I'm discontinuing the blog until further notice. A new and exciting opportunity has emerged--you know the saying, "onwards and upwards." Thanks to the loyal followers and I will fill you in soon.
Goofyfootgolf
Goofyfootgolf
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Bay Hill Club stresses patience early
As the saying goes, “You can’t win the tournament in the first round, but you sure can lose it.” Well, the Bay Hill Club takes it one step further with three tough opening holes. No player likes to start the round behind the eight ball, but there is nothing about the first three holes that says “fast start” either. Last year, the Bay Hill Club ranked second behind Pebble Beach (site of the US Open) in the category of “toughest opening 3 holes on Tour.” Here’s a closer look at the holes thanks to pgatour.com and bayhill.com.
1
Par 4 461
The first hole grabs the player's attention from the start, as Bay Hill flexes it muscles, beginning with a 461-yard par 4. During Palmer's 2009 renovation, bunkers 180 yds off the tee to the right were eliminated and converted to rough. Bunkers outside of dogleg were enlarged to provide visibility from the tee. Greenside bunkers were moved closer, deepened, and flashed higher to frame the green. Interior of the old green surface was replicated and the edges softened to provide better hole locations closer to the bunkers.
2
Par 3 231
The second hole is a long par 3 at 231 yards and is typical of all the par 3s on the course. This is the second-longest par 3 on the course, but plays slightly downhill. One of the few "major" changes during the 2009 renovation, this green was rotated 30 degrees clockwise to enable players to hold long iron and woods into green. With the green now rotated and back tee expanded, this hole can play as long as 245 yards.
3
Par 4 434
The third hole is a 434-yard par 4 that makes a dogleg left around the largest lake on the course, requiring a careful tee shot. Players must know where to place their drives in order to set up the approach to a green that sits at water's edge over a natural rock wall. Players who misread the wind at No. 2 and didn't take note will be playing into a crosswind that will force the ball left and into the lake.
Holes | Course | Total RTP |
1,2,3 | Pebble Beach (US Open) | 0.567 |
1,2,3 | Bay Hill Club & Lodge | 0.470 |
1,2,3 | Waialae CC | 0.426 |
1,2,3 | TPC Four Seasons Resort | 0.378 |
1,2,3 | TPC San Antonio | 0.267 |
Hope for the Heritage
The Associated Press
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- A Beaufort County councilman suggests that $30 million in local, state and private money be set aside to keep the Heritage golf tournament on the PGA schedule for the next five years.
The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports officials have been looking, so far without success, for a title sponsor for the tourney that has been without one since Verizon ended its sponsorship last year.
A county council committee on Monday approved a proposal under which local governments, the state and Sea Pines Resort would collectively commit $30 million.
Councilman Stu Rodman calls the proposal a backup plan but says it could soon be necessary.
There is a proposal in the state House of Representatives to provide state money for the tournament, something Gov. Nikki Haley opposes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
PGA TOUR: Times are a changing?
According to AP writer, Doug Ferguson, the PGA is contemplating making changes that would affect players who do not qualify for the season ending FEDEX playoffs. Players left outside of the playoff series, would now compete with current players on the Nationwide Tour. Furthermore, Q-school graduates will not be joining the PGA ranks as they have in the past. Instead, graduates would only qualify for the Nationwide tour.
The tour has been looking at ways to strengthen the Nationwide Tour, its developmental circuit. It is looking for a new umbrella sponsor, because Nationwide has said it would not renew its contract after 2012.
Under the preliminary plan, the top 125 on the FedEx Cup standings after the Wyndham Championship would advance to the playoffs and compete for $35 million in bonus money, with $10 million for the winner.
Those who don't make the top 125 would have the option of playing a series of three tournaments along with top Nationwide Tour players. Those tournaments also would have a points structure, and it would determine who gets PGA Tour cards the following season.
Among the numbers being mentioned for the three-tournament series is 75 players from the FedEx Cup standings and the top 50 players from the Nationwide Tour money list, with the top 50 players from that series earning their cards.
Read the full story here.
Match Play to Stay one more year in Tucson
PGATOUR.COM:
"We're pleased to announce the extension of our partnership with The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain for the 2012 Accenture Match Play Championship," said David Pillsbury, Executive Vice President, Championship Management. "The community of Tucson has supported professional golf for decades, and we've enjoyed five years of exciting, match-play golf since the Accenture Match Play Championship moved to Marana in 2007. I'd like to thank Accenture for its continued support as title sponsor of the event and as Umbrella Sponsor of the World Golf Championships. I'd also like to recognize and thank David Mehl, owner and developer of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, for his partnership. We look forward to another successful Accenture Match Play Championship in 2012 when Luke Donald returns to defend his title."
