He May Not Get a Grammy

I just saw Sam Torrance singing on a Visit Scotland commercial which aired on the Food Network. It might be on Youtube if you're interested. He only sings a few words and then the next famous Scot sings a few words.

Qatar Masters, Round 2

Obviously, Louis Oosthuizen wants us to learn how to spell his name. For the second week in a row his good play has brought him to the forefront of the golf talk. He's leading at the Qatar Masters with a score of -12. Here are some other scores through the second round:

Alvaro Quiros -8
Miguel Angel Jimenez -7
Chapchai Nirat -6 (has to be one of the funnest names to say out loud)
Aaron Baddeley -4
Sergio Garcia -4
Oliver Wilson -2
Martin Kaymer -1
Adam Scott -1
Rory McIlroy Even
Danny Willett Even

Missing the Cut:

Paul Casey (last week's winner)
Brand Snedeker
Justin Rose
Boo Weekley

Olazabal in 2010

According to this latest news item, Jose Maria Olazabal has indicated that he would captain the European Ryder Cup team in 2010 if he was chosen. Leading up to this news, Olazabal has said that he would rather play than captain. I don't know how much this change in thinking was because of his love for the Ryder Cup or his own estimate of his health as it pertains to playing enough golf to make the team in 2010.

Even though I absolutely love Jose Maria Olazabal, I would rather see him Captain in 2012 in America. He's had quite a bit of experience playing in America and doing well in America. I think that would be a big asset to the European Team. Better Olazabal to captain in 2012 and Monty to captain in Europe whatever year the committee wants him to. Monty's had no success in Ameria and I think would be a bad choice for captain if the event's played in America.

Update on Seve

Seve Ballesteros has updated the world on his condition following the first round of chemotherapy. He's doing well and is encouraged by the results of the latest tests. You can read the news report by clicking HERE and you can also check out his website by clicking on the link over in the sidebar.

Qatar Masters

Here are some first round scores:

Miguel Angel Jimenez -6 (tied for the lead with Coltart and Stenson)
Louis Oosthuizen -5
Lee Westwood -5
Aaron Baddeley -4
Alvaro Quiros -3
Charl Schwartzel -3
Oliver Wilson -3
Sergio Garcia -2
Oliver Fisher, Ross Fisher, Martin Kaymer all -1
Brandt Snedeker Even
Adam Scott +1
Danny Willett +1
Paul Casey +4
Rory McIlroy +4

Too bad I missed the coverage today. Hopefully I'll get to see some good golf on Saturday and Sunday.

Zach Johnson Wins the Sony Open

That's the news from the Sony Open. The criticism of the event has to be Golf Channel's very negative attitude toward Tadd Fujikawa. Saturday, he was their little darling with his 62. Sunday, he had some trouble and boy did they turn on him in a hurry. Criticising every shot he made. In fact, they were negative about everyone on Sunday. Johnson, Howell 3, Toms, Scott - they were all the subject of very negative criticism. I felt bad for the players, but at least when they are playing they can't hear what's being said.

More on the media: I'm currently watching ESPN2 and the Australian Open. Across the bottom of the screen, they are supposed to keep you updated on other sports. What do they have for golf news? Tiger gives a 2 minute 'political' speech supporting the military. Give me a break. If Tiger's not playing a tournament, hosting one, or releasing an update on his expected return to golf, then it isn't golf news. I guess in the summer, the football news on ESPN will be that Dan Marino continues to use Nutrisystem to keep his weight in check.

Casey Wins at Abu Dhabi

Well, I said yesterday that it could be a close final round and it turned out to be pretty exciting coming down the stretch. Casey lost his considerable lead on the back nine and ended up winning by just one shot over Martin Kaymer and Louis Oosthuizen. The winning score was -21, Kaymer and Oosthuizen were at -20. Oosthuizen's final round was a 64 and Kaymer shot a 67. Again, yesterday I said someone could challenge with a low round. Although, I said it might be Kaymer. If I could spell Oosthuizen without having to write it down every time from the European PGA Tour website, I might have predicted him to have a good round. Some other scores: Sergio shot up from a T20 place to T8 with a 64 in the final round. Rory McIlroy finished T5 with a round of 65. And Danny Willett also finished T8 with a 67 and he gets into Qatar. As he's a rookie, apparently he's having to get into events by way of top ten finishes. So, great for him!

More on The Secret

A short while back, I posted a review of a book called The Secret. It's about the law of attraction and how anything you think about, you bring about. Since reading the book, I've been paying attention to things around me to see if the The Secret really is in action in the world. Well, here's an interesting little anecdote for you to consider: a co-worker said repeatedly in the last few years that she just knew she had thyroid cancer like her mom. She just knew it. She never went to be tested or checked out by a doctor until just recently. Guess what. She has it. It seems to me that she just willed it to happen by saying it over and over again.

Gives you something to think about. Hopefully, something good and positive - like "gee I'm perfectly healthy and feel great." I think in golf terms, you could say that rather than chanting "be the ball" over and over again, you might want to chant "be the result" since this Law of Attraction gives you what you ask for in life.

Sony Open

How exciting is it to see Tadd Fujikawa shoot a 62 today? Hopefully, he can earn some serious money this week. His career since turning pro hasn't been great. They just said a top 10 could get him into the FBR Open and I hope he makes it. But why stop there? How about hoping that he wins the Sony Open?

Yes, I Watched Some Golf This Morning

I've been pretty quiet about the golf this week. With the cold weather and the snow/ice issues, I've been busy making sure I have extra water in case my pipes freeze and trying to stay warm and get to work when I needed to. But today I did get to see some of the Abu Dhabi tournament. I was very confused just a few minutes ago (around 7:20pm Eastern) when the Golf channel said the leading score over there was 11 under. I was sure I saw Paul Casey well under that earlier today. So, I went to the European PGA Tour website and checked out the scores. I was right. Paul finished the third round leading the tournament at -19. I guess while the Golf Channel was busy cashing in on the not so big Obama connection to Hawaii (he didn't represent Hawaii in Congress, you know), they didn't think to run the accurate scores for Abu Dhabi across the bottom of the screen.

Anyway, back to Abu Dhabi, some news and notes:

Alvaro Quiros had a hole in one and won a free stay at one of the big, ritzy hotels over there. I don't know if I'd want that prize. It might depend on how much snow I have to deal with any other time.

Martin Kaymer is in second place, 4 shots behind Casey. I like Kaymer and thought he should have been chosen to the Ryder Cup team last year.

Some other scores:
Johan Edfors -12 World Ranking 173
Oliver Fisher -11 World Ranking 217
Danny Willett -11 World Ranking 469
Rory McIlroy -10 World Ranking 40, Race to Dubai 6
Sergio Garcia -8 World Ranking 2, Race to Dubai 1, Moved up 20 places from rd 2 thru rd 3
Richard Green -7 Dropped to T28 from T1 from rd 2 thru rd 3
Oliver Wilson -6 World ranking 39, Race to Dubai 2
Ross Fisher -4 World Ranking 29, Race to Dubai 91
Aaron Baddeley Even World Ranking 36

Yes, that's right, Aaron Baddeley is playing there this week. You don't see him play much on the European Tour. Must be checking out the Race to Dubai.

Tomorrow should be a very interesting final round. Casey is leading due in part to a third round 63. That looks to be the low round of the tournament so far and I don't think Casey would be able to duplicate it tomorrow. But that doesn't mean Kaymer can't match it. So, that four shot lead could evaporate and we could see some real competitive golf.

