Lifetime of Luxury for Ace Golfers
How would you like a room for life at the luxurious, seven-star Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi?
Well, if you hit a hole-in-one at the seventh hole during the Abu Dhabi Championship, the room is yours for life.
There is a condition you must fulfil before even entertaining the chance of teeing up on the 200-yard hole – you must be a world-class professional golfer and/or you must be eligible to play in this European Tour event this week through merit or sponsor’s invite.
Then, of course, you must also ace the challenging hole. If the seventh is too tough, golfers might try the 15th, which is 177 yards and yields the reward of a Nissan 350Z sports car.
Among the top players taking part in the tournament are defending champion Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Ian Porter, Adam Scott and British Open champion Padraig Harrington.
Golfers can already get a taste of what a lifetime of luxury can offer because they are all staying at the hotel for the duration of the tournament.
The hotel has 394 rooms and suites and is located at the end of the city’s prestigious Corniche area. Peter German, tournament director, said in AME Info:
“We all know how rare it is to sink a hole-in one; however any player on any given day has a chance at making this epic shot.â€
The Abu Dhabi Championship is the first European event of 2008 and is the first tournament of a three-stop Middle East swing.
Europeans Provide Respite for Asian Tour
British Open champion Padraig Harrington, Scottish star Colin Montgomerie and homegrown KJ Choi will be among the leading names at the European Tour’s inaugural tournament in Korea from March 13-16.
The furore surrounding the nearly $3 million tournament has finally settled down after receiving joint sanction from the Asian Tour.
The Europeans ruffled the feathers of Asian Tour chiefs last year when they announced events in India and Korea devoid of Asian sanction.
However, there is now peace again between the two bodies with the Asians welcoming the opportunity to officially back the tournaments.
The reality is that the Asian Tour need the prestige after a bumpy start to 2008. With the Royal Trophy between Asia and Europe cancelled as well as postponements for the Pakistan Open and Asian International, they were desperate for something to go right.
And at the end of the day, despite all the ill-feeling towards the Indian and Korean events, the Asian Tour needs these tournaments more than the Europeans for what is so far a curtailed scheduled, though officials expect to announce more events later on.
The Ballantine’s Championship will be held at Pinx Golf Club on Jeju island with Choi, who won the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday for his seventh PGA Tour victory, certain to be the star attraction. He said in an Asian Tour press release:
“The Ballantine’s Championship will be a huge boost to golf in Korea and I’m very happy to be playing in the inaugural tournament. It will be an emotional experience for me to be teeing off in front of the Korean fans and they can rest assured I’ll be doing my very best to produce a home win.â€
Monty has also had a good record on Asian soil, winning in Hong Kong, Macau and China. He will be keen to add to his list in Korea.
Japanese Teen Becomes Latest “New Tigerâ€
The concept of “the new Tiger Woods†in their various forms have been coming in thick and fast ever since …well, the real Tiger Woods appeared on the scene more than a decade ago.
We’ve had Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Michelle Wie and a host of others. The latest manifestation comes from Japan, and the Japanese are excited.
Teenage sensation Ryo Ishikawa turned professional this week and the Japanese media have gone crazy, and according to reports, the country’s golfing media have been screaming: “Bring on Tigerâ€.
The 16-year-old last year became the youngest winner on the JGTO men’s tour when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup at the age of 15 years and eight months.
Since then, the Japanese media have built him up as the one to challenge Tiger on the global stage.
Before that, though, he has a more humble goal of rescuing the popularity of the declining pro tour in Japan.
The “Japanese Tiger†is seen as the man … er, I mean, boy, to reinvigorate corporate sponsorship in the tour.
However, Tiger and major glory is not far from his thoughts, as he was quoted by Reuters as saying:
“From now on golf will be my job. It’s a dream come true. I want to play against Tiger and win the US Masters.â€
Like Wie when she turn pro, “Little Ryoâ€, as the media have dubbed him, has vowed to keep his studies going even though he is tipped to receive more than $30 million in endorsements.
Whether he will fall off the radar like Wie has done remains to be seen but certainly, the money he is set to earn can be an enormous burden on his young shoulders.
Putting Into A Bunker And The Rules Of Golf
Hi, my name is Barry Rhodes and a few weeks ago Andy asked the question “Who Else Wants To Save Strokes By Making The Correct Rules Decision?” and I can report back that an incredible number of you do!