Important to note is that the contract with Dove Mountain runs through 2012, so the announcement comes as no surprise. Despite the announcement, the future of the event will most likely move from the Tucson area. Players overall, do not like the course and weather has been an issue. This year’s event was hampered by frost delays and snow.
News and Notes from last week
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| Gary Woodland-Transitions Champion |
· Gary Woodland won the 2011 Transitions Championship. Woodland’s four under, 67 was good enough edge out the slooooow playing Web Simpson by one shot. Simpson needed par on the 18th to force a playoff, but failed to get up and down. Justin Rose looked poised for his third PGA win, but blew up with a 74 on Sunday. Sergio Garcia returned to form for at least two days before withering away on the weekend. It was Garcia’s first tournament in the US after his self-imposed sabbatical from the game. For the first time in six starts this season, Nick Watney finished outside the top ten. Thus, forcing his caddie to get a haircut. The running joke between the two was that Watney’s caddie would not get until the two finished outside the top ten. The joke ran for five weeks straight. World’s number one, Martin Kaymer was in the field and finished T20 at 6 under.
· Karrie Webb has entered two tournaments this year and has won them both. The latest, being the well documented, inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup in which there was no actual prize fund. Instead, monies were distributed to various charities on behalf of the players who finished in the top ten. Webb divided her $200,000 donation between the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and Japan Relief Charity yet to be determined. Furthermore, LPGA.COM reported that “RR Donnelley committed $100 per birdie and $500 per eagle on holes 15-18 on Friday and Saturday to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF's Japan relief efforts. Dubbed the "Japan Relief Zone," RR Donnelley opted to up the donations on Sunday, contributing $500 per birdie and $1,000 per eagle on holes 15-18. All told, 285 birdies and four eagles made possible a $53,300 donation from RR Donnelley to the U.S. Fund.”
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| Karrie Webb- Founders Cup Champion |
· Japan Relief: South Korean K.J. Choi donated $100,000 and the US’s Bubba Watson handed over a check for $50,000 in the media center at the Transitions Championship.
· Tiger Woods spent a few awkward moments on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” to promote his new video game featuring Augusta National. Woods’ took it on the chin while Fallon thanked him making jokes easier to write while his personal life fell apart.
· Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz was given a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Nationwide Tour’s South Georgia Classic. Smoltz said that he didn’t “want to step on anyone’s toes” by taking a spot from a player trying to make a living at the game, but went on to accept the invitation anyway. Meanwhile, PGATOUR.COM reported that Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice “would return as tournament host and also participate as a professional competitor… "at the Nationwide Tour’s Fresh Express Classic. “I love working with the Nationwide Tour, the players and all the people here at TPC Stonebrae," the former San Francisco 49er great said. "I can't wait to do it again. Last year's reaction was overwhelming. My main goal is to help the tournament be successful." The Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae will be played at the San Francisco Bay area course April 14-17.
· Stephanie Wei reported that Stewart Cink’s Twitter account was hacked when a tweet (see left) from Cink's account went viral.
· Gold Digest’s Ron Sirak wrote a thought provoking piece about the possibility of the PGA TOUR taking over management of the struggling LPGA. When asked, LPGA Tour officials said that there were no discussions being held on the matter between the two entities.
· Europeantour.com: Raphaël Jacquelin (-12) held off a spirited challenge from Anthony Wall (-11) to win his third European Tour title at the Sicilian Open. A two-and-a-half hour delay for dangerous weather conditions on Sunday forced a Monday finish at Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA, with the leading pair resuming with just one shot separating them and six holes to play. Wall twice wiped out the deficit, only to find water at the penultimate hole and run up a double bogey as 36 year old Jacquelin walked away with the €166,660 first prize.
Next up:
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
Monday Mar 21 – Sunday Mar 27, 2011
Bay Hill Club and Lodge · Orlando, Fla.
Purse: $6 million
Winning Share: $1,080,000
FedExCup Points: 500
| TV TIMES | Thu, 3/24: | Fri, 3/25: | Sat, 3/26: | Sun, 3/27: |
| GOLF 3p - 6p ET | GOLF 3p - 6p ET | NBC 2:30p - 6p ET | NBC 2:30p - 6p ET | |
| SIRIUS XM | Thu, 3/24: | Fri, 3/25: | Sat, 3/26: | Sun, 3/27: |
| 12p - 6p ET | 12p - 6p ET | 12p - 6p ET | 12p - 6p ET |
Course Details: PGATOUR.COM
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| Course record: 62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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