Latest Issue of Golf Magazine

I received the February 2009 issue in the mail the other day. Here are some highlights:

An interview with Geoff Ogilvy - timely considering he won the Mercedes-Benz last week.

An opinion piece on the Fed Ex Cup - here's my opinion: why is there such an uproar over Vijay winning it so convincingly when Tiger was just as dominant in 2007 and everyone loved him?

There's a feature article about a Vietnam veteran who returned to Vietnam for many reasons, one of which was to play golf? Apparently there's something called the "Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail" over there.

There's also an interview with Darren Clarke, and David Feherty's column is about how George Lopez is not going to be the host of the Bob Hope this year. Like him or hate him, people need to give Lopez credit for being one of the most hard working people involved in promoting that event and trying to make it the best it can be.

Anders Hansen Wins the Joburg Open

Anders Hansen won the event with a birdie on the last hole. Other notes from the Joburg Open - Danny Willett, English rookie, finished in the top five and now gets into the Abu Dhabi event. Retief Goosen made a double eagle on the 18th. And Richard Sterne, who was trying to win three straight tournaments, finished at 9 under par in a tie for 12th.

Royal Trophy :(

Congratulations to the Asian team on their win at the Royal Trophy. Jose Maria Olazabal and his team did have their work cut out for them for a couple of reasons. One, the Asian team are very accomplished and talented golfers. I think there may have been only one name I didn't recognize when the list was announced. Two, the Asian team is probably more comfortable playing at that venue.

Hey, New Golf This Week

There's some new golf going on this week. I forgot about Hawaii until Friday. I've been watching the Discovery Health Body Challenge and QVC. So, I watched a little bit of the Mercedes Benz last night. It was very nice to see warm and sunny Hawaii. You forget who all won tournaments on the PGA tour last year until you see them at this first event of the year. Contrastly, it's raining and blah at the Joburg Open on the European Tour. And the most depressing news is from the Royal Trophy - Jose Maria and his team are not doing well at all. I suppose after this, everyone will be campaining for Sandy Lyle to be the next Ryder Cup captain. That isn't a bad thing since Jose Maria really wants to play and not captain.

Speaking of QVC, I ordered a pilates machine on New Year's eve and I finally got it set up last night. I was on it today and it's the best thing ever. I spent 50 minutes working out and it just flew by. Not like 50 minutes on a treadmill. But QVC is dangerous. I decided I was done spending after New Year's but the other night I ended up buying a 3 cd set of Elvis gospel music.

Birthdays

Sergio Garcia has a birthday in January. Happy Birthday!

And today we celebrate the birthday of the greatest entertainer of all time. Yes, I'm talking about Elvis Presley. He would have been 74 today. QVC got to me with their Tribute show. I ordered some cds.

I Don't Think I Like The 2010 LaCrosse

Buick showed off the 2010 LaCrosse at the Detroit Auto Show and it has tons of new bells and whistles. There are plenty of pictures and descriptions on This Website. I don't think I like it. What I like about my LaCrosse is how the hood accentuates the headlights. The 2010 version doesn't have that cool look. And I think my side windows might be bigger. Anyway, it's apparently supposed to be a super-cool car with all kinds of stuff - ambient lighting, 8 inch touch screen, gps, blue tooth, heads up display, road following headlights, and a pop up rear sun shade - which I will admit might be tempting to me. There are many more extras. You all should check out the website since Buick is a current sponsor on the PGA Tour.

This Week On the European Tour

There are two events going on this week - the Joburg Open and the Royal Trophy. My choice is the Royal Trophy because Jose Maria Olazabal is the European Team Captain. But the Joburg Open looks to be building up some suspense as Richard Sterne tries to win three consecutive tournaments.

Golf Damages Hearing

According to this article from BBC News, playing golf can damage your hearing. The culprit is apparently thin faced titanium drivers. And that's probably the only time I'll talk about golf equipment like I know what I'm saying. Doctors recommend using earplugs, but many golfers use the sound of the driver to judge how well they hit the ball. Just think, in a few years, Kevin Hall could have a definite advantage over many of his competitors. But at least those pesky grooves will have been dealt with by Golf's ruling bodies.

Magic 8 Ball or Real Insight???

Thanks to my pick of Angel Cabrera to win the US Open in 2007, I have acquired a reputation as some kind of prognosticator. How easily one correct pick just wipes out all of those wrong ones - hahaha. Anyway, I thought I would follow up the Cabrera thing with this little bit of trivia:

I bought a Buick LaCrosse this year. People have been commenting, not so positively, about Buick, Buick's connection to the PGA Tour, and, my personal pet peeve, how Buicks are for grandmas. Well, I found this little article that says Buick is going to concentrate their efforts on the mid-size market (that's the LaCrosse, not the Lucerne) for 2010.

So, apparently I predicted the future of Buick when I picked the LaCrosse.

I did read some news article about the Bailout that claimed the Lucerne was on the chopping block, but this article only says the Lucerne is approaching "the end of its life cycle".

New Year's Traditions Around the World

Have you ever wondered what kind of New Year's traditions people follow in Spain, Scotland, Brazil, or other countries? Well, here's a link to a website that features some New Year's Traditions from around the world. Odd, Italy isn't on the list and I know from reading romance novels that in Italy they wear red undies to bring in the New Year.

ADT Skills Challenge, Day 2

This was exciting right down to the last shot. The very last one by Rocco almost went in, which would have stolen the last skill from the Normans and let Rocco and his caddie win the whole event. But, Rocco's shot hit the cup and just went by the hole a few feet.

The guys who played the best seemed to be Gregory Norman and Matt Achatz, the caddies (Norman's and Rocco's).

I really loved the interviews with the players and caddies. They were very cool and gave us a look into the relationship between player and caddie. We don't get to hear those stories or see them interact like this during the regular season.

A lot of people complain about these "silly season" events and how they just aren't interesting or fun to watch, or there's no money in them. Well, this was a very, very exciting event and if anyone had a problem with this one, then they just don't like golf and should switch to curling or something.

I would much rather watch this event 15 times a year than any tournament Tiger's playing in.

Global Warming At Work

Yesterday it was in the 70s here in West Virginia. It was sunny and beautiful for the 27th day of DECEMBER.

ADT Skills Challenge, Day 1

The Skills challenge is on NBC this weekend. This time, the players are teaming up with their caddies. It was very, very nice watching Fred Couples in High Definition (courtesy of my new tv I bought in September). The highlight was the hole out that Rocco Mediate's caddie made to win one of the challenges. The only criticism I have is that we couldn't hear the players and caddies very well. NBC needed to turn up the volume on their mics.

The Royal Trophy

The full list of participants has been compiled for the Royal Trophy competition set to take place in a couple of weeks. This event pits the European Team against Asia.

Here's the list:

For Europe: Captain Jose Maria Olazabal (Subbing for Seve Ballesteros), Niclas Fasth, Nick Dougherty, Paul Lawrie, Oliver Wilson, Pablo Larrazabal, Soren Hansen, Johan Edfors, and Paul McGinley.

For Asia: Captain Joe Ozaki, Prayad Marksaeng, Charlie Wi, Hideto Tanihara, S. K. Ho, Thongchai Jaidee, Ryo Ishikawa, Liang Wenchong, and Toru Taniguchi.



I'm sure the Golf Channel would be airing this competition if not for the demand of its millions of viewers for more reruns of Caddyshack and Tiger Woods highlights.

Since I Have Some Free Time.....

Lady Golfer has been posting some comments on the blog lately so I thought I would feature her website since I have some time off from work. If you are in the market for women's golf apparel, equipment and accessories, check out EastCoastGolfSales.Com.