In fact, if you missed it it isn’t too late to learn how you can save strokes on your round by thoroughly understanding the rules of golf. Simply visit this page about the rules of golf and start saving shots.
The reason I’m writing to you today is to let you know that due to your overwhelming interest in this fascinating topic I will now be handling the support for all questions arising from the golf rules emails. In fact, some of my replies will be shared with everyone on this blog.
So here goes with the first one – particularly useful to know if your bunker play isn’t up to scratch!
RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
“I was asked a question. If a player is on the green and putts but misses the hole and his ball goes into the green side bunker what happens.
His answer was that you can-not putt into a hazard so you can pick your ball up and drop it back on the green.
Is this true?”
RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“Your questioner was wrong! You can certainly putt into any hazard, bunker or water, and you have to play your next shot from there, or take the appropriate relief under penalty.
A little known fact is that under Rule 28 – Ball Unplayable, you can deem your ball unplayable anywhere on the course, except when it is in a water hazard. One of the options under this Rule is that you can play a ball from the spot from which the original ball was played, under penalty of one stroke. So, for example, you putt down a steep slope from 10 feet above the hole and the ball races past the hole and into a greenside bunker. The above option allows you to pick the ball up out of the bunker and replace it on the green as near as you can to the point where you originally putted from. Obviously, you have to add the penalty stroke to your your score if you do this, but it might be a useful option for a poor bunker player!”
Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.
Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.
Fit Again Olly Hoping for More
One of Europe’s most popular golfers hopes to return to the fray of competitive action later this month. His many fans will be hoping that Jose Maria Olazabal can roll back the years and recapture the form that made him a double winner at Augusta.
The major wins, the Ryder Cup partnership with Seve, have ensured that Olly has been a star of the European golfing scene for almost as long as I can remember. He was also responsible for a couple of my favourite golfing quotes.
On a drizzly morning at the Open one year Olazabal was treated to an early morning tee off time that no one in their right minds would want. His designer stubble that day may have been caused simply by the time saving expediency of not shaving. It did not escape unnoticed.
In the commentary booth Alec Hay commented after a well shaped drive that Jose “had a sensible head on his young shoulders.â€
Summoning all the disdain and disapproval that he normally reserves for the madness of the modern world Peter Alliss replied:
“Yes, doesn’t always choose to shave it though, does he?â€
The second quote came after one of his victories at Augusta. The impeccably dressed anchor man of the sort that America excels in asked Jose if he “was hungry for success?â€
Turning the mundane into the memorable and floored by the language divide Olly replied:
“Yes, I missed breakfast and lunch so by the final holes I was very hungry!â€
Amazingly the anchor man didn’t miss a beat as he moved on to his next question. They clone them well in TV land!
And Olly also holds one of golf’s most bizarre records. Travelling to the now infamous 1999 Ryder Cup Jose holed a putt that travelled the whole length of Concorde’s cabin. The ball was in motion for over 26 seconds. At the speed the plane was travelling that meant the ball travelled a total distance of 9.232 miles. The rest of the trip was not quite as enjoyable!
Now with his 42nd birthday fast approaching it looks like Olazabal’s best years are behind him. Injuries which have troubled his career have been joined by a form of rheumatism that has kept him out of action for the past four months.
The outlook is now good although he expects his return to action to be a long hard slog. His involvement in the Ryder Cup is assured, he is one of Nick Faldo’s vice captains, but he harbours hopes of playing.
A private man off the course he has earned the respect of millions of fans across the world. Even as the twilight of his career approaches he has proved when fit that he can remain competitive. There will be bad weeks of course but the good weeks still seem to show some promise that he has one last “big†one left. If others slip up, if he remains consistent then who knows? A third place finish in the 2006 Masters was proof of his enduring potential on the biggest stage.
A big victory would push Olly into Ryder Cup contention – motivation enough for one of Europe’s most enduring successes in the event – and give millions of golf fans across the world pleasure in celebrating with one the game’s greats.
2008: The Year of the Tiger?
Another golfing year dawns. And forgive me please for abiding by the calendar year and not the ridiculous European Tour calendar.
What’s in store for 2008? A Ryder Cup that, whisper it across this continent, is probably in need of an American win. The plucky underdog tag can only carry Europe so far: another whitewash will suggest the Yanks just don’t care and the event, tarnished already by Tiger’s apparent ambivalence, will lose its allure.
