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, some would even consider staying home. And don’t think for a moment the PGA Tour and Tim Finchem didn’t take that into account when asking Jack and Gary back to captain. They knew interest was waning with players and the two greats were the Tour’s ace in the hole.

I know the argument — if we do away with The Presidents Cup, what will happen to the international players? There are too many good players not to have some type of team competition.

So what to do?

I say invite them to the Ryder Cup…

Here’s my proposal. Have the Europeans and Americans play next year for the Ryder Cup. Then for arguments sake — lets say the Americans win…the following year, America gets to play the Internationals…Europe sits out…then, whoever wins the match between America and the Internationals would play Europe the following year…and so on and so on…if you keep winning — you keep playing…if you lose — you sit out a year.

This would make winning the Cup much more meaningful and more importantly, it would make losing the Cup much more painful. There would be world-wide interest and it wouldn’t dilute world-class team matches like the current schedule

So, if you’re listening Tim Finchem – do away with the Presidents Cup. I know you’re concerned about the loss of revenue, but I promise — the interest in the new Ryder Cup will be enormous and the corporate revenue will double. It will be a true win-win.

And once and for all — we’ll have a true world-class team competition.

I have two favorite games I like my students to play — one for confidence and one for a reality check. The first game is a best ball scramble and the second game is a worst ball scramble. Playing these two games on the golf course will tell you more about the state of your game than anything else I know.

First, the best ball scramble.

How it works: Hit two balls from every spot — including the putting green — and go to the best one.

I first played this game as a young assistant golf pro — after being challenged by my head professional, John Falcone. He was playing well. So well in fact, that he believed he could beat, with one ball, my two-ball scramble score. We were professionals at Cheval Golf and Country Club, an extremely difficult golf course just outside Tampa, Florida. And after working there for a few months, my best score to date was 71. Well, something magical happened that day when I played golf with John. I relaxed! Because I had two balls from every spot, there was less pressure on my first shot. All of a sudden I was freely releasing my driver and confidently stroking 4-foot putts. Just the thought of that second ball as a backup made my first shots better than they had been in months. And of course, when I hit the first shots poorly — I had a mulligan. That day, using two balls, I shot 64 and easily beat John. And although it wasn’t an “official” score — it still felt great and filled me with confidence. Making that many birdies is always fun – no matter how you do it. As a side note, the day after playing that game with John, I shot a 65 on my own ball and set the course record. I never would have done that without the confidence obtained by my “best-ball” game the day before.

What this game does for you: Frees up your swing, putting stroke and thinking. And lets you see just how close you are to playing well. In playing this game, you should shoot the best possible score based on your skills. And along the way, learn a better way to approach your shots and putts.

I recommend this game wholeheartedly for people preparing to play an event. Play this game a few days before your club championship and you’ll be filled with confidence.

Next, the worst-ball scramble.

How it works: Hit two balls from every spot — including the putting green — and go to the worst one.

I used to play this game a lot with a Nationwide Tour player and friend of mine – John Petit. 10 years ago, John was using our golf course as a home base and we became good friends and playing rivals. We would often play worst-ball when we bet and let me tell you — this was tough. This is an extremely honest way to play golf, as you have to hit two quality shots from every position. Even if you hit the first drive in the fairway — you still have to hit the second one. Even if you make the first 5-foot par putt — you still have to make the second one. So, as you can see — it’s tough! This game will tell you immediately how close you are to playing poorly. You cannot fake it. Back then, as a +2 handicap, I was always happy to break 40 for nine holes playing worst ball.

What this game does for you: Makes you think thoroughly on every single shot. Course management becomes a big issue. You think more about where you want to miss the ball as opposed to hitting only great shots — and at least one shot ahead, as it relates to planning. You just can’t get up and smash it.

I recommend this game for people who need course management help. However, have patience while playing this game, as it can be a difficult mental pursuit.

I’m a big fan of these kinds of practice games on the golf course. Often, you can get as much out of a 9-hole scramble as you could a 5 hour driving range session.

And of course, what I really want you to learn is — how to develop a game that’s a combination of the best-ball and worst-ball approach. You should be able to recognize, based on how you’re hitting it, what kind of attitude you should take to the course. Should you play the aggressive best-ball style? Or should you play the conservative worst-ball style? This may change based on your skills for the day. And that’s okay.

Good luck!