The Secret

A couple weeks ago, I read in Womans World Magazine their Diet of the Week - this one based on The Secret, a book featured on Oprah's show which basically says that the Physics Law of Attraction is in effect in all areas of a person's life. The idea behind the diet is that if you think of yourself as thin and healthy then you will attract those characteristics to you and you will become thin and healthy. One of the 'rules' of this whole theory is that if you say something like "I don't want to be fat" then the Law of Attraction will send you more of being fat because you're not thinking about being thin, you're thinking about being fat. The Universe doesn't recognize the negatives.

Why am I writing about this here? Because Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller have been saying this very thing when they commentate on golf coverage. What do they always say? "When a golfer doesn't want to hit the ball to the left because there's trouble there, the golfer will think 'don't hit it left' and the ball will invariably go left." Faldo is apparently a big believer in visualization and positive thinking. And this book, The Secret, is all about positive thinking and visualization.

There's a certain amount of truth to this that I can see and I haven't even begun trying any of the techniques. There's a guy at work who is Mr. Gloom and you know what? Gloom follows him everywhere. He's not happy and it's because he doesn't try to be. He expects bad things to happen and they do. There's a girl at work who fights with co-workers and then she wonders why her life is so stressful. She's feeding the fire, so to speak. She sends out these negative thoughts and that's what she gets back in return - others being negative with her.

Apparently, this book and a movie about it have been some kind of world wide phenomenon. I missed that since I don't watch Oprah. But the book is worth reading. It's hard to read because it's broken up with quotes from various experts intermixed with the author's own words. You kind of forget what the theme of each chapter is. It's the kind of book that you need to read a few times.

Christmas Around the World

Since golf is a world-wide sport, I thought I would find a website that describes how different countries celebrate Christmas. So, here's one at TheHolidayspot.com. Do you want to know how Angel Cabrera's homeland celebrates? Or Sergio's? How about Bernhard Langer's Germany or Lorena Ochoa's Mexico? Check out the website to find out more.

New "Spotlight On" Player

I have finally decided on a player to spotlight in the upcoming year. Rory McIlroy. He's been playing steady for the last couple of years, and has just qualified for the Masters with his T3 at the South African Open. You can check out his website by clicking on his name over in the sidebar. Here's hoping he finally comes through with a win this year. He's been close too many times and needs to take that next step into the winner's circle.

Enough is Enough

As someone who can watch Robin Hood: Men in Tights over and over again, even I have to say enough already with the Caddyshack reruns on the Golf Channel. The Golf Channel has an opportunity to actually report on golf and air golf stuff - there is golf being played around the world and they could do all kinds of highlights shows for the 2008 seasons on the PGA, LPGA, Champions, Nationwide, European PGA Tours etc, but instead they keep showing this really old, and probably not quite as funny as it used to be movie. Lazy. Just plain lazy.

I guess they think the average viewer is dumb enough to think that the whole of golf is either a Tiger Woods highlight show or Caddyshack (and with Tiger being out most of the year, they are left with Caddyshack). And if they want to say that the economic crisis is hindering their operations - well, if they produce a good product, people will spend the money. Back to that laziness thing.

QVC

Why is the subject of this post "QVC"? Because once NBC started lavishing oh so much praise on Anthony Kim and talking repeatedly about the possibility of interviewing Tiger and reliving the 'incredible' US Open, I turned the tv over to QVC. So much for trying to watch some golf this weekend. Oh well, there's still the South African Open going on. Lee Westwood is in the lead, I think, going in to the final round.

The Huggy Awards 2008

John Huggan, some guy who apparently writes for something called Scotland on Sunday has published his list of the best and worst of the golfing year. Some things I don't agree with, and some I do. Some, I find very funny. His Alive and Kicking Award for Self Importance is pretty funny (and quite possibly accurate). You all should check out the list by clicking HERE.

This Should Have Been On the Golf Channel

Over in Spain, at Sergio's home course, there was a golf competition that included members of the four main tours over there - the European PGA Tour, the European Seniors Tour, the Challenge Tour and Peugot-Loewe National Tour. Some of the participants were: Sergio, Jose Maria Olazabal, Alvaro Quiros, Jose Manuel Lara, Pablo Larrazabal, Alejandro Canizares, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Ignacio Garrido, Sergio's father, Jose Maria Canizares, Jose Rivero, Antonio Garrido, Carlos Rodiles, Santiago Luna among other great players.

You can click HERE to read a review of the event.

From O'Hern's lips to Tournament Organizers Ears

Nick O'Hern spoke out after the Australian tournaments and stated that one of the biggest problems with gallery behavior is alcohol. I wholeheartedly agree. When I go to the Bridgestone Invitational and see all of those people drinking, it just makes me wonder at how much they usually drink if what they consume at the tournament doesn't make them falling down drunk. I'm glad someone is speaking out on this issue and I hope he doesn't suffer from any kind of backlash because of it. You can read an article about O'Hern's comments by clicking HERE.

Hats?

If anyone knows the story behind Brad Faxon's and Scott McCarron's chef hats at the Shootout today, please post it with a comment. I did a google search on it a few hours ago and didn't find anything.

It was good of Chris DiMarco to finish playing today even though his partner, Fred Funk, had to withdraw due to knee problems. Ian Baker-Finch stepped in for Funk. I'm sure DiMarco was trying to work on his game, but it was good for the fans to see him finish up and good for the charities involved. FYI - I made my prediction about Fred Funk before finding out that he has a bad knee. Even with a good knee, I don't think he'd be a factor on the Champions Tour in 2009. Shall I offer up a replacement for my prediction? How about Loren Roberts?

A scolding to the networks for airing both the Wendy's Three Tour Challenge and the Shootout at the same time. I'm looking forward to the ADT Skills Challenge coming up in a couple of weeks. I think the Golf Channel already announced the winners a while back - a scolding to them too. But it will be another chance for me to see Fred Couples so the spoiled ending won't matter much.

An Upcoming Anniversary

This weekend will mark an anniversary for me. It will be the 7th anniversary of my 29th year. In other words, I have a birthday coming up. I certainly don't feel as old as I'm going to be. In my mind I still think of myself as a 20-something. More than anything, it's time for the annual "Share Your Birthday with Jesus" dual purpose party and gift. I try to make sure I get a separate little celebration for the birthday and a separate gift. I really feel for all of the people born in December.

The Royal Trophy

The Royal Trophy - a team event pitting the European Tour against the best of Asia will be taking place in January. Joe Ozaki captains the Asian team and Jose Maria Olazabal will be subbing for Seve Ballesteros as the European Team captain. The latest news is that Olazabal has picked Oliver Wilson for his team. Wilson joins Paul McGinley who was selected the other day.

The official website can be found HERE. I checked and the team listings weren't posted yet. Hopefully they will be soon.

And Now for Something A Little Bit Different....

Lately, my blog has been mostly a Seve-Jose Maria update fest. So, I thought I would just do a google news search on 'golf' and see what pops up.

I found this article about a golf medal from a country club in Texas that surfaced in the UK. It is being auctioned off for charity. Why did I find it interesting? According to the article, there's a goat or gazelle stamped on one side of the medal. I'm thinking it's a goat. There aren't too many gazelles running around in Texas.

The Merrill Lynch Shootout is going on this weekend and after round 1, I think Jeff Sluman and Nick Price are in the lead. The folks I'm interested in watching are Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron, Ian Poulter and Graham McDowell, Zach Johnson and Scott Verplank, and Fred Couples. I can't get excited about Stewart Cink (Couples' partner). For those of you who care, Boo Weekley and JB Holmes are paired together and Greg Norman and Camilo Villegas are paired together.