After Padraig and Sergio’s one – two at Carnoustie in 2007 will 2008’s Majors give Europe more cheer? There is a chance. There are players that can challenge and Justin Rose is becoming a contender – certainly he has the talent perhaps there are also now signs of a temperament to match.
That said, however, there is a very real chance that this might be Tiger’s Slam year. Already he plays the best golf we have ever seen. Now, at 32, he is entering the peak years of a golfer. With courses that suit him, with a schedule that he designs so that he can be at his best when needs to be and with 13 majors behind him Tiger might be standing on the brink of his greatest hour.
Can an individual sport cope with such dominance? No, if the dominant force was anyone other than Tiger. But Woods has transcended golf and become a global figure. Sure, a Grand Slam would please the marketing men that make millions from Tiger but it would also be the realisation of a lifelong dream and the fulfilment of a prophecy and a potential that would have crippled lesser athletes.
The sporting story, the real sporting story – not the one dreamt up in the corridors of Nike HQ, is that a young man with sublime talent will have touched perfection in his chosen field. That is what sport is all about and it is that story that will touch the millions of people to whom golf is Tiger and the millions of children who will suddenly begin to dream the impossible dream.
Jack Nicklaus once said that he hoped Tiger wouldn’t win the Grand Slam too early because it might rob him of his hunger for more. You’ll notice that even at that point Jack felt that a Grand Slam would happen one day. A Slam in 2008 would leave Tiger only one major away from equalling Nicklaus’ own record: motivation to carry on to that target and beyond won’t be a problem.
Tiger’s Grand Slam would carry the gospel of golf far beyond the links of St Andrews or the pristine fairways of Augusta. 2008 would be Tiger’s year but it would also be golf’s year. And none of us can ask for any more than that.
Ochoa Beats Them All in 2007
While many news outlets, golfing or otherwise, examined the recently ended 2007 season, various names were put out for Player of the Year.
While Tiger Woods would inevitable emerge in any list, I think the Sports Network got it bang on target when it named the LPGA’s outstanding golfer, Lorena Ochoa, Player of the Year.
Woods was only able to make the runners-up spot but the Network’s detailed analysis of the two players’ achievements over the course of 2007 offers compelling evidence for giving the nod to Mexican star Ochoa.
Both players won one major, finishing the year ranked number one in the world, topped the money list, had great scoring averages and finished ahead of the competition in terms of greens in regulation.
Tiger also won $10,867,052 in prize money, the second highest collection in a single PGA Tour season.
Ochoa may have won “only†$4,364,994 but that made it a record on the LPGA Tour by more than $1.5 million.
In addition, Ochoa, who also won the AP’s Female Athlete of the Year title, completed 21 top-10 positions to go along with her eight tour wins. Woods finished in the top 10 a total of 12 times in 2007 while collecting seven victories.
The British Open earn the Network’s Tournament of the Year for the sheer drama of Padraig Harrington’s victory while the confusing FedEx Cup earn Story of the Year, more in ironing than anything else.
The FedEx Cup, which appeared to offer $10 million to the winner, was difficult to grasp, even for some pros, such as Korean ace KJ Choi. As the story in the Canada.com relates:
“KJ Choi really didn’t get it. Choi, a devout Christian, announced he would donate the $10 million to charity if he won the FedEx Cup playoff title. Tiger Woods told the media that would be impossible since the money goes into the player’s retirement fund.â€
Make The Most of Your Winter Break
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!
Golf-ball eating snake and ex-Thai PM are out of bounds
Exiled former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and a snake have shared some of the golfing headlines over the past few days.
Some might say there’s no difference between the two, but that’s being unkind … to the snake. I’m kidding, of course, but I had to get that joke in.
Anyway, a carpet python in Sydney, Australia has earned the nickname of “Augusta†after it swallowed four golf balls inside a chicken coop.
News reports say the golf balls were placed in the pen to encourage the hens to lay eggs but the one-metre serpent mistook the dimpled objects for real eggs.
You would think after engulfing one golf ball, it would have figured it out.
The people who owned the chicken coop showed mercy on the snake and took it to the Currimbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, where it underwent surgery to remove the golf balls.
Augusta is expected to make a full recovery before being returned to the wild and senior vet Michael Pyne told AFP:
“Without surgery, it would have certainly died. The golf balls had travelled as far as they could in the snake’s system and it was destined for a slow, painful death without surgery.â€
Next time, maybe the snake would be better off going after the chickens.
Thaksin, meanwhile, is offering golf as an olive branch to the generals who dethroned him from office in a bloodless coup more than two years ago.
