Wozzilroy Twitter Account Showdown, the Infographic

For the full size infographic, click HERE

They've been an item since last summer. Young, rich, and at the top of their respective games, Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki are clearly a power couple... "a match made in sports marketing heaven", some have said.

Previous golf/tennis pairings - Martina Hingis and Sergio Garcia, Ana Ivanovic and Adam Scott, Chris Evert and Greg Norman, to name a few - have made a modicum of news, providing good back stories during major events like Wimbledon or the Masters, but... truth-be-told... these love affairs didn't much register beyond the rarefied radar of their respective niche sports.

The Wozniackilroy romance however, has the potential to transcend both golf and tennis thanks to the second nature social media skills of the two appealing protagonists. Their numerous celebrity hybrid names and recent appearances together at parties with the likes of Ronaldo and the Beckhams testify to the couple's growing social media sports star status.

Rumor has it their initial flirtation was conducted on Twitter, and there can be little doubt that both @McIlroyRory and @CaroWozniacki appreciate the value of a timely tweet, but how do they stack up against each other?  Well world rankings-wise, Rory is currently golf's world No.1, while Caroline... who held the No.1 spot in tennis as recently as January... has recently tumbled to No.4.  But who reigns supreme in terms of Twitter temerity? Well, I can tell you that... and I can present it with a colorful, graphically sophisticated visualization thanks to new infographic creation tools from visual.ly... and it looks like Rory's dominating in the Twitterverse too. For the moment. I have a distinct feeling that the fiercely competitive Caroline will be back to  No.1 in the Tennisphere before long, and... who knows... after seeing this perhaps she'll decide to challenge her boyfriend for supremacy in the Twittersphere. In any case, I'm guessing the #Wozzilroy hashtag will be a popular this year.

Follow @CaroWozniacki and @RoryMcIlroy on Twitter.

Multi-tasking Golf Fashion Innovation: Skirt + Tight = Skite

Skirt + Tight = Skite

It's a simple concept. A classic "why didn't I think of that?" idea.

But I didn't, Mary Jane Parrish did.  The enterprising Florida tennis-player-turned-sportswear-designer invented the Skite, a one-piece, multi-tasking skirt/tight hybrid that works wonderfully for golf... and a whole plethora of other activities, athletic and otherwise.

Here's the thing, for the majority of female body types... young, old, large or lean... a short skirt actually creates a flattering silhouette.  However, many women shy away from the look for fear of over-exposure... and that's where the leggings come into play.

Completely opaque and attached to the skirt, they're available in several cuts, from short... to Capri... to ankle-length, allowing a gal to choose the amount of leg coverage that suits her. Plus, with a couple of different fits, three basic solid colors and panoply of prints to choose from, one can customise the look to a particular sport or activity.

Yes, a Skite is quite the versatile vestment.  Have a look at their website theskite.com for additional info and check out their blog skitebuzz.blogspot.com for more on the back story.  Then of course, there's a Skite facebook page to keep you completely up-to-date on all things Skite as they develop.

A hat tip for this great golf fashion find goes to the always observant and sartorially sensitive Courtney Capps, (who always looks great in his Khakis).

Skites hit the tennis courts -  Fairways are the next frontier

The Golf Poet Pens Panegyrical Prose for Michelle Wie

It was almost three years ago that I first came upon Golf Poet a delightful golf poetry/golf history blog that always lifts my spirits.

The editor is Leon White, a true Renaissance man with a passion for golf and a love of poetry... and the generosity to share both in frequent, cleverly-crafted posts on his enchanting blog.

Almost a year ago, in April 2011, the Golf Poet released Golf Course of Rhymes - Links between Golf and Poetry Through the Ages a wonderfully rich and engaging book, based on his blog. 

Last week I received an email from Mr. White.  The multi-faceted scribe had just written a poem for Michelle Wie in honor of her upcoming graduation from Stanford University... and he remembered my well documented years as a Wie Warrior.

"I thought she deserved poetic recognition for her achievements and best wishes for a great post-graduate career in golf and otherwise."

That's the way the golf poet puts it on his blog and the resulting poem is... to use an over-used word... awesome.  Read For Michelle Wie here.

International Women's Day - A Couple of Golf Blogs to Follow

Forest Hills Ladies Circle Photo: ©Monique A. Ignacio

If you've paid a visit to the worlds most popular search engine today you may have noticed a modern multi-chromatic rendering that features a flower and the female gender symbol.  That would be the  Google Doodle for March 8, 2012 decked out for International Women's Day.

More than thirty years ago,  March 8th officially became the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.  The occasion will be marked in various ways by women's groups around the world.

For the social media communicators among us, a twitter hashtag, #digitalheroines has been established as part of a viral campaign to promote the presence of women in technology fields where, as yet they're substantially underrepresented.

Tweeting with this hashtag is a way to sign on to the International Women's Day statement of Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission, and the woman in charge of digital policy for Europe.  Though originating in Europe, it's a message applicable across the globe. "The Digital World is for Everyone".