Annika Sorenstam is leading after two rounds at the Dubai Ladies Masters.

At the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, Len Mattiace, Robert Rock and Oskar Henningsson are tied for the lead after two rounds.

2009 Predictions

The Armchair Golfer asked me in one of the previous posts if I had any predictions for the upcoming year. I haven't really taken the time to contemplate the next golfing year. But I did jot down a few things I can post here. If I end up right at least 50% of the time, I might have to start buying lottery tickets again.

1. Sergio will fade in 2009 and not do nearly as well as he did in 2008. That seems to be a pattern for him. He'll do well for a while and then it's like he starts thinking about it and putting a lot of emphasis on it and he starts playing poorly.

2. Michelle Wie won't win. I still think that she needs to make more of an effort to take golf seriously. I've said recently that she should give up school and focus on golf. I think she will only win if she does this. She can't play one tournament or two and then go back to school. At least Tiger separated his golf from his education.

3. Greg Norman misses the cut at the Masters. I think he's going to take it too seriously and his usual final round troubles will show up on Friday. Plus the course has changed quite a bit over the years.

4. The Race for the Charles Schwab Cup will be more exciting to watch than the newly-revamped Fed Ex Cup (Again).

5. Fred Funk will still be in a funk and not be a factor on the Champions Tour in 2009.

6. Padraig Harrington will disappoint in his performance at the Majors. 2008 was magical, but after the US PGA, he didn't do anything. I think this burnout will continue through 2009.

7. Americans won't play a major part in the Race to Dubai. Despite all of the talk a few weeks ago about who from the US PGA tour will be joining the European Tour in order to be eligible for the Race to Dubai, I don't think the American players will be a factor. That's too much travel and too much culture shock for them.

8. Adam Scott's biggest competition will be with David Feherty for the Most Accident Prone Award.

9. Camilo Villegas will break the hearts of millions of women when he brings his girlfriend out into the public. Probably the sister of some friend of his from back home in Colombia.

10. Lorena Ochoa won't win as often as she did in 2008. I think she's starting to get a little tired of the hard work it takes to get to #1 and stay there. She's been going at this pace for a couple of years now. It's time for her to slack a little.

Most of these are negative predictions. I think it's easier to say what won't happen as opposed to what will. And besides, if I'm wrong, then it's good for golf. Mostly. #9 comes from my hope that Camilo won't start dating some actress, model or other celebrated beauty. And I will reiterate my own personal philosophy on relationships: Don't get married until you're 30. People don't know who they are or what they want out of life when they are young.

Pavin Officially Announced as Ryder Cup Captain

Corey Pavin was officially named US Ryder Cup captain for 2010 today. Pavin is a good choice and I'm glad the PGA didn't just take the easy way out and pick Azinger again. I like to see everyone get a turn (as you might imagine since I always complain about how biased the golf coverage is on tv). I don't think Pavin will be telling crowds to boo the Europeans like Azinger reportedly/allegedly did at Valhalla. According to This Link, Pavin *joked* that he'd asked for 12 picks for the 2010 team but that his request had been rejected. While I like the idea of a points system picking most of the team, I have to say that if the US captain could get rid of the ones who are always the top 2 or 3, the US might manage to field a very attractive team, competition-wise.

Seve Ballesteros Released

Seve was released from the hospital today after an extensive stay while getting treatment for a brain tumor. Click Here for a new article. You can also go to Seve's website for some comments from him.

A New Task for Olazabal

Jose Maria Olazabal will be captaining the European team for next month's Royal Trophy competition. Jose Maria will be stepping in for Seve while he recovers from his multiple medical procedures pertaining to his brain tumor. You can read the article from the European Tour website by clicking HERE.

Wie Gets A Tour Card

Michelle Wie earned a 2009 LPGA Tour Card after completing Q School today. If she can treat it seriously and keep her mind on her game, maybe she can be sucessful out there. I still say she needs to drop out of school if she wants to play golf. It's been clear in her efforts this year that dividing her time isn't working for her. She could probably due with limiting the Team Wie crap. They seem to me to be a big distraction. At least the media focuses on them a lot.

Jose Maria's 2009

I read on Rotoworld.com that Jose Maria Olazabal has apparently been granted a major medical extension on the PGA Tour for 2009. Of course this news is listed under a heading of "Fantasy Golf Breaking News" so I don't know if this is fantasy news for the fantasy golf world or if it's a real news item. I haven't been watching the Golf Channel so I can't tell you if they've been reporting on it.

Whatever the news happens to be, I just hope I will get to see him play more in 2009, either on tv or in person.

Another Surgery for Seve

Seve Ballesteros had to have more fluid drained from his brain, claim internet reports today. This is the fourth procedure performed since he entered the hospital back in October. He is in stable condition and hopefully, will improve.

KJ Choi Wins the Skins Game

I watched the second half of the Skins Game today. I missed it yesterday because I had no idea what channel it was on or when it was on. Anyway, Choi won it on the last hole. I was happy because of my "anyone but Ames" opinion. I thought it was very funny how interested Phil Mickelson was in the prize packages that LG offered for Eagles and Closest to the Pin contests. Some people have been commenting on how the money hasn't increased in the Skins game even though purses on the PGA Tour have skyrocketed. Well, the Skins game isn't about a bunch of money. It's about enough money to make things interesting and having a good time. I don't want to see the money increase a lot for the Skins game. It would change the very nature of the event from 'a good time was had by all' to 'cut-throat'.

Out of Nowhere

Sweden came from out of nowhere to win the World Cup. They fired a 63 in the final round to pass Spain, who shot 70, and Australia, who shot 76.

World Cup, Round Three

I believe Spain is tied at the top with Australia going into the final round.

One of the announcers calling the action on round three referred to one of the teams as 'a couple'. Yes, technically, there are two of them, but no one wants to refer to any two golfers paired together as a couple.

LG Skins Game

The Skins Game is on this weekend. I don't know how exciting it's going to be. To me, if Fred Couples isn't there, then it would be hard for me to watch it. And unfortunately, he isn't there this time. This time, the competitors are Phil Mickelson, Stephen Ames, KJ Choi, and Rocco Mediate. I'm sure there will be a lot of bantering between everyone except Choi so if you're into listening in to their conversations, it will be a hoot. Personally, I hope anyone but Stephen Ames wins. As I think about it more, I'd like to see Rocco win so the media can talk about something other than his loss at the US Open. He'd probably like for the media to talk about something other than that too.

Australian Masters

I haven't reported on the Australian Masters yet. Tim Clark's in the lead and it's a really sunny and pretty place down there. That's about all I can report because I haven't been watching it. Maybe I can see some more of it this weekend. Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I was cooking and today was a shopping day.

World Cup Round 2

Spain is in the lead after two rounds of the World Cup in China. Yippee!!!!! Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal are a combined 17 under par and have a four shot lead over Germany and Australia. Hopefully they can continue this good play and win the event. Sure, this would probably be counted in 2009 but it's still 2008 for the rest of us and a win here would be another remarkable achievement for Spain this year - along with Spain winning the Davis Cup in Tennis, Carlos Sastre winning the Tour de France, and of course Sergio's Players Championship win. I don't follow soccer, but I'm sure some Spanish team did something great in that sport this year.