The ex-PM was accused of corruption and shoved out of his leadership seat by Thai army generals.
However, his revamped party did well in recent elections and Thaksin, who owns English Premier League club Manchester City, is being tipped for a comeback and he believes all can be forgiven over a round or two in one of Thailand’s many beautiful golf courses.
On the subject of whether or not he would seek revenge against his military foes, he said:
“I would invite them to play golf with me. Then, it will be over. What would I get out of it (revenge)? I might feel gratified but the country would be damaged.â€
Damaged indeed, a bit like a snake that has eaten four too many golf balls.
Focus on Middle East
This month’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is set to boast one of the best fields of the season for European Tour-sanctioned Middle Eastern tournaments.
British Open champion Padraig Harrington, Aussie Adam Scott, Colin Montgomerie and defending champion Paul Casey have already signed up for the January 17-20 event at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course.
Joining them is veteran character Miguel Angel Jimenez, the cigar-chomping Spaniard who triumphed at the Hong Kong Open in November.
The $2 million tournament will celebrate its third edition this month and highlights the growing influence of the Middle East in the expansion of global golf.
With Qatar and Dubai also staging European tournaments at around the same time, the deserts of the Gulf are gradually turning green to accommodate the increasing popularity of golf.
Of course, these tournaments are only a taster for one of the richest tournaments ever, scheduled for 2009 – the Dubai World Championship, which will offer a record $10 million in prize money with the winner taking home $1.66 million.
The Dubai extravaganza, at the Jumeirah Golf Club, is guaranteed for at least five years with an option for an extension.
By 2009, the European Tour would have undergone a major facelift with richer tournaments and a departure from what many feel is a staid outlook.
The Order of Merit will be remained Race to Dubai as the Europeans attempt to fight back against the dominance of the US PGA Tour in world golf.
They face a tough task, given the Americans have one thing the Europeans may never have – Tiger Woods.
Rose Blooms at Right Time
England’s Justin Rose is being hailed as the new king of European golf after his victory at the Volvo Masters gave him the Order of Merit title for 2007.
Since bursting on to the scene as an 18-year-old in 1998, much has been expected of the English Rose. He initially struggled to live up to those expectations.
However, he has matured as a player and his naturally serene demeanor has helped him finally reach the heights his immense talent deserves.
Rose, who beat Simon Dyson and Soren Kjeldsen in a play-off at the Valderrama Club, had a bit of a nightmare time when he first turned pro, missing cut after cut.
However, he never lost confidence in his game and said at the time that he would one day fulfil his potential.
The Observer’s Bill Elliot quotes him as saying at the time:
“Don’t worry about me. I believe in my ability to play this game. I’ll be okay. I’ll make it one day.â€
Indeed, he has made it. The Johannesburg-born Rose has gone through a range of emotions since entering the limelight at the 1998 British Open.
His father, Ken, who was a pillar of support during his golfing career, passed away in 2002 and last year, Rose got married. Both events helped to teach him about what is important in life.
“It’s been a long trip since 1998. It’s had its moments when it’s been tough. Missing all those cuts, losing my dad, just growing up really. It has toughened me up and made me appreciative of the good times. It’s taught me also that you’ve got to work hard, got to dedicate yourself. Dad’s passing put a lot of things into perspective for me as did getting married last year. Golf is what I do, means a lot to me. It’s what I am, but it is not who I am.â€
For those who only know him as a golfer, it has been a pleasure watching him mature.
Hoppy New Year for O’Grady
The Times Online gave European Tour chief George O’Grady an end of year accolade when he won the publication’s Hoppy Award for Administrator of the Year.
The quirky awards, presented by and named after The Times’ golf correspondent John Hopkins, hails O’Grady for his initiative in helping to launch the $10million Dubai World Championship, which offers the largest prize pool in world golf.
Hopkins described the Dubai event as “the most significant response to the world dominance of golf by the PGA Tour in the USâ€. He continued:
“Starting in Dubai in December 2009 it will be the culmination of what is currently known as the Order of Merit but from 2009 will be renamed the Race to Dubai.â€
Hopkins also paid a back-handed tribute to Laurena Ochoa, who unseated Annika Sorenstam as the women’s world number one and also removed the hype from so-called teen sensation Michelle Wi.
While Wi struggled, Ochoa went about her business by winning eight tournaments, including the Women’s British Open.