The empowerment of women and the recent rise of digital technology have changed our world for the better. Now it is time to bring these two revolutions together.
You may have heard of Moore's law, but what about a more women law?
Technology should not be a boy's and man's world. Our technology gurus and heroes cannot be limited to men. It's a digital world now and the digital world is for everyone. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

In that vein, I'd like to tell you about a couple of golf blogs that inspire me with their support of women's golf (which is way underreported vs. men's golf) and their engaging female focus:

Tenerife Ladies Open ©DogLegMedia

Dog Leg Media is a media initiative from Poodle, the fashion forward golf apparel company we've written about here a couple of times in the past. In addition to their awesome clothing line, Poodle is a company with a real commitment to the women's game. They sponsor several professional golfers and Ladies European Tour events attending numerous tournaments each year, and have now established photo library of unique high quality images that they offer to media outlets, businesses and fans. Their aim is to encourage newspapers and magazines to write about womens golf and more fans to follow and support the girls.

The Dog Leg Media Blog is a great way to see the women LET in action... on some of the most beautiful courses in the world.

And speaking of beautiful courses... and gregarious golf girls... and stunning photography,  if you don't follow Girl Golfing! you're missing out on an ultra-vibrant glimpse of the exciting women's golf scene in the Philippines.

Throughout the weekend I'll add links to some of the unique other blogs that I feel reflect the International Women's Day mission. If you have any... please feel free to add them in a comment.

Ryo Ishikawa Will Soon Be Seen in Nike Casual Wear (updated)

Ryo Ishikawa With Nike Sportswear Creative Director (c) NIKE

Update: Ryo receives a Masters invite!...also check out his new comercial for Asahi Dry Zero a new 0.00% alcohol, beer-tasting beverage.
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Over the past couple of years we've watched Ryo Ishikawa become a truly global golfer. 

He's played all over the world, bringing his whimsical, multi-chromatic style... and an ever-growing gaggle of Japanese journalists... to the top tournaments on multiple contents. - To the extent that it's often hard to keep track of the young superstar. - Right now Mr. Ishikawa is in Puerto Rico for the PGA Tour's Puerto Rican Open,  he'll then head to Florida for the Transitions Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  Currently ranked 54th, and four places short of qualifying for the Masters, Ryo will be playing these next few weeks for a spot in the field at Augusta.

Japan's number one golfer seems to have magical powers be able to turn on a dime... getting from one end of the earth to another in record time. His appeal seems to transcend boarders as well earning him avid fans everywhere he goes. It's therefore no surprise to hear he's been pursued by top global brands.

In fact, the Japanese phenom just signed a contract with Nike and will soon be wearing "casual shoes and sportswear" from the iconic brand as part of a global campaign designed to convey the importance of "realizing one's dreams through various challenges".  The tenacious 20 year-old golf champion... who's also known to excel on soccer fields and ski slopes... is clearly a perfect poster boy for this message.

As always, the intrepid Noriko Imano filled me in on this story. She also sent me a link to this exuberant Asahi ad. 
 

Number 1 Rors - The Awesome Ascension of Mr. McIlroy

Tiger Woods had the best final-round of his life at the windblown Honda Classic today, though he ultimately finished tied for second behind Rory McIlroy.  Some are saying it feels like the "dawn of a new golfing era," but before we go there,  let's look back, two... two-and-a-half years... to late September 2009.

A mere month before the ill-fated intersection of an Escalade and a Fire Hydrant,  golf was Tiger Woods and everyone else. He had no sustainable rivals.  Rory McIlroy had just turned twenty and was winding up a year of firsts - first win, first Masters, first Players Championship.  I wrote the post below at that moment in time, and rediscovering it today brought back the decidedly more innocent era when Tiger reigned supreme and Rory was the impish Ulsterman who swilled Champers and celebrated victory with his childhood sweetheart.

Rory McIlroy's Autumnal Weekend... Under Monty's Watchful Eye - September 29, 2009

 He wore dorky cool looking shades and whispered into his cell phone.

I'm guessing it was his girlfriend on the other end, wondering how things were going in Paris. Girlfriends do tend to wonder about such things... it's part of normal girlfriend behavior... particularly if you're dating a rapidly rising star like Rory Mcilroy... and you're only 16, like Holly is.

At Saint-Nom-La Breteche golf course, the weekend featured a pure cerulean sky and forests tinged with a warm ocherous glow. The International field was energized and upbeat, and the boys were getting on really well. However, for young Rory the mood this dazzling Autumn weekend was tempered by the disquieting presence of Colin Montgomerie.

Monty was in Paris to assess players for his 2010 Ryder Cup team and was already irked by the absence of a few guys he felt should have been in there, but weren't.

Rory also realized that his own reckless statement about the Ryder Cup was still fresh in the curmudgeonly captain's mind as well. It had been a careless thing to say; to refer to the revered Ryder Cup as an "exhibition match".

Yes, for a brief moment Rory had found himself channeling Tiger...then quickly realized Tiger would never have made the statement publicly. So there had been the backtracking, the smoothing things over, and on the surface everything seemed to be OK on this Autumnal French golf course, but Rory wasn't completely at ease. 

A New Back9Network Blog & Some Tantalizing Highlights

On March 1, Back9Network went live with their new blog, back9nation.com.

It's another step towards the birth of a brave new golf/lifestyle network.  The new highlight reel provides a glimpse of what the Back9Network plans to present live on TV, Internet and mobile devices by late spring/early summer.  Over the next couple of weeks their blog will feature new pilots, promos and profiles, then later this month the official Back9network website will go live with and take it to the next level, so to speak.  Staunch traditionalists and ardent feminists be warned: this may not be your cup of tea.  Everyone else: get ready to be entertained by a fresh new take on golf programing.

The Back9Network's mission is "to change the culture and perception of golf by opening up the sport and making it more fun and inclusive".  Stay tuned their blog for more as summer approaches.