World Cup Round 1

The World Cup is going on in China again, at the Mission Hills course designed by Jose Maria Olazabal. There are a couple of curious results after round 1. England, represented by Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher, is way down on the list at a tie for 20th place. South Africa (Rory Sabbatini and Richard Sterne) and Italy (The Molinari brothers) are tied for 26th out of 28 entrants. I would have thought that as often as the Molinaris play together that they would have done better.

Some results after Day 1:

Germany -10 (Kaymer and Cejka)
USA T3 (Curtis and Snedeker)
Spain T3 (Jimenez and Larrazabal)
Denmark T6 (Soren and Anders Hansen)
Ireland T6 (McDowell and McGinley)
Sweden T6 (Karlsson and Stenson)
India T12 (Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh)
France T16 (Bourdy and Havret)
England T20 (Fisher and Poulter)
Italy T26 (Molinaris)
South Africa T26 (Sabbatini and Sterne)

Notes on the Hong Kong Open

I didn't watch this since I was watching Spain win the Davis Cup, but here are some results that I was interested in:

Lin Wen-Tang of Taiwan won the event.
Rory McIlroy finished T2
Pablo Larrazabal T4
Oliver Wilson T6
Bernhard Langer T6
Miguel Angel Jimenez T24
Jose Manuel Lara T29
Jose Maria Olazabal T70 - Even par.

I haven't found anything on the web yet that might let us know how well Jose Maria's feeling as he comes back from illness/injury. Earlier in the week, I read he said he had some back pain and shoulder pain, I think. I hope he continues to improve.

Olazabal's Perspective

I found this little article about Jose Maria's perspective on Seve's recovery. Reportedly, Jose Maria has been in touch with the family and believes Seve is doing very well. Check out the article for yourself.

Not Watching Golf This Weekend

Unfortunately for Oliver Wilson, who is doing very well in Hong Kong this week, I am not able to watch him play. The Tennis channel has decided to air the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the same time. I have to watch Feliciano Lopez and David Ferrer. Nadal is home with tendonitis.

If the PGA Tour would like to make some extra money, they could put together a calendar of their star players like the ATP Tennis Tour does. Granted, the ATP's pictures are sometimes of the players without their shirts on, but I would be more than happy to buy a golf calendar of the players fully clothed. Sergio is his Sunday all -black outfit is really nice looking. Camilo in anything he wears is also something nice to look at.

Having the Cake and Eating it Too

It seems this is the Media's main goal as it pertains the the ADT Championship and Annika's last tournament. On the one hand, the media was all up in arms because Annika's name came up for random drug testing again, two weeks after her last test. Presumably because they thought that the second round was Annika's last round and she was done - the test would be pointless because they wouldn't be suspending her if by some miniscule chance the test came back positive. On the other hand, Brian Hammonds and Dottie Pepper were on air after Annika finished the second round claiming that she might not be done - that the cutline could go high enough to include Annika in a playoff. So, the media both wanted the meaty story of Annika being asked to take a drug test after finishing her last round ever on the LPGA tour AND the story of Annika making it into a playoff (in which case the drug test might not be so pointless).

It was ridiculous.

The drug testing story wouldn't have been a story if Annika and her 'camp', 'team', or whatever they want to be called didn't stir up a lot of controversy over nothing. This last hurrah for Annika could have been a moment to treasure, one last, touching memory for all of the fans of golf to carry with them for years to come. But instead, we are going to remember Annika's fiance's outrage over the test. That's the real shame of the ADT's round two.

As for the randomness of life - I've gotten picked for jury duty twice in my life and there are many people in my county who've never been selected for jury duty.

As someone famous once said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

A Good Summary of the Year

I found this article that points out a few things about the PGA Tour year end awards. This article points out a few things that the average viewer (like me) may not have picked up on by watching the tour this year. For instance, did you know Andres Romero (Rookie of the Year nominee) finished in the top 10 in two majors and made the cut in all four? According to the article, Romero was the only rookie to make the cut in all four. The article also talks about Comeback Player of the Year, which I would give to Dudley Hart after reading this. There's some Sergio talk in the article as well and a mention of Kevin Sutherland's good year.

Seve News!

Seve Ballesteros has been moved out of intensive care. This is great news. Doctors caution that he still has a lot of work to do and will still be undergoing therapy and residing in the hospital for a while yet.

Ian Poulter Had a Point

When Poulter pulled out of the Singapore Open citing the belief that if he played poorly, it would affect his world ranking, I thought it was a sad commentary on how the world rankings system works. Well, it turns out Poulter may have had a point. Last week, the distance between Sergio (8.68) and Phil (8.15) was just .53 of a point. This week, after Phil had a top ten finish at the Singapore Open, the distance is .64 between he (7.95) and Sergio (8.59). I don't know what it would have been if Phil hadn't played, but it must be disappointing to think that a top 10 wasn't good enough to gain any ground on the guy in front of him.

Of course for about 522 weeks, the guy in front of him has been Tiger. So, maybe Phil's used to this.

Hong Kong Open

The Hong Kong Open is the next event on the European PGA Tour. Many stars will be participating, like Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Graeme McDowell, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Rory Sabbatini, and of course, Jose Maria Olazabal, who is making his return to full time golf after an extended illness. The Hong Kong Open is this week. Tune in to the Golf Channel to find out the times they will be showing the coverage.

Seve Update

Reports claim Seve could be moved out of intensive care next week as he continues to improve after his third surgery to address his brain tumor. Hopefully, we will continue to receive these really great news updates on Seve.

I Guess It's My Turn

The weather forecast for my area next week calls for snow. Yuck. Some other bloggers have already experienced this plague and now it's going to be my turn. One of these days, I'm going to have to move to Hawaii or some other warm sunny spot.

A Nearly Non-Sergio Post

As was pointed out on the Hooked on Golf Blog, there have been many Sergio's #2 in the World posts on golf blogs and news sites lately. So, in an effort to demonstrate a bit of variety, I'll post about something else. The new issue of Golf Magazine arrived at my house earlier in the week. In this issue is David Feherty's Golden Ferret awards. As usual, David gives Tiger just about every award he can. But some other awards went to other players. For instance: Best Haute Couture Ferret goes to Camilo Villegas. Stupidest Comment Ferret went to Bobby Clampett for saying "The wind is blowing from 10 past three." The Abe Lincoln Ferret went to Woody Austin and amateur Michael Thompson who won it for calling a penalty on himself during the Masters. Even Feherty's dog, Ziggy the beagle, won a Ferret award for being the slowest player. The top Ferret Award, Le Ferret D'or, went to Camilo Villegas.

Other things to check out in this issue: an Interview with Robert Allenby and an interview with Hunter Mahan, and a cool picture of the underside of Camilo Villegas when he's down on the green in his spiderman green-reading pose.

I'm thinking I might have to do some kind of year end awards thing. Unfortunately, that would require some effort and I don't know if I want to put that kind of effort into that when I haven't even watched those first two rounds of the Madrid Masters that Jose Maria played in yet.

Sergio Wins the Vardon Trophy

Sergio had the lowest adjusted scoring average on the US Tour this year. I don't know how or why they adjust it, but that's what the article says. You can read it HERE. It also talks about Padraig Harrington winning the Player of the Year award. Sergio is the first from Spain to win this award and the first from Europe since 1937. Go Sergio!

Other Golf News

After making a separate entry to celebrate Sergio's victory, I decided to do this post for the rest of the golf news. Davis Love captured his 20th career tour win at the Disney event. He gets a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour. Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey almost won the event himself. He was ranked, I believe, 228 on the money list and moved up to 147 with his second place finish there. So, he will have conditional status on the PGA tour next year. I try to think of Tommy Gainey in a neutral way even though he was on the Big Break and the Golf Channel likes to take credit for everything he's ever done. I'm not a fan of the Big Break and I'm trying my best to not hold that against Gainey.