However, she didn’t win Woman of the Year. That went to Gaynor Knowles, who got engaged to Colin Montgomerie.
An awards list would not be complete without Tiger Woods, and sure enough, the world number one earned his place in Hopkins’ roll of honour.
Not, however, for anything he did on the golf course, but his inability to be present at his daughter Sam’s christening.
In giving Woods the Mistake of the Year Award, Hopkins writes:
“Woods has made an awful lot of his devotion to his daughter. How come he was in the US while the important family ceremony was taking place in Sweden?â€
Maybe readers can come up with their own categories and awards for the year-end.
Hyped-Up Asian Tour Needs Reality Check
The Asian Tour and regional media are enjoying what often amounts to a comical, naïve and blindly jovial relationship.
I must admit, as a journalist, I’ve also been guilty of this.
The Asian Tour is worth supporting. There are people at the top who genuinely care. There are players who have worked hard and have been given a platform to pursue a career, given that the major tours in the US and Europe are not easily accessible.
However, it’s time the Tour, and the media, start to acknowledge some of the faults.
Theirs has been a sycophantic relationship, with the media willing to reprint, word for word, whatever flowery and self-gratifying articles the Asian Tour spews out.
As one or two fellow journalists know, I often seethe at Asian Tour press releases that talk about their players as “legendsâ€.
If any one Asian Tour player, none of whom have won a major tournament, is a legend, then there are just no words to describe the lofty position Zach Johnson must hold for simply winning a single US Masters.
Tiger Woods? On another universe!
They also talk about the “coveted†Asian Tour Order of Merit title. It is so coveted, that one of the key challengers in the 2007 race did not even bother to turn up for the last three events.
When the Asian Tour had a spat with Europe over new events in India and Korea, they sent out statements from their officials and the press happily reproduced the quotes.
However, when I wanted follow-up articles several weeks later, the Tour made it difficult for me to get an interview with Tour boss Kyi Hla Han. It seems they only talk when they want their own point of view put forward.
Then, there are the blatant suppression of facts. They sent out a release talking about how strong next year’s schedule is going to be, but hide the fact that one of its major tournaments, the TCL Classic, has been cancelled.
They even omitted the Qatar Open losing its sanctioned status, though I understand that the tournament has since rejoined the Asian Tour.
No journalist bothered to dig deeper and expose these nuggets of “negative†news.
Meanwhile, Australia and Japan are joining forces for a OneAsia Tour while the Asian Tour is trying to figure out what is going on.
I would love to see the Asian Tour succeed and their players go on to better things on the global stage, as Korean KJ Choi has done.
However, reading some of their releases, you’d think Asian players are already occupying several top-10 places in the world rankings.
For those who have ever watched the classic Rockumentary spoof, “This Is Spinal Tapâ€, you know what I mean when I say the dial on the Asian Tour’s publicity amplifiers go to 11.
It’s time for them to be more realistic and the journalists, myself especially, to start asking more questions.
They don’t need hype to be successful, just a bit of honesty.
Rory Sabba-tages Woods’ Victory Parade
Just when you thought Tiger Woods was heading towards another ho-hum victory, Rory Sabbatini comes along and makes it interesting.
Not by pushing Tiger to the limit. Quite the opposition. In fact, Sabbatini was in last placed when he decided to up and run away from the Target World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California – a tournament hosted by none other than Tiger Woods.
He also left with around $170,000 for finishing last in the 16-man field.
Woods and Sabbatini have clashed before this season, at the Wachovia tournament where the South African described Woods “as beatable as everâ€.
The American world number one duly went on to win the tournament.
Tiger won at Thousand Oaks as well but he was again left shaking his head in disbelief after he found out that Sabbatini did not even play in the final round.
Varying reports had Sabbatini suffering from shin splints and/or “personal reasonsâ€. It was reported that he was on his way to his Christmas holiday spot of Maui.
It was the first time in the tournament’s history that a pro player failed to complete all four rounds.
Woods apparently held a grim, cold stare when asked how he felt about Sabbatini doing a runner. He told AP:
“I’ve heard he had shin splints. I heard he pulled out for personal reason. He packed his locker up at 3 o’clock yesterday, I think headed to Hawaii. A lot of different things going on. And I’d like to try and get to the bottom of it when I’m done here, and we’ll see what happens.â€
Other players were also unhappy, with Mark Calcavecchia saying it was “Rory being Rory … I don’t think the fans missed him†and British Open champion Padraig Harrington asking: “Is there anything you can say about it?â€
Fred Couples also had a pop. When told Sabbatini’s agent said the player had shin splints, Couples said: “Of course, he did. And Roger Clemens’ agent said he didn’t do steroids”, referring to the American baseball player embroiled in a doping scandal.
Sabbatini’s actions overshadowed a dominant victory by Woods, who won by a record seven strokes after the final round on Sunday.
It was his fourth victory at the Challenge and came after a closing four-under-par 68, helping him to match the tournament record of 22-under.
The victory came after a 10-week break, which means Woods has lost nothing after a long time away from the course and appears eager for another record-breaking season in 2008.
US Masters winner Zach Johnson was second on 15-under with Jim Furyk settling for third place at 13-under.
Two strokes further adrift was England’s Lee Westwood with Henrik Stenson and Steve Stricker tied for fifth on nine-under.
The best quote of Woods’ dominance came from Scot Colin Montgomerie. He said on the PGA Tour website.
“Doesn’t help us, does it? If he took a bloody year off, it wouldn’t help. Never mind 10 weeks.â€
Honours for Harrington, Liang and Asian women while Van De Velde sets new target
It has been a momentous past few days for Asian golf in a variety of ways. There were celebrations for the continent’s new number one, China’s Liang Wen-chong, while Asia’s women were on a high after victory over the Rest of the World in the Lexus Cup.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Jean Van De Velde, who came within a ill-fated driver of winning the 1999 British Open, said he was trying to qualify for next year’s Asian Tour.
And to cap it all off, Asian Tour officials say they have made peace with the European Tour over next year’s controversial Indian Masters.
First, Liang. The 29-year-old finished the season with a total of $532,590 in winnings to beat Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat by more than $90,000.
He became the first Chinese golfer to end up as Asian number one and his effort has earned him a place in the line-up for next year’s British Open.
At the Asian Tour’s year-ending awards in Bangkok, Thailand, Liang also won the Lowest Stroke Average title with 70.41 and the Players’ Player of the Year Award.
He replaces India’s Jeev Milkha Singh as the Asian number one.
There were also awards given out in Europe with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington winning the 2007 European Tour Golfer of the Year title, thanks largely to his victory at the British Open in Carnoustie.
It was Harrington’s first award, beating out stiff competition from Argentina’s US Open winner Angel Cabrera and England’s Justin Rose, who finished top of the European Order of Merit standings.
In Perth, Australia, Asia’s women withstood a strong fightback by the international team to win the Lexus Cup 15-9 at the Vines Resort and Country Club.
The Asian team were led by South Korea’s Pak Se-ri, who was pitted against Swede Annika Sorenstam.
After the first two days, Asia were always looking like they would win the tournament having taken a 9 ½ to 2 ½ lead from the fourballs. On the first day, Asia stormed to a 6-0 lead in the foursomes.
However, the internationals fought back and won most of the singles match-ups on the last day but the Asian’s held firm to hold on the title they won last year in Singapore.
Back to the men’s side of things, and Van de Velde could be the new high-profile name on next year’s Asian Tour.
The 40-year-old is this week taking part in the Asian Tour’s final stage qualifying school in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia with high hopes of winning his card.
Van de Velde now makes his home in Hong Kong and told the Asian Tour website:
“My life is taking me to Asia as my wife and my two year old baby are now based in Hong Kong. The Asian Tour is where I want to play and I would like to focus my game in this region.
“The Asian Tour is going to keep growing and become stronger every year. In the past five years, we have seen the prize money increase, the quality of the game improve and the interest rise and I would really love to be part of this exciting growth here.â€
Van de Velde memorably suffered a meltdown at the 1999 British Open, having teed up at the final hole in Carnoustie with a three-stroke lead.
However, he used a driver instead of playing safe and after a series of comical shots, blew his lead and ended up in a play-off. The title was eventually won by Scotland’s Paul Lawrie.
More good news for Asia, and it looks like the controversy over the $2.5 million Indian Masters, to be held next year, has been settled.
The Asians were unhappy because the European Tour had organised the tournament unilaterally and were accused of golfing “colonialismâ€.
However, tour officials now say that relations are back on track and that the event is likely to enjoy joint sanction from both oorganisations.
The parties held talks during the recent golf World Cup in China and reports indicate it is all systems go for the Indian tournament.
However, a similar problem over an event in Korea has yet to be resolved, though there was no indication as to whether the two sides have addressed the issue.