Nationwide Tour: They finished up this weekend. There were some stories there to keep your interest. I just wanted to find out who won the Caddie/Player contest that the Golf Channel was holding. It ended up being Colt Knost and his caddie. Knost, by the way, did secure his tour card.

Still, the biggest story for me these last few weeks was the Jeff Overton story - playing right after having his appendix out. He finished in the top 125 so he's fine for next year.

A media criticism: The Golf Channel was reporting on Erik Compton and how he was using a golf cart for this event. They said "the tour 'allowed' Compton to use the cart." As if the tour officials were doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. Not even close. They pretty much have to allow disabled people to use carts thanks to the Casey Martin case. I still don't understand how anyone could be against the use of carts for some of these people. It was reported that Casey Martin's condition could eventually lead to amputation of his leg. And no one wants to see Compton blow out his brand new heart. (Sarcasm warning) Yeah, I can see how giving these guys a cart can make them soar up the leaderboard and win every event they play. Isn't that how it went for Martin? Oh wait, no it isn't. Gee there must be something else to this game of golf other than walking. The very fact that people have to practically beg and plead and nearly die before they get a cart is so ridiculous. The cart isn't going to give these people an unfair advantage. It's the same thing for them that the wrapped up arm was for Vijay Singh during the Fed Ex cup playoffs. There are allowances made for golfers every time you turn around. Left handed players get equipment made just for them. Players who can't hit the ball a long way get longer shafts for their clubs. People who hit the ball a long way get hybrid clubs to help them power the ball out of the rough they always find themselves in. Golfers with bad backs and knees get braces and wraps to wear. And let's not leave out repeated laser eye surgeries.

Sergio to Number 2 in the World!!!!!

Sergio Garcia won the HSBC Champions tournament in China to move to #2 in the world. Yay!!!! That's three wins in a calendar year for Sergio and, more importantly, a win as a result of a playoff. Why is that important? Think back to all of the playoffs he lost this year. He was able to come out on top in a playoff finally and that should be important for his confidence.

I don't know how long he will be #2 in the World. Phil's playing this week in Singapore but I don't think Sergio is.

Rookie of the Year

Pablo Larrazabal has won the Rookie of the Year award on the European PGA Tour. Go Spain!

A Little Maintenance

I've done some maintenance on the blog. I removed my list of US Ryder Cup choices that I made in 2006. I thought about doing one for the European Team since they didn't win this time, but the team the Europeans had was a very strong team, with the exception of Martin Kaymer being left out. So, I didn't think I could add to that. I also removed a few links to blogs that hadn't been updated for a while. And I added the link to the European PGA Tour website and a link to Seve's website.

It's hard to believe that in a week or two I'm going to have to change the Order of Merit link due to the new year starting this week in China.

Great News on Seve!

According to the latest update from the hospital, Seve is awake and speaking to his family. He is breathing on his own and will begin some form of rehabilitation soon. Yippee!!!

Weekend News

Seve Trophy News: According to this news article, the European Tour is looking at having the 2009 edition of the Seve Trophy in Spain in honor of Seve and his current battle with poor health. Sergio Garcia has reportedly pledged to support the Seve Trophy as a tribute to the 5 time Major Champion. Also, there are discussions concerning some type of year end award in honor of Seve to be awarded each year.

Race to Dubai: According to the same news article as above, it looks as though Phil Mickelson may not join the European Tour afterall. This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone since Mickelson is very methodical at planning out an 'economical' (meaning the fewest # of events possible as well as predominantly U.S events) schedule. This makes me happy as I think the US players have snubbed the European Tour for so long that I don't think they deserve the chance to play for the big prize at the end of the year. That trash-talk in 2006 about the Nationwide Tour being the second best tour next to the US Tour - well the US PGA tour players can make their extra money by playing the Nationwide Tour with my blessing.

Annika Sorenstam wins: She played an LET event in China and won in a playoff. I guess if she wanted to win and couldn't get it done on the LPGA tour, she decided she'd go to China and try there. I read that she was hoping her appearance there would open doors and increase opportunities for women and children in China.

Round Up

Robert Karlsson won the Order of Merit today. Sergio finished the Volvo Masters tied for 4th. Soren Kjeldsen won the Volvo Masters. The 2009 European Tour season begins this week with the HSBC Champions tournament. Final Thought: Martin Kaymer should have been on the Ryder Cup team. He made one heck of a move up the Order of Merit and the World Rankings this year and it's a shame his hard work wasn't recognized with a spot on the team.

Ryan Palmer moved from outside the 125 to inside and a two year exemption with a win at the Ginn Sur Mer on the PGA Tour. Jeff Overton is sitting on #125 with one event to go. Hopefully he can retain his card after his bad break - the appendix. David Duval finished the event somewhere in the 30s - the subject of the TV jinx of the week thanks to all of the Golf Channel promos.

Jay Haas won the Charles Schwab Cup again for the second time in three years. I'm sure he'll give the prize money to charity, as is the customary thing to do with the check. I'd like to point out that Jay and these other guys who give away their earnings are already spreading the wealth without having to be taxed extra. But I'm not getting into politics on the blog right now. Fred Funk was only 12 points behind Haas and couldn't convert. He's probably really disappointed today. Again, I'll say that the Charles Schwab Cup is more exciting than the Fed Ex Cup.

The Golf Channel Jinx

They jinxed David Duval by doing one of their "he's poised to win for the first time in such and such. Can he do it? We'll see in round three today on the golf channel" ads. Why doesn't that jinx work on Tiger Woods?

Going into the final rounds of the tournaments, here's my cheer: Go Sergio, go David, Go Jeff Overton.

Quick Notes

I've been out shopping all day and didn't see any golf or read any news until about 5pm. So, here's what I've got:

1. Justin Rose withdrew from the Volvo Masters due to the death of his grandfather. He was last in the tournament anyway so he's not missing anything by leaving.

2. The tournament officials at the Volvo Masters couldn't check yahoo weather like I did to see that it was going to rain and started the second round only to have to stop with only I think 4 people finishing the round. And they didn't play lift clean and place to start with so that means everyone else has to play a soggy course tomorrow playing the ball down. At least for the finish of the second round. I think I read on the European PGA Tour website that Miguel Angel Jimenez dropped 7 shots in the first four holes. He had an outside chance of winning the order of merit which is probably all but gone now.

3. David Duval is having the tournament of his year so far at the Ginn Sur Mer. I think they said he was only 2 off the lead.

4. No news on Jeff Overton despite him being the big news yesterday for playing so soon after his apendectomy. They did show his placement after the second round and I think he's tied for 36th or thereabouts. Projections put him at 126 if he finishes there. But I'm not a big fan of the projections thing. They show that during the first round - when it's absolutely meaningless.

5. Seve is still in ICU but doctors apparently report that he's doing well.

6. Looks like Jay Haas may be the winner of the Charles Schwab Cup again this year. Fred Funk was the closest man chasing him and he's not having a good tournament. Haas is currently in the top ten. Funk is well back. And I think they said you had to finish in the top ten to earn points. You know, every year, the Charles Schwab Cup is exciting. The Fed Ex Cup - not even close. What will the Race to Dubai bring? Hopefully a bunch of European players and no Americans challenging for the top spot there. I don't want to see the Americans go over and take over the whole thing after snubbing the European Tour for all of these years.

News From Spain

Doctors report that Seve is doing better, but remains in ICU.

Volvo Masters: Apparently there's an uproar over the tournament organizers sending out Justin Rose first and by himself on Thursday. Some people think this is insulting to Justin as he is the defending Champion and it doesn't show him the respect a defending champion deserves. But, according to an interview I read, Justin appears to be okay with the order of play. He says there may be an advantage to going out first with regards to the condition of the course, particularly the greens. And he explained that the tournament organizers always send out the players in reverse order of their Order of Merit rankings, with the lowest ranked players going first. And Justin hasn't done well on the European Tour this year.

And according to Yahoo weather, it is not cold enough to snow at Valderrama. So, maybe my retirement plans haven't been ruined after all. Bad news for the golfers though, it looks like there's three days of rain in their future.

I haven't decided whether or not I'll be taping the Volvo Masters. So, I guess that means I won't be. I haven't yet watched the first two rounds of the Castello Masters from last week. I have Friday off but I'm going shopping again and won't be home to watch it. I have 5 days in a row off starting Friday. I took Friday and Monday off, but I get Election Day off and the weekend, of course. It will be nice to have all of that time off. I know the dogs will be happy to have me home. They miss my lap and the treats my hands give them.

There Goes My Retirement Plan

I just read on BBC News that it's SNOWING, yes, I typed SNOWING, in Spain. My retirement plan centered on marrying a Spaniard and moving to SUNNY Spain! This weather development is just unacceptable. It hasn't even snowed in West Virginia yet.

I wonder what's going on at Valderrama. The Volvo Masters is this week. Maybe they should play with Paula Creamer's pink golf ball so they don't lose them in the SNOW.

Sergio Wins!!!

Sergio won the Castello Masters today and now has his name on the most unique trophy I've ever seen. You all should google it. It was designed by a famous Spanish sculptor. Jose Maria finished tied for 15th which is really great. I can't wait until the 2009 season begins in a week or two to see how he fares. The internet news claims Sergio has climbed to #3 in the world, but when I checked out the official world golf rankings website, it hadn't been updated yet. So, we'll see where he ends up. He started the year at 12th with a points average of 4.785. Whether he finishes 3rd or 4th or even 5th, which is where he started the week), it's been a really good year for him.

Moving Day

It was moving day on the European PGA Tour over in Spain. Sergio now has a 4 shot lead going into the final round. He did try to be a good host on a couple of holes with a few wayward shots and a couple of bogeys. Interestingly, that coincided with when I started watching the coverage. Jose Maria Olazabal also had a good round of -4. From what I've read, he isn't thrilled with parts of his game. I would think the rest of the world would be happy to be 8 under par after three rounds in a Professional event. Shows you how much of a competitor Jose Maria really is if he's wanting to improve an already great game. I read he starts his 2009 season I want to say the week of Nov. 20th. I'm not sure on that date but it's a couple of weeks into the new season at a tournament he won a few years ago.

After Round 2

After the second round of the Castello Masters, Sergio is in a tie for the lead at -11 and Jose Maria is at -4. He was one over par for his second round.

Seve Update: Reports claim he came through today's surgery well. The doctors report that their objectives had been reached - they reduced the additional swelling and removed more of the tumor. He will be carefully monitored for the next 48 hours.

On the US Tour it's the Frys.Com tournament. Everytime they say 'Frys.com" I think of french fries.

After Round 1

After round 1 of the CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar, Club de Campo del Mediterráneo,
Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal are just two off the lead. Yay!!! I'm very happy to see Jose Maria playing well. Actually, I haven't seen him play yet. I recorded it. But I read about it and hopefully he's feeling good and will make a really good showing this week. I would love for him to win even though it is Sergio's home course. And yes, I copied the name of the tournament from the European PGA Tour website. There's no way I could remember that whole thing on my own.

Now for some bad news: Reports indicate that Seve Ballesteros will undergo a third operation tomorrow to relieve more pressure on the brain and to remove more of the tumor which was determined to be cancerous. One report claims the tumor is in an area of the brain that will make treatment very difficult. Things aren't looking good for the 5 time Major winner. I read a comment by Padraig Harrington which said that the European Tour should have made Ballesteros an Ambassador for the game last year when he announced his retirement and that he hoped Seve recovered and would be able to continue to be the inspirational force for golf that he's been for all of these years. I have to agree with Harrington that it's a shame that any organization waits until something bad happens before recognizing the greatness of whatever individual is involved. The running joke at the country music awards shows is that when someone gets a lifetime achievement award they say "most of the time, you have to be dead to get this award." There's a lot of truth to that.

Sergio's Big Week

This week on the European PGA Tour, Sergio Garcia and his father host the tournament whose name I don't remember at this moment. It's on the Golf Channel starting tomorrow morning at 9am eastern. I plan to record the whole thing since not only is Sergio playing, but Jose Maria Olazabal as well.

On a related note, I read that Seve Ballesteros is holding his own after two operations related to the removal of his brain tumor. Reportedly, he was awakened briefly by his doctors and then sedated again. Isn't that just like a hospital-waking you up just to tell you to go back to sleep?

I Object!!!

Rich Lerner just said that Justin Timberlake was 'bringing sexy back to golf'. I 100% object to that statement!!! With guys like Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas, and Sergio Garcia, sexy never left golf!!!

Good Day for Spain

Alvaro Quiros of Spain won the Portugal Masters today. He defeated Ross Fisher and Robert Karlsson among others. I was kind of hoping Ross Fisher would win since he has a habit of not finishing well in tournaments. Hopefully, he will work on that.

Golf Channel Hyperbole

Inga Hammond said today that Justin Timberlake has done as much for golf as Tiger Woods.




I don't think so.

A Revision

You know how I always say I pay $70 a month for the Golf Channel with Dish Network? Well, I have to revise that to say that I pay $70 a month for the Tennis Channel. I checked the packages offered by Dish Network and they are now offering the Golf Channel in their 200 channel package - that's about $10.00 less than the package I have. But the Tennis Channel is still in the 250 channel package so I'm not downgrading my service. The Tennis Channel is going to be covering all four grand slams next year so I have to have that channel.

And as for the HD programming - I'm not paying extra for them. The picture quality just isn't enough to make me pay extra for channels that I already pay for in standard definition. If I want to see Sergio in HD, I'll go see him in person or watch him on my local stations with my house antenna.

Sad News (off topic)

I found out today that Archway Cookies is going out of business. This is really sad. When I was growing up, these cookies were one of those expensive treats that we might get once in a great while. And as an adult, that kind of spending habit continued - I might have bought a couple of packages of these cookies in the last 5 years. Archway began as a mom and pop operation back in the 1930s and produced their soft-baked cookies mostly after orders were received so that the product would remain fresh and soft for the consumers.

I think it's objectionable that the Presidential candidates who have been making promises about job creation, energy policy, and economic stimulus have allowed this American company to go under. The candidates could have been doing something about the rising food and energy prices all along as both do hold seats in Congress, but chose to wait and promise to do something IF they become president. Gives a new meaning to the "do nothing congress", doesn't it?

World Cup

The teams that will be participating in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup have been announced. You can find the list by clicking here. Natually, I'm interested in this because Jose Maria designed the course. And there are some good teams to watch this year. England, Spain, Sweden, and Italy has the two Molinari brothers. It would be neat to see the brothers win.

Second Surgery for Seve

Internet reports claim doctors in Spain had to perform a second procedure on Seve Ballesteros after he suffered some swelling in the brain following the removal of the tumor discovered last week. Said reports state Seve is in stable condition following the operation to address the swelling. This complication is not uncommon in these situations. In fact, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman performed a similar procedure - yes, that's fiction, but if it makes it on to a tv show set in the 1860s/1870s then it has to be pretty common.

Seve Has Surgery

It's been reported that Seve Ballesteros underwent a surgery lasting several hours (anywhere from 7 to 12 depending on which report you read) to remove as much of the brain tumor as possible. Reports have not indicated if cancer is present and have only speculated on what further treatment may be needed. Some reports indicated that Seve was conscious and responding well after the surgery. I hope for the best for Seve and I think of him many times throughout the day.

Here is a good article from Sporting Life that includes some insight that you might not have previously had about Seve and his affection for golf and the up and coming players.

Jose Makes it Through

Jose Maria Olazabal finished the Madrid Masters with a final round 73 to tie for 65th. But the real success of the week was in his own assessment of his physical condition. He seems satisfied with this first tournament in several months. Hopefully, he'll be back to playing regularly and giving golf fans everywhere some great golf to watch.

News on Seve

Seve Ballesteros has announced that tests have detected a brain tumor. Click here to read a news article that gives a few more details. I hope for the best for the 5 time Major Winner.

Jose Maria Pleased With His First Three Rounds

I found this article in which Jose Maria says he's overall pretty pleased with how his first three rounds have gone. I'm glad I found the article since I don't think he's going to be on the tv coverage today.

Today's News That I Know Of

Jose Maria Olazabal made the cut at the Madrid Masters. I haven't yet found a news article that describes how he's doing other than that he made the cut on the number and I think shot a 72. I think I read that he made three bogeys today? I hope he's still doing okay health wise.

Seve Ballesteros is out of intensive care but still in the hospital. I don't believe there's been an announcement of any kind of diagnosis and I'm not going to report on any speculations that I've seen on Google News.

The Golf Channel kept talking about Mark O'Meara today during the commercial break updates. Since O'Meara isn't leading the tournament and Ben Crenshaw is the bigger story, I'm guessing the Golf Channel is talking about O'Meara because he's friends with Tiger and Kim - more media suck-up-i-ness.

Yesterday's leader at the Valero Texas Open, Nathan Green, shot a 75 today in response to Thursday's 62. I had to look it up because I didn't see him on the leaderboard when I was watching round 2 today. Of course anyone who watches golf regularly should have expected this. Players usually follow up a really low round with a significantly higher round.

Ballesteros In the Hospital

Seve Ballesteros was admitted to a hospital after experiencing a dizzy spell earlier in the week. He's been undergoing tests and according to his website, he feels well. I wish him all the best.

Jose Maria is on Track

Jose Maria Olazabal is just three off the lead at the Madrid Masters after shooting a -1 today in the first round. I'm very happy to see that :) I found this article from Sky Sports that includes some comments from Olazabal. I really hope he's back for good and healthy again. He still has a back issue, but really, what pro-golfer doesn't?

Tune In Tomorrow

to the Golf Channel to watch the return of Jose Maria Olazabal. He's playing in Spain on the European Tour. I'm going to record it.

Another Media Issue

I was watching some Golf Channel today and I heard Frank Nobilo say something about not heaping bold expectations on young Jason Day because it might negatively affect him. But then he goes on to say that Day has the talent and skill to be one of the top golfers of all time. Gee, no pressure there.

Bad Weather Makes for Bad TV

I really wish that this bad weather in the UK would go away so the players can come out of hiding and I can see who is who when I'm watching the tournament. As it is, they all wear the same black knit hat and they all look alike. You'd think they could have their names put on the hats and the rain suits so we could tell them apart.

And I can't imagine how miserable the golfers must feel after the rain has poured down on them and their black knit hats. Those hats must weigh 20 pounds (I don't know how many stone) from absorbing all of that rain.

Funny Quote

This quote showed up on my laptop's homepage today. I thought it was pretty funny.

Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat in Europe. - Jackie Mason

Book Review: Undercover Wife

WARNING: This book is not golf related.

I read the romance novel Undercover Wife today while I reveled (or wallowed - lol) in my day off from work. I'm reviewing it here because the last novel in this series was golf related and I reviewed it here. I figured if anyone found the review for the last book, then they might come back to read the review of this one. So, here goes...

This book is written by Merline Lovelace and is one of the Codename Danger series. I've collected all of the books and I have to say this book was much less techie, much less spygame-ish, than the other more recent offerings. I'm happy about this. The last book of the series, Match Play, was very techie, very spygame-ish, and didn't leave me with the impression of romance at all. Undercover Wife, however, is much different. Low tech solutions to problems (using hotel room furnishings as weapons for one) is just one of the ways that the author tries to connect with the reader. In my mind, I'm thinking that any reader would also grab for a candlestick to fight the bad guy. While readers like to escape from reality when they read a work of fiction, I'm pretty sure they want to find a piece of themselves in that book as well. As for the romance part - there are more 'oh that's so sweet' moments in this book than were in Match Play, for instance, Callahan telling the tech department to design a ring for Gillian that would match her eyes. There is one thing about this story that's bothering me. Granted, I read the book pretty fast, as I usually do, and I might have missed this, but I'm wondering what the resolution was to the highly contageous mutant virus. The bad guy used it to get the attention of Callahan's employer, but I didn't see in the book if the virus had been contained or destroyed. Is it still out there for someone else to use later on? Maybe in a future Codename Danger book? And there was one thing that bugged me, and believe it or not, it was a spygame-ish thing - Gillian, while undercover as Callahan's wife, kept calling him "Hawk" while in public. That's his secret agent call sign. I guess she kept doing it as a way to remind the reader that this was her first mission in the field? That sounds like a good answer :)

If you want to learn more about Merline Lovelace, you can check out her website by clicking HERE.

November issue of Golf Magazine

I got the November issue a few days ago and just haven't felt like posting until now (since I have a few extra days at home). Sergio is on the cover :) Inside there are features on JB Holmes, Andres Romero and yuck, Anthony Kim. Have I mentioned how sick I am of seeing the media suck up to him? I want the media to swarm Camilo that much and not let an hour go by without mentioning Camilo's name. After all, he won two, count them two, Fed Ex Cup playoff events back to back.

Anyway, about the Kim story in the magazine. They did this chart comparing Kim's first two years on tour with those of Tiger, Sergio, Charles Howell III and Adam Scott. According to this chart, Adam Scott played in fewer events in his first two years on tour, won one more tournament than Kim, and had a higher world ranking at the end of the two year period. So, Hah! Even Sergio had a higher world ranking after his first two years than Kim. According to the chart, Kim was at 15, Sergio was at 6 and Adam Scott was at 11 in the world. I'm not even mentioning Tiger's stats, but I will say that when you see them spelled out like they are in this chart, there's no way in the world the media has any justification in suggesting Kim is the next Tiger Woods. Talk about irresponsible journalism.

David Feherty's column is titled "Putting the Fun Back in 'Funeral' ". Draw your own conclusions on that one.

Pleasant Golf Viewing

There has been some pleasant golf viewing today. The European Tour - polite as always. The PGA Tour - I didn't hear Anthony Kim's name once. It's been nice.

As for news and such, Jason Day made a hole in one today. Bigger news is the weather. It's cold, windy and rainy in the UK where the European Tour is playing (when is it not windy, cold and rainy there). It's windy, cold and rainy in New York where the PGA tour is playing - they even had hail. Who was the genius who told the PGA Tour that the weather in New York would be great in October? It even looks cold wherever the LPGA is playing this week. I bet those people wearing shorts and skirts are wishing they weren't.